Revelation 1:1-20

The Vision of the Son of Man

St. John addresses 'the seven churches which are in Asia,' telling them of a vision of Christ, who bade him, write in a book what he saw and send it to them.

1-3. Introduction, describing the book as an 'apocalypse,' the Gk. word which signifies 'unveiling' or 'revelation.' This does not mean here the unveiling of Christ at His Coming, as in 1 Corinthians 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:13, but the Revelation given by Christ. The book is, at the same time, a prophecy (cp. Revelation 1:3), because divinely communicated, and because of its exhortations which must be kept. It is, also, in the form of a letter: cp. Revelation 1:4; Revelation 22:21. Notice in this section the threefold arrangement of ideas, so common in the book.