Note for Revelation 1:2
   When looking at 1:2, we considered two sources of revelation and cited Isa. 8:20. In Isaiah's day, this "law" was the Torah — basically the first five books of the Bible sometimes called the books of Moses.  The "testimony" would have been the voice of God through prophets of Isaiah's time like himself who shared what God revealed to them. In the time of Jesus, we see the same two sources of divine revelation. The "Scriptures" were then what we know as the Old Testament.  The contemporary "testimony" was, of course, His own. And the two sources are seen again in Paul's time: God's instruction through his own words, and the Scriptures.  See 2ti0315, 2ti0201f.
   In our verse here, John recognizes the same two. He cites first the established Word which the book of Revelation continually draws on (without quoting directly). Then, as we see later in this chapter, John testified to what the Lord Himself said to him. This communication is called "the spirit of prophecy" in re1217d.
   Thus God's light to us comes through the established Word and the voice of contemporary prophets, whose witness must always be tested by the Word. We remember the Bereans Paul preached to who took his words and compared them with the established Scriptures (our Old Testament). ac1710f. Also see re0116.
   And what about the other term in our verse, "all things that he saw"? This is literally "as many as even he saw." Thus we may see these "things" as not a third category.
   It's interesting that, for every serious event, God sent the contemporary prophetic voice am0307. He sent Moses when the Children of Israel came out of Egypt. He sent Jeremiah and others to warn of the captivity (which resulted from their unfaithfulness). And He sent John the Baptist to announce the Messiah.
   We may praise the Light Giver.

Note for Revelation 1:3

   ". . . Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth." (Rev. 1:5)
   This verse tells us several marvelous things about Christ. As I was meditating on it and thinking of the depth of God's word, I was saying to myself, There are many wonderful characteristics of Christ. The Spirit must have had a reason for directing John to express these particular ones. So can I see from the context what that reason may have been? I'm telling you this to say that you can search the Scriptures in just the same way. As we saw in 1:3, the blessings of the book are for the readers of the book. That doesn't mean we shouldn't read a commentary (like you are now), but the Spirit can speak to you directly out of the Word. Commentaries can only point us back to the word, and sometimes they teach error. After you have prayed, asking God to be your teacher ja0105, jn1613, you just start asking why a passage says what it does. Pick up a point of interest and ask mt2122. Then start digging to find your answer. God's word will not return to Him void is5511. As you learn to know your Bible, you will make more connections, but God will bless the person who first opens the sacred pages.
   Biblical scholarship is important. Seminaries are important. But too often scholarly people who want to be great thinkers dare to question the authority of the Scriptures. They apply what they consider to be wonderful principles like guessing the motives of the Bible writer to see if he lied a little to make his point, or to see what he drew from misunderstandings of his day! May God help us to avoid doing the same things. If we take these attitudes, we are placing our wisdom above the wisdom of God. We are saying that we can't trust Him to take care of His written words. And our eyes are blinded from truth 2th0211. Of course not all people who teach as biblical scholars do this, and understanding the historical background of a passage is sometimes helpful. We just need to remember who our teacher is when we read those ancient scriptures that people over the ages have found to be inspired.
   "In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." (Luke 10:21).

   Let's ever be as little children mt1803 and God will teach us things higher than the highest education any university could offer ps09412! - tw
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