In the Epilogue of the book of Revelation, Pastor Brian pulls out 5 Final Exhortations:
1. We Must Be Constantly Ready for Christ’s Return
2. We Must Understand that Much of the Book was Fulfilled Soon after it was Written
3. We Must Never Bow Down in Worship to Anyone or Anything other than God
4. We Must Join the Spirit in Inviting All People to Come to Christ
5. We Must Never Add To or Take Away From This Book
5 Final Exhortations
Revelation 22:6-21
We have finally arrived at the final message in the book of Revelation. We began the series in January of 2024. This will be the 48th message. I was very reluctant about the idea of teaching through the whole book of Revelation. Many expositors far superior to me did not teach through the book, including John Calvin and Martin Luther. However, I’m very glad I did. I think I see more clearly now, the message of the book. I have come to see that Revelation does not provide new information not found in the rest of our Bible. It simply communicates the same information found in the rest of our Bible in a new way – through symbolic visions.
Revelation 22:6-21 is the Epilogue of the book, just as Revelation 1:1-8 is the Prologue. The section we are going to study today, serves as the conclusion to this letter.
- Revelation 1 gives us a vision of the risen Christ
- Revelation 2-3 gives us 7 letters from this risen Christ to 7 churches that existed in the 1st century
- Revelation 4-5 give us a vision of the throne of God, and of Christ who will execute God’s plan upon the earth
- Revelation 6-9 and 14-18 describe God’s judgments that came upon the Jews and Jerusalem in the first century, for rejecting and crucifying Christ, and persecuting His servants.
- Revelation 10-13, a smaller section in the very middle of the book called “the little book”, describe what will take place throughout church history: Satan’s persecution through anti-Christian governments and deception through false teachers, as well as the unstoppable missionary advance of the church. At the very end of church history, Satan’s persecution will be so intense that he will be able to stop the advance of the church.
- Revelation 19: the second coming of Christ
- Revelation 20: gives an overview of chapters 10-13 from a different camera angle. It describes the unstoppable advance of the church, the final all out war that Satan will make with the church at the very end, and the second coming of Christ, followed by the Judgment of all people.
- Revelation 21-22: A description of life on the New Earth.
- Revelation 22:6-21 The conclusion to the entire letter.
We have now studied and meditated upon Revelation 1:1 – 22:5. Let’s take the remainder of our time this morning to look at 5 Final Exhortations that arise from the epilogue.
1. We Must Be Constantly Ready For Christ’s Return
Revelation 22:7, “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Revelation 22:12, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”
Revelation 22:20, “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.”
Three different times in the epilogue, Jesus emphatically says that He is coming quickly. Also, twice we are told that the things in this letter must soon take place because the time is near (22:6,10).
However, it has been almost 2,000 years since Christ ascended to heaven. How could it be true for Him to say that He is coming quickly. That has been a problem that many Christians have wrestled with for a very long time. Various solutions have been given for this dilemma.
Some believe that this coming that Jesus is referring to, is not His second coming, but His coming in judgment through the Roman armies upon Israel in 70 AD.
I personally don’t take that view. Let me give you my solution. The Greek word for “quickly” is a word that can have two different meanings. We have English words like that – “bark” and “novel” come to mind. This Greek word rendered “quickly” can mean “soon” or it can mean “suddenly.” If it means “suddenly” in this chapter, then Jesus is saying He is coming suddenly and unexpectedly, so we must remain ready for His return at all times. That’s what I believe He is communicating.
Right after telling us He is coming suddenly in verse 7, He says “Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” In other words, because I am coming suddenly, and unexpectedly, you must always be ready. You must live out the words of this prophecy. What would some of the “words of the prophecy of this book” include?
- 2:5 “Remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first”
- 2:10 “Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life”
- 2:25 “what you have hold fast until I come”
- 3:2 “wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent”
- 3:11 “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown”
All of these exhortations have to do with perseverance in faithfulness to Jesus Christ until the end. So, because Jesus is going to come suddenly and unexpectedly, make sure you are living for Him faithfully every day. You don’t want that day to catch you by surprise.
1 Jn. 2:28 “Now little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.”
Mt.24:36-41 “No one knows the day or hour. It will be like the days of Noah – business as usual. But the flood came suddenly and unexpectedly and took them all away to judgment. So be ready!”
Mt.24:42-44 “Be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming… For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is going to come at an hour when you do not think He will.”
Mt. 24:50 “…the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites…”
Mt.25:1-13. 5 virgins had oil (were ready), while 5 virgins did not (were not ready). 10 – “and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.”
Over and over Jesus emphasized that He was going to come suddenly and unexpectedly and that’s why we must be ready at all times. Are you living right now in such a way that you would not shrink away in shame at His coming? You profess to be a Christian. Are you living a Christian life?
- Are you still dabbling in drugs or alcohol?
- Still committing fornication?
- Still using filthy language?
- Still lashing out at your spouse in an ungodly way?
- Not praying?
- Not reading and meditating on Scripture?
- Not sharing your faith?
- Not using your spiritual gifts?
- Not serving others?
I exhort you this morning to put away these sins from your life! Put an end to those sins you are still dabbling and toying with. Begin in earnest to live out your Christian life. If you profess to be a Christian, then live like one! Jesus is coming to judge all people; therefore live out the words of this prophecy!
2. We Must Understand That Much Of This Book Was Fulfilled Soon After It Was Written
We have just seen that the three statements by Jesus Christ Himself that He is coming quickly can be legitimately understood that He will appear suddenly and unexpectedly, not that He will return in a short amount of time.
However, there are other statements in Revelation which definitely inform us that certain things will take place shortly or soon. Let’s look at them.
Revelation 1:1 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must SOON take place…”
Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is NEAR.”
Revelation 22:6 “And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must SOON take place.”
Revelation 22:10 “And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is NEAR.”
Here are four different statements taken from both the prologue and the epilogue telling us that the events in between these two sections are soon and near. In fact in Daniel 12:4,9 we read, “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase… He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.” Twice we are told that the prophecies of Daniel are sealed up until the end time because they would not be fulfilled for many centuries. That is the exact opposite of what John is told – “ Do NOT seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” That tells us that the prophecy that John was given would not take centuries in order to be fulfilled. They would be fulfilled in a short amount of time.
So, what great judgment took place in the first century that might account for the apocalyptic judgments described in the book of Revelation? I know of only one – the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in 70 AD putting an end to the Old Covenant once and for all.
This is why, among other things, I cannot embrace the futurist interpretation of the book of Revelation. That interpretation directly contradicts the plain statements found here in the book of Revelation. That’s why I’m not a fan of the popular movies and books being put out that tell us that all of the things in the book of Revelation are yet future. Now I’m not saying that everything in the book of Revelation was fulfilled at 70 A.D. That view is held only by a small fringe group called “Full Preterists.” I am not a Full Preterist. A Full Preterist believes that the second coming took place at 70 AD, as well as the resurrection, the judgment, and the new heavens and new earth. A Partial Preterist believes much of Revelation was fulfilled in the first century, but also believes that the second coming, resurrection, judgment, and new heavens and earth will be fulfilled in the future.
3. We Must Never Bow Down In Worship To Anyone Or Anything But God
Twice in the book of Revelation we find John so overcome with the glory of the angel who revealed these amazing things to him, that he fell down to worship him.
Revelation 19:10 “Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God.”
Revelation 22:8-9 “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”
Twice John fell down to worship the angel revealing the prophecies of this book, and twice the angel commanded him, “Do not do that!” Instead he told him, “Worship God!”
Within the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches of Christianity, church members bow down to and kills statues and icons. An icon is a picture of an angel or saint. In their defense they teach that what they are doing is not worshiping the statue or icon, or the angel or saint it depicts. They say that they are showing veneration, respect, and honor to that person. They say that worship is reserved for God alone.
However, God had some very clear commands to the children of Israel in Exodus 20:4-5, “4You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me…” (ESV)
Note, that this does not just apply to carved images (statues) but also to any likeness of anything that is in heaven, earth, or water. That would also apply to icons. The command is that they were not to bow down to or serve them. However, that’s exactly what they do. They bow down to them. Why was God so adamant about this command? Because He is a jealous God! He hates idolatry, and gave this command to keep His own people from it.
How is bowing down to and kissing a statue or icon any different from the ancestor worship of Buddhists who bow down to pictures of their ancestors and light candles before it and put food before it? There is no difference. In my view, when we do things like that, we have slipped into idolatry, whether we realize it or not. For this reason, I don’t think it is good and right for Catholics to bow down before the Pope and kiss his ring, and call him “Your Holiness” or “Holy Father.”
Here are the lyrics to several of the prayers addressed to Mary in an Eastern Orthodox Church:
Let us, who are sinful and unworthy, / Run fervently to the Mother of God. / Let us fall down in repentance, / Crying from the depths of our souls. / Help us and have mercy on us, O Lady, / We are perishing in our many sins. // Do not despise your poor servants, for you are our only hope. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Steadfast Protectress of Christians, / Constant Advocate before the Creator: / Do not despise the cry of us sinners, / But in your goodness come speedily to help us Who call on you in faith. / Hasten to hear our petition and to intercede for us, / O Theotokos, // For you always protect those who honor you.
O Mother of God, our queen and our hope, the refuge of the abandoned and the intercessor for those who have gone astray; the joy of all who sorrow and the protectress of the needy; you see our poverty, our affliction and misery. Help us who are weak; feed us who are hungry; intercede for us with your Son and our God, and may He deal with us as He pleases. For we have no other hope, no other intercessor, no other consolation except you, O Virgin Theotokos. Protect us beneath your veil, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. People: Amen.
All-pure and incorruptible Virgin Bride of God and our Sovereign Lady: you made the Word of God one with mankind by gloriously giving birth to your Son and joining our fallen nature to His divine nature; you are the hope of the despairing and the support of those in distress, the swift defender of those who turn to you and the refuge of all Christians: Do not turn from me, an unclean sinner, who have destroyed myself with unworthy thoughts, words and deeds, and have been enslaved by forgetfulness to the carnal passions of life; but have compassion on me, Theotokos, and accept the prayer of a sinner and prodigal, offered from unclean lips. Exercise your boldness as a Mother and pray to your Son, our Lord and Master, that He will make known to me also His compassionate goodness, and overlooking my countless sins, will turn me to repentance and make me fervent in doing His commandments. Be with me always in your grace and loving mercy, for you are the fervent helper who turns away the assaults of enemies and guides men towards salvation, caring for my unworthy soul at the hour of death, and driving from it the darkness of evil spirits. In the Day of Judgment free me from eternal torment, and show me to be an heir of the divine glory of your Son and our God. Grant this, Lady Theotokos, by your prayers and intercessions, through the mercy and lovingkindness of your Only-begotten Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to Whom are due all glory, honor and worship, with the Father Who is eternal and His all-holy, good and lifegiving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
In addition, in an Orthodox service, hymns of praise are sung directly to Mary.
My friends, I don’t know about you, but to me this crosses the line of respect and honor and intrudes into the realm of idolatry. My conscience would not allow me to utter the words of these prayers.
Of course, there are many other expressions of idolatry, but I thought these are especially relevant because professing Christians are practicing these things today. John ends his first letter like this, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”
4. We Should Join The Spirit In Inviting All To Come To Christ
Revelation 22:17 “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”
Now, what is all this about? It is about coming and taking. Three times we hear the call to “come” followed by a call to “take.” But what are we supposed to take? The water of life, which is symbolic for eternal life. We have already discovered from 1 John 5:14-15 that eternal life is in Christ. Therefore, this is a call for people to come to Christ.
In light of the possibility that Christ may come at any time, we have a duty! We must be actively involved in calling men to come to Christ.
Who is to do this calling? The Spirit and the bride. Of course the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and directs sinners to Christ crucified. But we are to work together with the Spirit, be led by the Spirit, by anointed and filled with the Spirit, so that we are involved in His work in the world – calling people to Christ!
Also “let the one who hears say “Come.” Whoever hears the prophecy of this book of Revelation, should be so stirred by it, that they call people to come to Christ while there is still opportunity.
Who is to come? “Let the one who is thirsty come.” If you are not thirsty, you won’t drink – simple as that. We are to find people who are thirsty and invite them to come and drink of the water of life. What this means is that we should be asking questions to find out who is thirsty.
- Do you have any spiritual beliefs?
- What do you think will happen when you die?
- What do you think about Jesus Christ?
- Do you think that you have sinned against God?
- If you stood before God and He asked you why He should let you into His heaven, what would you say?
As you talk with a person, it will usually become apparent if they are spiritually thirsty or not. If there is interest, desire, thirst for God and His truth, you can then point them to Christ who is the Truth! The Spirit of God is working in this world! He is producing a thirst, a desire in His elect to know God and be saved. It is our job to poke around in order to find them, and then introduce them to Jesus.
How are you doing with this? How many people have you pointed to Christ in the last week, month, year, decade?! One of the easiest ways to do this is to carry gospel leaflets with you, and just give them out to people during your day. Let’s be busy about the Master’s business!
5. We Must Never Add To Or Take Away From This Book
Revelation 22:18-19 “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
Notice how serious this is. If you take away from this book, God will take away your part from the tree of life. This is a salvation issue. If you tamper with the contents of this book, you will be damned!
But what does it mean to add to or take away from the prophecy of this book? Many Christians believe that since this comes at the very end of the entire Bible, that this is talking about adding to or taking away from the entire Bible. But that is a mistake. Notice the language. “the prophecy of THIS book, THIS book, the words of the book of THIS prophecy, THIS book.” The language is clear. Who is speaking here? 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Of course Jesus is speaking in verse 20. But He is also speaking in verses 18-19. Notice 22:18 “I testify to everyone…” Jesus wants everyone who hears the words of the Book of Revelation to know that a very severe judgment will come on all who add to it or take away from it.
How would someone add to this book? They could do so by adding their own false teachings, and new revelations not found here. A lot of people have added to this book by telling us who the Antichrist is, who the angel of the church of Laodicea is, etc. They tell you things the Bible does not reveal, and they do so dogmatically. Be very careful of adding your own ideas and doctrines to what is actually found in the book of Revelation.
How would someone take away from this book? You might do it through ignoring, dismissing, or denying various parts of this message. You might do it by watering down what God has said. If you are a preacher that does not like to speak of anything negative like sin, repentance, and judgment, do NOT teach on Revelation, because you will find yourself taking away from this book.
If there are parts of the book of Revelation that you are tempted to skip over or ignore because you can’t fit them into your theology, don’t do it! Even if you can’t understand how it all fits together, God does! Be patient and wait on the Lord, and keep reading and studying. But DON’T add to or take away anything from this book. It is perfect just as it is!
Conclusion
Saints, let’s conclude this book of Revelation the same way the author concludes this book – with two points.
- Revelation 22:20 “He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Come, Lord Jesus.”
When you read of the second coming of Christ, can you say “Amen, come Lord Jesus”? Do you eagerly await His coming? Or would you shrink back in shame at His coming? Are you ready today to meet him, or would you need to quickly make some lifestyle changes to feel comfortable in His presence. Friends, we need to be at the point in our Christian life where we can say “Amen” when someone says “Come Lord Jesus.” If you can’t say that, you need to do business with God today, and get right with Him, and repent of those sins that are keeping you at a distance from your Lord.
- Revelation 22:21 “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”
Friends, how are we going to be able to repent and put away the sin in our lives? How are we going to be able to persevere in faith to the end? How are we going to be faithful unto death? The only answer is the grace of God! That’s why John ends the Revelation with a prayer for grace for his readers.
The only way you and I will be found in Christ, having persevered in faith, faithful to Him at His coming will be because of the grace of God. God’s undeserved favor is the ONLY thing that will transform us and keep us to the end. We are totally reliant upon Him for His grace. Let’s never rely upon anything else!
If you are not a Christian, let me say to you, “Are you thirsty? Do you desire the water of life? Do you see your sin? Do you want a Savior? Then come to Jesus!” Come today! Come right now! Confess your sin and trust Him to save you at this very moment. If any of you do that, please tell us and confess that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.
Lets pray.
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