In this final chapter of the Book of Revelation we are faced with the most awesome words in Scripture, words accredited by the testimony of angels, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bride of Christ and by the Apostle John. 

These words are designed to impact our goals, priorities, our commitment to God, our lifestyle and in fact our entire life. Our response to these last words in Revelation tells us whether we are headed for eternal death, or to eternal life. We are looking at the bottom line.

As a result there is a great stress on trusting the words of Christ and an expectation of a sudden return of Christ.

The context is that the curse has been removed, believers are reigning for ever and the New Jerusalem is now present. 

In verses 1 – 5 we are told several critically important things and these form the background for the subsequent discussion.  They must be first examined and understood, before one moves on to the rest of the text.   

In verse 1, John is in the New Jerusalem. The city is a Paradise in which nations find extraordinary delights and satisfactions.  He is shown a pure river, which he declared to be the water of life. This river, was previously a symbol of richness, provision and peace, (see Isaiah 48: 18, Zechariah 14: 8, Ezekiel 47:1-9) and appears to be somewhat different from the millennial river which the prophet Ezekiel tells us flows from the ‘Millennial Temple’.

This river flows directly from the throne of God the Father and ‘the Lamb’, for they are pictured as the source of all great things. The river fits perfectly in the glorious New Jerusalem and is described as absolutely pure, clear, refreshing and has what it takes to make the saints happy. Here we are reminded of David's beautiful verse in Psalm 46: 4-5.   

We are told that in the street that leads from the throne there is also the tree of life, producing an abounding variety of satisfying, wholesome fruits which are health giving, or literally ministering or serving the Saints.  Of course we remember that there is no suffering, pain, sickness, or anything connected to the curse (21:4) and so the fruits are there as part of the provision for the continuing satisfaction of the Saints. 

The presence of the throne of God the Father and of the Lamb guarantees that there are no negative connotations to the provision of the waters of the river of life or to the provision of the fruits of the tree of life.  There is no possibility of anything amiss, for God and the Lamb are there.  There will be no night, for God shines much more powerfully than any heavenly body and is the light which is sufficient for the glorious life in the New Jerusalem and in the new earth. 

The supreme beauty and blessing of this Paradise in eternity is summarized by the expression that the Saints will see the face of God, or in other words enjoy what is called the “beatific vision”.  This was an important concept in the ancient Christian world. Nowadays it is mainly the Roman Catholic Church that emphasizes this concept of the “beatific vision”. 

This speaks of a clear beholding of God face to face, which satisfies man's innermost and most fundamental desire to know God.  Now as the Apostle Paul says we: “see through a glass darkly, but then face-to-face”. (1 Corinthians 13:12). 

It is our natural desire to see God in person and we recall that Moses himself asked if he might see God.  God did not regard this as something that was wrong, for if he did he would not have granted Moses’ desire, if only by putting him in the cleft of the rock and allowing Moses to see one part of him. A vision of God has been the desire of all men. Job stated this longing: “I know that my Redeemer liveth, and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God”. In Psalms 17:15 the inspired David declared: “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” 

So the saints will eventually rejoice, when as one writer puts it:

“Our curiosity shall be satisfied, our desire consummated, our bliss perfected. “WE SHALL SEE HIM AS HE IS”.  Heaven shall be ours, and all we have dreamed of him shall be more than in our possession.” 

So with our resurrected bodies, with our minds quantitatively changed so that our mental abilities will be greatly increased, we will be able to look at the glorious Christ and understand his love and his work as never before.  Nothing will obscure our vision of Christ now that sin is done away with, there is no care or worry and all idols would have disappeared with the old things. 

It will be so wonderful to know Jesus intimately, for he is the chief blessing of Heaven. We are told that his name will be on the forehead of the Saints, indicating that they are forever identified with and belong to him. 

The people of God will enjoy an unending, eternal reign. Paradise will have been regained in every sense, for there in the new Jerusalem will be the river of God, the tree of life, the removal of the curse and an unobstructed view of Christ and the Father. Intimacy with God would have been restored with an eternal reign under the perfect, brilliant, dazzling light of God, in this most marvellous New Jerusalem. 

No wonder then that our text moves on to tell us why these are ultimate truths and give us complete assurance that they will occur.

THE TEXT

Verse 6.   There are a few themes that run through this last portion of scripture.  Throughout the rest of the passage, there are clear warnings given, an invitation and verification of book’s record. 

The angel of God revealed the pure river, the water of life, the throne of God and the Lamb, the tree of life and the twelve manner of fruit, for John to see and record for other Christians.   

John being in a vision might have had a tendency to doubt, but the angel assured him that all that he was seeing was fact, and that it was just a taste of what God has in store for his people.  

The angel might have said these things to John, to exhort us to rest in the truth, persevere in our faith and trust in God since he is our strength.  It was also written to encourage us and make us understand that despite the ever increasing wickedness in the world, it will one day be dealt with by God.   

The angel assured John that it is God who has said these sayings and so they are faithful and true. John would be comforted by this fact, knowing that what God says is true. It would be a little different if it was coming from a person or an angel, since those sources do not carry the same weight or significance.   

Since these words came from God they were ‘not too good to be true’, but were faithful and true words.  They could be trusted.  They were reliable, real, genuine and not in any respect false or spurious.  These were not cunningly devised fables, built on speculation, human reason, or experience.   

Note that the God of Heaven is behind Scripture, these words to man emphasize at every point God's sovereignty power, and authority.  The God behind Scripture has no weakness and is omniscient, omnipresent truth.  His words will always be faithful and true. 

The same God inspired the Old Testament and New Testaments.  He sent his prophets to deliver his words and now He was sending his angel to show his servants the things that would take place shortly.  These words seem to indicate that there is a future aspect to the fulfillment of these words of God. 

The angel clearly lets John know that the holy angels of God are also in service. He is the servant of God and John and other believers were also servants of God.  The angel says that all that has been mentioned as happening to the people of God will occur in its due time.

Verse 7.   It is felt by some that this verse was actually spoken by Jesus himself, while the general message about Jesus’ ‘soon coming’ was spoken by the angel. 

The word “quickly” does not mean ‘immediately’, but refers to the manner in which Jesus will come and that is “suddenly”. So there is an appropriate time that Jesus will return; it will be sudden, unexpectedly and not sooner or later than the time appointed. 

This verse is introduced by the word “Behold” and so we know that Jesus wants our undivided attention.  We are told that there is a future time, which is closely connected to the present, (so that in fact the process is already started), that he will be coming.  He will be coming without warning, as a thief in the night. 

All generation of believers should live with expectation of his coming, always watching and always ready for his return.  One writer perfectly describes the time in which we are living and so we are warned to be careful.  He warns against any incorrect interpretation of the times in which we live.  He says:

“We are not rushing toward a distant brink of the consummation of all things; we are running parallel along the edge of that brink, and have been since the time of the apostles. “Thus the time has always been at hand.  The tension of imminence is endemic to that span of redemptive history lying between the cross and the Parousia.” 

The message implies that all the readers of this book, this prophecy, are to wait.  Christians must be willing to wait on the Lord.  It is not that he is going to delay in doing/accomplishing all that he has set out to do as part of his will, but everything will be accomplished in its own time.  The purpose of all this is for us to develop trust in God.  The patience that we exhibit shows our obedience to his word, plan and will.   

The words must place a mark on our lives.  We are to “keep” or “heed” the words of the book of Revelation. 

This can only mean that we are to pay attention to the warnings in chapters two and three to the church.  These warnings are about becoming dead, embracing apostasy, immorality, materialism and all the things found in mystery Babylon the Great. 

Clearly we are also to expect the sudden return of Christ. We are to live as faithful witnesses for Christ in an unbelieving world, be faithful through the trials of life even unto death and to remember that God’s throne is there and in control. 

It is interesting to note that the word which is applied to the teachings of this Book means to “guard, watch over, protect, keep in custody, observe”.  One cannot do these things if one does not know the details of the book, carefully study and pay attention and living in the light of its teachings. 

Those that do that are promised a blessing, a special blessing.

Verses 8-9.   In these verses we see John reacting to the angel and all that has transpired before him.  This experience must have been so overwhelming that we again see John’s unacceptable reaction.  As he receives each wonderful vision, he tends to fall down and worship the angel giving him the message.  In Revelation 19:10 John was so overwhelmed he began to worship the angel after being given some great news.   

The angel once again cautions John against such behaviour.  He points out to John that only God is to be worshipped and that they (John and the angel) are servants, created beings; they are on the same ‘team’ in the sense that they are followers.  No created being is ever to be worshipped.  John knew this and so did the angel.  However, at times when we are overwhelmed by circumstances, we can see that even those to whom much has been given, do err themselves.   

We must understand clearly that only Jesus may be worshipped in such a manner and that is because he is God himself.  The angels that remained after the fall are in a good position, in that they cannot be tempted to fall from grace.  If we err, we can repent and return to a right relationship with God.  To that end, it is important that we help each other when it looks like we will slip into sin, in this or any other manner.   

Some point out that it is important to note that the angel was not telling John that it was not a time for worship, or that when one sees visions of Heaven, worship is not an appropriate response. Note that the word used for “worship” means:

“to kiss toward, to show affection to come to bow down before a superior and give him the respect, reverence, awe, and adoration due him”. 

When we worship God we are telling Him that He is great and that we are acknowledging that His name is great, that we are ascribing this to him, because we love him and are humbled before him and so we bow down before His throne.  This involves what is said in Psalm 2:11-12

“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and Ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little.” 

Worship is an entirely proper activity as long as it is directed toward God. John, we must remember, was one of the extremely emotional “sons of thunder”. He was always calling for God to act in power and so this very emotional apostle had a tendency to slip into exaggerated responses and has to be reminded of that fact that God alone should be worshiped.  Angels are not to be worshiped. 

In any case, it is still important that we worship God in the right manner.  It is not enough just to say that we will worship in a casual or particular way and since it is to God then it is acceptable.   There was an abruptness to the angel’s actions, which meant from the prospective of the angel, that he knew that even the appearance of such worship was a violation of the laws of God 

There is no middle ground.   

Worship of the angel, though a powerful and glorious creature was unacceptable. He was so exalted that he was given authority from Jesus to speak his very words, still he was not to be worshipped. How can one worship and pray to the Virgin Mary, who had never been given the same type of authority as this angel! 

This passage also sounds the warning that even those who received supernatural visions can behave inappropriately. One must always test for sound doctrine, teaching and practice. That instruction comes from the Words of Scripture.

Verse 10.   The angel now gives a command to the apostle John not to hide or make unavailable the prophecy of this Book.  We are on the brink and so the book is not to be sealed.  This is different from the instruction given to Daniel in chapters 8 and 12. 

To seal it means either to “mark it, certify it, close it, or keep it secret”.  It's teachings are to be proclaimed, so that people will understand that God is doing something very specific.  They are to prepare for what is coming and live in the light of what God intends to do.  They need the instructions of the book of Revelation to make some necessary correct and critical choices.  

This of course teaches us immediately that the book of Revelation is not an esoteric, difficult to understand book , which is beyond people’s ability. Some consider the book is so strange, different and confusing that we cannot really understand it.  It tells us much about the things of God, Heaven as it exists now and the new heaven and new earth.  People like to run away from this type of learning because they often are afraid of facing the real future.  They do not want to change their lifestyle, so they run away from facing the harsh reality of what God intended purposes. But if we cannot understand the book of Revelation how can we live in the light of the activities of God and the coming of Jesus? 

People can make whatever objections they wish to the teachings, they can attack it all they want, but that will make no difference to the plan of God.  God is open and free with what he intends to do.  He wants men to read, meditate and heed the teachings of the book. 

So the book of Revelation must not be closed and there should be no attempt to teach people that it is difficult to understand.  All persons are to make strenuous attempts to understand this book. The teachings must be looked at in the light of all the prophetic Scripture throughout the Bible.  Of course, this does not say that some scholarship is not required and that serious analysis of the meaning of the words in the Book must not be done.  Careful study of all scripture is certainly necessary. 

Verse 11.  Critical choices must be made by every person on earth.  These choices are urgent.  The correct choice must be made. This is most important, because if a person has a certain nature and makes certain choices, they will be locked into those choices for all eternity. 

Note that this is an exceptionally powerful evangelistic appeal to people.  They are warned that there will be no spiritual improvement in hell, for the Lake of Fire is retributive punishment.  It is not meant to restore men, once there it is too late for moral restoration.  When Jesus returns the door of repentance will be closed.   

Those who rejected Christ during their lifetimes will have to live with their evil desires, whether those are for sexual immorality, greed, anger, jealousy, or any such sin; knowing that none of these cravings will be satisfied throughout eternity.  There will be immense suffering.  So they are now encouraged and warned that they must believe in Christ now, for when he comes they will not be able to change their destiny, but will remain exactly as they are then, forever. 

If the terrible things outlined in the book of Revelation won't lead to repentance, nothing will change us. 

The promise for the righteous is a marked contrast. They are told that those who are good when Jesus returns would be fixed forever in their goodness.  Those who believe in Christ and are counted righteous will forever be righteous.

Verse 12.  The Apostle now recounted the calls for urgent attention. Behold, says Jesus, he's coming quickly. 

Note that He is coming not only to bless but to judge. His judgment is both to reward the good and bad.  He will hand out rewards according to what men have done. 

Salvation is certainly by grace totally, but rewards which are also given to men because of the grace of God, depend on how we have worked in response to the grace of God. 

He intends to pay us for our good works.  We are encouraged according to Matthew 6:19-21 to lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven, while we are still ‘alive and kicking’.  We are to use the talents and abilities that he has given to us, to manage what we have been given as faithful stewards, to grow and grow, to do more and more, as it were to multiply.  As we mature and use our talents well we will be given more and more.  We will then be rewarded when Jesus returns. 

So we know there will be the judgment, but we know that there is also a great promise of reward.  The whole tenor of these verses is one of urgency.  It is sudden coming and sudden rewarding. 

Just understand that the quality of our lives shows what we really believe.  What we do tells what we are.  We can hardly hide from man and certainly not from God. This should be a great incentive to godly living and to service. We are to live as Scriptures say, and redeem the time.

Verse 13.  Jesus now assures that He certainly intends to fulfill both his promises of judgment and rewarding. He tells us that he has three pairs of titles which are powerful titles, and which guarantee that all His words and prophecies are true. 

The first pairs of titles are the “Alpha and the Omega”.  Note that all three of these titles are used about God the Father.  This stresses that he is eternal and sovereign. The next pair is the “beginning and the end”, a title for Christ found in Hebrews 12:2 and which is used of God the Father in chapter 21:6.  In these passages the idea is that God starts what He wills and finishes what he starts. The next set of pairs are the “first and the last”.  This title is used for Christ in chapters 1:17 and 2:8 and the Father in Isaiah 44: 6 and 48:12, indicating that God is the cause of and the goal of history. 

The titles obviously affirm that Jesus is God and that God the Father is also God.  Jesus has life in himself, and the Father has life in himself.  Jesus has authority and the Father has authority.  The throne is a throne of God the Father and of Jesus the Lamb. 

So it is clear that a person cannot leave out Christ, for without him there is nothing, no salvation, no rewards, no joy, nothing of worth.

We have to understand who Jesus is, and the authority and sovereignty that is associated with his return and reign.

Verses 14-15.   Jesus’ words are also the first and last words, and now He issues a final blessing.  The word “blessed” is in the plural, indicating a multitude of blessings to those that do his commandments.  Obedience to the Commandments of Jesus characterizes believers.  Note however that it is salvation by grace and then the people saved by God's grace, will do what is good and right.  One cannot use the alternative translation of “Blessed are those who have washed their robes”, to say that the essential meeting of the text has been affected.  Those who have washed their robes will keep the Commandments of Jesus. 

These will have access to intimate fellowship with Christ, live forever in the new heaven and earth, enter into the New Jerusalem, eat of the tree of life and drink of the River of life, 

In contrast, those who are morally impure, live a life of unbelief , do not keep Jesus’ Commandments, are not obedient, who continue in their sins, are unregenerate, cannot participate in a home whose features are totally alien to them.  So they are excluded from fellowship with God, remain in misery, have lost any possibility of joy and remain unfulfilled in the Lake of Fire.  They will never be able to cross the unbridgeable chasm.  They remain lost forever.

Verse 16.   Jesus has established his authority in terms of being King and being able to judge all.  To that end he solemnly reminds the readers of Revelation that he has sent his angel, under his authority and power, to deliver this message to all the believers and unbelievers.  He gives us his name, the same one that he used when he walked on earth, so that all can understand who is speaking and who is sending his angel.   

The testimony is to be made public to encourage the servants of God and to put the fear of the Lord into all those who do not trust in Him.  The elite are not to control the flow of information as given in the Bible, for the information is to go to God’s church. This is not in any way a private affair, it is for all believers. 

 Jesus connects his heritage and the prophecy that talks about him to confirm his position and the truth of all the statements made in the book. All may understand that despite the fantastic events mentioned, this is still the word of God that has been given to John and as such must be accepted as the truth.  

All are aware of the connection of the Messiah to King David.  Jesus confirms that the Scriptures that spoke of Messiah in the Psalms is speaking about the selfsame Jesus.  He is the ruler and King that is mentioned there as well as in Revelation.   

It should be remembered that all the writers of the Bible were writing under the inspiration of God.  So when John writes to the churches, we can see that it is going out to all the believers in the gospel. 

Jesus makes it clear that he is Messiah and so he makes many messianic references.  In the first major one He refers to himself as the ‘Root and Offspring of David’.  This is another of the messianic titles that is associated with Jesus.  It declares that Jesus is both the Creator of King David (as David himself alluded to) and his descendant

(when Jesus shed his Godhood to become man). He came from the line of David, was the legal heir to the throne through Joseph and he was born through Mary who also came from David’s line. He is the one who fulfilled all of the promises to David.  

The other clear messianic title that Jesus used is the ‘’Bright and Morning Star’. This comes from Numbers 27:17 and literally means “the star, the bright one, the morning one”.  He is pictured as the one who comes when the night is almost over, giving assurance that this is a new day.  This title is used to signify the joy and hope that lies in Jesus as the Messiah, the one of promise and speaks of what he will do when he comes in the future. 

Verse 17.   Not only does Jesus issue his personal invitation, but given the great sense of urgency, The Holy Spirit and the Bride of Christ are mentioned here. They join in the invitation; testifying to the truth of the book and its invitation and confirming Jesus’ claim to his authority and power.   

The invitation is extended from Jesus as the bridegroom, and brings to mind the association of the ‘Bride of Christ’ with the ‘Marriage Supper of the Lamb’.  The invitation is extended to all those who hear and will believe the gospel.  Both the Spirit and the Bride are now shown as active in evangelism. 

It is significant that the word “come” is in the present imperative and so it means “come today”.  It takes the readers back to the meaning of Isaiah 55:6 and Psalm 32:6, as well as 2 Corinthians 6:2, where men are invited to understand that today is the day of salvation and that men are responsible and need to respond to God's invitation. 

Once the call goes out to us, we are to incline ourselves to hear the word of God and then follow up on it and obey. 

Then it says to him who wants life, him who thirsts; that when they come they will be able to drink freely of the water of life.  Salvation is assured to all those who are hearers and followers of the word of God.  God has touched the heart of those people and given them the chance to respond to him.   

There is a certain amount of responsibility and opportunity associated with the call.  The opportunity stems from us being able to be called joint heirs with Christ, and been able to be with the Father and Jesus in eternity.  There is responsibility in that we must take this message to others, so that they have the opportunity and ability to partake in such an occasion themselves.   At this point, our desire is towards sin and that is why we require the call of the Lord, in order to ‘quicken’ us where we can act to clinch our salvation.   

It is important also that people realize that this is an invitation extended by God.  We do not decide to come to this supper. In fact, we have no desire to even consider anything of the sort.  Only until God quickens us would we notice preparations being made and we have an invitation.  This is God’s gift to us, the gift of grace that is lost by many people, since they have rejected God and his invitation.  

Note that not only are unbelievers invited to drink, but believers are also told that they have to keep on drinking of the waters of life freely.  Unbelievers will only come to drink of the water offered by Christ, if they think they have a need and we must remember that every individual has a need.  So we have to tell them of their need, for unbelievers would always try to avoid that kind of thought.  We have to stir them up and never let them keep on living in a land of fantasy, and heading for a Christless eternity. 

The free waters of life cost us nothing but Jesus paid a tremendous price for it because he loved us.  So given that this is a free gift, everyone is told that whether they are little sinner, or a big sinner, an African sinner, a European sinner, an Asian sinner, a North American sinner, a South American sinner, or any of the other many kinds of sinners, no matter the crime committed, whosoever will may come.  One writer says:

“What a big word that is!  Whosoever!  There is no standard height here.  It is of any height, and any size.” 

We should not make the mistake, as is done in other religions that demands that we bring something to give to the gods and then get their favor. In Christianity God invites us to take the water of life freely, for we cannot bring anything to save, justify or make ourselves acceptable to him.

Verses 18-19.   After the joyous invitation is given, then once again Jesus returns to give us a warning about tampering with his word.  Despite the ‘fanciful’ uses of imagery in the book of Revelation, Jesus has stated that all that was mentioned in this book are true.  To that end, any person who changes a word is in gross violation. There must be no additions or deletions.  Those who do any of those things have in a real sense usurped the will and message of God and there is only one course of action for such beings and that is the judgment of God. 

The key issue is that Jesus is assuring that the book in as sacred and important as any of the other books of the bible.  Also, that his divine authority is sovereign.  Lastly, that God has taken the appropriate steps to invite people to the marriage supper and that his word will not return unto him void.  This is the great God we serve.   The plagues written in this book are to warn of the consequences of such action as tampering with his word.  

The final consequences of such actions are exclusion from the word and life of Jesus.  This is exclusion from the book of life, out of the holy city and out from the promises given in this book.   

This is a solemn warning.  Many have been arrogant and have tampered with this book.  The stern rebuke for adding or subtracting from the book must bring to our mind that the book can be understood.   

We hear and read that many claim new revelations, which really says that the book of Revelation is not enough.  They thus bring forward all kind of other writing but these are all false and spurious. Others claim advanced knowledge and think that they can change the word of God and make it better. But we are warned not to tamper with this book of God or God will tamper with us.  God is a jealous God and he will brook no interference.

Verse 20-21.   The theme of readiness and watchfulness is clearly expressed.  John longs for Jesus to come quickly so that all the things predicted in the book will come to pass on earth. 

The ending is the benediction and a blessing offered and one last glimpses of hope in Jesus.  The word ‘quickly’ is mentioned again to ensure that we understand that Jesus will come suddenly and that we should ensure now that our lives are firmly implanted in his will.  

John and others around him want Jesus to come now.  So he says “Even so, come, Lord Jesus”, for he wants to know that the war is over and final victory has been obtained for God.   

The grace of Jesus Christ sums up all of the sacrifices that Jesus has made for us, to bring us back into a relationship with God.   

CONCLUSION

Jesus promises to come suddenly.  We all must ask our self the question as to whether or not we are ready for him. 

We are warned to hear, to heed and to understand.  The entire creation is ‘groaning’ and waiting for the coming of a better world.  Either we are we groaning and waiting, or we are wrapped up in the things of this world! 

Let us remember that the focus of prophecy is on Jesus.  He is the only one that the Bible is all about.  We are his servants and he will bless us for our obedience and faithfulness.  We will be cursed and suffer if we are disobedient. 

This is the bottom line.  We either choose Christ and eternal life, or we do not choose him and be cursed forever.

Remember that it is not words alone that indicate whether we are of Christ.  We must be doers of the word and not hearers only.  Let us make every effort not to deceive ourselves.  So the words of the old song is applicable: