Or, Keepers of the Prophetic Words
Scripture: Revelation 22:6-13
Date: June 20, 2021
Speaker: Sean Higgins
Words are like water that wash us. Paul wrote about husbands who ought to love their wives like Christ who cleanses His Bride, the Church, “by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to Himself in splendor” (Ephesians 5:26-27). The Lamb laid down His life to redeem the Bride, and the Lamb gives His Word, His promises about what will soon take place, to the Bride in order to prep her in radiance.
There is great emphasis on the “prophetic words” in these final verses of the Apocalypse; these are the words preserved for us that prepare us for being presented to Christ. We’ve reached the conclusion, the epilogue. The main body of visions was concluded in 22:5, and the outro-duction compares well with the introduction. There are a number of ways that the words are affirmed, words that have been given to the Church to help her be consecrated, blameless, and to conquer.
My wife and I were talking this past week about nearing the end of this study, and she remarked that my approach has been like one of those brushless car-washes with thick strips of fabric that slap and swipe. I like that. I’ve intended to be charitable toward non-Futurist, non-Premillennial, non-Dispensational viewpoints, though I have also been parking us and letting the paragraphs slap into us. That can’t wash off scratches of eisegesis and dents that certain interpretations bring with them, but it can wash off some of the superficial theological simplicities that get stuck on our thinking apart from the washing of the prophetic words themselves.
We are nearing the final Amens, an Amen in verse 20 and the last Amen of the Canon in verse 21.
Verses 6-21 reiterate the key themes of Revelation and make an obvious bookend with chapter 1. Compare (along with Osborne):
The biggest difference between the beginning and the end of the book is that now, after writing down the prophetic words, John cries, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
What we’ve heard from John are prophetic words, and there are four characteristics of the prophetic words in verses 6-13.
Whatever we think about the seals, trumpets, bowls, about the beasts and the abyss and Babylon, the source of all these details requires our attention and our acceptance.
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.
There is some difficulty determining who is speaking throughout the epilogue, but this “he” is the angel who has been giving John a tour of the eternal City from 21:1 to 22:5. That angel affirms the final vision of radiance, and probably all the visions after the letters to the churches. The very words are trustworthy and true , faithful to the facts, reliable and right.
They are true because they are God’s words. As so many prophetic announcements (in the OT) have been introduced with, “the word of the Lord,” so all that has been heard is a divine transmission. God is God of His prophets . God is God for His servants , His slaves. God works through His prophets to give truth to His servants.
Much of this repeats chapter 1. Again, Revelation ought not be ignored. It is a product of supernatural origin that contains not just a collection but the culmination of prophetic insight for the comprehension, comfort, and the courage of God’s people.
In chapter one an angel receives the revelation from Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks directly and affirms the prophetic words.
”And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.
The behold is not poetic but emphatic. It attests to the attention that really belongs with the statement. We use bold letter-styling for important comments, or start a line with an emoji. We use oral cues, too, even if they are more casual. “Hey, listen to this.”
What follows the behold is the hope of the churches: I am coming soon. This is the Lamb, the Messiah, Jesus, named by Himself in verse 16, appealed to in verse 20, and the last name in Scripture in verse 21, “Lord Jesus.” His return is immanent; His day “will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). This refers to His final coming, not to a supposed coming to judge Jerusalem in AD 70 (contra Gentry) or to “spiritual” comings in “every generation of the church” (contra Beale). Be ready.
The Lamb, who says He will return, also says that He’s not back now, which is His prerogative, which means our perseverance is His plan for now. How can we possible be expected to endure all this? We are expected to endure by obeying what He said with His favor.
The sixth beatitude in the book, the sixth of seven #blesseds, is for word-keepers. This is true for all of the inspired Word. What a privilege that we have our own completed copies. But Jesus particularly promises blessing for Revelation readers and Apocalypse keepers. Keep the prophetic words.
I know the objections: Eschatology is hard. Eschatology is divisive. Eschatology isn’t practical. Okay. But Jesus says that you can’t be fully blessed if you don’t care. That seems relevant. (Whether or not I have done the words their proper service, you have direct access to blessing.) Don’t be satisfied being unblessed.
The angel has affirmed the prophetic words, Jesus has affirmed the prophetic words, now John does as well.
I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.
The apostle John gave eye-witness testimony, he was a steward of what was given to him directly.
Then the angel says three things.
The words and visions pushed John over again.
And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!
While applicable to the entire book of Revelation, it was especially the last set of sights and sounds related to the Celestial City that caused John to again, for the second time, get overwhelmed and fall down before the angel (see 19:10). And again, the angel tells John, Stop it.
The angel identifies himself as a sundoulos, a fellow servant . The angel is just the messenger, as are any and all of God’s prophets, John included.
The angel exhorts John, Worship God! What could be more obvious? The worship part is completely understandable. The obvious, the correct response to the great prophetic words of our future in glory in the radiance of His face upon us is to worship now. We will be worshipping, but the words depicting our future reality provoke us to praise in the present. Likewise, what is more obvious than that we worship the giver of the prophetic words, God Himself.
Unlike the end of the visions that God gave to Daniel, God says that the visions given in the Apocalypse are to be left open and accessible.
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.
The first part of this is more understandable. Though it is also preachable. The prophetic words are for the ones who read them. The prophetic words are for our blessing now, they are for our courage now, they are for us to live for the Lamb and avoid the deceit of the Beast now. Apocalypse means unveiling, so don’t recover the uncovered.
John had been told to “seal up what the seven thunders have said” (Revelation 10:4). Daniel was told to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4). Now, the time is near .
The angel continues his instructions, and since the prophetic words are in the open, their light reveals the absolute antithesis: good and evil.
Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.
It makes some uncomfortable that the angel would exhort evildoers not to stop their evildoing. But God, who is sovereign over every heart, does not shy away from this angle. Is there hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ for any who give up their rebellion and cast themselves at the Lamb’s feet for mercy? Of course! Is there any surprise among the Lamb’s people that some of the seed doesn’t take in the soil? Those who hearts of hate toward God may find it a permanent condition. But if you have ears to hear, kiss the Son lest He be angry and it be too late (Psalm 2:12).
What Christians ought to be concerned with is perseverance in what we know is right. Do right . Be holy . Do it now, because the time is near (per the previous verse).
In the previous verse we see the evil and the good, the filthy and the holy. All will get what’s coming to them.
”Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
The motto, so to speak, of the Apocalypse is that Jesus is coming. “Behold, he is coming” sounds as early as Revelation 1:7. Jesus speaks again, and calls for our concentration again on the validity and reliability of the prophetic words.
He adds here that He will come with recompense . This doesn’t only refer to punishment, but also to reward. He will repay based on what’s been done, good or evil. The righteous will be honored, the filthy will be shamed and punished. Count on it. (See also Isaiah 40:10.)
We are not saved by our works, we are saved by the Lamb’s slaughtering in our place (Revelation 5:9-10). But the redeemed live like it.
Count on it because of who says it: Jesus, who is God. This is the final set of polar titles, but previously they have been designations of the Almighty who is with the Lamb rather than of the Lamb Himself (1:8, 21:6). Of course, John had heard Jesus say, “I am my Father are one” (John 10:30), and regularly the Almighty and the Lamb are sitting on the same throne.
In this outro we have reached the end of the matter; all has been heard. The last visions have been revealed of the eternal days, and John is wrapping up the prophetic words. These prophetic words come from God, they are authentically authoritative. And these prophetic words say that Jesus is coming.
It reminds me of Solomon’s end to Ecclesiastes.
The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14)
As the “worship God” in verse 9 fits with Ecclesiastes 12:13a, “fear God,” as keeping the words fits with “keep His commandments” in Ecclesiastes 12:13b, the recompense in verses 12-13 fits with Ecclesiastes 12:14, “every deed” will be assessed.
Beloved, God is your Keeper, no one can snatch you out of His hand. Beloved, because God is your keeper, you likewise be keepers of His commandments. This is your delightful duty.
The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. (1 Kings 8:57-58, ESV)