The Word Sealed

Series on Revelation

IV Closing Exhortations and Blessing

Text: 22:6-22:21

Introduction

There is an old adage about public speaking, including preaching. It says that we should say what we are going to say, then say it, then say what we said. It is clear from the similarities of chapter 1 and chapter 22 of Revelation that that is what the Holy Spirit has directed John to do. The exact same themes run through both chapters regarding God’s revelation, obedience to the Word, the identity of the Lord, and the testimony to the churches. For example in Revelation 1:1 we read that God gave Jesus [his revelation] to show his servants what must soon take place by sending his angel. 22:6 says almost exactly the same thing, The Lord God has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. Or in Revelation 1:3 we read, Blessed are the ones who hear the words of this prophecy and who heed the things written in it. For the time is near, and in 22:7 and 10 we read, Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. For the time is near. Now if the old adage is followed, then it stands to reason that everything in between from chapter 2 to 21 has been a series of apocalyptic visions of theses same themes. So these visions have not been given to us so that we can know history in advance, but, rather, so that we can learn how to live in this sinful fallen world of persecution and suffering, and do it for the glory of God. This is an unveiling, which is the meaning of apocalypse or revelation, but what is unveiled is not the future per se, but the meaning of life in the kingdom of God with all the dangers and threats of this present evil age around us. I hope we have seen this in our studies. While they may not have revealed the future which is yet unknown, they have given us a guide so that we can move forward into that future with assurance that we are on the Lord’s side. The Word of God is central to that challenge and in this Scripture we see the incorruptible Word, the invincible Word, and the imperative Word.

I The Incorruptible Word

The authenticity of John’s visions is stressed in verses 6-9, The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.” “Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, “Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!” Because it is the incorruptible Word it is true. As Jesus prayed in John 17:17, Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. We know that in this post-modern age the idea of truth is constantly changing. It seems as if the truth is whatever a man thinks it is. Objective standards have been cast away as too constraining and they are mocked as outdated. But here we have the only objective truth; what Francis Schaeffer called the “true truth.” In this book Jesus speaks, the Holy Spirit speaks and God speaks from heaven leaving no doubt that this is the Word of the Lord to be honored and kept with all diligence. in 22:18–19 God utters a warning that is comparable to a copyright notice in a modern book, I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. In other words, God is saying that this book belongs to him and must be treated with utmost respect. We have legal sanctions against those who use our intellectual material illicitly or illegitimately. How much more will God penalize those who abuse His Word and distort His truth. This is the only dependable truth and it must be preserved from corruption. We have seen the description of the New Jerusalem with streets of gold and a river of the water of life flowing done the middle. That river is the Word. David described the preciousness of this word in Psalm 119, The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. Do we know what a precious gift we have? Dwight L Moody tells this story, “During the Civil War we were coming down the Tennessee River with a company of wounded men. It was in the spring, and the water was not clear. You know that the cry of a wounded man is, “Water! water!” especially in a hot country. I remember taking a glass of the muddy water to one of these men. Although he was very thirsty, he only drank a little. He handed the glass back, and as he did so, he said—”Oh, for a draught of water from my father’s well!” Your Father God offers you not muddy water but that pure water of life in the Bible; make sure you drink from your father’s well.

II The Invincible Word

Jesus is the Word and He is invincible. All that is written of Him and by Him will come to pass, and the message is that Jesus is the conqueror and will come as judge and jury. In that final assay the standard of judgment, the lone witness will be the living and abiding word, written and embodied in Christ. This we read in verses 10-16, Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. What a contrast between the Suffering Servant on the cross and the majestic Judge of all. Jesus is meekly led from the garden of Gethsamane by the Roman guard to be tried and ultimately crucified. He submits. One of His disciples, Peter, drew a sword and cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest. Jesus proves His submission by saying in Matthew 26:52 and 53, Put up again thy sword into his place…Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? 12,000 angels wait at heavens brink to rescue Him, but Jesus says no. How the scene will change when he comes in His glory with those same angels not to be tried, but to try the sons of men including those who crucified Him. There are some severe truths here. One of them is, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile” There is a finality to His coming again when the choices men have made are irrevocable. Now is the day of salvation. Sadly, most people are like the British Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne, who was criticizing the editor of a London newspaper for not giving him sufficient support. The editor of the paper claimed that he always supported Melbourne’s party when he thought it was in the right. “We don’t want the support when we are in the right,” retorted Melbourne; “what we want is a little support when we are in the wrong.” That great preacher and soul winner Charles Haddon Spurgeon spoke boldly about the jeopardy of the unrepentant saying, “O sinner! it will be too late then. Where you fall, there you lie. Where judgment finds thee, there eternity shall leave thee. Time shall be no more when judgment comes; and when time is no more, change is impossible! In eternity there can be no change, no deliverance, no signing of acquittal. Once lost, lost for ever; once damned, damned to all eternity!” Another severe truth is the description of those who are excluded and they are those “Who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” Have you observed in this Christ denying God ignoring society in which we live that with the absence of Christian influences men are becoming licentious immoral idolatrous liars? What is frightening about this description of the impenitent is that you can turn on your TV or pick up your newspaper and see licentious, immoral idolatrous behavior and that’s just in the news. To them Jesus says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” and we add, before it is too late.

III The Imperative Word

Of course there is an invitation in the concluding verses but it is also a command. Now we may invite people to believe or to come to church and that is exceedingly important because most people find the lord through invitations. The New Testament records tell of forty people, each suffering from the same disease, who were healed by Jesus. Of this number, thirty-four were either brought to Jesus by friends, or He was taken to them. In only six cases out of forty did the sufferers find the way to Jesus without assistance. Of the vast number of people who find their way to Jesus today, most of them reach Him because the friends of Jesus are concerned about the welfare of their souls. The Gospel in the first century was carried by a good system. It was called the teleperson system, and it truly got results, better than we do today with our newspapers, telephones and televisions. Jesus gives an invitation here but his invitation is an imperative. We find these in verses 16-17 and 20-21, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life…He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Please note the words “The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” The invitation is not only from Jesus but from His bride and whoever else receives the invitation. This is clearly a reference to the mission of the Church now in the period in which we live. Millions choose to ignore the invitation. You are frequently asked to RSVP invitations which means in French, “Respond if you please,” but often the host or hostess is left without information about the attendees because people are rude. Jesus is not in doubt as to who will attend. He has known the attendees from the foundation of the world. He carried the attendees to the cross with Him atoning for their sin. He doesn’t even ask for an RSVP, but simply says, “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” That is the human side. From the divine side we are drawn by everlasting love that will not fail. The Reformers referred to this as irresistible or efficacious grace. Do not think that irresistible grace is some sort of blind force which simply drags the struggling, rebellious sinner into heaven against his will — as a policeman might drag a rebellious prisoner to jail. The grace of God never compels anyone to enter into heaven who would rather not. Irresistible grace means that not only does God bring His people to glory, but He prepares them for this glory and works within them the desire to enter into glory. Grace is irresistible in the sense that by it the knee is bent which otherwise would not bend; the heart is softened that otherwise is hard as stone. The invitation on the sacred page is only words, but the invitation in the heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, is an imperative and you come certainly and willingly.

Conclusion

The Apocalypse ends with a promise and a prayer. The promise is that Jesus is coming again. The prayer is that he would come. This prayer was taken up in the ancient Church. There is an early Christian creed called the Didache, which is considered the first extant example of church orders. It instructs Christians in the first century A. D. to conclude the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper with a prayer that ended with the word Maranatha, meaning, Our Lord, come! They knew that Jesus as their host was in the midst of them spiritually, but their desire was to have him return physically. Come, Lord Jesus.