02.67. LECTURE No. 67 -- Rev_22:6-12
LECTURE No. 67 -- Revelation 22:6-12 The Tree of Life Will Be in the New Jerusalem So That Men May Partake of It and Live Forever - Jesus Prophesied Saying "Behold I Come Quickly" - Nearing the End with the End in View - The Scriptures Do Not Compromise the Truth to Please Anyone - The Things Written in the Book of Revelation Will Surely Come to Pass - It Is Strange How Some People Can Deny the Truth - An Outline of the Book of Revelation - The Manner in Which Christ Will Come. Foretold by Jesus Himself - The Second Coming of Christ Is Good News for All Those Who Are Prepared to Meet Him -- Those Who Oppose the Truth Recorded in the Book of Revelation Are to Be Pitied - A Future Time of Embarrassment Is in Store for Some Christians - How the Revelation of These Things Recorded in the Book of Revelation Affected the Apostle John - After All, the Book of Revelation Is Not a Sealed Book
OUR lesson in the preceding chapter was based upon Revelation 22:1-5, where the Apostle John said,
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
Those Who Have Access to the Tree of Life Will Live Forever In our last lesson, we learned that these words were a description of things and conditions as they will be within the walls and the city of the New Jerusalem. Is it not interesting to note that the history of man began with the Garden of Eden, in which there was the tree of life, and that the prophetic history of man closes with a description of the New Jerusalem in which there will also be the tree of life, to which man in his redeemed condition will have access and live forever? The Second Coming of Christ Prophetically Announced
We are now ready to advance in our study by reading and considering what is written in Revelation 22:6-12, where the Apostle John further said,
“And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
“And I John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God!
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
“And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” The End of the Revelation in View From the language of our lesson text just read, we are impressed with the fact that we are nearing the end of our study of this wonderful last Book of the Bible.
The burden of these words, therefore, is to impress upon us the certainty of all these things which we have studied in the entire book, beginning with chapter one to the close of the Revelation
In order to impress us with this fact, the angelic messenger said to John,
“These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.”
Jesus Always Spoke with Authority These words were spoken prophetically in defense of the wonderful teachings of this Book.
It is amazing with what straightforwardness the scriptures speak to us with uncompromising authority concerning all subjects with which it has to do. This was particularly true of Jesus at the time of His first advent. It was said of Him that He spake not as the scribes and Pharisees but as a Man having authority. Jesus could speak with authority because He was the Son of God and because He understood the truth, whether it pertained to the past, present or future. The Certainty of These Things
We need not be surprised, therefore, that all of the sayings in the Book of Revelation are declared to be faithful and true. The Lord must have known the terrible opposition which would arise against this Book, from every quarter, during the closing days of present dispensation.
Three different times in the book, it is affirmed that these things are faithful and true. For instance in Revelation 19:9 it says,
“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”
Again in Revelation 21:5 it says,
“And he that sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”
In our lesson text, the angel said, “These sayings are faithful and true.”
As if to give further assurance, Jesus added His own personal testimony in Revelation 22:16 where He said, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.”
How Can People Deny the Truth With such evidence as this, how could anyone deny that the things written in this book are true.
Yet, my friends, that is exactly what many people are doing, either by the words they speak or the attitude of indifference which they assume, they are saying to God and to man, that they have no interest whatever in the momentous sayings of this book, the words of which God has thrice declared are true and faithful.
While some openly deny the truth of this book, others purposely refuse to study it and seek to excuse themselves from all responsibility concerning the truth which the Book contains by saying they cannot understand it.
Let us remember this:
The Word of God is true in one part of the Bible as in another, and all the truth in the Bible was placed there for us to study and to understand.
The truth which God has caused to be written for our instruction and for our comfort in this last book of the Bible will remain true in spite of the unbelief of men and the opposition of those who oppose it.
We are ready, therefore, to affirm in the language of the angel who revealed these things to John, saying,
“These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” An Outline of the Book In light of the words which we have just quoted from the sixth verse of our lesson text concerning the things which must shortly be done, we wish to call your attention to the fact that the entire Book of Revelation was a book of prophecy at the time it was given, and that its fulfillment began very shortly after the revelation was given to John on the Isle of Patmos.
Revelation 1:1-20, Revelation 2:1-29, Revelation 3:1-22, as we know, were a prophetic outline of conditions as they would be during the present age of grace, or church age.
Revelation 4:1-11, Revelation 5:14, Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 7:1-17, Revelation 8:1-13, Revelation 9:1-21, Revelation 10:1-11, Revelation 11:1-19, Revelation 12:1-17, Revelation 13:1-18, Revelation 14:1-20, Revelation 15:1-8, Revelation 16:1-21, Revelation 17:1-18, Revelation 18:1-24, Revelation 19:1-21 were a prophetic outline of things that will come to pass during the tribulation period, which will be ushered in immediately following the resurrection and rapture of the church.
Revelation 20:1-15 has to do with conditions as they will be following the tribulation period, during the kingdom age.
Revelation 21:1-127, as we know, has to do with the seven new things which will come to pass during the new earth period after the present earth has been renovated by fire.
Revelation 22:1-21, which we are now studying, brings to us the last message of the Bible and points out to us the eternal state of the redeemed.
We must acknowledge, therefore, that the angel was justified in saying to John, that these things “must shortly be done,” for their fulfillment began immediately following the revelation and have been in process of fulfillment from then until now and will continue to be fulfilled until all things written in this book shall have been accomplished.
Jesus Said, “Behold I Come Quickly”
We do not wonder, therefore, that in Revelation 22:7 of our lesson text the Lord said,
“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”
Some have had difficulty in understanding these words, “Behold, I come quickly,” but there should be no difficulty here, for when the Lord does come He will come quickly!
This applies to the rapture of the church, when He will come in the clouds of heaven and we shall be caught up to met Him in the air, as confirmed in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, where it says,
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
The suddenness of this event is also suggested in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, where the Apostle Paul said,
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” The Manner of Christ’s Coming Prophetically Foretold The coming of our Lord in His revelation, which will be after the tribulation period, will also be very sudden!
This is confirmed in Matthew 24:27-30, where Jesus Himself said,
“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Indeed, my friends, in the light of such truth as this, the words of our Lord, When He said, “Behold, I come quickly,” should be the watchword of every true believing child of God. We say, therefore, in the language of Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” The Coming of Christ a Comfort and Blessing to Some
Let us note also in verse Revelation 22:7 it says, “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”
These words are very comforting indeed and they re-affirm the words of Revelation 1:3 where it says,
“Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
In the very beginning of our study and exposition of the Book of Revelation, we took our firm stand upon these words and were willing to trust God to fulfill them to our own heart and to the hearts of others, as these messages should go out over the air. That, my friends, is exactly what He has done. I can give personal testimony to the fact in the study and exposition of those things are written in this book, I have received untold blessing upon my own heart. My heart has also been made to rejoice in knowing that hundreds and thousands of people who have heard these messages on the Book of Revelation have been blessed and helped by them.
Sorry for Those Who Oppose This Truth On the other hand, we know that from the very beginning there were many even among professing Christians, who not only disapproved but openly opposed our study and exposition of these truths.
Isn’t it strange that opposition to such glorious truth as that which is contained in this last Book of the Bible should come from church leaders and from professing Christian people. Surely, my friends, something is wrong with anyone who opposes the truth of God’s Word. Such people are either ignorant of the Word of God, or they are blind to its message, or their hearts are filled with willful unbelief.
Such people are well described in the language which Jesus used against those who rejected Him at the time of His first advent In Matthew 14:15-16 He said,
“And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”
Therefore, we are ready to affirm once again that “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”
Christian friends, let all of us stand upon that promise no matter what others may think or say about us. Let us remember also that in Revelation the 2nd and 3rd chapters, the Lord has spoken seven different times, saying,
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.”
Some professing Christians Will Be Embarrassed But what about those who refuse to hear the words of this book, even though they are professing Christians? Concerning this point, in his book on the Apocalypse, Seiss says:
“How will some of these pious scorners, whom Christ has set and ordained to feed his sheep and give them meat in due season, feel and fare, when from the judgment seat he shall say: ‘Sirs, I gave you the complete chart of my promised Apocalypse or Revelation; I caused it to be made as plain as words and visions can make anything of the sort; I told you over and over of the momentous importance of studying, treasuring, and making known to the churches what I thus sent my angel and my beloved disciple to show you; And yet you have held it to be a crazy Book, one which either finds or leaves crazy those who study it, and have not believed it, and have not believed my word, nor taught it to my people, nor allowed it to speak in the appointed Lectionaires, and have only sought to explain away its momentous import into a little dim foreshowing of a few ages of ordinary earthly history!
“‘Was this the way for good servants of their Lord to act? Was this being faithful stewards of the mysteries of God? Was this the way to treat what I have been at such pains to give, and pointed you to, with so much solemnity, and promised to reward your study of it with such special benedictions?’ Alas, alas, what answer will they make?”
How John Was Affected by These Things
Let us notice briefly the effect that these wonderful things, recorded in the Revelation, had upon the Apostle John to whom they were revealed by the angel. In Revelation 22:8-9 of our lesson text it says,
“And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”
There is no way of telling who this ministering angel was, who revealed these things to the aged Apostle.
The lesson text would indicate that John himself knew who he was. It was hard for John to tell whether the messenger was an angel of the Lord or whether it was the Lord Himself who had appeared to him in the form of an angel. There was no idolatry in John’s heart-none whatever.
If the messenger had been Jesus Himself, John would have been justified in worshipping Him, but since he was merely an angel of the Lord, whom He had sent to reveal these things to the Apostle John, John was forbidden to worship him with the simple admonition,
“I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God!”
Revelation Not a Sealed Book
Let us conclude our lesson this morning by reading what is written in Revelation 22:10-12 of our lesson text, where it says,
“And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”
~ end of lecture 67 ~