Revelation 22:18

The Final Warning.

‘I testify to every man who hears the words of the prophecy of this book that if any man shall add to them God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book, and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city which are written in this book.

Compare Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32. We cannot add to the seriousness of this warning. Such warnings were often put by apocalyptic writers who wanted their message to be taken seriously. And this writer is particularly serious. What he has written is holy revelation. it must not be altered. To add to it is a sign that that person is not of God. Thus they will not have the protection of the seal of God. To take away from the words is to lose any hope to partake of the tree of life or to enter the holy city, the New Jerusalem.

‘He who testifies these things says “Yes, I come quickly”. Amen, come Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the people of God. Amen.'

But how appropriate that the final P.S. should be “Yes I am coming soon”. To which all His own can only reply, ‘Amen (so be it). Come Lord Jesus.' The final sentence then reminds us that all the blessings for God's people depend on the undeserved love and favour of God. Amen, so be it.

Excursus. The Coming Age.

When the prophets looked forward to the day when God would deliver His people they did so in terms of a coming age of peace and plenty, where there was no bloodshed even among animals (e.g. Isaiah 11:6). Men in those days thought very much in physical terms. As we have seen (see the article " " and, the idea of an after-life was almost unknown, rarely being thought of except by the few, and never spelt out in detail. The future of Israel was firmly linked to this earth. The Old Testament is full of such references.

Even the resurrection spoken of in Isaiah 26:19 gives the impression of a rising in order to enjoy the future life of blessing on earth. Any other concept would have been so revolutionary as to be meaningless to the people, for men's minds were not tuned in to that kind of idea, and these were therefore ‘pictures' speaking to them in earthly terms they could understand, of what was to come. But note above in Revelation 22:1 how Ezekiel 47 is seen as fulfilled in the vision of Heaven. Note also how the coming future is spoken of in all the prophets as referring to what is ‘everlasting' (Isaiah 9:6; Ezekiel 37:25 (three times); Daniel 2:44; Daniel 7:14; Daniel 7:27; Micah 4:7). Such ideas are especially prominent in Isaiah. He sees the future glorious Jerusalem, as having eternal connections and as being part of the everlasting kingdom (study carefully Isaiah 1:27; Isaiah 4:3; Isaiah 12:6; Isaiah 18:7; Isaiah 24:23; Isaiah 26:1; Isaiah 28:16; Isaiah 30:19; Isaiah 33:5; Isaiah 33:20; Isaiah 35:10; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 51:3; Isaiah 51:11; Isaiah 51:16; Isaiah 52:1; Isaiah 59:20; Isaiah 60:14; Isaiah 61:3; Isaiah 62:1; Isaiah 62:11; Isaiah 65:18; Isaiah 66:10; Isaiah 66:13; Isaiah 66:20). All this does not speak of a Millennial kingdom but of one that is everlasting.

We have seen in the Book of Revelation that this use of the Old Testament to refer to the eternal kingdom is in fact assumed time and time again (compare also, especially, Hebrews 11:10). John draws hugely on the Old Testament, as do the visions. He was describing how he saw the Old Testament promises as being fulfilled. However, some godly people do think that the Old Testament promises must be taken absolutely literally, although in our view they only do so even then by selecting out what they wish to emphasise, and ignoring the remainder. It is not something to fight over. What really matters is that these promises are the guarantee of final blessing for the people of God.

Certainly the prophets wanted to offer hope and the certainty of God's future mercy, and they did it in vivid pictures in a way that could speak to the people at the time. But so many and vivid are the Old Testament pictures of this glorious future life on earth that some are unwilling to accept that they were just pictures of what would later be revealed as an after-life with God in Heaven, pictures of future happiness and joy, of incomparable peace, prosperity and plenty. They therefore argue that there must yet be such a kingdom on earth.

The problem is that a careful study of the different pictures makes it difficult to reconcile them, (consider for example the differing futures shown as facing Egypt and the other nations, or the different ways described of observing the feasts). This does not matter if they are physical descriptions of a heavenly reality presenting ideas rather than facts, but is vital if they are to be taken literally. But certainly they do all contain the idea of peace and plenty, and benefit for other nations as well as for Israel.

Those who take the literal view seek to read it into the passage in Revelation 20:1 discussed above, but if they are not careful they offer only a second best. And it is a second best that most of them do not want for themselves, for they either tend to exempt themselves from it, or make provision for the ‘best' of them to avoid it. God's mercy does not offer second best. What is bought with the life-blood of God's Son can surely only be the best. After that there can be nothing better.

The idea of a ‘kingdom age' is often presented as ‘another chance' for the half-believer. But any application of it can only result in inconsistency and a dilution of the Gospel. The ‘ideal' conditions of a ‘kingdom age' will not result in those who are made strong through being tried in the fire, but could only result in a false apathy and life of pretence - such is human nature! And, interestingly enough, to this most would agree. It is suggested that the millennium has partly this purpose in mind. But a kingdom age is not required to demonstrate this fact. Our lives of ease in some Western countries are sufficient to demonstrate it fully. Jesus makes clear to His listeners, as to us, that the chance is now. If we refuse it, He says, we must take the consequences we have brought on ourselves. There will be no second chance. If they will not hear Moses, neither will they believe if one rise from the dead. And we can add, neither will they believe in a Millennial kingdom.

But one thing is certain. Differences on such questions are only of secondary importance. Whatever our view it will not affect the course of God's timetable. What is of primary importance is that we all work together in love and fellowship, looking for His glorious appearing, and seeking to be faithful servants ready for Him when He comes. We can then leave Him to do what He will.