New English Translation
Revelation 1:4
4From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from “he who is,” and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
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
2who then testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ. 3Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near! From John, to the seven churches that are in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from “he who is,” and who was, and who is still to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5and from Jesus Christ – the faithful witness, the firstborn from among the dead, the ruler over the kings of the earth. To the one who loves us and has set us free from our sins at the cost of his own blood 6and has appointed us as a kingdom, as priests serving his God and Father – to him be the glory and the power for ever and ever! Amen.
Read all of Revelation 1Revelation 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 1:1The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John,
- Revelation 1:11saying: “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches – to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
- Revelation 2:1“To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who has a firm grasp on the seven stars in his right hand – the one who walks among the seven golden lampstands:
- Revelation 3:1“To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead.
- Acts 19:10This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord.
- 1 Peter 1:1From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing abroad (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia) who are chosen
- Romans 1:7To all those loved by God in Rome, called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
- 1 Corinthians 1:3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
- 2 Corinthians 1:2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!
- 1 Peter 1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood. May grace and peace be yours in full measure!
- Revelation 1:8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God – the one who is, and who was, and who is still to come – the All-Powerful!
- Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, “I am that I am.” And he said, “You must say this to the Israelites, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”
- Psalms 90:2Even before the mountains came into existence, or you brought the world into being, you were the eternal God.
- Psalms 102:25In earlier times you established the earth; the skies are your handiwork.
- Isaiah 41:4Who acts and carries out decrees? Who summons the successive generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, am present at the very beginning, and at the very end – I am the one.
- Isaiah 57:15For this is what the high and exalted one says, the one who rules forever, whose name is holy: “I dwell in an exalted and holy place, but also with the discouraged and humiliated, in order to cheer up the humiliated and to encourage the discouraged.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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