The preface, 1-3. John's salutation to the seven churches of Asia, 4-6. The coming of Christ, 7. His glorious power and majesty, 8-20.
1 This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel to his servant John, 2 Who bore testimony of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.
4 John, to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace and peace be to you from him who is, who was, and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne, 5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And has made us kings and priests to God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he "comes with the clouds," and every eye shall see him, even those who pierced him. And all kindreds of the earth "shall wail because of him." Even so, Amen.
8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending," says the Lord, "who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
9 I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos because of the word of God and because of the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and heard behind me a great voice like a trumpet, 11 Saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last," and, "What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
12 And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, 13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks someone like the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot and girded around the chest with a golden girdle. 14 His head and his hair was white like wool, as white as snow, his eyes were as a flame of fire, 15 His feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many waters. 16 And he had in his right hand seven stars. And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. And his countenance was as the sun shining in its strength.
17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as if dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, "Do not fear. I am the first and the last, 18 And the living one. And I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of hell and of death. 19 Write, therefore, the things which you have seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. 20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden candlesticks is this: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which you saw are the seven churches."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Revelation, Chapter 1[➚]
[v.7] - Quoting Daniel 7:13 (LXX); Zechariah 12:10 (LXX).
[v.7] - "even those who pierced him" - Reference, Psalm 22:16; Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34.
[v.8] - "Alpha" - A - Of Hebrew origin; the first letter of the alphabet; figuratively, only (from its use as a numeral) the first.
[v.8] - "Omega" - Ω - The last letter of the Greek alphabet, i.e. (figuratively) the finality.
[v.17] - "I am the first and the last" - Reference, Isaiah 41:4.