“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.” (Revelation 21:22)
The phrase, “And I saw no temple therein,” refers to a temple such as was in Old Testament times. Actually, there is a literal temple in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12; 7:15; 11:19; 14:15, 17; 15:1-8; 16: 1, 17). The meaning is that there is no temple there serving the same purpose as the temple served in the earthly Jerusalem or even the Millennial Jerusalem. Such is no longer necessary. The next phrase tells us why.
The Lord God Almighty and The Lamb
The phrase, “for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it,” presents the fact that the purpose of the temple that was erected on the earth in Jerusalem in the Old Testament times was for the purpose of worshiping God. At that time, God dwelt in the Holy of Holies between the Mercy Seat and the Cherubim. Due to the fact that the sin debt had not yet been paid, and because the blood of bulls and goats could not take away sins, man, who was sinful, could not come into the direct presence of God, lest he die. In other words, sinful man could not come into the presence of a thrice-holy God, so a temple was needed in order for God to communicate with man, which He did through the ministry of the High Priest. In other words, the High Priest in Israel of old was meant to be a type of Christ, Who served as a mediator between God and man. However, when Christ came and died on The Cross, which took away all sin (John 1:29), then the temple and the High Priest (or any priest for that matter) were no longer needed. All of this was meant to typify Christ and His coming and the sacrifice of Himself on The Cross. This made unnecessary all the rudiments of the old, which were meant only to be temporary anyway.
After The Cross
After The Cross, with the sin debt being paid upon faith in Christ, the individual is born again. This means that he is justified by faith, which makes it possible for The Holy Spirit to come into the believer on a permanent basis and dwell there (John 14:16). During the coming Kingdom Age, when Christ will personally rule from Jerusalem and will do so for 1,000 years, the temple will be rebuilt and the sacrifices reinstituted. However, all of this will be symbolic and to point to what Christ is in reality. Unfortunately, during the Millennial Reign, there will still be sin on the earth because there will be hundreds of millions of people who will actually not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. These people will not be allowed to destroy the peace of that particular time, but they will not be forced to give their hearts to The Lord as such. In fact, they cannot be forced. Incidentally, the Kingdom Age and Millennial Reign are two terms for the same event.
The Kingdom Age
As Ezekiel portrays in the last nine chapters of his book, the entirety of the timeframe of the Millennial Reign will be for the express purpose of portraying Christ as King. He will occupy the throne of David exactly as it was predicted (2 Samuel 7). He will, as well, at that time, serve as Prophet and High Priest. Also, there will be no great day of atonement in Millennial worship, for the sacrifices, then, will recall the one all-sufficing atonement perfected at Golgotha. As the Levitical offerings predicted the preciousness and sufficiency of the offering of Christ Himself, so will the Millennial sacrifices recall and testify to that great offering as an accomplished fact. These sacrifices will be necessary, for when Israel and the nations look upon the resplendent form of Emmanuel at that time, as He will appear on this mount of glory, they will be disposed to forget that He hung in blood and death for their sins upon the Cross of Calvary. We continue to talk about the Millennial Reign and the earthly Jerusalem of that day. This great blood-sprinkled altar (Ezekiel 43:18), with its burning fire, will vividly serve as a reminder to the entirety of the world. It will help them to feel that they are sinners, and we speak of the unredeemed, and that the precious blood of the Lamb of God shed for them is the one and only and necessary atonement, the foundation of all their Millennial happiness.
Israel restored in the coming Millennial Reign will be the premier nation in the world of that day. It will be a priestly nation, pointing the entirety of the world to Christ. Further, the reason for the necessity of the temple, at that time, and the instituting of the sacrifices once again may be a divine necessity. Israel, having, in the past, failed to observe the legislation of Leviticus and so to testify of the One Great Sacrifice that was to come, namely Christ, must, by perfect observance of the future sacrifices, witness of an atoning Savior Who has come. Thus, Calvary will be shown to be the divine center of God’s purposes of grace and wrath. It is conceivable that only by such object lessons will it be possible to interpret the Book of Leviticus to the various nations of the Millennial earth and, in this way, to vindicate God’s action in the past and in the future.
The New Jerusalem
However, now that we come to the Perfect Age, where there is no more sin or the possibility of sin, the Lord God Almighty can, as well, dwell with men. Due to that fact, there is no need for a temple, at least as it regards worship, and that is for all the obvious reasons. However, it should be made clear that all of this is made possible by what Jesus did at The Cross, hence, Him being referred to as The Lamb. As the great voice said, “…Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). In Revelation 21:9, The Lamb is Redemption. In verse 14, The Lamb is the Foundation. In verse 22, The Lamb is the Temple.
The Sun and the Moon
“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Revelation 21:23). Verse 23 proclaims the fact that the Creator is not in need of His creation. God has need of nothing, but all have need of God. It does not say in this passage that there will be no more sun or moon in the sky. It just simply refers to the fact that the light of such is not needed in the city. As an example, it would be like a coal oil lamp up beside an electric lightbulb. You could turn the coal oil lamp on and off, and it would not make any difference either way, simply because the electric bulb is so bright that it cancels out the other.
The Glory of God and The Lamb
The phrase, “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof,” proclaims, in fullness, what there was only a glimmer of on the Mount of Transfiguration (Luke 9:29). Once again, John used the word Lamb signifying that all of this is made possible for believers as a result of what Christ did at The Cross. In other words, we will enjoy the glory of God and the light of the Lamb forever and forever because of The Cross. All of this of which we speak has always existed, for this is the abode of God. However, there is no way it could be made possible to human beings other than by what Christ did at The Cross and our acceptance of Him as our Lord and Savior. As well, we must remember that Christ is all of these things, as glorious as they are, as the Man, Christ Jesus (Revelation 5:5). And yet, at the same time, He is God. However, He will function forever as a man although never ceasing to be God.
“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it” (Revelation 21:24). The phrase, “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it,” should have been translated, “And the nations shall walk by means of its light.” The words, “of them which are saved,” are not actually in the best manuscripts. In fact, there will be no one in the world of that day who is not saved. There is an indication, from this passage and a number of others, that there will be natural people on the earth, at that time, who will carry out the original program of God as Adam and others would have done if man had not sinned. With that being the case, there will actually be four classes of beings in the new heavens and the new earth:
The Kings of the Earth
The phrase, “and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it,” refers to leaders of nations, whatever they might be called at that particular time. All will give glory to God, and all will honor The Lord and do so forever.
“And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there” (Revelation 21:25). The phrase, “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day,” gives a hint of the activity of commerce 24 hours a day. Now, exactly what that means as it regards the Perfect Age to come, considering the economy of the New Jerusalem, it would be impossible to presently comprehend such commerce. The fact of the entirety of this city being pure gold completely changes the idea of currency as we presently understand such. Also, that there is no war, sickness, death, or dying places a different complexion over everything. As well, transportation, at that time, at least as it regards the glorified saints, will be at the speed of thought. In other words, if one wants to be someplace else, one merely thinks it, and one is there. Of course, with there being no sin or satan whatsoever, there will be, as well, no curse at all on the earth, which means that its productivity will be beyond compare. As I attempt, in the feebleness of our present position, to explain this that John gave to us, I am overwhelmed. I greatly sense the presence of God, even as I study these passages. I would pray that it would affect you in the same manner. The dream of man will finally be realized, but it’s all brought about by what Christ did at The Cross. This, we must never forget.
The phrase, “for there shall be no night there,” pertains to the city itself but with day and night continuing over the balance of the earth forever (Genesis 1:14-18; 8:22). How can there be night there when the glory of God and of the Lamb shines perpetually? There’s an old song that says, There’s a country far beyond the starry sky. There’s a city where there never comes a night. If we’re faithful, we shall go there by and by in the city where The Lamb is the light.
Glory and Honor
“And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it" (Revelation 21:26). The phrase, “And they shall bring the glory and honour,” refers to all things that are good. In fact, there will be nothing in that city or even in the world of that day that will hurt, harm, or cause problems and difficulties in any fashion. The glory and honor of mankind presently are mostly only contrived. There is too much sin and shame for it to be otherwise. In fact, other than that which is truly of The Lord, there is really no such thing as any actual glory and honor as it regards this present world. To be sure, what man refers to as glory and honor, as should be obvious, is not referred to by God in that fashion.
The phrase, “of the nations into it,” proclaims a righteous commerce in every fashion. The idea is that the New Jerusalem and, in fact, the perfect earth, which constitutes the Perfect Age, will remain this way forever and forever. There will never again be anything that will enter into it that defiles, is an abomination, or that which is a lie. Such evil will be forever gone. Only they which are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will occupy this city, the world, and the Perfect Age. We have the promise of God here that, “It is done" (Revelation 21:6).
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life" (Revelation 21:27). Verse 27 does not mean to insinuate, as some have claimed, that, outside of the city, such sin and iniquity exists. In fact, there is absolutely nothing in the New Jerusalem or the entirety of the earth, at that time, that falls into this category. The idea, as presented here, is that what caused the terrible fall to begin with, and we speak of the Garden of Eden, will never happen again. God has given His word and promise that defilement, abomination, and all lies are a thing of the past and will never again have access to the present.
The Lamb’s Book of Life
The phrase, “but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life,” refers to the book of the redeemed. The word Lamb refers to the fact that all are saved by placing their faith and trust in Christ and what Christ did for us at The Cross. This is the criterion for entrance into that book, and all whose names are written in that book have eternal life, all afforded by The Lord Jesus Christ. This plainly tells us that there will be no one in the world to come who is not born again and, thereby, perfectly righteous and made so by the blood of the Lamb. As well, it’s going to remain that way.
The Water of Life
“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb" (Revelation 22:1). The phrase, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,” proclaims the fact that this river begins at the Throne of God, which is, no doubt, at the pinnacle of this city. That means that it is some 1,500 miles high. Quite probably, this river, beginning at the throne, winds its way around this mountain, even winding again and again as it gradually drops the 1,500 miles. It probably branches off into 12 streams, which stop at each gate, or maybe they continue throughout the entirety of the earth, which is probably what will happen. As is obvious, we are given no particulars, so the best we can do is surmise. In as much as The Holy Spirit, through John, identified this river as water of life, we must come to the conclusion that it has life-giving properties. In fact, that is almost certain to be the case. As we’ve already alluded, there will be millions of people in the new earth who will not have glorified bodies, and there will be untold billions who will be born throughout the ceaseless ages, who, as well, will not have glorified bodies. However, they do have eternal life, as all will at that time, which will be sustained by the drinking of this water of life. So, this means that this will be literal water but, yet, totally unlike any water that anyone has ever known or seen. In fact, salvation, even in the spiritual sense, is referred to as, “living water.” Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly (innermost being) shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-38). John then said, “(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive…” (John 7:39) So, this river will be a type of The Holy Spirit.
The Throne of God and of The Lamb
The phrase, “proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,” tells us, by the use of the word Lamb, that this river of the water of life is made possible, at least as it regards its life giving properties given to individuals, by what Jesus did at The Cross. One can, no doubt, say, without fear of contradiction, that all of these glorious things that pertain to God have always existed. However, what Jesus did at The Cross made it possible for mankind to enjoy all of these great blessings. This city has always been in Heaven, but, before The Cross, no human being could be brought to this glorious place. However, Jesus died on The Cross, thereby settling the sin debt once and for all, at least for all who will believe. From the moment Christ died on The Cross, when the believer dies, his soul and spirit instantly go to be with The Lord in this glorious city. Of course, when the Rapture takes place, all of the redeemed will be transported to that particular place. However, during the time we are discussing, this great city has come down to a new earth. In this renovated heaven and earth, all things are here exactly as they are in Heaven. So, God can now change His headquarters from Heaven to earth, which He will do at the appointed time.
Incidentally, in Verse 1 of Chapter 22, we have a clear presentation of The Trinity. It was The Holy Spirit Who inspired John to write the words, and, as well, we have a portrayal of the throne of God, where God The Father is and The Lamb, God The Son. However, there is just one throne, not two, etc. The one throne proclaims the fact of equality as it regards God The Father and God The Son. This means that Their rule is equal.
In the Middle of the Street
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). The phrase, "In the midst of the street of it,” proclaims the fact that this is pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, flows in the middle of this street of pure gold, so however the street goes from the throne of God, which it evidently does, down to the twelve gates below, the river flows accordingly. If the street winds around the mountain, for it is a golden mountain, on its descent to the plain below, then the length could be several thousands of miles. This street is pure gold, and so pure, in fact, that it is transparent. Then, this pure river, as clear as crystal, flows in the middle of this street. When you consider the street of pure gold, the river as clear as crystal, and the trees, the beauty is absolutely indescribable. How wide this river will be, we are not told. We know that Ezekiel’s river, which will flow from the temple in the Millennial Reign, is a little over one mile wide. Quite possibly, this one will be at least that wide or possibly even wider.
The Tree of Life
The phrase, “and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life,” this corresponds with the water of life. The idea is this, along with drinking the water of life, and the scripture does not say how often this should be, it seems that the fruit of the tree of life must be eaten every month as well. Of course, we’re speaking of the part of the population that does not have glorified bodies.
The phrase, “which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month,” refers to a different fruit each month. There are twelve different types of fruit, but we are not told what they are. We have the number twelve again, which signifies the government of God as it relates to the manner of eternal life as it refers to the individuals in question.
The Leaves and Healing
The phrase, “and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations,” pertains to the stopping of any type of sickness before it even begins, even as the water of life and the tree of life pertain to youthfulness and, thereby, eternal life. As it regards age of individuals in the Perfect Age to come, it is my personal belief that everyone will be 33 ½ years old, at least as we count years presently. I derive that from the words of John, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). Jesus was 33 ½ (or possibly so) when He ascended to go back to Heaven. John said that we will be like Him, and, quite possibly, that pertains to age throughout the eternal ages as well.
It should be obvious that little infants and the aged in years will not remain that way pertaining to the coming time. The infants will be brought to maturity, even as the aged will be brought to youthfulness. This goes for the glorified saints as well as those we refer to as natural people. I suppose I could say it in this manner, from the description given in these passages, it seems as though families with babies being born will continue forever and forever with no sickness and death due to the river of life and the tree of life, along with the leaves, which are for healing. All will stop aging at 33 ½ years old. We must remember that the glory of God shall permeate the New Jerusalem, no doubt, the entire earth at that particular time. This, within itself, is of such magnitude as to defy description.
Without going into much detail, some years ago, I had a dream of Heaven. A dear lady friend of ours had died, and, in the dream, we accompanied her to Heaven. My wife was with me, along with my wife’s mother. I recollect that, in the dream, I was explaining to our friend what The Lord had prepared for her in that eternal abode and then told her that we had to go back to our lives on earth, but we would be back at a particular time. The thing I remember so vividly about the dream is the following: the very air was permeated with the glory of God. It was a most restful, relaxing, secure, and glorious feeling of wellbeing that I have ever experienced. It was so beautiful and so wonderful that I did not want to leave. It was as though I was perfectly at home, and that feeling I will never forget. It was the glory of God and perpetual glory at that. Even now in prayer, oftentimes, I will sense the same identical feeling in spirit that I sensed in that dream those years ago. Many times, I will go to prayer with problems and difficulties weighing heavily upon me. Almost all of these things require the help of The Lord and miraculous help at that. However, oftentimes, in a few minutes, the presence of God, which, of course, is the Glory of God, will begin to fill my soul. The same feeling of security and wellbeing will come over me as it did in that dream. Most of the time, it will last for hours. Whatever the problems are, it is as if they recede in the background if remaining at all. However, the thing I wish to impress upon you, the reader, is that the Glory of God, which we are privileged to experience at this particular time in a limited manner, will then be perpetual and eternal.
No More Curse
“And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:” (Revelation 22:3). The phrase, “And there shall be no more curse,” refers back to Adam’s sin when God said, “…cursed is the ground for thy sake…” (Genesis 3:17). In fact, the curse will be lifted in the coming Kingdom Age, which is the age that immediately precedes the Perfect Age. Concerning the Kingdom Age, the prophet Isaiah said, “Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree…” (Isaiah 55:13). The idea of the statement given in verse 3, “and there shall be no more curse,” simply states the fact that, never again, will there be a curse. As, never again, will there be, “…any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie…” (Revelation 21:27). Even with the curse presently on earth and definitely continues to exist, we are told that it is possible for this present earth to feed one hundred billion people, so, even now, there is no reason for anyone to go hungry. However, due to the fact that many, if not most, of the nations of the world are governed by demon spirits, which can do nothing but steal, kill, and destroy, productivity is greatly hindered, as would be obvious. When we consider that, in the Perfect Age to come, there will be no more curse, then we can see that the potential for productivity at that coming time will be so absolutely phenomenal as to defy description. No more curse means that the entirety of the earth will become a fertile field without deserts. We might quickly add that there will be no more thorns or thistles or anything of that nature. As well, we must consider that the land mass will be increased several fold due to the fact that there will be no more great oceans. So, the man speaking to John matter-of-factly said, “and there shall be no more curse,” guaranteeing that such belongs to the past and will never again be present in the future.
The Throne of God and of The Lamb
The phrase, “but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it,” presents, as previously stated, one throne and not two. The idea of this is, even as we have already stated, the authority of rulership will be as great with God The Son as it is with God the Father. Also, the curse being lifted is all because of what Jesus did at Calvary. In fact, what Christ did there is constituted as a covenant, which means that it goes into perpetuity. That’s why Paul labeled it as the everlasting covenant (Hebrews 13:20). In fact, the apostle referred to it as, “the blood of the everlasting covenant.” As The Lamb has made possible the water of life of verse 1, The Lamb, in this verse, guarantees that “there shall be no more curse.”
The phrase, “and his servants shall serve him,” goes back to Exodus Chapter 21. This speaks of the servants in the Hebrew household. Some who were set free loved their masters to such an extent and appreciated their place and position to such an extent that, instead of leaving, they desired to stay. In that case, the servant desiring such was to be brought, “...to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever” (Exodus 21:5-6). As is obvious, this is a voluntary servanthood, so the idea is that every believer in the Perfect Age will so love The Lord and The Lamb that all will gladly serve Him. The idea should be very obvious. This greatness, this grandness, and this glory that every believer will have, and will have forever, were made possible by what Jesus did at The Cross. Without His great sacrifice of Himself, every last mother’s son, and every last father’s daughter would have been eternally lost. We owe everything to Christ! It is beautiful that the last time the word Lamb is used, it is used in the sense of what Jesus did at The Cross, which forevermore removed the curse and how that every believer will gladly serve Him forever.
To See His Face
“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). The phrase, “And they shall see his face,” refers to relationship totally unlike that of what we normally think as it regards servants. This refers to the fact that Christ will be available to all, and that all, in a sense, hold the same standing and status. It has to be this way simply because all are in Christ. The first inhabitants of earth hid themselves from the face of God. Its future occupants shall see the face of God, and it is all because of what Jesus did at The Cross. To be able to look God in the face speaks to justification by faith. It speaks of a total and complete exoneration, meaning that the person is no longer guilty, and can, therefore, look straight into the eyes of God.
The phrase, “and his name shall be in their foreheads,” refers to ownership. The 144,000 are also said to have The “...Father's name written in their foreheads,” (Revelation 14:1). And so, in effect, all believers will function accordingly. The question becomes, will this be literal? I doubt that it speaks of being literal. I think it speaks more of ownership. The Lord owns us, and because He paid such a price for our redemption, in one sense of the word, we also own Him. Jesus said, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14:20).
“And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). The phrase, “And there shall be no night there,” proclaims the third time this is stated or implied according to Revelation 21:23, 25. The repetition is not without meaning. The emphasis is not so much on the fact that there is no night there but, rather, what causes such to be brought about. The cause is the glory of God and The Lamb. In fact, the Scripture emphatically states, “and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Revelation 21:23). Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things (John 1:1-3). But added to His role as Creator is the role of Savior, which was brought about by what He did at The Cross (John 1:29). One cannot better perfection, and Christ has always been perfect. However, things can be added to perfection, and this is exactly what happened to Christ. As Creator, He was perfect in all things, but He has a role of Savior added to His position of Creator. Consequently, in the role of the latter, for this is what the word Lamb actually means, He is the light. In fact, the status of the New Jerusalem has not really changed. It has always been this way; however, what He did at The Cross made it possible for believers to enjoy this light, i.e., the presence of God.
No Other Light Needed
The phrase, “and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light,” presents the source of this light. To be sure, the sun will continue to shine, but the light furnished by The Lord will be of such great illumination that, at night, it will be just as bright as the day. As previously stated, it seems that this will be in the New Jerusalem only, with the balance of the earth continuing to function as God originally created. Concerning this, the Bible says, “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good” (Genesis 1:14-18). There is no record in the Word of God that God had changed this order or will change this order. In the city itself, yes, He will, but, in the balance of the earth, no, He will not.
The phrase, “and they shall reign for ever and ever,” refers to the servants of Revelation 22:3. Some have contended that the servants of verse 3 are angels; however, the personal pronouns of verses 4 and 5 proclaim the fact that the servants, rather, are believers. It has never been known for servants to reign like kings, etc., but these servants shall. So, these believers will reign like kings. So, even though we are slaves of Jesus Christ, for that’s what the word servant means here, we are, at the same time, children of God. “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17). By adoption, we are children, children of God. By choice, we are servants.
Faithful and True
“And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done” (Revelation 22:6). The word angel should have been translated messenger. This is proven by Revelation 22:9. And, as we see in verse 8 of the same chapter, John fell down to worship him, thinking perhaps he was Christ. He was forbidden to do so. The phrase, “And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true,” is proclaimed in this fashion simply because many of the statements made are so absolutely astounding that they defy description. However, despite the statements being incredulous, they are faithful and true. In other words, all written here will come to pass exactly as stated. One of the names of Christ is “Faithful and True,” (Revelation 19:11), which means that He guarantees the veracity of these descriptions.
Must Shortly Be Done
The phrase, “and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done,” is not translated properly. The Greek word aggelos, translated angel, should have been translated messenger. Again, we know, from what he says in verse 9, that this man was not an angel, and neither was he Christ. The phrase, “which must shortly be done,” presents itself as confusing to some. He was not speaking of John’s day and forward, which now would total approximately 1,900 years. He was speaking of the setting of the vision, the timeframe of which has not come about even yet. In fact, this timeframe that is the setting of this vision, and we speak of the entirety of the Book of Revelation, takes place immediately after the Rapture of the Church. From that point forward, which is what is meant here, we have, “the things which must shortly be done,” which refers to the Great Tribulation.
The Second Coming
“Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7). The phrase, "Behold, I come quickly,” must be understood according to the timeframe of which it speaks. Evidently, the man speaking to John was quoting what he knew to be the truth, possibly, what he had heard the master, Himself, say. The phrase, “Behold, I come quickly,” has more to do with the manner of His coming than anything else. When He does come, which will be at the height of the Battle of Armageddon, it will be sudden, even immediate.
The Prophecy of this Book
The phrase, “blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book,” lets us know how important these predictions are. In fact, this the only book in the world that gives a preview of the future. Consequently, every believer ought to study the Book of Revelation as much as they do any other book in the entirety of the Bible. We are promised a blessing at the beginning of this book if we do so (Revelation 1:3). And now, the book closes with the same promise.
Some day the silver cord will break,
and I no more as now shall sing;
but oh, the joy when I shall wake
within the palace of The King.
Some day, my earthly house will fall;
I cannot tell how so ‘twill be,
But this I know, my all in all
Has now a place in Heaven for me.
Some day, when faced the golden sun
Beneath the rose-tinted west,
My blessed Lord will say, “Well done!”
And I shall enter into rest.
Some day, till then, I’ll watch and wait,
My lamp all trimmed and burning bright;
That’s when My savior opens the gate,
My soul to Him may take its flight.
Scripture is in BLACK FONT
Words of Jesus in RED FONT
Notes in BLUE FONT
Lord God Almighty