REVELATION
SIMPLIFIED
CHAPTER 22.16
Gleanings
from the Book of Revelation:
A
Weekly Verse-by-Verse Bible Study Series
The
REVELATION
TO JOHN
Chapter
Twenty-Two
The
Epilogue of Jesus Christ
(Continued)
Opening
Statement
The
Apocalypse is the book of the Coming One, Jesus Christ. The entirety of the
book is intended for the churches. Dictated to John by God, it is a pledge of
hope by God to all believers looking toward the dawn of an everlasting day. However,
its message is to be preached to the entire world.
As the
final book of the Bible, Revelation also informs the believer when the history
of time is completed, and the beginning of eternity begins. It too reveals the
completion of God’s program of salvation through Jesus Christ.
In
the beginning, was the promise of His coming (cf. Genesis 3:15). Jesus, the
Consolation of Israel, came, was rejected, killed, and rose again after three
days, and He is coming again to usher in the millennial Kingdom and the eternal
state.
(Verse
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.
The Divine Call of
Jesus
Speaking in this verse
is none other than Jesus Christ. Here is the only place in the Bible where this
personal emphatic phrase, I Jesus, is
used. As He speaks, Jesus testifies He is the One Who is confirming the authorship
and authority of this Book. A vision was given to John by His angel. John then
recorded the Word of God, the testimony of Jesus Christ, and dispatched it
amongst the Churches, not only in Asia Minor but throughout the Church Ages to
follow (cf.1:1-2).
Next, Jesus certifies
His Word by using three identity titles:
1. He is the Root of
David
Being David’s
ancestor, Jesus is David’s Lord as a preexistent God, thus denoting His divinity.
Psalm 110:1 - A Psalm of David. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my
right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2. He is the Offspring of
David
Historically, Jesus
was born of a daughter from David’s lineage (cf. Matthew 1:1; Revelation 5:5).
Isaiah 11:1 - And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of
Jesse, and a Branch shall grow
out of his roots.
Jesus is David’s greater
Son, the fulfillment of Israel’s covenanted promise to him (read 2 Samuel 7:12-16),
thus denoting His humanity.
Note:
Jesus is concurrently both David’s Lord and Son.
3. He is the Bright
Morning Star
This is the final
self-description of Jesus in the Bible. Also, it is the only time the phrase is
used in the New Testament.
At the dawn of a new
day, the morning star’s appearance precedes the sun and heralds a new day. Hence
prophetically, Jesus will (quickly) usher in God’s new radiant eternal day.
One of the earliest duel
Messianic prophecies reads:
Numbers 24:17a - I shall see Him, but not now: I shall behold Him, but not
nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre
shall rise out of Israel.
Innately, there is a
warning to be prepared for His imminent return.
(Verse 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 Final Great
Invitation
Germane to his closing
statement, John and the angel declare a concluding threefold invitation from
the Holy Spirit and the Bride (Son's wife, the Church) to partake of the Water
of Life. The invite is addressed to three unsaved beneficiaries of Christ’s
free offer:
1. Whosoever hears
Reminiscent of
Christ’s first blessing:
Revelation 1:3 - Blessed is he…that hear the words of this prophecy.
2. Whosoever thirsts
Reminiscent of
Christ’s offer to the Samaritan woman:
John 4:14 - …Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall
never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of
water springing up into everlasting life.
3. Whosoever wills
Reminiscent of God’s universal
Messianic call:
Isaiah 11:5 – Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath
no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without
price.
Jesus is calling
everyone to freely enjoy eternal life and the exclusivity of Heaven by drinking
from the Water of Life. It is Christ’s last opportunity in the Bible for anyone
to repent, receive forgiveness, and accept Him as Lord and Saviour. The
invitation imperatively signifies a tremendous display of God’s grace.
The Water of Life
The Water of Life is
obtained from the crystal clear pure River of Life (cf. 22:1) flowing from the
Throne of God. Partakers delight and enjoy eternal life freely (Greek, undeservedly, and gratuitously) given by God (See also Revelation
Study 21.5).
It is everyone for the taking.
(Verse 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.
(Verse 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.
Duel Warnings
Declaring from the
Lord Himself, a curse on anyone corrupting or tampering with His Word is
pronounced as strictly forbidden. Significantly, this punishment commands more
respect than any other book in the Bible. So, the address is to God’s Word.
Two behaviours are
equally forbidden:
Adding to the Word of
God
1. To anyone adding to
the words of His Revelation (v. 18)
The text is referring
to those who deceitfully impose something in addition to what is written. It places
a curse on a person who corrupts the truth of this Book.
a. In antiquity, books or
scrolls of the Bible were duplicated by hand-copying them. Sometimes there was
an inclination to append personal viewpoints.
Adamantly, the Pentateuch was addressed by God intrinsically:
Deuteronomy 4:2 – Ye shall not add
unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep
the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
b. In modern times,
however, paraphrasing and the multiplicity of translations warrant scrutiny.
If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book
Punishment for
Additions
Disobedience is
punishable by curses in this Book, especially:
1. The seven seals opened
(cf. 6:1-17; 8:1-5)
2. The seven trumpets have blown (cf. 8:6-9; 11:15-19)
3. The seven vials poured
(cf. 15:1 – 16:2)
Subtracting from the
Word of God
2. To anyone subtracting
the words of His Revelation (v. 19)
Any act of omission is
justly reprimanded. Scripture twisting
falls under this category. It perverts biblical truth.
Religious cults, false
teachers, and communicators inaccurately rendering God’s Word elicit false
doctrine and confusion. They are considered anathema.
Paul, Peter, and
Timothy succinctly address this issue authoritatively:
Galatians 1:0 - …if any man preacheth
unto you any Gospel other than that which ye received, let him be anathema. (ASV)
2 Peter 1:20 - Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any
private interpretation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
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
Punishment for
Subtractions
God will enforce a strict
threefold chastisement on anyone who subtracts from the words of this prophecy:
1. He will be denied recognition
from the Book of Life
Not being recorded in
the Book of Life is equivalent to the unpardonable sin, i.e., blaspheming or
violating the Holy Spirit by attributing the Spirit's witness and work to Satan
and calling it evil (cf. Matthew 12:31-32).
2. He will be denied
entrance into New Jerusalem
Heaven will no longer
be an option. Separation from God and outer darkness is one’s eternal fate.
3. He will be denied
seven blessings of this Book
No longer will a
person have the favor and grace of God because the opposite of blessings is
cursings.
(Verse 20)
He which testifieth these things saith, Surely
I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
The Last Promise in
the Bible
One last reminder is
spoken by Jesus from Heaven. He promises for the third time He is arriving soon
(Vv. 7, 12). Also, this is an answer to the scoffers…
2 Peter 3:4 - …saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
The promise of His
return was made to believers that He would be with them to the end of the world
(cf. Matthew 28:20; Revelation 19:11; 21:5-6).
The Last Prayer in the
Bible
And, John testifies as
he validates Jesus’ statement from everything he witnessed since the
commencement of the Apocalypse, Amen. Knowing we shall rest forever in perfect peace, Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Even so, come is a phrase signifying expectation and hope. Amen is of Hebrew origin meaning
reverently truly, so be it (cf. Jeremiah 11:5).
(Verse 21)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The Last Benediction
in the Bible
Greek authorities render
John’s last consecration: The Grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. How fitting. One of the last phrases
in the Bible is about grace. Now is
that hour of grace for fallen humanity to return to Him. Accordingly, the
conflict between good and evil is thus concluded.
Closing Statement
God has chronicled the
history of the earth, a span of almost seven thousand years in His Holy Writ.
He has given many accounts of saints and sinners, some who have come to
repentance, and some who have not. He has shown His grace to those who ask for
forgiveness, and He has shown His wrath on those who have not. Yet, He has
given every opportunity, through His patience and lovingkindness, to do so. He
has detailed the plight of the good and the bad. And, He has preannounced their
rewards or fate.
The Last Days (End
Times) are approaching us quickly. Our days are numbered. Prophetically, God
has proclaimed the conditions before and after the Rapture of the Church, i.e.,
the Great Tribulation Period and the vengeance of His wrath. And ultimately,
Satan and sin will be demolished.
God has also given us
an awesome description of Heaven from Revelation 21:1 – 22:5. Hence, Heaven and
the Lake of Fire are mankind’s only two destinies – Eternal life or eternal
death. There is no compromise with God.
Jesus clearly said in
His Word:
John 3:16-17 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. For God sent not His
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through Him might be saved.
When the loosed
prisoners prostrated themselves before Paul and Silas, they asked of them:
Acts 16:30 -31 - …Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
They replied, Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
To his Jewish
brethren, Paul wrote:
Romans 10:9 - …if thou shalt confess with thy
mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
So, time is short. Discern
the signs of the times. Your commitment needs to be made premised upon this reading.
Repent, and accept Jesus Christ as Lord of your life. Your future depends upon
your response.
MARANATHA!!!
May God’s blessings
be upon you abundantly.
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