I see

John uses the verb eido (see, know) seventy times in the Apocalypse. The word is translated in various ways (behold, saw, look), which obscures the Greek pattern. Seventy is the number of the nations, the seventy uses perhaps reinforce the fact that Revelation describes the bringing of the nations into the city of God.

The distribution is also interesting. Seven times in his messages to the churches Jesus says “I saw/know your works” ( oida ta erga ; 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). With His burning eyes, Jesus sees everything and judges rightly. The sevenfold viewing also links to creation. The Septuagint of Genesis 1 uses the phrase eiden ho theos eight times (1:4, 8, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). Jesus is the Creator of the churches surveying not His works but the works of the members of the church. His seven viewings match the seven eyes (5:6).

50 of the 70 occurrences of the verb are “I saw” statements from John (1:12, 17; 4:1, 4; 5:1, 2, 6, 11; 6:1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9, 12; 7:1, 2, 9, 14; 8:2, 13; 9:1, 17; 10:1, 5; 13:1, 2, 3, 11; 14:1, 6, 14; 15:1, 2, 5; 16:13; 17:3, 6 [2x]; 18:1; 19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 11, 12; 21:1, 2, 22). Filled as he is with the seven burning eye-Spirits of the Lamb, John is able to see 7 x 7fold, plus one. The numerology points to Pentecost and Jubilee: John sees a “50,” the firstfruits gift of the Spirit and the year of release announced by the blowing of a trumpet.

That leaves 13 other uses. Once John speaks of his own sight in the third person (1:2). Eight times, someone addresses John and tells him what “you see” (1:19, 20; 7:14; 17:8, 12, 15, 16, 18), usually for the purposes of interpretation. The other four uses describe what some character “sees” or “knows” (12:12, 13; 18:7; 19:12).