Greek Form Guide

ἐστιν. (estin) in Revelation 22:10: Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative

ἐστιν. (estin) in Revelation 22:10

Textual Witness

ἐστιν. estin Verb Third Person Singular Present Active Indicative

The witness reads ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγὺς ἐστιν, so the verse presents a straightforward clause with εἰμί as the final verbal element.

How The Form Affects Interpretation

The verb makes the clause a plain present assertion, strengthening the verse's urgent and practical force.

How To Communicate It

It communicates that the reason for not sealing the words is the nearness of the time, stated in simple, direct language.

What Not To Say

  • Grammatical form should serve context, not override it.
  • The singular present indicative supports the clause, but it does not settle questions the context does not answer.
  • Do not turn verbal form into a speculative timeline, doctrinal code, or gendered theological claim.

What Does The Label Mean?

Part of Speech

Verb: the word states being or existence rather than naming a person or thing.

Tense / Aspect

Present: often views the action as in progress, customary, or presently in view. Context decides the exact force.

Voice

Active: presents the subject as doing or carrying the action.

Mood

Indicative: presents the verbal idea as an assertion or statement in the clause.

Person

Third person: the form speaks about someone or something rather than directly as I/we or you.

Case

Not applicable: this verb form is not using noun case to mark its sentence role.

Number

Singular: the form is grammatically singular and matches the singular subject in this clause.

Gender

Not applicable: this verb form does not use grammatical gender to make its point.

What The Form Does In This Verse

Attached To

ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγύς

Governed By

The verb is governed by the clause structure and agrees with ὁ καιρὸς as its singular subject in a simple predicate statement.

Role In The Phrase

It completes the claim that the time is near, supplying the finite verb for the statement in the warning.

What It Is Not Doing

It does not by itself create a new subject, add emphasis beyond the clause, or force a specialized theological sense.

How Much The Form Matters Here

Interpretive Weight

High: The verb completes the warning that the time is near.

Syntax Profile

Copular predicate in nearness statement. links the time to the predicate near. Attached to the phrase the time is near. Governed by the singular subject the time. The verb supplies the finite clause structure, while the apocalyptic context shapes the warning's meaning.

Reader Question

What does the clause say about the time? It says the time is near, grounding the command not to seal the prophecy.

Translation Effect

Direct: The verb directly belongs in the rendering "the time is near."

Where Caution Is Needed

The grammar states nearness, but the passage context governs how that nearness should be understood.

Fallacies To Avoid

Present tense defines the whole eschatological timetable: The present verb states the clause; Revelation's context governs the timing claim.

How The Interpretation Is Derived

Textual Witness

The witness reads ὅτι ὁ καιρὸς ἐγγὺς ἐστιν, so the verse presents a straightforward clause with εἰμί as the final verbal element.

Lexical Identity

The lemma εἰμί commonly serves as the verb of being or existence, and here it works in its ordinary predicate use.

Grammar In Context

The singular verb fits the singular subject ὁ καιρὸς and supports the adverb ἐγγύς, making the sentence a concise factual assertion.

Passage Meaning

In this warning, the grammar reinforces urgency by stating that the appointed time is near, which supports the command not to seal the prophecy.

Canonical Fit

Within Revelation, such present tense phrasing commonly presents the situation as real and pressing, without requiring more than the immediate context supplies.

Communication Use

For readers and hearers, the verb makes the statement direct and compact, so the warning sounds immediate and actionable.

Do Not Derive

Do not derive extra certainty about timing details, hidden chronology, or gendered meaning from the verb form alone.