Epilogue to the Apocalypse Rev 22:6-21

The End and the Beginning This section ties the end of the book to its beginning in chapter 1: The prophecy comes from God Himself and from Jesus (22:6; cf. 1:1). It deals with things that must take place soon (22:6; cf. 1:1), using an angel as a means of communication with John (22:8; cf. 1:1). The addressees are God’s slaves (22:6; cf. 1:1) who will hear it read in their churches…just as we have done in this class (22:16, 18, 20; cf. 1:3, 11). It promises special blessing for those who obey its words (22:7, 12, 14; cf. 1:3) and warns of impending retribution to the unfaithful (22:11, 12, 18-19; cf. 1:7). Its message revolves around Christ (22:16, 18, 20; cf. 1:2, 5, 9), who is the central figure and is coming soon (22:7, 10, 12, 20; cf. 1:3, 7). Go through these before you read; have them listen for these as you read.

Emphases of the Epilogue In the series of exchanges between John and the angel, there are 3 repeated emphases: a confirmation of the genuineness of the prophecy; a focus on the imminence of Jesus’ return; a warning to the unrighteous and an invitation to enter the city.

The Testimony of the Angel (22:6-7) This is the same angel who began speaking with John in 21:9-10, addressed him again in 21:15, and is now finishing his conversation. His words here confirm the truth and faithfulness not only of the previous section, but of all that has been revealed. “the things which must shortly take place” connects back to 1:1. In v. 7, the speaker suddenly shifts to Christ, who once again emphasizes His imminent return, then pronounces a blessing on the one who heeds the prophecy of the book. Despite its frequent neglect by believers, no book in the Bible has a stronger recommendation for study and observance than the Apocalypse.

The Testimony of John (22:8-11) This is John’s response to and dialogue with the angel at the end of his visional experiences. The angel rebukes John when he falls to the ground and worships him. Certainly John knew that only God was worthy of worship, but must have been overcome by all that he had seen.

The Testimony of John (22:8-11) In contrast to the commands given to Daniel after he recorded his visions (Dan 8:26; 12:4,9), this angel exhorts John not to seal up the scroll that he has written, because of the nearness of the time. The revelations provided to John were to meet an immediate crisis facing the churches, and were to be carried by the 7 messengers to those churches (1:11). Verse 11 indicates that a person’s response to Jesus and to the message of the book will determine his conduct. He will either continue in wickedness or continue in righteousness. The degree to which you are convinced of the return of Christ and judgment to come has a great impact on present conduct.

The Testimony of Jesus and John’s Response (22:12-20) In v. 12 the speaker again suddenly changes to Jesus. He remains the speaker through v. 19. In v. 7 He had promised blessing for heeding the words of Revelation Now He promises judgment to every man according to his work, i.e., what he has done over the course of his lifetime. His qualifications to judge include: “Alpha and Omega” - the one from whom all existence has proceeded and the one to whom it will return. “The First and the Last” - the primal cause and the final aim of all history. “The Beginning and the End” - the one who created the world and the one who will complete it.

The Testimony of Jesus and John’s Response (22:12-20) In v. 14 Jesus pronounces the seventh and final beatitude of the book. Those who have washed their robes (i.e. from the defilement of sin and in the blood of the Lamb) are blessed because they have access to the Tree of Life (cf. 2:7) and entrance to the Holy City (cf. 3:12). The opposite of this promised blessing is denial of access to the city. The group described here as outside the Holy City is the same one which will burn in the lake of fire. In v. 16 the Lord refers to Himself as “I, Jesus.” This is the only time in the book where the Lord refers to Himself by this personal name and emphasizes that the book comes not just from the human author John. Christ is both “root” (ancestor) and “offspring” (descendant) of David. These are messianic titles referring to His right to rule upon the Davidic throne.

The Testimony of Jesus and John’s Response (22:12-20) In v. 17 Jesus mentions 2 different parties who urge Him to come: the Spirit, as He motivates the Church to long for Christ’s coming; the bride, the Church herself. Christ commands anyone else who hears the words of the book to repeat the call for His advent. The final part of v. 17 addresses those who have not yet made a commitment to Christ, but who long for the water of life. The invitation remains open for them to come and take that water without cost. Two who do and two who need to.

The Testimony of Jesus and John’s Response (22:12-20) Some have understood the warning in vv. 18-19 of not adding to or taking away from the words of the book as an admonition to scribes in their copying of Revelation. But the warning is addressed to “everyone who hears,” i.e., people in the congregations of the seven churches. It must then pertain to teachers in those churches (and in subsequent churches) not to deliberately add or subtract from the book’s content through falsification or distortions. Because the predictive portions of the book project from John’s lifetime all the way to the eternal state, any type of prophetic utterance after this time would constitute a violation of this warning. The warning thus included the termination of the gift of prophecy and the close of the NT canon. The penalty for a violation of this warning was a loss of access to both the Tree of Life and the Holy City.

The Testimony of Jesus and John’s Response (22:12-20) V. 20 gives John’s response to all that Jesus has said in the section before. He affirms again that Jesus is the one who testifies to these things (i.e. the things recorded in vv. 12-19), and that He is coming quickly. This is Jesus’ response to the bid of the Spirit, the bride, and the loyal hearers when they call for Him to come in v. 17. John then adds his own “amen” and prayer for Jesus’ coming, a prayer which was the watchword of the early church, and for us today.

“The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.” The Benediction (22:21) “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.”