College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Revelation 22:20,21
Strauss-' Comments
SECTION 76
Text Revelation 22:20-21
20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.
Initial Questions Revelation 22:20-21
1.
Will the committed Christian be waiting for Christ's return?
2.
John expressed his desire for Christ's coming again. How did he show this concern - Revelation 22:20?
3.
What does the word grace mean - Revelation 22:21?
The one witnessing these things says, yes, I am coming quickly. The phrase I am coming quickly is used three times in this chapter Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20. John heard this majestic declaration and responded with a shout of joy - Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.
The man who suffered persecution on Patmos rather than to deny his Lord, concludes The Revelation whichhe received in the Spirit on the Lord's Day with the grace of the Lord Jesus be (not in text) with all.
We can thank our heavenly Father that He vouched safe these holy visions to The Seer who continues to inspire The Saved with the thought of the coming again of the cosmic conqueror - The Savior, Jesus Christ.
This great N.T. book is not for the curiosity seeker or religious fanatic, but for all those who would continue to the end - for the same shall wear the robe of righteousness and the crown of life. We must guard these with our very life because the righteousness is not our own but His; the crowns we do not merit either.
Discussion Questions
Chapter 22
1.
What other section of O.T. Scripture does the imagery of Revelation 22:1-3 describe?
2.
What does being blessed in Revelation 22:7 imply?
3.
Is it ever acceptable with our Lord to worship a creature, even if an angel - Revelation 22:8?
4.
How does the angel's command to John differ from God's command to Daniel - Revelation 22:10?
5.
Will a lost sinner who has died ever get another opportunity to accept Christ - Revelation 22:11?
6.
What is the condition which must be met before we have a right to the tree of life - according to Revelation 22:14?
7.
Who sent His angel according to Revelation 22:16?
8.
Who issues the great invitation in Revelation 22:17?
9.
What will happen to the person (or persons) who add to or take away from God's Word according to Revelation 22:18-19?
10.
How does John respond to Christ's declaration in Revelation 22:20?
Note: Christ in You The Hope of Glory! (Colossians 1:27)
Contemporary man is seeking for a source of hope, but he is more than reluctant to accept the biblical ground of hope - Christ in you, the hope of glory. Ibsen depicts modern man in most penetrating imagery. He wrote of a man who viewed the crucifixion and had a toothache; he remembered the toothache but forgot about the crucifixion.
Man could not exist long without the grace of hope. What is unique about the Christian's hope? Why should all men turn their hope toward Jesus Christ?
Hope is always our aspirations projecting toward the future. Paul says thatNow abideth, faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13).
The Christian's hope does not come from within himself, but is grounded in the work and victory of God in Christ. The Christian's hope is not ultimately grounded in a doctrine, but in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that God - begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1 Peter 1:3). He also admonished us to be in a state of readinessto give an answer (apologia) to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you,(1 Peter 3:15).
In order to provide some basic sermon suggestions on the biblical doctrine of hope, we shall provide an outline of Wm. Barclay's study listed below in the bibliography. (See pp. 42-46 of that work. Also check the various vocabulary of O.T. and N.T. usage in a concordance).
I.
In what does the Christian hope consist?
1.
Hope of the resurrection (Acts 23:6).
2.
It is the hope of the glory of God (Romans 5:2).
3.
Hope of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:12).
4.
Hope of righteousness (Galatians 5:5).
5.
Hope of salvation (2 Corinthians 1:10).
6.
Hope of eternal life (Titus 1:2; Titus 3:7).
7.
Hope of the second coming (Titus 2:13; - 1 John 3:3).
8.
Hope which is laid up in heaven (Colossians 1:5).
II.
What are the Sources of Hope?
1.
Product of Experience (Romans 5:4).
2.
Product of the Scripture (Romans 15:4).
3.
Being called of God (Ephesians 1:8).
4.
Product of the Gospel (Colossians 1:23).
5.
Dependent on work of our Lord (Colossians 1:26; 1 Timothy 1:1).
III.
What great things happen by Hope?
1.
Hope comes through grace (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
2.
Through hope that we rejoice (Romans 12:12).
3.
Saved by hope (Romans 8:24).
4.
Keeps Christian steadfast (Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 6:11; Hebrews 6:18).
IV.
What are the Foundations of Hope?
1.
Hope is in Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:3).
2.
Hope is grounded in God (1 Timothy 4:10).
3.
Hope looks to God (1 Peter 1:21).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
J. J. von Allmen, editor, A Companion to The Bible (a French Protestant work) Oxford, New York, 1958, English translation.
William Barclay, More New Testament Words, Harper Bros. N.Y. 1958.
J. B. Bauer, editor, Bible Theologisches, Wörterbuch, Austria, (Roman Catholic).
Wm. Childs Robinson, Christ The Hope of Glory: Christological Eschatology, Eerdmans, 1945. Good study by basically conservative Calvinist who was aware of the relevant literature which had been published up to time his work became available, 1945. (See also George E. Ladd's two works listed in general bibliography. Dr. Ladd is professor of the Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasedena, California. The school is now in a time of crisis because of a general attitude toward The Bible. Some there are taking a mediating position toward The Scriptures.
X. Leon Dufour, editor, Vocabulaire de Theologie Biblique, 1962, Editions du cerf, Paris, (Roman Catholic).
Kittel, editor, Article-ilpis (Greek for Hope); Wörterbuch, Austria.
Alan Richardson, editor. A Theological Word Book of The Bible, MacMillan and Co., New York, 1956, (now in paperback).
Note: These works do not always show a high regard for the scripture, except Ladd's and Robinson's works.
We have now come to the end of our journey through the blood-stained pages of a period of history of the Church written by Martyrs-' blood. But we can only say with the author of the great hymn
My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus-' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus-' name.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found!
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
Refrain
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. A-Men.