Read More Than Conquerors, pp. 251–256
A. BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE SECTION
There is in this section little that bas not been said before. It is, nevertheless, a most important section. It lays particular stress upon the urgency of all the preceding admonitions, the absolute necessity of heeding them, and this all the more since whatever has been declared in this book is true, to which three witnesses—the angel-guide, John, and Jesus—bear witness. First the angel bears witness to the truthful character of the words that have gone before and to their speedy fulfillment. He closes by quoting the words given to him by the Lord himself, a beatitude upon those who keep the prophecy (verses 6 and 7). Next, John himself bears witness. The apostle is about to worship the angel-guide, with the same result as in Revelation 19:10 (verses 8 and 9). Following hard upon this, the angel exhorts John not to seal up the prophecy of this book, since these predictions will begin to go into fulfillment forthwith. He tells John that the man who, in spite of all pleadings and exhortations, continues to harden himself should not be hindered in his self-destruction. Nor should the righteous and holy person be hindered from continuing in the way of sanctification. He then quotes the promise of the Lord that he is coming quickly, the re-assertion that he (the Lord) is the Alpha and the Omega, Christ’s final beatitude pronounced on those who wash their robes in his cleansing blood (a striking re-assertion, therefore, of salvation by grace alone), and an earnest warning with respect to those who do not heed the gospel’s tender appeal (verses 10–15). There follows Christ’s own testimony with respect to the authentic character of the contents of the book of Revelation, a testimony in which Jesus calls himself “the root and offspring of David, the bright, the morning star” (verse 16). Since Christ had promised to come quickly (verses 7 and 12) the Spirit and (as a result) the Church now say. “Come,” probably meaning, “Carry out thy plan in history with a view to thy coming.” Whoever hears the prophecy when it is read is exhorted to add his voice to the collective voice of the Church, and to say, “Come.” This is followed by Christ’s beautiful, stirring invitation, the final one in the entire Bible, “He that is athirst, let him come: he that will, let him take the water of life freely” (verse 17). There follow two striking verses in which severe judgment is pronounced on anyone who might wish to tamper with the contents of the book, either by adding to it or by subtracting from it (verses 18, 19). Christ then answers the ardent prayer of his Church (see verse 17 above) by saying. “Yes, I come quickly.” John, moved to the very depths of his being with love, gratitude and rapture, says, “Amen, come Lord Jesus.” The benediction closes the book (verses 20,21).
B. EMPHASIS UPON THE MOST BASIC DOCTRINE
In the preceding analysis it has been shown what great stress the closing section of the book of Revelation places upon the truthfulness, the absolute infallibility, of this book. That is emphasized again and again, and dire punishment is threatened upon the one who either adds to or subtracts from the contents.
Now it is exactly this doctrine that, in one way or another, is being rejected by some people today. And when the words of verses 18 and 19 are quoted, the answer which is usually given is, “Well yes, but that does not pertain to the Bible as a whole but only to the book of Revelation.” The following facts are overlooked:
1. God, in his providence, saw to it that in this very last book of the Bible infallibility was stressed.
2. Since Revelation is rooted in the soil of the rest of Scripture it is impossible thus to separate it as if only it but not the rest -were truly inspired.
3. What is said here (in verses 6, 8, 18, 19) with respect to the book of Revelation is said elsewhere with respect to other large portions of the Bible, portions so large that the Church has been led by the Holy Spirit to ascribe infallibility to the entire Bible. Let the reader look up for himself: Exodus 20:1; II Samuel 23:2; Isaiah 40:8; Malachi 4:4; Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:25; Luke 24:44; John 10:35; Galatians 3:16; II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:19, 20; II Peter 3:16; Hebrews 1:1,2.
Questions
1. “There is a beautiful connection between the first book of the Bible and the last,” etc. What is that connection? See More Than Conquerors, pp. 236, 237.
2. Could this “beautiful connection” also serve as one more argument to show that the warning not to add to or subtract from the contents of the book of Revelation can, indeed, be applied, by way of logical inference, to the entire Bible?
3. The book of Revelation contains seven beatitudes. What and where are they?
4. H0w do you account for the fact that John’s experience recorded in Revelation 19:10 is repeated here in Revelation 22:8, 9?
5. Revelation 22:14: “that they may have the right to come to the tree of life.” But is not salvation by grace instead of by right?
6. Why is “the tree of life” introduced here in verse 14?
7. What profit did you derive from the study of the book of Revelation?