The New Beginning, the fourth of four series of Study The Revelation
by Paige Ramsey
Even So, Come Lord Jesus – Lesson 4
Revelation 22:8-21
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 who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See you do it not: for I am your fellow-servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
And He said to me, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he who is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he who is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
“I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let him who hears say, “Come.” And let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify to every man who hears 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: 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.
He who testifies these things says, “Surely I come quickly.” Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
False Worship
Idolatry is something we humans continually fight. We like to have something tangible to worship. I remember in the First Christian Church where my parents took me as a child, there was a prayer room. I liked that room. It was very small, had bright red carpet, contained two or three chairs, a kneeling bench, a gold cross, and a huge picture of Jesus. I liked to go into that room, close the door and talk to the picture. I didn’t really pray, because I didn’t know how to pray. The things I talked about were meaningless. “Hello,” I would say, staring into the eyes of the man in the painting, “we had a nice lesson in Sunday school. I don’t know anyone who needs to share my lunches, but if I did, I would. Well, I guess I’d better go before the service starts. Maybe I’ll talk to you again next week.” It was comforting somehow. I felt really reverent and good about spending a few moments talking to the man with the kind eyes who taught the world about the good Samaritan.
In high school, I had a girlfriend who always wore a St. Christopher’s necklace. I also had one in the eighth grade, but I never really thought it brought me luck – it was just a fad at the time to wear one. My friend, however, never took hers off because she honestly believed it kept her protected – or that St. Christopher himself would protect her as long as she wore it. Some people put a statue or a cross in their car for the same reason. Many people hang a cross on the wall of their bedroom with a dead Jesus on it so they can pray to it and so he can watch over them through the night.
We like to have something to look at, something to hold, to touch as we pray. It is comforting to have something tangible to trust in for protection. But God said, “You shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shalt not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me; And showing mercy to thousands of those who love Me, and keep My commandments.”[i]
God isn’t in a painting or a golden cross or a medallion commemorating a servant of God. Idolatry is an easy trap for Satan to snare us away from Who God is. He isn’t a cross in our pocket or a charm. He doesn’t respond to a symbolic motion or a phrase of well written words repeated over and over. God is a Spirit. Though our eyes cannot see Him, He is very real and present with us. I wouldn’t like it if I was in a room with someone who pulled out a picture of me and began to talk to it. I’d shout, “I’m right here!! Talk to me!!” If we do not even understand this foremost concept of God, we cannot pray to Him or worship Him. Worship can only take place in Spirit and in Truth. The truth does not exist in a charm, a statue, or a picture – nor does the Spirit.
However, I certainly cannot accuse John for bowing down to this angel. I’ve never seen an angel, but if I ever saw one, the experience would probably so overwhelm me that I would fall down in his presence as well. I know (have the knowledge) that we should never bow down to an angel, pray to an angel, or seek an angel, but being in the presence of such a glorious creature would be such a humbling experience it would surely bring me to my knees. This is probably why God does not allow us the experience of seeing angels on a regular basis. We know they are here protecting us and delivering God’s messages to us, but if we could actually see them work their majestic works, we would be focused on angels and not on the Lord. The angel warns John – and this is the second time John was warned for this – not to worship him. Worship is reserved for God alone.
Seal Not the Prophecy
Daniel chapter twelve has always intrigued me and many others as well. In verse four, God tells Daniel, “…shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end…”[ii] In verse nine He says, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end,”[iii] when Daniel admitted that he did not understand and asked for answers. God repeats it again in verse thirteen: “But go your way till the end: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.” Clearly, God did not mean for Daniel or anyone in that day to understand those things.
But here in Revelation 22:10, Jesus says, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” This is an open book. It is not sealed. It is not forbidden. It is not clouded or shrouded in mystery. Instead, it is the Revelation – the revealing – the uncovering – the mystery made clear. It is meant to be understood.
As we addressed in the very first lesson, many people steer away from studying the Book of the Revelation because of various fears – among them: 1) a fear of the unknown future, 2) a fear of not understanding the deeper meanings, 3) a fear of misinterpreting the events or the symbolism, 4) a fear of dissention within the Body of Christ about different views, 5) the fear of being wrong, and 6) the fear of being ridiculed. Yet, Jesus appeared – revealed Himself in all His glory to a man named John on the Isle of Patmos, gave him messages to seven of the churches in Asia Minor, transported him to behold future events, and told him to write them all down and not to seal the book. Don’t put any wax on this book, don’t lock it away, don’t close it up! Keep it open! Let anyone and everyone read it! Publish it – distribute it – spread its message worldwide – for the time is now! This message is not just for mature Christians. It is not even for Believers only. This message from God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, is for everyone because these events are coming now, and they will affect everyone on this planet.
He who is… let him be…
This is not an instruction to those who are alive today: “If you are holy, you should remain holy. If you are unholy, you should remain unholy.” NO!! Instead, this is a prophecy about what will be throughout eternity after everything has transpired that has been shown to John. Albert Barnes said it like this:
“At the close of this book, and at the close of the whole volume of revealed truth, it was proper to declare, in the most solemn manner, that when these events were consummated, everything would be fixed and unchanging; that all who were then found to be righteous would remain so forever; and that none who were impenitent, impure, and wicked, would ever change their character or condition. That this is the meaning here seems to me to be plain; and this sentiment accords with all that is said in the Bible of the final condition of the righteous and the wicked.”[iv]
Those who are unholy today may trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died to pay for their sins, and He will robe them in His righteousness! The free gift of salvation that God offers to mankind is still available! It will not always be so. God is longsuffering and He is just. That is at the very heart of this book. That is why its message is not sealed – alert the people! Spread the word! Come to the Lord Jesus because the time is at hand! Now is the time! Today is the day of salvation! His blood can make you clean!
Behold, I come quickly
Looking at the history of the church since Jesus gave John this message makes us almost laugh that Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly…” This is 2015. It’s been 1,920 years since 95 AD. That doesn’t seem too quick by our standards. But look at it from an individual’s viewpoint – we’ll use me as an example. The first time I heard the gospel message, I was 15 years old. So, it’s only been 45 years from the time I first heard the message until now. I may have another 20 or 30 years left in my life unless the Lord returns, but I may go to be with Him tomorrow. Believe me, that’s a very short time! If you subtract the time spent on work, housework, watching TV/movies, and sleeping, the time is substantially shortened. I am so glad the Lord led us to homeschool our children and teach them His Word – that time was ever so profitable! Each person has an allotted time on this earth – and it is very short. Before you know it, you’ll be standing in front of the Lord.
“Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” This is a reference to the Bema Seat – or the Judgment Seat of Christ – where Christians will receive their rewards for the work they’ve done. I know when I see Christ, I will be wishing I had done more for Him. For what He has done for me, I will be wanting to have an abundance of work to show for Him.
This is not a judgment to dread. This is a judgment to look forward to – a time when our Lord will burn up all our failures and His love will reward us for our obedience – like when Dad came home from work to see if we all had our rooms cleaned and our homework finished. Those little “family judgments” only happened rarely, but I remember Mother would tell us, “You’ve got one hour before your dad will be home. He said if you had your rooms cleaned and your homework done, there will be a surprise!!” We’d all start scrambling around the house, picking up our things, making our beds, stuffing things under them, and then get out the books. If it looked like someone wasn’t going to make it, we’d all pitch in and help them get their work done before dad walked in the door. He’d come in and if all was complete, he’d announce that we could all get in the car and go to the Sonic for supper and ice cream! “Yay!” we’d shout, jumping up and down with smiles and giggles.
That’s the feel of things right now. The Lord is coming! Hurry! Hurry! Get everything in order! There are still tribes of people who have never heard the gospel. Some don’t have God’s Word translated into their own language. Some need encouragement. Some need a little prodding. We’re all looking out for each other, helping each other to do what needs to be done before our time expires or the Lord appears.
Alpha and Omega
Jesus begins to remind the reader that this is the One who in all His glory appeared to John. In the opening chapter, the first words the glorified Christ said was, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…” Now, Jesus closes with the very same words, substantiating who He is and that this is the closing of the Revelation.
The Lord is the beginning of all things: “In the beginning, God…” I am so glad to see scientists finally coming forward and admitting that there must be an Intelligent Designer. Of course there is!! Paul stated in Romans 1:20 – For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… Even a simple minded man can see that Someone designed a flower. No one could look at a blade of grass under a microscope and not realize it had to be deliberate to function so well. The bodies of animals are entirely too complex to have developed on their own over millions or billions of years – not to mention the brain. That’s ludicrous. The only reason such a notion could stay around with the support of knowledgeable people for so long is that they desperately wanted for God not to exist.
Finally, some of the more honorable scientists are stepping up to the plate and admitting that they have been wrong and have propagated this lie far too long. Not only can the theory of evolution not be proven, they believe it can actually be disproven, and some of the braver scientists who are willing to risk their credentials by speaking out are doing just that. To date, over 800 doctoral scientists have signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution since 2001. “The statement was drafted and circulated by Discovery Institute in 2001 in response to widespread claims that no credible scientists existed who doubted Neo-Darwinism. Discovery Institute subsequently took out an ad in The New York Review of Books and elsewhere showcasing over 100 scientists who were willing to publicly express their scientific skepticism of Neo-Darwinism. Since 2001 the signatories of the statement have grown to over 800 scientists both in the United States and around the world. … Signatories of the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism must either hold a Ph.D. in a scientific field such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science, or one of the other natural sciences; or they must hold an M.D. and serve as a professor of medicine.”[v] There is also an establishment for all medical doctors who wish to dissent from Darwinism called Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity (PSSI).
In the beginning, God created. He is the beginning. And He is the end. He will put an end to this cursed earth. He will put an end to sin. He will put an end to death. Praise the Lord!! He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. Everything from A to Z begins and ends with the Lord.
Blessed Are They
God pours out His blessings on us each and every day. He pours out blessings on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) Here, as in Revelation 1:3 and 22:7, God is reminding us to be obedient to His Word and that He will bless us. This is not a revert back to keeping the whole law without offense, as no man can do and so no one would be blessed. We know we cannot keep the whole law, but because we love Christ, we should strive to be like Him, obeying His commandments. This serves as an attention to doing the commandment of love from our Lord (believing) and accepting His payment for our sins. John Gill explains further:
The Alexandrian copy reads, "that wash their garments"; and so the Ethiopic version, and also the Vulgate Latin, which adds, "in the blood of the Lamb", agreeably to Rev_7:13 and such whose persons and garments are washed in the blood of Christ are blessed indeed; they are justified by it, pardoned through it, and both they and their services are accepted on account of it.[vi]
For eternity we will have the right (not because of merit, but because of privilege) to eat from the Tree of Life. Wow! I just can’t wait! Not only that, but the right (again – privilege) to enter the gates into the city! How exciting is that?
Then again, God reminds us that outside the city there are “dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie” Now, remember where these will have already gone… to the Lake of Fire! Please remember this. The Beast, the False Prophet, Satan, and all who will not be found in the Book of Life or the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. We’ve already discussed this – whether or not this Lake of Fire is in another dimension, in a black hole, or whatever, it will be completely unattainable.
I emphasize this because I’ve heard preachers preach about these dogs, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and liars standing outside the walls of the New Jerusalem trying to get in. That is hogwash! They will be so far away that those in the New Jerusalem could never get to them and they could never get close to the New Jerusalem in any way. Remember how the gates of the city would remain OPEN? Never allow a preacher or a teacher to do your studying for you. One evangelist I heard spouting this falsehood used it effectively to woo people down to the altar, and I heard people after the service saying things like, “He put it right on the line.” “No sugar-coating tonight!” But they never realized what a horrible picture of “heaven” he was painting for them – an untrue, sad depiction of God’s beautiful, perfect, glorious eternity.
Jesus’ Signature
Notice first that Jesus continues to qualify Himself as the first speaker of the Revelation: Jesus, standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks (churches), with the seven stars (pastors) in His right hand who gives John seven messages, one for each of the seven churches, now states again that He has sent His angel (messenger) to testify to (you) in the churches!! Not since Revelation 3:22 has there been any mention of the church. Those who hold to a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture (caught-away event) believe that is because when John is transported to the third heaven, he symbolizes the church being raptured from the earth, marking the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period.
Recently, I heard Pastor Sam Deville of Flint Baptist Church, Flint, Texas, a very studied man of God, teach about the possibility of a “pre-wrath rapture (caught-away event)” and he gave some very good reasoning, backing everything with Scripture. This view places the rapture when the fifth seal is broken. I haven’t thoroughly studied this view, but the fact that Bro. Sam Deville has studied it and deems it worthy to present to the church lets me know it is credible and challenges me to begin its study. (I will incorporate what I learn from credible studies such as this into this study – more about that at the end of this lesson.)
Though John wrote down the words, here, Jesus Himself places His name as the Author of this book. He qualifies Himself as the root and offspring of David – with human right to the throne of Israel, Jerusalem, and thus the New Jerusalem. He also claims Himself as the Bright and Morning Star – not a star in the night, but a bright star that brings in the morning after the night is gone. Praise God the blackness and darkness will be over, and the new Day will dawn!
“Come!”
Of all the messages and warnings and events written in this book, the most urgent and most central is “Come!” and it is fittingly uttered here from the Spirit and the Bride. It is, after all, the Holy Spirit who speaks to the heart of a man and woos him to come to Christ, and it is the commission of the church to go into all the world and preach the good news that Christ has paid the price for our sins so we can come to Him!
We said at the beginning of the study of the Book of the Revelation that the central theme is Jesus. From the very first inkling to the very last Amen this book is about the Lord Jesus Christ. But more specifically, its message is “Come to the Lord Jesus Christ!” Come!
Those who are thirsty – to have life – Come! Whosoever will… the poor, the rich, the filthy, the undone, the dying, the desperate, the seekers, the addicts, the prisoners… whosoever will may come and freely drink of the water of life!! This is the message the church rings out from the bell towers and preaches from its pulpits.
The Curse
Before the final salutations, John gives a stern warning not to tamper with the words of this prophecy or God would add to the perpetrator the plagues of this book and take away his part from the Book of Life. This is the only curse of this type of which I am aware in God’s Word.
We trust and know that the Lord will not leave us without His inerrant Word, but that does not mean that every one of man’s renditions of God’s Word is inerrant. The Jewish scribes (who diligently wrote down the words of God, copying from one scroll to another) were meticulous about every “jot and tittle” (every i dotted, every t crossed, every punctuation mark correct). Translators of God’s Word have historically been very careful to be as accurate as possible. Modern translators have taken a much broader license to try to please society rather than to present the work in its original intent. Sometimes meanings get confused during translation, and languages themselves change over time. Thus, we have to continually reference and study the original languages to keep the intended meaning clear. Before purchasing a translation, be sure to research the translating process.
Questions to ask before choosing a translation:
1. Is this a paraphrase or a translation? (a paraphrase is someone putting God’s Word into their own words – a translation is an exact word-for-word rendition keeping as close as possible to the original)
2. Who was involved in the translating process?
3. What are their credentials?
4. What are their beliefs?
5. What is their relationship to the Lord – are they dedicated?
6. What original manuscript did they use to translate from? (Some versions never even consulted an original manuscript!)(Also – learn about the various original manuscripts and where they came from – some very old renditions are not original at all!)
7. Was this version translated with a particular agenda in mind? (Some versions want to cater to a particular group: feminists, gays, cowboys, cartoon readers, youth, etc. Keep in mind here that it’s not about whether the group is good, bad, right, wrong, etc., but if a version is translated with a particular group in mind, then it will tend to be much more broad in its license to take liberties with word meanings, etc.)
Salutations
And now we come to the final salutations. Jesus, the One who has been testifying, ends His message with, “Surely I come quickly.” He wants us to come away from this awe filled revelation with the final assurance that He will come quickly. We will not have to endure this world long. He will come to take us home to be with Him forever and ever, and seals it with “Amen.” or “So be it.”
John, the One who is writing everything down, then proclaims, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The words translated “even so” is actually the Greek word “vai” or “nai” (nah-ee) which is an affirmative: “Yes!” So, this can be accurately translated, “Yes! Come, Lord Jesus!” John, who knew the Lord Jesus well, called himself “the disciple Jesus loved” in his gospel, probably because he was so overwhelmed with the fact that Jesus loved him enough to go to the cross and die for him.
John, along with the other disciples, knew the power Jesus had as they saw him calm the sea and stop the wind with a command, heal diseases and disabilities with a touch, and raise the dead. It must have been really amazing to hear how He allowed the people to humiliate him with their jeers and torcher Him by pulling out His beard, hitting Him with their fists, give Him 40 lashes with the cat of nine tails, jam a crown of thorns on His head and throw a robe over his fresh wounds. Then to see Him beaten to a pulp, trying to carry His cross beam, falling under its weight, and finally giving His life on the cross must have been amazingly confusing because they really hadn’t understood. Then, when He rose, and they finally began to understand why He died – not because the people had overcome Him, but willingly, to pay for their sins, they couldn’t help but feel swallowed up in His love.
John, after receiving this revelation in its completion, is so comforted when Jesus said, “Surely, I come quickly,” that he responds with a grand, “YES! Come, Lord Jesus!” Many people, even some Christians, are frightened by the thought of God Almighty coming back. They have faith in God, but the thought of this all-powerful, all-knowing being coming and taking them away is just too frightful for them to have peace about it. Yet, John, who knows the deep love of our Savior, and who actually has now seen Jesus in all His glory, is so comforted that he exclaims for the Lord to come. I hope this is a reassurance to anyone who may feel anxious about the Lord’s return. It should be a comfort to you, because when it does occur, it will be a complete comfort and a peaceful joy. I hope no one spends another minute being nervous, anxious, or frightened about the most wonderful event in human history. Be at peace – the Lord is coming as He promised!
Until then… may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Grace. Grace = unmerited favor. The deeper I study what all grace purports, the more I am amazed at the love of God. In His sovereignty He sees throughout and beyond time and deep into the intents of our hearts. Yet, He was willing to come to this earth and be subjected under mankind’s brutality to save us. We would never have loved Him in our sinful condition. The only reason we love Him is because He loved us first.[vii] Even when we were so undone and dirty and rotten and stinking, He loved us.[viii] He enticed us to Himself.[ix] He quickened our spirit (brought it to life) so we could hear Him.[x] He gave us faith so we could believe.[xi] He keeps us secure until the end.[xii] He does everything, because we can do nothing. All by His unmerited favor that He has shown to us. Praise His name!! Because I couldn’t have done anything to deserve it, and I would have perished and continued to perish throughout eternity except He came into my life and gave me His life! He is offering His grace to everyone who will hear – to whosoever who thirsts. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come to Jesus!” And when you come to Jesus, you can have the comfort that He will come for you. YES!! Come, Lord Jesus!!
Amendments and Annexes
This concludes our outlined study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but this study will never be complete. As we learn more and understand more, there will need to be additions.
I will make necessary amendments to each of the lessons by highlighting the newer information, so you can go in and easily see what was amended. I will also put a notice on the home page of the newest amendments. For instance, the study of a Pre-Wrath Rapture will be included to help you see this possibility.
Also, I am beginning a Current Events section that will correlate events we see unfolding and how they relate to prophecy. These events are occurring now on an almost daily basis, and we need to stay alert and be watching so that the time won’t come upon us as a thief in the night.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3
Maranatha!!
[i] Exodus 20:4-6
[ii] Daniel 12:4
[iii] Daniel 12:9
[iv] Barnes, Albert (1798-1870), Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Rev. 22:11.
[v] A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism, www.dissentfromdarwin.org/faq.php
[vi] Gill, John, (1690-1771), John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Rev. 22:14.
[vii] 1 John 4:19
[viii] Romans 5:8
[ix] John 6:44
[x] John 5:21; 6:63; John 10:3-4, 27
[xi] Ephesians 2:8-9
[xii] 2 Timothy 1:12; Jude 1:24; John 10:28-29
Revelation 22:8-21
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 who showed me these things. Then he said to me, “See you do it not: for I am your fellow-servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
And He said to me, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he who is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he who is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he who is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”
Blessed are they who do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.
“I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let him who hears say, “Come.” And let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify to every man who hears 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: 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.
He who testifies these things says, “Surely I come quickly.” Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
False Worship
Idolatry is something we humans continually fight. We like to have something tangible to worship. I remember in the First Christian Church where my parents took me as a child, there was a prayer room. I liked that room. It was very small, had bright red carpet, contained two or three chairs, a kneeling bench, a gold cross, and a huge picture of Jesus. I liked to go into that room, close the door and talk to the picture. I didn’t really pray, because I didn’t know how to pray. The things I talked about were meaningless. “Hello,” I would say, staring into the eyes of the man in the painting, “we had a nice lesson in Sunday school. I don’t know anyone who needs to share my lunches, but if I did, I would. Well, I guess I’d better go before the service starts. Maybe I’ll talk to you again next week.” It was comforting somehow. I felt really reverent and good about spending a few moments talking to the man with the kind eyes who taught the world about the good Samaritan.
In high school, I had a girlfriend who always wore a St. Christopher’s necklace. I also had one in the eighth grade, but I never really thought it brought me luck – it was just a fad at the time to wear one. My friend, however, never took hers off because she honestly believed it kept her protected – or that St. Christopher himself would protect her as long as she wore it. Some people put a statue or a cross in their car for the same reason. Many people hang a cross on the wall of their bedroom with a dead Jesus on it so they can pray to it and so he can watch over them through the night.
We like to have something to look at, something to hold, to touch as we pray. It is comforting to have something tangible to trust in for protection. But God said, “You shalt not make any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shalt not bow down yourself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me; And showing mercy to thousands of those who love Me, and keep My commandments.”[i]
God isn’t in a painting or a golden cross or a medallion commemorating a servant of God. Idolatry is an easy trap for Satan to snare us away from Who God is. He isn’t a cross in our pocket or a charm. He doesn’t respond to a symbolic motion or a phrase of well written words repeated over and over. God is a Spirit. Though our eyes cannot see Him, He is very real and present with us. I wouldn’t like it if I was in a room with someone who pulled out a picture of me and began to talk to it. I’d shout, “I’m right here!! Talk to me!!” If we do not even understand this foremost concept of God, we cannot pray to Him or worship Him. Worship can only take place in Spirit and in Truth. The truth does not exist in a charm, a statue, or a picture – nor does the Spirit.
However, I certainly cannot accuse John for bowing down to this angel. I’ve never seen an angel, but if I ever saw one, the experience would probably so overwhelm me that I would fall down in his presence as well. I know (have the knowledge) that we should never bow down to an angel, pray to an angel, or seek an angel, but being in the presence of such a glorious creature would be such a humbling experience it would surely bring me to my knees. This is probably why God does not allow us the experience of seeing angels on a regular basis. We know they are here protecting us and delivering God’s messages to us, but if we could actually see them work their majestic works, we would be focused on angels and not on the Lord. The angel warns John – and this is the second time John was warned for this – not to worship him. Worship is reserved for God alone.
Seal Not the Prophecy
Daniel chapter twelve has always intrigued me and many others as well. In verse four, God tells Daniel, “…shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end…”[ii] In verse nine He says, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end,”[iii] when Daniel admitted that he did not understand and asked for answers. God repeats it again in verse thirteen: “But go your way till the end: for you shall rest, and stand in your lot at the end of the days.” Clearly, God did not mean for Daniel or anyone in that day to understand those things.
But here in Revelation 22:10, Jesus says, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” This is an open book. It is not sealed. It is not forbidden. It is not clouded or shrouded in mystery. Instead, it is the Revelation – the revealing – the uncovering – the mystery made clear. It is meant to be understood.
As we addressed in the very first lesson, many people steer away from studying the Book of the Revelation because of various fears – among them: 1) a fear of the unknown future, 2) a fear of not understanding the deeper meanings, 3) a fear of misinterpreting the events or the symbolism, 4) a fear of dissention within the Body of Christ about different views, 5) the fear of being wrong, and 6) the fear of being ridiculed. Yet, Jesus appeared – revealed Himself in all His glory to a man named John on the Isle of Patmos, gave him messages to seven of the churches in Asia Minor, transported him to behold future events, and told him to write them all down and not to seal the book. Don’t put any wax on this book, don’t lock it away, don’t close it up! Keep it open! Let anyone and everyone read it! Publish it – distribute it – spread its message worldwide – for the time is now! This message is not just for mature Christians. It is not even for Believers only. This message from God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, is for everyone because these events are coming now, and they will affect everyone on this planet.
He who is… let him be…
This is not an instruction to those who are alive today: “If you are holy, you should remain holy. If you are unholy, you should remain unholy.” NO!! Instead, this is a prophecy about what will be throughout eternity after everything has transpired that has been shown to John. Albert Barnes said it like this:
“At the close of this book, and at the close of the whole volume of revealed truth, it was proper to declare, in the most solemn manner, that when these events were consummated, everything would be fixed and unchanging; that all who were then found to be righteous would remain so forever; and that none who were impenitent, impure, and wicked, would ever change their character or condition. That this is the meaning here seems to me to be plain; and this sentiment accords with all that is said in the Bible of the final condition of the righteous and the wicked.”[iv]
Those who are unholy today may trust in the Lord Jesus Christ who died to pay for their sins, and He will robe them in His righteousness! The free gift of salvation that God offers to mankind is still available! It will not always be so. God is longsuffering and He is just. That is at the very heart of this book. That is why its message is not sealed – alert the people! Spread the word! Come to the Lord Jesus because the time is at hand! Now is the time! Today is the day of salvation! His blood can make you clean!
Behold, I come quickly
Looking at the history of the church since Jesus gave John this message makes us almost laugh that Jesus said, “Behold, I come quickly…” This is 2015. It’s been 1,920 years since 95 AD. That doesn’t seem too quick by our standards. But look at it from an individual’s viewpoint – we’ll use me as an example. The first time I heard the gospel message, I was 15 years old. So, it’s only been 45 years from the time I first heard the message until now. I may have another 20 or 30 years left in my life unless the Lord returns, but I may go to be with Him tomorrow. Believe me, that’s a very short time! If you subtract the time spent on work, housework, watching TV/movies, and sleeping, the time is substantially shortened. I am so glad the Lord led us to homeschool our children and teach them His Word – that time was ever so profitable! Each person has an allotted time on this earth – and it is very short. Before you know it, you’ll be standing in front of the Lord.
“Behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” This is a reference to the Bema Seat – or the Judgment Seat of Christ – where Christians will receive their rewards for the work they’ve done. I know when I see Christ, I will be wishing I had done more for Him. For what He has done for me, I will be wanting to have an abundance of work to show for Him.
This is not a judgment to dread. This is a judgment to look forward to – a time when our Lord will burn up all our failures and His love will reward us for our obedience – like when Dad came home from work to see if we all had our rooms cleaned and our homework finished. Those little “family judgments” only happened rarely, but I remember Mother would tell us, “You’ve got one hour before your dad will be home. He said if you had your rooms cleaned and your homework done, there will be a surprise!!” We’d all start scrambling around the house, picking up our things, making our beds, stuffing things under them, and then get out the books. If it looked like someone wasn’t going to make it, we’d all pitch in and help them get their work done before dad walked in the door. He’d come in and if all was complete, he’d announce that we could all get in the car and go to the Sonic for supper and ice cream! “Yay!” we’d shout, jumping up and down with smiles and giggles.
That’s the feel of things right now. The Lord is coming! Hurry! Hurry! Get everything in order! There are still tribes of people who have never heard the gospel. Some don’t have God’s Word translated into their own language. Some need encouragement. Some need a little prodding. We’re all looking out for each other, helping each other to do what needs to be done before our time expires or the Lord appears.
Alpha and Omega
Jesus begins to remind the reader that this is the One who in all His glory appeared to John. In the opening chapter, the first words the glorified Christ said was, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last…” Now, Jesus closes with the very same words, substantiating who He is and that this is the closing of the Revelation.
The Lord is the beginning of all things: “In the beginning, God…” I am so glad to see scientists finally coming forward and admitting that there must be an Intelligent Designer. Of course there is!! Paul stated in Romans 1:20 – For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… Even a simple minded man can see that Someone designed a flower. No one could look at a blade of grass under a microscope and not realize it had to be deliberate to function so well. The bodies of animals are entirely too complex to have developed on their own over millions or billions of years – not to mention the brain. That’s ludicrous. The only reason such a notion could stay around with the support of knowledgeable people for so long is that they desperately wanted for God not to exist.
Finally, some of the more honorable scientists are stepping up to the plate and admitting that they have been wrong and have propagated this lie far too long. Not only can the theory of evolution not be proven, they believe it can actually be disproven, and some of the braver scientists who are willing to risk their credentials by speaking out are doing just that. To date, over 800 doctoral scientists have signed a statement publicly expressing their skepticism about the contemporary theory of Darwinian evolution since 2001. “The statement was drafted and circulated by Discovery Institute in 2001 in response to widespread claims that no credible scientists existed who doubted Neo-Darwinism. Discovery Institute subsequently took out an ad in The New York Review of Books and elsewhere showcasing over 100 scientists who were willing to publicly express their scientific skepticism of Neo-Darwinism. Since 2001 the signatories of the statement have grown to over 800 scientists both in the United States and around the world. … Signatories of the Scientific Dissent from Darwinism must either hold a Ph.D. in a scientific field such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computer science, or one of the other natural sciences; or they must hold an M.D. and serve as a professor of medicine.”[v] There is also an establishment for all medical doctors who wish to dissent from Darwinism called Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity (PSSI).
In the beginning, God created. He is the beginning. And He is the end. He will put an end to this cursed earth. He will put an end to sin. He will put an end to death. Praise the Lord!! He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega. Everything from A to Z begins and ends with the Lord.
Blessed Are They
God pours out His blessings on us each and every day. He pours out blessings on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45) Here, as in Revelation 1:3 and 22:7, God is reminding us to be obedient to His Word and that He will bless us. This is not a revert back to keeping the whole law without offense, as no man can do and so no one would be blessed. We know we cannot keep the whole law, but because we love Christ, we should strive to be like Him, obeying His commandments. This serves as an attention to doing the commandment of love from our Lord (believing) and accepting His payment for our sins. John Gill explains further:
The Alexandrian copy reads, "that wash their garments"; and so the Ethiopic version, and also the Vulgate Latin, which adds, "in the blood of the Lamb", agreeably to Rev_7:13 and such whose persons and garments are washed in the blood of Christ are blessed indeed; they are justified by it, pardoned through it, and both they and their services are accepted on account of it.[vi]
For eternity we will have the right (not because of merit, but because of privilege) to eat from the Tree of Life. Wow! I just can’t wait! Not only that, but the right (again – privilege) to enter the gates into the city! How exciting is that?
Then again, God reminds us that outside the city there are “dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie” Now, remember where these will have already gone… to the Lake of Fire! Please remember this. The Beast, the False Prophet, Satan, and all who will not be found in the Book of Life or the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. We’ve already discussed this – whether or not this Lake of Fire is in another dimension, in a black hole, or whatever, it will be completely unattainable.
I emphasize this because I’ve heard preachers preach about these dogs, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, and liars standing outside the walls of the New Jerusalem trying to get in. That is hogwash! They will be so far away that those in the New Jerusalem could never get to them and they could never get close to the New Jerusalem in any way. Remember how the gates of the city would remain OPEN? Never allow a preacher or a teacher to do your studying for you. One evangelist I heard spouting this falsehood used it effectively to woo people down to the altar, and I heard people after the service saying things like, “He put it right on the line.” “No sugar-coating tonight!” But they never realized what a horrible picture of “heaven” he was painting for them – an untrue, sad depiction of God’s beautiful, perfect, glorious eternity.
Jesus’ Signature
Notice first that Jesus continues to qualify Himself as the first speaker of the Revelation: Jesus, standing in the midst of the seven candlesticks (churches), with the seven stars (pastors) in His right hand who gives John seven messages, one for each of the seven churches, now states again that He has sent His angel (messenger) to testify to (you) in the churches!! Not since Revelation 3:22 has there been any mention of the church. Those who hold to a pre-millennial, pre-tribulation rapture (caught-away event) believe that is because when John is transported to the third heaven, he symbolizes the church being raptured from the earth, marking the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period.
Recently, I heard Pastor Sam Deville of Flint Baptist Church, Flint, Texas, a very studied man of God, teach about the possibility of a “pre-wrath rapture (caught-away event)” and he gave some very good reasoning, backing everything with Scripture. This view places the rapture when the fifth seal is broken. I haven’t thoroughly studied this view, but the fact that Bro. Sam Deville has studied it and deems it worthy to present to the church lets me know it is credible and challenges me to begin its study. (I will incorporate what I learn from credible studies such as this into this study – more about that at the end of this lesson.)
Though John wrote down the words, here, Jesus Himself places His name as the Author of this book. He qualifies Himself as the root and offspring of David – with human right to the throne of Israel, Jerusalem, and thus the New Jerusalem. He also claims Himself as the Bright and Morning Star – not a star in the night, but a bright star that brings in the morning after the night is gone. Praise God the blackness and darkness will be over, and the new Day will dawn!
“Come!”
Of all the messages and warnings and events written in this book, the most urgent and most central is “Come!” and it is fittingly uttered here from the Spirit and the Bride. It is, after all, the Holy Spirit who speaks to the heart of a man and woos him to come to Christ, and it is the commission of the church to go into all the world and preach the good news that Christ has paid the price for our sins so we can come to Him!
We said at the beginning of the study of the Book of the Revelation that the central theme is Jesus. From the very first inkling to the very last Amen this book is about the Lord Jesus Christ. But more specifically, its message is “Come to the Lord Jesus Christ!” Come!
Those who are thirsty – to have life – Come! Whosoever will… the poor, the rich, the filthy, the undone, the dying, the desperate, the seekers, the addicts, the prisoners… whosoever will may come and freely drink of the water of life!! This is the message the church rings out from the bell towers and preaches from its pulpits.
The Curse
Before the final salutations, John gives a stern warning not to tamper with the words of this prophecy or God would add to the perpetrator the plagues of this book and take away his part from the Book of Life. This is the only curse of this type of which I am aware in God’s Word.
We trust and know that the Lord will not leave us without His inerrant Word, but that does not mean that every one of man’s renditions of God’s Word is inerrant. The Jewish scribes (who diligently wrote down the words of God, copying from one scroll to another) were meticulous about every “jot and tittle” (every i dotted, every t crossed, every punctuation mark correct). Translators of God’s Word have historically been very careful to be as accurate as possible. Modern translators have taken a much broader license to try to please society rather than to present the work in its original intent. Sometimes meanings get confused during translation, and languages themselves change over time. Thus, we have to continually reference and study the original languages to keep the intended meaning clear. Before purchasing a translation, be sure to research the translating process.
Questions to ask before choosing a translation:
1. Is this a paraphrase or a translation? (a paraphrase is someone putting God’s Word into their own words – a translation is an exact word-for-word rendition keeping as close as possible to the original)
2. Who was involved in the translating process?
3. What are their credentials?
4. What are their beliefs?
5. What is their relationship to the Lord – are they dedicated?
6. What original manuscript did they use to translate from? (Some versions never even consulted an original manuscript!)(Also – learn about the various original manuscripts and where they came from – some very old renditions are not original at all!)
7. Was this version translated with a particular agenda in mind? (Some versions want to cater to a particular group: feminists, gays, cowboys, cartoon readers, youth, etc. Keep in mind here that it’s not about whether the group is good, bad, right, wrong, etc., but if a version is translated with a particular group in mind, then it will tend to be much more broad in its license to take liberties with word meanings, etc.)
Salutations
And now we come to the final salutations. Jesus, the One who has been testifying, ends His message with, “Surely I come quickly.” He wants us to come away from this awe filled revelation with the final assurance that He will come quickly. We will not have to endure this world long. He will come to take us home to be with Him forever and ever, and seals it with “Amen.” or “So be it.”
John, the One who is writing everything down, then proclaims, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” The words translated “even so” is actually the Greek word “vai” or “nai” (nah-ee) which is an affirmative: “Yes!” So, this can be accurately translated, “Yes! Come, Lord Jesus!” John, who knew the Lord Jesus well, called himself “the disciple Jesus loved” in his gospel, probably because he was so overwhelmed with the fact that Jesus loved him enough to go to the cross and die for him.
John, along with the other disciples, knew the power Jesus had as they saw him calm the sea and stop the wind with a command, heal diseases and disabilities with a touch, and raise the dead. It must have been really amazing to hear how He allowed the people to humiliate him with their jeers and torcher Him by pulling out His beard, hitting Him with their fists, give Him 40 lashes with the cat of nine tails, jam a crown of thorns on His head and throw a robe over his fresh wounds. Then to see Him beaten to a pulp, trying to carry His cross beam, falling under its weight, and finally giving His life on the cross must have been amazingly confusing because they really hadn’t understood. Then, when He rose, and they finally began to understand why He died – not because the people had overcome Him, but willingly, to pay for their sins, they couldn’t help but feel swallowed up in His love.
John, after receiving this revelation in its completion, is so comforted when Jesus said, “Surely, I come quickly,” that he responds with a grand, “YES! Come, Lord Jesus!” Many people, even some Christians, are frightened by the thought of God Almighty coming back. They have faith in God, but the thought of this all-powerful, all-knowing being coming and taking them away is just too frightful for them to have peace about it. Yet, John, who knows the deep love of our Savior, and who actually has now seen Jesus in all His glory, is so comforted that he exclaims for the Lord to come. I hope this is a reassurance to anyone who may feel anxious about the Lord’s return. It should be a comfort to you, because when it does occur, it will be a complete comfort and a peaceful joy. I hope no one spends another minute being nervous, anxious, or frightened about the most wonderful event in human history. Be at peace – the Lord is coming as He promised!
Until then… may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Grace. Grace = unmerited favor. The deeper I study what all grace purports, the more I am amazed at the love of God. In His sovereignty He sees throughout and beyond time and deep into the intents of our hearts. Yet, He was willing to come to this earth and be subjected under mankind’s brutality to save us. We would never have loved Him in our sinful condition. The only reason we love Him is because He loved us first.[vii] Even when we were so undone and dirty and rotten and stinking, He loved us.[viii] He enticed us to Himself.[ix] He quickened our spirit (brought it to life) so we could hear Him.[x] He gave us faith so we could believe.[xi] He keeps us secure until the end.[xii] He does everything, because we can do nothing. All by His unmerited favor that He has shown to us. Praise His name!! Because I couldn’t have done anything to deserve it, and I would have perished and continued to perish throughout eternity except He came into my life and gave me His life! He is offering His grace to everyone who will hear – to whosoever who thirsts. The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come to Jesus!” And when you come to Jesus, you can have the comfort that He will come for you. YES!! Come, Lord Jesus!!
Amendments and Annexes
This concludes our outlined study of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, but this study will never be complete. As we learn more and understand more, there will need to be additions.
I will make necessary amendments to each of the lessons by highlighting the newer information, so you can go in and easily see what was amended. I will also put a notice on the home page of the newest amendments. For instance, the study of a Pre-Wrath Rapture will be included to help you see this possibility.
Also, I am beginning a Current Events section that will correlate events we see unfolding and how they relate to prophecy. These events are occurring now on an almost daily basis, and we need to stay alert and be watching so that the time won’t come upon us as a thief in the night.
But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6
Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you will not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. Revelation 3:3
Maranatha!!
[i] Exodus 20:4-6
[ii] Daniel 12:4
[iii] Daniel 12:9
[iv] Barnes, Albert (1798-1870), Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Rev. 22:11.
[v] A Scientific Dissent From Darwinism, www.dissentfromdarwin.org/faq.php
[vi] Gill, John, (1690-1771), John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, Rev. 22:14.
[vii] 1 John 4:19
[viii] Romans 5:8
[ix] John 6:44
[x] John 5:21; 6:63; John 10:3-4, 27
[xi] Ephesians 2:8-9
[xii] 2 Timothy 1:12; Jude 1:24; John 10:28-29