This is the Revelation of ‘Isa al-Masih, which Allah gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John, 2who testified to Allah’s word, and of the testimony of ‘Isa al-Masih, about everything that he saw.
3Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.
4John, to the seven congregations that are in Asia: As-Salam-u Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah[1] from the one who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne; 5and from ‘Isa al-Masih, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood; 6and he made us to be a kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7Behold, he is coming with the clouds[2], and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him[3]. Even so, Amen.
8“I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z’,“ says Allah Ta’ala, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.“
9I John, your brother and partner with you in the suffering, kingdom, and perseverance of al-Masih ‘Isa, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of the Word of Allah and the testimony of ‘Isa al-Masih. 10I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet 11saying, “What you see, write in a book and send to the seven congregations: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.“
12I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. 13And among the lampstands was one like Ibn Adam , clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. 14His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. 15His feet were like burnished bronze, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. 16He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. 17When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, 18and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of the Grave[4]. 19Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter; 20the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven congregations. The seven lampstands are the seven congregations.
[1] 1:4 Often translated, “grace and peace to you.” This is functionally equivalent to the greeting given here.
[2] 1:7 See the Taurat, Daniel 7:13.
[3] 1:7 See the Taurat, Zakariyya 12:10.
[4] The Grave refers to the Intermediate State in which the dead await judgment day. This verse teaches that ‘Isa al-Masih has power over death and the world of the dead. He is the one who can save from the fear of death and the grave.