8 “I am the first and the last,” says the Lord God Almighty, who is, who was, and who is to come.
9 I am John, your brother, and as a follower of Jesus I am your partner in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom. I was put on the island of Patmos because I had proclaimed God's word and the truth that Jesus revealed.
10 On the Lord's day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me.
11 It said, “Write down what you see, and send the book to the churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
12 I turned around to see who was talking to me, and I saw seven gold lampstands,
13 and among them there was what looked like a human being, wearing a robe that reached to his feet, and a gold band around his chest.
14 His hair was white as wool, or as snow, and his eyes blazed like fire;