Revelation 1:4-18 KJV

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:9

John tells us that, when the visions of the Revelation came to him, he was in Patmos. It was the unanimous tradition of the early church that he was banished to Patmos in the reign of Domitian. Jerome says that John was banished in the fourteenth year after Nero and liberated on the death of Domitian (Concerning Illustrious Men, 9). This would mean that he was banished to Patmos about A.D. 94 and liberated about A.D. 96. Patmos, a barren rocky little island belonging to a group of islands... 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

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

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 1:9

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

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

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

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

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

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

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