It is the last chapter in the Bible—Revelation 22. What are the messages, and warnings, God chose to conclude “His Book”—the most important book ever written, which has the very words to eternal life? We will analyze “Final Chapter” of God’s Word on this edition of End of the Age!

Revelation 21 reveals the New Jerusalem is the bride of Christ—the church. We also learn there are two Jerusalems: the physical Jerusalem located in the land of Israel and the spiritual Jerusalem being constructed as God gives birth to His church.

Throughout that chapter, God is describing the New Jerusalem to John:

  1. The Church is the Tabernacle of God – In the great sermon preached by the first martyr Stephen just before he was stoned, he said, “Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,” (Acts 7:48).
  2. The One escorting John said, “I will show you the bride.” We come to the central purpose of Revelation 21:9-10, “And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,”

When Jesus promised to show John the bride, the Lamb’s wife, He showed him the holy Jerusalem. In this scripture we have absolute proof the bride is the holy Jerusalem.

  1. The New Jerusalem has 12 Gates
  2. The New Jerusalem has 12 Foundations
  3. The symbolic measurements of the New Jerusalem
  4. Adorned with precious stones and streets of gold as it were transparent glass.
  5. No Sun or Moon in the City – Jesus will be the light!
  6. The Gates of the New Jerusalem will Never be Shut

This brings us to Chapter 22.

 

BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY!

John continues to describe the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

When Jesus met the woman at the well in John 4:10, He asked her for water to drink. She questioned Him asking her for a drink since He was a Jew and she was a Samaritan. He answered her in John 4:10, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

Jesus explained further about the living water in John 4:13-14, “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Jesus also spoke of the living water on the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles in John 7:37-39, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Jesus explicitly stated the living water was His Spirit, the gift of the Holy Ghost. As verse 39 explains, at the time He spoke of this living water, it was not yet given because His Spirit only became available after He was glorified.

Revelation 22:2 goes on to describe the Tree of Life which grew beside the River of Life. We first see the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve were created. Once they disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they were forbidden from eating of the Tree of Life lest they should live forever. To the saved who will dwell in the New Jerusalem, they will be given open access to the Water of Life and the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is described in Revelation 22:2, “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

Notice the leaves of the Tree of Life were for the healing of the nations. This is simply reminding us again that there will be no sickness, no pain and no death in the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 22:3-4 provides more information about the wonders of the New Jerusalem, “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: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

When this passage says there will be no more curse, it is because Jesus bore the curse for us. Galatians 3:13 says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

The passage also reveals we will be the Lamb’s servants and will serve Him. We will have access to His presence continually. I Thessalonians 4:17, “And so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Revelation 22:4 continues to say we shall see His face and His name shall be in our foreheads. Jesus’ name is placed in our foreheads when we are baptized in His name.

John concludes his record of the vision of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 22:5, “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

Just imagine no need for the sun or electricity or for any artificial light! For we will dwell in His presence and He is the light! Finally, we are reminded again we shall reign with Jesus Christ forever and forever!

In Revelation 22, we will hear the admonition of God Himself as He issues His final words designed for those of us who live in the end time, the day of His return to the earth.

As we learned in the last chapter, the first five verses of chapter 22 continue to describe the glories of the New Jerusalem. Then this final chapter of Revelation restates the purpose for which this last book of the Bible was given. Revelation 22:6 declares the purpose very clearly, “And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.”

Jesus said He sent His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly come to pass. Our Lord wants His servants to know what the future holds.

Our new series, Revelation – The Unveiling of Jesus Christ Volume 1 and 2, was created to give understanding to all who desire to know the things that will soon come to pass.

In this sixth verse we are also told the identity of the one who has been talking to John throughout the vision. God said He “sent His angel” to show us the things that must come to pass.

Revelation 22:7 gives us the theme of the final chapter of the last book of the Bible, “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Many people have questioned why the declaration, “Behold, I come quickly” would be made when the Book of Revelation was written almost 2,000 years ago. This scripture saying, “Behold, I come quickly,” has proven true for each generation since the Book of Revelation was given to John. Jesus has been calling individuals home for over 2,000 years and it always seems to come too quickly. As James 4:14 says,

“…For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

As the generation who will soon see the physical return of Jesus to the earth, the words have never rung truer, “Behold, I come quickly!” Three times in this closing chapter of the Holy Scriptures, God repeats the phrase, “Behold, I come quickly.” This leaves no doubt the overriding purpose of this final book of Scripture is to warn us to be ready for His coming.

After saying, “Behold, I come quickly,” Jesus went on to say, “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” What does He mean by this statement? How can we keep the sayings of the prophecies given in the Book of Revelation?

In chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation, messages are given straight from Jesus to the seven churches of Asia. We are told what they were doing right and what they were doing wrong. We should learn from these messages and adjust our conduct accordingly.

In chapter 6 of Revelation, the four spirits that seek to control the human race, Catholicism, Communism, Capitalism and Islamism are revealed. We should understand these forces and not allow our lives to be controlled by them.

What about Capitalism? It’s okay to have money, just don’t let the love of it control you. 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

In chapter 7, God devotes this entire chapter to the great Jewish-Gentile revival that will be poured out in the end time. By revealing this revival to us, Jesus wants us to prepare to participate in this final harvest just before His Second Coming.

The church should be in a perpetual state of evangelism—preaching and teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God around the world. Matthew 24;14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In chapters 8-11, the Seven Trumpets are given to us so we can understand the world-changing events that are happening all around us. Jesus told us in Matthew 24:6, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

Although we are living through the events prophesied in the Seven Trumpets, Jesus told us not to be troubled by all these climactic events. He was saying we should stay on course and accomplish what He has called us to do in reaping the final harvest.

In chapter 12, we are given an overview of events from the birth of Christ all the way to the end of the Great Tribulation. In verse 14 of this chapter, it is revealed that the eagle (the U.S.) will stand with Israel against the entire world in the end time. This information should give the United States confidence to stand against the Antichrist and his world government though most of the nations of the world will be against us.

Chapter 13 clearly reveals to us Satan’s plan for the last days. We are shown the Antichrist and his world government, the False Prophet and his world religion and the enforcement mechanism of Satan’s plan to cause all people to worship him. This enforcement mechanism is called the Mark of the Beast.

God exposes Satan’s masterplan, which is the establishment of his physical kingdom on the earth, in this chapter and it is of eternal consequence to participate in it.

It is the understanding of these prophecies, which lets us know you 1) Should never pledge allegiance to a world government or it’s leader 2) Never be part of the huge move towards a world religion, interfaithism or ecumenism 3) Place a mark of identification on your person.

In chapter 14, we are told all who worship the Antichrist and receive the Mark of the Beast will be tormented forever and forever in the presence of the Lamb and His holy angels. The chapter then concludes with an account of the Two Harvests, the harvest of the wheat and the harvest of the tares. This gives us Revelation’s third account of the Rapture of the church and the Battle of Armageddon.

Chapters 15-16 record the coming Wrath of God that will be poured out upon His enemies during the Battle of Armageddon.

After these chapters, God interrupts the flow of the Book of Revelation to interject the account of His judgment that will be poured out upon false Christianity.

Chapters 17 and 18 are devoted to the judgment of Mystery Babylon and all of her daughters. His warning to all of us is given in Revelation 18:4, “…Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

Revelation 19:7 gives us the final account of the Rapture and the Battle of Armageddon, “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.”

In chapter 20, we see the binding of Satan for 1,000 years, the millennial reign of Jesus and His church and the Great White Throne of Judgment.

When we arrive at chapter 21, we are told in no uncertain terms the New Jerusalem is a portrayal of the bride. The angel said to John in Revelation 21:9-10, “…Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” The rest of the chapter then goes on to describe many of the wonderful attributes of the church.

The Book of Revelation is finalized in Revelation 22:6-21. We are told many things in these last 16 verses.

Worship No One Else but God

After seeing all the visions and prophecies given to him in the Book of Revelation, John was overwhelmed. Revelation 22:8-9 reveals his reaction, “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.”

John’s impulse was to fall at the feet of the angel that had shown him all of these incredible revelations. The angel immediately reproved him and reminded him of a truth none of us should ever forget! The angel said, “Worship God.” When Jesus was tempted by Satan to worship him in Matthew 4:10, Jesus quoted the words of the First Commandment, “…Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

We all must forever remember there is one and only one God. Never worship anyone else! Never pray to anyone else!

The Time is at Hand

In Revelation 22:10, the angel speaking with John said unto him, “…Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.”

Many people have questioned the statement “the time is at hand” since the Book of Revelation was written almost 2,000 years ago. Why did the angel say, “The time is at hand?” This statement is true because the Book of Revelation covers the entire 2,000 years from the time it was written until now. The seven churches to whom God sent messages in chapters 2 and 3 existed at the time Revelation was being written.
In chapter 5, we are shown Heaven before Jesus came to the earth as a Lamb. Then we see the Lamb as it had been slain.

Afterward, we see the prophecy of the Four Horsemen representing the four spirits that would control the nations of the earth from Christ until His Second Coming. All of these things explain why the angel instructed John to not seal up the book because the time is at hand.

The Last-Minute Call

It appears Revelation 22:11-20 is specifically directed at the people who will be on earth at the time of the conclusion of the events of the Book of Revelation. Revelation 22:11-12 seems to speak to those who are living right before the time of the Rapture, “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Think of that moment when the last sermon has been preached, the last altar invitation has been given, the last prayer has been prayed and every person’s eternal destination has been locked in! Those who are unjust will remain unjust and those who are filthy will face eternity in their filthy condition. Those who have lived lives of holiness and righteousness will meet God in their righteous condition. It’s sobering to think about this time but it is a time that will soon come! Jesus then repeats His warning, “Behold, I come quickly!”

In Revelation 22:14-15 it’s almost as though Jesus decides to give one more appeal, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

Deuteronomy 30:19 repeats the call made to mankind throughout the Old and New Testaments, “…I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

I am the Root and the Offspring of David

Throughout the Book of Revelation, Jesus declares who He really is. From Revelation 1:8 when He declared, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” to Revelation 1:18 where He said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore…”

As He brings His Holy Scriptures to a close in Revelation 22:16, He declares, “…I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

How could He claim to be both the root and the offspring of David? Because as Almighty God who created all things, He is the root of David; and as the Son of God, He is the offspring of David!

Whosoever will, Come

Even as the Book of Revelation draws to a close, Jesus is still calling for His prized creation, the human race, to come to salvation. Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

This passage is telling the world God’s Spirit is calling everyone to salvation. The bride (the church) is also saying, “Come.” The most wonderful message of this scripture is “whosoever will” may come. It is not God’s will for anyone to be lost. Whosoever will means whosoever desires to come can be saved. If you want to be saved, you can be!

A Final Warning

God issues a solemn warning in Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto 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 shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”

It is apparent God did not want the prophecies of the Book of Revelation to be tampered with. He said if anyone added to the prophecies found in Revelation, He would add unto that person the plagues found in the book. He went on to say in verse 19, if anyone would take away the words of the Book of Revelation, God would take away his part out of the Book of Life.

We see a very important truth declared here in verse 19. God warned that a person’s name could be removed from the Book of Life. There are many people who teach once a person’s name is written in the Book of Life, it cannot be removed. However, this verse declares the opposite. This is not stating that anyone besides ourselves can remove our name from the Lamb’s Book of Life. However, it is stating that through our own actions, we could cause our names to be removed from the Lamb’s Book of Life even after they were once written there.

There’s another very important truth that should be learned from verses 18 and 19. Not only should we not add or take away from the Book of Revelation but we should also not alter any of the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul said in II Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”

Every one of us should have a deep reverence for the sacredness of God’s Word. We should never attempt to alter it to fit our lifestyle or to justify something we are doing wrong. Psalm 119:89 reveals, “For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven.”

John concludes this marvelous book in Revelation 22:20-21, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

For the third time in this final chapter, we receive the warning from Jesus that He is coming quickly. Then John adds his own commentary, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Finally, John signs off with his final salutation, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

The Book of Revelation was written to be understood!

The Book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John 2,000 years ago. However, he died not understanding the meaning of what he had written. This happened because the Book of Revelation was not for his time. It was given for the present time in which you and I live just before the Second Coming of Jesus to the earth.

The title of the last book of the Bible is, Revelation – The Unveiling of Jesus Christ. The word “revelation” comes from the Greek word “Apocalypsis”, which means the “revealing” or the “unveiling”. The entire Book of Revelation is the dramatization of the Unveiling of Jesus Christ to the world at the time of His Second Coming.

Most of the Book of Revelation has been hidden in mystery for the last 2,000 years. Right now, just before the Rapture, we are understanding things that have never been understood before.

Revelation contains four different accounts of the Unveiling of Jesus to the world. Each of these accounts is preceded by an account of events that will lead up to the Second Coming. Each of these accounts supply a different dramatic view of things that will happen before the Second Coming. It is as though God couldn’t just tell the story once. There will be so many exciting things involved in His Unveiling that He had to record the events from four different perspectives. Each of these four narratives conclude at the same event – the dramatic Second Coming of Jesus to the earth!

The theme of the entire Book of Revelation is found in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He Cometh.” In Revelation – The Unveiling of Jesus Christ, Volume 2, you will view 11 animated videos portraying the events the Apostle John was shown on the Isle of Patmos. Accompanying these 11 videos is a 268-page hardback book that will assist you in your study of this book written 2,000 years ago for those of us who live in these end times.

Experience with the Apostle John the visions given for the end time. Their meaning will become amazingly clear to you through the animated videos of Revelation – The Unveiling of Jesus Christ. Believe it or not, you will be able to understand what God sent to us by John over 2,000 years ago.