Revelation 22:6-21 “Conclusion To Revelation”

 

 

THE TEXT:

 

Revelation 22:6-21 KJV

(6)  And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
(7)  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
(8)  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 shewed 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.
(10)  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
(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.
(12)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
(13)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
(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.
(15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
(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.
(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.
(18)  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.
(20)  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.

 

THE INTRODUCTION:

In Revelation 20: John’s attention was placed upon the first phase of the Christian’s eternity with Christ on the New Earth… the period of one thousand years, which has been set aside by the Lord for the judgment and reward of His people.  This was then followed by the event that closes the 1000 year time period, the judgment of Satan and his kingdom (including lost mankind) for their sins and their consignment to the Lake of Fire.

Now, in Revelation 21:-22:, John begins to share with us a wonderful description of new Jerusalem, the eternal dwelling place of the people of God….

1. Rev 21:1-11 – New Jerusalem on the New Heavens and Earth
2. Rev 21:12-21 – The Walls and Gates of New Jerusalem
3. Rev 21:22-22:5 – New Jerusalem, the Glory of Eden restored
4. Rev 22:6-20 – The Conclusion to the Book of Revelation

 

 

THE EXPOSITORY STUDY:

 

The conclusion to the book of Revelation is also the conclusion to the entire Bible.  Please keep in mind, it is believed by most that the book of Revelation is the last book inspired by God and is also placed as the last book in the Biblical text.  Because of this, the conclusion found in the book of Revelation concludes not only the book itself, but also the entire body of inspired writings that God gave to mankind.

 

Revelation 22:6-21 KJV

(6)  And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

To conclude His message to John, the angel reminds John of the truthfulness of this revelation:

These sayings are….

1. faithful – trustworthy, not deceptive – These things have, are and will come to pass. John could count on it!
2. true – actual to fact – These things are based upon facts, not speculation nor lies.

The Master and Worshipped One of the prophets sent his angel to give this message of Revelation to His servants. Although it was given to John it was meant for all of God’s servants to read this message and learn and be encouraged from it.

One aspect of this message of Revelation was to reveal to God’s people “the things which must shortly come to pass”.  This message has revealed events that would take place from John’s day into eternity.

 

In this verse we find a very quick summary of the book that we have been looking at:

 

Revelation Principle	Quote From Text
The Origin Of Revelation	“Lord God of the Holy Prophets”
The Authority Behind Revelation	“Lord God of the Holy Prophets Sent”
The Messenger Of The Revelation	“His Angel”
The Commission Of The Revelation	“To Show”
The Beneficiary Of The Revelation	“His Servants”
The Message Of The Revelation	“The Things Which Must Shortly Come To Pass”

 

 

 

(7)  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

The angel now quotes Christ reminding John that His coming will be without delay.  As each of these events take place around us, they are meant to remind us that His coming draws nearer every day.  The swiftness of His coming is emphasized throughout the Bible:

1. Mark 13:36 – “suddenly”
2. Rom 13:12, Phil 4:5, 1 Pet 4:7 – “at hand’
3. Matt 24:27 – “as lightning”
4. Luke 18:8 – “speedily”
5. Rom 16:20, 1 Cor 7:29-31 – “shortly”
6. James 5:8 – “draweth nigh”

 

We are to look at each day as if He could come back at any moment and live our lives according to this belief…

Luke 12:42-43 KJV – “And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”

 

By “keeping” the sayings of Revelation, we are keeping our eyes on these truths, guarding them against loss.  This will cause us to remember His coming is close at hand and our need to serve Him NOW while the opportunity remains to do His will on earth.

How can the Lord say His coming is swift when it has been more than 2000 years since John received this vision?

1. 2 Ptr 3:8-10 – The Lord does not recognize time, nor live according to it as we do.
2. Hebrews 1:2 – We are living in the last days (anytime following Christ’s coming is the last day). The next great event will be His second coming… in that since it is very near us and can take place at any time.  Compared to the times of the Old Testament, truly He will come quickly … this is the next event to take place.

 

(8)  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 shewed 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. 

When John receives this vision, and is reminded of these truths, he is caught up in awe and reverence, and then, falls at the feet of the angel that is delivering this message to him.  The angel then replies to John “see thy do it not”.  The angel instructs John that he does not deserve John’s worship…. Why is this?

1. I am thy fellowservant – I am nothing greater than you are, we are both simply servants of the most high God.

2. I am of thy brethren the prophets – this angel was simply performing the same ministry as the spiritual brethren of John who had prophesied throughout the OT and NT (prior to the completion of the Bible). He was a brethren of the prophets as being another created being that had Jehovah as his Creator (Mal 2:10).  In that sense, the angel was a member of the same family as the prophets of old.

3. I am of those which keep the sayings of the book – This angel is simply another one who serves the Lord, learns from the Lord and remembers this message that God has given to His servants.

Therefore, worship God.  He alone is worthy of your reverence, praise and worship.  One of Satan’s greatest desires is to have anyone other than Jehovah receive the praise and worship of men.  In doing so, men are in actuality worshipping false gods, and in effect Satan, himself (Matt 4:9).   Angel worship was a problem in John’s day (Col 2:8), these were all issues that necessitated the angel to emphasize the need to worship Jehovah alone.  

 

(10)  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

John was not to seal up the prophecies of this book and share them with no one.  Now is the time to open up these prophesies and proclaim them for they were needed in John’s day until eternity.  The time of their fulfillment was in John’s day.  The time of these things coming to pass was at hand.

The book of Daniel and Revelation go hand in hand.  Daniel was to seal up His prophecies until “the time was the end”.  that time has now come with this vision being given to John (Dan 8:26, 12:4).  This is the time to open these prophecies and reveal their contents. 

 

(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.      

The end of this revelation has come.  It is now time to either reject its message or believe it and prepare for the second coming of Christ.

The phrase “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.”  is not saying that it is too late to be saved.

(We can clearly see in verse 17 that the time of salvation was still open to any that will come to Christ).  What it is saying is make up your mind now… do not put it off.  There is nothing more that will be said (the book of Revelation was the last book of the Bible that was given to man).  Man now has all the information from God that he is going to receive.  Now is the time to choose to remain in their lost condition or choose to be saved:

1. he that is “unjust” – wrong doers, sinful lifestyle and works
2. he that is “filthy” – dirty, unclean, sinful condition
3. he that is “righteous” – innocent, lawful, Godly works
4. he that is “holy” – separated from dirt, clean, righteous condition

“still” – to continue on, hereafter – if after hearing these words and a man chooses to remain in a sinful condition… nothing more can be said, nothing more will be revealed that will change his mind.  If the completion of God’s Word, at the completion of Revelation, isn’t enough to show him his need, nothing will.

Likewise with those who are saved, if he chooses righteousness based upon the completed Word, let him continue on in righteousness with righteous living.  Why nothing new will be revealed from God.  He can fully commit to Christ’s righteousness and righteous living because he now knows that Revelation brings all of God’s Word to completion nothing more will be said that would change his mind or reveal he has made a mistake in choosing Christ.

Ezekiel 3:27 KJV – “But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear: for they are a rebellious house.”

Daniel 12:10 KJV – “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.” 

 

(12)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.  (13)  I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

One last reminder to come to a decision quickly…. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

What are lost men waiting for?  There will be no further revelation from the Lord and He will come at any time.  When He comes every man must stand before Him and answer for the decisions they have made and works that they have performed.

Christ is the “Alpha” and the “Omega”, He is the “beginning” and the “ending” of all things, He is the “first” and the “last”.  He made us all and He will exercise His authority over us to the very end.  He created all things perfectly and can renovate them making them into a sinless creation once again.

He can do what He says in His completed Word… no need to doubt these things or think they will not come to pass.  Now is the time to decide what we will do.  No need to wait and see if these things take place in the future.

 

(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.  (15)  For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 

Why is it so important for mankind to come to a decision about these things?  Their eternal destiny is at stake…  For those who see their need to turn to Christ for salvation… they are blessed and made happy.

Why are they blessed and happy?

1. They are given a right to the tree of life (they will obtain eternal life)
2. They are given the right to enter the eternal city glorious city (they will enjoy the presence of Christ and eradication of sin and its results throughout eternity.

 

However, for those who choose to reject this message that has been given to them, they have only pain and sorrow awaiting them…

1. They are “without” (excluded from entrance to this city)
2. They are “without” (excluded from access to the tree of life).
3. They are looked upon as sinners by God, those who love deceit and creators of deceitful words and actions.

 

Sinful Condition	Rev 22:15	Prov 6:16-19
Morally Impure	Dogs	Wicked Imaginations
Spell Maker, Drugs	Sorcerers	Pride, Selfishness
Prostitution	Whoremongers	Evilness, Mischief
Murder	Murderers	Murderers
Worship of False Gods	Idolaters	False Witnesses
Lover of Untrue, Deceit	Loveth A Lie	Discord, Lying
Maker of Untruths and Deceptive	Maketh A Lie	Discord, Lying

 

(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.

Jesus, Himself, now affirms the origin and authority that lies behind the Revelation and the other parts of His Word:

1. The angel that delivered the message to John was sent by Christ – “I Jesus have sent mine angel”
2. The message was meant to be distributed among the churches – “to testify unto you these things in the churches”
3. The Originator of this message (Christ) is the descendent (Messiah born into the earth) and ancestor (Creator) of David. – “I am the root and the offspring of David,”
4. The Originator of this message is the One who is coming again (as the sun rising in the east). – “the bright and morning star” 

We are to take the message of God’s Word, which was completed with the Revelation, because of its authorship, method of revelation, and the purpose of the book.

 

(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.

The offer of the gospel message is now given as the book of Revelation is brought to a close.  Notice these basic truths about presenting the gospel message:

1. Who is active in offering the gospel?

The Holy Spirit of God (the Spirit) and the saved (the Bride).  The saved audibly present the gospel message while the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and softens the sin-hardened heart of the hearer, preparing it to be received.

 

2. What is their message?

“Come” – come to Christ. Those presenting the gospel are to offer for the lost to come.  The lost are to enter into agreement and respond as they see their need to come to Christ.

 

3. To whom is the message applicable?

Those who agree with the message – “let him that heareth say, Come.”  Their agreement is shown by them verbally consenting to the invitation to come.

Those who see their need and desire for living waters – “let him that is athirst come.”  If a person does not recognize their need of Christ or see their desperate condition cannot take advantage of this message.  Until a man sees his lost condition he will always reject this message and cannot be saved.

Those who choose to partake of the waters – “whosoever will”.  There are no good works needed to receive this great gift, the only prerequisite is to see their need and choose to receive this wondrous gift from God.

 

4. How much does this good news and eternal life cost?

It is absolutely free – “let him take of the water of life freely”.  This great gift from God is of immeasurable value.  It cost Christ, the perfect Son of God His physical life. The recipient of this great gift cannot even begin to pay for it.  A sinful man cannot begin to pay the price that the sinless Christ paid.  He doesn’t even have to try to pay for it.  It is meant to be absolutely free of charge, no strings attached.

This is the final offer of salvation recorded in God’s Word.  It is not only given at the end of the Book of Revelation, but it is given at the end of the entire Word of God.  This emphasizes the importance of this offer and the need for mankind to act upon it.

 

(18)  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.

Why is this Book of Revelation (and the entire Bible by implication) so important for all mankind to retain and keep pure from error?  It holds the key to escape from eternal separation from God and the eternal punishment of sin, while gaining eternal life in the very presence of God.

 

It is so important to keep the integrity of the Word, that we are warned of changing it in any way:

 

1. “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book”.

If anyone adds their own thoughts to the inspired Word, the plagues found in Revelation (which are also revealed throughout the Bible) will be placed upon him.

 

2. “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.”

If anyone removes content from God’s Word will be consigning himself to separation from God and eternal torment.

 

This tells us that anyone who, knowingly, adds to or takes from God’s Word is a lost individual who faces the eternal wrath of God.  No one who is truly saved would ever consider changing the message that has brought eternal life to His soul.  It is not an issue of losing salvation, it is an issue of never being saved.  Their corrupt desires to change God’s Word are signs that they are yet under the bondage of sin.

What awaits those who take away from God’s Word?

“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.”  – the word “part” simply refers to “the share or allotment”.  Here, the Lord tells us that anyone who takes away from God’s Word has clearly declared themselves as lost.  Although they may have believed they were saved, and others also believe they are saved… now it has been made clear they are lost.   In all three cases, the person has not shared in the blessing…. their name was never in the book, they had never set foot in the holy city and they never had received the blessings reserved for the saints… and, if they continue on in their current rebellious condition, they never will.  In that sense, their allotment has been taken away.  They should not fool themselves into thinking that by changing God’s Word it will somehow allow them to receive a portion of that which they do not currently possess.

By removing parts of God’s Word they have shown themselves to be lost.  There is no reason for them to believe they own a future share of the book of life, the holy city, and the blessings of eternity with Christ.   They should not fool themselves into believing that they are or are or will be saved and eternally secure.  They have lost that which they never really possessed. The Lord addressed this same principle in Luke 8:18…

“Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.”

 

Please keep in mind:

The meaning of the word “prophecy” in this passage is not limited to revealing an event that will take place in the future.   In these verses, the word “prophecy” simply means “to speak the mind of God”.  The principle is this… anytime that God reveals His mind to man, man has no right to change what God has revealed.  In doing so, it is an act of arrogance and idolatry.  The one who changing God’s Word is revealing that he believes he is smarter than God and is replacing God with himself.

Both the book of Revelation, and the entire Bible, is made up of God’s mind revealed to mankind.    This warning is placed at the end of both the entire Bible and the book of Revelation.  It is a fitting warning summary that applies to the entire inspired Word, not simply the book of Revelation.

 

(20)  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Once again, as a final reminder, the Lord reminds us that He is coming quickly and we all must be prepared.  Our time to receive salvation and our opportunities for service are limited… Certainly, He is coming quickly.

John is in submission to the Lord’s timing for His soon return, “Amen”, in other words “so be it”, “may it be done”…

“Even so come Lord Jesus”. 

 

(21)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 

John’s final wish for his readers is for the grace of Christ to be shown to each of them.  Stop and think about it… for the Word to have its intended effect upon both lost and saved, God’s grace is an absolute necessity.

God’s grace must be active in the life of the lost bringing them to Christ… revealing God’s Word, convicting of sin, softening a sin hardened heart, and  granting repentance and faith to name a few.

In the life of the saved, God’s grace is necessary to apply God’s Word to the life of the saint, recognizing opportunities of service, equipping the saint for service, and bringing forth fruits of that service.

John 15:5 KJV – “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” 

John 9:33 KJV – “If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”

 

May we all recognize our great need of God’s grace, our inability to receive it of human merit, and the wonderful blessing we have for those of us to whom it has been given.

 

 

CHRIST REVEALED:

In this conclusion to the book of Revelation, we see Christ presented as a compassionate, patient Savior who uses this opportunity to persuade men to come to salvation.

Think about it… Christ could have simply glorified Himself by revealing His greatness and reviewing the perfection of the Revelation that was just revealed to John.  But He doesn’t.  He could have glorified His Father in heaven by speaking of His great knowledge and wisdom in revealing these prophecies to us.  But He chooses to not do so.

He chooses to bring honor and glory to His Father and Himself by using this last communication to offer the gift of living water to any who would simply receive Him as Lord and Savior through faith.

Matthew 11:28-30 KJV – “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.   Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.   For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 

THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION (SUMMARY)

May we all recognize the importance of this wondrous invitation to eternal life, apply it to our lives, and live our lives to share this message with others.  This is the greatest way we can honor our Lord and share His greatness with others.

 

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