3-8-2020 The Very End of the Very End Revelation 22:6-21
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Revelation is an open, accessible book for the church
Every January, the forms begin coming in: W-9s, W-4s W-3s, W-2s, 941s, 1040s, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1099-MISC, 9922s, and so on. The letter-number combinations are enough to make an English major’s head explode. In our world of highly developed tax and law codes, the idea of trying to prepare our own tax returns or argue our own case in a court of law is laughable. We need experts to interpret the law, and we pay them very well to help us.
Some people treat Revelation like a book that only a select few could ever understand. But that is not how the book presents itself and its ending proves it.
Transition:
Throughout Revelation we have seen a strong connection between eschatology and ethics. Those who anticipate and long for Christ’s return are called to holy living. We see the very same emphasis in Jesus’s teachings in Matthew 24–25. Jesus repeatedly warns his disciples to “stay alert” in order to be ready for His return. He then explains that being prepared consists of doing what God has said to do: persevering (Matt. 24:13), preaching the gospel to all nations (Matt. 24:14), serving faithfully (Matt. 24:45–47), making good use of our abilities, gifts, and resources (Matt. 25:14–30), and caring for other believers (Matt. 25:31–46). The rest of the New Testament also stresses authentic spiritual living as the proper preparation for Christ’s return (e.g., Rom. 13:12; 1 Cor. 15:58; Col. 3:4–5; 1 Pet. 4:7; 2 Pet. 3:11; James 5:8; 1 John 3:2–3).
Three times Jesus reminds John and his readers that He is coming soon in our passage this morning. John may have recalled the words of the angels at Jesus’s ascension, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven”
Scripture Reading:
Revelation 22:6–21
6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his slaves the things which must take place in a short time.”
7 “And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 And I, John, am the one who heard and who saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed these things to me.
9 And he said to me, “Do not do that! I am your fellow slave, and of your brothers the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near!
11 The one who does evil, let him do evil still, and the defiled, let him be defiled still, and the righteous, let him practice righteousness still, and the holy, let him be holy still.”
12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what his deeds are!
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.
15 Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral people and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and who practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the one who hears, let him say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty, let him come. The one who wants, let him take the water of life freely.
18 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 written in this book.
19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and from the holy city that are written in this book.
20 The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.
The somewhat random organization of the conclusion results from the many things John is trying to accomplish in this closing section. There are various speakers here. There’s
John,
an angel,
Jesus,
the Spirit,
the bride, and
the hearers
There are parallels with the prologue in Ch. 1 vv. 1–8, and three central themes that reinforce the overall message of the book:
(1) the book is an authentic prophecy from God (22:6–8, 10, 16, 18–19),
(2) Jesus Christ’s return is imminent (22:6–7, 10, 12, 20), and
(3) those who obey the prophecy will be blessed (22:7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18–19).
The first section of this final epilogue (vv. 6–7) concludes the previous vision and introduces what follows by setting forth these three main themes. Next come the words of the angel (22:8–11) and the words of Christ (22:12–16), before the Holy Spirit affirms final assurance of Christ’s return, and the concluding benediction in the final verse.
Transition:
So let’s hear what these speakers have to say:
I. The Angel Speaks (vv.6-11)
I. The Angel Speaks (vv.6-11)
The imminent return of Christ as announced by this angel calls us to obedient holiness.
6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true, and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his slaves the things which must take place in a short time.”
7 “And behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.
As with the first beatitude in chapter 1:3, so this beatitude pronounces a blessing on those who obey the prophecy—God’s trustworthy and true words. Once again, since we are told to obey the prophecy, we should think of Revelation (a.k.a. “the prophecy written in this scroll”) primarily as proclamation rather than prediction. The book isn’t predicting when Christ will return so much as telling us how to live in light of the imminence of His certain return (cf. Rom. 13:11; 1 Pet. 4:7).
11 And do this because you know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed.
7 Now the end of all things draws near. Therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for your prayers.
This calls us to obedience.
Unlike Daniel, who is commanded at the end of his prophecy to “seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end” [[Dan. 12:4]]
But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the scroll until the time of the end; many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase.”
John’s readers are living in “the last days,” a time period that began with the first coming of Christ and extends to His second coming
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near!
The prophecy (a.k.a. the entire book of Revelation) must not be sealed since these words from God must be unveiled or revealed to everyone in order that they may be obeyed, hence the name “revelation” (apokalypsis in 1:1). The reason for the revelation is that “the time is near” (1:3).
In the last days, the return of Christ is always imminent, and the time of fulfillment has already begun with Christ. As one commentator says, “the prophecies sealed up by Daniel have begun to be fulfilled, continue to be fulfilled in the present, and will do so until their consummation in the future.”
The angel concludes with two commands for the unsaved and two for the saved:
The one who does evil, let him do evil still, and the defiled, let him be defiled still, and the righteous, let him practice righteousness still, and the holy, let him be holy still.”
They serve as a warning to “wicked” and “vile” (or “filthy”) people that a lifetime of habitual sin leads to certain judgment.
We being “The righteous” should focus on obeying the prophecy, rather than on trying to force the wicked to become godly.
Transition:
That’s the Angels’s words! now let’s hear from the Messiah:
II. The Christ Speaks (vv.12-16)
II. The Christ Speaks (vv.12-16)
The emphasis on a person’s actions extends to this final beatitude in verse 14.
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what his deeds are!
When the Lord returns he is going to reward the just and pour out His retribution on the unjust.
Illustration:
Christian writer and commentator Warren Wiersbe, tells about a town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon. The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea: "Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged." One day Jesus Christ will say to rebellious sinners, "During that long day of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your Judge."
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are the ones who wash their robes, so that their authority will be over the tree of life and they may enter into the city through the gates.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes"
Washing one’s robes, in contrast to defiling one’s garments, refers to persevering in faithfulness to Christ and refusing to compromise with the world, even in the face of, or better yet: especially in the face of tribulation. The faithful will be blessed with eternal life in the presence of God. In contrast, the wicked will not be allowed into the eternal city.
Jesus has offered up an obedience we could never duplicate. But we are called to walk in his steps just the same. In obedience, we prove love.
Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral people and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and who practices falsehood.
Wait! Were not all the wicked destroyed by now?? why say this???
Well, first off: we shouldn’t imagine the wicked literally living outside the gates of the heavenly city—they have all been destroyed. Rather, living outside the city or outside the camp signified living under God’s curse—being separated from the covenant community (e.g., Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:36; Heb. 13:12–13).
Second, John is transitioning to the now for the readers to drive home these points of application, such as in the next verse:
“I, Jesus, sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
In the last of the “I am” sayings , we are told more about how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Messianic prophecies.
Jesus is the Messiah from the line of David, the ideal ruler and protector of His people (cf. 5:5; 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Isa. 9:6–7; 11:1; Jer. 23:5–6; Matt. 1:1; Luke 1:32, 69).
He is also the “bright Morning Star,” another messianic fulfillment of Numbers 24:17:
I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star will go out from Jacob, and a scepter will rise from Israel; it will crush the foreheads of Moab and destroy all the children of Seth.
“A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.”
The star image also suggests that a new day dawns beginning with Jesus’s eternal reign, bringing an end to the long night of tribulation.
Transition:
We’ve heard from the Angel, we’ve heard from our Master’s words! now let’s hear from the Holy Spirit:
III. The Spirit Speaks (vv.17-20)
III. The Spirit Speaks (vv.17-20)
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the one who hears, let him say, “Come!” And the one who is thirsty, let him come. The one who wants, let him take the water of life freely.
It seems more natural in the immediate context to interpret all four imperatives here of verse 17 (“come” and “take”) as invitations to the hearers to respond positively to Christ, rather than as calls for Christ to return. Both the return of Christ and the mission of God are stressed throughout the book and in the conclusion. In fact, the two work together: in light of Christ’s imminent return we hear the urgent call to entrust one’s life to Christ. God offers grace to the very end.
18 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 written in this book.
19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and from the holy city that are written in this book.
The closing warning resembles Deuteronomy 4:2
You must not add to the word that I am commanding you, and you shall not take away from it in order to keep the commands of Yahweh your God that I am commanding you to observe.
also [[Deut. 12:32]]
All of the things that I am commanding you, you must diligently observe; you shall not add to it, and you shall not take away from it.”
And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and from the holy city that are written in this book.
This is not warning against debating alternative interpretations of the book but against a blatant, willful distortion of the book’s message. Since the Deuteronomy context addresses the threat of idolatrous false teaching, the warning in Revelation moves in the same direction by targeting the false teachers such as the Nicolaitans and the Jezebel group who are advocating compromise with the world in defiance of the prophetic message. As Osborne puts it, “it refers to someone who uses Revelation to restructure the Christian faith, like some of the cults.” The punishment for twisting and falsifying God’s word brings eternal consequences, since it would no longer be the Christian faith that was being embraced and promoted. They would suffer the fate of unbelievers described throughout the book. God will not be mocked or manipulated.
The one who testifies about these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!
The confession/prayer “Come, Lord Jesus” is the equivalent of the Aramaic Marana tha (“Our Lord, come”), and is used by Paul to close 1 Corinthians (1 Cor. 16:22). Jesus’s promise to return comforts faithful believers and warns compromising believers. The great Christian hope, or the “blessed hope” as Paul calls it (Titus 2:13), is the return of Christ—the final chapter in God’s great story.
William Barclay says: There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and to ruin men. The first said, "I will tell them that there is no God."
Satan said, "That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God."
The second said, "I will tell men that there is no hell."
Satan answered, "You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin."
The third said, "I will tell men that there is no hurry."
"Go," said Satan, "and you will ruin men by the thousands."
The most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time.
So What? (v.21)
So What? (v.21)
Revelation closes with a benediction typical of Paul’s letters, calling for grace to empower believers to persevere in faithfulness to Jesus.
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
The final word ‘Amen’ in the ESV & the NIV is not found in some manuscripts of Revelation and may be a scribal addition. If original, it would also be the last word in the New Testament and in the Bible, and stand like a divine punctuation mark underscoring the extraordinary revelation that precedes it.”
The three central themes of this final epilogue provide our teaching points.
1. This authentic prophecy from God is an open book and should be accessible to Christians today.
1. This authentic prophecy from God is an open book and should be accessible to Christians today.
It’s sad that the book of Revelation has been distorted and misrepresented to such a degree that many Christians today are either afraid of it or ignore it completely. Whether it’s a verse-by-verse study of the book or a more thematic approach, church leaders should consider teaching through this book so that the body of Christ can receive its message. Revelation deals with God, worship, the people of God, the Holy Spirit, spiritual warfare, God’s mission, perseverance, judgment, and most of all Jesus Christ and the new creation. Is there another book of the Christian canon that offers so much and is appropriated so little? Since God has commanded the book to remain open, we might as well listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
2. Revelation calls us to persevering obedience.
2. Revelation calls us to persevering obedience.
Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commands” [[John 14:15]]
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
There never has been and never will be an acceptable substitute for simple obedience to our Lord. Revelation does not call us to make a new eschatological chart or sponsor an apocalyptic conference or pen a series of end-times novels. These may, on occasion, be worthwhile spin-offs of the main thing. But our focus should be on obeying this prophecy (1:3; 22:7), and obedience usually does not come quickly or easily. When we understand Revelation in its historical and literary contexts, obedience will come more naturally. With its message in mind, we will see more clearly what is at stake in all our decisions.
3. We must never forget that the Messiah is coming back!
3. We must never forget that the Messiah is coming back!
Revelation is certainly about more than the return of Christ, but it is never about less than that. In this final paragraph, The Christ reminds His people that he hasn’t forgotten about them. This world is broken and can be fixed, and will be fixed only by Christ’s final intervention. While crying out “Come, Lord Jesus” could foster an escapist mind-set, it doesn’t necessarily have to. Living in anticipation of His return should motivate us to become intensely involved in God’s mission for us now in this world. Crying out for Christ’s return is also crying with the Spirit for people to “come” and experience the free gift of life while there is still time.
So What?
So What?
In Conclusion:
Jesus Christ’s return is imminent.
I cannot allow this book and the message this morning to pass without pleading with any who hear and who have not prepared for what is certain. Look to Christ Jesus the Master and be saved. God offers forgiveness of sin to all who come to Him in Faith. The Word of God is quite clear:
9 that if you confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses, resulting in salvation.
Believe and be saved