II. THE FUTURE (“THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE HEREAFTER"), PART
2b--6:1-22:21
E. The Eternal State--21:1--22:21, Part 4
2. The renewed exhortations--22:6-21
a. The first
exhortation--vv. 6, 7
(I)
Who is the speaker here?
(A) The verse begins with "and he."
(1) Grammatically the he should refer
to the nearest antecedent, which in this case, is the Lord God of
verse 5.
(2) Logically; it would refer to the same
he as in Revelation 22:1, but then to what does that he
refer?
(a) Again, grammatically,
it would refer to the Lamb of Revelation 21:27.
(b) Logically, it would be
the he of Revelation 21:10 which in turn refers the angel of
Revelation
21:9.
(c) Thus, logically the
he of Revelation 22:6 would also refer to the angel.
(3) A difficulty immediately presents itself,
for Revelation 22:7 evidently is the Lord Jesus speaking.
(4) Solutions
(a) First solution
((I)) Take
the he of Revelation 22:6 in its normal grammatical sense, thus
refering it to the Lord
God.
((II) Jesus
Christ, the Lamb is the Lord God; therefore, He--the Lamb--is speaking in
both
verses.
(b) Second solution
((I)) The
he of Revelation 22:6 should be taken in its logical sense,
which refers it to the angel.
((II)) The
angel is the one speaking in Revelation 22:6.
((III)) Revelation
22:7
((A)) The angel is speaking also in verse 7 on Christ's behalf.
((B)) Or suddenly Jesus Christ: interrupts personally to be the speaker
in verse 7.
(c) Newell takes the first
position; this writer take the second solution.
((I)) There
is no reason why the angel could not speak for Jesus Christ in verse 7.
((II)) There
is no evidence, except the change in pronoun that anyone else is speaking.
((III)) Verse
8 implies that the angel was still speaking.
((IV)) Verse
16 is cited that Jesus is speaking, but it also indicates that the angel
testifies to these
things.
(II)
The exhortation
(A) Faithful and true sayings
(1) Could refer only to the revelation made by
the angel since Revelation 21:9.
(2) Could refer to the entire book.
(a) This is preferred because
the phrase, to shew unto his servants the things which must
shortly
be done recalls to mind the opening words of chapter
1.
(b) This is preferred because
Revelation 22:7 gives blessing to the keepers of the sayings of
the
prophecy of
this book. Notice also verses 10,18, 19.
(III)
The showing of things shortly to be done
(A) This phrase certainly refers to the entire book.
(B) The word shortly need not concern us here, for it
is literally in quickness, thus speedily. Rather
than telling how soon timewise, it may speak
of manner. Even if time is in view, remember that a
thousand years are as a day with the Lord.
(IV)
Behold, I come quickly.
(A) Occurs three times
(1) This verse
(2) Verse 12
(3) Verse 20
(B) The word quickly is the same root word as in verse
6, but not identical in form.
(1) Verse 6 is en tachei, in quickness.
(2) Verse 7 is tachu, the adverb form
of the adjective in verse 6.
(3) Obviously, it is the Lord Jesus Who is the
one comes quickly regardless of who is actually
speaking.
(V)
The blessing to the keeper of the sayings of this book
(A) The prophecy of this book
(1) Primarily refers to the book of Revelation
(2) By secondary application it can apply to
the whole Bible.
(B) Keeping the sayings
(1) Certainly it would apply to those sayings
applicable to the particular reader.
(2) In a very real sense it could refer to those
who believe this book for what it says.
(3) The Greek word is teron which has
the meaning of to attend to carefully, to take care of,
thus
to guard as of a
prisoner, or to hold firmly. It can and does mean to
observe, that is, in the
sense of keeping a
commandment, but may not be the best idea here.
(4) Thus, the idea of holding these sayings
as precious and a real picture of God's future dealings with
men.
b. The second
exhortation--vv. 8, 9
(I)
Against the worship of angels
(II)
John attempts angel worship.
(A) John was overwhelmed by the greatness of the revelation
given him.
(B) He naturally fell down to worship the one who showed him
these things.
(III)
The prohibition against angel worship
(A) The Person who really revealed these things
(1) Not specified in the verse, but implied by
the exhortation to be God
(2) The revelation of Jesus Christ which
God gave to Him to show to His servants
(B) An angel is our fellowservant.
(1) As a fellowservant the angel is not above
us, but is at the most equal to us.
(2) Cf. Hebrews 1:13, 14
(C) An angel is fellowservant of the prophets.
(D) An angel is fellowservant of those keeping the sayings
of this book.
(IV)
WHO TO WORSHIP
(A) WORSHIP GOD
(B) God alone is worthy of worship because He is the ultimate
Giver of this revelation.
(C) This phrase would include The Lamb as worthy of our
worship.
(1) Notice the attitude of John in connection
with Jesus--Revelation 1:17.
(2) Notice that no word of rebuke for this
worship, but rather those blessed words that John heard
before from Christ--Fear
not.
(D) This verse seems to this writer to preclude the worship
of any being other than God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
(1) Certainly precludes the worship of
angels as taught here, and which is practiced at times by the
Roman Catholics
(2) Would also preclude the worship of
any other person such as Mary, the mother of Jesus. (Now,
this writer know that the
Roman Catholic says he does not worship Mary but prays to her, but this
is a fallacy, for prayer
involves worship. It is not the same as coming to a person on earth
and
asking that person to pray
for you. There is a vast difference in asking someone to pray for you
and to pray to that person.
(3) Would then preclude the worship of
any saint, relic thereof, bones, etc.
(a) Again, the sophisticate
among the Roman Catholics say they don't worship as such, but asking
them
for their intercession.
(b) This is utter nonsense;
look at the very form and words of their prayer to the saints, and
you
will
find little or no difference between that and their prayers directed to
God.
c. The open book of
Revelation--vv. 10, 11
(I)
The book of Revelation is not a sealed book.
(A) Of course, Satan would like to get it sealed even
if not removed from the Bible, for it spells his
doom.
(B) For the vast portion of Christendom, this book is
sealed; much of the sealing is due to the allegorizing
method of interpretation. The rest
is due to the failure of many to see that the key to the book is 1:19.
(C) This book is sealed to many because of their failure
or unwillingness to maintain dispensational
differences (these differences are due to the
literal method of interpretation, and therefore, their failure
is due to the allegorizing.).
(D) This fact that the Book of Revelation is an unsealed
book is in direct contrast to the prophecy of
Daniel who was told to seal up his prophecy--cf.
Daniel 12:4, 9.
(E) Now, however, "The time is at hand."
(F) Thus this book is open to all, anyone who will believe it
for what says and is willing to search the rest
of Scripture, particularly the Old Testament
to understand its message.
(G) Newell (362; italics are his.) rightly says: "What
a rebuke to the negligence, the neglect, the sneering,
ignorant arrogance, shown by most of
Christendom toward The Revelation. Our Lord Jesus may
declare it an open, unsealed, understandable
book, men say it is filled with 'unintelligible language' and
'mystic symbols.' Christ says: 'Blessed
is he that readeth'; men say: 'Let it alone, you cannot
understand it.' Some day all these will
give an account of their insolent, insulting attitude toward this
holy, open book of plain prophecy, given
by God to Christ for us, and distinctly left unsealed."
(II)
The life-choice
(A) This eleventh verse is connected with verse 10 and part
of its exhortation, and not "a mere sentence
of finality on the state in which any soul
is discovered at the Lord's coming." (Newell, .362. He does
not hold this idea, but is criticising it.)
(B) The verb tenses
(1) The verb forms are aorist imperatives. The
aorist imperative "denotes summary action--'an action
that is either transient
or instantaneous, . . . or to be undertaken at once' (W. 313)." (Source
unknown)
(2) Again note, "The distinction between
the present and aorist imperative sometimes seems
to be ignored. But
we are safest when we assume that the author had a reason in his mind
for using one rather than
the other."
(3) Therefore, to render these verbs as present
tense imperatives with the continuative idea is wrong.
(4) A good example of the difference between
aorist and present tense can be seen in Matthew 16:24
when this verse is correctly
rendered; "Let him take up his cross at once (aorist) and keep
on
following (present)
Me."
(5) Thus, the main verbs of Revelation
22:11 should not be translated in the continuative sense. The
Authorized Version, therefore,
is all right, except for clarity this writer would use the
word remain
or at once, or once for
all.
(6) The other phrases are participle forms in
some cases, and noun forms in others.
(a) "He that is unjust" could
be rendered, the one being unjust.
(b) "He which is filthy"
is just as well be simply rendered the filthy.
(c) "He that is righteous,"
simply the righteous
(d) "He that is holy," simply
rendered the holy
(7) Therefore, the verse would read, The one
being unjust, let him once for all be unjust; and the
filthy, let him once for
all be filthy; and the righteous, let him once for all be righteous; and
the holy, let him be once
for all holy. O the terrible finality of it all.
d. The Lord's reward
is coming--vv. 12, 13
(I)
The Lord is coming quickly.
(A) The Lord's coming is not delayed, for remember that a 1000
years are as one day in His sight.
(B) The Lord's coming is certain--remember three times He said,
"Behold I come quickly."
(II)
His reward is coming with Him.
(A) The Lord is the Rewarder of the believer.
(B) This rewarding, it seems to this writer, to be applicable
to every group.
(1) It applies to the church at the rapture--for
when He appears in the air to receive us unto Himself,
then we shall appear before
His judgment seat ( THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS THE GREAT
WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT).
(a) 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
(b) 2 Corinthians 5:9, 10
(2) It applies to the tribulation saints, for
when He comes He brings the rewards of the millennium.
(abundant passages speak
of this)
(a) Isaiah 40:9-11
(b) Isaiah 62:11
(3) It applies to the nations who are saved for
eternity.
(a) These are the peoples
saved before the great white throne judgment.
(b) Their reward is eternal
as this writer has already discussed--cf. Revelation 21:24-22:5.
(C) Judged according to works
(1) Understand once and for all a person is
not saved by his works, but only by faith in the
precious blood of
Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world.
(2) However, a person will be rewarded
according to his work.
(3) ETERNAL LIFE IS GIVEN ON THE BASIS OF
FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST; but a
person is rewarded in
eternal life on the basis of his works. Don't confuse the
two.
(a) FOR SALVATION--FAITH
IN CHRIST
(b) FOR REWARDS IN HEAVEN
(BUT NOT TO ATTAIN HEAVEN )--WORKS
(D) The Person Who is the Rewarder.
(1) The Alpha and Omega
(a) The first and last letters
of the Greek Alphabet--We would say the A and Z
(b) Thus, He is the sum and
substance of all language.
(c) Thus, He can judge every
word we speak or think.
(d) Little wonder that the
Apostle James spoke so lengthy on the tongue--cf. James 1:26; .3:1-12.
(2) The beginning and the end
(a) He began this world.
((I)) John
1:3. 10
((II)) Colossians
1:16
((III)) Hebrews
1:2
(b) He sustains the world.
((I)) Colossians
1:17
((II)) Hebrews
1:3
(c) He will yet make an end
of this world.
((I)) 2 Peter
3:11-13
((II)) Revelation
21:1
(d) This same One is the
beginning and end of our faith--cf. Hebrews 12:2 (the word
author is the
word
beginner.).
(3) The First and the Last
(a) Jesus Christ has had
being from eternity past and will continue to have it into eternity future.
((I)) John
1:1, 2
((II)) John
17:1-5
((III))
Philippians 2:5, 6
(b) Jesus Christ is all in
between as well; He is the All in all.
(c) Christ is the firstborn
from the dead.
((I)) 1
Corinthians 15:20, 23
((II)) Colossians
1:15--this is the significance of this phrase the firstborn of every
creature (or
all creation).
((III)) Colossians
1:18-- the firstborn from the dead (literally: from out of the
dead)
(d) REASON: (Colossians
1:18c) THAT IN ALL HE MIGHT HAVE THE
PREEMINENCE.
((I)) Philippians
2:9-11
((II)) Oh,
Christian, when will we who profess His name start placing Him first, last
and always
in everything and every way?
((III)) Oh,
that we might have the attitude of John the Baptist!
((A)) Mark 1:7
((B)) John 1:15f.
((C)) John 3:27-30
e. The two eternal
conditions--vv. 14, 15
(I)
The state of the blessed
(A) They are those who do His commandments.
(B) The Authorized Version seems to suggest that those who have
the right to the tree of life, etc., do so
as the result of doing His commandments.
(1) This may be, however, a confirmation or evidence
that these were holy having trusted Jesus Christ
as Savior.
(2) The Greek here (at least in many manuscripts)
is makarioi hoi plunontes tas stolas authon,
blessed are the ones washing
their robes.
(3) Then the verse as a whole would read:
"Blessed are the ones washing their robes, in order that the
right shall be to them to
the tree of life, and they may enter by the gates into the city."
(4) In defense of the Authorized Version,
it may be reiterated that the result is in view rather than the
means.
(C) Therefore, the blessed are the ones who have their robes
washed, and though not stated here, in the
blood of the Lamb.
(I)
The state of the lost
(A) These are dogs (a term used by the Jew to refer to Gentiles,
but doubtlessly used here by John in the
sense of any unbeliever).
(B) These are sorcerers--pharmakoi.
(C) These are whoremongers.
(1) The Greek word is pornoi,
fornicators.
(2) The word pornography is from
the Greek literally meaning "working of fornicators."
(3) Would include all sex deviates
(D) These are murderers.
(E) These are idolaters--literally idol worshippers.
(F) These are those who love and make lies.
(1) Greek: philon pseudos--those
loving falsehood
(2) Greek: poion pseudos--those
doing falsehood
(G) All of these are without.
(1) Obviously without the city
(2) The Greek is ekso, which probably
means from out of which, thus "without."
(H) This verse states two things.
(1) These described here have continual existence
even after the city comes into being.
(2) These described here have no part in that
holy city.
f. Jesus' stamp of
approval--v. 16
(I)
Our Lord is the revealer of these truths.
(II)
The angel is only the Lord's agent.
(III)
NOTICE: THESE THINGS are for the CHURCHES.
(A) Not necessarily for the churches as to their destiny, although
chapters 2 and 3 were as well as portions
of chapter 4 and 5
(B) For the churches in the sense that these things are revealed
to the churches --cf. Revelation 1:1, 11
(C) The verse says the angel testifies these things unto
you (plural) epi tais ekklusias, "before the
churches"--that is, before in the sense of
place. The verse does not say that every thing is for
the
churches in the sense of what will happen
to them.
(IV)
Who this One is
(A) Jesus--speaks of His saviourhood
(B) The Root of David
(1) Refered to as the Root of Jesse in
Isaiah 11:10; thus, the Root of David, or David's Lord
(2) Cf. Psalm 110:1 and Revelation 5:5
(C) Yet the offspring of David
(1) He is truly David's Son
(2) David's Lord and David's Son--cf. Matthew
22:41-45
(3) Therefore, the Messiah, or Christ
(D) Also The Bright and Morning Star
(1) Cf. 2 Peter 1:19
(2) The morning star signifies that the night
is almost gone and dawn is almost here. Our blessed Lord
is the One who shows that
dawn is here; and when it comes, He in turn is the light of day.
g. The grand
invitation--v. 17
(I)
The inviters
(A) The Holy Spirit says, "Come."
(1) Cf. John 16:7-11
(2) He can be the Comforter now.
(B) The Bride says, "Come."
(1) The work of the church is always to
invite people, not to come to church, but to come to
CHRIST.
(2) How often those who are part of the
Bride have fouled up this work
(a) We should not just invite
people to church.
(b) We should testify to
them and invite them to receive Jesus Christ.--cf. the early church, Acts.
(C) Those that hear say, "come"
(1) The hearing would include heeding what is
heard.
(2) Thus, such a one could say, "Come."
(II)
Those invited
(A) Whoever is thirsty
(B) Whosoever will may come to take of the water of
life freely.
(1) The word freely is in the Greek
dorean--"without a cause in us why it should be given."
(2) Herein is the grand invitation of the
offer eternal life, the free gift of God.
(a) Romans 3:24
(b) Romans 6:23
(C) Are you spiritually athirst? Then, come and receive
the free gift of eternal life through Jesus
Christ our Lord.
h. The final warning~-vv.
18, 19
(I)
The speaker of this warning
(A) Not clear from the text, but three possibilities exists.
(1) The Apostle John --if so, it is the probably
the first time in the book that John used the first person
pronoun where it was not
clear that he was speaking.
(2) The angel that was previously sent by the
Lord to testify of these things
(a) Cf. verse 16 and others
(b) Much more of a
possibility than the Apostle John.
(c) This writer's only
objection is that such an important warning would not be left to angel.
(3) The Lord Jesus Himself
(a) The only adequate
solution
(b) The "I" of verse
18 would go back to "I" of verse 16.
(B) Therefore, this final warning comes from God.
(II)
The content of this warning
(A) Against adding to these things
(1) The first warning is not to add unto the
things in this book.
(2) Result: God will add to such ones,
the plagues of this book
(3) Eve did this--Genesis 3:3
(B) Against taking away from the words of this book
(1) The second warning is against subtracting
from the words of this book.
(2) Result: God will take away such a one's
part from the book of life; from the holy city; and from the
things written in this book
(3) Eve subtracted from God's word--cf. Gen.
3:3
(C) Newell's statement (367; italics are his.) is good: "Let
anyone who considers detracting from the
meaning of the words of the Revelation,
or refusing to believe that these things written therein will
literally come to pass, and that shortly, reflect
carefully upon the words, 'God will add unto him the
plagues which are written in this book; God shall
take away his part from the tree of life and out of the
holy city.' Fearful thought!"
(D) It is always a "fearful thought" to tamper with God's Holy
Word, something which various isms have
always done.
(1) Mormonism insists that the Bible is incomplete;
so they added the book of Mormon among others.
(2) Christian Science-which is neither scientific
nor Christian--insists that the Word of God is not
enough, but insist that Mary
Baker Eddy's Health and Science with a Key the Scriptures must be
added. (What about
the poor people who had only a Bible before she came along?)
(3) Jehovah's Witnesses are not satisfied with
the normal translations, but must make one of their own
which subtracts, changes,
and adds that which does not belong there. Also, they, too, put more
stress upon the need for
their literature in order to understand the Bible.
(4) The Roman Catholics added certain books to
the Old Testament in 1566, which books were never
before accepted by them ,
nor were these books ever accepted by the Hebrews.
(5) On and an one could go.
(E) This is not to say that one is tampering with the Scripture
when he endeavors to translate it correctly,
or to use textual criticism in arriving at the
correct text to be translated. (Great caution, however, needs
to be taken in such endeavors.)
(III)
The extent of this warning
(A) Primarily this warning refers to the entire book of
Revelation, as is evidenced by the last part of verse
19.
(B) Despite what many commentators say, this writer still affirms
that these two verses are applicable in a
secondary way to the entire Bible.
(1) The very fact that God saw fit to place these
words near the end of the Revelation, and by His
providence saw fit to place
the Book of Revelation last in our Bibles seems to this writer to be
proof that God intended
these words to apply to the whole of the Bible.
(2) Examples exist in Scripture of the
judgment upon those who attempted to mutilate the Word of
God, other than the Book
of Revelation--cf. Jeremiah 36.
(C) The warning extents to the very WORDS--plural, not
word, singular.
(1) This, of course, speaks of the
inspiration of the Bible.
(2) But it speaks more, namely, of the
VERBAL inspiration, i. e., to the use of the very
words.
i. The final
exhortation--vv. 20, 21
(I)
The return of the Lord
(A) The testifier
(1) Could be the angel as the messenger of
Jesus Christ--Christ says He sent the angel to testify these
things. (1:1)
(2) If in verse 18 the Speaker is the Lord
Jesus Christ, and this writer thinks it is, then there is no
reason why this Speaker
in verse 20 could not be the Lord Jesus Christ, particularly in view of
the
Apostle John's response.
(B) The certainty of the Lord's return
(1)"Surely," He says, "I" come quickly."
(2) "Amen," or "So be it Lord."
(C) The apostle's response
(1) This should be our response, too.
(2) "AMEN!"--This response is more than likely
that of the Apostle rather than of the Lord.
(3) "Even so, come, Lord Jesus"--Oh, that our
heart's prayer might continually be Amen. Even so
come, Lord Jesus.
(II)
The glorious benediction.
(A) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
(1) A marvelous way to end this book of
judgment with a reminder of God's grace
(2) What a fitting close to the whole Bible
(3) Salvation is all of grace--yea, the
grace of God; it is not of ourselves.
(B) That grace with you all
(1) The word be is not in the original
(it is italicized in the KJV), and consequently left out, or could be
is.
(2) The final words of Newell, 369 are most fitting:
"As you know, the Old Testament ends with the
word 'curse,' for it is the
warning given an earth whose future hangs upon that of Israel--upon
the
conversion of the remnant
and upon the receiving of the preaching of Elijah (evidently
one of the
two witnesses of Revelation
11), just before Christ should return. The law could make no absolute
promise, and so God's word
by Malachi ends, 'Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.'
"But now Christ has come
and put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And, although the
book of
the Revelation has had to
uncover the fearful rebellion of the earth, and the necessary and
dire
judgments of God; yet
upon these who have believed, to His saints, the benediction of divine
favor
rests. Just as Christ
lifted up His hands and blessed them over against Bethany, at His ascension,
so
all His saints are now--under
His pierced, uplifted hands of blessing. Amen!"