1: 1 John the Apostle introduces the book that he is writing as the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
It is commonly in error called the Revelation of John.
It is the direct Revelation of Christ to John.
1: 2 John identifies himself as one who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and all things which he, John had seen.
1: 3 A blessing pronounced for those who read and those that hear the words of the prophecy herein revealed, and keep (preserve) those things which are written therein.
1: 4 John addresses the seven churches in Asia, and pronounces a benediction on them; "Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is to come (Jesus Christ), and which was, and which is was, and is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
The word used here for Spirits is is pneuma, the word usually used for spirit.
1: 5 (continuing from verse 4) And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
Christ is the true witness of the Word of God, as much as He is the Word of God. All of His words are true, because as he taught the disciples, He said and did only those things which the Father revealed unto Him. (John 5: 19-30).
1: 6 Christ has not just washed us in His blood fro the redemption of our sins, but he has made us kins and priests unto God and his Father. A doxology follows, John saying to him (Jesus) be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen
1: 7 Behold, he cometh on clouds; (clouds speak of judgment and retribution). and every eye shall see him,and they also which pierced him: and all tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Those who belong to him will not wail at his coming, but rejoice, so it appears that at this point in time, the church will already have been raptured off the earth.
1: 8 I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is , and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. Almighty is used in the sense of the all ruling, that is, God (as absolute and universal sovereign):-A;mighty, Omnipotent.
1: 9 John identifies with the recipients of the letter as their brother and companion in tribulation (persecution, not the Great Tribulation to come), and in the kingdom and patience (patient continuance, waiting) of Jesus Christ, and tells them that he was exiled to the Island of Patmos, for his teaching of the word of God, and for bearing witness to the Good News of the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
John was being punished for standing firm in the word of God and His Son Jesus Christ.
Patmos means "my killing", and is a rugged and bare island in the Aegean Sea.
1: 10 I was in the Spirit (the connotation of the Greek being that he was at rest in the Spirit) on the Lord's day, and heard a great (loud) voice (sound) as of a trumpet,
Often the term voice of a trumpet means the communication of the Lord or one of his angels to someone.
1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last; and what thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven Churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
1: 12 And I (John) turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;
As we continue in the book, we find that the candlesticks are the seven churches by way of their being the Light shining the Word of God into their respective regions of Asia.
1: 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps (chest) with a golden girdle.
1: 14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire (figuratively as a flashing of fiery lightning);
1: 15 And his feet like unto fine bras, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Brass speaks of judgment, figuratively, he carries judgment wherever he goes, and a fierce, inflamed with anger at that, for the wicked who have refused to bow down to him and especially for Satan and his fallen angels.
The sound of many waters speaks to his judgment being heard and understood by all nations, literally overwhelming them like rain.
I just realized that I have left off a few verses, so I will add them when I post chapter 2.
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