The End of the Age – Revelation 22:6 – 21
6 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.
7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 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.
9 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.
10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11 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.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
To this point in the Revelation John’s vision of the New Jerusalem continued through Revelation 22:5. The conclusion of the Revelation of Jesus Christ begins now in verse 6 and leaves the prophetic visions behind as the same angel of Revelation 21:9 offers explanations, after which John responds before closing the Revelation of Jesus Christ.
For the purposes of our consideration we may divide the closing of the book into six topics: {1} an admonition; {2} a sealing of the eternal conditions; {3} a promise; {4} an invitation; {5} a warning; and finally {6} a prayer. The angel that speaks to John quotes important words from Christ and also pronounces both blessings and curses upon men according to how they respond to the Revelation.
The Last Admonition (Revelation 22:6 – 10)
Faithful and True Sayings
John had seen many marvelous things in the visions of the Revelation, and being a mortal man must have wondered in amazement at what had been shone to him. Undoubtedly he found joy and comfort in the assuring words, “…These sayings are faithful and true…” It is then appropriate that these sayings should be so identified because Christ is the One faithful and true witness.
The speaker in this passage is the angel, or messenger that God has sent, the same who spoke to John in chapter 21 verse 9, “…one of the seven angels which had the seven vials…” and he continues to be the messenger throughout chapters 21 and 22. For example, in 21:15, “…he that talked with me…;” in 21:17, “…he measured the wall…;” in 22:1, “…he shewed me a pure river…;” in 22:6, “And he said unto me…;” and in 22:9, “Then saith he unto me….” This is also the angel who quotes the words of Christ in chapter 22.
This angel declares his authority as being from “…the Lord God of the holy prophets…” The word prophet, you may recall, means one who speaks for or on behalf of God. The angel associates himself with those whom God has sent through the ages to speak in His stead. It does not appear that he is himself a prophet but that he has come with the same authority and general duty as the holy prophets of old.
The angel’s duty, similar to that of the prophets, is to reveal God’s Word and will “unto his servants” and he is authorized to show the things which must shortly be done. Christ had spoken directly to John in Revelation chapter 1, where Christ told him to “Write the things which thou has seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” The angel has been a messenger in revealing what is associated with the third phrase of Christ’s statement, “the things which shall be hereafter,” (Revelation 1:19).
Keep the Sayings
In Revelation 22:7 the angel quotes Christ from His letter to the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:11 – “Behold, I come quickly…”) to assure John that Christ would come soon, an announcement appropriately connected to the blessing that follows it. Those who will keep the sayings of the book will find the coming of the Lord a blessed event indeed.
A Fellow Servant
John realized from the previous words of the angel and especially the promise of Christ’s coming that the Revelation was drawing to its end. The visions had been completed and now, as if to gasp for breath after a traumatic experience, John fell before the messenger. Awestruck by what he had seen and heard, John began to worship before the angel. He did not, however, worship the angel directly, as that would have broken the first three of the Ten Commandments. He worshiped God but he did it before the angel in such a manner as to highly honor the messenger of God as well. The angel instructed John not to do so lest he, the angel, be unduly elevated in position, reminding John instead of his station and his role as a messenger. Just as John was a servant of God he too was a servant – therefore a “fellowservant” with John. Like the prophets of old, he too was merely a messenger of God. Like all servants of God he too, as an angel of God, was committed to “keep” the sayings of the book. In these statements the angel lowered himself while exalting God in reminding John that although their stations and service were different, he and John were merely creatures appointed unto the glory of God. Therefore John should direct all his worship completely to God alone, as should we.
The Last Conditions (Revelation 22:11)
Unjust and Filthy
The terms unjust and filthy used here describe an unsaved person. The Greek term adikOn, translated unjust in this text, also means unrighteous. The unjust are so because they are unrighteous. A person can only be justified by grace through faith in the saving blood of Christ. The unsaved remain unjust by the judgment of God, Christ having declared them so at the Great White Throne Judgment when the Lamb’s book of life was opened and their names did not appear in it (Revelation 20:11-15). The unsaved will remain unjustified forever.
As the unsaved stand before the righteous eyes of God without the sin-covering blood of Jesus they appear to God as filthy rags, unrighteous and iniquitous, trespassers and strangers. While the children of God look forward to the blessed regeneration of their whole beings, the unsaved have no such hope. They will remain filthy forever, and the abode of both the unjust and the filthy is in the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:15).
Righteous and Holy
In contrast to the unjust, righteous and holy are terms referring to saved persons. The saved are righteous because they have received the imputed righteousness of Christ (Romans 4:22-24). As they stand before the throne and worship, they are clothed in robes of purest linen, clean and white, indicative of the imputed righteousness of Christ (Revelation 19:8).
The saved also are deemed holy. Since Adam’s sin this has always been the desire of God for His creation. We are instructed in Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:16 to be holy because “He is holy.” God has predetermined that the believer will be forever changed and conform to the image of His Son, which is holiness (Romans 8:29). The change from the physical body to a holy body comes at the rapture and the resurrection, and is the blessed hope of all believers (Titus 2:13). The saved person, whose spirit is already eternally secure, will then remain in a holy condition forever.
The Last Promise (Revelation 22:12 – 16)
The Promise of Coming
In chapters 1 through 3 of the Revelation, when Christ spoke to John, He identified Himself as the speaker. In this text, it is unclear whether Christ is speaking directly to John once more or if the angel is again speaking for Christ. The first time in the Revelation that Christ promised “I come quickly” was in His message to the church at Philadelphia (Revelation 3:11). In chapter 22 verse 7 the angel quotes that promise to John for assurance. In verse 12, Jesus renews the promise to John as part of a statement about rewarding the saved, given as a blessed hope for the people of God that while they, like John, may know of the things that will come upon the earth they can also know with assurance that Christ is coming again. The word quickly (Greek tachu, or swiftly) refers to Christ coming at a time unknown to any man (see also Matthew 24:36 – 44).
The Promise of Rewards
Jesus assured John He would return with rewards and also reminds John of who He is – the sovereign Judge and Lord, the same One seen by John in chapter 1, describing Himself as the Alpha and Omega, the first and last characters in the Greek alphabet, in reference to His eternal self-existence.
The Promise of Entrance
Revelation 22:14-15 draws a comparison between those who are saved forever and those forever lost. Verse 14 refers to the saved living on the new earth, those of whom it can be said that they follow his commandments as they serve Christ in the new kingdom. These are given access to the tree of life because Christ has assured them that right through the shedding of his own blood and by their faith in Him alone. They also have the promise of entrance into the city because all those on the new earth will have entrance into the New Jerusalem to worship the Lord (Revelation 21:24-26).
The Promise of Restriction
Christ promised the saved entrance into His city but entry is restricted to the saved only. The phrase “for without” (Greek exo, or outside) in no way refers to those living on the new earth outside the city. To interpret this phrase in such a manner directly contradicts Revelation 21:24-26 and Revelation 22:14, and would create much confusion; the unregenerant will not inhabit the regenerated earth. The purpose for verse 15, then, is to sharply contrast with verse 14. Those in verse 14 live outside the city of New Jerusalem on the new earth but are free to enter the city even as do the kings and nations of Revelation 21:26. Those in verse 15 exist “without,” or outside the whole of the heavenly scene, neither in the city nor on the glorious earth. Being unsaved, they remain where God placed them in the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:11-15). The awful description of the conditions of the unsaved in verse 15 emphasizes the restricting power of the Lord. Although the evil unsaved might desire to occupy the glorious places of the saved, God will restrict access to His new world to only those who have been born again. Jesus said, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). This promise of restriction emphasizes the eternal blessedness shared by those who are in Christ and encourages us today. Such a restricted heavenly place is the hope and joy of the saved (Titus 2:13). Paul wrote in chapter 1 verse 21 of his letter to the Philippians, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die (physically) is gain.”
The Promise of Jesus
In Revelation 22:16 Jesus identifies Himself as “I Jesus.” He then affirms for John the authenticity of the Revelation. He has sent His angel to testify to John, the same angel mentioned in chapter 1 verse 1. The open letter of the Revelation was given to John by Christ for distribution to His churches (Revelation 1:4 and 11).
Christ’s affirmation of His identity as the root and the offspring of David is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David and the associated prophecies concerning the throne (Isaiah 9:6-7; 11:1-2). Jesus alone is the star God promised would come out of Jacob in Numbers 24:17. Jesus is the bright and morning star, ushering in the day of eternal hope, help, light and all blessedness.
The Last Invitation (Revelation 22:17)
The Spirit and the Bride
As recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus commissioned His church at Jerusalem to carry the Gospel message to the world. He also sent His Spirit to empower the early church (Acts 2). It is in the New Testament churches that the authority and Holy Spirit power of the Lord rests to preach the Gospel to the world. As the Spirit works through the churches, the Spirit and the Bride of Christ sound the message of invitation, “Come,” to a world desperately in need of hearing it. Carrying the Gospel message is an urgent duty because as Jesus spoke to His church at Sardis, “…I come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee,” (Revelation 3:3).
He That Heareth
Anyone who has experienced the saving grace of Christ can witness to others of what they have received from Jesus, but how will they hear unless we proclaim what Jesus has done for us? So-called ‘higher’ education or the use of lofty words are not requirements for sharing the Gospel; the salvation experience coupled with following the leadership of the Spirit and a love for God and others are. The woman at the well of John 4 is a good example. The angel encourages anyone who hears and acts upon the invitation to say to others, “Come.”
He That is Thirsty
Whosoever thirsts may come and drink. The thirsty are those who feel remorse for their sin and long for the righteousness of Christ. Jesus taught, “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:6).
Come and Take
The invitation is to come and take the water of life that is the eternal life found only in Jesus and that He makes available to all men (Romans 10:13). It is an invitation for humanity to come to Christ in this present time before the tragic end-time events in this book occur. Today is the day of salvation and now is the time for men to repent before it is eternally too late.
The word “come” has often been referred to as God’s favorite word, occurring more than five hundred times in the Old and New Testaments. A few notable examples include Genesis 7:1 when God spoke to Noah after the ark was built and He said, “Come thou and all thy house into the ark (of preservation and safety).” In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus spoke plainly in Revelation 22:7 when He said, “Behold I come quickly,” and again in verse 20 of that chapter when he said, “Surely I come quickly (soon). Revelation 22:17 says, “The Spirit (Holy Spirit) and the bride (of Christ) say, Come.” The Holy Spirit and the Bride of Christ, along with those who “heareth” and those who are athirst invite “whosoever will” to take “the water of life freely.”
The Last Warning (Revelation 22:18, 19)
Verses 18 and 19 offer both a sure testament and a dire warning. Although the identity of the speaker is somewhat left to question it seems to be the angel, it seeming quite unlikely that Jesus would refer to God in such a separated manner.
Add or Take Away
The book under consideration in this passage is “the Revelation of Jesus Christ” of chapter 1, verse 1. To add to or take away from the words of the Revelation represents blatant rejection of the truth and testimony of Jesus Christ as Savior. Men cannot be saved if they attempt to add or take away from the saving grace of Jesus; any such attempt is to disbelieve the truth and teach a lie.
God Shall
Those who reject Jesus will suffer three things. First, they will suffer the terrible events prophesied in the book because they may either live into the time of the seven-year tribulation as a lost person or die lost and be part of those who suffer the judgment and lake of fire. Second, the unbeliever will not enjoy the good things reserved for the saved, such as entry into the holy city. Third, Christ will blot out the name of the unbeliever from the book of life. When someone dies in rejection of Jesus they also die in rejection of what the book of life offers. Therefore, the book in its final form will only contain the names of those who accepted the offer of eternal life; no other names will appear on the pages of the Lamb’s book of life (Revelation 20:15).
The Last Prayer (Revelation 22:20, 21)
“He who testifieth these things…” is Jesus Christ because, as the Revelation is of Christ so is the testimony of Him. Jesus reminds John of His promise when He says, “Surely, I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). And then the angel says, “Amen.” Everything in the Revelation is in some way dependent upon the return of Jesus. It is most appropriate for the angel to end the Revelation with the warning and promise of Christ to come, a warning for men to prepare for His return and a blessed promise for His people.
Even So, Come
As John hears again the promise of Jesus, he responds with, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (verse 20). John’s heart is ready for the Lord to return, his attitude that of a humble man in prayer. Perhaps the great vision that he has seen along with his personal circumstances on Patmos intensified his desire for the return of his Lord. Surely he has experienced the urgency of the message he was to communicate to the churches and, through them, to us.
Grace
John sends the Revelation to the churches as Christ has instructed him to do and he concludes the letter with his own closing words to the congregations. These simple words were, nonetheless, inspired by the Holy Spirit (compare to 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17) as John prayed the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ upon the churches. After seeing the Revelation, John certainly knew and appreciated the grace of the Lord as much as any man could. Grace is the unmerited favor of God shown toward unworthy man. The benefits of grace to man are beyond human understanding or measure. God’s grace is sufficient to meet every need, as the Lord told Paul and he recorded for our benefit in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” No higher blessing could be prayed upon the churches than to ask God for the extension of His grace to them. Then, as did the angel before him, John proclaimed, “Amen (so be it).”
The End of the Age (Revelation 22:6 – 21)
The end of the age concludes as God has made all things new. His judgments are complete and all things are in order according to the sovereign will and divine plan of the eternal and Almighty Creator. Everything ungodly is in the lake of fire that burns with brimstone forever. Time serves no more purpose, nor does the measuring of it. Eternal conditions for both the saved and the lost are set and nothing will alter them in any way. The age of man living in weak and sinful flesh has forever ended.
The end of the age will surely come exactly as the Revelation declares. God’s grace, as John prayed for the churches, is still available to save and continues to work in this age to warn men of coming doom that they might repent of their sin and trust in the saving power of the Lamb of God. God continues to issue an invitation to all men who thirst and who will come to partake of the water of life He freely offers. God, in His grace, remains available to man today, ready and able to save even the lowliest sinner who will respond to the invitation and “come” to Him.
A Closing Thought
God hates sin and judges it, but God loves all sinners. He never executes His righteous judgment without first offering an opportunity to repent and reconcile. The Bible is a book filled with examples, beginning in Genesis chapter three after Adam had transgressed God’s command and called to Adam with an invitation to approach God, confess the transgression and be reconciled to Him. It is appropriate that the Revelation ends so similarly with an invitation to approach God, confess one’s condition and believe in Jesus the Son.
The Revelation of Jesus Christ is now complete. Only one question remains to be answered – do we, by faith, believe what it says? If you, Dear Reader, have accepted Jesus as your Savior your future is eternally secure and you will without doubt occupy a heavenly place in His divine presence and worship Him forever. If, on the other hand, you have yet to make a decision for Christ your future is certainly one of eternal doom although it needn’t remain so. Today is indeed the day, now is indeed the time when you can make the decision that will ensure you will someday receive a glorified body and wear a robe of pure white linen in Heaven with Him.
The late Adrian Rogers, long-time pastor and reputable evangelist of renown once said, “There once was a time when you were not, but there will never come a time when you are not.” While I do not refute his statement I believe he may have stopped short. Jeremiah 1:4-5 says, “Then the word of the Lord came to me (Jeremiah), saying, Before I formed thee in the belly (womb) I knew (took eternal thought of) thee; and before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee (set you aside for a life’s purpose), and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (the purpose for which Jeremiah was born).” You see, there was never a moment in eternity when God didn’t intimately ‘know’ Jeremiah and everything about him. You and I are no different from the prophet in that way. Once conceived in the womb our spirits became alive and we will consciously exist forever. But where will our existence be? Where will your existence be? Will you experience eternity in Heaven in the presence of the Lamb along with an untold multitude of fellow believers or in the lake of fire, alone but fully conscious of every opportunity you had to believe Jesus, fully aware of His righteous judgment yet powerless to change your eternally doomed circumstances?
Paul the apostle wrote correctly that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s righteous glory. Perhaps you see others as being in some way ‘better’ than you – they are not. Maybe you see yourself as somehow being beyond Christ’s forgiveness – you are not. Perhaps you see yourself as ‘too far gone,’ dragged down by your past and having no hope for your future – you are not, regardless of the condition in which you may find yourself, and Jesus is very plain in extending His invitation to you. If you feel the burden of your sin upon your shoulders and the conviction of the Holy Spirit within your heart you need only call upon Him now, in this moment. Admit to Jesus that you can do nothing for yourself to change your spiritual condition and believe in the sacrifice He has already made for you. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord, and ask Him to come into your heart. He will.
The grace – unmerited favor – Jesus waits to pour upon you is available in this moment. His divine mercy is available even though you have sinned, indeed because you have sinned against Him, He unreservedly desires to pour it out upon you. God is first a God of love, and everything He has done has been motivated by that love. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” In other words God loves you and me in such a way and to such an extent that He was willing to do whatever was necessary to make redemption available to us. Won’t you accept the free gift of that redemption now?
Be blessed, Dear Reader, and be vigilant, “for the time is at hand.”
Tom