Revelation 22:6-11

And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”  “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”  I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”  And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.  Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

As John closes out his message, he gives us every assurance that all he has recorded in reliable.  His response to the revelation he received was to bow down before the angel that revealed it to him.  An act that was quickly corrected.  One of the most common questions about the end-times teachings is: when will all these things happen?  The only answer we get is: “soon but not yet.”  God’s treatment of time is different than our expectations.  Despite delays from our perspective, we can be assured of the truth of what are reading.

TRUE WORDS: We can have great confidence in the words of Scripture because they are inspired by the Holy Spirit.  It is hard to trust the words of men because we tend to manipulate words to our own benefit.  However, this revelation has not been the words of John but the Word of God.  A revelation of future events is of great value and is supernatural.  It is difficult for man to give a trustworthy recounting of history.  God has given us a trustworthy revelation of the future.  God wants His children to be prepared for that which He has planned for the culmination of this world.  The impending judgments as well as the glorious eternal future are revelations that help us be ready for difficulties on this earth and give us hope.

TRUE WORSHIP: John has had a breathtaking experience receiving all these revelations.  John, like all humans, was created to worship.  The angel entrusted with the task of revealing what John has seen must appear to be glorious.  John’s natural reaction was to worship because that is what worshipers do.  However, the angel is quick to correct John.  No created being or thing is a worthy object of worship.  Only the Creator is worthy of worship.  Angels were created by God.  They, like men were created to serve and worship the Lord.  The angel makes it clear that he is like John, the prophets, and all who live to serve the Lord.  Any worship that is not directed at God is by definition idolatry.

TRUE WAITING: The angel tells John not to seal up the words of this prophecy because the time for them to be fulfilled has not yet come.  God has assured us that He is coming quickly but until then we must learn to wait.  A time is coming when all injustice will be ended, suffering will stop, and righteousness will prevail.  That conclusion has already been determined and at a time determined by God they will come to pass.  But that time has not yet arrived.  So, as we wait evil will continue to exist, filth will continue to pollute, and the righteous must continue to practice righteousness.  Our waiting may seem long as generation after generation await.  Once it comes to pass; it will seem like the blink of an eye when compared to the eternal life prepared for us.

APPLICATION: Trust in the Word of God knowing that it is absolutely true because it comes from Him and not just the musings of men.  Reserve all our worship for the Lord alone.  Never allow any created person or thing become the object of our worship.  Wait with the assurance that God will fulfill all His promises.