AM Bible Study Group; December 7, 2016 from Revelation 22:6-11
Theme: This passage describes the angel’s testimony regarding the things spoken in the Book of Revelation.
(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).
We come this morning to the final portion of the Book of Relation—and to what we might refer to as the book’s ‘divine epilogue’. In these closing verses of the last chapter, we find the testimony of the angel regarding the trustworthiness of the things revealed in this book (vv. 6-11); then, the testimony of the Lord Jesus Himself regarding the book (vv. 12-17); and finally, the testimony of John himself—the one to whom the book was revealed—concerning all that it has had to say to us in it (vv. 18-21). All three of these testimonies contain deep truths, and are each one worthy of a whole sermon all its own. Together, they offer us powerful assurance that this book speaks the truth—and that we can trust our eternal destiny to what it says.
This morning, we consider the first of these three testimonies—that of the angel regarding the Book of Revelation.
I. THE ANGEL’S AUTHORITATIVE TESTIMONY (vv. 6-7).
A. The “he” that is mentioned in this verse is the angel that is first mentioned in Revelation 21:9, and that is again referred to in 22:1. His message to John must have made a tremendous impression; because we’re told in 15:1 that this angel is one of the seven who were part of a sign in heaven that was “great and marvelous”. He speaks to John from outside of the prophetic time-frame of the revelation itself, and—as it where—back on the island of Patmos (see 1:9ff). To hear this angel speak would have been truly sobering and impressive. And what he says to John is that none of the things that he has seen should be thought of as fairy-tales or a myths. He says, “These words are faithful and true”. We are take the book of Revelation very seriously and as utterly reliable— believing the testimony that this angel himself bore concerning this book.
B. As if to give further credit to the testimony of the angel, John himself goes on to bear testimony of the angel’s word. “And the Lord God of the holy prophets [with some ancient texts having it as it’s found in the New International Version: “of the spirits of the prophets”] sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” This is not simply the testimony of an angel—as sufficiently sobering as such a thing ought to be. Rather, it is the testimony the angel bore of the message that God Himself—the very God who had worked in the past through the ministry of His holy prophets of old—sent him to bear; and to show God’s servants what must shortly take place. Thus, the book ends in almost the same way as it began; that is, with a description of the authoritative chain of communication through which it was given to us (see Revelation 1:1-2).
C. Note that Jesus Himself now—as it were—”pulls back the curtain” and steps forward to give His own endorsement to the authority of the message of the angel: “Behold, I am coming quickly …” (And just think of it! What a picture this gives us of eternity! If the past two-thousand years of our waiting for the Lord’s return is described by Him—from His eternal perspective—as being something that comes “quickly”, then how glorious our experience of His presence throughout eternity will be!) The fact that He is coming “quickly” (which may also mean “suddenly”) is meant to warn us to keep on the alert and be ready. “Blessed”, He says (that is, “happy”), “is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” This is very much like the warning our Lord gave to His disciples in the gospels (Matthew 24:36-51); and it, again, is taking our thoughts back to how the book began (see Revelation 1:3).
II. THE ANGEL’S HUMBLE FOCUS (vv. 8-9).
A. The sight of this angel—and the impact of his testimony—must have greatly overwhelmed John. Even the great and noble and faithful apostle John—the disciple who was so uniquely close to the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry, and who was among those who saw His glory revealed on the mountain (see Matthew 17)—fell before this angel and worshiped before his feet after the things he saw and heard from him. This is the second time that John did this sort of thing (see also Revelation 19:10). If we fault John with this, we should only do so with caution; because if someone so faithful and as noteworthy a saint as he became so overwhelmed by the presence and words of this angel as to do this, what might you or I have done?
B. This overwhelmingly awesome angel, however, reinforced the true and practical purpose of this prophetic book as that which points us to the worship of God through Jesus Christ His Son. Back in Revelation 19:10; that other angel (?) that John fell before and worshiped rebuked him and said, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and one of your brethren, who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” True prophetic revelation from God points our attention to Jesus; and should result in our falling at His feet alone. And the angel in this passage tells John the same. “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.” (Note how the angel puts John in the same category as the prophets! This angel is not the focus of attention or worship any more than John would be—or any of the prophets. They are all simply messengers. The true focus should be on the God who gave the message!)
III. THE ANGEL’S SOBER INSTRUCTION (vv. 10-11).
A. The angel gives final instructions to John regarding this book. First, he tells him, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand”. This is an instruction that is considerably different from the instruction that was given to Daniel at the end of his Old Testament prophecy; where he was told, “But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end …” (Daniel 12:4a). The time of fulfillment for the things given to Daniel were yet far off. Several world-empires had yet to rise in fulfillment of God’s prophetic plan; and Jesus Christ—the promised Messiah and our Redeemer—had not yet been born into the human family. But now, we’re told that John should NOT seal this book; because its time is at hand. There remains no further event in God’s prophetic plan but the rise of the kingdom of the Antichrist, followed immediately by the return of our Lord.
B. And furthermore, John is told to expect that the book will have what we might call a ‘confirming’ impact on the lives and spiritual states of those who hear it. “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.” The things described in this book do not fundamentally change someone into something that they’re not. The Book of Revelation might not be the book we would most directly turn to in order to evangelize others. (The Gospel of John might be better for that; since we’re told in John 20:31 that it was written “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ”.) Instead, the things written in Revelation seem to be given primarily to edify and encourage the saints in a time of trial; and to demonstrate, by their reaction to it, what kind of a person the reader already is. (Note the opposing parallels of character: ‘injustice’ parallels ‘righteousness’ as its opposite; and ‘filthiness’ also parallels ‘holiness’ as its opposite.)
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If a man or a woman reveals something of their true nature by how they respond to this astonishing revelation from God—given by the agency of an angel—regarding the coming of the Lord Jesus; then may we be among those who respond with genuine worship … and thus prove to be His righteous and holy ones. As Paul put it;
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing (2 Timothy 4:8).