Rev 1:1-2 NIV The revelation
from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take
place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, (2)
who testifies to everything he saw--that is, the word of God and the
testimony of Jesus Christ.
This familiar beginning of the Book of Revelation hides a powerful message. It is clear that the revelation that John saw was very pictorial in
vision. However he uses a verb which we easily pass over. John testifies to everything
he “saw”. That is clear from what follows. But the immediate object of that
verb is “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ”.
We normally take these words as referring to the written scriptures,
and that is true.
However there are many who read those same scriptures and do
not see in them “the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ”. The scriptures
reveal Jesus in all His glory and show God’s purposes throughout history, but
many fail to see it. They see documents that need to be analysed continually as
theological literature so as to discover principles, and ideas that fill many
books.
However we are meant to SEE word of God and the testimony of Jesus
Christ. This involves a personal interaction with those words and testimonies.
Something that is seen is life transforming and not just food for the mind.
The Scriptures reveal a person with whom we need to interact. We need
a relationship with this person, not just a description of His attributes. This
is what John is leading us to. The “revelation from (of) Jesus Christ” is a
revelation that must be life transforming. We are to come into such a
relationship with Him that we can say that we KNOW Him. This is a very intimate
word, and that describes our relationship with the risen and glorified Lord
Jesus. It is not just an intellectual knowing, but a very personal and intimate
knowing.
That is what John SAW. That is what we are to see as well.
