Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Revelation 1:11

"saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send [it] to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea." — Revelation 1:11 (ASV)

The “voice” (GK 5889) John heard could be Christ’s or, more likely, that of the angel who appears frequently to John (4:1; 5:2). What John sees (both visions and words), he is to write down in a papyrus scroll and send to the seven Asian churches (v.4). This writing would include the substance of the whole book, not just the first vision.