independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The prologue — the chain of revelation 1:1–3
1
Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,independent — the verbless title — the book named in its first word
ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸςrelative — the chain begins — God its source, Christ its receiver
δεῖξαι τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦpurpose — purpose infinitive — given in order to be shown
ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τάχει,relative — headless relative, object of δεῖξαι — Dan 2:28–29 ἃ δεῖ γενέσθαι, now ἐν τάχει
καὶ ἐσήμανενrelative — the relative continued paratactically — ἐσήμανεν, 'sign-ified' (Dan 2:45 LXX)
ἀποστείλας διὰ τοῦ ἀγγέλου αὐτοῦ τῷ δούλῳ αὐτοῦ Ἰωάννῃ,participial — means — the last two links: angel, then John
2
ὃς ἐμαρτύρησεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,relative — John the witness — the book's word-pair (cf. vv. 9; 6:9; 20:4)
ὅσα εἶδεν.relative — headless ὅσα in apposition — the witness is exactly what was seen
3
μακάριος ὁ ἀναγινώσκων καὶ οἱ ἀκούοντες τοὺς λόγους τῆς προφητείαςindependent — the first of the book's seven beatitudes — one lector, a listening assembly
καὶ τηροῦντες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα,participial — one article governs both participles — the hearers ARE the keepers
ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἐγγύς.cause — the ground of the blessing — the καιρός at hand (cf. 22:10)
The greeting and the doxology 1:4–8
vv. 4–5a — the address: grace from the throne, the Spirits, and Jesus
4
Ἰωάννης ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις ταῖς ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ·independent — the epistolary superscription — sender and recipients in one breath
χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνηindependent — the greeting — three sources follow
ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος,phrase modifier — SOLECISM kept — nominative after ἀπό: the Name (Exod 3:14) is indeclinable; ὁ ἦν a finite verb pressed into a participle's slot
καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ πνευμάτωνphrase modifier — the second source — the sevenfold Spirit before the throne (cf. 4:5; Isa 11:2)
ἃ ἐνώπιον τοῦ θρόνου αὐτοῦ,relative — verbless relative — located at the throne
5
καὶ ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,phrase modifier — the third source — Jesus named last and expanded
ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστός,phrase modifier — SOLECISM kept — nominative title against the genitive Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ (Ps 89:37)
ὁ πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶνphrase modifier — second title — Ps 89:27 πρωτότοκος, now of resurrection
καὶ ὁ ἄρχων τῶν βασιλέων τῆς γῆς.phrase modifier — third title — Ps 89:27 completed: witness, firstborn, ruler
vv. 5b–6 — the doxology: to the one who loves us
Τῷ ἀγαπῶντι ἡμᾶςindependent — the doxology opens — a suspended dative, resumed by αὐτῷ (v. 6); the present tense: loves, now
καὶ λύσαντι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ αἵματι αὐτοῦ,participial — coordinate dative participle — the aorist release, at the price of blood
6
καὶ ἐποίησεν ἡμᾶς βασιλείαν, ἱερεῖς τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ αὐτοῦ,participial — SOLECISM kept — finite ἐποίησεν continues the participial chain (Exod 19:6: kingdom and priests)
αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων·independent — the doxology proper — αὐτῷ resumes the suspended datives
ἀμήν.phrase modifier — the seal
vv. 7–8 — the oracle of the coming; the Alpha and the Omega
7
Ἰδοὺ ἔρχεται μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν,independent — Dan 7:13 — the cloud-rider; the book's keynote oracle
καὶ ὄψεται αὐτὸν πᾶς ὀφθαλμὸςindependent — Zech 12:10 blended in — the seeing universalized
καὶ οἵτινες αὐτὸν ἐξεκέντησαν,relative — Zech 12:10 — the piercers included in πᾶς ὀφθαλμός (John's own rendering, cf. John 19:37)
καὶ κόψονται ἐπ’ αὐτὸν πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς.independent — Zech 12:10–12 — the mourning widened from Israel's clans to all tribes
ναί, ἀμήν.independent — the double seal — Greek ναί and Hebrew ἀμήν
8
Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ Ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ὦ,independent — the divine self-declaration — first and last letters (Isa 44:6; 48:12)
λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός,phrase modifier — postposed quotative frame — the prophetic λέγει κύριος formula; God himself speaks
ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος,phrase modifier — the v. 4 formula repeated — the greeting's first source now names himself
ὁ παντοκράτωρ.phrase modifier — παντοκράτωρ — the LXX's rendering of YHWH Sebaoth (Amos 4:13)
The inaugural vision 1:9–20
vv. 9–11 — Patmos: the voice and the command to write
9
Ἐγὼ Ἰωάννης,independent — the seer names himself — the apocalyptic ἐγώ (Dan 8:1)
ὁ ἀδελφὸς ὑμῶν καὶ συγκοινωνὸς ἐν τῇ θλίψει καὶ βασιλείᾳ καὶ ὑπομονῇ ἐν Ἰησοῦ,phrase modifier — apposition — not apostle but brother; one article binds tribulation, kingdom, endurance
ἐγενόμην ἐν τῇ νήσῳ τῇ καλουμένῃ Πάτμῳindependent — the narrative verb — ἐγενόμην, 'I came to be' on Patmos
διὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ἰησοῦ.cause — διά + accusative — banished for the word-pair of v. 2, not to receive it
10
ἐγενόμην ἐν πνεύματι ἐν τῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ,independent — ἐγενόμην doubled — prophetic rapture; κυριακὴ ἡμέρα read as Sunday, literature's first mention
καὶ ἤκουσα ὀπίσω μου φωνὴν μεγάλην ὡς σάλπιγγοςindependent — the paratactic chain begins — the trumpet of theophany (Exod 19:16)
11
λεγούσης·participial — SOLECISM kept — genitive λεγούσης against accusative φωνήν, drawn to σάλπιγγος
Ὃ βλέπεις γράψον εἰς βιβλίονcontent — the first command — the fronted Ὃ βλέπεις is its object
καὶ πέμψον ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαις,content — the second command — the book is a circular letter
εἰς Ἔφεσον καὶ εἰς Σμύρναν καὶ εἰς Πέργαμον καὶ εἰς Θυάτειρα καὶ εἰς Σάρδεις καὶ εἰς Φιλαδέλφειαν καὶ εἰς Λαοδίκειαν.phrase modifier — the seven named — the postal circuit of Asia, in road order
vv. 12–16 — the one like a son of man
12
καὶ ἐπέστρεψα βλέπειν τὴν φωνὴνindependent — the turn — 'to see the voice', the mixed idiom kept
ἥτις ἐλάλει μετ’ ἐμοῦ,relative — the voice personified — it speaks WITH him
καὶ ἐπιστρέψας εἶδον ἑπτὰ λυχνίας χρυσᾶς,independent — the vision proper opens — Zech 4:2's lampstand, now seven
13
καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λυχνιῶν ὅμοιον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου,phrase modifier — second object of εἶδον — Dan 7:13; SOLECISM kept: ὅμοιον with accusative υἱόν for the expected dative
ἐνδεδυμένον ποδήρηparticipial — the vesture — the ποδήρης of the high priest (Exod 28:4 LXX; Dan 10:5)
καὶ περιεζωσμένον πρὸς τοῖς μαστοῖς ζώνην χρυσᾶν·participial — the golden sash — worn high, as Dan 10:5's man of linen
14
ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ καὶ αἱ τρίχες λευκαὶ ὡς ἔριον λευκόν, ὡς χιών,phrase modifier — the portrait column begins — Dan 7:9: the Ancient of Days' hair given to the son of man; the description slides into nominatives (flagged)
καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ὡς φλὸξ πυρός,phrase modifier — eyes as fire — Dan 10:6
15
καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτοῦ ὅμοιοι χαλκολιβάνῳ ὡς ἐν καμίνῳ πεπυρωμένης,phrase modifier — Dan 10:6 — SOLECISM kept: genitive πεπυρωμένης agrees with nothing in the clause
καὶ ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ ὡς φωνὴ ὑδάτων πολλῶν,phrase modifier — Ezek 1:24; 43:2 — the voice of the God of Israel's glory
16
καὶ ἔχων ἐν τῇ δεξιᾷ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ἀστέρας ἑπτά,participial — SOLECISM kept — hanging nominative ἔχων in the accusative frame; the seven stars held
καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ῥομφαία δίστομος ὀξεῖα ἐκπορευομένη,phrase modifier — Isa 49:2; 11:4 — the mouth-sword: his only weapon is the word (cf. 19:15)
καὶ ἡ ὄψις αὐτοῦ ὡς ὁ ἥλιος φαίνει ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ.phrase modifier — the column's seventh feature — Judg 5:31; φαίνει belongs inside the comparison
vv. 17–20 — 'Do not fear': the commission and the mystery
17
Καὶ ὅτε εἶδον αὐτόν,conditional — temporal (ὅτε) — leans on ἔπεσα below
ἔπεσα πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ὡς νεκρός·independent — the seer felled — Dan 8:17–18; 10:9; Ezek 1:28
καὶ ἔθηκεν τὴν δεξιὰν αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐμὲindependent — Dan 10:10 — the reviving touch, from the hand that holds the stars
λέγων·participial — the speech verb — everything to v. 20 hangs from this one word
Μὴ φοβοῦ·content — the theophanic reassurance — Dan 10:12
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατοςcontent — Isa 44:6; 48:12 — YHWH's own title, taken by the risen one
18
καὶ ὁ ζῶν,phrase modifier — the third predicate — the living God (Dan 12:7; Deut 32:40)
καὶ ἐγενόμην νεκρὸςcontent — the paradox — the Living One became a corpse
καὶ ἰδοὺ ζῶν εἰμι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων,content — ἰδού — resurrection announced as standing fact, with God's own 'for ever'
καὶ ἔχω τὰς κλεῖς τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου.content — the keys — Death and Hades unlocked from the inside; he holds what held him
19
γράψον οὖνcontent — the commission — οὖν draws the warrant from vv. 17–18: the fearless may write
ἃ εἶδεςrelative — first object — the vision just given
καὶ ἃ εἰσὶνrelative — second object — the present of the churches (chs. 2–3); read as a true threefold, not hendiadys
καὶ ἃ μέλλει γενέσθαι μετὰ ταῦτα.relative — third object — the book's programme (cf. 4:1 μετὰ ταῦτα)
20
τὸ μυστήριον τῶν ἑπτὰ ἀστέρωνcontent — suspended accusative — casus pendens: 'as for the mystery' (Dan 2:47's word)
οὓς εἶδες ἐπὶ τῆς δεξιᾶς μου,relative — the stars located — now ἐπί, on the open palm
καὶ τὰς ἑπτὰ λυχνίας τὰς χρυσᾶς·phrase modifier — coordinate with τὸ μυστήριον — the lampstands drawn into the riddle
οἱ ἑπτὰ ἀστέρες ἄγγελοι τῶν ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησιῶν εἰσιν,content — first identification — the stars decoded
καὶ αἱ λυχνίαι αἱ ἑπτὰ ἑπτὰ ἐκκλησίαι εἰσίν.content — second identification — the churches themselves are the light-bearers among whom he walks
Analysis. Revelation's syntax is Semitic parataxis, and the shape shows it honestly: where Paul's sentences staircase, John's march down the left margin in καί-chains — the oracle of v. 7 and the narrative of vv. 10–17 are columns of flush-left purple, because coordination IS the book's grammar, and no subordination has been forced on it. Three structures organize the chapter. The prologue (vv. 1–3) hangs a chain of mediation from the verbless title Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ — God gave, to show, and he sign-ified, sending through the angel to John, who witnessed — before the first of the book's seven beatitudes closes it. The greeting (vv. 4–8) sets the three ἀπό-sources of grace side by side under χάρις, and here the layout flags rather than corrects the book's famous solecisms: ἀπὸ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος keeps its nominatives after the preposition because the divine Name is treated as indeclinable, and the three titles of Jesus stand in the nominative against their genitive head; in the doxology the finite ἐποίησεν breaks into the dative participial chain and is left standing. The vision (vv. 9–20) turns on two speech verbs — the trumpet-voice's λεγούσης and the risen one's λέγων — under which the commands and the Ich-Bin declarations hang as blue quoted content down to v. 20; between them the one-like-a-son-of-man is drawn as a verbless description column, seven features (head and hair, eyes, feet, voice, right hand, mouth, face) each on its own dashed line beneath the ὅμοιον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου line, with the accusative-to-nominative slide, the hanging ἔχων, and the unattached genitive πεπυρωμένης all flagged in the tags. Interpretive choices: ἐν τῇ κυριακῇ ἡμέρᾳ is read as the Lord's day (Sunday), not the eschatological Day; ἃ εἰσὶν in v. 19 as 'the things that are' (a genuine threefold, not a hendiadys); and καὶ οἵτινες αὐτὸν ἐξεκέντησαν as an extension of πᾶς ὀφθαλμός — even the piercers see him.