Revelation 1:4

Revelation 1:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
• New International Version (NIV)John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
• English Standard Version (ESV)John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
• New King James Version (NKJV)John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,

Context of Revelation 1:4

2I, John, have written about everything that God showed me. These things are a true message from God. They are the things that Jesus Christ says are true. 3If anyone reads aloud the words of this prophecy, God will bless that person. God will also bless the people who listen to these words, if they continue to obey them. The things that are written here will soon happen. I am John. I am writing to the seven churches that are in the region of Asia. I pray that God will be very kind to you. I pray that he will give you peace in your minds. God is alive now. He has always been alive. He will continue to be alive for ever. God will help you, and the seven spirits that are in front of his throne will help you. 5Jesus Christ will also help you. He always speaks a true message. He is the first person who became alive again after death. He rules the kings of the earth. Jesus loves us and he died for us. That is how he made us free. Because of Jesus, God will not punish us for the bad things that we have done. 6Jesus has brought us into his family, so that we belong to God's kingdom. He has made us priests, so that we serve his God and Father. So we praise Jesus Christ! He will always be very great! He has power for all time. Amen. This is true!

Revelation 1:4 word by word

Ἰωάννης ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ· χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτων ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• JohnἸωάννηςIōannēs · JohnG2491
• to theὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• to theἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• sevenἑπτάhepta · sevenG2033
• which are inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• AsiaἈσίαAsia · AsiaG773
• Graceχάριςcharis · graceG5485
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• peaceεἰρήνηeirēnē · peaceG1515
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• him which isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• which is to comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• theπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• Spiritsπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• whichὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• beforeἐνώπιονenōpion · beforeG1799
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• throneθρόνοςthronos · throneG2362

Cross-references for Revelation 1:4

• Revelation 1:1This book describes the things that God showed to Jesus Christ. He wanted Jesus to show these things to his own servants. They are events that must happen soon. Jesus sent his angel to show them to me, his servant John.
• Revelation 1:11The voice said: ‘When you see these things, write them in a book. Then you must send the book to the seven churches in these cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.’
• Revelation 2:1‘Now write this to the angel of the church at Ephesus: “This is the message to you from the one who holds the seven stars. He holds them carefully in his right hand. He walks among the seven gold lampstands.
• Revelation 3:1‘Write this to the angel of the church at Sardis: “This is the message to you from the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know everything that you do. I know that people praise you. They think that you are alive. But that is not true, because really you are dead in your spirits.
• Acts 19:10Paul taught the people there for two years. During that time, all the people who lived in Asia region heard the message about the Lord Jesus. This included Jews and Gentiles.
• 1 Peter 1:1This letter is from me, Peter. I am an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you, God's own people that he has chosen. You are now living in many different places, in the regions called Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. You are living in these foreign places as strangers.
• Romans 1:7So I am writing to all you Christians who are in Rome. God loves you and he has chosen you to be his own people. I pray that God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to help you. I pray that they will give you peace in your minds.
• 1 Corinthians 1:3I pray that God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, will continue to help you. I pray that they will give you peace in your minds.
• 2 Corinthians 1:2I pray that God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ will continue to help you. I pray that they will give you peace in your minds.
• 1 Peter 1:2God, the Father, already decided that you should be his people. God's Spirit has made you special people who would obey Jesus Christ. God chose you so that Jesus Christ's blood would make you really clean. I pray that God will help you and give you peace in your minds more and more.
• Revelation 1:8The Lord God says, ‘I caused all things to begin and I will cause the end of all things. I have all power and authority. I am alive. I have always been alive. I will continue to be alive for ever.’
• Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am! Say this to the Israelite people: “I AM has sent me to you.” ’
• Psalms 90:2From before the mountains began, and before you made the world, you were already there, as God. You have no beginning and no end.
• Psalms 102:25Long ago, you built the world on a strong foundation. You created the heavens with your own hands.
• Isaiah 41:4Tell me, who has caused these things to happen? Who has decided what should happen, from the beginning, century after century? It is I, the Lord! I was there at the beginning, and I will always be there, through to the end.
• Isaiah 57:15The Mighty God is far higher than all others. He rules from above and he lives for ever. His name is holy. He says, ‘I live in a high and holy place. But I am also with anyone who is humble and who is sorry when he does wrong things. I will comfort people who are like that, and I will give them hope.

Commentaries on Revelation 1:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4John to the seven Churches - The apostle begins this much in the manner of the Jewish prophets. They often name themselves in the messages which they receive from God to deliver to the people; e.g. "The vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem." "The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah; to whom the word of the Lord came." "The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel, the priest." "The word of the Lord that came…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4John to the seven churches which are in Asia - The word “Asia” is used in quite different senses by different writers. It is used: (1)as referring to the whole eastern continent now known by that name; (2)either Asia or Asia Minor; (3)that part of Asia which Attalus III, king of Pergamos, gave to the Romans, namely, Mysia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Lydia, Carla, Pisidia, and the southern coast - that is, all in the western, southwestern, and southern parts of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4-8Verses 4-8 There can be no true peace, where there is not true grace; and where grace goeth before, peace will follow. This blessing is in the name of God, of the Holy Trinity, it is an act of adoration. The Father is first named; he is described as the Jehovah who is, and who was, and who is to come, eternal, unchangeable. The Holy Spirit is called the seven spirits, the perfect Spirit of God, in whom there is a diversity of gifts and operations. The…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4To the seven churches do not mean there were only seven churches in the Roman province of Asia. Instead, these seven churches represent the entire group. "Grace and peace" is a typical Christian greeting (see study notes on 2 Corinthians 1:1–2; 2 Thessalonians 1:1–2). The order of these words is consistent in the New Testament, suggesting that peace follows from God's grace. from Him who is and was and is to come: God controlled the past, will control the…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. John--the apostle. For none but he (supposing the writer an honest man) would thus sign himself nakedly without addition. As sole survivor and representative of the apostles and eye-witnesses of the Lord, he needed no designation save his name, to be recognized by his readers. seven churches--not that there were not more churches in that region, but the number seven is fixed on as representing totality. These seven represent the universal Church of all…Read the comment

Topics related to Revelation 1:4

• Asia
• Church
• God
• Holy Spirit
• I Am That I Am
• Jesus Continued
• Peace
• Seven
• Throne

In the dictionaries

• Asia
• Seven Churches
• Alpha
• Beginning
• Holy Ghost
• Jehovah
• Star
• Alliance
• Asia Minor
• Canon of the New Testament

Commentaries on Revelation 1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings