“Revelation 22:10-15”

Wednesday, February 07, 2018

“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy. Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.’ Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”

---End of Scripture verses---

Homer Hailey made the following observations about verse 10: “A ‘sealed’ book is one beyond the comprehension of uninitiated persons. When John heard the voice of the seven thunders he was told to ‘seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered’ (10:4), and so we cannot know what they were. Daniel was instructed to shut up the vision he had seen and the words he had heard, for they pertained to the end of Hebrew history (Dan. 8:26; 10:14; 12:4, 9). But John’s prophecy was not to be sealed up, ‘for the time is at hand’; the events of its revelation were not in the distant future but were for the immediate period. The book was to be sent to the churches at that time, (1:11), and its content made applicable to all churches (22:16). Its message was to be made known, its warnings were to be heeded, and its hearers encouraged by the divine assurance of victory.” Amen!

“Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy” (verse 11). A person is either with Lord or against Him, loves Him or hates Him, practices truth or unrighteousness. In Jesus’ eyes there is no middle ground—we are either filthy wrongdoers or holy practitioners of righteousness. Many of the world’s rebellious and sinful are so deeply entrenched in their self-serving ways that these words of warning (or any of God’s word) will have zero effectiveness for positive change. They have already carved out their future. Their own blood is on their own hands. But if anyone is of a mind to listen and softhearted enough for the word to penetrate, the time to make changes is now. When we stand before the Lord in judgment, He will “render to every man according to what he has done” (verse 12).

When Jesus returns, His “reward” will be with Him. He is “the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (verse 13). In the beginning, as the Almighty God, Jesus created all things (John 1:1). When He returns to redeem His creation, He will do so as a perfectly divine, fair and impartial Judge, having left no one in the dark about His expectations and the consequences of not meeting them. The Lord will “reward” the unbelieving and disobedient “according to what” they “have done,” and say “well done” to His “good and faithful” servants, “enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29)

The King James Version renders verse 14 with the more familiar phrase, “Blessed are they that do His commandments.” Robert Harkrider has suggested that the two Greek phrases, “those who have washed their robes” (hoi plunontes tas stolas) and “those who do His commands” (hoi poiountes tas entolas) so closely resemble each other that perhaps a scribal error accounts for the differences in the manuscripts. The variations in translations make very little difference, however, because the two phrases carry essentially the same meaning. You can only wash your robes in the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ by obeying the precious and perfect commandments of God.

“Blessed are they who do His commandments,
They shall claim the tree of life’
Into the city they shall enter,
They are victors in the strife.

Blessed are they who do His commandments, 
They shall wear the robes of white;
Under the portals God shall lead them, 
They shall serve Him day and night.

Blessed are they who do His commandments,
They shall stand before the throne;
Into the life of joy eternal,
God shall claim them for His own.”

(Henry R. Trickett)

Please read Revelation 22:16-17 for tomorrow.

Have a blessed day!

-Louie Taylor

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