Revelation (written)

Sunday, 12 September 2021

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.” Revelation 22:11

John was just instructed to not seal up the words of the prophecy of the book. And the reason was given, “for the time is at hand.” Now, and with that understanding, this verse is given. The verbs are in the imperative mood. They speak of the future, as if in a prophecy. It is almost spoken forth in an ironic fashion.

Such words follow after the words of prophets, like Ezekiel and Zechariah, who cite the Lord in this manner, such as –

“Thus says the Lord God. ‘He who hears, let him hear; and he who refuses, let him refuse; for they are a rebellious house.’” Ezekiel 3:27

“Then I said, ‘I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other’s flesh.’” Zechariah 11:9

Thus, the words refer to a state of certainty that will exist at the time the previous verse spoke of (“the time is at hand”). There is a point where the decided state of all people will be realized. Thus, what is stated does not mean that someone in one of the categories cannot change his state now. It simply refers to the fact that the state exists, and some will find themselves in it. Understanding this, the words begin with, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still.”

The verb used here signifies doing wickedly. As such, it should read, “He who is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still.” There is a time when those who are unrighteous will be set in that state forever. For example, when an unrighteous person calls on Christ for forgiveness of sins, he will turn from his unrighteousness. However, another person who is unrighteous may die in that state. Such a person is who is referred to – “let him be unrighteous still.” In other words, it means “he will be unrighteous henceforth.” There is no possible change.

Next, it says, “he who is filthy, let him be filthy still.” The word is rhuparos. It is an adjective found only in James 2:2 and then here. It is derived from the noun rhupos found only in 1 Peter 3:21. That speaks of grease-filth, dirtiness, and squalor which Peter equates to the state of moral filthiness. The adjective thus signifies moral filth. Of this, John Gill states, “all mankind are originally, naturally, and universally filthy, or defiled with sin. Some are cleansed from it by the blood of Christ, others are not; and these will continue polluted, nor will the fire of hell fetch out the filthiness of their hearts and nature.”

The words next turn to the thought of “he who is righteous, let him be righteous still.” This is the state of that which is judicially approved by God. That can only come through the cleansing power of His Christ. Thus, one who stands justified before God in this state will remain in that state forever. The filth of sin has been forgiven, the state of righteousness has been imputed, and the person is forever purified to come before God.

Finally, the words state, “he who is holy, let him be holy still.” The first three categories were in the active voice – “be [unrighteous],” “be filthy,” and “be righteous.” This one is now in the passive voice, and thus it should rightly be rendered, “he who is holy, let him be made holy still.”

Man does not make himself holy, but rather he is imputed the holiness of Christ. For the person who has come to God through Him, his sanctification is made complete. He is made holy. This thought is reflected in such verses as –

“that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:16

&

“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” 1 Corinthians 6:11

The states of man spoken of in this verse can be changed in a person’s life, but only while he lives. Hebrews makes it clear in the words, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). May those who read consider their state now, while they have a chance to do so. And then, may they respond according to the call of God in Christ.

Life application: Three types of people are mentioned in this verse. Two fall into a negative state, and they are headed toward destruction. The third has taken the right path. As noted, the imperative mood is put for the future; it is not a command but a warning. So, to paraphrase, look at the words in this light – “Let the wrongdoer be made unjust; let the filthy person be made vile; and let the righteous person be made holy.”

Those who are wrongdoers and who fail to see the error of their way will end in the judgment of the unjust. As such, their state will continue for eternity. There will be no change to their character forever and ever.

The first category, those who are unrighteous or unjust, is well explained by Paul’s words in the first chapter of his letter to the Romans –

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.” Romans 1:18-23

Those who fail to come to Christ, will never be cleansed from their state but will continue on in their corruption for all eternity.

The second category speaks of those who are vile or filthy. Paul’s letter continues on describing their vulgarity –

“Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” Romans 1:24-27

The logical progression is from unrighteousness to vulgarity and filth. It goes from an unconcerned mental state accompanied by corresponding actions to a belligerent mental state accompanied by such actions. The book of Proverbs shows us a classic example of such a person who has so suppressed the knowledge of God and of righteousness that her life has become vile and even antagonistic towards morality –

“This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, ‘I have done no wickedness.’” Proverbs 30:20

The third category refers to those who are righteous; they will be made holy. However, these people are not righteous in and of themselves. They had to come to Christ from an unrighteous state. When they came to Christ, they did so by understanding their own unrighteousness and thus their need for a Savior. If they were unrighteous, then they needed Christ. When they came to Him, He bestowed His righteousness upon them.

Therefore, it was an imputed righteousness, not an inherent one. Those who have come to Him will be made holy. They are the ones suitable for entrance into the city which God has prepared for them. They are covered by Christ, and they will be glorified to be like Him. Let us thank God for His provision found in our Lord JESUS.

Oh God, we are thanking You today for Your righteousness which will lead to our glorification. We know that what we deserved was hell, but You have granted us heaven instead. Thank You for Jesus our Lord. Hallelujah and Amen.

Saturday, 11 September 2021

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

The previous verse contained the admonition for John to not worship at the feet of the angel. In his words, he said, “For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” Having said that, this verse now begins with, “And he said to me.”

Due to the flow of the dialog, one might think this is still the angel, but it is not. This is now “God” speaking. The angel just said, “Worship God.” He is the nearest antecedent –

• Worship God.
• And He [God] said to me.

This is surely the case because of what it says in verses 12 and 13, and then again in verse 16. Having said that, the idea being conveyed is that Jesus is God –

• Worship God. (22:9)
• And He [God] said to me. (22:10)
• “And behold, I am coming quickly, andMy reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (22:12, 13)
• “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.” (22:16)

With that understood, the words conveyed to John are, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book.” This is the opposite of what was said in Revelation 10:4 –

“Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.”

There is no contradiction in this at all. If the words of the seven thunders are sealed up, it does not mean that what John is being told to not seal is somehow at odds with that. Rather, the note concerning the sealing up of the seven thunders is a part of the contents of the book which is not to be sealed. John is being told that what has been conveyed to him, including the fact that something that he heard was not to be revealed. Rather, he is to make everything openly known that he has been told to reveal.

With this stated, the reason for this is given in the words, “for the time is at hand.” Here, the word kairos is used. Rather than speaking of the time as it passes by (the Greek word chronos), this word speaks of a particular moment or a suitable time. The time for the contents of the book to occur is ready to unfold.

As the book is written to the seven churches, this is not an indication that all of the events of the book are to be completed soon, but that the time for the words to begin to be fulfilled is.

For example, the church at Smyrna was told, “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Such an event as is recorded there is “at hand.” So, why was John given this book of Revelation, detailing events even thousands of years later, and even off into eternity? The answer is to show this church, and all the other churches, that God has a plan and that it ends with the restoration of all things. The tribulation that these people will face, and of which some will even have to die from because of their faith, is not the end of the story. Instead, it is only a step on the way to the glory that has now been revealed to John.

The book is a book of hope, set forth for the people of God, and to give them confidence in the power of God in Christ to restore all things that were lost at the very beginning of man’s time on earth.

Life application: Something new entered into the events of the church age in 1948. That is the year Israel was reestablished in their land. What was hidden from the eyes of the church for so long is that there is still a plan and a purpose for them. We can see this clearly now, and it makes the immanency of Christ’s return even more palpable.

Scholars of prophecy and eschatology look with wonder at the events of the world today. With each new occurrence, the words of Old Testament prophecy, which seemed so confused that they had to be spiritualized to make any sense of them. In 1948, Israel returned as a nation. In 1967 Jerusalem was again taken by Israel. The land has and continues to be divided since then, such as Israel’s departure from Gaza.

Each of these events helps bring the way the Old Testament portrays many prophetic events into a focus never imagined before. Now seems to be the time in human history where the “words of the prophecy of this book” are really coming into complete clarity, meaning that the church age may be coming to a close soon. Wouldn’t it be great to be the generation that sees the coming of the Lord for us! Even so, come Lord JESUS.

Lord, it is exhilarating to wake up and turn on the news and see prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes. What is written in the Bible, recorded so very long ago, is more up to date than the daily news. What an immensely wise and wonderful God You are! We look to You and Your glorious return with anticipation. Amen.

Friday, 10 September 2021

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.” Revelation 22:9

With John’s falling down before the feet of this messenger in order to worship (whether God, or – erringly – the angel), there is a response. John says, “Then he said to me…”

A note of correction is necessary for John’s actions. There is to be no misunderstanding of what the idea of proper worship is. With this, the messenger says, “See that you do not do that.”

As in verse 19:10, the Greek is much more abrupt – Ὅρα μή (Hora mē, or “See not!”). The suddenness of the words is intended to arrest the attention of John and have him think clearly concerning his actions. With this, the angel next states, “For I am your fellow servant.”

The words of this angel (the Greek simply meaning “messenger”) lean to the idea that he is quite possibly human. It may be that he is a spiritual being, but either way, he clearly identifies himself as being on the same level as John in regard to his servanthood before the Lord. To further express this, he says, “and of your brethren the prophets.”

A spiritual connection between John (an apostle) and the prophets is conveyed here. Each office has a particular purpose, which is to convey the word of God. And like the prophets, apostles were no more entitled to receive worship than they were. The angel is conveying a prophetic message to John, John is receiving it and will convey it to the church, but the Source of the revelation is God. Each is simply a messenger in his own right, and thus a servant of the Source of the message. From there, the angel then says, “and of those who keep the words of this book.”

There are different responsibilities in the government of God, but all are subordinates to Him. Some bring the message from God, some receive it and proclaim it to the people verbally or in a recorded fashion, and some are to hear the word and then keep (meaning observe) that which is proclaimed to them. The angel notes that all subordinate levels are actually fellow servants. Servants are not masters. As such, there is One, and only One, who is to receive the honor of worship. And so, he clearly proclaims to John, “Worship God.”

The angel exactingly repeats his words from Revelation 19:10 again. Only God is to be worshiped. Therefore, one must have an understanding of who God is. This is one of the main purposes of Scripture, the revealing of God in a manner so that man can understand Him in an intimate way. The God revealed in the Bible – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the God who is to be worshiped. He and no other.

Life application: Whatever was on John’s mind when he fell at the angel’s feet to worship, it sent the wrong signal. Somebody may fall at the feet of the pope while worshiping God, thus indicating that he believes the pope is a valid intermediary. This would be an error. One does not need such an intermediary. Jesus Christ is the one and only Mediator between God and man. Thus, the expression of falling before a pope actually deprives Jesus of His rightful due.

John may have fallen to worship God, but by doing so at the feet of the angel, he has made the same mistake. He may have thought, “I am worshiping God, and my worship will be transmitted through this angel to Him.” It is inappropriate.

The prophets and apostles are noted as having especially high stations among men because they conveyed the words of God to the people of God. However, no person holding such an office, or any other high office granted by God, is worthy of worship, or even of being an intermediary in worship. This is noted in Acts 10:25, 26 – “As Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I myself am also a man.’”

Along with the apostles and prophets who relayed God’s word to humanity are those who keep the words of God through obedience to them. All of God’s saints who hear the word, receive it, and keep it are considered co-heirs with Christ and are even now seated with Him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:4-7). However, this is only a conferred honor and was granted by God for His glory.

The angel speaking with John places himself in a category like the apostles, prophets, and saints. Psalm 8:5 says that man was made “a little lower than the angels.” This implies that although angels have a higher station than man at this time, they are also created beings. Their job is not to receive glory, praise, and worship, but to ensure those are directed to God alone. And so, whether this angel is a man or a heavenly messenger, he is not to be worshiped.

Let us never set up an idol in our hearts through improper worship, and may we be proper examples to others of how to conduct ourselves before our God. God has given us the proper revelation in His word to teach us how this is to be accomplished. He has revealed Himself through the sending of His Messiah. Let us worship Him, then, through JESUS.

Help us, O God, to act rightly in our worship of You. Help us to never bow to another part of the creation and thus take from You what You alone rightfully deserve. You are glorious in all ways and surely You are worthy of all praise! Thank You for allowing us to come before You in worship and adoration. Amen.

Thursday, 9 September 2021

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. Revelation 22:8

John had just heard the words of Christ (whether audibly spoken by the Lord or repeated by the angel who had presented the revelations to him), and it so greatly affected him that he was overwhelmed. As such, he conveys to us what then occurred, saying, “Now I, John, saw and heard these things.”

The Greek is more precise, using an article with a present participle – “Now I John am the one who is seeing these things and hearing.” He is conveying that everything has been an ongoing display before his eyes that he personally beheld. It is similar to his words that testify to his life, witnessing the work of Christ –

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

John is once again testifying to the truth of his personal experience in beholding what God had set before him to witness to. In this position of trust appointed to him, he next says, “And when I heard and saw.” The verbs are now aorist. With the vision having been seen, and with the senses overwhelmed at what he has just heard, John says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.”

Again, John returns to a present participle. It more rightly states, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who is showing me these things.” He doesn’t know if the vision is complete or not. He has seen and heard to the point where he was overwhelmed, but he is also still in the presence of the angel who is there showing him the visions of the future.

What occurs in this sentence is what has already happened once before –

Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” ¹⁰ 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.” Revelation 19:9, 10

Did John make the same error twice? Or is this a new error to avoid confusion? In Revelation 19:10, it says, “And I fell at his feet to worship him.” Now, it says, “I fell down to worship [God? Or the angel?] before the feet of the angel.”

In other words, it very well may be that John is falling to worship the Lord who gave the words, but the angel wants no confusion at all to be introduced into the narrative. As such, he ensures there is none by redirecting John’s worship “to God and before God,” rather than “to God and before a messenger.” Either way, John’s actions are spoken against in order to ensure that God alone is given the glory.

Life application: John has, just since the beginning of this chapter, seen the river of water of life which proceeds from the throne of God; the tree of life bearing fruit for each month of the year; leaves of the tree indicating healing of the nations; that there will be no more curse; that the throne of God and the Lamb will be right in the midst of the people and that the people will serve Him; that the people will see His face and they will have His name on their foreheads; there will be no night in the New Jerusalem and no need of a lamp or the sun because of the radiance of God; and that the people will reign forever and ever.

After seeing these astonishing things which had been lost since the very beginning of man’s history, as is recorded in the redemptive narrative, John was told that what had been described was “faithful and true;” that it was sent from the Lord God; and that these things must shortly take place. Finally, he was told that those who “keep the words of the prophecy of this book” would be blessed.

All of these things must have completely overwhelmed the beloved apostle of the Lord and in stunned awe of the beauty of what his eyes had beheld, he fell down to worship.

What will our response be when we gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and the wonders that He has prepared for us? Let us remember now that from Him alone stems all good things and that He therefore alone is worthy of our prayers, petitions, and praise. We must never make the mistake of offering any of these things to anything in creation.

We are not to pray to a person such as Mary or the saints, we are not to petition anyone, such as an angel, and we are not to offer praise to anyone or anything – such as the constellations. Instead, these are to be reserved for the Lord alone. It is easy to get sidetracked, but the Bible asks us to fix our thoughts, hearts, affections, and gaze upon the Lord. To Him alone be all glory, wisdom, power, and might. And so, to Him alone belongs our worship, attention, and devotion. Yes, let us magnify the Lord our God. Let us magnify JESUS.

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing us what to do directly in Your word. We don’t need to guess if we should pray to a dead person or if we should praise a sunrise. We don’t need to wonder about asking for a blessing from a wishing well. Instead, we know to offer these to You alone and in the name of Your beloved Son, Jesus. Amen.

Monday, 6 September 2021

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL NOT BE POSTING A REVELATION COMMENTARY FOR A COUPLE DAYS. WE WILL RESUME, PROBABLY WEDNESDAY MORNING.

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” Revelation 22:7

The angel was speaking to John in the previous verse. Now, without any announcement, the words of Jesus are brought forth, saying, “Behold, I am coming quickly!” It goes unstated whether Jesus actually has spoken these words for John to hear, or if the angel speaks them to John with the understanding that they are the words of the Lord.

Either way, the adverb form of the noun just used in the previous verse is now used here. There, it spoke of the things that must ‘in quickness’ take place. These words of Jesus now exclaim that He will come quickly. It does not necessarily signify “soon,” but rather when He comes, it will be suddenly. It is a note for those who hear to be prepared. With that, words are next substantially repeated from earlier in Revelation, saying, “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

This is the sixth time that such a blessing is stated in Revelation. In Revelation 1:3, Jesus said, “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.” As such, with the coming of the ending of the book, the admonition is stated once again.

The Greek verb is a present participle. It more correctly reads, “Blessed is he who ‘is keeping’ the words of the prophecy of this book.” Because of this, it calls for constant watch and observation. It is similar to what was already stated by Peter –

“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, ⁴ and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.’” 2 Peter 3:1-4

Scoffers fail to “keep.” Rather, they go about life ignoring the fact that God has a plan, and that what He says will come to pass, even if it appears otherwise. What seems like a delay to us is not so to Him. Everything is set according to what He has predetermined. The words of this verse ask those in the church to be attentive, and in such an attentive state, they will be blessed.

Life application: This is the fourth time it is noted that Jesus will come quickly. When He first comes for His church, it will be in the twinkling of an eye, and she will be gone. At the end of the tribulation period, Christ will again appear, and He will work His judgment swiftly and with finality. All people should remember to live their lives as if each moment is the last. Either Christ will come for us by the rapture or by His return, or He will come for us in death – which could be at any moment as well.

For believers, Paul notes this in Romans 13:11 – “And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

For those who are not yet committed to Christ, Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” We are to be committed to the Lord, and we are to then be about the Lord’s business until He comes (see Acts 1:7). Anything else will only lead to sadness and regret.

The second point to be considered is the change that is expected in those who read or hear the words of Revelation. The words cited above from Revelation 1:3 implored those who read and hear to “keep those things which are written in it.” In other words, the earlier words anticipated that those who were starting the adventure of reading this book would continue to do so and to allow the words to sink in and have a positive effect on them. The words of Revelation 22:7, however, are stated in acknowledgment that the book has been read, and now the one who has read it will keep on keeping what was read.

This is similar to what James states in his epistle –

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25

James equates a person who hears or reads the word, and who then disregards what it says, to someone who gets up in the morning, looks at the shabby face in the mirror – unshaven, stuff in his eyes, hair all messy, etc. – and who then walks away not caring about his appearance.

The Bible is like a mirror to us. You should know your appearance will offend others, but instead of shaving your whiskers, combing your hair, and washing your face, you go out as you are, and no one wants to be near you. Then you wonder why you’re such a lonely guy. When we read the Bible, we need to absorb it and apply it to our lives. Just as James implores us, so the Lord now does in Revelation.

A third point to consider is that this book is a book of prophecy. Some books in the Bible are noted for wisdom, some for instruction, some for historical value, and some for praise and worship. Other books are books of prophecy. It would make no sense for this particular book of prophecy to be fulfilled in the way preterists claim, stating that its contents were realized and completed in AD70. Rather, the entire context of the majority of prophecies point to a date that is future to the church even now.

Don’t be misled into believing that the church is ushering in the kingdom and that Jesus will return when we have brought peace on earth. The world is increasing in wickedness and the church is heading toward more loss and persecution, not less. It is the Lord Jesus who will return to defeat the enemies of God and usher in the kingdom. Until then, the Spirit is seeking out a bride for Jesus. Stand fast as the end-time events approach and don’t lose heart if we as the church continue to suffer. Jesus is coming quickly. Even so, come Lord JESUS!

Heavenly Father, give us right thinking and clarity as we await the return of Christ. Help us to be ready at all times to share the good news and to lead those around us away from wickedness and towards righteousness. Give us a heart for the lost because the time is short. Let us not be slack in our duties. Amen.