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Revelation 1:1–2
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to
shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;
and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of
Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:1–2
The Author (Rev. 1:1b-2, 4, 9; 22:8)
The Holy Spirit used the Apostle John to give us three kinds of
inspired literature: the Gospel of John, the three epistles, and
the Book of Revelation. His purposes may be outlined as
follows:
Gospel of John Epistles Revelation
Believe, 20:22 Be Sure, 1 John 5:13 Be ready, 22:20
Life received Life revealed Life rewarded
Salvation Sanctification Sovereignty
The Prophet The Priest The King
John wrote Revelation about A.D. 95, during the reign of the
Roman emperor Titus Flavius Domitian. The emperor had
demanded that he be worshiped as ―Lord and God,‖ and the
refusal of the Christians to obey his edict led to severe
persecution. Tradition says that it was Domitian who sent John
to the Isle of Patmos, a Roman penal colony off the coast of Asia
Minor. This being the location of John’s exile, perhaps it is not
surprising that the word sea is found twenty-six times in his
book.
During Christ’s earthly ministry, John and his brother James
asked Jesus for special places of honor by His throne. The Lord
told them that they would have to merit their thrones by sharing
in His suffering. James was the first apostle martyred (Acts
12:1–2); John was the last of the Apostles to die, but he
suffered on Patmos before his death (see Matt. 20:20–23).

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How did the Lord convey the contents of this book to His
servant? According to Revelation 1:1–2, the Father gave the
revelation to the Son, and the Son shared it with the apostle,
using ―His angel‖ as intermediary. Sometimes Christ Himself
conveyed information to John (Rev. 1:10ff); sometimes it was
an elder (Rev. 7:13); and often it was an angel (Rev. 17:1;
19:9–10). Sometimes a ―voice from heaven‖ told John what to
say and do (Rev. 10:4). The book came from God to John, no
matter what the various means of communication were; and it
was all inspired by the Spirit.
The word signified (Rev. 1:1) is important; it means ―to show
by a sign.‖ In Revelation, the noun is translated as sign (Rev.
15:1), wonder (Rev. 12:1, 3), and miracle (Rev. 19:20). This is
the same word used in the Gospel of John for the miracles of
Jesus Christ, for His miracles were events that carried a deeper
spiritual message than simply the display of power. As you
study Revelation, expect to encounter a great deal of
symbolism, much of it related to the Old Testament.
Why did John use symbolism? For one thing, this kind of
―spiritual code‖ is understood only by those who know Christ
personally. If any Roman officers had tried to use Revelation as
evidence against Christians, the book would have been a puzzle
and an enigma to them. But an even greater reason is that
symbolism is not weakened by time. John was able to draw on
the great ―images‖ in God’s revelation and assemble them into
an exciting drama that has encouraged persecuted and suffering
saints for centuries. However, you must not conclude that
John’s use of symbolism indicates that the events described are
not real. They are real!
There is a third reason why John used symbolism: symbols
not only convey information, but also impart values and arouse
emotions. John could have written, ―A dictator will rule the
world,‖ but instead he described a beast. The symbol says much
more than the mere title of ―dictator.‖ Instead of explaining a
world system, John simply introduced ―Babylon the Great‖ and

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contrasted the ―harlot‖ with the ―bride.‖ The very name
―Babylon‖ would convey deep spiritual truth to readers who
knew the Old Testament.
In understanding John’s symbolism, however, we must be
careful not to allow our imaginations to run wild. Biblical
symbols are consistent with the whole of biblical revelation.
Some symbols are explained (Rev. 1:20; 4:5; 5:8); others are
understood from Old Testament symbolism (Rev. 2:7, 17; 4:7);
and some symbols are not explained at all (the ―white stone‖ in
Rev. 2:17). Nearly 300 references to the Old Testament are
found in Revelation! This means that we must anchor our
interpretations to what God has already revealed, lest we
misinterpret this important prophetic book. 1
Revelation 1:1–2
The book begins with an incomplete sentence; the opening
phrase The revelation of Jesus Christ is the subject, but it has
no finite verb following it. The word revelation (or ―apocalypse‖)
occurs only here in the book, and the related verb ―to reveal‖ is
not used. The verb means ―to uncover,‖ ―to disclose,‖ ―to make
known.‖ The verb and the noun are used in several senses: (1)
to reveal, ―uncover,‖ what has previously been hidden or
unknown (Luke 12.2; John 12.38); (2) in particular, of a
message from God, without a human bearer of the message,
which reveals something hitherto unknown (Matt 11.25; 16.17;
Gal 1.16; 2.2); (3) in a specialized sense, the making known of
important events and persons related to the end of this age and
the beginning of the new age (2 Thes 2.3, 6, 8; 1 Peter 1.7, 13;
4.13). In this passage the word refers to the visions recorded in
the book. As 1.10 makes clear, it was through God’s Spirit that
John was enabled to see those visions of things present and
things future (1.19).
1
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, "An Exposition of the New Testament Comprising the Entire
'BE' Series"--Jkt. (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1996, c1989), Re 1:3.

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The revelation of Jesus Christ means that Jesus Christ disclosed,
made known, the visions recorded in the book. It was God who
chose Jesus Christ to make this disclosure, which God gave to
him to show to his servants; and the visions that John sees
portray events that will happen in the near future.
The complete name Jesus Christ appears in two other passages
(1.2, 5); elsewhere ―Jesus‖ is used without ―Christ‖ (eleven
times).
To show to his servants: the verb to show, in connection with
the noun revelation, means ―to reveal,‖ ―to make known,‖ ―to
disclose,‖ or ―cause to see.‖ The noun servants here is used in
the general sense of all believers, all followers of Jesus Christ,
those who will hear this account being read (verse 3). In 2.20
they are servants of Christ; here and in 7.3; 19.2, 5; 22.3, 6
they are servants of God. In a more restricted sense God’s
servants in 10.7 and 11.18 are Christian prophets.
The verb form translated must points to God as the cause, the
motivating force that determines what has to happen (see the
verb used in 4.1; and verse 10.11 ; also 11.5 [―he is doomed‖];
as well as verse 13.10; and verse 17.10. in addition, ; verse
20.3; and verse 22.6). If necessary this may be made explicit
by making God the subject of the verb: ―to show his servants
what he (God) has decided will happen soon.‖
Soon: this indicates that the events portrayed in the visions will
take place within the lifetime of John, a relatively short period of
time (see 2.16; and verse 3.11; also verse 22.6). The final
events (20.7–22.5) are to take place after the period of one
thousand years (20.1–6). And the book closes with the Lord’s
promise ―I am coming soon‖ (22.12, 20).
And he made it known: the subject, he, is Jesus Christ; it is the
revelation that God gave him. The verb made ... known
translates a verb that is related to the noun ―sign, symbol‖ and
means, in a strict sense, ―to reveal (or, make known) by means

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of signs.‖ In ancient Greek stories it is often used of messages
from the gods to humankind. This includes figurative or
symbolic language, as well as symbols of people and events. In
John 12.33 the same verb, translated ―to show,‖ is used when
Jesus indicates, by means of figurative language, what kind of
death he will soon experience, as he refers back to ―be lifted up‖
in verse 32. In John 18.32 the verb refers back to the Jews’
statement in verse 31 that they could not execute a criminal,
thereby indicating that Jesus would be crucified—which was the
Roman method of execution. In Acts 11.28 the verb is used of a
prediction of future events, ―foretold‖; and the general sense ―to
make known,‖ ―to make explicit,‖ is found in Acts 25.27, where
it is rendered ―indicate.‖ It is possible that here in 1.1 the verb
means ―to make known by means of signs or symbols,‖ but the
majority of translations have simply ―to make known,‖ ―to
reveal.‖ However, in certain languages it will be necessary to
express this phrase as ―cause to see.‖
By sending his angel: the word ―angel‖ in Hebrew and Greek
means ―messenger‖ and is used both of earthly and heavenly
messengers. Here his angel is a heavenly messenger, but there
is no clear indication as to what particular angel it is. Many
different angels appear in the visions, which begin at chapter 4.
They appear singly, or in groups of three (14.6–12), four (7.1–
8), and seven (two groups: 14.6–20 and chapters 15–16). In
10.1–11 ―another mighty angel‖ tells John that he must
prophesy again. In chapter 17 one of the seven angels who had
the seven bowls of God’s wrath comes to John and explains to
him the vision of the notorious prostitute and the red beast. In
19.9–10 ―the angel‖ is probably the one of chapter 17. And in
21.9 one of that same group of seven angels comes to John and
shows him the new Jerusalem. The angel stays with John until
his concluding statement in 22.6–11, with his commission to
John to write the book and send it out. The final endorsement is
given by Jesus, in 22.16: ―I Jesus have sent my angel to you
with this testimony for the churches‖ (see also 22.6). Here in
1.1, then, the phrase must be translated ―his (that is, of Jesus
Christ) angel,‖ even though his identity is not known. His angel

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may be rendered in many languages as ―his heavenly
messenger.‖
The clauses he made it known ... by sending may be translated
as NJB has done: ―he sent his angel to make it known to his
servant John‖; BRCL ―Christ sent his angel so that his servant
John would know these things‖; AT ―He sent and communicated
it by his angel to his slave John.‖ One may also translate this
sentence as ―He had (caused) his messenger to go to his
servant John and make this message known to him.‖
The Greek noun translated servant often has the meaning
―slave‖; but in keeping with the Old Testament use of the word,
―servant‖ is the best translation of it into English. Such terms as
―employee‖ or ―aide‖ are not appropriate in English, and most
European languages use the equivalent of ―servant‖ (as
distinguished from ―slave‖). The noun ―servants‖ may be
adequate in many languages, but where it is not, a verbal
phrase may be used; for example, ―those who serve (or, those
who worship) him (Jesus Christ).‖ Certain languages must
maintain a clear distinction between a person who works for a
fixed salary and one who is a personal attendant supported by
his master, but who does not have a fixed salary. It is this latter
term that should be used in this context if it is necessary to
make a distinction. In some languages one may say ―those who
serve him,‖ ―those who are his people,‖ or ―those who follow
him.‖ John is here identified as the servant of Jesus Christ; in
this context it indicates that John is a prophet (see ―your
brethren the prophets‖ in 22.8–9). The phrase ―his servants the
prophets‖ appears in 10.7, and ―thy servants the prophets‖ in
11.18. ―In the Spirit‖ in 1.10 is a technical term for prophetic
inspiration; and in 10.8–11 John is told ―You must prophesy
again ....‖ So John, as a prophet, is God’s chosen messenger to
proclaim God’s message to the churches (1.11, 19; 22.10, 16).
NJB New Jerusalem Bible
BRCL Brazilian Portuguese common language version
AT American Translation (Goodspeed)

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In verse 2 the subject of who bore witness is John. The Greek
verb ―to bear witness‖ is used also in 22.16, 18, 20 (translated
―testimony,‖ ―warn,‖ and ―testifies‖; for the noun ―witness‖ or
―testimony,‖ see below). The verb normally means to testify, or
to report something orally; here, however, John’s witness is the
book of Revelation itself. In 1.11 he is told ―Write what you see
in a book and send it to ...,‖ and in 22.7, 9, 10, 18a reference is
made to ―the words of the prophecy of this book‖ (see also
22.18a, 19a, b). So a translation such as ―told all that he has
seen‖ (TEV) or ―wrote down all that he saw‖ is appropriate here.
The compound object of the verb is ―the word of God and the
witness of Jesus Christ, the things he [John] saw.‖ Considering
the last phrase first: ―the things he saw‖ is in apposition to ―the
word of God and the witness of Jesus Christ,‖ referring to the
visions that John saw. See 1.12 ―I turned to see,‖ and verse
1.19 ―write what you see.‖ The first person form ―I saw‖
appears forty-five times in the narrative section of the book.
The visions John had, all that he saw, had to do with (1) the
word of God and (2) the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In this context the word of God means the message or
messages God sends to John by means of the visions and the
warnings and instructions given by various angels. In a broad
sense it is the truth or truths that God, by means of Jesus
Christ, made known to the prophet John. Alternative translation
models are ―the message that comes from God‖ or ―the
message sent by God.‖
The precise meaning of the testimony of Jesus Christ is debated.
It may mean ―the witness, or testimony, about Jesus Christ‖ or
―the witness, or testimony, given by Jesus Christ.‖ A similar
phrase ―the testimony of Jesus‖ appears in the Greek of 1.9;
12.17; 19.10 (twice); 20.4. In other contexts the noun
TEV Today’s English Version

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―testimony‖ refers to the testimony given by the subject of the
phrase (6.9; 11.7; 12.11). And in 20.4, ―those who had been
beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the
word of God,‖ the meaning is clear: it is the witness or
testimony those martyrs had given about Jesus. Here, then, the
meaning is most likely the same: ―the testimony about Jesus
Christ‖ or ―the things that had been revealed (shown)
concerning Jesus Christ.‖ In Greek the phrase ―who testified
about ... the testimony of Jesus Christ‖ is not natural, but such
unnatural usage occurs frequently in this book.
The translation of the single Greek (incomplete) sentence 1.1–2
must bring out clearly and naturally the relations between the
various words, phrases, and clauses, so as to make sense for
the readers.
(1) In English the use of an incomplete sentence is most
unnatural, but some translations have it (RSV, NRSV, RNAB,
NIV, NJB, Mft, AT; so also TOB). It is easy enough to have a
complete sentence, such as TEV ―This book is the record of the
events that ...‖; BRCL ―In this book are presented the events
that ...‖; the German common language translation (GECL),
more simply, ―This is the revelation that ...‖; REB ―This is the
revelation of Jesus Christ ...‖; and Phps ―This is a Revelation
from Jesus Christ ....‖ BRCL has ―In this book are written the
things that ....‖ Phps and REB are the simplest. In certain
RSV Revised Standard Version
NRSV New Revised Standard Version
RNAB Revised New American Bible
NIV New International Version
Mft Moffatt
TOB Traduction oecumenique de la Bible
GECL German common language version
REB Revised English Bible
Phps Phillips

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languages it will be necessary to use an active verb and say, for
example, ―In this book John has written the things that ....‖
(2) The meaning of the abstract noun revelation must often be
expressed by a verbal phrase, ―the events that Jesus Christ
revealed‖ (so BRCL; TEV), or even ―the truth that Jesus Christ
revealed.‖ In languages that require an object for the verb
―revealed,‖ one may translate ―the events that Jesus Christ
caused me to see.‖
(3) The verb gave has as its object The revelation, and it may
not be natural to use the verb with the object ―the events‖ or
―the truth.‖ Therefore it may be helpful to restructure, using two
sentences, in which gave appears in the second sentence, as in
TEV ―God gave him this revelation ...‖; BRCL is similar, ―God
gave him the task of revealing them‖ (that is, ―the events‖ of
the first sentence). In certain languages it will be impossible to
speak about ―giving revelation.‖ In such cases one may render
this clause as ―God caused Jesus Christ to make known these
events‖ or ―God let Jesus Christ see these things in order to
make them known to ....‖
(4) The ultimate recipients of the revelation are the servants of
Jesus Christ. The noun servants may be adequate in many
languages, but where it is not, a verbal phrase may be used,
―those who serve (or, worship) God‖ (see the comment above
on the translation of servants).
(5) By means of his angel, which he sent to his servant John,
Jesus Christ made this revelation known to John. It may be well
to have a complete sentence for the second part of verse 1, as
follows: ―Jesus Christ made this revelation known to his servant
John by sending his angel to him,‖ or ―Jesus Christ let his
servant John know about these events through his messenger
(angel) which he sent to him,‖ or ―Jesus Christ sent his
messenger to his servant John to tell him (make known to him)
the message ....‖ In languages that use modal verbs such as
―come‖ or ―go‖ to show the direction of the action and who or

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what is the center of focus of the action, one may say ―... sent
his messenger (to come) to his servant ...‖ or ―sent his
messenger (to go) to his servant ....‖ The choice depends upon
who the translator feels is in focus here, Jesus or John. John
appears to be the focus of attention here, because from this
sentence on John is the one telling about all that he has seen. A
translation should not try to anticipate here the means used to
reveal to John the message from God, that is, the visions John
saw. An alternative translation may be ―Jesus Christ sent his
angel to his servant John to make known to him the message
from God.‖
(6) John reported all that he saw, that is, the visions that are
recorded in his book. By doing this John gave his testimony
about God’s word, that is, the truth God made known, and
about the message, or the events, that Jesus Christ revealed.
This verse (2) may be rendered as BRCL has done: ―John has
told all that he saw. He reports here the message that came
from God and the truths (or, the events) revealed by Jesus
Christ‖ (so also BRCL). REB has ―... John, who in telling all that
he saw has borne witness to the word of God and to the
testimony of Jesus Christ.‖ SPCL is a bit different: ―... John, who
has told the truth of all that he saw, and is witness of God’s
message confirmed by Jesus Christ.‖ And TOB has ―... his
servant John, who has attested as Word of God and testimony
of Jesus Christ all that he has seen.‖
An alternative translation model for these two verses is the
following:
In this book John records the events that Jesus Christ made
known. God caused Jesus to see these things in order to let his
followers (servants) know the things that would happen very
soon (in the near future). Jesus sent his messenger (angel) to
his servant John to tell him (make known to him) this message.
SPCL Spanish common language version

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John has told all that he saw. He records the message that
came from God and the events that Jesus Christ made known.2
Revelation 1:1–2
The elder. NIV
In this informal letter, John did not stand on his
authority as an apostle but spoke of himself as an elder—one
who watched over the believers with loving concern for their
spiritual well-being. John had been one of Jesus’ twelve
disciples. He wrote the Gospel of John, three letters, and the
book of Revelation. He may have been the only remaining living
member of the twelve disciples. The word ―elder‖ also refers to
John’s age; he must have been an old man when he wrote this
epistle. Obviously his readers recognized the author from this
title alone. For more about John, see the ―Author‖ section in the
introduction.
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the
truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—
because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us
forever. NIV
In ancient Greek, all words were written in capital
letters. Therefore, one cannot tell from the printed page if
―chosen lady‖ (also translated ―elect lady‖) refers to a specific
woman (called either ―a woman, Eclecta‖ or ―the elect Kyria‖).
Clement of Alexandria thought her name was ―Electa.‖ The
Living Bible names her ―Cyria.‖ Most commentators and
translators do not identify the recipient of the letter as an
individual because the letter does not speak of the woman with
any particular details (in contrast to 3 John, which speaks
specifically of Gaius, Diotrephes, and Demetrius). Most likely,
therefore, ―the chosen lady‖ refers to a local church. Verses 6,
12, and 13 also point to a corporate recipient (see comments
there).
2
Robert G. Bratcher and Howard Hatton, A Handbook on the Revelation to John, UBS handbook series; Helps for
translators (New York: United Bible Societies, 1993), 11.
NIV
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®
. NIV®
. Copyright ©
1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights
reserved.

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WARNING SIGNS
John wrote his second letter (which would have fit on one
sheet of papyrus) to warn believers against inadvertently
supporting false teachers. The number of itinerant
evangelists and teachers had grown by the end of the first
century; mixed in with the legitimate missionaries were
others who were promoting heretical ideas about Christ and
the gospel. Little has changed in two thousand years.
Advocates of unorthodox belief still exist and still attempt
to confuse and deceive the people of God. This letter, 2
John, should serve as a wake-up call to believers to be
alert, to be careful, to be solidly grounded in the faith. Are
you prepared to recognize false doctrine?
If the recipient was a woman, then her children would have
been her actual children. As a local church, however, the
―children‖ are the members of the church. At this time, most
churches were smaller groups of people that met in homes.
Sometimes several house churches would meet in the city at the
same time (see Philemon 2). John dearly loved these believers.
In 1 John, he revealed his love by calling them his ―dear
children‖ (1 John 2:1, 12, 18, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4; 5:21). The
corporate love of all believers for one another comes through in
John’s words ―whom I love in the truth—and not I only, but also
all who know the truth.‖ John spoke of this corporate love also
in his first letter (1 John 2:9–11; 3:10–20; 4:7–21; 5:1).
Believers love one another, not because of common attraction
or total compatibility, but because of the common truth they
believe and share. Truth functions as the bond of believers’
fellowship, but it also keeps out false teachers.
The truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever
personifies ―truth.‖ God gave the truth to people in Jesus Christ,
the full expression and embodiment of truth (John 14:6;
Ephesians 4:21). Thus, truth dwells in believers because Christ
dwells in them as the Spirit of truth (John 14:15–17; 16:13).
―Truth‖ therefore includes, but means more than, correct

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precepts or a set of orthodox teachings—truth centers around
Jesus Christ. The truth is the reality of Jesus Christ, as opposed
to the lies of the false teachers (see 1 John 2:21–23). People
may choose to deny the truth and leave the fellowship, but that
doesn’t change the truth. Because Christ is eternal, truth is also
eternal, not subject to change. Because Christ lives in believers,
both he and his truth will be with them forever.
NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH
John refers to truth five times in the first four verses of this
brief letter. In contrast to so many in our culture who
dogmatically deny truth (―There are no ultimate realities‖)
or absurdly define it according to personal preference
(―Your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth‖), John
declared the existence of an Absolute. God is that ultimate
standard by which all else can be judged. God is true, his
words and ways are true, and whatever or whoever
contradicts or opposes him is false, deceptive, and
dangerous. Christian leaders, teachers, and parents must
engage now in the difficult but critical battle for truth. To
paraphrase a familiar saying: ―All that is required for
Deception to triumph is for the people of the Truth to do
nothing.‖ Begin an intentional campaign to teach those
under your care how to distinguish between truth and
error.
3
Revelation 1:1–2
Here we have,
I. What we may call the pedigree of this book. 1. It is the
revelation of Jesus Christ. The whole Bible is so; for all
revelation comes through Christ and all centres in him; and
especially in these last days God has spoken to us by his Son,
and concerning his Son. Christ, as the king of his church, has
been pleased thus far to let his church know by what rules and
3
Bruce B. Barton and Grant R. Osborne, 1, 2 & 3 John, Life application Bible commentary (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale
House, 1998), 129.

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methods he will proceed in his government; and, as the prophet
of the church, he has made known to us the things that shall be
hereafter. 2. It is a revelation which God gave unto Christ.
Though Christ is himself God, and as such has light and life in
himself, yet, as he sustains the office of Mediator between God
and man, he receives his instructions from the Father. The
human nature of Christ, though endowed with the greatest
sagacity, judgment, and penetration, could not, in a way of
reason, discover these great events, which not being produced
by natural causes, but wholly depending upon the will of God,
could be the object only of divine prescience, and must come to
a created mind only by revelation. Our Lord Jesus is the great
trustee of divine revelation; it is to him that we owe the
knowledge we have of what we are to expect from God and
what he expects from us. 3. This revelation Christ sent and
signified by his angel. Observe here the admirable order of
divine revelation. God gave it to Christ, and Christ employed an
angel to communicate it to the churches. The angels are God’s
messengers; they are ministering spirits to the heirs of
salvation. They are Christ’s servants: principalities and powers
are subject to him; all the angels of God are obliged to worship
him. 4. The angels signified it to the apostle John. As the angels
are the messengers of Christ, the ministers are the messengers
of the churches; what they receive from heaven, they are to
communicate to the churches. John was the apostle chosen for
this service. Some think he was the only one surviving, the rest
having sealed their testimony with their blood. This was to be
the last book of divine revelation; and therefore notified to the
church by the last of the apostles. John was the beloved
disciple. He was, under the New Testament, as the prophet
Daniel under the Old, a man greatly beloved. He was the
servant of Christ; he was an apostle, an evangelist, and a
prophet; he served Christ in all the three extraordinary offices of
the church. James was an apostle, but not a prophet, nor an
evangelist; Matthew was an apostle and evangelist, but not a
prophet; Luke was an evangelist, but neither a prophet nor an
apostle; but John was all three; and so Christ calls him in an
eminent sense his servant John. 5. John was to deliver this

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revelation to the church, to all his servants. For the revelation
was not designed for the use of Christ’s extraordinary servants
the ministers only, but for all his servants, the members of the
church; they have all a right to the oracles of God, and all have
their concern in them.
II. Here we have the subject-matter of this revelation,
namely, the things that must shortly come to pass. The
evangelists give us an account of the things that are past;
prophecy gives us an account of things to come. These future
events are shown, not in the clearest light in which God could
have set them, but in such a light as he saw most proper, and
which would best answer his wise and holy purposes. Had they
been as clearly foretold in all their circumstances as God could
have revealed them, the prediction might have prevented the
accomplishment; but they are foretold more darkly, to beget in
us a veneration for the scripture, and to engage our attention
and excite our enquiry. We have in this revelation a general idea
of the methods of divine providence and government in and
about the church, and many good lessons may be learned
hereby. These events (it is said) were such as should come to
pass not only surely, but shortly; that is, they would begin to
come to pass very shortly, and the whole would be
accomplished in a short time. For now the last ages of the world
had come.
III. Here is an attestation of the prophecy, v. 2. It was
signified to John, who bore record of the word of God, and of
the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. It is
observable that the historical books of the Old Testament have
not always the name of the historian prefixed to them, as in the
books of Judges, Kings, Chronicles; but in the prophetical books
the name is always prefixed, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc. So in the
New Testament, though John did not prefix his name to his first
epistle, yet he does to this prophecy, as ready to vouch and
answer for the truth of it; and he gives us not only his name,
but his office. He was one who bore record of the word of God in
general, and of the testimony of Jesus in particular, and of all

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things that he saw; he was an eye-witness, and he concealed
nothing that he saw. Nothing recorded in this revelation was his
own invention or imagination; but all was the record of God and
the testimony of Jesus; and, as he added nothing to it, so he
kept back no part of the counsels of God.4
Revelation 1:1–2
ITS HUMAN AUTHOR
to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of
God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that
he saw. (1:1g–2)
The human agent to whom the angelic messengers
communicated the book of Revelation is here identified as His
[Christ’s] bond-servant John. As noted in the Introduction,
this was John the apostle, the son of Zebedee and brother of
James. As also noted in the Introduction, John wrote the book of
Revelation while in exile on the island of Patmos (1:9).
The enormity of the visions John received on that barren
island staggered him. Throughout his gospel, John never directly
referred to himself. Yet here he bookends his vision with the
statement, ―I, John‖ (1:9; 22:8)—an exclamation that
expressed his amazement that he was receiving such
overwhelming visions.
As he had loyally testified to the first coming of Christ (John
19:35; 21:24; 1 John 1:2; 4:14), so John faithfully, under the
Spirit’s inspiration, testified to all that he saw concerning His
second coming. Specifically, John bore witness to the word of
God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. Those phrases
appear together again in 1:9 (cf. 12:17), and are used
synonymously, since ―the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy‖ (19:10). The word of God expressed in the book of
Revelation is the testimony about the coming glory of Jesus
4
Matthew Henry, Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible : Complete and Unabridged in One Volume
(Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996, c1991), Re 1:1.

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Christ given to His church (cf. 22:16) and recorded by His
faithful witness, John.5
5
John MacArthur, Revelation 1-11 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 21.

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