Revelation 22:6 21 Living in the Light of Jesus Return.

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1 Revelation 22:6 21 Living in the Light of Jesus Return. Copyright(c) 2014, John W. IJack) Carter. All rights reserved. As we study the Revelation of John, we find the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ presented in a different way than we see in the first four books of the New Testament that we generally refer to as the gospels. John presents his gospel as a sequence of seven signs. John also presents the Revelation as a sequence of seven signs. Though the basic message is the same, the delivery method is quite different. The literary genre of the Revelation is apocalyptic, yet it still presents the basic gospel message of God s call to faith and His purpose of forgiveness, restoration, and eternal reward. John wrote the gospel to share the message of grace that through it people would be saved. John wrote the Revelation to share the message of grace that through it Christians would be encouraged. Yet it is still the old, old, story, simply told in a different way for a different purpose. Christians need encouragement and confidence when faced with the pressures and distractions of this evil world. John wrote to Christians who desperately needed good news, and the Revelation of John is full of it. God has prepared a plan of forgiveness and salvation for all who will accept Jesus Christ as Lord. (Ch. 1-3). The faithful will be rewarded for their suffering (Ch. 4-7). The wicked will be punished for their disobedience (Ch. 8-11). Jesus has already won the victory over Satan. (Ch 12-18). Jesus will come back to take the faithful to Glory. (Ch. 19). The wicked will be condemned by God for their apostasy. (Ch. 20). God has prepared an eternal heaven for the faithful. (Ch. 21).

2 God has saved us from ourselves and provided for us an eternal home with him. How should we respond to this gift? What kind of life should we be living when we have the knowledge of God's grace? Should we continue to live our lives like nothing has changed? The conclusion of the Revelation of John provides us some answers to these questions. Is there a correlation between belief and action? Can we believe one thing and act another? Some have placed their faith in Jesus, but act so much like those who do not, they cannot be easily identified as Christians. Others claim to be Christians yet have never actually placed their faith and trust in Jesus. Thinking that they are saved, these have learned to act like a Christian, and by doing so are active and influential in the church. Where do we find spiritual consistency and integrity in our lives? The conclusion of the Revelation includes some imperatives that give us guidance in this area. Revelation 22:6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. What did God send his angel to John to do? God knew the need of the faithful first-century church, as well as the need of the church in general. Human nature is weak, and because of it our faith is not always strong, particularly when we do not seem to see God at work around us. The first-century Christians had been facing long-term persecution, and had no idea of what the future would hold. So, God sent an angel to John to deliver a message of encouragement to the church, a message that shared much of what God's plan would be for them and for those who were persecuting them. It is not that unusual for God to step into the lives of the faithful to give them something they need. Some notable examples include His

3 appearing to Moses, speaking to Abraham, sending angels to Abraham, Gideon, Jacob, the Shepherds, and ultimately sending His Son. God has been actively meeting the needs of His people throughout history. One way of stating this may be that God always meets us at our point of need. What should we do when we have needs? Several scriptures remind us to bring our needs to the Lord in prayer. Ephesians 6:18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; When we pray for our needs, we are submitting our requests to the LORD, and we are watching for His purpose and provision, listening to the Holy Spirit as we join with Him in receiving that provision. Prayer promotes submission and trust, and serves to maintain a close relationship with God. The message from the angel to the church, given through John, serves to strengthen their resolve to depend upon the LORD during this time of difficulty and look forward to the day when God s purpose will be completed. Revelation 22:7. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Here is the personal testimony of Christ, apparently still relayed by the angel. Christ has two important messages here. (1) He is coming soon. What does this mean for us? If you knew for certain that Jesus was coming back, ending the age in 7 days, what would you do differently than you are doing now? How would this affect your concern for the lost people around you? Consider this illustration: you are vacationing at some beautiful place where you see an individual with a camera attempting to capture the

4 beautiful scenery. He is stepping backwards to get a broader field of view, not realizing he is about to step off a very high cliff. What would you do? Most likely you would warn him of the danger. Yet, all those who are safe in the fold of Christ are witnessing those around them making the exact error. They are walking blindly into the abyss prepared for Satan, the beast, the antichrist, and all who followed them. A true realization of the plight of the lost can lead us to look more actively for opportunities to keep some from stepping off of the cliff.-+ (2) Jesus states a promise of blessing for the faithful, those who remain obedient to God's Word. How do the faithful demonstrate obedience? As Christians we are not called to sit on our security, but rather are called to stand confidently in our faith and allow the fruit of the spirit to manifest itself in good works that through them God would be glorified, and people would be saved. Revelation 22:8-9. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things. 9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. John herein repeats his response to the angel that was previously recorded in Revelation 19:10. John was so overwhelmed with humility and with the gravity of this situation that he proceeded to fall, likely to his knees, and worship the angel, the one who brought the message to him. The angel reminds John that he is one with all of those brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus, and that John should worship God only. Only God as revealed through the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is worthy of our worship.

5 Who or what do people worship today, other than the LORD, Jesus Christ? We are observing idol worship when people place a practical priority and authority on created things that is greater than that which is given to God. An idol can be something that we, as Christians, give service to instead of giving service to the Lord. In loving things of this creation more than we love God, we might give time and resources to objects and amusements that can be better spent in prayer, worship, and the support of kingdom work. When we love things more than God, we might give our tithe to possessions: that big house, the fancy car(s), the big boat, or any number of other expensive personal items. We might be investing money and resources into something where God really intends for us to place it elsewhere. Sometimes we give so much authority to things that we come under bondage to them when God has intended that our lives be filled with joy. Finally, in a manner to John's temptation, people will sometimes demonstrate respect for others that are near to the point of worship, particularly when applied to dynamic and charismatic religious leaders. We are to worship God, and God alone. Jesus gave us fair warning: Matthew 6: Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. What are the things in your life that have diminished your faithful service to God? What are some things that need to be set aside so that you have more opportunity to express your faith? We are reminded here to be obedient to God's Word, to be prepared for His coming, and to keep God first in our lives.

6 Revelation 22:10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. The Revelation of John is not to be sealed, or kept until the time of the fulfillment of its prophecy. 1 We again find words of encouragement to the faithful that they would strengthen and maintain their faith by the faithful reading and sharing of these words. That faith will be rewarded. It might be rather obvious to note that the prophecies of Revelation are probably the most sealed passages of biblical scripture. 2 As one of the most least-taught segments of the Bible, the Revelation is the least understood, and consequently, the sharing of these words is avoided by many. Satan works to influence us at our points of weakness, and this may be one of them. By convincing us that this book is too confusing to understand, we leave it closed. Some actually argue that God does not intend for us to understand this book, so there is no real justification for concentrating on it. Nothing could be further from the truth, and it is just one more of Satan's lies that some in the church have accepted. We can unseal the book by spending time with it, by reading and studying it, and investing the energy necessary to learn and understand the meaning of the imagery. The faithful are commanded by Christ to read and share this prophecy with others. Jesus is coming soon, and the Christian community is God's chosen people to bring a lost world unto Himself. Israel initially failed at this mission, becoming a spiritually introverted nation, rejecting others and keeping their God for themselves, a God whom they ultimately rejected as a nation. Certainly, the Christian community has, as a whole, 1 Daniel 12:4; Isaiah 8: The aversion to the teaching of apocalyptic passages by many Bible teachers and preachers also cause those writings of Daniel and Ezekiel that share the genre to be likewise shunned.

7 placed significant energy and resources into evangelism and missions, and many have been saved through that work. However, the number of those saved from the lake of fire would dramatically increase if all Christians took seriously their calling as priests, as God has called all faithful believers as missionaries to a lost world. God has empowered the church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, for that purpose. It is only the influence that we allow Satan to have in our lives that limits our effectiveness in the Kingdom. Revelation 22:11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. This is one of those verses that can be easily misunderstood if taken out of context. Some would use this passage, and some others that are similar to it, to teach a doctrine of fatality: the decision of all people has already been determined, so there is no need to work to spread the gospel. However, to maintain such a position requires us to rationalize away every other scripture that teach that obedience is found in the sharing of the gospel with others. The mandate that Jesus gave the apostles prior to His ascension, 3 and the work of the leaders of the early church demonstrate the voracity of the task of evangelism. Certainly we know that the faithful are called to win the lost, to go to those who are heading in the wrong direction and show them the better way. 4 How do we resolve this seeming conflict in the words of this passage? To do so, we can refer to the original Greek text that uses a form of irony that is parallel to Daniel 12:10. 3 Matthew 28:19; Acts 1: Corinthians 12:31.

8 Daniel 12:10. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. There will come a time when it will be too late for a decision for Christ to be made. Several chapters of the prophecy describe this period of tribulation when God continually gives opportunity for repentance, but no evidence of repentance is recorded of those who stand firm in their rebellion. Finally, after the end of this time, after the work of the "four horsemen" is dispensed and the end of the age is at hand, the final judgment takes place. Once the dead find themselves before the LORD in judgment, there is no opportunity for repentance, and that moment comes for all of us upon our death. That time has not yet come for all who are still alive today. How much longer will God strive with man? 5 How much more time do the faithful have to be used of God in the task of bringing more of the lost to salvation? The writer of Genesis 6:3 reminds us that waiting is a dangerous game, as those around us whom we love die without ever hearing the words of truth presented to them in a way that they will positively respond. Revelation 22:12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. What encouraging words! Jesus is coming soon. His reward, promised to all the faithful, is coming with Him. 6 The promised reward is an eternity spent with God in the heaven that He has just described, a reward that is given to all those who have done what God has commanded: placed their faith and trust in Him. However, since this statement does 5 Genesis 6:3. 6 Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 62:11.

9 clearly refer to "every man," those who have rejected the Lordship of Christ will also be rewarded according to their work. The entirety of the message of the Revelation is clear: those who have rejected God in this life will be rejected by Him in the next. That is their reward. Revelation 22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Repeating the LORD's self-description of omnitemporality, and in light of all that the persecuted church has experienced, Jesus is still the beginning and the end, 7 all things started with Him in authority and all things will end with Him in authority. This, again, bears out the eternality of Jesus Christ, the preexistence of Christ as seen in John, chapter 1. 8 Christ the Son also had primacy in creation. 9 "As the first and the last, before and after creation, Jesus was the agent of creation." 10 Revelation 22:14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.. Blessed are the righteous (those who have washed their robes) that they will have the right to enter the city and partake from the eternal tree of life. 11 Those who are persecuting them will never enter that city. The faithful will be forever protected from Satan, his demons, and the people he has misled, by the walls of the city (the testimony of their faith) and the guards at the gates (God's eternal presence) that separate the evil from God for eternity. 7 Isaiah 44:6. 8 John 1: Colossians 1:15-20; John 1:3. 10 James E. Carter. "Alpha and Omega." Biblical Illustrator, 18(3), (Spring 1992): Genesis 2:9; 3:22-24.

10 Revelation 22:14. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Who is left outside the walls? Since the walls are symbolic of the power of faith, left outside are those who have focused their lives on the practice of sin: a life that is characterized by faithlessness by the practice of magic, sexual immorality, murder, idolatry, etc. 12 It is interesting that those outside of the faith are referred to as "loving and practicing falsehood." Christians are sometimes guilty taking part in some of those sinful behaviors that are recorded here. Virtually every imaginable sin has been committed and is being committed by Christians. However, such behavior is not the life that God has called Christians to. Christians are called to run from temptation 13 certainly not to embrace it. How do people of faith justify sin in their lives? Some Christians dabble in the occult through horoscopes, Ouija boards, goth, and other such tools. Christians practice infidelity in their marriages, and commit idolatry by putting things before God. How do we rationalize those sins away? Certainly, the Christian is secure in their salvation, yet God has called Christians to live a different life than those who are lost. What is that difference? As stated earlier, Christians are to be characterized by the manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit, 14 not the fruit of sin. Their faith in the LORD is to be sincere, and sincere faith leads one to seek to live a life of obedience, and in so doing, losing the desire to walk apart from the teachings of the Word of God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 12 Deuteronomy 23: Thessalonians 5: Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 5:9.

11 Revelation 22:16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Much of the LORD s repeated testimony in the Revelation is shared within the metaphor and imagery of the apocalyptic style. However, at this point Jesus refers to Himself plainly, without any symbolism, without any metaphor, and without any need for exegeted interpretation. Here Jesus states that He is the One Source for all that John has seen and heard in this Revelation. Furthermore, by recalling well-known Messianic titles Jesus stakes His rightful claim to be the Messiah that was prophesied in the Old Testament. The Revelation did not come from angels. The Revelation came from Jesus, Himself and was given to the church: a community that includes not only the seven that are addressed in its introduction, but also all those who would be part of the church until the end of the age that they might receive its words of guidance and encouragement as it perseveres in a world wherein it seems to find only conflict. 15 Revelation 22:17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Who is the Bride? The Bride is the community of the saints, the church that is made up of all of those who have placed their faith and trust in God throughout the ages from the days of Adam to the end of the age. 15 There has been some discussion concerning the intended audience of the Revelation based upon the Greek grammar that is rendered "unto you" and "the churches" in this passage, holding that they refer to different constituents. The most common interpretation is that John is writing the letter to the churches, that is, to all members of all churches who will read these words. A second opinion that is shared by many is that this statement defines the audience to be a "prophetic circle" that is tasked with taking the Revelation to the churches. See: David E. Aune. "The prophetic circle of John of Patmos and the exegesis of Revelation 22:16." Journal for the Study of the New Testament, no 37, (October 1989): 116.

12 It is this community that is called by Jesus to, under the power of the Holy Spirit, "come." The primary mission for the church is to be obedient to the LORD and by so doing invite others to receive the free gift of eternal life. Consequently, this is also the mission for the local church, a community of people who share God s love with their neighbors. If a church is being used of the Lord to bring people to salvation, that church is going to grow in spiritual maturity and in numbers of participants in the Family of God. What can be said of a church that is not growing? What can be said of the thousands of churches that cannot indicate a single soul who has turned to the LORD in their recent memory? Even among the most evangelical Christian denominations, a large percentage of their churches have not witnessed the salvation of anyone from outside their existing families for years. Many of these churches are withering, and many are closing their doors as their membership has matured to the point that so many have died, there are too few others to carry on the work. The church was not called to be a social club for the saved, and yet for many churches that is all they can claim to be. As we consider our call to obedience let us always encourage one another to share the love of God with all we meet, to seek and win the lost, and bring into our church those who God gives us opportunity, regardless of race, economic background, or any other artificial wall that we set up to rationalize away our disobedience. Revelation 22: For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

13 It was customary to append such imperatives among early Jewish and Christian letter writers. 16 The fact that the words happen to come at the end of the Bible has led some to hold that the declaration for preservation intentionally applied to the whole Bible. This is not intrinsically so. Following a traditional prophetic formula, John is specifically referring to his presentation only, though the principle behind the imperative is valid for all inspired scripture. Several books of the NT were written after the Revelation, and the actual canon of the scripture was not assembled and settled until years after the last documents were written. There would have been no reason for any of the New Testament writers to ever consider that their writings would be included in the canon of recognized Holy Scripture. John the danger of both adding to and subtracting from this testimony of Christ. Practitioners of false doctrine have been by applying mathematics to the Revelation for years, as they have done with all scripture in their effort to defend their own agenda. False teachers add to the prophecy a list of works that must be accomplished to assure salvation. They also subtract from the Lordship and Deity of Christ and replace it with their own authority, or the authority of others, including the organization of the church itself. They sometimes seek to divide the loyalties of their converts, taking them from their families and friends and require commitment to themselves rather than to Christ alone Deuteronomy 4:2, 12: "We can posit two social correlates to these words. On the one hand, they function in the situation of extended orality as a control on the reader to faithfully reproduce the words of the prophecy. They serve as limits on oral invention. On the other hand, as words read before the assembly they function to increase the status and power of the reading. By guaranteeing the integrity of the presentation they increase the power of the oral message. The hearers are assured that they hear the "very word of John," so to speak." David L. Barr. "The Apocalypse of John as oral enactment." Interpretation, 40(3), (July 1986): 251.

14 After witnessing the perversion of the gospel by so many, it is quite reasonable that John would consider the likelihood that his letter to the churches would suffer a similar fate. Some who hold that the message of the Revelation is not consistent with the rest of the Biblical canon hold that John's motivation for this statement is meant to stifle any challenge to it. A similar idea is sometimes floated around members of the modern teaching profession who state, "if you are unsure of what you are teaching, just shout it louder." Consider the thesis by R.M. Royalty: "Deconstruction of this warning takes us deep into the way Revelation reads the Bible and into the social-rhetorical situation of the first audiences of the text. Revelation is written against a number of other Christian teachers, prophets, and members of the έκκλησίαι (churches) of Asia Minor, against the authorities of the Jewish synagogues, and against the Roman Empire. My thesis is that how Revelation reads from the scriptures and how it attempts to con(trol) its audience functions as part of this polemic against other Christian and Jewish leaders. As apocalyptic-prophetic script, it subversively reinscribes the Hebrew scriptures and circumscribes its audience for the purpose of ideological condemnation." 18 Though it is quite true that John's presentation is in direct conflict with many of the teachings of the leaders in the early church and Jewish communities, and with many of their interpretations of the Hebrew Bible sources that he uses, his purpose is to present Old Testament scripture in a proper context, one that is consistent with the intent of the authors, and within the context of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that he knows so well. Remembering that we are to understand and apply the Revelation as broad brush strokes of theological truth, it may not be the best hermeneutical approach to place this warning under the literary 18 Robert M. Royalty. "Don't touch this book!: Revelation 22:18-19 and the rhetoric of reading (in) the Apocalypse of John." Biblical Interpretation, 12(3), (2004): 283.

15 microscope, but rather to remember the primary purpose of the statement: John is defending his presentation as the very Word of God, revealed to him by Jesus Christ. Since it is Jesus who is the authority behind the words of the Revelation, one is bringing upon themselves the LORD's judgment for perverting it. Revelation 22: He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Testifying to Christ's promise to come quickly, John repeats "Marana tha," 19 meaning "our Lord come" or "our Lord has come." The word for you all is the same that Paul uses to refer to the faithful to whom he writes. The benediction is for the faithful. The book is for the faithful. 20 The Revelation of John is to be read by God's people. It is not to be hidden. We should not teach that its truths are beyond our understanding or the book should be left alone. The Revelation s gives clear and frequent internal testimony that this is not the case. What is the basic message of the Revelation? This season of persecution and evil will end. Those who persecute Christians and deny Christ will be condemned. Those who remain faithful will be eternally rewarded. This period of pain and evil will end in a permanent state, free from all evil and suffering Corinthians 16: See Revelation 1:3.

16 Christ is coming soon. These things which have been shown will happen. All people should be ready. We can live a life that is different from the world, one that points to the cross and can be used of God to bring others to Him. We do not need to fear the Revelation, but rather, with a little bit of knowledge of apocalyptic style and the meaning of a few symbols, the book can be an encouraging presentation of the gospel that further equips all faithful believers in the LORD in the task of Christian ministry. "Our task as a Church is to be God's temple, so filled with his presence that we expand and fill the earth with that glorious presence until God finally accomplishes this goal completely at the end of time! This is our common, unified mission. May we unify around this goal." 21 Let us not bind up the book, but rather let us celebrate its message; let us read it often enough to cause its words to become far more familiar, that it would inspire and motivate us to become more engaged in Kingdom work, and through that work we might be drawn yet closer to the LORD Jesus who is calling us home. 21 Gregory K. Beale. "Eden, the temple, and the church's mission in the new creation." Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 48(1), (March 2005): 31.