CHAPTER 22 - ETERNAL AFFAIRS IN THE HOLY CITY _ _ _ 1 AND HE SHEWED ME A PURE RIVER OF WATER OF LIFE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, PROCEEDING OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB._ John is shown a pure river of water of life. If the Holy City were on earth one might think that this conflicts with the p... [ Continue Reading ]
_2 IN THE MIDST OF THE STREET OF IT, AND ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, WAS THERE THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH BARE TWELVE MANNER OF FRUITS, AND YIELDED HER FRUIT EVERY MONTH: AND THE LEAVES OF THE TREE WERE FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS._ This is a very difficult passage. The correct translation is deba... [ Continue Reading ]
_3 AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE CURSE: BUT THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB SHALL BE IN IT; AND HIS SERVANTS SHALL SERVE HIM:_ There will be no more curse in God's creation. We cannot understand what that entails since all we know about the universe has been since it was under the curse. I expect th... [ Continue Reading ]
_4 AND THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE; AND HIS NAME SHALL BE IN THEIR FOREHEADS._ _ 5 AND THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT THERE; AND THEY NEED NO CANDLE, NEITHER LIGHT OF THE SUN; FOR THE LORD GOD GIVETH THEM LIGHT: AND THEY SHALL REIGN FOR EVER AND EVER._ If they are going to reign with Him for eternity in the... [ Continue Reading ]
_6 AND HE SAID UNTO ME, THESE SAYINGS ARE FAITHFUL AND TRUE: AND THE LORD GOD OF THE HOLY PROPHETS SENT HIS ANGEL TO SHEW UNTO HIS SERVANTS THE THINGS WHICH MUST SHORTLY BE DONE._ _ 7 BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY: BLESSED IS HE THAT KEEPETH THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK._ The angel leaves no... [ Continue Reading ]
_8 AND I JOHN SAW THESE THINGS, AND HEARD THEM. AND WHEN I HAD HEARD AND SEEN, I FELL DOWN TO WORSHIP BEFORE THE FEET OF THE ANGEL WHICH SHEWED ME THESE THINGS._ _ 9 THEN SAITH HE UNTO ME, SEE THOU DO IT NOT: FOR I AM THY FELLOWSERVANT, AND OF THY BRETHREN THE PROPHETS, AND OF THEM WHICH KEEP THE S... [ Continue Reading ]
_10 AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, SEAL NOT THE SAYINGS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND._ Again, we are told this book is a prophecy. John is told not to seal it because the future things written in it started with the letters to the seven churches in Asia. Some of these things written... [ Continue Reading ]
_11 HE THAT IS UNJUST, LET HIM BE UNJUST STILL: AND HE WHICH IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE FILTHY STILL: AND HE THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM BE RIGHTEOUS STILL: AND HE THAT IS HOLY, LET HIM BE HOLY STILL._ This verse indicates the giving of this prophecy will not change the hearts of the people. This dispute... [ Continue Reading ]
_12 AND, BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME, TO GIVE EVERY MAN ACCORDING AS HIS WORK SHALL BE._ _ 13 I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END, THE FIRST AND THE LAST._ When Jesus comes suddenly all the judgments and rewards written in this book will take place because He is Al... [ Continue Reading ]
_14 BLESSED ARE THEY THAT DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY MAY HAVE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY._ The eternal commandments are fulfilled in loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves. Keeping these two commandments fulfill all the other commandment... [ Continue Reading ]
_15 FOR WITHOUT ARE DOGS, AND SORCERERS, AND WHOREMONGERS, AND MURDERERS, AND IDOLATERS, AND WHOSOEVER LOVETH AND MAKETH A LIE._ These will not have access to the Holy City or access to the tree of life. They will be in an eternal state of death (separation from God).... [ Continue Reading ]
_16 I JESUS HAVE SENT MINE ANGEL TO TESTIFY UNTO YOU THESE THINGS IN THE CHURCHES. I AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID, AND THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR._ Jesus is the one who sent the angel to John to tell the Church about these things. He says he came from the lineage of David and that He is... [ Continue Reading ]
_17 AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME. AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY._ The first part of the verse where the Spirit and the bride says, "come" may be asking Jesus to hasten His return to earth. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_18 FOR I TESTIFY UNTO EVERY MAN THAT HEARETH THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, IF ANY MAN SHALL ADD UNTO THESE THINGS, GOD SHALL ADD UNTO HIM THE PLAGUES THAT ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK:_ _ 19 AND IF ANY MAN SHALL TAKE AWAY FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY, GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY HIS P... [ Continue Reading ]
_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._ The final words of the book tell us that Jesus will come suddenly. We should all be WATCHING AND WAITING for His return. The time s... [ Continue Reading ]