Revelation 1:2

who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.

John Bore Witness to the Testimony of Jesus Christ

In verse 1 we see that the revelation being given is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God the Father gave this revelation to Jesus Christ. Jesus then gave the revelation to His angel for the purpose of delivering it to His disciple John. The progression, therefore, is God the Father to God the Son to His angel to John. Verse 2 begins with, “who bore witness…”. The “who” in this verse refers to John the Apostle, the author of the letter. John is a witness to all that Jesus taught him during the time they spent together. The reference here to the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ indicates that all of what Jesus taught John was unquestionably from God the Father and that the Father had taught it to, given it to, or showed it to God the Son directly. John’s transmission of the revelation is trustworthy because all of what the Father gives to the Son, the Son sees and fully understands—this is not difficult in any way to embrace since it is communication within the Godhead—and all the Son gives and teaches is understood by the recipient to the level and degree intended. The trustworthiness of the understanding is based upon the strength of the Son not upon the strength of the recipient. John, being the recipient of the revelation, understood it to the full and complete intention of Jesus Christ. Not because of John’s competence as a receiver but because of Jesus’ competence as a transmitter.

We see this same principle at work in other areas of scripture as well. For example, in Daniel 9:21–22, Daniel is in the middle of praying when the angel Gabriel interrupts his prayer time to deliver a message to him from God. Gabriel says to Daniel that he has come from God to give Daniel insight and understanding. Gabriel does not simply deliver the message and leave, hoping that Daniel will understand the meaning. No, Gabriel talks to Daniel and makes him understand; he ensures Daniel’s understanding before he leaves. Gabriel had received this message from God the Father; an angel’s primary responsibility is to carry God’s messages to God’s people; therefore, the trustworthiness of the message is sure. Gabriel told and taught Daniel what he knew from the Father just as the angel did with John.