At Revelation 22:10, we read that an angel told John, the Elder, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” In contrast, an angel told the Prophet Daniel “keep these words secret and seal up the book until the end of time” (Dan. 12:4). At Daniel 12:9, the angel told Daniel, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words will be kept secret and sealed up until the end time.” Daniel prophesied and wrote around 500 years before the First Coming of Jesus Christ and the later destruction of Jerusalem that followed. In my opinion, John wrote the Book of Revelation in the Spring of AD 66, just a few years before the destruction of the Old Jerusalem and Herod’s Temple by the Romans in AD 70. First, it should be noted that John was told to not seal up the words of his prophecy because the prophesied judgments would soon occur. Second, in an important sense, the Eschaton (or End Times) have been in progress for almost 2000 years.
At Revelation 22:11, regarding the coming judgments, the angel told John,
“Let the one who does wrong still do wrong, and the one who is filthy still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous still practice righteousness, and the one who is holy still keep himself holy.”
The angel was speaking hyperbolically. From time to time, Jesus also used hyperbolic language to make a point. Such language should not be over-literalized. Here, the reader (or hearer) of the prophecy should understand that the prophesied events were going to occur so soon that the reader/hearer did not have adequate time to change his or her behavior. The angel was not encouraging disobedience to God. We humans have a tendency to overthink and be inappropriately rigid in our thinking. Such hyperbolic statements can teach us to be more flexible in our thinking and to avoid self-righteousness.
At Revelation 22:12-13, the following words were credited directly to Jesus Christ,
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves. I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
First, notice that Jesus said that He was “coming quickly.” In fact, 4 times in the Book of Revelation Jesus said, “I am coming quickly” (Rev. 3:11, 22:7, 22:12, 22:20). Two times we read, “the time is near” (Rev. 1:3, 22:10), and two times we read that the prophecies “must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, 22:6). Jesus was coming in answer to the prayers of His persecuted people, who had experienced much persecution during the first nearly 40 years of the Church. Further, the persecutions had reached an apex under Nero’s persecutions, which began in AD 64.
Additionally, notice that Jesus came to reward or judge each person as he or she deserves. This principle will also be true at Jesus’s Second Coming. We are saved by grace, and we can grow spiritually only by God’s grace, but our free will is involved. We must choose to draw near to God and seek His will. Please notice that each human will be rewarded as his or her “work deserves.” However, we are not called to do random acts. We are called to do the works that God gives us to perform. Like Abraham, God wants to bless us, and He wants us to be a blessing to others (Gen. 12:2). We are called to draw near to our Eternal Creator. He is the beginning and the end.
At Revelation 22:14-15, we read,
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral persons, the murders, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
Washing one’s robes is an image of experiential sanctification. At 1 Peter 1:15-16, Peter wrote, “[B]ut like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” We can function in holiness only by functioning in Christ by His Spirit and Word. We are called to practice Christian morality. We must avoid things like sexual immorality and idolatry. If we fail to faithfully practice Christian morality, we will be excluded from the privileges and blessings associated with life in the New Jerusalem. Of course, we may all fail from time to time. However, we must only confess our sin, and God will faithfully forgive us and cleanse us from unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). He will faithfully restore us to right relationship with Him.
At Revelation 22:16, we read,
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires, take the water of life without cost.
The “morning star” refers to the Planet Venus, which can be an evening star or morning star.[1] As a bright morning star, it is visible to the eastern horizon just a few hours before the dawn. It is the brightest and last visible star (although it is actually a planet) before the dawn. The “morning star” is an image of Jesus Christ leading us to the light of the day.
Both the Holy Spirit and the bride (God’s faithful servants) call for humanity to come and share in the life of God. Unfortunately, it seems most are not thirsty for the truth. As we draw near to God, we are required leave behind our independent existence apart from God. We are required to take on a new way of living that is seeking near constant fellowship with God.
At Revelation 22:18-19, we read,
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.
Like in Deuteronomy, Chapter 28, God’s threatened curses were designed to warn Israel against any disobedience, disrespect, or rejection of God’s Word. No one should add to or take away from God’s Word.
Finally, at Revelation 22:20-21, we read,
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen
Three times in the Book of Revelation we read about the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8, 8:3, 8:4). When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, we “saw underneath the alter the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained” (Rev. 6:9). These martyred souls cried out to God for justice (Rev. 6:10). At Revelation 20:4, John testified that he saw the souls of those “who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God.” Those beheaded included the Apostle Paul. Peter was crucified, and James, the Lord’s brother, had been stoned to death a few years earlier in Jerusalem. The Book of Revelation describes God’s judgment of Jerusalem and Rome, the primary persecutors of the early Church. These judgments occurred between AD 66 and AD 70. The Christians did not participate in the judgements. Both Jerusalem and Rome unleashed war on each other and among themselves. Both experienced civil wars, and both inflicted horrific violence on each other.
[1] Hunt, Gary. “Why Venus is Called the Morning Star or the Evening Star.” Sky at Night Magazine, 13 Jan 2023. https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/venus-morning-star-evening-star
