提要
第一章十分平鋪直敘，告訴我們異象是什麼、誰的、為什麼有，以及那裡來之類的答案。與下面各章有很大關連。
首先，這是「耶穌基督的啟示」，曉喻「祂的僕人約翰」，傳話的是一位「使者」（1節）。這啟示的本質是預言，因「日期近了」（3節）而顯得緊迫。
約翰寫給「亞西亞的七個教會」，代那「昔在、今在、以後永在的上帝」向他們問候（4節）。他描述耶穌是：「那誠實作見證的、從死裡首先復活，為世上君王元首的。」……「祂愛我們，用自己的血使我們脫離罪惡。」（5節）有關時間緊迫性的經文：例如「駕雲降臨，眾月要看見祂。」（7節）都是期待基督趕快再來的話。這也正是整本啟示錄的中心要素－－從書的開始到結尾：「阿們！主耶穌啊！我願您來！」（22：20）都包含此點。僅管許多啟示和象徵是很難解的，但上述那段經文「耶穌快再來」的意義是很確定的。你預備好了嗎？
老約翰因「為上帝的道，並為給耶穌作的見證」（9節），而被放逐在拔摩的海島上，在那裡他寫了信給以弗所、士每拿、別迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉鐵非、老底嘉（11節）七間教會。信的內文談到「現在的事，並將來必成的事。」（19節）
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Overview
Chapter one is fairly straightforward. It sets out to establish the who, what, why, and where of the vision. Relative to the remaining chapters, this one is clear and succinct.
First of all, this is a "revelation of Jesus Christ" given to "His servant John", and the messenger is an "angel" (v.l). The revelation is a "prophecy" with a note of urgency, for "the time is near" (v.3).
John writes to "the seven churches which are in Asia" and extends greetings from "Him who is, and who was, and who is to come" (v4). Jesus is described as "the faithful witness, the first born from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth"... "Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood" (v.5 NIV). The urgency of the hour relates to His "coming with clouds" when "every eye will see Him" (v.7). This expectation of Christ's soon return is the key factor in all of Revelation — the book begins with it, and ends with it, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (22:20). As tough as some of the apocalyptic symbols in the book may be to interpret, you can be clear and certain on the central message: Jesus is coming soon! Are you ready?
Exiled to the island of Patmos because of "the word of God and the testimony of Jesus" (v.9), John writes what he has seen to the churches of "Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea" (v.ll). It's a message about "what is now and what will take place later" (v.19 NIV).
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