Revelation 20:4-6
Series: Just Conquer #55
# Introduction
The study of the end times is not just a study of prophecies but of *promises*. The result of such study is not just (hopefully) a more detailed accuracy about what is going to happen but a *deepened hope* in what God is going to cause to happen. He is a God of promises, a God of hope, and He is always faithful to His Word.
From the beginning of our study in the book of Revelation I have maintained that the major "problem" with Revelation, if it really should be called a problem, is that all the things John saw and wrote about have not happened exactly the way that John saw and wrote about. All of the approaches to the Apocalypse wrestle with this fact and propose different ways of handling it.
But this is a larger problem than the descriptions and promises found in the last book of the Bible. There were many promises in the Old Testament that were fulfilled when Christ came, but not all of them. Jesus Himself taught about some things that have not happened yet, and this is a *feature* not a bug in the Bible. In this dispensation we live by *faith* not by sight. However much God's Word provides understanding, the point is that we should believe whatever God says. Learn the lessons He teaches, including the lesson of leaning on Him and not our own understanding. He is faithful.
God has given a lot of revelation about His reign on earth. He is sovereign by nature, cannot be anything but sovereign, and this is more certain than a triangle having three sides. God rules, has ruled, and will rule. Before He ascended Jesus said that all authority had been given to Him by the Father (Matthew 28:18), and He sits at the Father's right hand (Hebrews 12:2). This God who rules is the God who reveals the His rule will be embodied on earth, and “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). God *promised* such a kingdom to Abram (Genesis 17:1-8), that would come through Judah (Genesis 49:8-10), as a son of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16). There would be a King to rule over all the earth from His throne in Jerusalem.
This has not happened yet.
That reality has been variously explained, and there are two broad categories of explanation. It *is* happening, but in a spiritual sense, or it *will* happen more than in this spiritual sense.
If we are going to give ourselves to serve this God, if we are going to follow the commands of Christ, if we are not going to be ashamed of Him and His words, if we are going to refuse compromise with the world, if we are going to suffer as those who believe in Him without seeing Him, we ought to give full attention to what He says about what He's going to do. It is not an overstatement to call His promises an issue of life or death.
Last Lord's Day we considered John's vision about the binding of the devil for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3). While it is supernatural, it is not fanciful or fictional. The purpose and duration of Satan's time in the pit relates to this next paragraph (20:4-6) which views the thousand years without the devil’s deceiving work among the nations.
There are significant interpretive questions about these three verses. There is significant disagreement, with downstream implications, about the interpretation of these verses. Let's reread them and see what promises there are to be celebrated.
> Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also, I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4-6)
Three times the phrase **for a thousand years** qualifies the duration. It was used twice in the previous paragraph for the binding-time of Satan, it will be used once more in verse 7 as a summary marker, "when the thousand years are ended." As I said last week, this is the Millennium (from the Latin word *mille* meaning “thousand”). The reason why we refer to the Millennial *Kingdom* is because two of the three uses of **for a thousand years** in verses 4-6 speak about *reigning with Christ*, the Messiah, the Anointed King. This is a period of Christ's reign, and of some group with Him.
It is tempting to leave the paragraph and bring in other theological categories, or even other Scripture passages, both of which are worthwhile in their place, but neither of which are required just yet. Let's look at the text in front of us first.
Along with the reigning Christ, who else do we meet here? An angel and Satan, as affecting the nations, were the main characters in the previous section. Here John sees 1) those seated on thrones, 2) those who share the first resurrection, and 3) those who are resurrected but *not* in the first resurrection. *Both* of the first two groups have authority to judge and reign with Christ and cannot be affected by the second death, the last group is resurrected for sake of the second death.
Two related questions arise. What type of resurrections are these? And where is the judging and reigning (by the resurrected) taking place?
We can work from what we know. The **second death** is eternal death, which means that the *first* death, not explicitly referenced here, but by implication, is *physical* death. Anyone whose name is not found in the book of life experiences the second death (20:15), but before that, the (physically) dead are "raised" and brought before the "great white throne" (20:11). This raising is what verse 5 describes: **the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended**. So *everyone* is raised physically, those who are part of the group called **the rest** are raised to face the second death.
What is the **first resurrection**? The ones who experience the first resurrection *were* **souls** who **came to life**. They are those who *cannot* be affected by the second death, and they come to life at a different time than **the rest** who are affected by the second death. They are also the ones who reign with Christ for a thousand years.
Every clue in the passage itself points to a *physical resurrection* and therefore a *physical reign*.
This is the promise for those who would not submit themselves to the beast while living on earth. This is the promise for those who actually were willing to give up their physical lives. The promise is not simply that their faithfulness on earth, which caused them their life on earth to end, would result in their reward of reigning with Christ in heaven. This is not merely a spiritualized reward.
It is a common interpretation to say that the first resurrection refers to Christian regeneration, that is, to *spiritual* resurrection (Augustine seems to have been the first to promote this view). As we'll see in a moment, what that allows is for a *spiritual* reigning as well as making the thousand years a symbolic reference.
But not only does this make the vision about two different kinds of resurrections, the first spiritual and the second physical, it makes the promise for living without compromise a promise of *salvation*. Yet it is those who are saved, as in, already spiritually resurrected in Christ, who resist the beast. The first resurrection occurs *after* the beheadings/martyrdom, so if the first resurrection is spiritual, then the martyrdom results in spiritual life. In other words, they died for Christ before becoming spiritually alive. That misses the entire point of this promise.
When **the souls...came to life**, these are already spiritually saved souls who get their new physical bodies. Which also means that when they **came to life and reigned with Christ**, this reigning must be more than spiritual as well. If the thousand years is happening *now*, between Christ's comings (as Douglas Wilson and many others maintain) then the reigning *must* be spiritual. That perspective creates more problems.
John saw **thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed**. We are not told the explicit identity of the ones sitting on these thrones, but the movement of this part of the end times points to their authority being *on earth* (contra Wilson). Christ defeated His enemies on earth (19:17-21), Satan is bound away from the earth (21:1-3), so why would the thousand years of reigning, as opposed to the reign of the beast, not also be on earth? Whereas John had previously seen elders sitting on thrones in heaven (4:4), these thrones represent authority *on earth*.
Because the ones on the thrones are distinguished from the ones who had been **beheaded for the testimony of Jesus...who had not worshipped the beast or its image**, we have reason to think that the ones with authority are the same group as those who were in the army of the Rider on the white horse (19:14). Based on promises given earlier in the book of Revelation, these are the saints who lived and died before the tribulation, and the **beheaded** were those who lived and died during the tribulation.
> The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21)
It is not only the martyrs, both groups are *blessed*. **Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection**. They receive their resurrected bodies and are certain not to succumb to the power of the second death, and **they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.**
Such a reign of Christ on earth with His resurrected saints fulfills prophecy after prophecy (see for example Exodus 19:6,; Isaiah 61:6; Zechariah 14:9), beginning in the Old Testament and affirmed in the New Testament. While it has always been true that God is King over all the earth, God established a covenant with David that David's son would sit on a throne in Jerusalem and rule the nations (2 Samuel 7:16). So many Psalms anticipate not just the recognition of the Anointed one's spiritual worth and spiritual authority, but of the Anointed one's coming and defeat of enemies and blessing of His people.
> Rise up, O judge of the earth. Understand O stupid people! (Psalm 94:2, 8)
But not everyone agrees with this.
> The mention of the saints’ resurrection in 20:4–5 probably is a reference to their share in Christ’s own resurrection, which gives them power to rule spiritually over the devil. (Beale)
> Having entered into glory, they continued to live on, and they participated in the reign of Christ over all the nations of men. (Wilson)
> Rushdoony takes the view of many amillennialists that the first resurrection is a figurative way of referring to the regeneration of the believer, whereas Benjamin B. Warfield held the view, also found among some amillennialists, that the first resurrection is the entrance into heavenly joys and that these verses present a picture of the souls of the redeemed safe in heaven. (_4 Views_)
Such interpretations just don’t fit.
I cannot comprehend what Abraham Kuyper thinks would be so boring about such a future kingdom. Due to what's seen in verses 7-10, when Satan is released for a short time and we find that some are on earth who are still capable of being deceived into rejecting the good reign of King Jesus, there is plenty of plot to work with. If we're going to play that game, how many Christians have been bored thinking about their eternal rest, strumming harps on the sidewalks next to streets of gold? It's possible to make anything "uninteresting" if we try, but God's plan, and *the fulfillment of His promises* down to the jot and tittle, is definitely not going to upset us.
# Conclusion
We are not *in* this kingdom, we are before it, and Christ will come before it, which is what it means to be a Premillennialist. The judging and reigning is *not ecclesiastical* or spiritual but civil and historical, just as the war was at the end of chapter 19 was on earth, and even as the dragon could no longer deceive the nations.
I plan to preach a part two of this paragraph next week, with a brief breakdown of the attempts to square it with eschatology perspectives. I mean, I haven't even shown one chart yet.
We are still praying as the Lord taught us, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). And God has promised: The LORD will come and all the holy ones with Him (Zechariah 14:5),
> And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one. (Zechariah 14:9)
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## Charge
We make promises because God makes promises. We keep promises because God keeps promises. We imitate Him by giving our word and we imitate Him by following through on our word. But this is not only parallel behavior, as in a mirror. His faithfulness doesn't just show us how, His faithfulness *blesses* our how. His promises don't just give us ideas, His promises and His faithfulness and His joy make us strong.
## Benediction:
> Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (Hebrews 10:23–25, ESV)
55: King Over All the Earth
Or, A Thousand Years on Jesus' Throne
April 25, 2021 • Sean Higgins
65: Apocalyptic Blessings
July 11, 2021 • Sean Higgins
Revelation 1-22 Series: Just Conquer #65 # Introduction I really, always, do not understand making no final comments on how a series through a book of the Bible has changed, or at least *affected*, the preacher. This applies to commentaries as well as to verse-by-verse teachers. It took me 64 sermons to work through the book of Revelation, and that ought to have accomplished something. (This, obviously then, makes the 65th sermon, so one short of the dreaded 66...6). We started on the second Sunday of September 20*19*, and how much is different since then, around us, in us. At the start of the series, and there is a good portion of you who've joined us long after the start, I shared that there are typically four views on Revelation. 1. The Preterist believes that most of Revelation was fulfilled at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. 2. The Historicist believes that Revelation has been being fulfilled throughout church history. 3. The Idealist believes that Revelation has been being fulfilled in history in more symbolic ways. 4. The Futurist believes that most of Revelation has not yet been fulfilled, but will be in the future. The thing that all the approaches must reckon with is that things haven't happened just like they're described in John’s visions. One of the related issues to answering that question is hermeneutical, that is, how to read the prophetic words. I committed myself to two rules; 1) I wouldn’t patronize anyone by saying “If you just read your Bible” and 2) I would try not to make my case using the word "literal" hardly ever, even if we did work through how best to interpret the words/images. I think I succeeded. I started as, and am still a futurist. But with the help of 2020, and in light of some of the visions John saw, I do believe we see patterns today that will be *uber-fulfilled* later. Some things really stood out to me. Having read Revelation probably a few dozen times, I had more impressions of the cataclysmic judgments, of star-falling, sky-crashing, sun-dimming, mountain-falling, smoke-rising images dominating the Apocalypse. And those are part of the unveiling. But there are some other things. First, I have been impressed by **all the different names/descriptions of God, especially of the Father and Son, in Revelation**. The Apocalypse uncovers quite a theology proper (by my account 40 something different names and combinations): 1. Him who is and who was and who is to come (1:4, 8; 4:8) 2. the faithful witness (1:5; 3:14) 3. the firstborn from the dead (1:5) 4. the ruler of kings on earth (1:5); King of the nations (15:3); Lord of lords and King of kings (17:14; 19:16) 5. Him who loves us (1:6) 6. Him who has freed us from our sins 7. Alpha and Omega (1:8; 21:6; 22:13) 8. the first and the last (1:17; 2:9; 22:13) 9. the beginning and the end (21:6; 22:13) 10. the Almighty (1:8; 4:8; 11:17; 15:3; 16:7, 14; 19:6, 15; 21:22) 11. the living one (1:18; 7:2) 12. Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand (2:1; 3:1) 13. Him who walks among the seven golden lampstands (2:1) 14. Him who died and came to life (2:8) 15. Him who has the sharp two-edged sword (2:12) 16. the Son of God (2:18) 17. Him who has the seven spirits of God (3:1) 18. the holy one (3:7) 19. the true one (3:7) 20. Him who has the key of David (3:7) 21. the Amen (3:14) 22. the beginning of God's creation (3:14) 23. Holy, holy, holy (4:8); the Holy One (16:5) 24. Him who is seated on the throne (4:9, and many others; 7:10) 25. Him who lives forever and ever (4:9, 10; 10:6; 15:7) 26. the Lion of the tribe of Judah (5:5) 27. the Root of David (5:5) 28. the root and descendent of David (22:16) 29. the Lamb (standing as though it had been slain) (5:6; 7:10) 30. Sovereign Lord (6:10) 31. He who created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them (10:6) 32. the Lord of the earth (11:4) 33. the God of heaven (11:13; 16:11) 34. a male child who is to rule all the nations (12:5) 35. sitting on a white horse called Faithful and True (19:11) 36. named with a name no one knows but Himself (19:12) 37. The Word of God (19:13) 38. the God of the spirits and the prophets (22:6) 39. the bright morning star (22:16) 40. the Lord Jesus (22:20, 21) There may be more direct names and descriptions of God in the book of Revelation than any other single book in the Bible. The second thing that stands out to me is that **all the devil’s best is a deception**. “That ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the *deceiver of the whole world*” (Revelation 12:9). Deception is his only way to glory, but it is a parody glory. He is a wanna-be. The false trinity (Dragon/Satan, Sea Beast/Antichrist, Land Beast/False prophet) presents a faux Christianity. Satan doesn’t create, he can only pervert. He is a liar and a loser. He lies because he has lost and knows his future loss. All that glitters is not gold, and whatever glitter he has is grotesque underneath. He can only get worship through manipulation and threats and killing. I simply had not realized that even though the dragon is not quite toothless, his rage has more to do with desperation; he shows “great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (Revelation 12:12) A third thing that stands out to me, amidst all the plagues and punishments on the end-times enemies, are ** all the promises to the saints in Revelation**. (The second message in the series was titled “A Promising Apocalypse.”) - we get to know what will soon take place (1:2) - we get grace and peace (1:4) - conquerors get to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God (2:7) - conquerors will not be hurt by the second death (2:11) - conquerors are given hidden manna and a white stone (2:17) - conquerors receive authority over the nations; reign on earth (2:26; 5:10) - conquerors will receive the morning star (2:27) - conquerors will be clothed in white garments (3:5; 7:13; 19:8) - conquerors will have names confessed by Jesus before His Father (3:5) - conquerors will be made pillars in the temple of God (3:12) - conquerors will have the name of God on them (3:12) - conquerors will sit with the Conqueror and His Father on the throne (3:21) - we are being made a kingdom and priests (1:6; 5:10) - we will get vindication for afflictions (6:10-11) - we will not hunger or thirst anymore, we will not be struck by the sun (7:16) - we will dwell with the Lamb and He will be our shepherd (7:17) - God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (7:17) - we will rest from our labors (14:13) - we will come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years (20:4, 6) - God will dwell with us, we will be His people and He will be with us as our God (21:3) - God will wipe away every tear, there will be no more mourning or crying or pain (21:4) - conquerors will be God's children (21:7) - we will walk by the light of the Lamb (21:23) - we will drink from the river of the water of life (22:1) - we will eat from the tree of life (22:2) - we will see the face of the Lamb and have His name on us (22:4) The fourth thing that stands out to me are **all the blessing that belong to believers**. These are the promises full-tilt. There are seven *apocalyptic blessings* (compare with seven churches, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls). The repetitions of Revelation’s beatitudes are not tedious. ## 1. Blessed are the ones reading and heeding the Book. In the beginning John writes: > **Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.** (Revelation 1:3) ## 2. Blessed are the ones exhausted in righteous works for the Lord. As the seventh trumpet has blown a heavenly voice, and the Spirit, announced: > **And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”** (Revelation 14:13) ## 3. Blessed are the ones ready for the Lord’s return. A parenthesis before the battle of Armageddon, Jesus Himself said: > ** (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”)** (Revelation 16:15) ## 4. Blessed are the ones promised to the Lamb. After the downfall of the great prostitute, Babylon, we see the glorious Bride (Christians collectively) and guests (Christians individually) as an angel said: > **And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”** (Revelation 19:9) ## 5. Blessed are the ones having eternal life. Amidst the great fulfillments in the Millennial Kingdom John writes: > **Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.** (Revelation 20:6) ## 6. Blessed are the ones reading and heeding the Book. This is the only repeated beatitude. John wrote it in Revelation 1:3, Jesus Himself announces it here: > **“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”** (Revelation 22:7) ## 7. Blessed are the ones dwelling eternally with God. The seventh beatitude, in the conclusion to the book, written by John: > **Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.** (Revelation 22:14) **Blessing** for the saints in the Lion-Lamb is the point of the Apocalypse. **Blessed** is a translation fo the Greek word μακάριος (in Latin translated *beatus*). Blessed is “happy.” Like that gloss or not, that is the ground floor meaning when applied to the world of men. It is to be happily favored, to be graciously privileged. It is to be happy recipients of God’s special attention and God-given experiences. You are #blessed when: you can put things in their proper context with proper value and meaning, when you have a freedom given by Who is in control and what He cares about, when the taste of obedience is good. #Blessed is a wealth, a protection, like betting behind the point and out of the wind. The blessed are *not* fearful. *Let the blessed embrace no voluntary gloom*. Psalm 16, without using the word, portrays the blessed (refuge, good, community, delight, inheritance, understanding, security, direction, joy and pleasure, unending hope). # Conclusion *Not all* will attain this blessedness. It will be wrath (for rejecting the God of many blessings) or blessing (of life with the God of eternal blessing). It will either be doom and torment or delight in His presence (Psalm 16:11). We will wail forever or worship forever, divine punishment or divine pleasure. We will dwell in the Father's house or we will be separated from Him in the lake of fire. Only one group *develops*. Believers will go further up and further in God’s blessing. Rebels will be *stuck* in their blasphemy, their *complaints*, unceasingly worn out by their consciences, by what they could have had. They will know full well that they are getting what they deserve, and they will resent it. As the world rebels against God, transgressions are too great to count, “sins are heaped high as heaven” (Revelation 18:4-5). God’s wrath on sinners is too great to comprehend, “the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger” (Revelation 14:10-11). And also, His grace is too great to contain (as Paul wrote, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” - Romans 5:20). William Langland wrote in the 14th century, pointing helplessly at the mercy of God, > “all the wickedness in this world that man might work or think is no more to the mercy of God than a live coal in the sea.” (quoted in _Angels in the Architecture_, Location 290) When we see the Father and Son, when we see the parody of the devil, when we hear the promises, especially the promised blessings, we will conquer. “Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints" (Revelation 13:10; 14:12). Believe in the Lord of blessings. > **"they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony for their loved not their lives even unto death.”** (Revelation 12:11) Beloved, just conquer. ---------- ## Charge Whether you are more positive or negative by personality, whether you identify as optimistic or pessimistic by theology, the charge today is that you *identify yourself in Christ*. Your life is hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3). And however much you grieve or groan, however much you are glad, you must believe, according to the word of Christ, that are more than a conqueror through Him who loved us. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. ## Benediction: > 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 desires take the water of life without price. > > He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! > The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (Revelation 22:17, 20–21, ESV)
64: The Final Amen
July 4, 2021 • Sean Higgins
Revelation 22:14-21 Series: Just Conquer #64 # Introduction I’ve been picking away at a book titled _Last Stands_, about military battles fought by those who at some point in the fight knew that they could not win. The first chapter recounts how 300 Spartans withstood the million-man Persian army for a few days at Thermopylae. They did not retreat, they did not surrender. As the author of the book summarizes, “With the outcome decided, all that was left was the glory” (Michael Walsh). Here we are at the end of Revelation; the end of the matter, all has been heard. All that’s left is the glory. The outro-duction, as I’m calling it, began in verse 6 after the conclusion of John’s final vision. We saw that the prophetic words are dependable, applicable, accessible, and profitable for the righteous who do right, who hold fast Christ’s name, and who conquer by the blood of the Lamb (see also 12:11). These last eight verses of Revelation get us to the final amen. # The In and the Out (verses 14-15) > **Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they might have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.** (verse 14) Here is the seventh beatitude, the last #blessed of the book. Eternal happiness belongs to the righteous, **those who wash their robes**. The washed ones are the living forever ones who have **the tree of life**. If you are clean, then you may enter into the joy of your Master in **the city**. The robe-washing-ones aren't saved *by* washing themselves, the washing is part of their salvation. The Lamb did all the redeeming, and His redeeming work doesn't end with forgiving unrighteousness. He sends the Holy Spirit to reside in us, and the Holy Spirit gives us a desire for and a power to pursue righteousness. We'd call it sanctification, consecration, the obedience of faith. We wear our consecration like garments. (See also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 as well as Revelation 7:14-17.) The robe-washing ones have two privileges, both in terms of *authority over*. They have access to the **tree of life** (unlike the punishment on the first couple in Eden) and access to **enter the city**. John saw the **tree of life** in his last vision (22:2). It grows by the river of the water of live which flows from God's throne through the center of New Jerusalem. God prohibited Adam from eating this tree's fruit when he sinned, while the second Adam purchased our access to the tree, for its food and for its healing. The **gates** are never shut (21:25), but not everyone can enter (see the following verse). The righteous are allowed in, no restrictions, no barrier to fellowship and glory. Verse 15 shows the other side, the *outside*. > **Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.** (verse 15) John draws the antithesis. The robe-washers dwell with God and the rest are **dogs**. It's as derogatory as can be. These dogs aren't man's best friend, these are the worst of men referred to as dogs. The **sorcerers** try to manipulate the world apart from God's natural laws, the **sexually immoral** try to satisfy themselves apart from God's sexual laws, the **murderers** take out their hatred on God's image-bearers, and **idolaters** deceive themselves thinking they can have their own make-believe God. All the ones *loving and practicing lies* perfectly summarize the sons of the devil, a liar from the beginning, and they join him in the lake of fire. Blessing is being *in*. Blessing is God's *welcome*. It's hell to be left out. # The Root and the Fruit (verse 16) > **I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.** (verse 16) Jesus speaks directly for the second time in the epilogue. In verse 7 He promised blessing for those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book, and then John testified that he received the revelation. John quotes Jesus here as claiming to be the source. The Apocalypse is not creative fiction. Jesus **sent my angel to testify**, and this confirms the first words of the book; "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John" (Revelation 1:1). The source is Jesus, the content are the **things** of judgment and promise, the beneficiaries are **the churches**. In the immediate context it's the seven churches addressed in chapters 2-3, and in the historical context it's all the Bride. Among all the options Jesus had to establish His testimony, including the option of providing *no* qualifications other than what has come in the visions, He declares Himself with perhaps the least abstract, least timeless attributes He could, the opposite of His attributes in verse 13. Being the **root and descendant of David** Jesus is of course royalty, but also extraordinary. He's both the one from whom David came and the one who comes from David, an ancestor *and* descendant. That's tough to do on a timeline, and only Jesus can. This also means Jesus is *King*, the "King of the Jews." He is the fulfillment of an old covenant. (See Isaiah 11:1, 10, as well as Revelation 5:5.) Being **the bright morning star** Jesus fulfills the poetic efforts of the rosy-fingered dawn (think Homer’s _Iliad_), the astronomical target of a guiding north, the great light of the world. Balaam also declared that “a star will come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17). # The Call For and the Call To (verse 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 desires take the water of life without price.** (verse 17) There's not agreement about who is speaking. It could be Jesus, continuing on from what we have as verse 16. If it's Jesus, the repetition of "Come" would obviously not be *to* Him about *His* coming. All three (or four) parts of verse 17 would be an evangelistic call. But that doesn't make the most sense. The unveiling that is the book of Revelation is about Jesus' return, the things that will happen leading up to it and the glory for His people following it. The outro-duction is dominated by that theme. In verse 7 Jesus says, "I am coming soon." In verse 20 Jesus says, "Surely I am coming soon." John himself responds with "Come, Lord Jesus." And so verse 17 begins with the **Spirit and the Bride** expressing their desire for Him. The *one-hearing* is more individual. The *one-hearing* is a seven-fold refrain heard at the end of every message to the seven churches. The image of the **Bride** emphasizes the collective nature of the desire, and this description focuses on the individual disciple. The remaining part of the verse does turn evangelistic. Every hearing one wants to see the Lamb in His glory, and, don't *you* want to be a hearing-one? The reasons to repent from rebellion are repeated throughout the Revelation. As the rider on the white horse He will consume every enemy. None will escape the fury of His wrath. But in Him is much more than the proverbial fire insurance. In Him is soul satisfaction. In Him is *life*. And all of it is by grace, available only in Him and available only **without price**. (See also Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 21:6.) # The Plus and the Minus (verses 18-19) > **I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.** (verses 18-19) It's actually another testimony; **I warn** is an interpretive turn on "I testify" based on the double threats that follow. Don't mess with the Apocalypse or else. Take care with this **book, book, book, book**. There are two ways to mess it up, adding and subtracting, and there are two matching consequences. Want more? You can have more, just probably not the more you wanted. Add to the prophecies, get **the plagues**. Plagues puts the judgments into skin and bone; the rubber meets the rebellion. Prefer to remove some of the parts? Want to make it a little easier, more palatable perhaps? Take away from the prophecies and watch all the good parts slide away. This does *not* apply, at least not necessarily, to Preterists or Postmillennialists (or whatever eschatology we don’t happen to agree with). It applies to denial of eternal judgment, or to promotion of immorality and idolatry, things that turn others away from the Lamb (think the churches in Pergamum (2:14) and Thyatira (2:20-23). “Those who twist the divinely inspired prophecies to their own ends will suffer the consequence that fits their sin” (Osborne). Also, this is not the first time such a warning has been inspired. (See Deuteronomy 4:2 and 29:19-20, when Moses warned the Israelites. See also Proverbs 30:6.) It is convenient that it comes at the end of the Scripture Canon as we have it, with prophecies into the eternal state. There is relevance for the entire inspired Word of God, but it applies primarily to the book of Revelation. # The Promise and the Plea (verse 20) > **He who testifies to these things says, "Surely, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!** (verse 20) Here is the third testimony (also verses 16 and 18), more promise, more hope. The **I** in the **I am coming soon** is the King, the star, the Lamb. He is **Lord Jesus**. *Veni, Domine Jesu.*Also *Maranatha* (an Aramaic transliteration in 1 Corinthians 16:22). **Amen** hears and affirms. So let it be. Christians live in light of the Lord's lordship and in light of the Lord's return. We care about His kingdom and His coming, about His kingdom come. We will see Him as He is in His glory. We will be transformed into His image; we will share His glory. We will dwell with Him, and we will serve Him. Our fellowship will no longer be by faith, it will be *direct*. Christian, you *get* to want this. You are allowed to long for this; there is no angelic warning against it. You cannot have too much of a Christ-is-coming-ly mindset to be any earthly good. You will do good works on earth because of this witness. # The Lord and the Last Word (verse 21) > **The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.** (verse 21) After all the plagues, the final word is a *good* word, a benediction. After all the judgment, John finishes off with *grace*, and not just any grace, but the grace **of the Lord Jesus**. Who has more grace? Even with the haunting images and the horrors of God’s righteous wrath, there is a holy happiness offered to those who submit to the Almighty. He gives grace to understand, grace to *conquer*. With a bit of irony, this second **Amen** in as many verses is *not* actually found in all the early Greek manuscripts (though included in most of the major English translations). It is easier to account for its addition by a later scribe than it is to explain its absence so, according to the priorities of textual criticism, it may not have been written by John. I say it has irony because of not "adding to" the words of the prophecy, while also that's not what the warning is about, and any scribe would have just copied that part. It *fits*. # Conclusion There is a focus on "words" in verses 6, 7, 9, 10. 18, 19; Revelation is given that we would say say *Yes* and *Amen*. Agree and attend to the truth, to Him who is the Truth, to Him who is our King. > For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11–13 ESV) ---------- ## Charge Beloved, Jesus is Lord. As He regularly told His disciples, no one knows the day or the hour of His return, so be on guard, keep awake. Watch for Him. ## Benediction: > If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22–24, ESV)
63: The End of the Matter
June 20, 2021 • Sean Higgins
Revelation 22:6-13 Series: Just Conquer #63 # Introduction Words are like water that wash us. Paul wrote about husbands who ought to love their wives like Christ who cleanses His Bride, the Church, "by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to Himself in *splendor*" (Ephesians 5:26-27). The Lamb laid down His life to redeem the Bride, and the Lamb gives His Word, His promises about what will soon take place, to the Bride in order to prep her in radiance. There is great emphasis on the "prophetic words" in these final verses of the Apocalypse; these are the words preserved for us that prepare us for being presented to Christ. We've reached the conclusion, the epilogue. The main body of visions was concluded in 22:5, and the outro-duction compares well with the introduction. There are a number of ways that the words are affirmed, words that have been given to the Church to help her be consecrated, blameless, and to conquer. My wife and I were talking this past week about nearing the end of this study, and she remarked that my approach has been like one of those brushless car-washes with thick strips of fabric that slap and swipe. I like that. I've intended to be charitable toward non-Futurist, non-Premillennial, non-Dispensational viewpoints, though I have also been parking us and letting the paragraphs slap into us. That can't wash off scratches of eisegesis and dents that certain interpretations bring with them, but it can wash off some of the superficial theological simplicities that get stuck on our thinking apart from the washing of the prophetic words themselves. We are nearing the final Amens, an Amen in verse 20 and the last Amen of the Canon in verse 21. Verses 6-21 reiterate the key themes of Revelation and make an obvious bookend with chapter 1. Compare (along with Osborne): - the revelation is from God (1:1, 22:6) - the revelation is for God’s slaves (1:1, 22:6) - the revelation is about what “must soon take place” (1:1, 22:6) - the revelation is about Christ’s coming (1:7, 22:7) - the revelation must be kept (1:3, 22:7) - the revelation keepers are blessed (1:3, 22:7) - the revelation belongs to the Alpha and Omega (1:8, 22:13) The biggest difference between the beginning and the end of the book is that now, after writing down the prophetic words, John cries, “Come, Lord Jesus!” What we've heard from John are prophetic words, and there are four characteristics of the prophetic words in verses 6-13. # The Prophetic Words Are Dependable (verse 6) Whatever we think about the seals, trumpets, bowls, about the beasts and the abyss and Babylon, the *source* of all these details requires our attention and our acceptance. > **And he said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.** There is some difficulty determining who is speaking throughout the epilogue, but this "he" is the angel who has been giving John a tour of the eternal City from 21:1 to 22:5. That angel affirms the final vision of radiance, and probably *all* the visions after the letters to the churches. The very **words** are **trustworthy and true**, faithful to the facts, reliable and right. They are true because they are *God's* words. As so many prophetic announcements (in the OT) have been introduced with, "the word of the Lord," so all that has been heard is a divine transmission. God is God of His **prophets**. God is God for His **servants**, His slaves. God works through His prophets to give truth to His servants. Much of this repeats chapter 1. Again, Revelation ought not be ignored. It is a product of supernatural origin that contains not just a collection but the *culmination* of prophetic insight for the comprehension, comfort, and the courage of God's people. # The Prophetic Words Are Applicable (verse 7) In chapter one an angel receives the revelation from Jesus Christ. Jesus speaks directly and affirms the prophetic words. > **"And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.** The **behold** is not poetic but emphatic. It attests to the attention that really belongs with the statement. We use bold letter-styling for important comments, or start a line with an emoji. We use oral cues, too, even if they are more casual. "Hey, listen to this.” What follows the behold is the hope of the churches: **I am coming soon.** This is the Lamb, the Messiah, Jesus, named by Himself in verse 16, appealed to in verse 20, and the last name in Scripture in verse 21, “Lord Jesus.” His return is *immanent*; His day “will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). This refers to His final coming, not to a supposed coming to judge Jerusalem in AD 70 (contra Gentry) or to “spiritual” comings in “every generation of the church” (contra Beale). *Be ready*. The Lamb, who says He will return, also says that He's *not* back now, which is His prerogative, which means our perseverance is His plan for now. How can we possible be expected to endure all this? We are expected to endure by obeying what He said with His favor. The sixth beatitude in the book, the sixth of seven #blesseds, is for word-keepers. This is true for all of the inspired Word. What a privilege that we have our own completed copies. But Jesus particularly promises blessing for Revelation readers and Apocalypse keepers. *Keep* the prophetic words. I know the objections: Eschatology is hard. Eschatology is divisive. Eschatology isn't practical. Okay. But Jesus says that you can't be fully blessed if you don't care. That seems *relevant*. (Whether or not I have done the words their proper service, you have direct access to *blessing*.) Don't be satisfied being *un*blessed. # The Prophetic Words Are Accessible (verses 8-11) The angel has affirmed the prophetic words, Jesus has affirmed the prophetic words, now John does as well. > **I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.** The apostle John gave eye-witness testimony, he was a steward of what was given to him directly. Then the angel says three things. ## Worship God (verses 8-9) The words and visions pushed John over again. > **And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!** While applicable to the entire book of Revelation, it was especially the last set of sights and sounds related to the Celestial City that caused John to again, for the second time, get overwhelmed and fall down before the angel (see 19:10). And again, the angel tells John, Stop it. The angel identifies himself as a *sundoulos*, a **fellow servant**. The angel is just the messenger, as are any and all of God's prophets, John included. The angel exhorts John, **Worship God!** What could be more obvious? The worship part is completely understandable. The obvious, the correct response to the great prophetic words of our future in glory in the radiance of His face upon us is to worship *now*. We will be worshipping, but the words depicting our future reality provoke us to praise in the present. Likewise, what is more obvious than that we worship the giver of the prophetic words, God Himself. ## Open the Book (verse 10) Unlike the end of the visions that God gave to Daniel, God says that the visions given in the Apocalypse are to be left open and accessible. > **And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.** The first part of this is more understandable. Though it is also *preachable*. The prophetic words are for the ones who read them. The prophetic words are for our blessing now, they are for our courage now, they are for us to live for the Lamb and avoid the deceit of the Beast now. *Apocalypse* means unveiling, so don't recover the uncovered. John had been told to “seal up what the seven thunders have said” (Revelation 10:4). Daniel was told to “shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase” (Daniel 12:4). Now, **the time is near**. ## Do Right (verse 11) The angel continues his instructions, and since the prophetic words are in the open, their light reveals the absolute *antithesis*: good and evil. > **Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.** It makes some uncomfortable that the angel would exhort evildoers *not* to stop their evildoing. But God, who is sovereign over every heart, does not shy away from this angle. Is there hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ for any who give up their rebellion and cast themselves at the Lamb's feet for mercy? Of course! Is there any surprise among the Lamb's people that some of the seed doesn't take in the soil? Those who hearts of hate toward God may find it a permanent condition. But if you have ears to hear, kiss the Son lest He be angry and it be too late (Psalm 2:12). What Christians ought to be concerned with is *perseverance* in what we know is right. **Do right**. **Be holy**. Do it now, because the time is near (per the previous verse). # The Prophetic Words Are Profitable (verses 12-13) In the previous verse we see the evil and the good, the filthy and the holy. All will get what's coming to them. > **"Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."** The motto, so to speak, of the Apocalypse is that Jesus is coming. "Behold, he is coming" sounds as early as Revelation 1:7. Jesus speaks again, and calls for our concentration again on the validity and reliability of the prophetic words. He adds here that He will come with **recompense**. This doesn't only refer to punishment, but also to reward. He will **repay** based on what's been done, good or evil. The righteous will be honored, the filthy will be shamed and punished. *Count on it.* (See also Isaiah 40:10.) We are not saved by our works, we are saved by the Lamb’s slaughtering in our place (Revelation 5:9-10). But the redeemed live like it. Count on it because of who says it: Jesus, who is God. This is the final set of polar titles, but previously they have been designations of the Almighty who is *with* the Lamb rather than of the Lamb Himself (1:8, 21:6). Of course, John had heard Jesus say, "I am my Father are one" (John 10:30), and regularly the Almighty and the Lamb are sitting on the same throne. # Conclusion In this outro we have reached the end of the matter; all has been heard. The last visions have been revealed of the eternal days, and John is wrapping up the prophetic words. These prophetic words come from God, they are authentically authoritative. And these prophetic words say that Jesus is coming. It reminds me of Solomon's end to Ecclesiastes. > The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13–14) As the "worship God" in verse 9 fits with Ecclesiastes 12:13a, “fear God,” as keeping the words fits with “keep His commandments” in Ecclesiastes 12:13b, the recompense in verses 12-13 fits with Ecclesiastes 12:14, “every deed” will be assessed. ---------- ## Charge Beloved, God is your Keeper, no one can snatch you out of His hand. Beloved, because God is your keeper, you likewise be keepers of His commandments. This is your delightful duty. ## Benediction: > The Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us, that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, which he commanded our fathers. (1 Kings 8:57-58, ESV)