Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Revelation 22:20

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

20. Surely ] The word is that rendered Even so in Rev 1:7, and in the next clause here, and which might be better rendered Yea. It should be omitted in the next clause, so that the whole will read, “He that testifieth these things saith, ‘Yea [in answer to the prayers of Rev 22:17 ] I come quickly.’ Amen: come, Lord Jesus.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

He which testifieth these things – The Lord Jesus; for he it was that had, through the instrumentality of the angel, borne this solemn witness to the truth of these things, and this book was to be regarded as his revelation to mankind. See the notes on Rev 1:1; Rev 22:16. He here speaks of himself, and vouches for the truth and reality of these things by saying that he testifies of them, or bears witness to them. Compare Joh 18:37. The fact that Jesus himself vouches for the truth of what is here revealed, shows the propriety of what John had said in the previous verses about adding to it, or taking from it.

Saith, Surely I come quickly – That is, the development of these events will soon begin – though their consummation may extend into far distant ages, or into eternity. See the notes on Rev 1:1, Rev 1:3; Rev 22:7, Rev 22:10.

Amen – A word of solemn affirmation or assent. See the notes on Mat 6:13. Here it is to be regarded as the expression of John, signifying his solemn and cheerful assent to what the Saviour had said, that he would come quickly. It is the utterance of a strong desire that it might be so. He longed for his appearing.

Even so – These, too, are the words of John, and are a response to what the Saviour had just said. In the original, it is a response in the same language which the Saviour had used, and the beauty of the passage is marred by the translation Even so. The original is, He which testifieth to these things saith, Yea – nai – I come quickly. Amen. Yea – nai – come, Lord Jesus. It is the utterance of desire in the precise language which the Saviour had used – heart responding to heart.

Come, Lord Jesus – That is, as here intended, Come in the manner and for the objects referred to in this book. The language, however, is expressive of the feeling of piety in a more extended sense, and may be used to denote a desire that the Lord Jesus would come in any and every manner; that he would come to impart to us the tokens of his presence; that he would come to bless his truth and to revive his work in the churches; that he would come to convert sinners, and to build up his people in holiness; that he would come to sustain us in affliction, and to defend us in temptation; that he would come to put a period to idolatry, superstition, and error, and to extend the knowledge of his truth in the world; that he would come to set up his kingdom on the earth, and to rule in the hearts of people; that he would come to receive us to his presence, and to gather his redeemed people into his everlasting kingdom. It was appropriate to the aged John, suffering exile in a lonely island, to pray that the Lord Jesus would speedily come to take him to himself; and there could have been no more suitable close of this marvelous book than the utterance of such a desire. And it is appropriate for us as we finish its contemplation, disclosing so much of the glories of the heavenly world, and the blessedness of the redeemed in their final state, when we think of the earth, with its sorrows, trials, and cares, to respond to the prayer, and to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. For that glorious coming of the Son of God, when he shall gather his redeemed people to himself, may all who read these notes be finally prepared. Amen.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Rev 22:20

He which testifieth these things, saith, surely I come quickly.

On the coming of Christ

I. Some of the great events which will most unquestionably take place at our Saviours second appearance.

1. He will come again with inexpressible dignity and grandeur.

2. The resurrection of the dead is another glorious result of our Saviours second appearance.

3. The dissolution of this globe will be the awful consequence, also, of our Saviours reappearance.

II. For what purpose these great events will take place on our Saviours reappearance.

1. Jesus will come again to vindicate the honour of the Divine administration, and to evince the admirable wisdom and justice with which it has been administered.

2. The eternal separation of the virtuous from the wicked.

3. The equitable and unerring distribution of eternal rewards and punishments which will then take place.

Lessons:

1. The consideration of our Saviours second coming to reward every one according to his works, should have a permanent influence on our present temper and conduct.

2. The appointment of our Saviour to be our Judge is a merciful condescension to the weakness and imperfection of our natures, which would be overwhelmed by the infinite splendour of that Almighty Being, in whose presence the angels cover their faces with their wings, which would be otherwise dazzled with such immensity of glory. (A. Stirling, LL. D.)

Even so come, Lord Jesus.

Man hailing the judgment

There are four states of mind amongst men in relation to the last day. Some are indifferent to it, as were the antediluvians in relation to the Deluge; some scornfully deny it, as did the infidels in the days of Peter; some are horror-stricken at it, as were the demoniacs in the time of Christ; and some welcome it, as John did now. Three things are implied in this last state of mind–

I. A conviction that such a day will dawn.

II. A conviction of preparedness to enter on the trial.

III. A conviction that the results of that day will be fraught with personal good. (Homilist.)

Yearning for Christ

A state of expectation tries faith and feeds it too. The veil which hides, suggests. A doubtful bestowment, to be able to raise it before the time! Hope nurses energy. Energy is trained in mingled knowledge and ignorance.

I. The effacing of our souls for the fulness of fellowship with Christ. The life we live is a longing. There is discord which only Jesus can resolve. There is possibility which in the light of His presence will see this out into fact. Gloom, in which we wait with our eyes towards the east, waiting for the sun-rising. We are children crying for the Comforter.

II. The purpose of our hearts to be prepared for the higher service. Come and give us our place in Thy kingdom. Come and take up the fruits of our life into Thy garner, and make them the seed-corn of the everlasting future. The response of the lips will be the key-note; the fullest most varied existence will never lose it; on that the music will rest and melt into the praise of Heaven. (R. Redford, LL. B.)

Sudden death

The primary reference in the words may be, and probably is, to His coming for the initiation of those august procedures in history which are prophetically recorded in the Book of Revelation; but also there may be an underlying reference in them to His appearing at death to the individual disciple. The death of the believer is always, in a true sense, the coming of Christ to him. Applying the words in this way, then, as having a possible personal relation to ourselves, the question naturally occurs: Can we take up and repeat this reply of the apostle, Amen. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus? John evidently spoke thus in all sincerity and solemn earnestness. But we may not feel, perhaps, that John was a type for us, since he surpassed us in so many things. He was the beloved disciple. He had been admitted to a peculiar personal intimacy with Christ. Especially, perhaps, we think he could say this when he may have been at this time–it is not certain–in the decline of life, or already advanced in years; when, at any rate, he was dwelling in a world unfriendly to him and to his faith, without companions, without a home, a lonely exile upon the rock of Patmos. It was then only natural and proper, we may think, that he should utter this prayer to Christ. But we may not so freely repeat it after him. There is a certain tremor of hesitation, natural to the heart, in echoing the words. We have no right to offer such a prayer. Even John did not offer it until the Master had manifested to him His purpose of coming quickly, and then he simply responded to the declared will of the Lord. We may do that, I think, with equal cheerfulness and gladness. When the Master forewarns us that His coming is to be sudden and speedy, we may take up without hesitation, if we are His followers, the words of the apostle: Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The example of John justifies us in this. He was an eminent disciple; he had had peculiar intimacy of relation with the Master. But he was still a man who needed forgiveness, even as you and I do. He was a man only sanctified in part, as you and I are. Yet he spoke these words, because he knew the Master fully. He had known Him on earth, and he had now seen Him in heaven. He knew the sovereignty of the Lord, but he knew as well His spirit of self-sacrifice; he knew how He had died on the Cross when He need not have done so unless He had chosen, for the salvation of sinners. Therefore, knowing His tenderness as well as His holiness, His infinite sympathy as well as His sovereign and unlimited power, he could say: Even so, I am not timid before Thy coming; Thy word does-not smite me with fear. Come, Lord Jesus. If we are, then, in fellowship with John, through a similar faith in the Divine Master, we also may take up and echo his words. Consider also why Christ comes at death to His disciple; what things He comes to accomplish.

1. He comes for the recognition of character in His beloved. For this, in part, His approach and death are made.

2. He comes also for the consummation of character in the disciple; not only to recognise it, but to bring it to its completeness. Every Christian grace has its vital root in faith, that is, in loyal and undoubting confidence toward the Son of God. And precisely as this faith becomes clear and firm, in that proportion the graces which spring from it are multiplied and enriched, are raised to a sweeter and mightier supremacy. When, then, at last faith culminates in vision, and we see the Lord–not merely in the evangelical records, not merely in the worship of the Church, or its manifesting sacraments, but face to face–then every grace which has been within us, in element and germ, shall rise to sudden superlative completeness, and to the fulness of perfect exhibition.

3. He comes, too, for the coronation of character, as well as for its recognition and its supreme consummation. Character, rooted in faith towards Himself, is the one thing precious on earth to Christ. The production of it in the human soul was the very purpose of His coming in the incarnation. His whole life on earth bore evidently upon this result. Every miracle said, Believe in Me. Every gracious word of promise attracted to such belief in Him. And when this faith is ready to be transferred to the skies, Christ comes at death to consummate and to crown it. That is the fulfilment of His purpose in Redemption. He must crown the spirit which He seeks and loves. Therefore it was that John could say, Amen. Even so, Lord, come quickly. And so we need not, either of us, fear, if we are in the faith and fellowship of John, to take upon our lips the same sublime and solemn words.

4. I think that here is suggested a fair preliminary test of experience in us. Suppose that Christ were to come to us at this moment, that for us the earth swung suddenly away into darkness and silence, that unto us the heavens were opened would He find in us that which He at this instant would accept and approve? Should we be able to welcome Him now at that swift coming?

5. If we can meet this test we need no more to be afraid of sudden death. Within ourselves is that which Christ Himself hath wrought, in which He has gladness. Then we shall share, when we die, in the glory of the transfigured Lord; not seeing it merely, as silently and suddenly it came to the Apostles, but ourselves being participants in it. And that will be all that death is to the disciple. (R. S. Storrs, D. D.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 20. Surely I come quickly] This may be truly said to every person in every age; Jesus the Judge is at the door!

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.] The wish and desire of the suffering Church, and of all the followers of God, who are longing for the coming of his kingdom.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

20. Amen. Even so, comeTheSong of Solomon (So 8:14)closes with the same yearning prayer for Christ’s coming. A, B, andAleph omit “Even so,” Greek, “nai“:then translate for Amen, “So be it, come, LordJesus”; joining the “Amen,” or “So be it,”not with Christ’s saying (for He calls Himself the “Amen”at the beginning of sentences, rather than puts it as a confirmationat the end), but with John’s reply. Christ’s “I come,” andJohn’s “Come,” are almost coincident in time; so truly doesthe believer reflect the mind of his Lord.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

He which testifieth these things,…. Not the angel,

Re 22:16 nor John, who sometimes used this way of speaking,

Joh 21:24 but Christ, as appears from what follows; for he

saith, surely I come quickly; who not only asserts the speediness of his coming, as in Re 22:7 but expresses the certainty of it, so that it ought not to be doubted of by any, especially by his own people; though it may seem to be deferred, and, upon that account, be derided by ungodly men; and Christ may have some respect, in this strong repetition of it, to the certainty of the punishment that will then be inflicted upon such who add to, or diminish from this book; for he himself will certainly come in person, and execute the vengeance threatened. John next puts his

Amen to it, signifying his assent unto it, declaring his faith in it, and expressing his earnest desire after it, and wish for it: and in words at length adds,

even so come, Lord Jesus; quickly, speedily as thou hast said, and in all thy glory; set up thy kingdom, let that come, introduce thy people into it, and destroy thine enemies; this he said as one that loved the appearance of Christ, longed for it, hastened to it, and was impatient at the delay of it.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Conclusion.

A. D. 95.

20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

We have now come to the conclusion of the whole, and that in three things:–

I. Christ’s farewell to his church. He seems now, after he has been discovering these things to his people on earth, to take leave of them, and return to heaven; but he parts with them in great kindness, and assures them it shall not be long before he comes again to them: Behold, I come quickly. As when he ascended into heaven, after his resurrection, he parted with a promise of his gracious presence, so here he parts with a promise of a speedy return. If any say, “Where is the promise of his coming, when so many ages have passed since this was written?” let them know he is not slack to his people, but long-suffering to his enemies: his coming will be sooner than they are aware, sooner than they are prepared, sooner than they desire; and to his people it will be seasonable. The vision is for an appointed time, and will not tarry. He will come quickly; let this word be always sounding in our ear, and let us give all diligence that we may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.

II. The church’s hearty echo to Christ’s promise, 1. Declaring her firm belief of it: Amen, so it is, so it shall be. 2. Expressing her earnest desire of it: Even so, come, Lord Jesus; make hast, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or like a young hart on the mountain of spices. Thus beats the pulse of the church, thus breathes that gracious Spirit which actuates and informs the mystical body of Christ; and we should never be satisfied till we find such a spirit breathing in us, and causing us to look for the blessed hope, and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the language of the church of the first-born, and we should join with them, often putting ourselves in mind of his promise. What comes from heaven in a promise should be sent back to heaven in a prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus, put an end to this state of sin, sorrow, and temptation; gather thy people out of this present evil world, and take them up to heaven, that state of perfect purity, peace, and joy, and so finish thy great design, and fulfil all that word in which thou hast caused thy people to hope.”

III. The apostolical benediction, which closes the whole: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. Here observe, 1. The Bible ends with a clear proof of the Godhead of Christ, since the Spirit of God teaches the apostle to bless his people in the name of Christ, and to beg from Christ a blessing for them, which is a proper act of adoration. 2. Nothing should be more desired by us than that the grace of Christ may be with us in this world, to prepare us for the glory of Christ in the other world. It is by his grace that we must be kept in a joyful expectation of his glory, fitted for it, and preserved to it; and his glorious appearance will be welcome and joyful to those that are partakers of his grace and favour here; and therefore to this most comprehensive prayer we should all add our hearty Amen, most earnestly thirsting after greater measures of the gracious influences of the blessed Jesus in our souls, and his gracious presence with us, till glory has perfected all his grace towards us, for he is a sun and a shield, he gives grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from those that walk uprightly.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

He which testifieth ( ). That is Jesus (1:2) who has just spoken (22:18).

Yea: I come quickly (, ). Affirmation again of the promise in Rev 22:7; Rev 22:12. On (Yes) see 1:7 for the Lord’s assent to the call. Then John expresses his absolute belief in the Lord’s promise: “Amen: come, Lord Jesus” (, , ). On see 1:7. On see 22:17. Note with . As in 1Cor 12:3; Phil 2:11. For Paul’s confidence in the deity of Christ and the certainty of his second coming see Titus 2:13; 2Tim 4:8. (1Co 16:22).

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Even so [] . Omit.

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

LAST PROMISE AND PRAYER OF BIBLE

1) “He that testifieth of these things,” (legei ho marturon tauta) “The one witnessing these things says,” The Lord Jesus Christ, person of this revelation asserts his soon coming, Rev 1:1; Rev 22:7.

2) “Saith, surely I come quickly,” (nai erchomai tachu) “Yes, I am coming quickly,” suddenly, Rev 22:12; It is a solemn warning, a call to preparation, to keep our lamps trimmed and burning for the sure soon coming of the Lord; Let us be ready as faithful servants, stewards, and watchmen, 1Co 4:2; Mat 24:40-51; Mar 13:32-37; Heb 10:37.

3) “Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus,” (amen, erchou kurie lesou) “Amen, come Lord Jesus; Joh 21:25; 2Ti 4:8; This is John’s aged exile lingering cry of envisioned triumph, much like that of Paul, 1Co 15:57-58; Any holding a differing view is to be considered anathema, 1Co 16:22.

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Strauss Comments
SECTION 76

Text Rev. 22:20-21

20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. Amen.

Initial Questions Rev. 22:20-21

Will the committed Christian be waiting for Christs return?

John expressed his desire for Christs coming again. How did he show this concern Rev. 22:20?

What does the word grace mean Rev. 22:21?

Rev. 22:20

The one witnessing these things says, yes, I am coming quickly. The phrase I am coming quickly is used three times in this chapter Rev. 22:7; Rev. 22:12; Rev. 22:20. John heard this majestic declaration and responded with a shout of joy Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.

Rev. 22:21

The man who suffered persecution on Patmos rather than to deny his Lord, concludes The Revelation which he received in the Spirit on the Lords Day with the grace of the Lord Jesus be (not in text) with all.

We can thank our heavenly Father that He vouched safe these holy visions to The Seer who continues to inspire The Saved with the thought of the coming again of the cosmic conqueror The Savior, Jesus Christ.

This great N.T. book is not for the curiosity seeker or religious fanatic, but for all those who would continue to the end for the same shall wear the robe of righteousness and the crown of life. We must guard these with our very life because the righteousness is not our own but His; the crowns we do not merit either.

Discussion Questions

Chapter 22

What other section of O.T. Scripture does the imagery of Rev. 22:1-3 describe?

What does being blessed in Rev. 22:7 imply?

Is it ever acceptable with our Lord to worship a creature, even if an angel Rev. 22:8?

How does the angels command to John differ from Gods command to Daniel Rev. 22:10?

Will a lost sinner who has died ever get another opportunity to accept Christ Rev. 22:11?

What is the condition which must be met before we have a right to the tree of life according to Rev. 22:14?

Who sent His angel according to Rev. 22:16?

Who issues the great invitation in Rev. 22:17?

What will happen to the person (or persons) who add to or take away from Gods Word according to Rev. 22:18-19?

10.

How does John respond to Christs declaration in Rev. 22:20?

Note: Christ in You The Hope of Glory! (Col. 1:27)

Contemporary man is seeking for a source of hope, but he is more than reluctant to accept the biblical ground of hope Christ in you, the hope of glory. Ibsen depicts modern man in most penetrating imagery. He wrote of a man who viewed the crucifixion and had a toothache; he remembered the toothache but forgot about the crucifixion.
Man could not exist long without the grace of hope. What is unique about the Christians hope? Why should all men turn their hope toward Jesus Christ?

Hope is always our aspirations projecting toward the future. Paul says thatNow abideth, faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love (1Co. 13:13).

The Christians hope does not come from within himself, but is grounded in the work and victory of God in Christ. The Christians hope is not ultimately grounded in a doctrine, but in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter tells us that God begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1Pe. 1:3). He also admonished us to be in a state of readinessto give an answer (apologia) to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you,(1Pe. 3:15).

In order to provide some basic sermon suggestions on the biblical doctrine of hope, we shall provide an outline of Wm. Barclays study listed below in the bibliography. (See pp. 4246 of that work. Also check the various vocabulary of O.T. and N.T. usage in a concordance).

In what does the Christian hope consist?

Hope of the resurrection (Act. 23:6).

It is the hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5:2).

Hope of the new covenant (2Co. 3:12).

Hope of righteousness (Gal. 5:5).

Hope of salvation (2Co. 1:10).

Hope of eternal life (Tit. 1:2; Tit. 3:7).

Hope of the second coming (Tit. 2:13; 1Jn. 3:3).

Hope which is laid up in heaven (Col. 1:5).

II.

What are the Sources of Hope?

Product of Experience (Rom. 5:4).

Product of the Scripture (Rom. 15:4).

Being called of God (Eph. 1:8).

Product of the Gospel (Col. 1:23).

Dependent on work of our Lord (Col. 1:26; 1Ti. 1:1).

III.

What great things happen by Hope?

Hope comes through grace (2Th. 2:16).

Through hope that we rejoice (Rom. 12:12).

Saved by hope (Rom. 8:24).

Keeps Christian steadfast (Heb. 3:6; Heb. 6:11; Heb. 6:18).

IV.

What are the Foundations of Hope?

Hope is in Christ (1Th. 1:3).

Hope is grounded in God (1Ti. 4:10).

Hope looks to God (1Pe. 1:21).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

J. J. von Allmen, editor, A Companion to The Bible (a French Protestant work) Oxford, New York, 1958, English translation.

William Barclay, More New Testament Words, Harper Bros. N.Y. 1958.

J. B. Bauer, editor, Bible Theologisches, Wrterbuch, Austria, (Roman Catholic).

Wm. Childs Robinson, Christ The Hope of Glory: Christological Eschatology, Eerdmans, 1945. Good study by basically conservative Calvinist who was aware of the relevant literature which had been published up to time his work became available, 1945. (See also George E. Ladds two works listed in general bibliography. Dr. Ladd is professor of the Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasedena, California. The school is now in a time of crisis because of a general attitude toward The Bible. Some there are taking a mediating position toward The Scriptures.

X. Leon Dufour, editor, Vocabulaire de Theologie Biblique, 1962, Editions du cerf, Paris, (Roman Catholic).

Kittel, editor, Article-ilpis (Greek for Hope); Wrterbuch, Austria.

Alan Richardson, editor. A Theological Word Book of The Bible, MacMillan and Co., New York, 1956, (now in paperback).

Note: These works do not always show a high regard for the scripture, except Ladds and Robinsons works.
We have now come to the end of our journey through the blood-stained pages of a period of history of the Church written by Martyrs blood. But we can only say with the author of the great hymn

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus name.
When He shall come with trumpet sound, O may I then in Him be found!
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!

Refrain

On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand. A-Men.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(20) He which testifieth these things . . .Better, He saith, who testifieth these things, Yea, I am coming quickly. We have here the final witness; it is in the words of the faithful and true witness Himself. It is the answer to the repeated cry, Come; it is the warning to those who forget Him; it is introduced with the emphatic yea! Yea, I am coming quickly. The answer breaks forth in prayer from the prophets lipsAmen. (We must omit even so) Come, Lord Jesus. The prophet is the mouthpiece of the Church; his desire is one with the desire of all who love Christs appearing.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

5. John’s final welcome to the Coming BENEDICTION, Rev 22:20-21.

20. Testifieth these things Jesus, who attests his sending the revelation, and the deep danger of corrupting or undermining his truth.

Come, Lord Jesus Come with that coming which brings the final glory. Note Rev 22:17.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

DISCOURSE: 2536
THE COMING OF CHRIST DESIRED

Rev 22:20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

IN the Book of Revelation is contained a series of prophecies, from the apostolic age to the end of the world. To them must nothing be added: from them must nothing be withdrawn. To alter any thing contained in them is at the peril of our souls. In perfect agreement with them will every event be found at the last: the Church will triumph; her enemies will be put to shame; and the Lord Jesus Christ, into whose hands all things are committed, will be glorified in all. Speedily, too, will this desirable result appear: for He who testifieth of these things, even the Lord Jesus Christ, the Judge of quick and dead, says, Surely I come quickly. And his beloved Apostle, to whom he had revealed these things, welcomed the glorious consummation, saying, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Now, in these words we see Christs coming to judgment,

As a period to be expected

Of this period the whole Scriptures testify
[In the Old Testament indeed, little, in comparison, is spoken of it: yet we can have no doubt but that it was known, not only to the descendants of Abraham, but even before the flood: for St. Jude tells us, that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied respecting it, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh, with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all [Note: Jude, ver. 14, 15.]. In the New Testament it forms a very prominent part of the inspired records; continual reference being made to that period, and the circumstances that shall then take place being fully developed. The person of the Judge, the manner of his advent, the establishment of his tribunal, the solemnities of his judgment, the final sentence which he will pronounce, and the eternal states of men fixed in perfect accordance with it, are all described, with a minuteness which places every thing, as it were, before our eyes, and enables us to anticipate with certainty the whole process [Note: Mat 25:31-34.] ]

And it is now fast approaching
[Time, in our eyes, appears long: but with God, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. Our blessed Lord, when on earth, spake of it as near at hand. St. Paul adverted to it in such strong terms, that he was misunderstood by many, whose misconceptions he afterwards removed by a more plain and full declaration respecting it. Since the period that this revelation was given to John, above seventeen hundred years have elapsed: so that, if at that time it could be said by our Lord, Surely I come quickly, much more must it be true at this day. Even in reference to the general judgment, it is true; because the time that shall intervene before it, is no more, in comparison of eternity, than the twinkling of an eye. But, in reference to individuals, it is true, even in the most obvious and literal sense: for our time is only like a shadow that departeth, and hasteth away like the eagle in its flight. Surely, my beloved brethren, as it respects every one amongst us, the Judge is at the door. For aught that we know, we may this very day or hour be summoned into his presence, and receive at his hands our final doom ]
Yet, awful as the future judgment will be, we may well contemplate it,

II.

As an event to be desired

Not that it is desirable to all: for, when it shall arrive, many will call upon the rocks to fall upon them, and the hills to cover them from the presence of their Judge. To those only can it be an object of desire, who are prepared to meet their God. For this high attainment three things are requisite:

A view of salvation, as wrought out by Christ

[The proud self-righteous moralist can never desire that day. He may indeed so harden himself in unbelief, as to feel no dread of judgment; and so deceive his own soul, as to think that the issue of it will be favourable to him. But he cannot look forward to that event with real satisfaction. He knows not what it is to be looking for, and hasting unto, the coming of the day of Christ. He has no solid ground of hope: when he reflects candidly on his state, he cannot but feel some secret misgivings, that all will not be well with him; and, consequently, he cannot really desire that day: on the contrary, it would be a satisfaction to him to be informed that there should be no discrimination of persons, and that all should sleep a perpetual sleep.]

A hope of salvation, as obtained through Christ

[It is not a mere knowledge of the Gospel that will bear up the soul in the prospect of that great event. There must be in us some consciousness that we have fled to Christ for refuge, and laid hold on the hope that is set before us. It is a small matter to us that Christ has come into the world, and died for us, if we have not somewhat of a well-grounded hope of an interest in him. When we can see the promises as freely made to us, and are enabled to rest upon them, then may we look forward with composure to the dissolution of our earthly tabernacle, and to the transmission of our souls to an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens [Note: 2Co 5:1.].]

An earnest of salvation, as already enjoyed in Christ

[This is given to many of Gods favoured people: and, though I say not that it is necessary to saving faith, I must say, that without it no man can cordially adopt the language of my text, and say, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. We must have some assurance of our acceptance with God, before we can really desire to enter into his presence; and some sense of an interest in Christ, before we can truly love his appearing. But if the Spirit of God bear witness with our spirits that we are his children, then may we number death amongst our treasures [Note: 1Co 3:22.], and desire to depart, that we may be with Christ. Then may we adopt the triumphant language of the Apostle, and say, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? for then our great enemy is slain, and God has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ: yea, death is swallowed up in victory [Note: Isa 25:8. with 1Co 15:54-57.], and heaven itself is commenced in the soul.]

Observe, then
1.

How sad is the prospect of those who are yet in their sins!

[Whether ye will believe it or not, know assuredly, that the Lord Jesus Christ is coming quickly, to call you into judgment: and to him shall ye give account, not only of your words and actions, but of the most secret counsels of your hearts. How terrible is this thought to those who have never repented of their sins, nor ever sought for mercy through the Redeemers blood! I would that I might prevail upon you, my beloved brethren, to lay to heart this awful consideration, whilst it may yet avail for your good. But let death once execute his commission, and drag you to the judgment-seat of Christ, and all your future regrets will be in vain: your sentence will then be pronounced upon you, and your doom be sealed for ever ]

What a sweet reality is there in religion!

[See what the Gospel can effectcan effect even in this present life! what peace it can bring into the soul; and what an assurance respecting its eternal interests! I will not presume to say that it will open to a man the book of Gods decrees, and shew him his name written in heaven; but it will give him a confidence respecting the issue of the future judgment, and a joyful anticipation of eternal blessedness. Only therefore seek an acquaintance with the Lord Jesus, and an experience of his love; and then may you look forward to his advent with exceeding joy, and welcome it as the consummation and completion of your bliss.]

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

This is a most gracious repetition of Jesus’s promise to his Church. It ought to be often in our thoughts. The Lord was then at the door of departure. He looks back once more. Before be takes a farewell, he sets his seal to his testimony, and, in his very last words, puts a surely to his often before repeated promise, and saith, surely I come quickly! And God the Holy Ghost by John, in the name of the Church, makes answer to his gracious promise, and saith, even so come Lord Jesus! Oh! precious Lord! is it not as if to say, though I leave off speaking publicly to the Church; I do not leave you in private. My heart, my affections are with you. I wilt come again, and take you to myself, that, where I am, there you may be also. Surely I come quickly! Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Ver. 20. Even so; Come, Lord Jesus ] This is the common and constant vote of all good people; and is therefore pinned as a badge upon their sleeve, 1Th 1:10 . See Trapp on “ 1Th 1:10 “

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

20, 21 .] FINAL ASSURANCE of the Lord, and REPLY of the Apostle on behalf of the Church : and BENEDICTION. He who testifieth these things (the Lord Jesus) saith, Yea, I come quickly. Amen (the reply of the Apostle, not the conclusion of our Lord’s saying), Come, Lord Jesus .

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints (i. e. with the church of God. This, the reading of the Codex Sinaiticus, is no where else found as a parting formula).

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Rev 22:20

20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Rev 22:20 “I am coming quickly” The immediacy of the end, of God’s coming in judgment are characteristics of Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature. This same theme is seen in Mat 13:34-36; Mat 24:43; Mat 25:1-13; Luk 12:29; 1Th 5:2; 1Th 5:4; 2Pe 3:10. In light of a 2000 year delay this must be understood in an existential, not temporal fashion. He is coming! Live ready. See Special Topic at Rev 1:3.

“Come, Lord Jesus” This is the Aramaic phrase, Maranatha (cf. 1Co 16:22). It is possible to interpret this in several ways:

1. if maranatha, then it is “Our Lord has come”

2. marana tha, then it is “Our Lord, Come!”

Number 1 fits this context best. We learn from the Didache 10:6 that this was the liturgical closing to the Lord’s Supper service in John’s day.

SPECIAL TOPIC: MARANATHA

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

quickly. Greek. tachu, as verses: Rev 22:7, Rev 22:12. The seventh and last solemn warning by the Lord Himself, in Rev., of His coming. It is the one great subject of the whole book, which is all prophecy. Amen. See Rev 3:14 and 2Co 1:20.

Even so. The texts omit; and link “Amen” with John’s response, as Revised Version.

LORD. App-98. The use of the word “Lord” shows the utterance to be John’s. None of His people, when He was on earth, were ever so irreverent as to address Him as “Jesus”,

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

20, 21.] FINAL ASSURANCE of the Lord, and REPLY of the Apostle on behalf of the Church: and BENEDICTION. He who testifieth these things (the Lord Jesus) saith, Yea, I come quickly. Amen (the reply of the Apostle, not the conclusion of our Lords saying), Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints (i. e. with the church of God. This, the reading of the Codex Sinaiticus, is no where else found as a parting formula).

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Rev 22:20-21

5. A FINAL PROMISE AND BENEDICTION

Rev 22:20-21

20 He who testifieth these things saith, Yea.–Regardless of how or by whom these things were made known to John, Jesus was the real source of the revelation. He here places the stamp of approval upon them by saying “Yea”–that is, they are true. On the promise “I come quickly” see note on verse 7. As already noted, Jesus could not have meant that he would come soon after talking to John, for centuries have passed since then and he has not come yet. To God it may be “quickly,” but to us the point of importance is the element of certainty that the promise carries, regardless of its actual time. To these words John replied: “Come, Lord Jesus.” The meaning is this “Come, Lord, in your own time and for the purpose in view.” Truly a pious wish that should fulfill every contrite heart.

21 The usual benediction closes this book, and with it ends God’s written revelation to men.

This study of Revelation has been pursued with both pleasure and profit to the author. It is hoped that the results of his labors may prove helpful to the readers. With a prayer for the “grace of the Lord Jesus” to rest upon these comments upon the sublime symbols of man’s duty and destiny, this book is submitted to the candid consideration of “honest and good hearts.”

Commentary on Rev 22:20-21 by Foy E. Wallace

Rev 22:20 : He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Since John was here writing the epilogue to the apocalypse, and the vision had been completed, the reference to these words of Jesus was the quotation of what he had said to John in the vision. And the words, surely, I come quickly, were not in reference to the second coming of the Christ; but rather the promise to the churches in tribulation. He had so promised, and that repeatedly, to come in the events ready to occur; and the promise had been repeated to each of the seven churches in various forms. These events were shortly to take place and Jesus would therefore in keeping with his promise come quickly. John had testified that Jesus had so promised–and he consistently, believingly and confidently responded, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. And it is the recorded fact that their Lord Jesus did come in the events of that generation to which John belonged, the words of Jesus himself being true (Mat 23:36; Mat 24:34 –and He whose very name was THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE and THE WORD OF GOD (Rev 19:11-13) was the surety for their fulfillment at that time. The word amen meant so may it be; and even so meant, exactly in that manner. The word evenconnected with so meant precisely, and precise means minutely exact, not varying in the slightest degree from truth and accuracy; and so is an adverb of manner–therefore, the words amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus, meant so may it be in this manner, come Lord Jesus. This was the apostles six-word closing prayer to the Lord who had testified to him these things on the Aegean island.

Rev 22:21 : The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

They all to whom John addressed this benediction were standing on the threshold of all that had been envisioned and disclosed to John. They were the same events described in the words of Jesus (Mat 24:21), such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be- -and in a pathos which even the reader of his words can feel, the Seer of Patmos invoked the grace of Christ to be with them all. And to this benediction of grace, he added Amen.

Thus ends the greatest pageantry ever envisioned for disclosure to mortal man. Nineteen full centuries have faded into the pale nations of the past since Johns Amen, and there has been nothing in all history to replace the events of that generation to which this apocalypse belonged. The effort to stage the re-enactment of these scenes of Revelation is scripturally unexegetical and historically anachronistic.

The continuous-historical theory is biblically non-scientific, not in the occult meaning of the word, but in the sense of its inconsistent exegetics.

The future theory is non-historical because its whole thesis consists in anachronisms, the taking of events out of the period to which they belong and assigning them to the wrong periods of time, or errors in the order of time.

As an end of the world theory this continuous-history view is non-philosophical in its millennial phases in that it presents a pessimistic concept requiring the same conditions of tribulation which surrounded the church in the Roman empire to be re-enacted, bringing back into existence the empires of heathenism necessary to fulfill the symbolic delineations of the apocalypse; and a further than that millennial contention that the gospel of the Great Commission is not competent for the conversion of the world and, therefore, this dispensation in a failure to accomplish the purpose of redemption must culminate in another earthly age called the millennium.

And the future history theory is non-scriptural in its disharmony with the purposes and plan of redemption revealed throughout the New Testament. Withal, the future theory is little short of the nonsensical in the assertions necessary to bring it down through the dark ages, and is comparable to the efforts of the Roman Catholics to establish the calendar of popes from the apostle Peter to the present pope Paul; and of the Baptists to maintain their claim of an unbroken chain of church succession from John the Baptist. But from one generation to another the links fall out of both these Catholic and Protestant unhistorical chains; and the continuous-history theory of Revelation has never had a chain.

When the book of Revelation is placed where it belongs in the canon of all the other apostolic epistles, in proper chronology before the Destruction of Jerusalem; and as being an apocalyptic vision of the struggle and triumph of the Church with the existing power of Judaism and heathenism, its contents fall into complete harmony and all the parts fit–and when things fit it is a sort of prima facie evidence that they are in the right place.

In conclusion, the book of Revelation unrolls in a series of images the sublime panorama of the victory of the church over the great powers of Judaism and Romanism and Heathenism set to the theme of the promise and providence of God in the protection of his Cause and his Church, summed up in the initial divine assurance, I come quickly, and in the concluding human prayer of response, even so, come, Lord Jesus. It is between this beginning and ending that the visional message of the angels was communicated–the epistles to the seven churches signalling the approach of tribulation; the apocalypses of the conquering Christ and of the victorious church; and the vision of the glorious New Jerusalem–all of which were interspersed with lyric anthems and choral doxologies, which all together impart to the Patmos apocalypse its unique position as the apex of all revelation, and sufficient in itself to vindicate the claim of divine inspiration for all the Scriptures.

Finally, notwithstanding its apocalyptic character in reference to its historical period, and all of the obscurities which have given rise to the legion of speculations, it answers an important practical purpose–by implanting and increasing unwavering faith in the integrity of the Word of God; by engendering hope in the unfailing promises of God; by inducing patience in extreme suffering and sorrow; and by infixing implicit trust in him who is able to save to the uttermost all who believe in him, and come to him, and obey him

THE END

Commentary on Rev 22:20-21 by Walter Scott

THE LORDS FINAL MESSAGE TO THE CHURCH.

Rev 22:20. – He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen; come, Lord Jesus. In the preceding message, which is one of a stern character, the Lord speaks in the first person; here the change to the third person is to be noted, but in both messages Christ is the testifier. These things refer to all contained in the Apocalypse. Thus the whole contents of the book are vouched for by the Lord Himself.

Yea, I come quickly. It is the final message to the Church. It is the last word from Heaven till He come. The Old Testament was closed by the announcement of His Coming. The New Testament is closed by the intimation of the same grand event. But whilst the Coming is equally applied to the descent into the air (1Th 4:1-18) as to His return to Mount Olivet (Zec 14:1-21), yet the connection is very different. Grace and judgment respectively stand related to these two comings, or rather to the two stages of the one Coming. The Old Testament closes with a threatened curse. The New Testament closes with a benediction of grace. Compare the last verse in each book.

Yea is the confirmation, the absolute certainty, of the truth stated, I come quickly. This is His last spoken word. He has kept silence now for about two thousand years. But the event for which the Church prays and hopes is about to be fulfilled. The Lord is at hand. It has been a weary time, a waiting time, a suffering time, but His Coming, or presence, shall turn the gloom of night into gladness and everlasting joy. The shadows of time are passing away, and the first faint streaks of an eternal day, which knows neither evening nor tears, are almost discernible. Hold on, ye wearied pilgrim host! Joy cometh in the morning. We wait for Him, not for the fulfilment of prophecy. Is His Coming a reality in our souls? Does it influence the life, and shape the conduct, and impart vigor as we press on?

THE ANSWERING VOICE OF THE CHURCH.

Rev 22:20 – John, as the representative of the Church, answers the Lords declaration. Doubtless his words formed the expression of his own desire. The aged Seer had witnessed visions and sights; had been the spectator and actor in scenes overwhelmingly grand, but on the fulfilment of this great fact they all repose: the personal return of the Lord. This was announced by the coming One Himself, and the heart of the aged apostle is thrilled. But led and controlled by the ever-present Holy Ghost he not only gives expression to his own feelings, but voices those of the whole Church, Amen; come, Lord Jesus. The Yea and Amen, Greek and Hebrew affirmatives, are united in the introduction to the book (Rev 1:7). Here they are separated. The Lord assures us of the certainty of His Coming, Yea, I come. The Church rejoices in the immutability of His word, Amen; come. Can this word fail? Impossible. Will the Lord not keep His tryst with His people? Surely. Quickly He comes. Ah! it seems long. But according to divine reckoning the Lord has not been away quite two full days (2Pe 3:8). The Lord is not slack concerning His promise. The persecutions and sorrows of Israel, the sins and griefs of a stricken earth, and the hopelessness and distractions of the professing Church call aloud for a Deliverer. All is the merest patchwork in political government and social legislation. A strong governing hand is needed, and this need will soon be met in Christ Jesus. But we have a personal interest in Him Who is Coming. For us He died, for us He lives, and for us He comes. Amen; come, Lord Jesus, is the ardent exclamation of the Church of God.

A CLOSING BENEDICTION.

Rev 22:21. – The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ (be) with ALL THE SAINTS. This is the reading generally adopted by competent authorities. It is just like the heart of Christ. His unclouded favor rests upon all the saints. The strongest and the weakest, the father and the babe, are equally objects of His grace. Irrespective, too, of the ways of His people, His grace rests upon them. Through clouds and sunshine, by night and by day, in all times and circumstances, His unfailing grace is their support and strength. It is grace from beginning to end, from otherwise hopeless ruin till complete redemption.

The Amen closing the book is a doubtful reading.

We bring to a close these comments on this marvelous book, which have been a source of personal profit and blessing, in the earnest desire, moreover, that when He comes He will find a people morally prepared to greet Him.

He that testifies these things says, yea, I come quickly. Amen, come, Lord Jesus.

Commentary on Rev 22:20-21 by E.M. Zerr

Rev 2:20. He which testifieth these things means Christ according to the statement in Rev 1:1. I come quickly is also stated in Rev 22:7; Rev 22:12 and explained in connection with those passages. The word surely is added at this place for the sake of emphasis. The attitude of John to that announcement is that which every faithful disciple will have. In 2Ti 4:8 the apostle Paul is speaking of the crown to be given him at the coming of Christ. He says it will be for him but not for him only; it will be unto all them also that love his appearing. If a man is living a rightous life he will not dread to think either of death or the judgment.

Rev 22:21. The grace of the Lord is the favor that is bestowed upon all who are living in faithful service to Him. All can be faithful regardless of human weaknesses, hence no reason exists why anyone should be rejected when He comes. John lovingly thinks of his brethren to whom he is to commit this book and wishes for the favor of Christ to be with them. When Amen is used at the close of a sentence or composition, it means “so be it, may it be fulfilled.” John has no regrets about anything he has been told to write, and hence closes the great book with the sincere endorsement.

Commentary on Rev 22:20-21 by Burton Coffman

Rev 22:20

He who testifieth these things saith, Yea: I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus.

In this terse statement, “Christ sums up the book.”[92] This also has the utility of revealing Christ as the author of the two previous verses. They are Christ’s words, not even John’s, much less the words of some nameless scribe.

Yea; I come quickly. Amen: come, Lord Jesus … See under Rev 22:17 for further discussion of the use of these expressions in the New Testament church. As Caird summed it up:

No one who has ever read John’s book can have any doubt about what the prayer is asking. It is a prayer that Christ will come again to win in the faith of his servants the victory which is both Calvary and Armageddon.[93]

Caird also pointed out the responsive nature of this verse, indicating “its standing in the liturgical setting of the eucharist, answered by the eucharistic prayer maranatha (1Co 16:22).”[94] Beckwith also identified these last words with the maranatha of 1Co 16:22.[95] See under Rev 22:17 for the mystical double meaning of this expression. Any argument from this that the early Christians expected the literal return of Christ in their generation is absolutely untenable. Many scholars do not understand how the church of all ages prays, “Oh, Lord come,” without any sense of failure due to his not having come in his Second Advent, even yet; but the answer is right here in the double meaning of this passage.

As Criswell said:

It is hard for us finite creatures of the dust and of time to realize, that there is no such thing as “time” with God. He sees the beginning; he sees the end; he sees the present; and all are alike to him. Even to us the coming of the Lord “is near,” as near as the length of our life away.[96]

[92] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 1092.

[93] G. B. Caird, op. cit., p. 288.

[94] Ibid.

[95] Isbon T. Beckwith, op. cit., p. 780.

[96] W. A. Criswell, op. cit., IV, p. 180.

Rev 22:21

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints, Amen.

This conclusion stands in the same category as the precious benedictions of Paul in the rest of the New Testament. “It is surely symbolical, and it is surely fitting, that the last words of the Bible should be GRACE!”[97]

Revelation is written for the saints, to them alone it is spoken; they alone can keep it. Let no man think that if he has not already found Christ that he may find him here. Here indeed, faith and love are the key to knowledge.[98]

Strauss made the similar observation that, “Revelation is not for the curiosity seeker or for religious fanatics, but for all those who would continue to the end.”[99]

As we meditate upon this, the last verse of the New Testament, we feel something of the emotions of many others who have concluded similar studies in the word of God. Carpenter concluded with this prayer:

May He (who alone can) open our eyes to see the shining towers of the Heavenly Jerusalem; and may he unseal our ears, and bind us by his love to that sweet service and citizenship which are perfect freedom, and bring us to that spiritual city which is full of divine enchantment.[100]

Adam Clarke composed a few lines of poetry, the first two (lines) regarding himself, and the last four for his readers:

Like travelers when they see their native soil, Writers rejoice to terminate their toil. My latest labour’s end at length is gained, My longest journey’s welcome goal attained, By God’s assistance has the work been wrought, By his direction to your dwellings brought.[101]

Our own thoughts area strange mingling of joy and sorrow. We praise God that, through some twelve years of intensive New Testament study, life, vigor, and health have been graciously preserved by the Lord, and that my precious wife, Thelma, has likewise been preserved and blessed as a sharer in these labors. But no joy of completion can equal that of having been permitted to think God’s thoughts after him and to pursue the sacred writings with invariable purpose for so long. The conclusion of any worthy effort of such duration is necessarily also an occasion of melancholy. An era in our lives is over; and through our tears we write, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.” Houston, Texas, March 17,1979.

[97] William Barclay, op. cit., p. 232.

[98] Charles H. Roberson, Studies in Revelation (Tyler, Texas: P. D. Wilmeth, P.O. Box 3305,1957), p. 198.

[99] James D. Strauss, op. cit., p. 295.

[100] W. Boyd Carpenter, op. cit., p. 637.

[101] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (London: Carlton and Porter, 1829), VI, p. 170.

Commentary on Rev 22:20-21 by Manly Luscombe

20 He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! Again Jesus promises to come quickly. He knows that Christians are suffering. He will respond with speed and in accordance with the plan of God. Just as Jesus promises to begin fulfilling the prophesies of this book, the prayer of the first century Christians was, Come, Lord Jesus. In 1Co 16:22, Paul ends this letter to the church at Corinth with the word Maranatha. Maranatha is a transliteration of an idiomatic expression. This phrase means – Come now. Come quickly. I am ready, come and get me. This word was a common prayer of the persecuted church.

The implication of the prayer was to say –

1. Lord, I am tired of the suffering and pain.

2. Lord, I am ready for you to come and take me away from this evil world.

3. Lord, come with vengeance on these wicked persecutors.

4. Lord, come with love for your faithful servant.

5. Lord, come with your arms open for me.

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. God will bless us as we read publicly this book. Gods grace will shine on us as we listen, study and understand this book. Christ will be with you as you obey the commands of this book. Amen and Amen.

Concluding Remarks

The pageant is over, and the final curtain has been drawn. John has seen and has shown his audience the picture of Gods care over them in their conflict, the certainty of their triumph over the terrible conditions of the day, and the glory which is beyond the grave which is opening before them. (2, 217)

We have reached the end of the Revelation of God. With the close of this book of prophecy, the pen of inspiration is laid down. We now have the will, the mind, and the plan of God. It has been revealed. Now the task is ours. We must read, study, listen, understand and then obey the teachings contained in this volume. We must review our notes and continually try to make the application of the principles taught.

But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Rev 10:7) The things that were a mystery, matters not clearly understood, are now unambiguous. We have been reminded that God knows about our pain and suffering. God is aware of the evil and wickedness in the world. God will not allow this human suffering to continue forever. There will come a time when the patience of God will end. There will come a point where longer delay would not help. When the world refuses to repent; when God warns about judgment; when man is made aware of the terror of an eternal Hell; AND he refuses to repent – God has no choice but to bring this world to an end.

I concur with the conclusion of Woodruff. Revelation is written in beautiful symbolic language which is the culmination of symbolism used throughout the Scripture. I sincerely believe the book can be understood if we always remember to let the Bible be the final authority for interpretation. (1, 436)

Ray Summers ends his commentary with these words. Who can read this book which breathes the atmosphere of victorious faith and courageous trust in God, with the unfailing assurance in the fulfillment of his purpose and the victory of the Christ of the cross and the empty tomb, without shouting with the people of the book –

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,

And has redeemed us to God by his blood,

To receive power, and riches, and wisdom,

And might, and honor, and glory,

And blessing, and dominion,

Forever and ever,

Amen. (2, 218)

NOTE: The praise of the Lamb of God is from Rev 5:12.

Sermon on Rev 22:1-21

The Tree of Life

Brent Kercheville

In the first five verses of chapter 22 belong with the description of the bride, New Jerusalem coming down from heaven, recorded in Rev 21:9-27. New Jerusalem is a picture of the people of God in their perfected state, receiving the eternal rewards and final blessings promised for their faithfulness to God (cf. Rev 19:7-8).

The River of the Water of Life (Rev 22:1-5)

The angel shows John the river of the water of life. This river of living water is pictured as being as bright as crystal. Near the campus of Florida College runs the Hillsborough River. It is not a beautiful river. It is dark, full of tree limbs and moss. There is nothing about that river that calls for a person to jump in. The river flowing through the New Jerusalem is desirable and beautiful. These are the flowing waters that bring life. These are pure waters. The river of the water of life flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. Remember that there is no temple in the city. God and the Lamb are on the throne and the river of life is flowing from the throne through the middle of the street of the city. All who belong to this city have access to the river of the water of life for it flows through the middle of the city right down its main street. Zechariah and Ezekiel use the same imagery for this glorious time.

On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. (Zec 14:8 ESV)

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. (Eze 47:1-2 ESV; cf. 47:8-9)

On either side of the river of the water of life is the tree of life. The tree of life yields fruit each month and the leaves bring healing to the nations. This imagery also comes from Ezekiels prophecy.

As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. (Eze 47:7 ESV)

And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. (Eze 47:12 ESV)

What an inviting picture! Come to God for healing. Healing is made available for all seasons. Life is available for all seasons. God has offered healing to the world. The river of the water of life and the tree of life represent the life of eternal fellowship with God and Christ. The last time we read about the tree of life was in the garden of Eden in Genesis. The tree of life was put in the midst of the garden (Gen 2:9). When Adam and Eve sinned, they had to be cast out of the garden. This symbolized their separation from God. They could not be in eternal fellowship with God nor be in the presence of God because of sin. Eternal separation from God is the second death, as we saw in Rev 20:6; Rev 20:10; Rev 20:14-15 and Rev 21:8. The tree of life is now in the midst of New Jerusalem, representing Gods people having full fellowship with God and full access to God forever. This access and this healing is available to all people, not a select group. Anyone can be part of Gods people and join in this eternal fellowship to come.

Rev 22:3-5 explain the effects of the tree of life and the river of water of life. There is nothing accursed, unlike what happened to Adam and Eve because of their sin and they experienced curses. There is no sin and therefore there is nothing accursed. The throne of God and the Lamb are in the midst of this city and his servants worship God. Verse 4 is simply staggering if we let it the words sink into our hearts. The servants of God and the Lamb will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. The hope of Gods people is finally realized: seeing God face to face. We even sing songs in our hymnals now longing for that time when we can see Gods face. The godly are pictured as priests, worshiping God in his presence, seeing his face. His name on the foreheads of the servants continues to picture the intimate fellowship between God and his people. God recognizes his people. These are the faithful who have not succumb to worshiping things that are false gods and idols. This picture shows the fulfillment of Gods promise made to the Christians at Philadelphia.

The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. (Rev 3:12 ESV)

Finally, we are reminded that there is no night there as we will live in the light and the glory of God. Everything is now perfect. There is no more evil, no more death, and no more pain.

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. (Isa 60:19-20 ESV)

The servants of God reign forever and ever with the Lord, just as Daniel prophesied and Jesus promised.

And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them (Dan 7:27 ESV)

The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Rev 3:21 ESV)

Final Encouragement (Rev 22:6-21)

The timeline and the images have concluded. John seems to be left with the angel as the angel gives his final directions to John and the readers of the book. The words of this prophecy given in the book of Revelation are trustworthy and true. The Lord who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place. This statement reiterates what we read in the very first verse of the book of Revelation.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. (Rev 1:1 ESV)

Jesus then adds more to this message. And behold, I am coming soon. We have learned that the coming of Christ is found in a sequence of events. The book of Revelation has revealed the fall of the Jewish nation and the destruction of Jerusalem. The book of Revelation has also revealed the fall of the Roman Empire. Further, the book has revealed the calamity of the world after the fall of the Roman Empire. Finally, Revelation revealed the final judgment against Satan. The beginning of the book of Revelation stated that these things must soon take place (Rev 1:1) and the time is near (Rev 1:3). The end of the book of Revelation states the same. These things must soon take place (Rev 22:6) and our Lord is coming soon (Rev 22:7). None of these things can be said to be happening soon if the book is all about things that will happen at the second coming of Christ. None of the things were soon if the book is referring to things that have not happened yet. Let me challenge you also that there is nothing soon about the message of the book if Revelation is only about the fall of the Roman Empire, which would occur hundreds of years after this book was written. However, the book can be said to be happening soon if we see the book as a chronologyof events that began within one year after the book was written. Christ is coming in a series of judgments the Jewish nation, the Roman Empire, and Satan. The fall of Jerusalem was described by Jesus as the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds (Mat 24:29-31). The judgment of the Jewish nation was the first event of the coming of Christ and the citys fall would happen very shortly after the writing of this book. Any other interpretation of Revelation cannot deal with the time markers given at the beginning and end of this book.

Rev 22:7 concludes with another call for faithfulness and endurance. Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. The message has been to be faithful even to death and not to worship the false idols of the world.

John is so overcome at the message that he again falls down to worship at the feet of the angel. The angel again tells John not to do this for only God must be worshiped. Do not worship any form of idolatry, not even angels. God is the only one deserving of worship.

The angel then tells John not to seal up the words of the prophecy found in this book because the time is near (Rev 22:10). This is a parallel to the end of Daniels prophecy. However, at the end of Daniels prophecy the angel tells Daniel to seal up the book until the time of the end because the time was not near (Dan 12:4; Dan 12:9). It was going to be a time, times, and half a time before all these things would be finished (Dan 12:6-7).

Rev 22:11 also shows a direct connection to Daniel 12. Notice the parallel.

Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. (Rev 22:11 ESV)

Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. (Dan 12:10 ESV)

Daniels prophecy is the best explanation of what the angel is saying to John. The wicked are not going to understand that their doom is predicted and sealed. The wise, that is the righteous, will understand and remain faithful through the prophesied tribulations. The dye is cast. The end is determine. Preach this prophecy understanding that many of the wicked are going to remain wicked. I see this truth from Revelation still in the preaching of the gospel. The righteous learn from the preaching of Gods word and are strengthened and encouraged. The wicked do not care, take Gods word flippantly, and continue in their evil ways. This does not mean we stop preaching. It means we understand that in the face of the glory of Gods blessings and revelation, the wicked will continue to be wicked.

Rev 22:12 reminds all the readers that as the Lord comes in these judgments he is bringing recompense with him. Christ will repay everyone according to what they have done. The wicked will be repaid and the righteous will be repaid. Christ is the sum of all things. He is the beginning and the end. Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city of God. The imagery of washing robes was introduced to us in Rev 7:14. The picture is not merely being baptized, though that is certainly included in being faithful to God. Washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb means following him to our death for him even as he went to the death for us. Our robes are washed when we have fully given every ounce of our lives to the Lord in obedience and submission. Those who have fully given their lives to Jesus are on the outside of this glorious city. Dogs were regarded as despised creatures throughout the scriptures and is used metaphorically of unbelievers (cf. Mat 7:6).

Jesus has given his testimony assuring that these events will certainly come (Rev 22:16). Christ is the fulfillment of the previous promises concerning the Messiah and his kingdom. Now the Messiah promises that the things you have read in the book of Revelation will certainly happen. The Holy Spirit through this prophecy, Gods holy word, says, Come! The people of God, the bride, also says come. Join with the rest of the victorious servants of the Lamb. Let those who are thirsty seek the Lord and receive the water of life freely (cf. Isa 55:1-2). Come to the Lord and find life. Come to the Lord and receive the eternal blessings.

The book of Revelation concludes with one final warning. If anyone adds to the prophecy of this book, God will add to that person the plagues described in the book. If anyone takes away from the words of the prophecy of the book of Revelation, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city. Do not tinker and torture this message. Do not change the message of the book. I fear that many will suffer the consequence described in Rev 22:18-19 because they have falsely taught from this book. They have distorted and perverted the message of Revelation for their own financial gain and notoriety. God will judge anyone who adds or takes from Gods holy word.

There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2Pe 3:16 ESV)

The result is destruction to those who twist the scriptures. Gods word is holy and must not be altered in any way. Our Lord testifies that his judgments are coming. Be ready for the fulfillment of these words found in the book of Revelation. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

LESSON 26.

THE LAST WARNINGS, COMMANDS, AND PROMISES

Read Rev 22:6-21

1. What assurance was given of no deception in the words of the; Revelation? Ans. Rev 22:6.

2. What had John already been commanded to write regarding these words? Ans. Rev 21:5.

3. By whom was the angel sent to reveal these things? Ans. Rev 22:6; Rev 22:16.

4. When were these things to come to pass? Ans. Rev 22:6; Rev 1:1.

5. At the time John wrote the symbols of this book were they a prophecy or history? Ans. Rev 22:7.

6. What did John attempt to do when he had heard and seen these things. Ans. Rev 22:8.

7. Why did the angel prevent him? Ans. Rev 22:9.

8. What was he told not to seal up and why? Ans. Rev 22:10.

9. What is meant by “sealing up” a book or event? Ans. Rev 10:4.

10. What is said of the unrighteous, the filthy and their opposites? Ans. Rev 22:11.

11. How will each person be rewarded at the coming of Christ? Ans. Rev 22:12.

12. What is meant by Alpha and Omega? Ans. Rev 22:13.

13. On what does the reception of the blessings of the eternal city depend? Ans. Rev 22:14.

14. What classes of persons will not be allowed admittance? Ans. Rev 22:15.

15. To what are all invited by the Spirit and the bride? Ans. Rev 22:17.

16. What warning is given to all who would add to the record of this Book? Ans. Rev 22:18.

17. What of those who would take away from the words of this Book? Ans. Rev 22:19.

18. Does this principle apply to the rest of the Bible? Ans. Deu 4:2; Gal 1:6-9.

19. How does Jesus place his stamp of approval upon the book of Revelation? Ans. Rev 22:20.

20. Repeat the benediction which ends God’s written revelation to man. Ans. Rev 22:21.

E.M. Zerr

Questions on Revelation

Revelation Chapter Twenty-Two

1. What object was shown to John?

2. Describe its appearance.

3. From where did it flow?

4. Where did the tree of life flow?

5. How many varieties of fruit on it?

6. When did it bear fruit?

7. Tell what use is made of the foliage.

8. What shall be no more?

9. Ten what shan be in the city.

10. What win God’s servants do?

11. What vision will be permitted to them?

12. By what will their foreheads be adorned?

13. Why will not any candles be needed?

14. How long will the inhabitants reign?

15. What was said unto John?

16. Why did God send his angel?

17. When will the Lord come?

18. Who is here said to be blessed?

19. What did John see and hear?

20. At this what position did he take?

21. For what purpose did he do so?

22. What did the angel say not do?

23. State his reason.

24. What was John then told to do?

25. What was he then told not to do?

26. State the reason for this command.

27. What conditions were to remain unchanged?

28. When he comes what will he have with him?

29. On what basis will it be given?

30. Repeat the next declaration.

31. What must be done to receive the blessing?

32. To what will this give them a right?

33. Into what place may they enter?

34. Where will be the dogs?

35. Who will be with them?

36. Who sent the angel?

37. For what did he send him?

38. State his relation to David.

39. Repeat his further description.

40. What do the Spirit and bride say?

41. Tell what the hearer must do after hearing.

42. What about the thirsty?

43. Who else joins in this invitation to service?

44. To whom does Christ testify?

45. On what subject does he testify?

46. State the lot of those who add to the Word.

47. And to those who take from.

48. What does the Lord say about his coming?

49. State John’s response to this.

50. Repeat the closing benediction.

Revelation Chapter Twenty-Two

Ralph Starling

Jesus promised a place of retirement that would suit,

And John sees the water of life & the tree bearing fruit.

He is told there would be no more curse,

For all their needs the Lord would serve.

There would be no need for sun by day or candle by night.

For God will be there to provide the light.

And God is faithul and true in it all.

And there will be no darkness in heaven at all.

And John on Patmos and perhaps at times sickly,

He may be encouraged by the Lord saying, “I come quickly.”

And blessed is he that His word he is keeping,

For then heaven will be the place he is seeking.

The angel tells John not to seal this prophecy,

For all need to make preparation properly.

And blessed are they that keep His commandments,

For the shall inherit the promised retirement.

The invitation and opportunity is open to all

Who will respond and give Him a call.

But others who neglect or refuse to obey

When the Lord comes wil be turned away.

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Chapter 64

Pictures of Christ in Revelation

‘Even So, Come, Lord Jesus’

Rev 22:20

The Book of Revelation reveals many things which must come to pass. The prophecies of this Book are matters of absolute certainty. All that is revealed in these twenty-two chapters is fixed by Gods immutable, unalterable decree. We look upon the promises and prophecies of Holy Scripture as matters of certainty because we know that they are matters of divine predestination. Were God not totally sovereign, both in predestination and in providence, no promise of God could be believed with confidence, and no prophecy of Scripture could be looked upon as that which must come to pass. But this Book is the Revelation of One who is sovereign in all things and over all things. Therefore the prophecies of the Book are certain. The Church of God will be triumphant at last. The gospel of Christ shall be victorious. Gods elect shall all be saved. The enemies of Christ and his people shall be put to open and endless shame. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, into whose hands all things have been committed, shall be glorified in all things. The most prominent and glorious prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the subject of Rev 22:20. ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’ With those words the Holy Spirit teaches us three things about the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The second coming of Christ is certain

It is the Lord Jesus himself who speaks first. He says, ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come.’ I make no effort to prove that Christ is coming a second time to this earth with power and great glory. Scoffers and infidels do not bother me. And I will not bother them. I refuse to mar the beauty of the gospel by lowering it to speculation, investigation, and argument. We simply declare the naked truth of God and demand that all men believe that which God has revealed. Any who refuse to believe Gods revelation upon its own merits shall perish forever under the wrath of God.

However, in this text, the Lord Jesus Christ does emphasize the certainty of his second coming. He says, ‘Surely,’ in spite of all the mockery of scoffing infidels, ‘I come.’ In that declaration our Savior is graciously assuring us of his glorious advent. Knowing the weakness of our flesh, knowing our tendency to forget his promise and see only our present trouble, our dear Savior condescends to our need and gives this word to drive away doubt and unbelief – ‘Surely I come!’

It has been almost two thousand years now since our Lord died for us and ascended back into heaven. Men every where say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming.’ God forbid that we should be among them. There is a day and an hour appointed by God from eternity when Jesus Christ our Lord shall come again to bring in the fullness of that everlasting covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure. Christ who loved us and gave himself for us will come to gather us unto himself. As he ransomed our souls from the curse of the law and delivered our hearts from the bondage of sin, the Son of God will yet retrieve our bodies from the power of the grave. ‘He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.’ The second coming of Christ is promised repeatedly throughout the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible is so full of promises regarding the second coming of our Lord that it cannot be denied without denouncing the Word of God as a mere religious myth that is full of lies.

The patriarchs of old, those fathers of the church who were examples of faith, spoke plainly of our Lords second coming. I do not know how much those ancient believers knew, or how clear their knowledge was. But they knew more than most religious people in these ‘enlightened’ times. They knew that God would come in the flesh to redeem his elect by substitutionary atonement (Gen 22:8). And they knew that that God-man Redeemer would come again in glory to reign forever. Enoch, who lived before the flood, gave a full description of Christs coming in power and great glory (Jud 1:14-15). Job, who probably lived in the days of Abraham, lived in hope and expectation of Christs second coming (Job 19:25-29). And David, the sweet singer of Israel, spoke with joy of the Lords coming to judge the world (Psa 96:13; Psa 98:9).

All the prophets, since the beginning of the world, spoke of Christs second coming with precise language (Act 3:21). To those men of God in the Old Testament, Christs second coming was no more vague or uncertain than his first coming. They anticipated his coming in glory as much as they did his coming in humiliation (Dan 7:13-14; Dan 12:1-3; Zec 14:3-9; Mal 4:1-3).

Throughout the days of his earthly ministry, our Savior taught his disciples to look for and anticipate his second advent. While our Lord plainly declared that no man could know the day or hour of his coming (Mat 24:36; Mat 25:13; Act 1:7), he did speak of that day when he would personally come again frequently, plainly, and positively (Mat 24:27; Mat 24:30; Mat 24:36-37; Mat 25:1; Mat 25:5-6; Mat 25:10; Mat 25:31-46; Joh 14:1-3).

Even the angels of God have been employed by our Lord to assure us of his glorious second advent (Act 1:11). Throughout the book of Acts the apostles went everywhere preaching the Lordship of Christ and his second coming in glory. They constantly declared Christs sovereign dominion as Lord and the certainty of his coming again to judgment. (Act 3:19-21; Act 17:30-31). The same is true of their inspired writings in the epistles of the New Testament, in which we are constantly taught to watch for our Lords return (1Th 4:13-18; Tit 2:10-14; 2Pe 3:9-14; 1Jn 3:1-3). And, of course, the Book of Revelation declares the promise of our Lords return repeatedly (Rev 1:7; Rev 3:11; Rev 22:7; Rev 22:12; Rev 22:20). We are never told to look for signs of his coming, or given any hint as to when our Lord will come again; but we are constantly urged to stand upon the tiptoe of faith, looking for his return with immediate hope and expectation. If the Bible is truly the Word of God, if there is a God in heaven, if there is any hope for fallen men, then it is certain that Jesus Christ will come again. This is his testimony – ‘Surely, I come!’

Christ will come quickly

Our Savior says, ‘Surely I come quickly.’ And he means quickly. Time, in our very limited view of things, seems to be very, very long. But with God one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. When our Lord was upon the earth, he spoke of his second coming as being at hand. Paul wrote of Christs coming in the language of immediate anticipation. And we should look for our Lord to return quickly. The word ‘quickly’ means two things: (1.) Our Lord Jesus Christ will soon appear. There are no signs to be given, or prophecies to be fulfilled. Christ Jesus may come at any moment. (2.) Christ will come suddenly, without warning! Whether viewed from the standpoint of Christs coming to call men away from this state of existence at the hour of death, or from the standpoint of his glorious second advent, the Lords coming will be sudden and without warning. While it is true that he sometimes gives advance warning of death, even then the fatal disease or other forerunner of death overcomes the one to be taken so suddenly that death usually takes men by surprise and unprepared.

In the light of these facts, what manner of persons ought we to be? (Read 2Pe 3:9-15.) We ought always to live in the immediate prospect of eternity. Like Paul, let us make it our hearts desire and determination to be found in Christ, seeking to know him, possess him, and be possessed by him (Php 3:8-14).

The second coming of Christ is greatly desired by his people (Tit 2:11-14).

‘The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.’ And when John heard the Savior say, ‘Surely I come quickly,’ his hearts immediate response was, ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’ He said, ‘Thats it. Thats what I want! So be it. Come, my Lord and my Savior.’ How is it possible for sinful men and women, who know themselves to be sinners altogether fit for hell and unfit for heaven by nature, to love Christs appearing and anxiously desire it? Let me give you three answers to that question. (1). Because we look to Christ alone as our Savior, we look for Christ anxiously. Christ alone is all our hope before God (1Co 1:30). His blood is our only atonement for sin; and his righteousness is our only righteousness before God. Believing him, we have all that God demands of us and are accepted in the Beloved (Rom 3:28; Rom 3:31; Eph 1:6).(2.) Because we have the earnest of the Spirit, we groan for our heavenly inheritance (Eph 1:14; 2Co 5:5; Rom 8:16-23). God the Holy Spirit, by giving us faith in Christ, has sealed to our hearts all the blessings and benefits of the covenant of grace, assuring us that we are indeed the sons and daughters of God. (3.) Because we have a good hope through grace, we anxiously await the fulfillment of our hope (Rom 8:24-25; 1Jn 3:1-2). We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ live in hope of all that he has purchased for us and promised to us (1Co 15:51-58). When he comes, he shall be satisfied with us (Isa 53:11); and we shall be satisfied with him (Eph 5:25-27). ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

which: Rev 22:18

Surely: Rev 22:7, Rev 22:10, Rev 22:12

Amen: Rev 1:18, Son 8:14, Isa 25:9, Joh 21:25, 2Ti 4:8, Heb 9:28, 2Pe 3:12-14

Reciprocal: Psa 40:17 – make Psa 41:13 – Amen Psa 50:3 – Our Psa 70:5 – O Lord Psa 72:19 – Amen Isa 35:4 – behold Jer 28:6 – Amen Mal 4:6 – and smite Mat 25:10 – the bridegroom Mat 28:20 – Amen Joh 21:22 – If Rom 9:5 – Amen Rom 13:11 – for now 1Co 11:26 – till 1Co 14:16 – Amen 2Co 12:21 – and have not Phi 4:5 – The Heb 10:37 – General Jam 5:8 – for Rev 1:3 – for Rev 1:7 – Even So Rev 2:25 – till Rev 3:11 – I come Rev 22:16 – to testify

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Rev 22:20. He which testifieth these things means Christ according to the statement in Rev 1:1. I come quickly is also stated in verses 7 and 12 and explained in Rev 22:21 n with those passages. The word surely is added at this place for the sake of emphasis. The attitude of John to that announcement is that which every faithful disciple will have. In 2Ti 4:8 the apostle Paul is speaking of the crown to be given him at the coming of Christ. He says it will be for him but not for him only; it will be unto all them also that love his appearing. If a man is living a right-ous life he will not dread to think either of death or the judgment.

Comments by Foy E. Wallace

Verse 20.

Verse 20: He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. (Rev 22:20) Since John was here writing the epilogue to the apocalypse, and the vision had been completeRev 22:20 ference to these words of Jesus was the quotation of what he had said to John in the vision. And the words, surely, I come quickly, were not in reference to the second coming of the Christ; but rather the promise to the churches in tribulation. He had so promised, and that repeatedly, to come in the events ready to occur; and the promise had been repeated to each of the seven churches in various forms. These events were shortly to take place and Jesus would therefore in keeping with his promise come quickly. John had testified that Jesus had so promised–and he consistently, believingly and confidently responded, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. And it is the recorded fact that their Lord Jesus did come in the events of that generation to which John belonged, the words of Jesus himself being true (Mat 23:36 to Mat 24:34 –and He whose very name was THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE and THE WORD OF GOD (Rev 19:1Mat 23:36 theMat 24:34 or their fulfillment at that time. The word amen meant so may it be; and Rev 19:11-13 t, exactly in that manner. The word even connected with so meant “precisely,” and precise means minutely exact, not varying in the slightest degree from truth and accuracy; and so is an adverb of manner–therefore, the words amen, even so, come, Lord Jesus, meant “so may it be in this manner, come Lord Jesus.” This was the apostle’s six-word closing prayer to the Lord who had testified to him these things on the Aegean island.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Rev 22:20. He which testifieth these things saith Yea: I come quickly. Amen: Come, Lord Jesus. The structure of this verse resembles what we have already found to be that of Rev 22:17, an exchange of sentiment between the Lord and the believer. Jesus Himself speaks first, testifying to that great truth of His Coming which has been the main theme of the whole revelation of this book; and adding, as suited the moment at which we have arrived, that He comes quickly. To this the believer or the Church answers Amen, and then adds, Come, Lord Jesus. The Coming of Christ has been the source of her hope, the spring of her joy, throughout all her troubles. When she hears that it is at hand, what can she do but lift up her head and cry Come?

Nothing now remains but that the Apostle, as he had begun at chap. Rev 1:4 in epistolary form, should in like manner close. He does it with a benediction which ought to read differently from that of the Authorised Version, The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints. The words are in striking harmony with what we have found to be the tone and character of the whole book. It was especially intended to describe the fortunes of the saints; it was written for their sakes, to encourage and strengthen them; it has now reached a point at which we behold nothing but saints in the new heavens and new earth; and its closing salutation is to them.

Amen, so let it be.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

That is, Jesus Christ, the faithful and true Witness, from whom St. John received this revelation, as he formerly had done the holy gospel, saith, Surely I come quickly.

Where note, 1. That this prophecy or promise of Christ’s second coming to judge the world, is here left as Christ’s second coming to judge the world, is here left as Christ’s last word upon record; it is almost the last word in the Bible, doubtless, that it might be seriously minded and frequently remembered by us. Christ had in this chapter twice before, namely, at Rev 22:7; Rev 22:12, testified that he came quickly; yet he repeats it here again, to excite us to prepare for it, and to live continually in the expectation of it.

Note, That as Christ has several times in this chapter given us the assurance of the certainty of his coming, so he prefixes an, Ecce, or Behold, before it, Behold! I come quickly; and here he prefixes the word surely before it, Surely, I come quickly, to awaken the security, and leave the incredulity of sinners without excuse, who live as if they did not believe any such day would come.

To the fore-mentioned assurance of the certainty of our Saviour’s coming, St. John, in the name of the whole church, subjoins a hearty Amen, an earnest wish, a passionate desire and longing for our Lord’s coming, saying, Even so, come, Lord Jesus, as thou has promised, and thy people long expected.

Learn hence, 1. That the coming of Christ to judgment is a truth firmly believed, and earnestly desired by all good christians.

St. John here, in the name of the church, takes, as it were, the word out of Christ’s mouth like a quick echo, and presently improves the promise into a prayer. Christ’s farewell word to his church is, I come quickly; the church’s farewell wuit to Christ is, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Quest. But why is Christ’s second coming so exceedingly desired by his church and children?

Ans. For finishing the days of sinning, and destroying the works of Satan; for accomplishing the number of his own elect, and for hastening his kingdom; for freeing the creature from subjection to vanity; for manifesting the glory of his justice and mercy, and for putting his saints into the full and final possession of their promised inheritance.

Learn, 2. That it is the unfeigned desire of God’s faithful servants, to have the full fruition of Jesus Christ; this is the habitual desire of their hearts, that Christ would come, and receive them to himself, though at the same time they may tremble at some circumstances of his coming: there is a degree of sinful bondage, which hinders much our spiritual confidence nad boldness; but the more holy we are, the more emboldened we shall be against the day of judgment.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Jesus says he will come suddenly and John adds his prayer for a speedy coming to those of verse 17.

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Rev 22:20. He which testifieth these things Even all that is contained in this book; saith For the encouragement of the church in all her afflictions, and the warning of all her opposers and persecutors; Surely I come quickly To judge and punish all my enemies, and the enemies of my cause and people; and to establish my church in a state of perfect and everlasting happiness. The apostle expresses his earnest desire and hope of this, by answering, Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus Accomplish thy promises in order: and finally crown the faith, patience, and constancy of thy servants with eternal life.

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING

20. He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Matthew (24:31), corroborated by Mark and Luke, records our Lords words in His memorable sermon on the judgments, which He preached on Mt. Olivet the day before He was crucified: Hear the parable of the fig-tree, and of all the trees. When it putteth forth branches and tender leaves, then you know the summer is nigh. It is now April, and we are in North Carolina. Ten thousand times ten thousand buds are evolving, leaves unfolding, and flowers blooming throughout the vast forests which everywhere abound. Where is the fool who has to be told that summer is nigh? Throughout the political, ecclesiastical, social, and spiritual world the signs of our Lords coming are quite as obvious, apparent, demonstrative, and unmistakable as the signs in the natural world that the summer is nigh. It is lamentable to see the depth of that lethean slumber which everywhere encumbers a fallen Church and a wicked world. Recently a great preacher stood in a city pulpit and proclaimed to a vast audience his profound conviction that the world will run on as it is for indefinite ages, only incurring the changes incident to natural evolution. To say nothing of debauched Romanism, many Protestant pulpits are this day filled by infidels. Evolution is the current infidelity of the present age. It imputes everything in religion to growth and other gradualisms. Hence it takes God out of the plan of salvation. Gradualism is all humanism. When you take out the epochs i.e., conviction, regeneration, and sanctification you take God out and run into infidelity. The gradualism belongs to man; the instantaneity to God. You will not let Bob Ingersoll come into your pulpit; but you receive his doctrine of evolution, preached by your own pastor, as the bona fide gospel. Whenever you leave the divine interventions i.e., the distinct epochs of conviction, regeneration, and sanctification out of religion, and flatten out into gradualism, you run headlong into infidelity. Our Churches are full of it. Of course, they are not expecting the Lord to come. Nothing would disappoint and appall them so much. They would cry for rocks and mountains to hide them from His presence.

THE SIGNS AMONG THE JEWS

Only fifty thousand returned under Nehemiah out of Babylonian captivity to repopulate the Holy Land. This day one hundred thousand Jews are back in the land of their fathers. Eleven different colonization societies are operating constantly to augment that number, among which is the famous work of Baron Rothschild, the richest man in the world. The wandering children of Abraham, after a dreary expatriation of one thousand eight hundred years, are everywhere turning their longing eyes toward the lovely land of the patriarchs and prophets. The wonderful conversion of Joseph Rabinowitz, in Russia, his powerful preaching, the organization of the Jewish Christian Church, denominated Israelites of the New Covenant, and the vast multitudes recently converted and added to it, all prognosticate cheering omens of the Lords near coming. Mat 24:34 :

Truly, I say unto you, this race (not generation) shall not pass away till all these things be fulfilled.

The Jews are the great miracle of prophecy. Amid the revolutions of two thousand years, nearly all other nationalities have gone into eclipse. The Jews, with no country to hold them together, are a distinct people in every clime. They are a monument of prophetic truth, proclaiming to all the nations among whom they sojourn that the Lord is coming again to gather His people and rule the world in righteousness. Ezekiel (37th) shows in the vision of dry bones that the Jews, in the main, will be gathered into Palestine before they are converted to Christianity. When I was in the Holy Land, I was with Simpsons missionaries among the Jews. They reported great encouragement. All nationalities in the Holy Land are on the constant outlook for the Turkish power to fall. This done, Palestine comes at once into Christendom, and the Jews are called from every land, to the patrimony the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob gave them in the land flowing with milk and honey. In that case, all Christendom will make a specialty of their conversion.

When I visited the wailing of the Jews, in their hired avenue, where they are permitted to come to the west wall of the temple on the outside once per week, on Friday afternoon, and bewail the loss of their temple, the desolation of their land, and the affliction of their people, I was profoundly impressed that the God of Israel heard their cry, and would answer their prayer.

The return of the Jews to their native land is fast becoming a foregone conclusion in every country under heaven. After they are gathered into Palestine, the potent evangelizing agencies of the combined Christian world will speedily convert them to Christianity. Zechariah, in his last two chapters, tells us about terrible desolating wars, which shall turn against the Jews after they have been gathered into the Holy Land, and during the tribulation two-thirds of them will be cruelly slaughtered. This awful massacre will go right on, till the King of Glory shall descend on His millennial throne, interpose, and deliver them. The presumption is that these exterminating wars, during the tribulation, in the permissive providence of God, will eliminate out of Israel the material unsuitable and inadequate to the incalculable responsibilities devolving on them in the oncoming millennial reign, in which the surviving third will be called to the front to co-operate with their glorified Brother in the government of the whole world. The Jews are Gods earthly people. Since the conquest of the world by the Gentiles, and the supersession of the theocracy by human governments, B.C. 587, the Gentiles have stood at the front and ruled all nations, while the Jews have been relegated to the rear. When the Lord comes, He will call His people again to the front. In the evangelization, civilization, and education of all nations, during the millennial reign, the Jews will take the lead.

SIGNS AMONG THE GENTILES

Gentile rule properly began, B.C. 587, with the fall of Jerusalem. It is to continue 2478 years by lunar chronology, 2520 by calendar, and 2555 by solar. 587 plus 1896 equals 2483. Hence you see 2555 minus 2483 leaves 72 years by solar time; 2520 minus 2483 leaves 37 by calendar; whereas, 2483 minus 2478 leaves 5 years. So you see the solar time is only 72 years, and calendar 37; whereas, the lunar time has already expired, and four years over. From these figures, you see we are at the end of Gentile rule. It began with the Chaldean golden head (Daniel 2), coming down to the Medo-Persian breast and arms of silver; then the Grecian Empire of brass, represented by the abdomen and thighs; followed by the mighty Roman legs of iron; and, last of all, the toes of iron and clay. Hence you see it depreciates from first to last, beginning with gold and winding up with crude iron and potters clay. The Gentile Dispensation is going like every other, confirming the fact that man, without God, is an utter failure. So Gentile government has weakened from the beginning, passing from gold value down to potters clay. The trend of the whole world, in the present age, is to democracies, which are the weakest of all governments. The next step is anarchy, which is no government at all. The political world is this day on the verge of universal anarchy. Our government, which is the best in the world, is rapidly becoming more and more unstable and dissatisfactory. In the Lycurgian code of Grecian law, no man could be senator unless he had reached his sixtieth year, and sustained an irreproachable character. Now bribery, peculation, and debauchery are common. Where the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered (Mat 24:28). This is our Saviors vivid portrayal of the political and ecclesiastical world at the time of the end. He describes it as an old carcass already dead, and attracting the vultures by the scent of its putrefaction. The body politic has certainly reached that awful state. The vultures of divine retribution already darken the atmosphere as they hover around, voracious to light down and devour the debauched governments of this wicked world. I am on the constant outlook for the stone to strike the image on the feet and smash it into the chaff which the wind of premillennial judgment will speedily blow away. Then that stone will cover the whole earth and stand forever. The swift dilapidation and rickety instability of all human governments, proving to a demonstration the incompetency of human rule, this day proclaims the near approach of our glorious King.

SIGNS AMONG THE MOSLEMS [MUSLIMS]

The Moslem Power, the last twelve hundred years, has overtly, avowedly, pertinaciously, and uncompromisingly disputed the claims of Christ to the souls of men and the kingdoms of the earth. During all these dreary centuries, she has done her uttermost to exterminate Christianity from the globe, teaching her murderous votaries that they are to swim to heaven in Christian blood. She waged one series of wars a hundred and fifty years, till defeated by Charles Martel, at Tours, France, A.D. 733; and another war-period of four hundred years, down to her signal defeat by John Sobieski, at Vienna, A.D. 1683. Though all Christendom combined fought the Moslems two hundred years, during the Crusades, they signally failed to drive them out of the Holy Land and restore the patrimony of our Savior from the polluting hands of infidelity. Daniel (8:25) says: He (Mahomet) shall be broken without hand. How signally this prophecy is now being fulfilled! Already, within the last two hundred years, a dozen kingdoms have been wrested from the hands of the False Prophet. This day the Turkish Empire, the last and only upholder of the Moslem power, is a political corpse, kept on foot artificially by the jealousy of her neighbors, and liable, at any moment, to fall into her long-merited sepulcher. All nationalities at Jerusalem and throughout the East are in daily and hourly expectation of the Moslem overthrow. Many superstitious Moslem predictions constantly point to the fall of their power. The conquering Omar captured Jerusalem, A.D. 637. John and Daniel both say they will hold it twelve hundred and sixty prophetic years. Hence you see 1897 is no table as the long-prayed-for epoch of the Moslem fall. My Arab guide, at Jerusalem, told me many of their own prophets had warned them that Jesus Christ would light down on Mt. Olivet and take the government out of their hands. Even so come Lord Jesus.

SIGNS IN CATHOLICISM

History dates the rise of Mahomet A.D. 607. Procas, king of Italy, crowned Boniface III the first pope, A.D. 606. Hence you see the simultaneity of these two notable events. At this time the Dark Ages, the devils millennium, were under headway. As Satan had the whole world on his hands, he needed help. Therefore, he raised up Mahomet to rule the East, and the pope the West. John repeatedly, as well as Daniel, gives the papacy the prophetic period of 1260 years. Hence these two great Satanic powers are contemporary throughout.

A number of notable epochs have already been fulfilled in the papacy. The temporal dethronement (1870) by Victor Immanuel was a literal fulfillment of prophecy. About fifty years were occupied in the consolidation of the papacy after its inauguration. This would bring us down to 1920, the precise date of calendar time. Daniel (7:11) predicts his utter destruction by the Ancient of Days i.e., God the Father in His premillennial judgments. The Catholic world today is flooded with omens of this fulfillment. Mexico, Central America, South America, and many European governments are now repudiating the papal authority, and heaving like volcanoes, ready to explode. When I was in Rome, they were building a magnificent monument to the memory of Victor Immanuel, who dethroned the pope in 1870, and another to Garibaldi, who fought the French army and prevented them from reinstating the pope. Both of these monuments are in full view of the Vatican palace, and under the immediate eye of the pope. The King of kings is coming. The papal and all other thrones are ominously presageous of insecurity.

SIGNS IN PROTESTANTISM

About four hundred millions of population and one hundred millions of members stand identified with the great Protestant Churches. In 2Th 2:3, Paul predicts a great apostasy immediately preceding our Saviors coming. In our Saviors notable sermon on the judgments, which He preached on Mt. Olivet the day before He was crucified, He lays down among the immediate signs of His coming, Because iniquity doth abound, the love of many shall wax cold (Mat 24:12).

Among the notable predictions of Paul relative to the last days, and prominent among the signs of our Lords coming, is that

men shall have a form of godliness, denying the power of the same (2Ti 2:3).

These and other predictions innumerable by our Savior, His apostles, and prophets, most graphically describe the sad condition of the great Protestant denominations at the present day. Who, beside the Holiness people, are now contending for and endued with the power of the Holy Ghost? The lukewarm Laodicean Church is a picture of Protestant Christendom when our Lord shall come and spew them out of His mouth.

My recollection is good fifty years ago, when all the Methodists either got their mouths open in the class-meeting, or they were turned out of the Church. Their popular cognomen was shouting Methodists. Now they are a dumb Church, unless they fall in with the Holiness people. Do you not know that dumbness and death are twin brothers? When I was a boy, all applicants for membership in the Baptist Church were required to stand up, face the congregation, and tell their own story. If their experience did not have the genuine Holy Ghost ring, their admission was postponed till they received the clear witness of the Spirit to their conversion. Now they walk in from an ungodly world, without a mourners bench experience. The preacher manipulates them, propounding a few easy questions. He presents them to the Church. They are received and baptized, as I seriously fear, without a clear experience of regeneration. When I was a boy, the Presbyterians kept people at the altar weeks and months, seeking the Lord. Within my observation, which is quite extensive, they have abandoned the altar, and simply call them forward to join the Church.

Fifty years ago, shouts of praise were so common in all the Protestant Churches that the meeting was discounted and considered a failure if they were not heard. The presence of the Holy Ghost was so real and impressive that a solemn awe rested upon the congregation, as if the Archangel of Doom had come down and the judgment-trump was roaring. There is nothing more common now than for spiritually-minded people to be painfully conscious that the Holy Spirit has withdrawn from worshipping congregations.

An old man in Arkansas was gloriously sanctified in a Holiness meeting. In his testimony, he said: When a boy, I went to Methodist meetings, and saw them get happy and shout. I observed the same with the Baptists and Presbyterians. After awhile they ceased to get happy and praise the Lord in their meetings.

From these and other phenomena I observed, to my sorrow, that the Holy Ghost had retreated away, leaving them lukewarm, formal, and dead. For years I have been wandering about, attending the meetings of various Churches, hunting the Holy Ghost. I heard an evil report of the Holiness people, but was so anxious to find the Holy Ghost again that in my search I came to your meeting. Glory to God here I found the Holy Ghost in full charge, and having right of way in all hearts. I am so glad I have again found the Holy Ghost, and found the people who walk in the light of His indwelling presence. God grant that I may live and die with you!

The Greek word ecclesia, translated Church, means a body of people whom the Holy Ghost has called out of the world, regenerated, and who want to be sanctified. The absence of the Holy Ghost in a Church is an irrefutable confirmation of its apostasy. Hence this fearfully swift apostasy of the Churches is a literal fulfillment of Pauls prophecy (2Th 2:3), and that of Jesus (Mat 24:12). The man who does not see to his sorrow the appalling apostasy of the Protestant Churches at the present day, is to be profoundly pitied for his spiritual blindness. But this is the sad concomitant of the apostasy, That blindness in part bath happened unto Israel. Multitudes of our wealthy and popular Churches are ruled by society women and rich men. That is certainly Satans rule, however indirect. Bishop Foster says : This thing called society is a painted harlot, whose breath is pestilential and deadly. Jesus says : It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. All these fearful omens are fulfilling prophecy, and proclaiming to the world that the Lord is nigh.

SIGNS IN SECULARISM, SOCIALISM, SPIRITUALISM, AND CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

In all these there is a literal fulfillment of Pauls awful prophecies recorded in 2 Timothy 3, so vividly describing the last days. The increasing corruption of society is seen in the trend of population to all of the large cities. The attractions of Satan are so innumerable and powerful through all sorts of human inventions, that scarcely a tithe of city people ever so much as attend Church. They have enough to do to attend theaters, parties, fandangos, and other entertainments, which Satan has provided for their damnation. Statistics show that only one young man in ten, at the present day, attends Church. Oh, what a huge crop of infidels is coming on! So fast as our cities grow, the populous interior is actually abandoned by the Churches, and given up to infidelity, heathenism, and the devil. All of our large cities are now missionary ground, like the heathen nations. This alarming increase of wickedness in the world is a literal fulfillment of the latter-day prophecies. Mat 24:37, Jesus says:

As were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage in the days before the Flood, till Noah entered into the Ark, and they knew not, till the Flood came and took them all away, so shall be the coming of the Son of man.

In the Antediluvian world, the children of Seth, the successor of righteous Abel, were godly, and the children of Cain were wicked. So long as they kept separate, the Antediluvian Church was lighted by such men as Enoch and Noah. When they took down the partition, and the righteous intermarried with the wicked, the earth increased in wickedness with wonderful rapidity, till God, in mercy, was forced to bring on the Flood, and see them sweep into hell by solid generations. The Bible positively forbids intermarriage with the wicked. (2Co 6:14.) But where is the Church that does not flagrantly violate that commandment? The old Methodists turned out every member who dared to enter into wedlock with the unconverted. This sin ruined the Antediluvian world, and brought on the Flood. It is now fast ruining the Post-diluvian world, and bringing on the awful tribulation. As Noahs family, the elect of the old world, went up in the Ark, escaping the doom of the Antediluvians, so will the Lords truly sanctified people go up in the cloud, gloriously delivered from the doom of the wicked.

The Church apostatized with fearful rapidity, and wickedness of all sorts prevailed to an alarming extent, just before God sent the Flood to destroy them all. I verily believe we are rushing to a similar fate. The Churches are so wicked, and literally mixed up with the world in marriage and every other way, that the ken of an angel would fail to draw the line. When I was a sinner, my life was morally far in advance of the average Church member at the present day. You are a croaker! Well, I am in good company with Jesus, Paul, Peter and John, James and Jude. The whole country is literally sown with heretical tracts and literature, teaching all phases of Materialism, Universalism, Spiritualism, and infidelity. The secular papers are loaded down with carrion. The Church papers are filled up with Church and secular news, with very little soul pabulum. The popular mind is so debauched that the railroad cars and news-stands are filled with lying novels and all sorts of filth, which mental buzzards devour with avidity. Have we not many valuable inventions? Yes, but Satan has the big end of them.

SIGNS IN THE HOLINESS MOVEMENT

This so-called movement is simply a revival of Holy Ghost religion. Amid the unanimous concurrence of the latter-day prophecies, I verily believe this is Gods last call to the world. (Act 2:17-20.) It is utterly impossible to explain this wonderful revival without Divine intervention. It is generally considered to have started in 1874. However, I entered this experience four years previously. It sprang up simultaneously, not only in all parts of the United States, but in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the islands of the sea. When I traveled in the Old World, I found it in all countries and on all seas. It is everywhere undenominational and interdenominational. It not only inculcates salvation from all sin, but from sectarianism and sectionalism. It unifies all countries, Churches, and nations. It is truly a people called out, led, ruled, appropriated, and utilized by the Holy Ghost. The greatest mission of this people is to preach the gospel of full salvation to all nations. Mat 24:14 :

This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a testimony to all nations; then the end shall come.

These are the significant words of Jesus, in that wonderful sermon on the judgments, which He preached on Mt. Olivet the day before He suffered. The Holiness movement, without a dollar, has more missionaries in the heathen field than all the Churches on the globe, with their millions of money. Bishop Taylor has twelve hundred in Africa, Asia, South America, and Oceanica. Hudson Taylor has eight hundred in China. A. B. Simpson has four hundred dispersed around the world. General Booth has fifteen thousand in forty different nations, girdling the globe with the gospel of entire sanctification. Besides, the thousands in the various Evangelical Churches are pressing the battle for God and holiness Oh, what a literal fulfillment of Dan 12:4, Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be in creased! i.e., the knowledge of holiness and the Lords coming. It is pertinently striking that Jesus said they should preach the gospel of the kingdom. Gospel means good news. The kingdom is none other than the glorious millennial reign of our coming Lord. It is quite observable that the Holiness people are alone in the glorious work of preaching the Lords coming. The great Churches are asleep. Remember, our Savior says:

When this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached to all nations, then the end shall come. So far as we can ascertain, the gospel has already been preached to all nations, except a few in Central Asia, Central Africa, and parts of Oceanica. It is now going with wonderful rapidity to the ends of the earth. We know not but it has already been preached to the present destitute nations at some time of which history gives no record. God is also raising up a mighty army of evangelists, to carry this gospel of holiness and the Lords coming to all the ends of the earth. The Holiness movement is the morning star preceding the rising Sun of righteousness. How wonderful has been the rising of this star in every laud and clime! and how benignantly it now sheds its light on millions of souls, whose joyous shouts rise to meet the Lord descending in a cloud!

SIGNS IN THE OPPOSITION

The uncompromising virulence and malignity which everywhere confront the holy people are prominent throughout the world among the signs of His coming. The spiritual blindness which everywhere rests on the clergy and ecclesiastical officials is a literal fulfillment of the latter-day prophecies. Dan 12:7 :

When He shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

With what wonderful expedition is this prophecy now being fulfilled! God is wonderfully using the enemies of holiness to scatter it to the ends of the earth, and hasten the Lords coming, which they neither desire nor believe. Church councils, mad at the Holiness movement, put their heads together to scatter the holy people to the ends of the earth, stupidly ignorant of the fact that they are fulfilling these wonderful latter-day prophecies with all their might. The determined efforts of a presiding bishop to utterly break up and discontinue my evangelistic work fledged me with wings as never before. Dan 2:10 : Many shall be purified, made white and tried;none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. This prophecy explains why we find so many preachers who cant understand sanctification. The trouble is with the heart, rather than the head. If they were humble enough to stand under the cleansing blood, they would soon understand entire sanctification. When they are unwilling to throw away their filthy, poisonous tobacco, for Christs sake, no wonder they cant understand sanctification. When the heart gets humble enough to receive it on Gods terms, and they desire it above everything else which must be an experimental verity in order to seek sanctification the understanding will come along at race-horse speed. We are surely living down at the end of this wonderful Gentile Dispensation, when the world is actually flooded with the signs of the Lords coming. The great majority of the Jews were so blind at His first advent that, instead of seeing their glorious Christ, they saw a malefactor, and killed Him. When the high priest signed His death-warrant, I trow he did it in good conscience, for the glory of God. So the Church of the present day is stupidly blind to the multitudinous signs of the Lords near coming; and what a surprise His appearing in the heavens will be! How the great men of science will resort to electricity, magnetism, geology, astronomy, dynamics, and evolution, to explain the mysterious phenomenon! 2Pe 3:3 :

In the last days, mockers in their scoffing shall go forth walking according to their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things remain as from the beginning of creation.

Then Peter follows with allusions to the Flood, the fiery destruction of the world, and the millennium, confirmatory of the great truth of divine interventions in contradistinction to gradual evolution, which is the popular infidelity preached from so many pulpits at the present day. The mockers and scoffers at the Lords coming, the tribulation, and the millennium, are in the popular pulpits all around us. They are literal fulfillments of the prophecies, and literally confirm the near coming of the Lord.

2Jn 1:7 :

SIGNS IN THE PREVAILING HETERODOXY ON THE LORDS COMING

Many deceivers have gone forth into the world, who do not confess that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh: the same is a deceiver and antichrist.

Then John proceeds to admonish us that if any man come to us not bringing this doctrine (of the Lords second coming in the flesh), not to receive him into our houses, nor bid him God-speed. The English reader utterly misses this wonderful passage. The statement That Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh, in the English version reads, is come, and is thought simply to refer to His first coming. That is a great mistake. The true translation of the Greek erchomenon reads, is coming. Hence the passage reads that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh. Therefore, you see it means His second coming. All of the great heresies are direct or indirect assaults on the Christhood of Jesus. He is our Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, He is our great Preacher; as Priest, He has completely atoned for the sins of the whole world; as King, He is coming to rule the world forever. The antichrist in the days of John denied that He had come in the flesh. Victory has obtained on that long and hard-fought battle-field. So they now all admit His first coming.

But the Churches are full of infidelity on His second coming. You see here how positively John denounces all who deny that Jesus Christ is coming in the flesh as deceivers and antichrists, and warns us not to receive them into our houses, nor bid them God-speed. The apostolical saints were on the constant outlook for the Lord to descend and set up His kingdom. All salvation and revealed truth are in the Christhood. The dogma of His first advent is well established; but oh, the infidelity in the Church, and even in the pulpit, relative to His second coming This infidelity is laid down by the inspired writers among the omens of the last days adumbrating our Lords coming.

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

22:20 {10} He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

(10) A divine confirmation or sealing of the supplication first from Christ affirming the same and denouncing his coming against all those that will put their sacrilegious hands here: then from John himself, who by a most holy prayer calls Christ to take vengeance on them.

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Evidently John now quoted Jesus’ promise to come soon. Christ’s promise to come soon was His response to the prayers of the Spirit, the bride, and the faithful hearers (Rev 22:17). "He who testifies to these things" is Jesus. The things in view are the words of Jesus in Rev 22:12-19, but beyond that everything in this book (cf. Rev 1:2). This is the third time in this pericope that we read that Jesus Christ promised to come quickly (Rev 22:7; Rev 22:12). How can we doubt His word?

"Nor is it here alone, but throughout the New Testament in general, that such expressions are used. Everywhere is the promised Apocalypse of the Lord Jesus represented as close at hand, liable to occur at any time. The impression thus made upon the early Christians was, that Christ might come at any day or hour, even in their own lifetime. Exactly when he would come, was nowhere told them. . . .

"Ever, as the Church moves on through time, and above all in the days in which we live, the next thing for every Christian to be looking for in this world is the coming of Christ to fulfill what is written in this Book. The Bible tells of nothing between us and that day." [Note: Seiss, p. 523.]

John added his "amen" affirming his belief that Jesus would come soon, and he voiced his personal petition that He would do so as He promised. This verse and the next are the only ones in Revelation that refer to Jesus Christ as the "Lord Jesus," though this title is common in other New Testament books. It acknowledges Jesus’ deity and thus His right to judge.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament

Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Fuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary

Fuente: Discovering Christ In Selected Books of the Bible

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

Fuente: Gary Hampton Commentary on Selected Books

Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Fuente: William Godbey’s Commentary on the New Testament

Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)