1. Revelation 1:1 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

What does the phrase “the things that must soon take place” point to?

Revelation 1:1 (ESV)

1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,

The Greek word translated as must describes the concept of divine necessity. Things shall happen in God’s world not because of fate or some natural inevitability, but rather because he who controls all things has determined that these particular events shall occur (see Psalm 139:16; Ephesians 1:4). The details of what these things are will be disclosed in the course of this Revelation.