Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Revelation 22:6-21

Today we come to the last chapter of Revelation, indeed, to the final chapter of the Bible.  As we approach the end of Advent too, we recall that one of its important themes is the Parousia, that is, the return and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the age.  

John, the author of Revelation (probably not the same John for whom the fourth Gospel is named), is looking back too, reviewing the manuscript he is completing.  Revelation is addressed to churches of John’s time, and much of its content is intended primarily for them (such as its thinly-veiled references to Rome and its Empire).  At the same time, Revelation presents many wonderful visions of Heaven and the worship of God, along with accounts of coming calamities, judgment, and destruction, culminating in the return of the Lord Jesus as all-powerful judge, destroying evil and establishing God’s everlasting kingdom of justice and righteousness.  

As we have seen in our reflections the past three days, the wonderful visions of Revelation come to a climax of magnificence and joy in the renewal of all things, in the New Heaven and the New Earth, in the New Jerusalem coming down from Heaven, in God making his dwelling with people, in the River of the Water of Life and the Tree of Life for the healing of the nations.

But now, in today’s passage, John’s work is almost complete; the great visions are finished.  Now John gives his final remarks, down to earth, addressed to his ordinary human readers and hearers.  This conclusion sums up Revelation’s most important points in just a few words:  the sad state of many people and the righteous state of others (v. 11), the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus in power, authority, and judgment (vv. 12-16), and the gracious invitation to everyone who wishes to come and take the water of life as a free gift (v. 17).  In its few words, Rev. 22:11-17 sums up the whole Gospel message and opens it up for the entire world to hear and respond.

Look especially at the gracious invitation in v. 17:

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

Note that it is the Holy Spirit of God who is named first as extending the invitation.  Salvation is always God’s initiative, not ours.  In the New Testament (see Eph. 5:25-27), the Bride of Christ stands for the (purified, universal) Church, all people who have been made holy through Christ.  It is through the Church that the invitation is made; it is a primary responsibility of the Church to convey the Spirit’s invitation to all people everywhere.  And for us who make up the Church, for us who have heard the invitation, it is our job too to extend the invitation “Come” however we can.  Everyone who is thirsty is welcome; anyone who wishes is encouraged to take the water of life as a free gift:  Salvation is for all who say “Yes”; salvation is by God’s grace alone, a free gift, and it brings the great joy of eternal life.

Yet there is even more in our Scripture passage today.  Another theme appears in vv. 6-10 and 18-19, bracketing the recapitulation of the Gospel in vv. 11-17.  This theme is:

These words are trustworthy and true. … Blessed is the one who keeps the words of God’s message in this book.    (vv. 6, 7)  [I changed the word prophecy to God’s message, because that’s what prophecy means.]

This emphasis on the words of God’s message is prominent in the first three chapters of Revelation, but, from chapter 4, it is almost absent (as John relates his visions) until here, where it reappears prominently, both before and after the Gospel summary.

How, you may ask, should we interpret vv. 8-10 in view of this theme?  Here’s one possibility, one I endorse but is not authoritative and certainly would not be accepted by a large number of Christians.  

Recall first that the word angel really means just messenger, nothing more.  When John falls down in worship before the messenger [angel] who has shown him all the visions, the messenger essentially replies, “Don’t worship me.  I’m just the messenger; I too keep the words of God’s message.  Worship God alone.”  The messenger adds, “Don’t seal up the words of God’s message, for the time is near.” 

Can we hear the Bible saying the same thing to us?  Yes, the Bible conveys God’s message; it is trustworthy and true.  But we are not to worship the Bible; we are to worship God alone.  The Bible is indeed God’s word, but it is at the same time a very human book, a human messenger, written by fallible human authors with different perspectives, world views, and cultures.  In a deeper way than the surface words, the Holy Spirit of God guided the authors.  The Holy Spirit worked all through the messy history of fierce arguments and close votes in selecting the writings in the Bible and in their transmission through the centuries.  The Holy Spirit continues to guide us together with the Church through the centuries, in our changing understanding of what the Bible says and means, if we are faithful.  The Holy Spirit uses the written words of the Bible to teach us the uniquely trustworthy and true message from God.

We must not, moreover, seal up the Bible as though it were meant for another time.  We must not put it away on the shelf to gather dust (a paraphrase used in Peterson’s The Message).  Because the time is near, we are to keep the Bible open, read and study it, and communicate its message to all who will listen.

In vv. 18-19, after the Gospel summary, there is a dire warning, which we must take seriously, the peril of adding to or taking away from the trustworthy and true words of God’s message.

Sometimes this can be and is done blatantly or deceptively,  but adding to or taking from the words of God’s message is usually more subtle.  We all have our favourite Scripture passages, and it’s a temptation to limit our attention to these, or at least to those passages that make us feel good rather than challenge or deeply disturb us.  Thereby we effectively ignore much of the Bible.  One advantage of using a lectionary (as for this series of reflections) is that it can make us study parts of the Bible that we probably would not otherwise.  On the addition side too, we often face the temptation to add something in, and then emphasize the addition rather than consider the text as we find it.  Perhaps we start with one phrase or idea from a passage and run with that, going off in some direction tangential or even unconnected to what the text is saying.  In that case, aren’t we guilty of adding to the words of God’s message?

Let us instead trust God and listen to the message God is teaching us through the Holy Scriptures.  Let us try to understand the message as fully and as faithfully as we can.  Let us examine ourselves to make sure that our intention is to keep the trustworthy and true words of God’s message.   Let us learn to recognize the work of the Holy Spirit, always following in faith and obedience.

Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon.”  Let it be!  Come, Lord Jesus!  The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

– Robert Kruse