October 22, 2014 Revelation Chapter 22

NOTE: Thank you, blog readers, for following this commentary on the New Testament by Charles Stopford.  I miss you, Charles!  It has been a pleasure reposting Charles' comments throughout this year (even though we finished a little early).  With love, Melanie Lee

Dear fellow travelers,

We have reached the end of the New Testament road. The work that I have tried to do would not have been possible without the patient assistance of my wonderful wife, Phyllis. She has read each chapter and suggested ways I could be less verbose and clearer in my use of language. Of course I reserved the right to use an occasional "big word" to send some scurrying to find their dictionaries. Also I want to thank Bob MacLeish who helped me to keep sentences as short as possible while maintaining the message. He also challenged me on a number of theological points helping me to sharpen my understanding what the writer was saying to his own community. To all of you who sent emails asking for clarification of certain terms thank you for reminding me that not everybody keeps their noses in a mountain of technical books of Roman, Jewish and Christian history and theology. Finally, I have welcomed the notes from those who have appreciated receiving these offerings. You have helped me to see that my labors have not been in vain.  To the approximately 200 readers from Orlando to Tennessee to Arkansas to Hawaii to New Zealand I say thank you for sharing your time with me.

Together we have explored every chapter of every book in the New Testament. It is my hope that the trip was worth the time and that each of you found something of value which contributed not only to knowledge of scripture but also to a better understanding leading to spiritual growth. We have read many variations on a theme spanning nine decades of writings as communities of Christians sought the answer to Jesus' challenging question, "Who do you say that I am?" Their answers ranged from prophet to Messiah to Lord and Son of God. They were all right but none of them could capture the totality of Jesus in any title. He came announcing God's good news of the reign of God already beginning in his own words and deeds. He denounced those who believed that following a pre-set list of statutes and ordinances was the way to God. He demonstrated the truth of what Malachi wrote centuries before him: "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?" He said as much in his own words: Love God and love your neighbor as if you were the neighbor.

Whatever good you take away from your study may it be seen manifested in your life in this world. Keep studying, keep questioning, keep growing and keep the deepest places of your soul open to the God who approaches and makes himself known in the Spirit of Christ.

God's Grace and peace to you all,

Charles

Revelation Chapter 22

Originally posted Wednesday January 7, 2009

Revelation, Chapter 22:1-7 The River of Life

The final vision is that of the new Eden with its running water and tree of life. The kingdom of God is a heaven-on-earth kingdom with God and the Lamb present and enthroned in the New Jerusalem. John's vision of the city lit by the glory of God and Christ, receiving the nations, kings and people bringing honor to God is similar to Isaiah's vision of universal salvation. This is a vision of all the nations coming to Zion to honor and learn from God. One other important part of the vision is that, aside from all the visionary rhetoric of the lake of fire, John mentions all who have not been permitted entrance into the city because their names are not in the book of Life. Apparently these are the non-Christians - and lapsed Christians, who have accommodated themselves to idol worship in any form. The message seems to be that even though Judgment has been pronounced, he understands that the world is essentially as it was. The dead have been judged but all the living are still living - those who worship God and those who worship the beast in some larger context than the deified Roman Emperor (see 21:8). According to John's vision of judgment in 20:11 only the dead are judged. Those who have "conquered" the beast (resisted Imperial idolatry) are in the Book of Life and therefore in the New Jerusalem. Those who have not are in the lake of fire. We might conclude that although those who "practice abominations or falsehood" (idol worship) are destined for the lake of fire, there is still room for repentance. This seems to be the point of 21:24, 26 where those who were formerly cited as being deceived by and worshiping the beast are now coming to the New Jerusalem to bring their gifts and to honor God. Of course apocalyptic literature is not always subject to logical analysis. No doubt John would frown on attempts to fill in the gaps. It is after all the end of the world as he knew it and all things have been made new again. He would say to us "It is done" and leave the loose ends to God.

The River of the Water of Life (Spirit of God) flows from the throne along a course in the middle of the one, pure gold street through the city (Ezek. 47:1f; Ps. 46:4; Zech. 14:8). The Tree of Life is on both sides of this river of living water. The typical translation is awkward. One tree seems to be on both sides of the river. Some manuscripts have attempted to clarify this ambiguity with "In the middle of the street of the city and on either side of the river is the tree of life." This does not solve the uncertainty of John's meaning. The point he is making is not the location of the tree but its apocalyptic over abundance, its continuous and varied fruitfulness and its leaves as a source of healing for the nations. Nations - ethnos, is frequently and accurately translated as Gentiles. The healing of the nations means their inclusion within the City of God and not "ruled with a rod of iron" when they were associated with the beast. All things truly are new again!

As a conclusion to John's description of the City of God, we are left with the image of the throne of God and the Lamb (a single, shared throne) in the center of the "river of the living water" (Jhn. 7:37-38). God's servants who have God's name on their foreheads (those who have conquered) will see and worship God face to face. The City of God will have no need for any kind of light apart from the light of the glory of God. The angel who carried John to the mountain from which he saw the City of God vouches for the trustworthiness of all the words (visions) John has seen. They are from God and they declare "what must soon take place." The angel's next words are from Christ with his promise that the Parousia is coming soon and that all who keep (live by) the words John has written will be blessed.

Revelation, Chapter 22:8-21 Epilogue and Benediction

John responds to the angel's words by attempting to worship the angel. This angel - unlike those who have been cast into the abyss, refused to be worshipped and claimed no greater status than that of being a servant of God just as John and all who "keep the words of this book." God and God alone is to be worshipped. Unlike the angel's instructions to Daniel in Dan. 8:26, this angel tells John not to seal the prophetic words he has seen and written. The difference is one of timing. In Daniel the prophecy refers to a more distant future ("many days from now") whereas for John "the time is near." Of course, as we have read, apocalyptic time is not assumed to be linear. The angel tells John to let things be as they are. Let the world go on as it is because Christ is coming soon. Blessed are those who are found to be prepared to receive their reward, to eat of the tree of life and enter through the gates of the New Jerusalem.

John closes Revelation with a warning to all who hear the prophecy he has written. In typical apocalyptic hyperbole he pronounces the curses God will visit on anyone who adds to or takes away from his word. With a last word from Christ "who testifies to these things," John repeats the promise, "Surely I am coming soon," to which he adds his own "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus - Maran 'atha.