And He sent.—He did not come Himself, but acted with the dignity becoming Him who is now the express Image of the Father's person. “Dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath seen, nor can see.”—Heb. 1:3; 1 Tim. 6:16.
And signified It—“Our Lord's revelation, which God gave Him after He had passed into glory, He sent and signified [signified, told in signs, symbols, etc.] to His Church.”—B. 203.
By His angel.—The “angel” of Rev. 3:14 represented this messenger who appeared to St. John. Our Lord's promise in Luke 12:44 is not limited to activities on this side the veil.
Unto His servant John.—“This simplicity, common to all the Apostles, commends them to us as men of humble mind—the very kind we should expect our Lord to use as special messengers to His people.”—Z. '16-343; Rev. 19:10.
1:2. Who bare record.—Previously, In the Fourth Gospel, and in the three epistles bearing his name.
Of the Word of God.—The Logos. St. John has had more to say of the Logos than had any other Apostle. “In olden times certain kings made addresses to their subjects by proxy, the king sitting behind a screen, while his word, or spokesman, stood before the screen, and addressed the people aloud on subjects whispered to him by the king, who was not seen, and such a speaker was termed the King's logos.”—E. 94-85.
And of the testimony.—The daily words and deeds, during the three and a half years of His ministry.
Of Jesus Christ.—“The Faithful and True Witness.”—Rev. 3:14.
[And of all] WHAT things [that] SOEVER he saw.—St. John's powers of observation were acute. His Gospel contains records of twenty-two events or teachings not mentioned by the other Evangelists.
1:3. Blessed is he.—Singular.