WELCOME
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SILENCE
If I am not mistaken, this is our 100th – and final – teaching through the Book of Revelation.
We have read up through verse 5 which, as I have intimated, ended the description of what the New Age would look like – an age I am convinced began when the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed and over a million Jews were put to death, and Jesus returned as promised to take His bride.
This was the end of what the Jews for 1500 years called, the present age, and chapter 21-22:5 are John’s description of what the Jews called the age to come would look like.
To the challenge that the description of the age to come found in 21-22:5 was only to the Seven Churches we must ask the following:
If that description was only to them of the final age, and cannot be applied to us today, then what can?
If we say, love through Christ I would ask: “Says who?” We can’t use the Bible to tell us so.
If we say, “it’s all over” and nothing else matters in terms of biblical instruction then I would ask, how do people come to know Christ? And then how would they know how to follow Him? And what are they to expect after this life? And where can they learn of this expectation.
I would also mention that the freedom and free will God gives all balanced with Him being just and good is lost in a world where everything is done, that
I would then call freewill meaningless in the face of a God we call Good, and add that the principle of the harvest articulated in the Old and New Testaments are over, then life becomes utterly meaningless, and such a teaching will only emphasize this end result.
We might also ask, like Earl intimated last week, why would this Revelation be given to the Seven churches in Asian minor when all the action of chapters 1-20 and then 22:6 to the end, seem to be generally focused on Israel and especially Jerusalem, and NOT the Seven churches?
I mean wasn’t Ephesus some1100 miles away from where all the destruction was taking place? Yes and no.
Yes it was 1100 miles away from Jerusalem, but chapters 1-20 clearly address Nero’s campaign against Christians in Asian Minor (fueled by Satan being loosed for a season) and with several of the seven churches located close to the eastern border of Rome itself they would be the first to experience the purge and plunder of his wrath.
The Book of Revelation was written to them because of what was headed their way and it would serve as a warning of what was going to happen both at Jerusalem AND in the churches at Asia Minor.
So where there was a certainty that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed by the Romans, we forget the fact that when Satan was loosed for the three and a half years and through Nero he unleashed on Christians living within the Roman Empire – including and especially the Seven Churches.
Here in chapters 2-3, Jesus warns them of their failures and the need to change before it was too late.
Now listen – the Apostle Paul knew about the troubles Jesus addresses in the seven churches – so did Peter.
That is why both of them wrote several epistles (Ephesians, Colossians, Hebrews, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, 1 Peter, 2 Peter) to those churches, and sent their coworkers to them to stabilize them and brace them for the soon-coming persecution by Nero which would ultimately cause many Christians to fall away from the faith or be killed.
Despite all of their diligent efforts to prepare the churches for this great tribulation, few of them remained faithful. It is why Paul actually writes in 2nd Timothy 1:15 that “all who are in Asia turned away” from him.
It does not sound like those churches in Asia heeded the warnings of John, Paul, and Peter. And therefore, it is no wonder those churches disappeared from history after the persecution of Nero and the destruction of Jerusalem. Their lamps were snuffed out, just as Christ had warned.
When we ask what happened to the Seven Churches, we might as well ask what happened to ALL the true Christians after AD 70!
And at this point I am going to step to the radical side of the stage. Ready?
I used to think that there were some true Christians left behind. A remnant. But today, I tend to think that all true Christians (and remember, this title would be defined by their love and devotion to Christ and the suffering He commanded them to endure) all of these – were gone.
Taken.
We do not hear from any of them again. No more books coming out of believers who were actually alive post 70 AD. No more missionary activity, no more churches established. Nothing but what some call “a deafening silence.”
But guess who and what was flourishing from that day forward? Heretics, Judaizers, and Gnostics.
Where were those true Christians (the “elect”) who supposedly “lived and remained until the Parousia”? Well, if they were still around afterward why were they so silent about what they had seen, heard and experienced at the Parousia of Christ, especially in view of the heretics, Judaizers, and Gnostics who were teaching a future Parousia?
Why didn’t the true Christians speak up and set the record straight if they were still alive and on earth after Jesus came?
There is something very strange and incriminating about unified silence. Now, at this point people begin to point to certain men we have labeled the early church fathers.
read on the Early Christian Writings web site.
WRITING: Didache
WRITING: Epistle of Barnabas
Clement of Rome (Born 35 AD – 35)
WRITING: 2 Clement
WRITING: The Shepherd of Hermas
Ignatius of Antioch (20 years old 70AD)
Polycarp (born 70AD)
WRITING: The Martyrdom of Polycarp
WRITING: Epistle to Diognetus
WRITING: Fragments of Papias
Quadratus of Athens
Aristides
Justin Martyr
Claudius Apollinaris
Minucius Felix
Melito of Sardis
Hegesippus
Dionysius of Corinth
Athenagoras of Athens
Irenaeus of Lyons
What is really interesting to think about is that these earliest church writers (and certainly most people who have followed in after them) ENTIRELY MISSED the fact that the all the elements of the Apostolic Church were complete in Christ’s return for His bride and the destruction of the former age.
Why would this be? Why do all of them continue to in some way or another perpetuate the idea that a continuation of the Apostolic church (without the Apostles) was necessary when the Bible itself clearly says that a new age was coming? We can’t say definitively, but we can say that it is possible, due to the influence of Gnostic, Judaising, heretics (who did NOT have access to all the books of the New Testament) this assumption was easy to make – and make it they did, and then so did everyone who followed in thereafter for centuries to come.
By the time Eusebius wrote in 300 AD the tradition of a continued brick and mortar institutional approach to the faith was in place, even though he himself admitted, when writing about Matthew 24 the following:
“And when those that believed in Christ had come thither [out] from Jerusalem [in obedience to Matthew 24:15-16], then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men … [When] the lamentation and wailing that was predicted for the Jews, and the burning of the Temple and its utter desolation, can also be seen even now to have occurred according to the prediction, surely we must also agree that the King who was prophesied, the Christ of God, has come, since the signs of His coming have been shewn in each instance I have treated to have been clearly fulfilled.”
So even though Eusibius knew and understood, that the contents of Matthew 24, echoed and amplified in Revelation 1-20, had happened and had been fulfilled, he seems to overlook the larger implication that this would have on the body of believers thereafter, and instead catered (like most men and women did then) to the notion that there was a need for a physical church and it was to operate by the model that the apostles established when they were alive and governing over it.
Perhaps the Revelation went to the Seven Churches to prepare them for Nero’s persecution and the need to be strong in the face of Jesus eminent coming.
Bottom line, I am now of the opinion that unless Jesus left a very special remnant to bear forth the Good News to the world after His return, I think EVERY Christian alive at His coming was taken if they were ready. If they were not, they remained. If in Jerusalem they could have been destroyed, if outside of Jerusalem, they were either put to death (by the hand of Nero and his armies) OR they were left behind but remained quite silent.
At this point John continues with the wrap up of the Revelation. Let’s read together (and note the SIX times either Jesus or John references how He is coming quickly or how the time of His second coming was at hand.)
REVELATION 22.6-end
July 15 2018
Meat
The Last Verse by Verse through Revelation
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.
Okay . . .
John has concluded his description of New Jerusalem, the city of God at verse 5.
We saw that “a river of life” runs through the city, proceeding from God’s throne and from the Lamb (very symbolic), with the tree of life on both sides of the river, whose leaves provide healing for the nations. (again, something I take as highly symbolic – but admit it could be literal.)
We also saw how that in New Jerusalem there is “no curse” and “no night,” but God is there and the Lamb and He lights up the city.
We also discussed how John’s descriptions parallel to many others in the New Testament, concerning what they called “this present age.”
At verse 6 John now writes:
Verse 6: John writes, “Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.”
This statement is a reaffirmation of what Jesus said in chapter 21:5, that the words about the New Jerusalem “are faithful and true.”
We also note that at this point, in this last chapter of the Revelation, John repeats what he said at the beginning of the book!
Do you remember? He wrote:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place… Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (Revelation 1:1-3).
Again, I maintain that when Jesus was on earth and was “learning obedience by the things He suffered” Hebrews that at that point He was NOT aware of everything, which is why He said relative to the end of the age and His return that
“no man knows the day, neither the angels of heaven, but only the Father.”
But now, here in this Revelation, where Jesus has overcome all things, God gave Him this Revelation (what is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ) and Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is sharing with John to deliver to His Church.
John’s letter was distributed to seven first century churches concerning events that they were about to experience, and it pleased God to “show His servants” those things ahead of time.
Back in our study of Revelation 1, we noted that “the Greek word used for “shortly” here is the same one Jesus used when He said His time to be crucified was ‘at hand‘ (Matthew 26:18), and when John said ‘the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand‘ (John 7:2) – so there is no doubt that the events of this book were literally near.
I suggest, that since the events in the Book were at hand that even the events of Revelation 21 through 22:5 were about to start too because they would commence ONCE all that was described in chapter 1-20 were complete.
Of course, here John has now left the description of all that would be happening in short order once all hell broke loose and he returns to the warnings of eminent judgement and reward, saying at verse 7:
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Now in this closing chapter the voice or narrator can become a little confusing. First it was the angel, then John, then Jesus and then maybe back around to the angel.
It’s not really easy. But suffice it to say this statement, “Behold I am coming quickly” was either the Angel speaking FOR Jesus or it was Jesus Himself since we know He was the one who was coming.
In verse 6 John is the speaker and reveals what the angel had said to him but now there is a switch. Then verses 9-11 it seems to go back to the angel-guide.
Whatever the case, I suggest that Jesus here repeats what He and John have already said several times in this book:
“Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen” (Revelation 1:7).
“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you” (Revelation 3:3)
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Revelation 3:11).
“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (Revelation 16:15).
Interestingly, this is the first reminder that Jesus was coming and that it was going to be soon, and it is the first reminder of five.
This language is consistent with other statements that John was prophesying of things which would soon take place, and of events that were near in their time. We have to always ask:
“How would John’s readers have understood these statements?”
At verse 8-9 John writes,
“Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’”
Now, this is really fascinating because John has made the same mistake before!
This tells me the substance and experience John was having was so overwhelming that even he was having trouble knowing who was God and who was a heavenly being of glory.
Back in chapter 19:9-10 we read
And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
I love the fact that John would openly admit that he was making this mistake and that as a result he was rebuked.
At verse 10: John writes,
“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.’”
Interestingly, Daniel, who was given similar visions to what John saw and heard, was given opposite instructions. He was told to seal his book (Daniel 12:4, 12:9) because what he saw was still far off (Daniel 8:26, 10:14).
However, John was told that what he saw was soon to take place and therefore he should not seal his book.
So again, Daniel, around 600 BC wrote:
“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end” (Daniel 12:4)
Then verse 9 “And he said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’”
Then Daniel 8:26 where we read
“And the vision of the evenings and mornings which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, for it refers to many days in the future.”
Then Daniel 10:14
“Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come”
Of course, John the Revelator, around 65 AD wrote
“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book…’” . “…for the time is at hand” (Revelation 22:10).
Around 600 BC, Daniel was told to seal his book and his words, but around 65 AD John was told not to seal his book or his words.
Around 600 BC, Daniel was told that the time of the fulfillment of his book was still far away, but around 65 AD John was told that the time of the fulfillment of his book was near.
LISTEN – ONE MORE TIME TO ME – none of this makes any sense if Daniel and/or John were prophesying about events in the 21st century or beyond, as both would be far away.
But it does makes sense if both Daniel and John were prophesying of events in John’s time.
And remember, Daniel was told that his prophecies concerned “the time of the end” for his people in Israel.
That end had come in John’s day, and therefore he wrote that “the time” was “at hand.”
At verse 11 John writes something that was absolutely true relative to the wrapping up of that age, as he says:
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
I suggest that if we take the phrase the Time is at hand and couple it with verse 11 that what is being said in verse 11 is that the time is so close that . . .
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.”
Again, at verse 12 John reiterates, “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.”
These are again words spoken directly by Jesus, and they are virtually identical to the words He spoke to His disciples in Matthew 16:27-28 just forty years or so earlier:
“For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
In John’s account, Jesus said He would come quickly. In Matthew’s account, Jesus said He would come while some of His disciples were still alive. In both accounts He said He would reward everyone according to their works at His coming.
In Matthew’s account, Jesus said He would come with His angels. Throughout the book of Revelation we see God’s angels pouring out judgment upon “the great city” where the Lord was crucified – that is, Jerusalem, the same city which was marked as a harlot because of its shedding of the blood of the saints and martyrs (Revelation 17:1-6), apostles, and prophets (Revelation 18:20-24).
At verse 13 John writes,
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
These are also direct words from Jesus, and He repeats titles that He had given Himself in Revelation 1:8 and Revelation 21:6, and which an angel ascribed to Him in Revelation 2:8.
The Father spoke similarly of Himself through the prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 41:4, 43:10, 44:6, 48:12).
Jesus has now inherited all things. At verse 14-15 John writes, to the believers of THAT day who were RECEIVING THIS Revelation.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But . . . outside . . . are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
If you were here three weeks ago you know that John here reiterates what he had already said, and it is a contrast between those who will reside in the city of God (new Jerusalem) and who would always remain outside of its gates – the difference between these groups appears to be those who
“KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS”
Back in Revelation 21 :25-27 we read about the New Jerusalem’s City wall:
“Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there). And they shall bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life”
But before we talk about these verses we have an issue worth discussing:
There are two textual traditions that appear this way:
(this is taken from HB Swete’s The Apocalypse of St. John)
ON BOARD
The top line corresponds to the text adopted by the NIV, the bottom line is the KJV (“Majority”) text version, or in the form typically seen in modern editions of the Greek NT.
They read this way:
[??] ????????? ??? ?????? ?????
those who wash their robes
[??] ????????? ??? ??????? ?????
those who do his commandments
How can we decide which is the original reading, though?
Three considerations (at least) speak in favour of the “robes” rather than “commandments” reading (in descending order of significance):
Here they are:
The “oldest” manuscripts have this reading. The textual witnesses to the very difficult text of Revelation are fewer than in other NT books, however.2 The manuscript support for “robes” is in Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus (4th and 5th C respectively), and “about 15 minuscles”, while the “commandments” reading is in the tenth C 046, most minuscles, and is reflected also in the Syriac* and Coptic tradition.
When John of Patmos speaks about “commandments”, he uses ?????? “to keep” rather than ?????? “to do”, as the KJV version has it. If the “commandments” reading was original, this would be an odd form of the phrase.
In the context of 22:12 (“…I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to pay each one according to what he has done!”), scribes might be inclined towards prefering a “moral” sense in v. 14.
All this taken into account, and the fact that those who are washed is far more in harmony with the way men are justified by God rather than the Catholic sense of keeping commandments, I vote for the NIV translation.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But . . . outside (which intimates those who have not washed their robes in the blood) . . . are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.”
Now, I am going to make a leap here but its in the face of what is written.
First of all, we read once again about a community OUTSIDE the walls of the New Jerusalem.
John does NOT say that they are in hell, nor the Lake of Fire (but we could assume that this is where they are and that outside the walls is the Lake of Fire) but he simply says that they are outside the walls.
Those who allowed in through the gates in the walls have washed their robes (presumably in the blood of the Lamb) and
because of this
“they may have the right to the tree of life” and “may enter through the gates into the city.”
Does this mean those outside are never allowed in? We do not read this, do we. All we read is that those who are outside the walls (a place, a geography that does NOT seem to exist until the New Jerusalem is founded so I think this setting is all part of the New Covenant but was not part of the former or Old) have not washed their robes (apparently of the sins they bear).
In terms of a description the first describes as being outside the walls are characterized as dogs. Now this is a term the Jews used to characterize Gentiles but interestingly enough Paul (in Philippians 3:2) applied this pejorative term to Judaizers.
In addition to dogs, we also read that sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers and idolaters and whoever loves and practices a lie are outside of the New Jerusalem.
Paul was clear in 1st Corinthians 6 and Galatians 5 that those who practice such things FROM THAT AGE would have ones entrance barred from the kingdom of God on high.
Additionally, what we have presented here is what is known as a Chiastic – which was a literary structure found in some Hebrew writing and in other sources too.
This Chiastic is located in a comparison between Revelation 22:14 and 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 and it looks like this:
(SEE BOARD)
A – Blessed are those who wash their robes (Rev. 22:14)
B – that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14)
C – Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral…etc. (Rev. 22:15)
C – Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers…etc. will inherit the kingdom of God. (I Cor. 6:9-10)
B – you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (I Cor. 6:11)
A – But you were washed (I Cor. 6:11)
Interestingly, Paul speaks in 1st Corinthians of inheriting the kingdom, but he doesn’t mention a city, while John speaks of entrance into the city, but doesn’t mention a kingdom.
However, Hebrews 12, that amazing chapter, equates both ideas in one passage:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (verse 22)….
Remember that this is the last portion of this long and symbolic Revelation. Here in verse 16 John writes,
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
In some ways Jesus repeats what John had said in the very first verse of Revelation:
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John…”
Remember, Jesus told John to distribute THE Revelation “in the churches” that were located in Asia Minor THEN.
This once again underscores the truth that Revelation was not written first and foremost for believers in the 21st century, but that it was written for a first century audience, concerning things they were about to experience at that time.
So Jesus said (through John)
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
In Revelation 5:5, Jesus was also given the title “the Root of David,” along with the title “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.”
Here Jesus is also called “the Bright and Morning Star.” In Revelation 2, the church at Thyatira was told that those who would “hold fast until He came, and who would overcome and keep His works until the end,” would be given power over the nations and also would be given “the morning star”
In speaking about the gospel and Jesus’ first coming, Peter wrote:
“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (II Peter 1:19).
As we have seen in our study of Revelation and of Isaiah 60, this appears to be covenantal language, referring to the fading of the darkness of the old covenant age, and the dawning of the light of the new covenant age (established at the cross, and standing alone at the fall of the old covenant system in 70 AD)
This is connected to Hebrews 8:13 which reads
“In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.”
Also, Christ is compared to a “star”, as in Numbers 24:17 which makes sense since He is the light that came into the world.
At verse 17 John writes some beautiful inviting words, saying:
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.”
This cry of the Spirit and the bride appears to be in response to Jesus’ promise that He would come quickly (verse 12).
The second half of this verse echoes the offer made by Jesus in Revelation 21:6 where He says
“I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts“. Of course this also reflects what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:10-14 and THEN it is also what Jesus cried out at the Feast of Tabernacles as reported in John 7:37-39!.
Come and drink freely from the fountain of the water of life! For whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life…”
“And on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive…”
We are reading about the whole thing coming down the pike, folks! It was EVERYTHING that the prophets, that John the Baptist, that Jesus Himself and that all of his Apostles has preached about, warned about, and worked toward –
(LONG BEAT)
And then at verses 18-19 John writes, “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
Of course, there have been varying opinions about this warning. Clearly it was important that “the words of the prophecy of this book” be delivered with accuracy and without tampering to the seven churches.
I think this was a warning to the scribes who would take this Revelation, copy it, and distribute it to the recipients of the Seven Churches.
“Be careful and don’t take liberties in transmitting this Revelation. It is exact, symbolic, to be understood in the specifics!” This is my estimation of what John means.
At verses 20-21 John concludes with the following words of the Revelation spoken by both Jesus and then John.
In them we have the Lord reminding the seven Churches at Asia Minor (for the FIFTH time in this chapter) that He was coming quickly and so we read:
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Bottom line, Jesus repeats His promise (surely) to come quickly, and John is clearly eager, as he closes this Revelation, to see that promise come to pass. It was a promise that Jesus kept. In his commentary on Matthew 24 Eusebius, the father of church history, said:
“And when those that believed in Christ had come thither [out] from Jerusalem [in obedience to Matthew 24:15-16], then, as if the royal city of the Jews and the whole land of Judea were entirely destitute of holy men, the judgment of God at length overtook those who had committed such outrages against Christ and his apostles, and totally destroyed that generation of impious men … [When] the lamentation and wailing that was predicted for the Jews, and the burning of the Temple and its utter desolation, can also be seen even now to have occurred according to the prediction, surely we must also agree that the King who was prophesied, the Christ of God, has come, since the signs of His coming have been shewn in each instance I have treated to have been clearly fulfilled.”
We note that John ends this Revelation with the same benediction blessing that Paul and others spoke over the church in their epistles, saying,
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.”
And so we have wrapped up our verse by verse study of the Book of Revelation. We began on Sunday, September 20th 2016.
These were the first words I said on that day:
Okay – the Book of Revelation.
The amount of information and interpretations and insights and abuses are so abundant that to tackle the book is daunting for a person like myself.
Why?
Because . . . I want the truth. (beat)” (End Quote)
Having concluded our study of its contents, I believe that I have personally come to understand some of the truths about the book.
First, where I (like Luther) wondered if Revelation belonged in the Bible at all I am now convinced that it is holy writ and it is vital to understanding the Bible as a whole.
Second, I think that the internal evidence within the Bible itself AND the external evidence surrounding the descriptions in the Book best support a preterist eschatology over a futurist. At the same time, I do see room for elements of the idealist and historicist views to concomitantly remain in our world today.
Third, I am not only a preterist, but the study of the Book has cemented my views as full Preterist (excepting Chapter 21:1 through 22-5.) Those passages, I submit to you, began once the totality of the former covenant was destroyed and shaken to the ground, around September 70 CE, as chapters 1-20 and 22 verse 6-21 describe.
As a result, I am firmly committed to the stance that the age in which we presently live is spiritually described in Revelation 21-22:5.
In conclusion, I want to resort to a Bible translation I was just introduced to by my friend, Father Christopher Gray of the Cathedral of the Madeline.
It’s from the pidginbible, a translation for people who live in the Hawaiian Islands, and it translates our last two passages with different words, but a same spirit.
From what we call, Revelation, the pidgin Bible calls this book (with Pidgin accent)
“Jesus Show”
And it translates these last two verses like this:
“Da one dat tell all dis stuff say, “Yeah, I coming back real soon.” (Then John adds) “Yeah, Boss, come back real soon Jesus. (And concludes) I like all you guys know da good way our Boss Jesus make to you. Dass it!”
And, that is it.
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Announce Open Water Baptism Weiner Roast
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