Limitless Word
who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 1:2 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.
  • KJV Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
  • NKJV who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.
  • NASB who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw.
  • NLT who faithfully reported everything he saw. This is his report of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

John testifies faithfully to everything he saw, grounding the book in eyewitness, Spirit-given testimony. This assures readers that the visions are trustworthy.

Overview

John presents himself as a faithful witness who reports God's word and the testimony of Jesus exactly as he received it. The language of "testimony" echoes the legal and prophetic weight of bearing true witness. As with the Gospel of John, the apostle's role is to point beyond himself to Christ.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • John 19:35The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony is true. He knows that he is telling the truth, so that you also may believe.
  • 1 Cor 1:6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.
  • 1 Jn 1:1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life.
  • Rev 1:19Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.
  • John 21:24This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who has written them down. And we know that his testimony is true.
  • Rev 12:17And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.
  • Rev 6:9And when the Lamb opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony they had upheld.
  • Acts 26:16‘But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen from Me and what I will show you.
  • Rev 1:9I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance that are in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus.
  • 1 Cor 2:1When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.
  • 1 Jn 5:7–11For there are three that testify:
  • John 12:17Meanwhile, many people continued to testify that they had been with Jesus when He called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead.
  • Acts 4:20For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
  • 1 Jn 4:14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.
  • John 1:32Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.
  • John 3:11Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
  • Rev 12:11They have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives so as to shy away from death.
  • Acts 22:15You will be His witness to everyone of what you have seen and heard.
  • 3 Jn 1:12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Revelation videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Revelation 1:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on RevelationMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Revelation ends the story with the slain-yet-standing Lamb who is worthy, the Lion of Judah, the Alpha and Omega, the returning King who makes all things new and dwells with his people forever.

How Revelation 1:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.