Read with Me
Revelation 22:6-15 (HCSB)
Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His slaves what must quickly take place.”
“Look, I am coming quickly! The one who keeps the prophetic words of this book is blessed.”
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow slave with you, your brothers the prophets, and those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” He also said to me, “Don’t seal the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near. Let the unrighteous go on in unrighteousness; let the filthy go on being made filthy; let the righteous go on in righteousness; and let the holy go on being made holy.”
“Look! I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me to repay each person according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may 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, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
Listen with Me
John’s concluding paragraphs contain testimonies from John, as well as instructions from the angel who was with him, and instructions from Jesus Himself.
John’s testimony is that he was not writing a letter of theological instruction. Instead, he was faithfully recording all that he had been shown in this vision given by Jesus (Revelation 1:1).
John was so overwhelmed with all that he had been shown that he fell down at the feet of the angel in worship. This was the second time he had tried to worship one of these radiant, holy beings (19:10). And, just as the first time, he was severely rebuffed, and his worship was redirected to God Himself.
The angel instructed John to not seal up the record of the visions he had been shown, but to spread the news, because God’s deliverance was even then on the way, and it would begin to be seen by God’s people very quickly. Indeed, Domitian would be assassinated within a couple years, and the strong persecution would immediately abate. But in the meantime, God’s people would have to deal with their world as it was, with the good remaining good and the wicked continuing in their wickedness, not as they hoped it would be.
Jesus’ promise to come soon is not referring to His ultimate return in glory. In this context, this aside was written to reassure John’s readers that Jesus really would do to their enemies all that He has foretold in these visions. And His followers, too, were going to receive the blessings that their perseverance had earned them.
Jesus gives another blessing as well, this one for those who have washed their robes, symbolic of those who have been cleansed from their sins by the blood of the Lamb. They are able to live in the kingdom, the New Jerusalem, as a here-and-now reality. But those who oppose the message of the gospel and those who persecute God’s people will find themselves shut out of the New Jerusalem in outer darkness, even before they land in the eternal lake of fire.
Pray with Me
Father, Your judgment, however long it may be delayed, is fearsome when it falls, and is to be avoided at all costs. This is a vital message for those who believe that they can live however they want and still be saved when You visit Your people. But the list of those stuck outside your kingdom including dogs, meaning those who are spiritually hard hearted, sorcerers, which are those who escape reality through drug use, the sexually immoral of all stripes, murderers, idolaters, which are those who pursue worldly wealth and amusements ahead of you, and those who lie or mislead others, all these are immediately recognizable in our society, and even in our churches, today. Lord, help me to always live in Your presence, aware that You can appear at any time. I am unwilling to ever be caught outside the gates of Your city. Amen.