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The Book of Revelation
Unit 26
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THE FINAL APPEAL - Chapter 22 verses 6 to 21
v.6
"sayings" logoi = concepts. here and in verse 7.
The concepts of this book are honourable and reliable."faithful and true" The concepts of this book are honourable and reliable.
"his servants" The information in this book is specifically for God's people.
"must shortly be done" dei genesqai en tacei "must happen with speed" .This phrase is found only here and in chapter 1:1. At the beginning and the end of Revelation we are advised that the things predicted will happen speedily. We are always to be on the alert.
v.7
"Behold, I come quickly" idou ercomai tacu "Watch out! I am arriving speedily." This statement is repeated three times in the Revelation. In chapter 3:11 when the Lord encouraged the Philadelphian church to maintain its faithful perseverance and here in verses 7 and 12, but in verse 20 he says "Yes! I am arriving speedily" nai ercomai tacu. In each case the context demands we be prepared.Having emphasised the suddenness of his appearing at the last day, the day of judgment, the Lord Jesus stressed the need to be prepared in the parable of the ten wise and ten foolish virgins. Matthew 25:1-13.
The advise given at the beginning of the Revelation [1:3] is repeated here at its close. Those who are following the guidance given in this book are blest, even though everything might seem to be against them.
The book is revealed to reassure God's people that if they remain faithful in the midst of turmoil, they are blest, they are on the right path, the path to eternal bliss.
The word "prophecy" is not confined to predictions about future events. It embraces all Divinely inspired teaching as delivered to mankind by God's holy prophets [v.6].
vv.8-9
"worship" This incident is almost identical to what happened in chapter 19 verse10. Again the word worship is not from sebomai, which refers to the inner feeling of awe in worship, but from proskunew, which refers to the physical acts of obeisance in worship. In both instances John falls down to worship an angel. John's awe might have been directed to God through the angel. Whether or not that is the case, he is severely rebuked and commanded to perform acts of obeisance to God only. Even angels are not to be worshipped much less should we prostrate ourselves before men or religious images, not even if our are is directed towards God. Even the apostle Peter refused worship.Matthew 4:10 Then Jesus said unto him, Get gone, Satan, for it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.
On the other hand the Lord Jesus readily accepted worship.
Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.Matthew 9:18 While he spoke these things to them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.
Matthew 14:33 Then those who were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth you are the Son of God.
Matthew 15:25 Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
Matthew 28:9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
He claimed deity saying "I am the Alpha and the Omega", "I am the first and the last" [verse 13 and chapter 1:11-18].
"fellowservant" Angels are fellowservants of God's people. "are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth for them who will be heirs of salvation?" Hebrews 1:14.
vv.10 - 12
Ecclesiastes 11:3 ... if the tree falls toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will be.It is vitally important that the concepts of this book are made known. Now is the time to heed its words. When we leave this scene, then it will be too late to change. Our destiny will be irrevocably fixed. God appeals to us now but His Spirit will not always strive with man [Genesis 6:3]. As He appealed to Israel in the past so now He appeals to mankind.
Ezekiel 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, says the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn yourselves, turn yourselves from your evil ways; for why will you die, O house of Israel?Hebrew 3:15 Whilst it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Hebrews 12:22 ... you are come to mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, who are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, which speaks better things than that of Abel. 25 See that you do not refuse him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused him who spoke on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven:
"Behold, I come quickly" is repeated [see verse 7] idou ercomai tacu "Watch out! I am arriving speedily." We must be prepared because he will reward us, not according to our illusions or our wishful thinking, but according to our work. Not saved by faith alone.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name we have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? 23 And then I will declare to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you who work lawlessness.The faithful will be blest. The unfaithful will be cursed.
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that hears these sayings of mine, and does them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.Matthew 16:27 .. the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will reward every man according to his works."
v.13
Here as in chapter 1:11-18, the Lord Jesus claims Deity saying "I am the* Alpha and the* Omega", "I am the first and the last" .The Lord Jesus is one with the Father [John 10:30] on the same throne as the Father. [* The AV omits the definite article].Chapter 3:21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am sat down with my Father in his throne.The almighty DEITY is sovereign. He is from eternity to eternity. He is in control. He created all things. He will bring the universe to an end. Satan was created. He is a usurper. Whatever he does he does by God's leave. Satan cannot succeed. The Deity , the Father with the Son, is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last.
vv.14 - 15
"are doing" is continuous present tense. Those who are doing the Lord's commandments have the right to the tree of life. There is no opening for the "once saved always saved " and "faith only" doctrines here. Also being even those who are baptised for the remission of sins must continue to work out their salvation "with fear and trembling" Philippians 2:12. Even so, having the "right to the tree of life" does not mean we merit it "because it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to his good pleasure" Philippians 2:13.Those who are doing His commandments are blest. They are on the right path to eternal bliss. They have access to the tree of life within the eternal city.
"outside are dogs" Nothing sullied is inside the holy city. All vileness is outside. Dogs sniff vile things and eat their own vomit. This is why the are a picture of persons who "stick their noses into moral filth and who return to their wickedness.
Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.2 Peter 2:22 But it has happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
"for outside" God's faithful are blest because outside are spiritists, prostitutes etc. even those who fabricate lies. That is the alternative. There is both positive reason and a negative reason for being inside the city of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who don't know God, and that don't obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who will be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his strength; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
v.16
"sent my angel" In verse 6 the same angel is sent by the Lord God of the holy prophets. There the truth and reliability of the information is asserted. Here The Lord Jesus sent the angel to bear witness to these visions in the churches. These visions are for the benefit of God's faithful until the end of the world."the root and the offspring of David" Isaiah 11:1 predicts that, despite the devastating captivity of Judah, a sapling would spring forth from the roots of the coppiced stump of Jesse. The Lord Jesus, the descendent of Jesse's son David is the long awaited fulfilment of that prophesy. As the morning star the Lord Jesus heralds the eternal day.
v.17
"Come" This invitation is directly from the Spirit of God. It is from the Bride, the city of God, the company of saints*. It is open to all who are thirsting for eternal life.[*In the Bible, the word "saint" applies to every faithful child of God, from the creation to the consummation of the world. It does not mean someone who has been "canonised" by the church of Rome or by any other church..]
"water of life" The "river of water of life" proceeds from the throne of God down the centre of the holy city street [verse 1]. The water is freely available to anyone who wants to drink it.
John 4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew God's gift, and who it is who says to you, Give me a drink; you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirsts, let him come to me, and drink. 38 He who believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
At the close of God's phenomenal revelation of the conflict between Satan and the little Lamb and the victory of the Gods faithful, he offers free salvation to all. The company of saints are to echo this appeal to all mankind.
"Go into all the world and preach the good news to every creature: He who believes and is immersed in water will be saved. He who disbelieves will be condemned" said the Lord Jesus, just before he ascended to heaven. Mark 16:15-16In obedience to this the Apostle Peter instructed conscious stricken believers to "repent and be immersed in water for the forgiveness of their sins ..." Acts 2:38
Those who received his word gladly, were baptised and the Lord Jesus added them to his Church. Local assemblies continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching, the sharing, the breaking of the loaf, and the prayers. [Acts 2:41-47]
vv.18 - 19
"words" logouV concepts, ideas. [The same word is translated "sayings" in verses 6 and 7.]
The spiritual ideas portrayed in this book are to do with eternal life and eternal death."For" Because of their extreme importance to those who thirst for the water of life, the Lord Jesus himself warns all who amend these concepts that they endanger their own spiritual welfare.
"If any man shall add" Those who add ideas will suffer the spiritual plagues portrayed in chapters 15 and 16. This shows that the plagues in chapters 15 and 16 were spiritual afflictions not confined to any point in history but a constant threat to all who distort the way of life.
"If any man shall take away" God himself will remove anyone's part from the scroll of life, who undermines the importance of the spiritual concepts taught in this book. So a person's part might be in the scroll of life and later removed from it.
1 Corinthians 10:12 Therefore, let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he falls.
v.20
These warnings come from the Lord Jesus who this time states with emphasis:"Yes! I am arriving speedily" nai ercomai tacu.
These final words of the standing slain little Lamb, issue from the mist of the throne. [verse 1]
John, the faithful apostle of the little Lamb, imprisoned on Patmos, responds :
"So be it. Yes! Come Lord Jesus" amhn nai ercou kurie ihsou
SO ENDS THE VISION
The Second Psalm Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
The kings of the earth sit themselves on their thrones,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bands asunder,
and cast away their cords from us.He who sits on his throne in the heavens shall laugh:
the Lord shall have them in derision.
Then he will speak unto them in his wrath,
and vex them in his sore displeasure.I have installed my king upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will declare the decree that the LORD has said to me:
You are my Son; this day I have begotten you.
Ask of me,
and I will give you the heathen for your inheritance,
and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.Thou will break them with a rod of iron;
you will dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.Be wise now therefore, O you kings:
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son, in case he becomes angry,
and you perish from the way,
when his wrath is kindled a little.All those who put their trust in him are blest.
v.21
AMEN.
SUMMARY
Not Done
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