Bible Strands
Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him—even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. So shall it be! Amen.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The glorified Christ, identified in the next verse as "the Alpha and the Omega," speaks to the seven churches, opening the letter to Ephesus. This is the threshold of the entire book: the risen one addresses his own before the vision unfolds.
The words — Ἰδοὺ (Idou), "Behold," is an imperative of attention; it does not describe but commands the listener to look. The verse is built on this single command, and everything that follows is what the beholder is told to see.
The thread — Daniel 7:13 gives the cloud-coming imagery; Zechariah 12:10 supplies the piercing and the mourning; Matthew 24:30 fuses both. Revelation 1:7 compresses all three into a single sentence spoken by the one who was pierced.
Why it lands — The verse places the crucifixion and the parousia in the same breath, so the reader cannot separate the suffering from the return. The closing "Amen" is not a wish but a confirmation: this is what will happen.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Cross-references
- Matthew 24:30 At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
- Zechariah 12:10 Then I will pour out on the house of David and on the people of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and prayer, and they will look on Me, the One they have pierced. They will mourn for Him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for Him as one grieves for a firstborn son.
- Daniel 7:13 In my vision in the night I continued to watch, and I saw One like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into His presence.
- John 19:37 And, as another Scripture says: “They will look on the One they have pierced.”
- Mark 14:62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
- Luke 21:27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:17 After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord.
- Matthew 26:64 “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
- Mark 13:26 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.
- 1 Thessalonians 1:10 and to await His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead—Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.