John is one of the few people in the Bible who was given a special view of heaven and we are privilege to experience what he seen. Paul too had a God-given vision of heaven but words failed him. He said in the vernacular, “I was caught up to heaven and heard things astonishing that they cannot be expressed in words” (2 Cor. 12:4 ). We are learning that words cannot convey the facts of heaven and exactly what it will be like…

While we might gain some comfort from knowing more details about heaven, it is not the knowledge of heaven that assures us; it is our knowledge of God Himself through Jesus Christ our savior.

We come to the end of our study in the book of the Revelation John writes the epilogue to his great apocalyptic vision. The actual revelation of the risen Lord ended in 22:5, and then John was inspired to write the closing words to this book…

The creation of the new heaven and the new earth is finished and the paradise of God with eternal glory, immortality, peace and joy perpetuates itself forever and ever. We’re in the eternal state and it’s just begun. All that can be said is the epilogue. He closes with words of hope. God’s message of hope is the only hope man has.
The first part of the epilogue, from verses 6 to 12 is directed to Christians. The last part is directed to non-Christians. And so we’ll break them up into those two parts. Each precept deals with a needed response, a response that every Christian should have to the coming of Jesus Christ. The epilogue clarifies …

I. An Imminence of these things. vv. 22:6&7

1. The statement, “These sayings are faithful and true” in vv. 6 is a divine stamp upon the pages of this book, declaring the words are authentic and irrefutable. “Faithful” is the Greek word “pistos” and speaks of persons who show themselves faithful “reliable, trustworthy.” “True” means, “real, genuine not false.” The prophecy in this book has been inspired by the Lord God of the holy prophets, who sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done (22:6). It declares the certainty and reliability of God’s Word. Literally the Greek says, “these words (i.e., of this prophecy), faithful and true.”
a) Behind Scripture or behind “these words” is “the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets.” “Lord” is kurios and emphasizes God’s sovereignty, universal power, and authority.

b) “The things which must shortly take place” means “that which must quickly come to pass.” What must come to pass quite clearly refers to the future events, the events of the Tribulation as described in this book (Rev. 4-19). The primary sense of “quickly” is that once these events start, the events of this book and their judgments will occur rapidly.

But there is also a note of imminence… In 1 Corinthians 1:7, it describes the Corinthian church and it says of them in verse 7 that they were not lacking in any gift. They didn’t lack any spiritual gift from God. And then he adds, “Awaiting eagerly the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The early church, waited eagerly for the coming of Jesus Christ. They didn’t push the return of Christ off into some distance future. They believed that it was imminent, that it could come at any time it could certainly come in their lifetime and so does many other N.T. passages.

c) Look with me at II Thess. 2:13 & 3:6-11; you see that some just quit everything and got lazy. –The Lord’s is coming and there no need to work! The problem was they had no date because the Lord did not give a date. We have the same problem in our time. We started this study to help folks get their eschatology correct. Every time some person comes along and writes another book on when Jesus is going back, people get heretical, they become scared.

Edgar Whisenant was a former NASA engineer and Bible student who predicted the Rapture would occur in 1988, sometime between Sept. 11 and 13. He published two books about this: 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will be in 1988 and On Borrowed Time. Come on, it’s one thing to write a book and be wrong. It’s another thing to write two books and be wrong 88 times. Do you know that people sold their property they went crazy, like it was a sure thing.

Again in 1994 Harold Camping wrote a book saying Jesus was going to come in September of 1994 and people did foolish things getting ready for that? He was wrong! Then again, Camping claimed Judgment Day was coming May 21, 2011. Harold Camping’s followers quit their jobs, sold their houses and gave their savings to support Camping’s prediction that the world would end in May. Thousands of billboards across the country proclaimed the world would end on May 21. One man from New York City said he spent his life savings on advertisements notifying his fellow citizens that the apocalypse was near. When it did not come, Camping said the actual day was October 21, 2011. That day passed too without Armageddon. He died confessing he was wrong to make such proclamations. Tell that to the people who sold their properties… Well it was no different than what happened in Thessalonica. People quit their jobs. Let’s make application to this. The prophecies of this book are imminent but you have an understanding o it truth and should not be deceived.

Application:
There will be another book another prediction like the last one.

2. In 22:7 we find the phrase, Behold, I come quickly, which occurs two more times in this chapter. The adverb “quickly” does not mean “shortly.” It has been almost 2000 years, and the major events described in this book have not yet transpired. This was written around 96 A.D., and the Lord is not come.” Folks, from the human viewpoint, that is a long time. From the vantage point of God, we must remind ourselves that a day with the Lord is as…what?.. However the word quickly means when the action starts it will be sudden, and the events will take place in rapid succession. The issue is that we live in the light of the reality that He’s coming soon.

3. In verse seven we find another special promise in the book of Revelation that of a special blessing to those who read it. He gives us what is the sixth of seven Beatitudes. The Beatitude always begins with the word “Blessed.” This is the six of seven in the book of Revelation. “Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” How ironic this final book carries this unique promise and yet it is one of the most neglected books in the Bible! Remember it started with the Beatitude in chapter 1:3:
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

For believers, the happiness and spiritual joy through the words of this prophecy involves such things as: Living constantly in light of the presence of Christ in our midst and of His imminent coming, knowing that our work in the Lord is never in vain. We carry on a vital witness. We live as sojourners who refuse to become bogged down with materialism and who live with a view of the eternal city. We endure the trials of this life during this age of darkness, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, the glory which is to follow. We remember that God’s plan is being accomplished, that He is sovereign. The epilogue also clarifies …

II. A Overwhelming of these things. vv. 22:8 & 9

1. John is fascinated with wonder and adoration. His desire to worship is unrestrained. John is so overwhelmed by these revelations that he falls down to worship before the feet of the angel who had showed him these things. In verse 9 he is rebuked once again, (the repetition of this we see in 19:10). The phrase worship God literally means “God alone”!

Application:
One of the greatest dangers we have as Christians is to worship something other than God Himself. Many are tempted to worship people that God has used through the centuries. The Roman Catholic Church advocates the worship of Mary, the worship of angels, the worship of saints, they call it veneration but it is worship, it is a violation of what the Bible teaches. We allow things in our lives that we really have come to give worship status.

Also, understand this; that we have a God of love and forgiveness. John is not stripped of his assignment nor is he disqualify for repeating the same offense. The truth is we all do. We fall into sin but don’t practice a lifestyle of sinning. You must forgive others their offenses too. Holding on to a past transgression won’t help you spiritually. Find your way to forgive and you’ll be on the road to healing and recovery. Oh, things may not be exactly the same but they will be better than they are and God will bless, guide and instruct for your future.

For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. –Matthew 6:14-15

Conclusion:

We are saved by grace and rewarded with the quality of our works. There will come a time for reward and because we know that, because we look forward to the judgment seat of Christ when He will reward us, we serve Him diligently because we want to receive a full reward.