Revelation 1:10-20

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 1:9-20

We have now come to that glorious vision which the apostle had of the Lord Jesus Christ, when he came to deliver this revelation to him, where observe, I. The account given of the person who was favoured with this vision. He describes himself, 1. By his present state and condition. He was the brother and companion of these churches in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Christ. He was, at their time, as the rest of true Christians were, a persecuted man, banished, and perhaps... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:10-11

1:10-11 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice, like the sound of a trumpet, saying: "Write what you see in a book, and send it to the seven Churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna, and to Pergamos and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea." Historically this is an extremely interesting passage for it is the first reference in literature to the Lord's Day. We have often spoken of the Day of the Lord, that day of wrath and judgment... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:12-13

1:12-13 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me; and, when I had turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and, in the midst of the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed in a robe that reached to his feet, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle. We now begin on the first of John's visions; and we shall see that his mind is so saturated with Scripture that element after element in the picture has an Old Testament background and counterpart. He says that he turned... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:14-18

1:14-18 His head and his hair were white, as white as wool, like snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; and his feet were like beaten brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace; and his voice was as the voice of many waters; he had seven stars in his right hand; and out of his mouth there was coming a sharp two-edged sword; and his face was as the sun shining in its strength. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. And he put his right hand on me and said: "Stop being... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:14-18

Let us look very briefly at each of the titles by which the Risen Lord is here called. His head and his hair were white, as white wool, like snow. This, taken from the description of the Ancient of Days in Daniel 7:9 , is symbolic of two things. (a) It stands for great age; and it speaks to us of the eternal existence of Jesus Christ. (b) It speaks to us of divine purity. The snow and the white wool are the emblems of stainless purity. "Though your sins are like scarlet," said Isaiah,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:14-18

There was coming forth from his mouth a sharp, two-edged sword. The sword referred to was not long and narrow like a fencer's blade; it was a short, tongue-shaped sword for close righting. Again the seer has gone here and there in the Old Testament for his picture. Isaiah says of God: "He shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth" ( Isaiah 11:4 ); and of himself: "He made my mouth like a sharp sword" ( Isaiah 49:2 ). The symbolism tells us of the penetrating quality of the word... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:20

1:20 Here is the secret meaning of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches and the seven lampstands are the seven Churches. This passage begins with a word which throughout the New Testament is used in a very special case. The King James Version speaks of the mystery of the seven stars and of the seven golden candlesticks. The Greek, musterion ( Greek #3466 ), does not mean a mystery in our... 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

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