REVELATION 1:19

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

John was instructed by Jesus to write of three categories of things: the things which he had seen, the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. It is important that John’s writings on each of these categories be correctly identified, for such is essential to the true interpretation of the Revelation prophecy.

The things which John had seen concern the things shown to him in the vision of the Lord Jesus Christ in righteous indignation, which he wrote of in Revelation 1:12-16. The ‘things which are’ concern the messages to the seven churches which John wrote of in chapters two and three. And the ‘things which shall be hereafter’ concern the things revealed in the opening of the seven seals. After being told of the things which are in the messages to the churches, John was invited by Jesus to see the things which shall be hereafter: “…Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.” (Revelation 4:1) John was immediately caught up in the Spirit to see these things. John’s attention was soon brought to focus on a book that was sealed with seven seals in the right hand of God: “And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.” (Revelation 5:1) When no one was found worthy to open the book and to remove the seals, John wept much. He was told not to weep but to behold the Lion of Judah, the Root of David. John looked to see the Lamb, even the Lord Jesus Christ. John saw Jesus take the book sealed with seven seals out of the right hand of God: “And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.” (Revelation 5:7) Jesus then opened the seven seals to reveal ‘the things which must be hereafter’. John’s writings on these things begin in chapter six, verse one and end in chapter twenty-two, verse six. They easily make up the bulk of his writings.