Past, Present & Future in Revelation 1:19

Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

Rev 1:19 has been understood in the following way,

  1. That “what you have seen” is the vision of chapter 1 (cf. 1:20 “the seven stars you saw”); “the things that are” to the letters to the seven churches in chapters 2 and 3; and “the things that must occur after these” as the visions of chapters 4-22.
  2. As a variation of (1) it is said that “what you have seen” is a repetition of the commission in 1:11 (“Write what you see”) with the tense of the verb ‘to see’ suitably changed, and with the present and future relating to the rest of the book.

The following objections are usually voiced against these approaches:

  1. They are weak because the seven letters are not just dealing with the present situation (“things that are”), for eschatological warnings and promises are featured throughout chapters 2-3. The visions of chapters 4-19 also have past, present, and future aspects intertwined throughout.
  2. It is arguable that the vision unit comprises vv. 12-20 (“the seven stars which you saw”, v. 20), and since John is still ‘within’ the vision when he writes v. 19, he is not being told about the vision.

A third interpretation (the one we favour) is that all three clauses relate to the past, present and future orientation of the entire book. John is employing the tripartite prophecy formula that has previously been used in this chapter in v. 4 and v. 8 (is/was/is to come) and is employed again in v. 18 (lives/was dead/alive forevermore).

The three clauses in v. 19 parallel vv. 4 and 8 and relate to the eschatological perspective of the book as a whole. The use of “have seen” within the context of the tripartite formula which refers to past, present and future reaches beyond the confines of the initial vision unit (vv. 12-20 that John was still ‘within’) and relates to the wider framework of the book—it will be about past/present/future. There is enough evidence in Revelation indicating there are past elements; others relate to John’s present; and yet other elements relate to the future.

We would further suggest that the ‘past’ is the recent past of the newly formed NT church the one that Jesus was walking amongst….and had been walking amongst since his resurrection (past event).

John 20:19 Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you”.

Revelation 1:13 “…and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man…”

Just as Christ was involved with the Palestinian church from its very beginning (its birth), so also with the churches of Asia Minor from their inception (established in the 40’s).

What John “saw” was that the firstborn of the dead had been active in his church from its very inception…John is therefore instructed to write about what he “saw”…not just the vision…but the past activity.