Revelation 1:19 kjv
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Revelation 1:19 nkjv
Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.
Revelation 1:19 niv
"Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.
Revelation 1:19 esv
Write therefore the things that you have seen, those that are and those that are to take place after this.
Revelation 1:19 nlt
"Write down what you have seen ? both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.
Revelation 1 19 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Rev 1:1 | ...to show His servants what must soon take place... | Purpose of Revelation. |
| Rev 1:11 | Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches... | Previous command to write. |
| Rev 4:1 | ...a door standing open in heaven... "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this." | Direct parallel for future events. |
| Hab 2:2 | Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write the vision and make it plain on tablets..." | Command to record prophecy. |
| Jer 30:2 | "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 'Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you.'" | Divine instruction for prophets to record. |
| Dan 2:28 | "...but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known... what will be in the latter days." | God reveals past, present, and future. |
| Dan 10:14 | "Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come." | Revealing future events. |
| Isa 30:8 | "Now go, write it before them on a tablet, and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever." | Record for future generations. |
| Exo 24:4 | And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord... | Prophetic writing by divine command. |
| Num 33:2 | Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. | Specific historical record by command. |
| Acts 1:7 | He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority." | God's sovereignty over future timing. |
| Jn 13:19 | "Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He." | Foretelling future events for faith. |
| 2 Pet 1:19 | And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns... | Reliability of prophetic word until fulfillment. |
| Jude 1:3 | ...to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. | Faith once delivered (past truth). |
| 1 Cor 10:11 | Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. | Past events as present warnings. |
| Ecc 1:9 | What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. | Cyclical nature, but here is a clear progression. |
| Jn 16:13 | "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come." | Holy Spirit revealing future. |
| 2 Tim 3:16 | All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness... | Divine origin of all scripture. |
| Rev 2:1, 8, etc. | To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "These things says He..." | Commands to write to the churches (the "is" part). |
| Rev 22:6 | And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." | Certainty of Revelation's content. |
| Lk 24:25-27 | "...O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ... And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." | Past prophecies pointing to Christ. |
Revelation 1 verses
Revelation 1 19 Meaning
Revelation 1:19 is a pivotal verse, serving as the divine outline for the entire book of Revelation. It instructs the apostle John to record a tripartite revelation from Jesus Christ: "Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this." This command directs John to document the past (his recent vision of the glorified Christ), the present (the conditions of the seven churches), and the future (the sequence of prophetic events leading to Christ's return and the new heaven and earth). This structure ensures an orderly progression of divine revelation, affirming the certainty of God's sovereign plan throughout time.
Revelation 1 19 Context
Revelation 1:19 is a direct instruction from the resurrected Jesus Christ to the apostle John, following John's awe-inspiring vision of the glorified Christ on the island of Patmos (Revelation 1:9-18). This verse serves as the structural key and interpretive lens for the entire Book of Revelation. The immediate context places John, an exiled prophet, as the recipient of this momentous revelation, designed to be sent to the seven churches in Asia Minor. The broader context of the book unveils God's plan for humanity and creation, beginning with the past triumph of Christ, addressing the present realities and struggles of the Church, and revealing the climactic future events culminating in the New Heavens and New Earth. Historically, these churches faced Roman persecution, Emperor worship, and various internal false doctrines, making a divinely revealed message of hope, warning, and assurance critically relevant.
Revelation 1 19 Word analysis
"Write" (Greek: Γράψον, Grapsōn): This is an aorist imperative, indicating a direct, urgent, and definitive command from a superior. It implies immediate and complete obedience. John is not to simply remember or verbally relay but to record permanently, ensuring the accuracy and preservation of the revelation for all generations. This command highlights the written Word as a primary means of divine communication.
"therefore" (Greek: οὖν, oun): This particle connects the present instruction to what has preceded. It signals a logical consequence or inference based on John's extraordinary vision of Christ (Rev 1:12-18) and the prior command to write in Rev 1:11. Because John has witnessed the glorious Christ and received His mandate, he is now given specific content to record.
"the things which you have seen" (Greek: ἃ εἶδες, ha eides): "Seen" is from the Greek verb ὁράω (horaō), here in the aorist indicative, denoting a specific action completed in the past. This refers directly to the immediate vision John just experienced in Revelation 1:9-18: the description of Jesus Christ in His glorified, judicial, and priestly state, including His powerful attributes and authority over death and Hades. This past vision grounds the authority and content of the entire revelation.
"and the things which are" (Greek: καὶ ἃ εἰσὶν, kai ha eisin): "Are" is from the Greek verb εἰμί (eimi), here in the present indicative. This phrase points to the ongoing realities and present circumstances in John's time, specifically elaborated in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation. These chapters address the actual conditions, strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and impending judgments for each of the seven literal churches in Asia Minor. It demonstrates God's immediate awareness and engagement with the state of His people.
"and the things which will take place" (Greek: καὶ ἃ μέλλει γενέσθαι, kai ha mellei genesthai): "Will take place" is from μέλλω (mellō), implying certainty, imminence, or destined occurrence, combined with the infinitive γενέσθαι (genesthai), meaning "to come into being" or "to happen." This refers to the future prophetic events detailed from Revelation chapter 4 to the end of the book. This encompasses the cosmic dramas, judgments, the rise and fall of Babylon, the return of Christ, the millennium, and the New Heavens and New Earth. It emphasizes the divinely ordained sequence and ultimate conclusion of history.
"after this" (Greek: μετὰ ταῦτα, meta tauta): This phrase serves as a crucial chronological marker. It clearly delineates the "things which are" (the church age) from the "things which will take place," indicating a distinct future epoch or set of events. This phrase, significantly repeated in Revelation 4:1, reinforces the outline and points to events subsequent to the contemporary church age.
"the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this": This tripartite structure functions as a clear outline for the entire book of Revelation, demonstrating a progression in divine revelation. It highlights God's sovereignty over history, revealing His plan from Christ's initial manifestation to the ultimate consummation. This interpretive key confirms that Revelation is not solely about the past, or solely about the future, but comprehensively addresses the ongoing work of God in all dispensations of time. It reinforces the linear nature of God's redemptive history leading to an assured end.
Revelation 1 19 Bonus section
The divine mandate in Revelation 1:19 underscores the holistic nature of biblical prophecy, often spanning past divine acts, present realities, and future consummations. This verse illustrates the consistent pattern of God's revelation: it is specific, ordered, and provides both comfort and conviction. It implicitly communicates that God is sovereign over all time—He knows what was, what is, and what will be, and He reveals His plan for His servants' benefit. The meticulous structuring here contrasts with pagan or esoteric prophecies that are often vague or non-committal. The specificity also confirms that Revelation is not merely symbolic in every detail; rather, its overarching structure has clear chronological and historical anchors as indicated by this foundational verse.
Revelation 1 19 Commentary
Revelation 1:19 is the definitive interpretive key to understanding the structure and content of the Book of Revelation. It is not merely an instruction but a programmatic statement outlining the divine chronology and scope of the prophetic scroll. The command to "write" underscores the Bible's reliability as God's recorded word, intended for broad dissemination and permanent study, providing stability and hope to believers facing turbulent times.
The three temporal divisions—past ("things which you have seen"), present ("things which are"), and future ("things which will take place after this")—each refer to major sections of Revelation. The "things which you have seen" points back to John's immediate, revelatory experience of the glorified Jesus Christ in chapter 1, the majestic Lord of the Church and of history, who alone holds the keys of death and Hades. This vision validates the authority and identity of the One delivering the message.
"The things which are" refer to the specific, Spirit-inspired messages to the seven churches in Asia Minor found in chapters 2 and 3. These letters provide an accurate diagnosis of their spiritual condition, commendations, rebukes, and promises, reflecting the living Lord's intimate knowledge and active involvement in His Church throughout the Church Age. These letters transcend their initial historical context to offer timeless principles and warnings applicable to local churches across history.
Crucially, "the things which will take place after this" clearly signals a shift from the present church age to future eschatological events, commencing dramatically in Revelation 4:1 with the same Greek phrase "meta tauta." This section, covering chapters 4 through 22, unveils God's unfolding program for the world leading to the Second Coming of Christ, the judgments, the establishment of His kingdom, and the eternal state. This explicit chronological marker provides significant support for an understanding of Revelation that distinguishes the church age from subsequent tribulation and kingdom events, assuring believers of God's sovereign control over the ultimate unfolding of human history. The concise nature of this verse belies its profound significance in unlocking the apocalyptic panorama of God's ultimate victory.