Revelation: Conclusion
15: Revelation 22:6-21 Conclusion
The passage lists three witnesses to the truth of Revelation, symbolically promising that the message is certain.
1. The angel - 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true
2. Jesus - 7 “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
3. John - 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
Daniel was told to keep the end of his apocalyptic visions secret: Daniel 8:26 26 As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. But John is told not to seal up his vision now. Everything changed when Christ died. Now the end is coming “soon,” at least in God’s terms.
In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), the farmer tells the laborer to 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest. Here God repeats the message, saying that the evildoer will continue to do evil, to the end of time. But we are not to be afraid.
Isaiah 40:10 10do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 62:11 11The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
Perhaps that is the central theme of John’s vision—not some secret code that will tell us how to recognize an end that even Jesus could not see, but an open message to remind us that God is in control, the end is in His hands, and the future is sure.
Jesus signs his own letter as the vision ends, like Paul signing his epistles. Jesus' signature reminds us that he will bring the reward. 12“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
I AM…the name of God
Alpha and Omega… first and last letters of the alphabet. Only used in Revelation.
First and Last …Isaiah 44:6 6I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Beginning and End… God not only knows the beginning and the end. He is the beginning and the end.
Root and descendant of David… The divine in the root, the human in the descendant.
Bright morning star… God’s gift (Revelation 2:28) is himself!
Verse 14. We have the right to the tree of life (once lost in Genesis), and to enter the city freely.
Verse 15. God does not reject people for rejecting Jesus, but for their sins. If our name is in the Book of Life, Jesus forgives our sins. (Which begs the question of course: how do we know whose names are there? If I feel that God has given me a burden for someone, does that mean God has a burden for them, and that He is waiting for them to realize the joy of finding that their own name there too?)
The Spirit, the Bride, and the thirsty all long for Jesus to come.
Whoever is thirsty receives a free gift. No strings are attached, but there is a warning, not to add or take away – not to teach man’s imaginings as if they were God’s words (Revelation 2:24).
“Surely I am coming soon.” If we long to see him, if we long to understand, if we long for justice, if we long for salvation…
The passage lists three witnesses to the truth of Revelation, symbolically promising that the message is certain.
1. The angel - 6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true
2. Jesus - 7 “See, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
3. John - 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
Daniel was told to keep the end of his apocalyptic visions secret: Daniel 8:26 26 As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. But John is told not to seal up his vision now. Everything changed when Christ died. Now the end is coming “soon,” at least in God’s terms.
In the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matthew 13:30), the farmer tells the laborer to 30Let both of them grow together until the harvest. Here God repeats the message, saying that the evildoer will continue to do evil, to the end of time. But we are not to be afraid.
Isaiah 40:10 10do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 62:11 11The LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to daughter Zion, “See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”
Perhaps that is the central theme of John’s vision—not some secret code that will tell us how to recognize an end that even Jesus could not see, but an open message to remind us that God is in control, the end is in His hands, and the future is sure.
Jesus signs his own letter as the vision ends, like Paul signing his epistles. Jesus' signature reminds us that he will bring the reward. 12“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
I AM…the name of God
Alpha and Omega… first and last letters of the alphabet. Only used in Revelation.
First and Last …Isaiah 44:6 6I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.
Beginning and End… God not only knows the beginning and the end. He is the beginning and the end.
Root and descendant of David… The divine in the root, the human in the descendant.
Bright morning star… God’s gift (Revelation 2:28) is himself!
Verse 14. We have the right to the tree of life (once lost in Genesis), and to enter the city freely.
Verse 15. God does not reject people for rejecting Jesus, but for their sins. If our name is in the Book of Life, Jesus forgives our sins. (Which begs the question of course: how do we know whose names are there? If I feel that God has given me a burden for someone, does that mean God has a burden for them, and that He is waiting for them to realize the joy of finding that their own name there too?)
The Spirit, the Bride, and the thirsty all long for Jesus to come.
Whoever is thirsty receives a free gift. No strings are attached, but there is a warning, not to add or take away – not to teach man’s imaginings as if they were God’s words (Revelation 2:24).
“Surely I am coming soon.” If we long to see him, if we long to understand, if we long for justice, if we long for salvation…
Comments
Daniel was told to keep the end of his apocalyptic visions secret: Daniel 8:26 26 As for you, seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now. But John is told not to seal up his vision now. Everything changed when Christ died. Now the end is coming “soon,” at least in God’s terms.
So you are saying that 2,000 years is still "soon" in God's terms, but when you add the 500 years from Daniel until John that makes "soon" not "soon" anymore?
As for "soon:" After 2,00 years we're still waiting for Daniel's "many days" and John's "soon." But "soon" in God's terms could be anytime I guess - a thousand years in His sight like a watch in the night... (Ps 90:4)
Many thanks again Jack.
Stephen Tremp
Hugs and blessings, Barbara from
http://bakinnbitsbarbara.blogspot.com/