Revelation 1:1-12 NIV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:3

Blessed is he that readeth ,.... This book the Revelation, privately, in his closet or family, carefully and diligently, with a desire of understanding it; or publicly in the church of God, and endeavours open and explain it to others; and may allude to the reading of the law and the prophets in the synagogues, which were not barely read, but expounded; see Acts 13:15 ; and the rather this may be thought to be the sense of the words, since there is a change of number in the next clause, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:4

John to the seven churches which are in Asia ,.... In lesser Asia; their names are mentioned in Revelation 1:11 , grace be unto you, and peace ; which is the common salutation of the apostles in all their epistles, and includes all blessings of grace, and all prosperity, inward and outward: See Gill on Romans 1:7 . The persons from whom they are wished are very particularly described, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come ; which some understand of the whole... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:5

And from Jesus Christ ,.... Who, though the second Person in the Trinity, is mentioned last, because many things were to be said of him; and who is described in all his offices: in his prophetic office, the faithful witness ; as he is of his Father, of his mind and will, with respect to doctrine and worship; of his truth and faithfulness in his promises; and of his love, grace, and mercy, to his chosen; and of himself, of his true deity, proper sonship, and perfect equality with the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:6

And hath made us kings and priests ,.... The Alexandrian copy, and Complutensian edition, read, "a kingdom, priests"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "a kingdom and priests"; and the Arabic version, "a kingdom of priesthood"; reference seems to be had to Exodus 19:6 , "and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests"; which the Jerusalem Targum renders, "ye shall be unto me", מלכין וכהנין , "kings and priests"; and so the Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases it thus, "and ye shall be... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:7

Behold he cometh with clouds ,.... John carries on the account of Christ in his kingly office, one branch of which is to execute judgment; and describes him by a future coming of his, which cannot be understood of his coming to take vengeance on the Jews, at the time of Jerusalem's destruction, though that is sometimes expressed in such language, and with such circumstances, as here; see Matthew 24:30 ; because if this revelation was made to John, in the latter end of Domitian's reign, as... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:8

I am Alpha and Omega ,.... These are the words of Christ himself, appearing at once, and confirming what John had said of him, concerning his person, offices, and future coming: Alpha is the first letter, and Omega the last in the Greek alphabet, and signifies that Christ is the first and the last, as it is interpreted in Revelation 1:11 , and is a character often given to the divine Being in prophetic writings; see Isaiah 41:4 ; and is no small proof of the proper deity of Christ. Alpha... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:9

I, John, who also am your brother ,.... Here begins the narrative of the visions and prophecies of this book, the former verses containing a general preface to the whole; and this, and the two following verses, are the introduction to the first vision, which John saw; who describes himself by his name, "I John", the evangelist and apostle, a servant of Christ, and a beloved disciple of his; one that was well known to the seven churches to whom he writes, and who had no reason to doubt of his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:10

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day ,.... Not on the Jewish sabbath, which was now abolished, nor was that ever called the Lord's day, and had John meant that, he would have said on the sabbath day; much less the Jewish passover, but the first day of the week is designed; so the Ethiopic version renders it "on the first day"; and is so called just as the ordinance of the supper is called the Lord's supper, being instituted by the Lord, and the Lord's table, 1 Corinthians 10:21 , and that... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:11

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last ,.... These characters, which are repeated here; see Gill on Revelation 1:8 ; are left out in the Alexandrian copy, the Complutensian edition, the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; but are very fitly retained, to point out the person that speaks; to express his dignity, deity, and eternity; to excite the attention of John, and to give weight to what he said: and, what thou seest, write in a book ; that it might remain,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:12

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me ,.... The Complutensian edition reads, "and there I turned": and so the Arabic version; that is, to see who it was that spoke, from whom the voice came, and by whom it was uttered; see Exodus 20:18 , and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks ; which represented the seven churches, Revelation 1:20 ; in allusion to the seven lamps in the candlestick of the sanctuary, Exodus 25:37 ; compared to "candlesticks", for the use of... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:10

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:11

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 1:12

Group of Brands