The Bible, the Spirit of Prophecy, and the Church

Significance of the Genitive Form

The term in the original Greek is in the genitive case, generally the equivalent of the English construction with of, most commonly indicating possession. Hence it can be understood as Jesus’ testimony—the testimony that Christ Himself bears today when He manifests Himself in a special way through those who have the gift of prophecy. When the New Testament writers tell of what they have seen in vision, the Spirit of Christ is just as verily in them as it was in the prophets in olden days. In this connection consider the following: BSPC 107.3

1. In Revelation 1:1, 2 we read of the “Revelation of Jesus Christ.” This revelation “God gave unto him.” An angel is used by the Lord to convey this revelation to the prophet John. John bears record of “the testimony of Jesus Christ.” It will be observed that here we have the possessive genitive in each case. It is His “witness,” for the Father gave it to Him, and He gave it to His servant John. BSPC 107.4

2. The same thought is emphasized in Hebrews 1:1, 2. There we read that God, who “spoke in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,” speaks to us today “by his Son.” The message was not that of the prophet; it was God’s message. The same thing is true today. God speaks through His beloved Son, and Christ speaks through the prophets. That which He speaks is His testimony the testimony of Jesus. BSPC 107.5

3. We might observe also the word given to us in 1 Peter 1:11. Again we refer to the prophets of ancient days. When they ministered, when they bore their testimony, it was the result of the “Spirit of Christ which was in them.” These prophets were God’s servants. He sent them; He spoke through them. God claimed the prophets as His own. He called them “my servants the prophets.” (Jeremiah 29:19.) God also gave His word to them, for He said to His servant Jeremiah, “Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9. BSPC 108.1

God’s word through the prophets was obligatory, for we read in 2 Chronicles 29:25, “So was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets.” God also revealed His secrets to the prophets. “He reveals his secret unto his servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. BSPC 108.2

God revealed Himself to His prophets in visions and dreams. “If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.” Numbers 12:6. It was in this manner that He revealed His will to them. BSPC 108.3

4. The form of the expression in Revelation is “testimony of Jesus.” It is not testimony to Jesus or concerning Jesus, but the testimony of Him. This is in the genitive case; and another way of rendering this, as we have already seen, is “Jesus’ testimony.” BSPC 108.4

5. Whenever the expression is used in the book of the Revelation, the context invariably requires this interpretation. Note the occasions of its use: Revelation 12: “testimony of Jesus Christ”; verse 9: “testimony of Jesus Christ”; Revelation 12:17: “testimony of Jesus Christ”; Revelation 19:10: “testimony of Jesus”; Revelation 20:4: “witness of Jesus.” BSPC 108.5

Most English translations reproduce this genitive by an of construction in Revelation 19:10, as can be seen by consulting the following: Authorized, Revised, Weymouth, The Greek English New Testament (interlinear), Emphatic Diaglott, Murdock’s translation from the Syriac, Douay, Moulton, Goodspeed, et cetera. BSPC 108.6

There is but one of these translations of the New Testament to which we have access that uses the word to in Revelation 19:10, and that is the Twentieth Century New Testament. One not listed above, but which uses neither the word of nor the word to is the translation by Moffatt, and it is very definite. His rendering is, “The testimony borne by Jesus.” BSPC 108.7

6. In the list of texts given under section 5, notice that in each instance the idea of possession is indicated by the genitive case, the Greek words Jesus and Christ usually accompanied by the genitive form of the definite article the. There is no preposition in the Greek text to indicate our English word of. We supply that word merely to indicate the genitive. Perhaps the matter will be clearer if we give the wording of the Greek and English in the first form of the phrase in Revelation 19:10: Ten marturian tou Iesou (“The testimony [of] Jesus”). BSPC 109.1

It will be observed that the expression tou Iesou is in the genitive form. This naturally calls for the preposition of in English; the Greek article before a proper noun is not usually translated into English. BSPC 109.2

In the light of all the foregoing considerations there is good reason for understanding the expression “testimony of Jesus” as “His testimony,” or the testimony, or witness, Christ bears in and through His servants to whom the prophetic gift has been granted. BSPC 109.3