Revelation of John 1:7 · Bible study
Revelation 1:7 Commentary: Christ's Coming, Piercing, and Mourning
Greek · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Who are 'those who pierced him'? This study explores Christ's coming with clouds, the identity of the piercers, and whether the tribes' mourning is repentant
Research Summary
- Meaning: An authoritative announcement of Christ's universal, visible second coming, drawing on Daniel and Zechariah, and warning of either repentant or despairing mourning.
- Key words: ἔρχεται (erchetai, present tense, prophetic certainty), ὄψεται (opsetai, future, full recognition), ἐξεκέντησαν (exekentēsan, aorist, a completed act of piercing).
- Main debate: Does "those who pierced him" refer only to the actual crucifiers, or to all who reject Christ? Is the mourning repentant or despairing?
- Theological theme: The parousia as both hope for the faithful and judgment for those who have rejected Christ.
- Best use: As the thematic verse for the whole Apocalypse; a call to watchfulness and a comfort for persecuted believers.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
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.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Behold, he cometh with the clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they that pierced him; and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Lo, he doth come with the clouds, and see him shall every eye, even those who did pierce him, and wail because of him shall all the tribes of the land. Yes! Amen!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they which have pierced him, and all the tribes of the land shall wail because of him. Yea. Amen.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him: and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. Even so. Amen.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
He aquí que viene con las nubes, y todo ojo le verá, y los que le traspasaron; y todos los linajes de la tierra se lamentarán sobre él. Así sea. Amén.
Eis que ele vem com as nuvens, e todo olho o verá, até mesmo aqueles que o perfuraram; e todas as tribos da terra lamentarão sobre ele; sim, Amém.
Voici, il vient avec les nuées. Et tout œil le verra, même ceux qui l’ ont percé; et toutes les tribus de la terre se lamenteront à cause de lui. Oui. Amen!
Siehe, er kommt mit den Wolken, und es werden ihn sehen alle Augen und die ihn zerstochen haben; und werden heulen alle Geschlechter auf der Erde. Ja, amen.
Ziet, Hij komt met de wolken en alle oog zal Hem zien, ook degenen, die Hem doorstoken hebben; en alle geslachten der aarde zullen over Hem rouw bedrijven; ja, amen.
Ecco, egli viene colle nuvole; ed ogni occhio lo vedrà; lo vedranno anche quelli che lo trafissero, e tutte le tribù della terra faranno cordoglio per lui. Sì, Amen.
Oto idzie z obłokami i ujrzy go wszelkie oko, i ci, którzy go przebili; i narzekać będą przed nim wszystkie pokolenia ziemi. Tak, Amen.
Се, грядет с облаками, и узрит Его всякое око и те, которые пронзили Его; и возрыдают пред Ним все племена земные. Ей, аминь.
看哪，他駕 雲 降臨！ 眾 目 要看見 他，連 刺 他 的人也要看見他； 地上的 萬 族 都要因 他 哀哭。這話是真實的。阿們！
See, he comes with the clouds, and every eye will see him, and those by whom he was wounded; and all the tribes of the earth will be sorrowing because of him. Yes, so be it.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Revelation of John 1:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse announces the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ in glory. The language is built on two Old Testament pillars: Daniel's vision of "one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven" (Dan 7:13) and Zechariah's prophecy that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will "look on me whom they have pierced" (Zec 12:10). Both Barnes and Gill stress that "with the clouds" draws from the theophanic cloud of Sinai and the ascension cloud (Acts 1:9, 11). The present tense "he is coming" (ἔρχεται, erchetai) is what Wesley calls a prophetic present: the event is so certain it is spoken of as already in motion. Vincent notes that the Greek for "will see" (ὄψεται, opsetai) emphasizes not merely the physical act but the mental discernment that accompanies the sight. Disagreement begins on whether "those who pierced him" refers strictly to the soldiers and Jewish leaders at the crucifixion or to all who reject Christ by their sins, and whether the mourning of the tribes signals repentance or terror.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Historical-fulfillment view (Clarke, preterists): Reads 'all the tribes of the land' as Jewish tribes, and the coming as Christ's judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70, applied to those who rejected him.
- Universal judgment view (Gill, Barnes, Cambridge): Reads the coming as the final second coming of Christ, with 'all the tribes of the earth' meaning all humanity, and the wailing as terror of the unrepentant.
- Two-stage view (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, Wesley): Sees a primary reference to Christ's pre-millennial advent when the Jews mourn in repentance, and a secondary reference to the general judgment of all nations.
What is clear: All Christians agree that Revelation 1:7 announces the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ, who was crucified and will appear in glory as Judge and King.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Identity of 'those who pierced him' | Christians agree that the phrase includes the Roman soldiers and Jewish leaders who physically pierced Jesus at the crucifixion. | Some interpreters (e.g., Adam Clarke) limit it to those actual participants. Others (Barnes, Vincent, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) extend it to all who reject Christ in any age, since their sins 'pierce' him afresh. |
| Timing of the coming | All agree the verse refers to a glorious future coming of Christ; many see it as his second coming at the end of history. | Adam Clarke and some preterists argue it prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, while others (Gill, Barnes, Cambridge) insist it refers strictly to the final judgment. |
| Nature of the mourning | The Greek κόψονται (kopsontai) indicates loud, visible grief, beating the breast. | Is this mourning a sign of repentant faith (as in Zechariah 12:10, where God pours out a spirit of grace) or of hopeless despair at judgment (as in Matthew 24:30)? Commentators are divided. |
| Scope of 'all the tribes of the earth' | The phrase πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς indicates comprehensiveness, all peoples. | Clarke limits 'tribes' to the Jewish people ('the land'), while most modern commentators (following the wider use of φυλαί in Revelation) see it as all ethnic groups on earth. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The Apocalypse was written to seven churches in Asia Minor under Roman rule, probably late in Domitian's reign (c. AD 95, 96). Christians faced social ostracism, economic pressure, and sporadic martyrdom. John's opening vision, with its soaring claim that Christ "is coming with the clouds," would have sounded politically subversive: it announces a true ruler whose arrival all eyes, including Rome's, will witness.
The image of clouds carries deep roots. In the Old Testament, God appears in a cloud at Sinai (Exodus 19:18), in the pillar of cloud that led Israel, and in the cloud that filled the Tabernacle. Psalms 97:2 says "Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne." When Christ ascended, a cloud received him out of their sight (Acts 1:9), and angels promised he would return "in like manner" (Acts 1:11). Thus the clouds in verse 7 connect the coming Judge with the God who revealed himself in the Old Testament and the Jesus who left earth visibly.
The phrase "every eye will see him" declares that no one will miss this event. In an ancient world where emperors claimed to be divine but could not be seen by all simultaneously, John insists Christ's appearance will be universally visible. "All the tribes of the earth" (πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς), the word φυλαί (phulai) normally means "tribes," used in the Greek Old Testament for the twelve tribes of Israel, but also for peoples broadly. Earlier interpreters like Adam Clarke took "tribes of the land" specifically as Jewish tribes, linking the verse to Christ's judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70. Most modern commentators, however, see a universal scope: all humanity, Jew and Gentile, will witness and react.
The citation of Zechariah 12:10 originally addressed the house of David and Jerusalem, promising a spirit of grace and supplication. John repurposes it for the universal climax. The question of whether the mourning is penitent or terrified is left unresolved in the text's dense imagery, which makes verse 7 a hinge for the whole book.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Revelation 1:7. The phrase "and they also which pierced him" (καὶ οἵτινες αὐτὸν ἐξεκέντησαν) and the double affirmation "Even so, Amen" (ναί, ἀμήν) are consistently present across the manuscript tradition. The reading is stable.
Reception History
In the early church, Revelation 1:7 was read as a declaration of Christ's second coming and universal judgment. Irenaeus and later patristic writers connected it to the parousia and the resurrection of the dead. During the Reformation, commentators debated whether the verse referred to the destruction of Jerusalem or to the end of history. Methodists and Wesleyans like Adam Clarke emphasized the application to individuals: every sinner who rejects Christ is among those who pierce him. In modern evangelical interpretation, the verse functions as a summary of the book's central hope and warning, and its imagery is often used in hymns about the second coming.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Coming: Christ arrives in clouds, certain, visible, glorious. The prophetic present tense (ἔρχεται, erchetai) assures us that this is as good as done.
- The Seeing: Every eye will see him. No one is exempt, not even those who pierced him. The verb ὄψεται (opsetai) implies not just visual sight but piercing recognition of who he is.
- The Mourning: All tribes of the earth will wail (κόψονται, kopsontai, beat their breasts). The nature of that grief, repentant or despairing, depends on whether it comes before or after the final encounter.
Five-point outline
- Christ comes with clouds: majesty, judgment, and fulfillment of Daniel 7:13.
- Every eye will see him: universal visibility at the second coming.
- Even those who pierced him: includes the actual crucifiers and all who reject him in any age.
- All tribes mourn: the wailing of the earth in response to his appearance.
- Even so, Amen: the double affirmation in Greek and Hebrew seals the certainty.
Illustration hooks
- A courtroom scene where the judge is the one the defendant personally wronged, there is no escape from facing him, and the outcome depends on whether the defendant has already been reconciled.
- Watching a replay of a sporting event you already know the outcome of: the spectators in the moment don't know what's coming, but you do. John's prophetic present shows the outcome is fixed.
- Being in a crowd when a famous person appears, everyone strains to see. But in this case, the famous one sees every face, and every face sees him.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Will people who died long before Christ's return still see him? (The promise is universal, all eyes, including the dead raised.)
- If I am a Christian, should I mourn when Christ returns? (Even believers may grieve for sins that will be exposed, but the mourning of the tribes here is tied to those who have rejected him.)
- Is it possible to change after seeing Christ at his coming? (The text suggests that for the tribes, the wailing comes too late for repentance, this side of the encounter is the time to mourn in faith.)
Leading a Discussion
Revelation 1:7 stands at the threshold of the book like a herald's cry. It draws together Old Testament promise, Christ's own prophecies, and the hope of the church. As you study, notice that John does not soften the tension: the same coming that brings blessing to those who love Christ brings wailing to those who have pierced him. Let this verse prompt honest reflection on how we face the returning King.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What images does John use to describe Christ's coming? Which Old Testament passages do they echo?
- Observation: Who is included in "every eye"? What does the phrase "those who pierced him" tell you about the scope of this vision?
- Interpretation: The Greek word for "wail" (κόψονται, kopsontai) means to beat your breast in grief. Why do you think John uses such a physical, emotional word?
- Interpretation: Some see the mourning as repentant (as in Zechariah 12:10) and others as terrified despair (as in Matthew 24:30). What clues in the text support each reading?
- Interpretation: How does the double affirmation "Even so, Amen", Greek and Hebrew for "yes, truly", function for John's readers? What does it say about the reliability of the promise?
- Application: In what ways might you or your community be tempted to live as though Christ's coming is not real or not soon? How does this verse challenge that?
- Application: If "those who pierced him" can include anyone who rejects Christ, how does this shape your understanding of evangelism and urgency?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Numbers 24:17 | I see him, but not now. I see him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob. A scepter will rise out of Israel, and shall strike through the corners of Moab, and crush all the sons of Sheth. |
| Judges 5:31 | “So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years. |
| Job 19:26 | After my skin is destroyed, then I will see God in my flesh, |
| Job 19:27 | whom I, even I, will see on my side. My eyes will see, and not as a stranger. “My heart is consumed within me. |
| Job 33:26 | He prays to God, and he is favorable to him, so that he sees his face with joy. He restores to man his righteousness. |
| Psalms 22:16 | For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet. |
| Psalms 68:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. A song. Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him. |
| Psalms 97:2 | Clouds and darkness are around him. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke interprets the coming with clouds not as the final end-time event, but as Christ's judgment on Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, which he argues is the primary reference for "all tribes of the land." He takes this as evidence that Revelation was written before that destruction actually took place.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that Christ's return will bring universal alarm, not just for those who literally pierced him but for all sinners whose consciences convict them. This terror, he argues, is evidence people know they are guilty and believe in future punishment. The double affirmation "Even so, Amen" he reads as a statement of certainty, not a wish.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note focuses on the doxology that follows Christ’s work: because He has made believers kings and priests to God the Father, the only fitting response is to ascribe eternal glory and dominion to Him alone.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues this coming with clouds is Christ's second coming to judge the living and the dead, not the destruction of Jerusalem or a spiritual conversion. He stresses it will be personal and visible: every eye, including those who pierced him, will see him, and the wicked will wail in terror.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a twofold distinction: Christ's coming refers primarily to the pre-millennial advent when repentant Jews look on Him whom they pierced, and secondarily to the general judgment when all ungodly wail. He emphasizes that every eye will see this personal, visible appearing, with clouds symbolizing wrath to sinners.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees the blessing on Revelation's readers as a deliberate encouragement not to give up on this difficult book. The promise repays the labor of careful study, and extends not only to those who read but to those who hear it explained by qualified teachers.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent stresses that "see" here means more than physical sight; it includes a quickened spiritual discernment at Christ's appearing, making the guilty recognize their folly. He also notes that "they who pierced" refers not only to Jews but to all who reject Christ across every age, forming a dark counterpart to God's true Israel.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley presses the present tense "He cometh" as crucial: Christ's glorious appearing is not a future event but an arrival already underway, beginning with Jerusalem's fall and continuing until its full display. He takes "every eye" as referring especially to the Jews who will see the very wounds they inflicted, and reads the double "Yea, Amen" as a word for both Jew and Gentile.