God Is Faithful and True to His Word

Temple Baptist Church - 4-24-2022

Revelation 22:6-11

A. Verse 6. As we begin to finish the Book of The Revelation, we find a two-fold promise given in 22:6. The Faithfulness of God to the Veracity of the Word of God. God declares His faithfulness to His Word because all that can be known of God and our future comes from the Bible.

We can trust God. Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Hebrews 6:17-18 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: (18) That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

We can trust what God says about God's Word. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

B. The antecedent of the word "he" found in this verse is one of the seven angels mentioned in 21:9. His message is that God is faithful to His Word of Prophecy. As we finish Revelation, we have discussed the three-fold breakdown of the Book: Revelation 1:19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

The things which thou hast seen is chapter one (the years previous to the writing of the Book of Revelation); the things which are is chapters 2-3 (time of the writing of Revelation to the seven churches of Asia Minor) and prophetic of the impending of the church age; the things which shall be hereafter (chapters 4-22: beginning with the Rapture of the Church through eternity future). From chapter 4 and the rapture of the church to the final "Amen" in chapter 22 is future to us and, therefore, prophetic in nature.

C. As we look back over history, the Word of God has been faithfully recorded, from Adam's day to John's Day. Everything that God prophesied came to pass. From John's Day to our day, with everything prophesied coming to pass. As we approach the impending rapture of God's church, we find these last perilous days to be as it was in the days of Noah and Lot, the falling away from the Word of Truth by deceitful men, and the emergence of the Laodicean Church Age.

D. As we find the faithfulness of God in recording our day, we can also put our faith and trust in His prophecies concerning chapters 4-22: "the things which shall be hereafter." In God's faithfulness to the past and present, we find His veracity or truth concerning the things to come. If God said it, and He did, you can "take it to the bank!" The angel is reconfirming the blessing to those who hear, read, and keep the prophecies of this Book.

Revelation 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

What we read must be in our hand. What we hear must come from what we have in our hand. What we obey must be clear and in the Bible.

E. "His servants" encompass both the seven churches of Asia to who He has written individual letters and to those of us who faithfully read, hear, and keep the prophecies of the Book of Revelation. If we walk in the light of God's Word, we will walk as examples to this present evil world in which we live.

Ephesians 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:

F. Verse 7. In this verse, we find both the shortness of time and the suddenness of our Lord's promises to come quickly. The word "quickly" refers both to when and how He will return: the shortness of time, though 3,000 years must come to pass is still but a moment in eternity and also the suddenness of time expresses that He will come instantly and without warning.

In verse 7, we also find the sixth of the seven Beatitudes of the Blessed that are given in the Book of Revelation. 1) 1:3 – blessed is he that readeth, heareth, and keepeth 2) 14:13 – blessed are they which die in the Lord hereafter 3) 15:16 – blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments 4) 19:19 – blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper 5) 20:6 – blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection 6) 22:7 – blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book 7) 22:14 - blessed are they that do his commandments.

G. Verse 8. When John saw and heard these things, he fell face down in worship before the angel. Throughout the Bible, God's people have always fallen on their face before God while the wicked of this world have always fallen backward away from God. When watching the Charismatics of our day, the people "slain in the spirit" always fall backwards to the floor. I find no place where God's people react to the things of God in such manner.

H. Verse 9. As John fell at the feet of the angel to worship, we find his immediately giving God the glory for what has been seen and what has been told to him. In Revelation 21:9 and 22:6, the Bible is clear that this one to whom John bowed is an angel. This verse is problematic with some commentators as they believe that the Bible is saying that this one speaking is both angel and human. I believe that he is an angel, not human as there are certainly no transgender or trans angel people in the Bible. The angel is referring to his being a prophetic source that God has chosen which classifies him as a "fellowservant" and, not "one of they brethren" but "of thy brethren the prophets … of them which keep the sayings of this book." I find no contradiction in the verse. The angel is placing himself with those humans who do such things, not saying that he is one of them.

J. Verse 10. When God gave the Book of Daniel to Daniel, he was admonished to "shut up the words, and seal the book" until the time of the end: Daniel 12:4 "But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased." In John's Day, we find that he was told to "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand." With the coming of Christ, we entered into the "last days." There were 4 "days" or 4,000 years from the beginning to the coming of the Christ, Israel's Messiah the Promised Seed of the Woman. After the resurrection of Christ, there were to be 3 "days" or 3,000 years until the end of all things. Thus, these, being the last and lesser portion of years were biblically called the "last days" or the "last times."

Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: (This was accomplished on the Day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2.)

Hebrews 1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (The last days began when Jesus Christ spoke to Israel on earth.)

K. Verse 11. Many people believe that their person and desires will not be the same in eternity but the Bible is clear at this point: if you are not justified in this life, you will not be justified in eternity; if you are filthy now, you will be filthy still in eternity; if you are righteous now, you will be righteous in eternity; and if you are holy now, you will be holy in eternity. Though we that are saved are still sinners by birth and by choice, there is a part of us "sealed" until the day of redemption that is sinless.

2 Corinthians 1:22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

Ephesians 4:30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.