A Paraphrase of the Revelation of St. John, Ch. 1
The Workes of the Most High and Mighty Prince, James.
A Paraphrase Upon The Revelation of St. John. Ch. 1:
Argument: The Book, the Writer, and the Indicter; the end and use thereof: The dedication of the Epistle to the Churches and Pastors, under the vision of the seven Candlesticks and seven stars.
God The Father hath directed his Son the Word, Jesus Christ, to send down an Angle or Minister, to me John his servant, and by him to reveal unto me certain things which are shortly to come to pass, to the effect in time the chosen may be forewarned by me; (2) Who have born witness that the word of God is true, and that Jesus Christ is, and was a faithful witness, and have made true report of all I saw. (3) Happy are they that read and understand this Prophecy and conform themselves thereunto in time, for in very short space it will be fulfilled: (4) I am directed to declare the same, specially to you the seven churches of Asia, with whom be grace and peace from the Eternal, the Father, and from the Holy Spirit:
(5) And Jesus Christ, that faithful witness, the first born of the dead, the Mighty King of the world, and head of his Church; Who for the love he bare us, hath made us innocent by his blood in the work of Redemption: (6) To him then we, whom he hath made Spiritual Kings and Priests, in Honor and Holiness, and ordained to serve and praise his Father, give all glory and power of ever: so be it. (7) Assure your selves of his coming again from Heaven in all glory, and all eyes shall see him; Yea the wicked shall be compelled to acknowledge that it is even very he, whom so they did persecute: And the whole world shall have a feeling before him of their unthankfulness. So be it.
(8) I am Eternal, saith the Lord, before whom, all things (which is or was) are present, and I am only the worker of all, I who ever Was, and still am, shall surely come again according to my promise: And as I am Eternal and true, so I am Almighty, preordination all things before all beginnings. (9)I John, your brother in the flesh, and companion with you as well in the service of Christ, as in the patient suffering of the Cross, being for that word of God and witnessing of Christ, whereof I spake, so persecuted, that for safety of my life I was constrained to fly all alone to the solitary Ile of Patmos. (10)Then was I bereft in spirit upon the Sunday, which is hallowed to the Lord: Then heard I behind me, turn about and take heed, the mighty voice of the Lord as a Trumpet, because he was to declare the estate of the battle of the Church Militant unto me; (11)Saying these words, I am Alpha and Omega, to wit, the first and the last, write thou in a Book what thou sets, and send it to the Seven Churches in Asia, the names of which are these, Ephesus, Smryna, Pergamos, Thyatyra, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Loadicea: (12)And when I turned me to see the voice, I did see Seven Candlesticks representing these seven Churches: (13)And in the midst of them the figure of the Son of Man representing him clothed with a side garment for gravity, and girded about the paps with a girdle of Gold for glory: (14) His head and hair were white as white Wool, or Snow for innocence; and his eyes were bright like flames of fire, to signify his all seeing knowledge: (15) His feet were of brass, brightly flaming as in a furnace, to declare his standing in Eternity. And his voice like the sounding of many waters, representing his Majesty in commanding: (16) And he had in his Right hand, the side that the Elect are on, seven Stars for you the Seven Angles, that is, Pastors of the Seven Churches: And from his mouth came a two-edged sword, to wit, the Sword of the word, which comes only from him; and his face was as the Sun shining bright, for from his Face comes all light to illuminate blind Man. (17) And when I thus did see him, I fell dead at his feet for astonishment, but he lifted me up again with his right and favorable hand, and comfortably said unto me, Fear not, be not astonished, for I am the first and the last. (18) Who, as verily as now I live, was once dead, as thou thy self bears witness, and yet now do live for ever and ever, and by my death only I have overcome Hell and Death; and I only and no other, keep the Keyes that have the power of them both. (19)And now I came to cheer thee to write these things which thou hast now seen, because they are afterwards to come to pass.