From Revelation 21:1 through Revelation 22:5, God shows us the zenith of our future; the new Jerusalem. In Revelation 22:6-21, He now takes us back to our present time and says, "In the light of all that I have shown you (the entire book), here is what you need to do." He has given us spiritual disclosure; He will now give us divine exhortation. Let's prepare our hearts for His words.
God of the heaven and the earth, dearest Father, please speak to us in this final chapter of your word. Both in the book of Revelation and in the Bible itself. You sent your angel to show your bond-servants the things which will quickly take place. Please open our ears to hear You. Open our minds to understand what You are saying to us. Open our eyes to see You. Cause us to bow our hearts and our knees to Your will and Your Word. You are faithful and true; so are Your words. Please keep us faithful and true to You and Your Word.
And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. Revelation 22:6
We are about to read John's “epilogue”. He will frame the entire book by repeating many elements found in his prologue at the beginning of the book.
The same angel is still speaking to John; he states again what he has said in Revelation 21:5. The words that John has heard in the vision, the things which must soon take place, are faithful and true. In this case, it would seem the angel refers to the entire book of Revelation, everything that John has written.
Note the similarity between Revelation 1:1 and Revelation 22:6. Both passages tell us the same thing verbatim.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him (A) to show to His bond-servants, (B) the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Revelation 1:1
And he said to me, "These words are faithful and true"; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel (A) to show to His bond-servants (B) the things which must soon take place." Revelation 22:6
(A) Why is God writing the book of Revelation? He wants His bond-servants to see something.
(B) What does God want to show them? The things which must soon take place.
I'll follow suit and repeat something I told you in the beginning. God did not give us Revelation to confuse us, or intimidate us, provide us with something to guess about or debate over. God gave us the book of Revelation so that we would know! God is showing us!
Why does God want to make sure we know the things that will take place quickly? Hope? Warning?
One thing that comes to mind is that God is graciously giving us hope. You've seen what's coming soon; it's horrific. Nobody knows for sure when the church will be taken from this earth. We all want to believe that we can, but we can't; God has not made that clear to us. There is a high probability we will be out of here by the middle of Daniel's 70th week when the antichrist reveals himself, but there is no certainty. The Bible simply does not say, and anyone who tells you they know for sure is going beyond what God has spoken.
Even though we hope to be out of here for the 3 1/2 years of the great tribulation (at least), Matthew 24 tells us there will be birth pangs long before then. Ask any woman who has given birth—birth pangs can be dire! God never promised that the church would be out of here before the suffering started.
But… if we know Revelation, we know that our God wins! And we know that we can persevere until death if need be. We know that we will overcome the world. We can be confident that God will keep us. We can understand that every single person ever created will know that God loves His bond-servants.
In the end, it will be more than alright! We have that hope, and we have it now!
We can have security, peace, contentment, and even excitement, waiting for these things to happen because they are going to show how grand and glorious our God is! No matter what we have to go through, God will be glorified in the end, with His bond-servants right beside Him!
It will be when we shout along with myriads of saints, "Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation." Isaiah 25:9
The second thing that comes to mind is zealousness to warn the lost. How can the book of Revelation not ignite a passionate fire in you to tell people what will soon take place? What God has shown us just has to put a fervor in us for giving the testimony of Jesus to others!
If those who hear the truth don't repent and believe, they will personally experience the things in this book. Period. But how can they repent and believe if no one tells them? Your loved ones need you to forewarn them. The people God has put in your life need you to make them aware.
Will everyone be glad that you told them. No. The ones who choose to continue to defy their Creator will not respond well. You might lose friends for His Name's sake. You might even be persecuted.
Do you remember why John was a prisoner on the island of Patmos? Because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. The world will hate us, the Bible tells us so, but think about even one person who will respond to your message with belief and repentance—how can you stay silent any longer!
"And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." Revelation 22:7
Jesus, Himself, warns, exhorts, and assures everyone (depending on your relationship with Him) that He is coming quickly!
In Revelation 2:16, it was a grave warning to the church at Pergamum. Repent or else!
In Revelation 3:11, it was an exhortation to the church in Philadelphia to hold fast!
Revelation 22:7 is a promise of His return and an exhortation to heed the words of Revelation's prophecy!
Jesus will repeat His words two more times in our final chapter. In Revelation 22:12, it will be a promise, exhortation, and warning all rolled into one. Revelation 22:20 is an ultimate guarantee of His return!
In all five references, the same Greek word is used, "tachu," which means, soon, suddenly or quickly, without delay. The idea is twofold. First, Jesus Christ will come without delay. Second, when He comes, it will be sudden, and things will take place quickly, like the fast pace at which dominoes fall once the first one is tipped over. When He comes, there will be no more opportunity for anyone to repent and believe; their time will be up.
We see another repeated statement from the beginning of the book; this one, a promise. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near. Revelation 1:3
Our present verse says, "Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." The promise is clear! God will bless the one who pays attention to and obeys the words of Revelation!
Will He bless you? If you've stayed with me for this entire book, you have certainly paid attention to His words. The question now becomes, "Will you heed, keep, and obey His words?" I can urge, but ultimately it's up to you. I pray, you will.
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, "Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God." Revelation 22:8-9
John, the author, testifies he is a personal witness to what he has seen, heard, and written.
Because John is overwhelmed by what he hears and sees, he repeats his own previous mistake. He falls down at the angel's feet to worship him. He was more than overwhelmed; he was overcome; all the wonder got the better of him. The angel tells John to get a grip and get up off the ground. He is stern in his response to John's indiscretion and tells him to "Stop now!" The angel's reaction is in the imperative mood, which makes it a command.
The angel softens just a wee bit and reminds John of everyone's position in the matter. God is on top; He is above everyone and everything, and therefore, He alone is to be worshiped! "Prostrate yourself before God, not me!"
The hierarchy of God's kingdom is clarified once again as the angel reiterates that he is a fellow servant right alongside John, John's brethren the prophets, and those who heed the words of this book. Angels are fellow servants because they, too, heed the words of God. Angels serve God just like we do; they are not to be worshiped! (I won't go off on a tangent here, but please consider, and ask God to search your heart, if there is anything in your life that has taken over God's rightful position in your life.) Angels are an easy target; people seem drawn to them, but they are not to be worshiped in any way! Respected as a breathtaking creation of God, yes. Worshiped? No.
And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." Revelation 22:10-11
God expects His bond-servants to hear and heed the words of this book's prophecy, so His angel orders John to not seal up the words he has written. He is to make sure it is available for the churches to read and heed.
Why? Because the time is near! The Greek word for time is "kairos" and means season or occasion. The Greek word for near is "eggus" and means near. Hmmm… That doesn't shed any light, does it? But if we dig a little deeper, we find that it comes from the primary verb "agcho," closely related to the base of the word "agkos." This is where we hit pay dirt. This word means an arm, as curved or bent.
Reason with me. Say you have an apple in your hand, and your arm is extended away from you. Is the apple far or near to you? If you bend your elbow, what happens? The apple is brought near! Don't you love that God wrote the New Testament in koine Greek? It's the most definitive language ever known to mankind. God wants us to understand and know exactly what He is saying to us! In this case, He is informing us that the timing for these things is not far away; He has brought it near!
Reminder alert! John was told to seal up a portion of what he saw. Do you remember what it was?
I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them." Revelation 10:1-4
We are not allowed to know the things which the seven peals of thunder spoke; John was not allowed to write them. We can be sure we do not need to know what they said, or God would have told us. When we need to know, He will unseal their messages. Everything else in Revelation is meant for us to understand.
On to verse 11...
The immediate context of verse 11 is verse 10. The words of the prophecy of Revelation are unsealed, open for all to read, hear, and heed; plus, it is our responsibility to share what we have read and understood with others and urge them to heed God's words.
What are the words? What is the prophecy? The wrath of God. The final judgments and wrath of God will be on all ungodliness and all unrighteousness. They are being revealed even now.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… Romans 1:18
When you share the prophecy of Revelation with an unbeliever, one of two things will happen. Either the person will repent before God, or he will reject the truth. Those who reject God are unrighteous and filthy and will continue to perform deeds that are unrighteous, wrong, harmful, and vile. God tells them to keep on doing what they are doing; in the end, He will judge them according to their deeds. They will have no excuse.
When you share the prophecy of Revelation with a believer, the command is to continue practicing righteousness and keeping himself holy. A good incentive for all believers to remember—we can hang on, remain steadfast, no matter what we have to endure.
The rapture isn't in Revelation. There is every probability that we will be out of here before the last 3 1/2 years (great tribulation), but there is also the possibility that we won't. Even if we are out of here before the final 3 1/2 years, the birth pangs will begin well before Daniel's 70th week even begins, and birth pangs are agonizing. No matter what part of these tribulations or judgments you have to endure, the righteous person will still practice righteousness.
"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Revelation 22:12
Besides knowing that they will be able to persevere whatever is coming, the righteous can also take comfort and hope in remembering that the Lamb is coming quickly! The suffering and sorrow of this earth will soon be over, once and for all, and they will be with Him forever and ever!
Think about John's immediate audience; they were under the rule of Rome at that time. Christianity was unlawful. They were imprisoned, tortured, and martyred for their faith. Can you imagine how wonderful it was to hear that their Savior was coming quickly! Hallelujahs to the True King!!!
The earth has never experienced what is about to come. God says that we cannot even compare it to anything that has ever happened before (and that includes the Holocaust!) His bond-servants need to know that He's coming quickly!
A great apostasy, a turning away from the true faith, a rebellion against God is foretold in 2 Thessalonians. The great apostasy will take place inside the visible church; it does not refer to the rest of society. The apostasy will come before the day of the Lord, and it's beginnings are evident today. If you know the Word of God, then you know most of the visible church is already an apostate church.
Most churches no longer teach and preach the Word of God; instead, they seek to enlarge their memberships and entertain those who are drawn in to procure and maintain their own numbers. The seeker-friendly church, the attractional church, the do-over church, the emergent church, the new-age church, the business church, the political church, the social justice church, the mega-church, (I could go on), are all modern-day movements. Movements in which churches end up building their own kingdoms rather than building up the body of Christ to send true believers out into the world to witness to the Word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. Many have no use for the Bible in its entirety or purity; after all, God's word divides.
The visible church is ashamed of God's wrath and disapproving of His ways.
The wrath of God? "No way would a loving God be wrathful! My God is love!" Their mantra is, "God is love," so all of His embarrassing attributes must be erased. The Bible must be cleansed and purged from its intolerant, distasteful ways. (Before I go on, let me tell you something; true believers can, and should, delight in the wrath of God!)
Fire and brimstone? "Not a chance! Don't ever, ever use that phrase! You'll scare people away!" The truth is that God uses the promise of that horrific future destination to frighten unbelievers into running to Him!
I heard a pastor recently say, "That sort of gospel just doesn't work today.” Oh, really? Have you informed God that He is behind the times; that He better shake a leg and get with the program? Maybe you should let Him know Him that He needs to update His Bible; after all, it's so dreadfully outdated. Oh, wait, most of "Christendom" is already doing that for Him.
Oh, how my heart hurts…
The unregenerate human heart shouts, "We know better how to rule over this world. After all, we are humans, who is God that He thinks He can tell us what to do? Does He think He owns us? We are the owners of our lives, not Him! Our ways are better than His! We do not need Him!"
Far too many "pew people" don't know the Word of God; they don't honor and revere God's Word; in fact, they don't even want it when it is offered. They prefer a watered-down word, a leaven-filled word, corrupted, and so much easier on the palate. They prefer man's "truth" to God's Truth. They love short little "Bible studies," which nourish their souls as much as sugar nourishes our physical bodies. But it all makes them feel better about themselves, and they are surrounded by others who do the same, so all seems well. But it isn't.
In fact, (and this is so heart-breaking) most so-called Christians do not know how to study their Bibles and have no desire to learn! Their ears are thoroughly tickled, and they are entirely comfortable in their lukewarm state. Think back to Revelation 2-3, the letters to the churches; only one of the seven received anything but a rebuke from the Lord! Do we really believe things are better in our present-day churches? The Bible tells us otherwise.
False believers, false teachers, false preachers, false prophets, and false leaders run amok inside the Christian community. And most pew people couldn't care less.
Yes, the rebellion, the apostasy, will come from inside the church, from the pulpits and the pews. The heresy can already be heard, but the volume will increase in intensity until the Remnant, the bearers of truth, will scarcely be heard. Even today, the voice of the Remnant is diminished. False leaders are trying to silence the truth through muzzles and gag orders. But God is in control, and He will strengthen the Remnant, right up until He comes!
The great apostasy has barely begun; it's going to get much, much worse. To speak the Word of God, to keep the commandment of God, to declare the testimony of Jesus will bring about increasingly severe and deadly consequences. God has told us the truth, so, yes, it more than helps to know He is coming quickly!
Let's consider the rest of verse 11.
When the Lamb finally comes (not the rapture, but His second coming.) He will have His reward with Him. The Greek word for reward is "misthos" and means wages, recompense, whether good or bad.
Think back to Revelation 19:11-21 when the Lamb comes. The nations were decimated, the beast and the false prophet were thrown alive into the lake of fire and brimstone. (Satan only received a portion of his recompense at that time. He was bound and thrown into the abyss for 1,000 years and will receive the rest of his "reward" shortly after his release.)
In contrast, the believers' rewards are given at Christ's judgment seat (See Revelation 20:11-15.) Their prize here, in Revelation 22:12, is not salvation; salvation is already procured for them; instead, their rewards are based on their deeds in the body (from the time they entered the body of Christ) and dealt with rewards and lack of them.
The Lamb has been identified by the three following titles, but never all at once like we find here. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Although they all point to the same meaning, by using all three titles, He tremendously intensifies His truth!
He is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; remember, Revelation is written in koine Greek. He is the first, and He is the final. God existed before the beginning! God exists in the present, no matter the era of history! And God will exist beyond the horizon of eternity future! This is our God!!! He is the beginning and the end. He started it all, and He will end it according to His good pleasure. All John has seen, heard, and experienced is of God. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and the Destroyer; all that exists is under His sovereign control. There is no other God before Him or after Him. There is no other God!
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. Revelation 22:14-15
What a contrast! Let's contemplate those who are allowed to enter the city before we consider the ones outside. The Greek word for wash is in the present tense; this means the action is linear, continual, or repeated. In other words, this particular "washing of robes" is not a one time finished act (as it was in Revelation 7:14.) Those who keep on washing their robes are blessed; they will have the right to the tree of life and enter the city through its glorious gates. Pretty sweet blessing in my book!
Warning! That whole "different groups" thing ahead!
Hmmm… Just who are these people who will have the right to the tree of life? It doesn't quite fit the church because she is the new Jerusalem and dwells there with her bridegroom. The city and all it contains are part of our inheritance, and that includes the tree.
Could it be the descendants of the sheep (from the judgment of the nations after the Lamb comes back in glory.) Who else will have the right to the tree of life? The leaves of the tree will be for the healing of the nations, who are the same group as the righteous descendants of the sheep, who live 1,000 years later. The kings bring the glory of the nations into the city through its gates. Perhaps the nations will come to town with their kings? Might it refer to some of the other groups, as well? No matter which groups are included, we once again see their deeds are unquestionably important!
Now, what about those outside the city? The Lamb gives us a list of those who end up in the lake of fire and brimstone, which is almost identical to the one He gave us in Revelation 21:8. The record in Revelation 22:8 includes the dogs, the sorcerers, the immoral persons, the murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. The main difference between the two lists is that the cowardly, unbelieving, and abominable are switched out for the dogs in the second.
Dogs are mentioned less than 40 times in the Bible. Nowhere are we given a specific definition, but it is always a negative portrayal. Dogs are portrayed as false pastors, treacherous enemies of believers, filthy, heathen, even male prostitutes. Dogs are not your ordinary, just doing their own thing, kind of unbelievers; these dogs energetically labor against God's kingdom. Obviously, their names were never written in the book of life!
We are also given more information on the liars. Here, the verse says, "everyone who loves and practices lying." It uses the present tense, which shows us these people lie as a way of life. According to Romans 3:4, 9-18, all people are liars. The good news is that those in Christ no longer sin as a way of life, including lying. Romans 6:1-11. If we have been born of God, we cannot practice sin. 1 John 3:9. Praise be to God, who has set us free from sin!
Where are these liars and dogs and the rest? They are outside the city.
Isaiah tells us that we will see the lake of fire outside the city. Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind. Isaiah 66:24
However, gruesome this thought is now, once we are with Him and see His holiness in all of His blazing purity, we will praise our God for His perfect justice and righteousness regarding their fate, and His grace and mercy in saving us from that same destination.
I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. Revelation 22:16
Was Revelation written just for John and the seven churches in Asia Minor? No. It was written for the churches in every age, every single assembly of believers, no matter how small, no matter how large, no matter when, and no matter where. The book of Revelation concerns the bride of Christ! Believers would do well to give it their full attention!
Jesus, Himself, sent His angel to testify to John the very things John wrote down for us. This is now the third time we have seen this phrase. The first time, John used it as his opening line in the book. The second time, the angel spoke to John. Who is it this time? It is Jesus, Himself. He is putting His seal on the veracity of the angel's words; He confirms that what John has seen and heard is accurate and true! It is straight from Jesus, Himself!
The word "you" is plural. It shows the angel is speaking to John as a representative of the whole, the bride of Christ.
What are "these things"? The things which must soon take place, the words contained in the book with seven seals which only the Lamb could open, the seals, trumpets, and bowls, the judgments, and the wrath of God!
Immediately, Jesus calls Himself the root and the descendant of David. Revelation 5:5 told us the Lion from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, had overcome, and He was worthy to open the book and its seven seals. But here, Jesus adds "the descendent of David."
In time, the root of a plant comes before the plant; and Jesus, indeed, came before David. Jesus is God; He has always existed; David has not. Jesus existed before David. However, chronologically, descendants come after their ancestors; yet, Jesus was born after David. Jesus' earthly genealogy proved He was of the kingly line of David, and therefore, was the rightful heir to the throne. Jesus was 100% God and 100% a man, both the Root of David and his descendent.
Jesus also called Himself the bright morning star; this being the only time this exact phrase is used to describe Him. The Greek word for "morning star" is "aster" meaning a star, a luminous body like a star, or a luminary. Notice that the two English words "morning star" are only one word in Greek. The Greek word for bright is "lampros" and means radiant, limpid, magnificent, or sumptuous in appearance. The brightness of the morning star is dazzling, crystalline, and resplendent brilliancy! Without question, when the Lord Jesus returns, it will be to replace the long night of darkness over this world; His brilliant, blazing light issuing forth a new, never-ending day!
The Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let the one who hears say, "Come." And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost. Revelation 22:17
In response to Jesus' proclamation, both the Holy Spirit and the bride of Christ say, "Come." They entreat Him to come; in unison, they embrace and welcome the promise of His arrival. Both the Holy Spirit and the bride are delighted that the Lord Jesus will soon be seen in His intensely bright and unabridged glory! They also eagerly await the fulfillment of God's wrath on those who refuse to obey God and His spectacular promises for those who do!
Just a reminder.. this is not the Spirit and the bride calling for the rapture to happen; this is a supplication for Christ's second coming (two different events).
The one who hears the Spirit and the bride is commanded to join them in their appeal. The Greek word for hear is "alkouo" and means to heed and to obey. Biblical hearing is more than just hearing usual daily sounds and words with your external ears; it means to listen with your heart and mind, believing and obeying what you have heard. Real spiritual hearing is belief and obedience.
According to this Scripture, whoever believes and obeys the truth about Jesus will be saved and immediately informed of his duty. His duty? He will join the Spirit, and the rest of the bride is saying, "Come, Lord Jesus." He is required to hasten the Lord Jesus's appearance by doing what this book prescribes: testify to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ! We, personally, are to proclaim the gospel to those around us. In doing so, others will hear (biblically) and enter the body of Christ, which must be complete before His second coming.
Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 2 Peter 3:11-13
The first two "comes" in Revelation 22:17 are referring to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The next sentence uses the word "come" once again. Jesus will return to earth, but the thirsty one is commanded to come to Jesus for salvation.
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’" John 7:37-38
Those who are thirsty are the ones whom God is drawing to Himself. You will probably say, "come" to an awful lot of people who have no intention of coming, but the thirsty one, the one whom God is drawing, is the only one who will come. Our job is to preach the gospel to those whom God puts in our lives.
No one seeks after God in and of themselves; no one. THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD. Romans 3:11
The ones who do seek after God are the ones who God is drawing to Himself. No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day. John 6:44
How will they realize they are thirsty? The individual members of the bride of Christ will testify to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus; they will give the true gospel! When it pleases God, those who are thirsty will take the water of life; they will drink—and continue to drink.
This is not referring to the river in the new Jerusalem. It is speaking about our present-day world, to people who need to be saved right now. And we are the ones who are to show them what the word of God and the testimony of Jesus says; we are to sit knee to knee and teach them from the Bible what God has written.
How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, "HOW BEAUTIFUL ARE THE FEET OF THOSE WHO BRING GOOD NEWS OF GOOD THINGS!" Romans 10:14-15
Interestingly, the water of life is offered as a free gift; we cannot buy or earn salvation, yet much is required. The water of life is given without cost, and yet it costs everything to receive! To receive His life, you must give up your own.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Galatians 2:20
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Galatians 5:24
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18-19
The message in these two verses is severe and unforgiving. It is given to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book.
The beginning of Revelation, as well as earlier in this very chapter, promises a blessing to the one who "heeds the words of the prophecy of this book." In contrast, the end of Revelation promises a curse to everyone who adds or subtracts from those words.
If anyone adds to the words of the prophecy of this book, God will add to him! God will send the very plagues of Revelation on him. The Greek word for adds is "eptithemi" and means to impose or inflict. Can this person be a believer? No.
If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away from him! God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city. The Greek word for "takes away" is "aphaireo" and means to seize, take away, or cut off. Can this person be part of the bride of Christ? No. The bride will inherit all she has been promised. Could this person be part of the nations? Absolutely!
The point is not who these people might be; on the contrary, the point is just how sacred the words of God are and how zealously He watches over them!
Revelation 22:18-19 does not refer to those who tremble at His word and yet sometimes make a mistake; instead, it is aimed at those who purposely distort God's message.
It is with caution and deep respect for God and His word that I am taking you through Revelation. My desire is to be as accurate as possible. I've studied diligently for decades, but I am fallible. If I have made a mistake, I ask God to point it out to you (and me, as well) and lead us both to the truth!
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20
Who is speaking in verse 20? It is the Lord Jesus, and He again testifies to what John has written; He bears witness that the book of Revelation is true! If you ever start to doubt, stop, because Jesus, Himself, tells us to believe!
The Greek word for yes is "nai" and means a strong affirmation. Jesus is declaring, "Yes! It is true and certain that I am coming quickly!"
John responds, along with all believers through the ages, "Amen! He is, indeed, coming quickly! It is trustworthy that He is coming quickly! Amen!"
John replies further with the now familiar and comforting truth, "Come, Lord Jesus!" The incessant heartbeat of the bride of Christ says, "Come, Lord Jesus!"
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. Revelation 22:21
Reminding us that the book of Revelation is an epistle, a letter which was written to the church, John formally finishes with a complimentary close. He desires that the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all; those who read the book, the true church, the overcomers, the bond-servants, and the bride of Christ are all true believers.
The grace of the Lord Jesus—the favor and unconditional kindness of God, the power, and the enablement to do all that He requires of us. May His grace be with you. Amen.