Jesus Speaks to John
αποκαλυψις ιησου χριστου ην εδωκεν αυτω ο θεος δειξαι τοις δουλοις αυτου α δει γενεσθαι εν ταχει και εσημανεν αποστειλας δια του αγγελου αυτου τω δουλω αυτου ιωαννη
Apokaluyis ihsou cristou hn edwken autw o qeos deixai tois doulois autou a dei genesqai en tacei kai eshmanen aposteilas dia tou aggelou autou tw doulw autou iwannh
Rev 1.1 A Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to Him to show to His slaves things which must occur quickly. And He signified by sending through His angel to His slave, John,
και ο ζων και εγενομην νεκρος και ιδου ζων ειμι εις τους αιωνας των αιωνων αμην και εχω τας κλεις του αδου και του θανατου
kai o zwn kai egenomhn nekros kai idou zwn eimi eis tous aiwnas twn aiwnwn kai ecw tas kleis tou qanatou kai tou adou
Rev 1.18 and the Living One; and I became dead; and, behold, living I am to the ages of the ages, Amen. And I have the keys of Hades, and of death.
γραψον α ειδες και α εισιν και α μελλει γινεσθαι μετα ταυτα
grayon oun a eides kai a eisin kai a mellei | ginesqai | genesqai | meta tauta
Rev 1.19 Write what you things saw, and what things are, and what things are about to occur after these things.
το μυστηριον των επτα αστερων ων ειδες επι της δεξιας μου και τας επτα λυχνιας τας χρυσας οι επτα αστερες αγγελοι των επτα εκκλησιων εισιν και αι επτα λυχνιαι ας ειδες επτα εκκλησιαι εισιν
to musthrion twn epta asterwn ous eides epi ths dexias mou kai tas epta lucnias tas crusas oi epta asteres aggeloi twn epta ekklhsiwn eisin kai ai lucniai ai epta epta ekklhsiai eisin
Rev 1.20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw on My right, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are angels of the seven assemblies, and the seven lampstands you saw are seven assemblies.
Compare to 53.10…
فَأَوْحَى إِلَى عَبْدِهِ مَا أَوْحَى
Faawha ila AAabdihi ma awha
53.10 So He (God) spoke to His slave by Revelation that which he wrote.
أَوْحَى = “awha”
“awha” definition:
Perfect tense, 3rd person, masculine singular. He (God) revealed to him; or spoke, or made known, to him by Revelation. He suggested to him; or put it into his mind. He revealed, inspired, signified by gesture, wrote. It comes from the root “waha”, which means to indicate, reveal, suggest, point out, put a thing into the mind, dispatch a messenger, inspire, speak secretly, hasten, make sign, sign swiftly, suggest with speed, write, say something in a whisper tome so that only the hearer hears it clearly but not the person standing close to him.
فَأَوْحَى = “fa” + “awha” = “faawha” = So He (God) spoke to him by Revelation
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume eight, p. 3050
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, p. 604
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, p. 209
Occurrences of “awha”, “faawha”, & “waawha” in the Koran: 8
Locations: 14.13, 16.68, 17.39, 19.11, 41.12, 53.10, 99.5
Observe how each of these words is used…
• 14.13…Lord revealed
• 16.68…and Lord revealed
• 17.39…Lord revealed
• 19.10 – 19.12…Lord reveals that John will have “The Book” (copied from Luke)
• 41.12…Lord revealed
• 99.5…Lord revealed
إِلَى = “ila”
“ila” definition:
A separable preposition, or particle, governing a noun in the genitive case - which denotes the end; as opposed to “min”, which denotes the start, or beginning, of an extent, or of the space between two points or limits; or the end of an extent of place. As a general rule, it indicates the term or limit beyond which an action does not extend. To; towards; as far as; till; until; with; the end of the six sides; adding to.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume one, pp. 83 - 86
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, p. 27
A Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran, John Penrice, p. 9
عَبْدِ = “abdi”
“abdi” definition:
Genitive noun. A male slave; and a servant, or worshipper of God, and of a false god, or of the devil; and a man, or human being; as being a bondman to his Creator. Slave, bondman; servant. It comes from the root “abada”, which means he served, worshipped, or adored God; rendered to Him religious service, worship or adoration; or he obeyed God; or he obeyed God with humility or submissiveness; rendered to Him humble, or submissive obedience. To serve, worship, adore, venerate, obey, accept the impression of a thing, submit, devote.
عَبْدِهِ = “AAabdihi” = He made him, or took him as, a slave; he enslaved him: he made him to be as a slave to him.
References:
An Arabic-English Lexicon, E.W. Lane, volume five, pp. 1934 - 1936
The Dictionary of the Holy Qur’an, 1st edition, Abdul Mannan Omar, pp. 355 - 356
Concordance of the Koran, Gustav Flugel, pp. 120 – 121
Occurrences of “AAabdihi” in the Koran: 4
Locations: 18.1, 25.1, 53.10, 57.9
Observe the Koranic usage of the word…
• 18.1… “allah” descended on his slave, “The Book”
• 25.1…descended the “alfurqana” (i.e. the Koran (“alkitabi”or collection of Jewish and Christian scriptures, and the Book of the Law revealed to Moses), to his slave
• 57.9… “allah” descends on his slave, the evidences
Occurrences of “AAabdahu” in the Koran: 2
Locations: 19.2, 39.36
Observe the Koranic usage of the word…
• 19.2…Lords mercy on his slave
• 39.36… “allah” protecting his slave
Summary of 53.10:
• Revelation tells us that John is in the immediate presence of Jesus
• John is the slave (“doulos”) of Jesus
• Jesus speaks (“laleo”) directly to John
• 53.10, like 53.9, begins with the copulative particle “fa”, which indicates either definite cause and effect, or a natural sequence of events
• Thus, 53.10 continues with a description of what occurs now that John is in the immediate presence of the Lord Jesus
• “Fa” is juxtaposed to the masculine singular, perfect tense, “awha”, which amazingly has the lexical significance of “He (God) revealed to him; or spoke, or made known, to him by Revelation”
• Further, all Koranic usages of “awha”, “faawha”, & “waawha”, pertain directly to what the Lord reveals
• Special mention goes to the contextual usage of “faawha” via 19.10 – 19.12; in which the entire context has been copied from the Biblical Book of Luke…as the Lord reveals that John will have “The Book”
• The immediate presence of the Lord to John is further confirmed via the preposition “ila” – which is a preposition that governs the noun “abdi” in the genitive case – and denotes “the end of the space between two points or limits”
• “Abdi” is rendered as slave
• Hence, Jesus is in possession of his slave (John)
• Interestingly, the root “abada” means “he served, worshipped, or adored God; rendered to Him religious service, worship or adoration; or he obeyed God; or he obeyed God with humility or submissiveness; rendered to Him humble, or submissive obedience.”
• Further, all Koranic usages of the word “AAabdihi” relates to “allah” descending “The Book”, “The Evidences”, & the “alfurqana”, upon his slave – same as illustrated in the Book of Revelation
• Observe that “awha” is used twice in this single ayah; the first time denotes God (i.e. Jesus) speaking to John; the second time denotes John’s writing down what Jesus revealed to him
• There can be no doubt that the authors of the Koran have emulated John’s encounter with Jesus as told to us from the opening chapter in the Book of Revelation
• Summarizing ayahs 1 - 10 in sura 53, we have the following parallels to Revelation:
1. John falls at the feet of Jesus
2. John is the Companion of Jesus
3. John did not die
4. John did not err
5. John speaks not by his own will
6. John received divinely inspired Revelation
7. This Revelation was signified via an angel
8. The Revelation is from Jesus Christ
9. Jesus taught John
10. Jesus is the Triune God
11. The Lord Jesus is Uniplural in nature
12. The Lord Jesus is coming with the clouds
13. Jesus descends from the clouds to John
14. John is in the immediate presence of Jesus
15. Jesus speaks to John
16. John writes down what is revealed