The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Revelation - Apocalypse: unveiling those things which had been veiled. A manifesto of Christ's kingdom. The Church's traveling manual for the Gentile Christian times. Not a detailed history, but a representation of the great epochs and powers in developing the kingdom of God in relation to the world. The Church-historical view goes counter to the great principle, that Scripture interprets itself. Revelation is to teach us to understand the times, not the times to interpret the Apocalypse, although a reflex influence is exerted here, understood by the prudent (Auberlen). The book is in a series of parallel groups, not in chronological succession. Still there is an organic historical development of the kingdom of God. In this book all the other books of the Bible meet: in it is the consummation of all previous prophecy. Daniel foretells as to Christ and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, and the last Antichrist. But John's Revelation fills up the intermediate period, and describes the millennium and final state beyond Antichrist. Daniel, as a godly statesman, views God's people in relation to the four world-kingdoms. John, as an apostle, views history from the Christian Church aspect. Apocalypse is applied to no Old Testament book. Daniel is the nearest approach to it; but what Daniel was told to seal and shut up until the time of the end (Daniel 12:4), John (John 22:10), now that the time is at hand (Revelation 1:3), is directed to reveal.
Of (i:e., from) Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, not John, is the Author of the Apocalypse. The title ought to be, 'The Revelation of Jesus Christ according to John;' not 'of John.' Compare His promise, John 15:15; John 16:13, end. The gospels record His first advent in the flesh; the Acts, His coming in the Spirit; the letters are the inspired comment on them. The Apocalypse is of His second advent, and the preliminary events.
Which God gave unto him. The Father reveals Himself in and by His Son.
To show. So Revelation 22:6. Revelation comprises, in a perfect compendium, things close at hand, far off, and between; great and little; destroying and saving; prophecies old and new, long and short; mutually involving and evolving one another: so that in no book more than in this would the addition, or taking away, of a single word or clause (Revelation 22:18-19), have the effect of marring the sense (Bengel).
His servants - not merely to "His servant John" (cf. Revelation 22:3).
Shortly - `speedily;' 'in' or 'with speed.' Compare Revelation 1:3; Revelation 22:6-7. Not, according to man's computation, near; but "shortly" corrects our estimate of worldly periods. Though a "thousand years" (Revelation 20:1-15), at least, are included, the time is at hand (Luke 18:8). Israel's praise-worthy, but premature, eagerness for the predicted end, prophecy restrains, (cf. Daniel 9:1-27.) The Gentile church needs to be roused from her tendency to make this transitory world her home, by the nearness of Christ's advent. Revelation saith, "the time is at hand." On the other hand, the succession of seals, etc., shows that many events must first elapse.
He - Jesus Christ, by His angel, joined with "sent." The angel does not 'signify things' until Revelation 17:1; Revelation 19:9-10: cf. Revelation 22:16. Previously John receives information from others. Jesus Christ opens the Revelation, Revelation 1:10-11; Revelation 4:1: in Revelation 6:1, one of the four living creatures acts as his informant; in Revelation 7:13, one of the elders; in Revelation 10:8-9, the Lord and His angel, who stood on the sea and earth. Only at Revelation 17:1 does the one angel stand by him (cf. Daniel 8:16; Daniel 9:21; Zechariah 1:19).