| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
Revelation
Chapter Twenty-Two
I.
Content of the Chapter
The
II. There is the tree of life on either side of the
river (v.2)
III. The everlasting blessings of men of God
(v.3-5)
The Summary of the Book of Revelation
II. I am coming quickly----blessed are those who do
His commandments (v.10-16)
III. The Spirit and the bride say
"Come!"----whoever desires
let him take the water of life freely
(v.17)
IV. I am coming quickly----warning men not to add
to or take away from the words of the book of this prophecy (v.18-21)
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Rev. 22:1 “And he showed me a pure
river of water of life
clear as crystal
proceeding from the throne of God and
of the Lamb.”
YLT: “And he shewed me a
pure river of water of life
bright as crystal
going forth out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb:”
Meaning of Words: “show”: point out
show clearly; “clear”: gorgeous
radiant
bright.
Literal Meaning: “A pure river of water of
life
clear as crystal
” “water of life”
means that the working and flowing of the spirit of life is for the watering of
life (See Gen. 2:10). “Clear as crystal” refers to purity without any
adulteration (See 21:11).
“Proceeding
from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The singular word “throne” means that there is
one throne. “The throne of God and of the Lamb” In eternity
God and the Lamb
are one and there is only one administrative center. “Proceeding from the
throne” the throne is for rule and proceeding is for the provision and it
refers to the rule by provision (See 2:27; 19:15 “rule” is “shepherd” in the
original).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) There is a throne
one street
one river of
water of life
one source
one communion and one provision. In the true
spiritual realm
it is simple instead of complicated.
2) The river of water of life proceeds in the
middle of the street of the holy city
showing that as long as we come to the
only way
we will have the provision of the truth and the life (See John.
14:6). The Lord Jesus said that you search the Scriptures. But you are not
willing to come to Me that you may have life (See John. 5:39-40).
3) The river of water of life is clear as crystal
and the true provision of life is pure without any impurity. Today in the
church
many teachings are nominally the provision of life
however
many
adulterations are in them actually. Some preachers even put their own attempts
and ambitions into the teachings.
4) Those who trust in God shall be abundantly
satisfied with the fatness of God’s house. He shall make them drink of the
river of His pleasures. Because with God is the fountain of life (See Ps.
36:8-9).
5) In the theology today
there are many
differences between God and Christ. However
the throne of God and the Lamb is
one in eternity and there is no difference between God and Christ.
Rev. 22:2 “In the middle of its
street
and on either side of the river
was the tree of life
which bore
twelve fruits
each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations.”
YLT: “in the midst of its
broad place
and of the river on this side and on that
a tree of life
yielding twelve fruits
in each several month rendering its fruits
and the
leaves of the tree for the service of the nations;”
Meaning of Words: “twelve”: two and
ten; “yield”: give
reward.
Literal Meaning: “In the middle of its street
” the singular word “street” shows that
there is only one street in the holy city.
“And
on either side of the river
was the tree of life
” “on either side of the river” means there is the
tree of life on both sides of the river. “The tree of life” is singular in the
original and it means that there is one tree of life. One tree of life grows on
both sides of the river
showing that this tree of life is a kind of vine which
spreads and extends along the sides of the river instead of the woody plant
which grows upward.
“Which
bore twelve fruits
each tree yielding its fruit every month.” “Bore twelve fruits” is “bearing fruits
twelve times” in the original. “Every month” means that there are new fruits
every month.
“The
leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” “Healing” refers to “keeping sound” in the
original. In the new heaven and the new earth
there shall be no more death
nor sorrow
nor crying
nor pain (See 21:4). It means that there shall be no
disease and therefore “keeping sound” instead of “healing” shall be needed.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is easy to pick the fruits of the tree of
life----one only needs to bow his head to pick them instead of climbing up the
tree. And the tree yields new fruits every month. They are abundant and fresh.
2) When preachers shepherd believers in the church
the service should be convenient
diverse
abundant and fresh. And therefore
preachers have to be humble
condescend to men and manage the church
diligently. The pride and lazy ones are not suitable to serve the saints in the
church.
3) The leaves of the tree of life symbolize that
the behaviors shown through life can make those who get in touch with them
comfortable and sound. Otherwise
the artificial behaviors will corrupt men.
Rev. 22:3 “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.”
YLT: “and any curse there
shall not be any more
and the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it
and His servants shall serve Him
”
Meaning of Words: “curse”: everything
which deserves curse; “serve”: minister
worship.
Literal Meaning: “And there shall be no more curse
” Christ
having become a curse on the
cross
has redeemed us from the curse brought in by the sin and fall of Adam
(See Gal. 3:13; Gen. 3:17). Since men in the holy city have been redeemed
there shall be no more curse.
“But
the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it” “Throne” is the center that God and the Lamb
rules
shows mercy and provides (See v.1-2). The throne is set in the holy city
and therefore he whoever enters the city can receive the gracious rule and
provision directly.
“And
His servants shall serve Him.” “His servants” are
those who have part in the holy city. “Shall serve Him” means that all of them
shall be priests and serve God according to His will.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In eternity
the elements that men are cursed
have been taken away and therefore there won’t be curse forever. It also tells
us that the whole holy city is the reappearance
expansion and renewing of the
first Garden of Eden. There are everlasting blessing there.
2) “Serve Him” is not only the duty but also the
privilege of servants. It is men’s greatest blessing to serve God before Him
forever.
Rev. 22:4 “They shall see His face
and His name shall be on their foreheads.”
YLT: “and they shall see
His face
and His name upon their foreheads
”
Meaning of Words: “face”: the front
appearance
countenance.
Literal Meaning: “They shall see His face” refers to seeing the light of God’s countenance
having communion with Him and receiving the fullness of joy.
“And
His name shall be on their foreheads.”
“His name” represents God Himself. When men enjoy what God is and what He has
in communion and the abundance of God organizes upon them
they will naturally
manifest God Himself. It also means that they are fully of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) It is men’s deepest desire in their heart and
the greatest satisfaction to see the face of God and have perfect communion
with Him (See Ps. 17:15).
2) One thing that we believers should seek after is
to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of our life
to behold the
beauty of the LORD
and to enquire in His temple (See Ps. 27:4).
3) We all
with unveiled face
beholding as in a
mirror the glory of the Lord
are being transformed into the same image from
glory to glory
just as by the Spirit of the Lord (See 2Cor. 3:18).
Rev. 22:5 “There shall be no night
there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun
for the Lord God gives them
light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
YLT: “and night shall not
be there
and they have no need of a lamp and light of a sun
because the Lord
God doth give them light
and they shall reign -- to the ages of the ages.”
Meaning of Words: “lamp”: oil lamp
candle
torch; “give…light”: shine
illuminate.
Literal Meaning: “There shall be no night there:” The glory of God illuminated the holy city
(See 21:23) and therefore there shall be no night there (See 21:25).
“They
need no lamp nor light of the sun
”
“lamp” is the man-made light. “The sun” is the natural light. God is light
which is much lighter and more comfortable than them and therefore they are
useless.
“For
the Lord God gives them light.” It is another
blessing of those who have been bestowed grace in eternity to receive the
enlightenment of God.
“And
they shall reign forever and ever.”
“Reign” means that the new order of the universe is under our control and even
the right to judge angels is of us (See 1Cor. 6:3). “Forever and ever” refers
to endless and boundless.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is light (1John. 1:5). There is light
wherever God is. The light of God is the beginning of all grace: one’s being
bestowed grace and saved because he sees the light (See 2Cor. 4:4); one bears
the fruit of the light after he was saved because of the light (See Eph.
5:8-14); one’s life is renewed and changed because of the light (See 2Cor.
3:18).
2) God never rewards men excessively and He will
never give the right to reign to the unqualified ones and therefore if we want
to reign with the Lord in future
we have to receive the training for the king
today and equip ourselves.
Rev. 22:6 “Then he said to me
‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to
show His servants the things which must shortly take place.”
YLT: “And he said to me
`These words stedfast and true
and the Lord God of the holy prophets did send
His messenger to shew to His servants the things that it behoveth to come
quickly:”
Meaning of Words: “faithful”:
trustworthy
trustful; “true”: authentic
genuine.
Literal Meaning: “Then he said to me
‘These
words are faithful and true.’” “He” (See v.1)
refers to the angel who showed John the holy city (See 21:9-10). “There words are
faithful and true” please see the notes in 21:5.
“And
the Lord God of the holy prophets”
“the Lord” refers to the Lord Jesus. “The holy prophets” refers to all the
prophets of the New Testament and the Old Testament. “God” indicates that God
inspired the spirit of the holy prophets that they received the burden of God
and spoke prophecies for God. It shows that: 1) here God
the Lord and the
Spirit all inspire the holy prophets; 2) all the prophecies of the Old
Testament and the New Testament are spoken by the holy prophets who were moved
by the Lord God through the Spirit; 3) all the prophecies in this book are also
spoken under the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord.
“Sent
His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.” Please see the notes in 1:1.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) All the messages in the Book of Revelation are
faithful and true. We should use the simple faith to trust all the words
revealed by Christ in the Book of Revelation
2) Many of the revelations in the Book of
Revelation coincide with the revelations of the holy prophets of the Old
Testament because they are of the inspiration of the same Spirit of God.
Rev. 22:7 “‘Behold
I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this
book.’”
YLT: “Lo
I come quickly;
happy he who is keeping the words of the prophecy of this scroll.'”
Meaning of Words: “quickly”: shortly
readily
without delay; “keep”: hold fast
guard; “the words of the prophecy”:
words spoken in advance.
Literal Meaning: “‘Behold
I am coming
quickly!” It means that the
time is short and we should never procrastinate
lest we loss the opportunity
of receiving grace.
“Blessed
is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.’” “Keep” is in the present continuous tense and it
means that saints should keep the words the prophecy of this book after they
have seen and heard them.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “The words of the prophecy” and the plural word
“words” refer to all the words spoken by the prophets under the spirit of God.
We must keep all the words of the prophecy of the Book of Revelation instead of
some of the words.
2) Keeping the words of God once or twice is not
enough and we must keep them continuously and forever.
Rev. 22:8 “Now I
John
saw and
heard these things. And when I heard and saw
I fell down to worship before the
feet of the angel who showed me these things.”
YLT: “And I
John
am he
who is seeing these things and hearing
and when I heard and beheld
I fell
down to bow before the feet of the messenger who is shewing me these things;”
Meaning of Words: “saw”: perceive
take heed; “worship”: do reverence to
adore; “show”: point out
show clearly.
Literal Meaning: “Now I
John
saw and heard these things.” John the apostle seriously testified that
all the things recorded in the Book of Revelation are what he had seen with his
eyes and had heard with his ears (See 1John. 1:1-3) and he never fabricated or
forged them.
“And
when I heard and saw
I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who
showed me these things.” It is the same
silly thing that John the apostle had done (See 19:10) and he recorded it
without out any concealment. Probably the aims are as follows: 1) the vision of
the holy city that he had seen is so wonderful that he cannot help appreciating
the angel; 2) he specially wanted to testify that all the material in this book
is neither made up by himself nor initiated by the angel.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Today there are many phenomena of worshipping the
spiritual giants in the church----they are grateful to those whom they worship
and regard their teachings as holy words and those who are worshipped even
receive their worship gladly and then build their own kingdom (domain).
2) Any worship to men is a kind of behavior of
looking down upon God. And exalting men and even overstepping the authority of
God offend God greatly.
3) Even John the apostle made the same silly fault
and it shows that any saint----no matter how great attainments he has
achieved----may make fault. Audience
please remember that
at all times and in
all countries
a perfect man who never makes a mistake does not exist except
the Lord Jesus.
Rev. 22:9 “Then he said to me
‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow
servant
and of your brethren the prophets
and of those who keep the words of
this book. Worship God.’”
YLT: “and he saith to me
`See -- not; for fellow-servant of thee am I
and of thy brethren the prophets
and of those keeping the words of this scroll; before God bow.'”
Meaning of Words: “see”: behold
pay
heed to (it refers to seeing clearly what one does); “not”: no
negative
none;
“fellow servant”: the servants who are of the same lord; “prophets”: words.
Literal Meaning: “Then he said to me
‘See
that you do not do that.” “See that you do
not do that” in the original means that you have to see clearly and you should
not do it.
“For
I am your fellow servant
and of your brethren the prophets
and of those who
keep the words of this book.” This sentence makes
many kinds of men into a list of the fellow servants: 1) the angel who is sent;
2) John the apostle
i.e. the author of this book; 3) brethren who are with
John the apostle; 4) the prophets; 5) those who keep the words of the prophecy
of the Book of Revelation.
“Worship
God’” It is in the imperative tone in the
original and it means that we should never worship anyone or anything else
except God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) All the servants of God----the angels
apostles
prophets
common believers----have an unshirkable duty----to worship God only.
It is an honorable duty.
2) All things should worship the only true God and
every creature---no matter how great attainments he has achieved
or how great
contributions he has made
or how noble he is----is unworthy of men’s worship.
Worshipping any creature looks down upon God on one hand and corrupts men on
the other.
Rev. 22:10 “And he said to me
‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book
for
the time is at hand.”
YLT: “And he saith to me
`Thou mayest not seal the words of the prophecy of this scroll
because the
time is nigh;”
Meaning of Words: “seal”: stamp
seal
up; “time”: set time.
Literal Meaning: “And he said to me
‘Do
not seal the words of the prophecy of this book
” “Do not seal” refers to making public as far as
possible that all the people may know. “The words of the prophecy of this book”
refers to all the things God has revealed through this book.
“For
the time is at hand.” “For” shows the
reason why it should not be sealed. “The time is at hand” means that: 1) the
time for preparation is not enough; 2) the closer to the last day
the easier
to understand the mystery of the prophecy.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every word written in the Bible is the open word
which has not been “sealed”. As long as those who have been born from above and
saved are willing to understand the will of God
they will understand the
meaning of the words and receive instructions.
2) “The time is at hand.” Time is limited and we
have to seize every opportunity to understand the Book of Revelation because
the more we understand the book
the more we will admire the second coming of
the Lord and speed up preparing ourselves.
3) Among the sixty-six rolls of the Bible
the most
annotations of the Book of Revelation have been published and it is also the
most controversial one. However
no one can ensure that his opinion is
absolutely correct. Actually
as long as one’s opinion does not vary from the
basic truth of salvation
it is not the heresy. And the opinion can be
published and propagated as far as possible
that this book can become men’s
vigilance more.
Rev. 22:11 “He who is unjust
let him
be unjust still; he who is filthy
let him be filthy still; he who is
righteous
let him be righteous still; he who is holy
let him be holy still.’”
YLT: “he who is
unrighteous -- let him be unrighteous still
and he who is filthy -- let him be
filthy still
and he who is righteous -- let him be declared righteous still
and he who is sanctified -- let him be sanctified still:”
Meaning of Words: “let”: (this words
does not exist in the original
however
the meaning exists in the sentence);
“still”: ever
further
henceforth.
Literal Meaning: “He who is unjust
let him be unjust still; he who is filthy
let him be filthy still;” “unjust” refers to behaving unjustly and
dishonestly. “Let” refers to letting nature take its course and it implies that
once one has lost the opportunity
he will never have it again. “Filthy” refers
to walking filthily and foully.
“He
who is righteous
let him be righteous still; he who is holy
let him be holy
still.’” “Righteous”
refers to behaving just and upright. “Holy” refers to walking separately and
kindly.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the Lord has warned men again and again
to prepare themselves as soon as possible and wait for His second coming
the
Lord never forces anyone to do it. It all depends on men’s reaction to the word
of the Lord and everyone has to be responsible for his own behavior.
2) We try our best to spread the gospel and the
message of the Book of Revelation
however
whether one receives them depends
on himself. Once the door of grace shuts up
it will be too late for many
people to regret.
3) The choice of life influences one’s way in
future and even the eternity. When death or the last day comes
nothing can be
changed.
Rev. 22:12 “‘And
behold
I am coming quickly
and My reward is with Me
to give to every one
according to his work.”
YLT: “And lo
I come
quickly
and my reward with me
to render to each as his work shall be;”
Meaning of Words: “reward”: pay for
services
wages; “give”: pay up
render.
Literal Meaning: “‘And behold
I am coming
quickly
and My reward is with Me”
it means that when the Lord comes for the second time
He will judge and give
to every one the wage he deserves.
“To
give to every one according to his work.” “Every one” includes the unbelieving world
however
it mainly refers to believers. It is said again and again in the Bible
that when the Lord comes for the second time
He will render to every one
according to His works (See Matt. 16:27;
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The time has come for judgment to begin at the
house of God (1Pet. 4:17). Those who firmly hold that the whole church will be
raptured at a time before the tribulation should take care. And they should not
misunderstand the righteous Lord and think that there will be no problem as
long as they believe in the Lord. The Lord shall ask about our behavior after
we have believed in the Lord.
2) The preachers who invariably preach that men
shall be fine as long as they believe in the Lord shall probably bear the sin
of many fallen believers at that time because they misinform the message of peace
(See Jer. 6:14; Ezek. 13:10).
Rev. 22:13 “I am the Alpha and the
Omega
the Beginning and the End
the First and the Last.’”
YLT: “I am the Alpha and
the Omega -- the Beginning and End -- the First and the Last.”
Meaning of Words: “beginning”: first of
all; “end”: final; “first”: head; “last”: ending.
Literal Meaning: “I am the Alpha and the Omega
” it emphasizes that He is the declarer of
the revelations in the book (See v.6; 1:1) and He is also the one who sums up
the revelations.
“The
Beginning and the End
” it means that no
one is before or after Him. Concerning all the revelations that the Lord has
begun
He shall promote the endings of them by Himself.
“The
First and the Last.’” It means that He
is the leader of all things (See Col. 1:17) and also the finisher of all
things. All things exist because of Him and shall be ended through Him.
Enlightenment in the word:
1) Jesus Christ shall come for the second time and
fulfill the revelations given by Him. The prophecies and woes recorded in the
whole Book of Revelation shall come true absolutely.
2) From the beginning of all things
the Lord pays
close attention to all the things of every one all the time. He is thoroughly
familiar with all the conditions of men and no one can cheat Him.
3) Jesus Christ is the same yesterday
today
and
forever (Heb. 13:8) and He never changes.
Rev. 22:14 “Blessed are those who do
His commandments
that they may have the right to the tree of life
and may
enter through the gates into the city.”
YLT: “`Happy are those
doing His commands that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of the
life
and by the gates they may enter into the city;”
“Darby Version” written as: Blessed [are] they that
wash their robes
that they may have right to the tree of life
and that they
should go in by the gates into the city.
Meaning of
Words: “wash”: launder
rinse; “robe”: long
clothing; “enter”: come in
go in; “city”: the city with walls.
Literal Meaning: “Blessed [are] they that wash their robes”
“robes” symbolizes deed. “Wash their robes” symbolizes the behavior that one is
cleansed from all unrighteousness by the Lord’s precious blood through
confessing his sins (See 1John. 1:9; Rev. 7:14). “Blessed” means that they can
enjoy the following words of promise.
“That
they may have the right to the tree of life
” the way of the tree of life was closed off
because of men’s sin and fall (See Gen. 3:24). Today those who wash their robes
have the privilege to approach the tree of life and enjoy its precious fruits.
“And
may enter through the gates into the city.” It refers to being accepted by the angels at the
gates (21:12) to enter the holy city and enjoy all the blessings in the holy
city.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “
2) They that wash their robes are those who live a
separated life by the precious blood of Christ under any circumstance and bear
witness to the Holy God through his holy deeds.
Rev. 22:15 “But outside are dogs and
sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters
and whoever loves
and practices a lie.”
YLT: “and without the
dogs
and the sorcerers
and the whoremongers
and the murderers
and the
idolaters
and every one who is loving and is doing a lie.”
Meaning of Words: “outside”: external
outward; “dogs”: hound; “sorcerers”: men who enchant others by sorcery;
“sexually immoral”: a male prostitute
fornicator; “love”: have affection for
kiss; “practice”: make
do.
The
Background: “outside are…” There
was Topheth in the valley of the children of Hinnom outside of
Literal Meaning: “But outside are dogs and sorcerers” “outside” refers to the lake of fire.
“Dogs” refers to the evil and unclean breed (See Ps. 22:16
20; Phil. 3:2) and
the following words are the examples of dogs. “Sorcerers” refers to those who
believe in the devil and actually contact with the devil.
“And
sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters
” “sexually immoral” refers to those who are
sexually promiscuous in their minds or acts. “Murderers” refers to those who do
not cherish the lives of men in their minds (See Matt. 5:21-22) or acts.
“Idolaters” refers to those who worship the visible or invisible idols.
“And
whoever loves and practices a lie”
refers to those who are accustomed to lying.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In the Bible
sexual immorality and worshipping
idols are always mentioned in the same breath (See 1Cor. 5:10; 6:9; Col. 3:5)
because worshipping idols (including the invisible idols
men and things)
actually commits the spiritual sexual immorality----admiring others besides
God.
2) The most serious phenomenon in the last days is
that almost everyone tells a lie. The world tells a lie and believers also lie.
Men tell both malicious and good lies. Men make up and cover up lies.
Rev. 22:16 “‘I
Jesus
have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am
the Root and the Offspring of David
the Bright and Morning Star.’”
YLT: “`I
Jesus did send
my messenger to testify to you these things concerning the assemblies; I am the
root and the offspring of David
the bright and morning star!”
Meaning of Words: “testify”: witness;
“offspring”: seed; “bright”: radiant
shining
gorgeous.
Literal Meaning: “‘I
Jesus
have sent My
angel to testify to you these things in the churches.” “I
Jesus” is only used here in the whole Bible
proving that this Book of Revelation was revealed by Himself to John the
apostle. After He had revealed it to John
He signed His name to show its
truthfulness. “To testify to you these things in the churches” indicates that
the testimony of this book is for the churches.
“I
am the Root and the Offspring of David
” “the Root of David” indicates that He is the
source of David and it shows the divinity of the Lord Jesus (See Matt.
22:42-44). “The Offspring of David” indicates that He is the seed of David
according to humanity (See
“The
Bright and Morning Star.’” “The Bright and
Morning Star” is the first star before dawn and soon after which the day dawns
and then the Sun of righteousness occurs (See Mal. 4:2). And therefore “the
Bright and Morning Star” refers to Christ who predicts that He is coming. “The
Sun of righteousness” refers to Christ who shall come to reign.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Lord’s declaration in this verse is a great
comfort to us because since He had sent the apostle to reveal to the churches
He will not let us fail. He is both God and man. He has the great power of God
and also sympathize our infirmities and therefore He will stretch out His hands
to help us.
2) To those who watch and wait for the Lord’s
second coming
He is the Bright and Morning Star who will appear to them in
advance and guide them and keep them out of the coming great tribulation (See
3:10).
Rev. 22:17 “And the Spirit and the
bride say
‘Come!’ And let him who hears say
‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires
let him
take the water of life freely.”
YLT: “And the Spirit and
the Bride say
Come; and he who is hearing -- let him say
Come; and he who is
thirsting -- let him come; and he who is willing -- let him take the water of
life freely.”
Meaning of Words: “desire”: be
disposed
will.
Literal Meaning: “And the Spirit and the bride say
‘Come!’” “The bride” does
not refer to the bride in future but the bride of Christ at present
i.e. the
church (See Eph. 5:32). “The Spirit and the bride” indicates that the church
expresses her heartfelt wish in the Spirit. “Come” is the response to v.16 and
therefore it refers to inviting the Lord to come for the second time to marry
the bride.
“And
let him who hears say
‘Come!’” “Him who hears” refers to the one who
hears what the Spirit says to the churches (See 2:7
11
17
28; 3:6
13
22)
especially he who hears
the words of the prophecy of the Book of Revelation
(See v.18). “Come” also refers to asking the Lord to come for the second time.
“And
let him who thirsts come.” “Him who thirsts”
refers to he who thirsts concerning the present situation of his life
i.e. he
who thirsts in the spirit. “Let…come” is not “come” and it refers to the hope
and invitation of the Spirit
the churches and believers to the world that they
should come to the coming Lord Jesus.
“Whoever
desires
let him take the water of life freely.” “Desires” indicates that those who have received
the invitation have to use their own will and come willingly. “Freely”
indicates that the gospel is for free (See Is. 55:1). “The water of life”
refers to the Lord Jesus and His salvation.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Spirit inspires the hearts of men to thirst
after the Lord. May the Lord open our ears
that we will hear the sound of the
Spirit (See Is. 50:4-5).
2) He whoever asks the Lord to come quickly will
not ignore the souls of sinners. When we desire the Lord to come earnestly
we
are also deeply concerned the sinners’ being saved sincerely.
Rev. 22:18 “For I testify to everyone
who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these
things
God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;”
YLT: “`For I testify to
every one hearing the words of the prophecy of this scroll
if any one may add
unto these
God shall add to him the plagues that have been written in this
scroll
”
Meaning of Words: “add”: put on
lay
upon.
Literal Meaning: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of
the prophecy of this book:” “I” refers to the
Lord Jesus who sent the angel to reveal the prophecy of this book to John the
apostle (See v.16
1:1). “Everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this
book” refers to “those who hear” in the previous verse (See v.17). “Testify”
refers to proving the genuineness and trustworthiness of the prophecy (See
v.20).
“If
anyone adds to these things
” “these things” in
the narrow sense refers to the prophecies in the Book of Revelation and in the
broad sense refers to all the words of the Bible. “Adds to” refers to adding
new prophecies besides the prophecy instead of the explanations to the prophecy
of this book. Certainly
one who interprets the prophecy at random and adds the
doctrines which are not in the Bible to these things is in danger of “adding to
these things”.
“God
will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;” “the plagues that are written in this book”
refers to the three woes in the great tribulation (See 8:13) and the second
death (See 20:14).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Every word of God is pure and men should not add
to His words (Prov. 30:5-6).
2) Christians should take a serious attitude to the
Bible and we should not have any private interpretation (See 2Pet. 1:20)
or
distort the Bible purposely (See 2Tim. 2:15) in order to make a trade of the
word of God (See 2Cor. 2:17).
Rev. 22:19 “and if anyone takes away
from the words of the book of this prophecy
God shall take away his part from
the Book of Life
from the holy city
and from the things which are written in
this book.”
YLT: “and if any one may
take away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy
God shall take away
his part from the scroll of the life
and out of the holy city
and the things
that have been written in this scroll;'”
Meaning of Words: “take away”: remove
cut off; “part”: a share.
Literal Meaning: “and if anyone takes away from the words of the
book of this prophecy
” “takes away from”
indicates that when one interprets the prophecy or words of the Bible
he
purposely ignores
passes the obvious truth and turns a blind eye to it and
even denies the truth written in black and white.
“God
shall take away his part from the Book of Life
from the holy city
and from
the things which are written in this book.” It indicates that it is impossible for him to
overcome forever.
Rev. 22:20 “He who testifies to these
things says
‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so
come
Lord Jesus!”
YLT: “he saith -- who is
testifying these things -- `Yes
I come quickly!' Amen! Yes
be coming
Lord
Jesus!”
Meaning of Words: “He who testifies”:
the witness; “surely”: verily
truth; “Amen”: trustworthy
verily
so be it.
Literal Meaning: “He who testifies to these things says” refers to the Lord Jesus Himself (See
v.16).
“‘Surely
I am coming quickly.’ Amen.” “Surely” shows that the following words “I
am coming quickly” are assured. “Amen” indicates that the previous words “I am
coming quickly” are yes (See 2Cor. 1:20).
“Even
so
come
Lord Jesus!” The one who says
this sentence refers to John the apostle
the author of this book and it also
applies to all the audience of this book.
Rev. 22:21 “The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
YLT: “The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.”
Meaning of Words: “grace”: gift
gracious love; “with”: and
together.
Literal Meaning: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” refers to His grace. We not only need the
grace of remission but also need the gracious strength of the Lord that we can
overcome our weaknesses (See 2Cor. 12:9) and have part in the holy city and the
tree of life. Amen.
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The New
I. There is a river
of water of life (v.1)
II. There is the
tree of life (v.2)
A. the tree yields new fruits every
month
B. The leaves of the tree were for the
healing of men
III. There is the
perfect blessing:
A. there is the perfect
satisfaction----drinking the water of life and eating the fruits of life
(v.1-2)
B. there is the perfect
redemption----there shall be no more curse (v.3)
C. there is the perfect
administration----the throne of God and of the Lamb (v.3)
D. there is the perfect service----His servants
shall serve Him (v.3)
E. there is the perfect
communion----they shall see His face (v.4)
F. there is the perfect likeness to
God----His name shall be on their heads (v.4)
G. there is the perfect light----there
shall be no night and the Lord God gives them light (v.5)
H. there is the perfect royalty----they
shall reign forever and ever (v.5)
The Last Witness
I. The last witness
of the angel (v.6-7)
II. The last witness
of John the apostle (v.8-11)
A. bearing witness to his witness (v.8-9)
B. bearing witness to the last witness
of the angel (v.10-11)
III. The last
witness of the Lord Jesus (v.12-16
18-19)
A. testifying that He is coming quickly
(v.12)
B. testifying that He shall give rewards
and impose punishments (v.12-15)
C. testifying that His words and deeds
are absolutely effective (v.16)
D. warning anyone who adds to or takes
away from the words of the prophesy of this book (v.18-19)
IV. The last witness
of the Holy Spirit (v.17)
V. The last prayer
of the church (v.18)
The Nature of the Book of Revelation
I. The origin of the
Book of Revelation
A. the Lord God of the holy prophets
(v.6)
B. sending His angel----the angel (v.6)
C. showing the things which must shortly
take place to his servant----John the apostle (v.6)
D. it predicts the thing that the Lord
is coming quickly (v.7)
E. it makes those who read it keep the
words of the prophecy of this book (v.7)
F. it is what John the apostle saw and
heard (v.8)
G. it guides men to worship God (v.8-9)
II. The purpose of
the Book of Revelation
A. do not seal the words of the prophecy
of this book
for the time is at hand (v.10)
B. making men who read it get response
voluntarily (v.11)
C. the Lord’s rewards and punishments
are based on how everyone responds in his work (v.12)
D. the Lord will accomplish what He has
initiated (v.13)
E. blessed are those who do His
commandments (doing righteousness by the Lord) because of reading this book
(v.14)
F. otherwise
those who practice
evilness have no part in the holy city (v.15)
III. The
trustworthiness of the Book of Revelation
A. the Lord Jesus sent His angel to
testify to us by Himself (v.16)
B. the Lord guaranteed us by His
identity (v.16)
C. the Holy Spirit inspired the church
to have the heartfelt wish (v.17)
D. those who hear it should get the
response (v.17)
E. men should express their inner
willingness through action (v.17)
IV. The reliability
of the Book of Revelation
A. men should not add to the prophecy
(v.18)
B. men should not take away from the
prophecy (v.19)
C. the Lord testifies to these things by
Himself (v.20)
D. John the apostle said amen (v.20)
V. The blessing of
the Book of Revelation----the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all
(v.21)
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren