Limitless Word
Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Revelation 1:2 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.
  • BSB who testifies to everything he saw. This is the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
  • 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 19:35And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
  • 1 Cor 1:6Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
  • 1 Jn 1:1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
  • Rev 1:19Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
  • John 21:24This is the disciple which testifieth of these things, and wrote these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
  • Rev 12:17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
  • Rev 6:9And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
  • Acts 26:16But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
  • Rev 1:9I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
  • 1 Cor 2:1And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
  • 1 Jn 5:7–11For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
  • John 12:17The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
  • Acts 4:20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
  • 1 Jn 4:14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
  • John 1:32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
  • John 3:11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
  • Rev 12:11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
  • Acts 22:15For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.
  • 3 Jn 1:12Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record 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.