Revelation 1 · Verse 19

Revelation 1:19

Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

Revelation 1:19, King James Version

Revelation 1:19 in other translations

BSB	Therefore write down the things you have seen, and the things that are, and the things that will happen after this.
WEB	Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter.
ASV	Write therefore the things which thou sawest, and the things which are, and the things which shall come to pass hereafter;
YLT	‘Write the things that thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to come after these things;
DARBY	Write therefore what thou hast seen, and the things that are, and the things that are about to be after these.
BBE	Put in writing, then, the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will be after these;
Webster	Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

What does Revelation 1:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

19. The oldest manuscripts read, "Write therefore" (inasmuch as I, "the First and Last," have the keys of death, and vouchsafe to thee this vision for the comfort and warning of the Church). things which are--"the things which thou hast seen" are those narrated in this chapter (compare Re 1:11). "The things which are" imply the present state of things in the churches when John was writing, as represented in the second and third chapters. "The things which shall be hereafter," the things symbolically represented concerning the future history of the fourth through twenty-second chapters. Alford translates, "What things they signify"; but the antithesis of the next clause forbids this, "the things which shall be hereafter," Greek, "which are about to come to pass." The plural (Greek) "are," instead of the usual Greek construction singular, is owing to churches and persons being meant by things" in the clause, "the things which are."

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 19. Write the things which thou hast seen. An account of the vision which thou hast had, Rev 1:10-18.

And the things which are. Give an account of those things which thou hast seen as designed to represent the condition of the seven churches. He had seen not only the Saviour, but he had seen seven lamp-stands, and seven stars in the hand of the Saviour, and he is now commanded to record the meaning of these symbols as referring to things then actually existing in the seven churches. This interpretation is demanded by Rev 1:20.

And the things which shall be hereafter. The Greek phrase rendered hereafter--μεταταυτα--means "after these things;" that is, he was to make a correct representation of the things which then were, and then to record what would occur "after these things:" to wit, of the images, symbols, and truths, which would be disclosed to him after what he had already seen. The expression refers to future times. He does not say for how long a time; but the revelations which were to be made referred to events which were to occur beyond those which were then taking place. Nothing can be argued from the use of this language in regard to the length of time embraced in the revelation--whether it extended only for a few years, or whether it embraced all coming time. The more natural interpretation, how- ever, would seem to be, that it would stretch far into future years, and that it was designed to give at least an outline of what would be the character of the future in general.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 19 Write the things which thou hast seen - These visions and prophecies are for general instruction, and therefore every circumstance must be faithfully recorded. What he had seen was to be written; what he was about to see, relative to the seven Churches, must be also written; and what he was to see afterwards, concerning other Churches and states, to be recorded likewise.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Revelation 1:12-20

The churches receive their light from Christ and the gospel, and hold it forth to others. They are golden candlesticks; they should be precious and pure; not only the ministers, but the members of the churches; their light should so shine before men, as to engage others to give glory to God. And the apostle saw as though of the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in the midst of the golden candlesticks. He is with his…

Read the full comment on Revelation 1:12-20 →

Revelation 1:19 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

γράψονgrapsondo writeG1125

οὖνounthereforeG3767

ἃha[the things] thatG3739

εἶδεςeidesyou have seenG1492

καὶkaiandG2532

ἃha[the things] thatG3739

εἰσὶνeisinareG1510

καὶkaiandG2532

ἃha[the things] thatG3739

μέλλειmelleiare aboutG3195

γενέσθαιgenesthaito beG1096

μετὰmetaafterG3326

ταῦτα,tautathese,G3778

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Revelation 1:19

Revelation 4:1-11
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold. …
Revelation 1:11-2:3
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks; And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire; …

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the things.
11,12-20
and the things which are.
2:1-3:22
and the things which shall be.
4:1-22:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

Revelation 1:18
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
Revelation 1:19
Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Read all of Revelation 1

Revelation 1:19 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Escribe las cosas que has visto, y las que son, y las que han de ser después de éstas:
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Écris donc les choses que tu as vues, et les choses qui sont, et les choses qui doivent arriver après celles-ci.
German Elberfelder 1871	Schreibe nun, was du gesehen hast, und was ist, und was geschehen wird nach diesem.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Scribe ergo quæ vidisti, et quæ sunt, et quæ oportet fieri post hæc.