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REVELATION CHAPTER 22 KJV WEB See previous page Rev 22,1-21 (50m) Judgment >> Sequence of Revelations >> God puts away sin and glorifies the Church >> The new heaven and the new earth Rev 22,1-17 (140b) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> Worshipping God in His temple Rev 22,1-6 (224l) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The holy of holies >> The throne room of heaven – Revelation chapter 21 was devoted to describing the new heavens and the new earth, and this chapter is devoted to describing the throne of God. The river of life originated from His throne and flowed down the middle of the street, meaning that a meandering path on either side followed the river wherever it went, and on both sides of the river street was the tree of life. It speaks of the tree as singular, suggesting there is only one root that sends up twelve shoots, becoming twelve trees, each bearing twelve kinds of fruit, one per month, and the river of life watered them. These things were also part of the Garden of Eden, for it too had a tree of life and a river running through it that divided into many rivers, suggesting that God intended the Garden of Eden to simulate if not emulate the throne of God, further suggesting that the holy city New Jerusalem has replaced God’s original garden idea. See also: New Jerusalem; Rev 22-3,4; 12f / Tree of life, Garden of Eden; Rev 22-1,2; 32d Rev 22-1,2 (32d) Gift of God >> God is our Father >> Grace >> The grace of God’s healing power – The tree of life that produces leaves for the healing of the nations was also in the Garden of Eden, and after Adam and Eve sinned, God set guards to keep the man and his wife from eating its fruit and living forever in a fallen state (Genesis 3-22). The healing of the nations does not pertain to us but to those who were born on the new earth, who do not know sin, yet make mistakes, like babies who do not know evil fall and hurt themselves, and therefore need healing. We may eat from the tree of life, for we are eternal beings, but we will never need to be healed, for God will have made us perfect. There will be a finite number of us in heaven who have come from this present age, but the Kingdom of God as a whole will eventually span the entire universe; populations of people will increase forever, reaching infinity, and there will be no forbidden fruit to tempt them, and so the people will not know sin. See also: God is infinite; Rev 22-4; 104j / Tree of life; Rev 22-2; 145c / Garden of Eden; Rev 22-1; 103f (254h) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Holy Spirit is life >> Spirit of God is the life of Christ -- These verses go with verse 17 Rev 22-1 (30b) Gift of God >> God is our source >> His creative ability supplies our needs (103d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> God’s cleansing power >> Cleansing power of the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 17 (103f) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Spirit like water >> Cleanses you from the desire to sin -- This verse goes with verse 14. There is a street leading to the throne that is connected to every other street in God's heavenly kingdom, and according to the saying, 'All roads lead to Rome,' so all roads lead to God's throne. Down the middle of the street flows the river of life that splits into many other rivers, and it waters His kingdom, like the river in the Garden of Eden split into many rivers and watered their respective regions. Genesis 2,10-14 says, “A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah... The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.” In the same way, the Holy Spirit disseminates from the throne of God into all the world, leading many sons to glory, originating from God's throne. On our approach to His throne, we dip our hand in the crystal water and ingest its life that we simulate when we pray. In heaven our victory over sin is complete, but before we come to that point, God invites us to imbibe His sparkling clear water through the word of God and prayer to cleanse us from the desire to sin and prepares us to enter His presence. See also: Garden of Eden; Rev 22-5; 245c (212c) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> The creation glorifies God >> All things originated from God (245h) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> The resurrection is a manifestation of His life (245n) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Spirit realm superimposed upon the natural realm >> The spiritual manifesting into the natural KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-2 (145c) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Healing >> Jesus healed them all – The leaves of the tree of life were for the healing of the nations. If there is no sin and no curse, then why did the nations need to be healed? There are many kinds of creatures in heaven. There are cherubim; there are seraphim; there are angels, and there is man, and perhaps many other species that were not mentioned, and there will be another type of man that God will create after He creates the new heavens and the new earth, removing the curse. He will create another version of Adam and Eve, only this time He will leave out the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and there will be no serpent and no temptation. He will create them with the ability to reproduce, and they will fill the earth until it can hold no more, and they will spill to the next planet until the entire universe is filled with the glory of God, and He will call us to manage them, as He called Adam and Eve to manage the earth. The fact that they will never be tempted with sin means their loyalty will never be tested, thus they will have a lower rank than us. God has made the creation perfect and there is no forbidden tree; therefore, sin cannot exist in the new creation. If someone did something wrong, it still wouldn't be evil, because they would have no consciousness of sin. That is, the poison of sin was never in the forbidden tree but in the knowledge of sin. In other words, if God hadn't warned Adam of the forbidden fruit, that tree would have been no different from any other tree, with no power to kill. Those who are born in the new creation cannot sin, yet they can still do wrong that might require healing, but wrong to them is not evil, anymore than wrong is evil to a baby. Infants can do wrong; they can manipulate their parents by crying, but they cannot do evil until they are old enough to understand that what they are doing is wrong. People in the new creation will have no consciousness of sin, though they may do wrong, and for this reason the leaves of the tree of life are for the healing of the nations. See also: Tree of life; Rev 22,1-6; 224l / New heavens and a new earth (Construct of the new creation); 2Pet 3,10-13; 66b Rev 22-3,4 (12f) Servant >> Nature of a bond servant – “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in [the New Jerusalem],” which is on the earth. His bondservants will serve Him, but not all God’s people are bondservants. There are many who serve, and there are others who have no choice but to serve, such as Paul (1Cor 9,15-18). This does not mean that God has taken away their freewill, but that He has given them a passion that compels them to serve. This is God coming close to tampering with man’s freewill but never directly violating it, because then He would redefine us being made in His image, who is foremostly free. God’s bondservants are free to curtail their ministries, to abandon them if they wish, but if they did, their lives would mean nothing to them. So in that sense they must continue serving the Lord in order to feel alive, for without God’s purpose front and center they might as well be dead. See also: New Jerusalem; Rev 22-5; 245c Rev 22-3 (34h) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> The blessed First Resurrection (119i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Curse of sin is broken >> Curse of death is broken Rev 22-4 (104j) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart shall see God >> Shall see Jesus >> We shall see His face – We will see God's face whom Moses could not see, lest he die (Exodus 33,20-23). Not all God’s creation will see His face, only those whom He has chosen to be His servants. We know that Jesus will have a human, resurrected body like ours, but the Father’s appearance no one knows. We can guess; we can make assumptions and postulate, but one thing we know about the Father, He created man in His image. That doesn’t mean we look like Him; rather, we have many of His attributes. The Father may not look like a man or like anything He created; He may have an appearance that is completely unlike anything He has created, but one thing we know: He will be beautiful to behold. He will have the appearance of God, whereas Jesus has the appearance of man. God the Father will look like somebody who has lived forever in the past and cannot die and subjects all things to Himself. He will have the appearance of somebody who can create an infinite universe, and at the same time study the tiny particles that make up the nucleus of the atom. He can look closer still at subatomic particles and their composition to infinitesimality. It is impossible to talk about the greatness of God. To see His face is to have His likeness and His name written on our foreheads. We will inherit the countenance of one who throws stars in the sky, and we will be His ambassadors to His creation and visit people whom He has created after He makes all things new, and they will see His face through us, for we are His children; He has begotten us. See also: God is infinite; Rev 22-5; 245c / God likes matter; Jn 14,1-3; 38g Rev 22-5 (112b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus’ light overcomes darkness >> The light of His power -- This verse goes with verse 16. (243m) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> God will create a new Adam and Eve -- This verse goes with verses 14,15. We will reign forever and ever... over whom? Statements like this that were made before the Millennium suggested we will reign over people who are born during that time, but this statement was made after the Millennium; therefore, it speaks of a time after the Millennium; it speaks of eternity. So, there must be a people whom God will make after us, and we will reign over them. People criticize Christianity for many reasons. Worldly people hate the Church for making them feel guilty about their sin, having no intension of repenting. Christianity holds a greater hope than all other religions combined, the hope of the resurrection from the dead and eternal life in paradise, reigning forever with God over planets and galaxies full of people. There is no greater hope than this; it is all that man has ever wanted. People have invented the fantasy of the fountain of youth that supposedly exists that if one found it could drink and live forever, but they don't want to believe in Christianity's version of this, because they don't want anything to do with God. He promises eternal life to those who love Him, yet sinners mock us for our hope in Christ. Unbelief is never satisfied; we cannot bait unbelief with hope, and we cannot convict unbelief of sin; we cannot reason with it or preach to it. Unbelief is the cause of all evil in the world. (245c) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Literal manifestation of Jesus Christ >> Jesus is the light of the world – There is no need for the light of the sun, for its lamp is the Lamb. God will illumine the city with His presence, and His people will reign forever and ever. The holy city descended from heaven and rested upon the earth, the New Jerusalem. If the New Jerusalem is distinct from heaven, then what (and where) is heaven? "Heaven" is a spiritual realm that is off limits to the curse, but since the curse has been abolished, the spiritual realm, thus the New Jerusalem, can abide among His people. The earth will have a sun to illumine it, and there will be day and night on the earth, but not in the holy city, for it will be continually lit by the Lamb. The New Jerusalem is His finest creation; it had a beginning, but God did not. It says that His people will reign with Him forever and ever, man’s great hope. This new heavens and new earth and the New Jerusalem that descends from heaven, prompts God to say, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men” (Rev 21-3), which is to say the new earth that God has made is compatible with heaven. The hope is that all creation will become heavenly, holding promise of paradise expanding into infinity throughout eternity, which was God's original vision for the Garden of Eden. He wanted Adam and his wife and children to expand its borders to overcome the curse, pushing continually outward until it filled the whole earth. This has always been God’s vision, and we will push the borders of His kingdom to the farthest reaches of the universe. See also: God is infinite; Rev 22-6,7; 214h / New Jerusalem; Rev 22-15; 245m / Garden of Eden; Rev 22,1-6; 224l (253d) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the internal qualities of the Father >> Jesus is the exact representation of the Father KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-6,7 (152ia) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic message from God -- These verses go with verse 9 (214h) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> Relatively soon -- This verse goes with verse 10. Someone might say, ‘If these things must shortly take place and it’s already been 2000 years, how can we say God is faithful and true?’ How can we trust His word if He said these things would happen and they haven’t? The Bible was written according to God's perspective, and we ought to read it with Him in mind. When we get to heaven, we will find a world that is based on God’s perspective, who thinks exclusively in terms of eternity and infinity, not because He intends to live forever, but because He already has, which has influenced His sense of justice, righteousness, truth, faithfulness, and of course His sense of time. We read the Bible with our own perspective in mind, so it's no wonder we've misinterpreted the whole thing. God is not self-centered as though He cannot think outside Himself to consider our point of view; for this reason He sent Jesus Christ who lived as we do that we might live as He does. When it comes to understanding God, we should lay aside our temporal viewpoints and consider His perspective. See also: God is infinite; Rev 22-13; 215f Rev 22-6 (12k) Servant >> Bond servants the prophets -- This verse goes with verse 9 (15e) Servant >> Angels are messengers from God >> They are sent to impart information (60b) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Prophecies are subject to interpretation / Spirit of prophesy is subject to the one who prophesies (102g) Thy kingdom come >> Faithfulness (Loyalty) >> Trustworthy >> Faithfulness (107l) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> hearing from God >> The Bible will lead you to truth >> Thy word is truth (110j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of revelation >> Revelation of the truth >> Revelation of the true doctrines Rev 22-7 (34j) Gift of God >> God is willing to Give >> Receiving God’s blessings through endurance – If we want a blessing from God we will read the book of Revelation, though not many understand it. Many have studied it, and for this reason there are many interpretations, ranging from reasonable to ridiculous. It doesn’t do much good to read it if we don’t know what it means, yet John promised a blessing to every reader. People who have no fear of God don’t read the Bible, but those who love God and fear His name read it and want to know what it means, and if we tailor our lives after the Scriptures, we will understand the book of Revelation. Eventually it will make sense to us, but those who read it once are guaranteed not to understand it. Jesus said, “Stay on the alert” (Mat 24-42); this refers to the first three chapters of Revelation. (61g) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Quickly—Soon / Suddenly -- This verse goes with verse 12 (87a) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> God blesses us for doing His word, not for knowing it -- This verse goes with verse 9 (94d) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> Perspective on time -- This verse goes with verse 10 (106j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >> Through the Bible -- This verse goes with verse 18 (215i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> God brings His kingdom to pass in its time -- This verse goes with verse 12 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-8,9 (15k) Servant >> Angels >> Limitations of angels – The angel commanded John not to worship anyone but God, because he and John were created beings. Fleshing out the differences between man and angel, such as when Gabriel appeared to Mary, Joseph and Zacharias, they did not relate to them as brethren but as authority figures. However, in the life to come they will be brethren, and in that sense there are few differences between us and them. In fact, we could almost say that angels are an alternate form of man, and God will no doubt make other forms of man in the future. The number one difference between man and angel is that they knew the presence of God before the fall, whereas we have never seen God, which has resulted in our salvation. In contrast, Adam and Eve, especially Adam, walked with God and came to know Him, and in that sense Adam’s sin was like Lucifer's; thus, he was not redeemable, and we inherited Adam's sin nature through no fault of our own; therefore, God has given us an opportunity to be forgiven. We can then view man and angel being a difference in specie. God has given us special rights and authority in the age to come, as it says in Heb 2-5, “For He did not subject to angels the world to come, concerning which we are speaking.” If it weren’t for Jesus giving His life’s blood for us, we would all be condemned in the eyes of Almighty God, but after Jesus died for our sins, He “raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2-6). Giving a place with Him on His Father’s throne was never offered to angels. See also: Angels; 196c, Angels different from man; Heb 1-14; 15b (131a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Interdependent on each other to do the will of God (196c) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping angels – The angel rebuked John for kneeling before him with the intension of worshipping him, and the angel rejecting his worship saying, “Do not do that… worship God,” yet there are examples in the Bible of people worshipping Jesus, and He never stopped them or gave any indication that they were doing anything wrong (see: 25 2a). It is not wrong to worship Jesus because He is God in human flesh, but it is wrong to worship angels, even as part of our religion (Col 2-18). See also: Angels; Rev 22-10; 214h Rev 22-9 (12k) Servant >> Bond servants the prophets -- This verse goes with verse 6 (87a) Thy kingdom come >> Obedience >> Be doers of the word from the heart >> God blesses us for doing His word, not for knowing it -- This verse goes with verse 7 (152ia) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic message from God -- This verse goes with verse 18 Rev 22-10 (94d) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> Perspective on time -- This verse goes with verse 7 (187f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Dying to receive the glory of God >> Die to self to know the revelation of God – We have the book of Revelation open in front of us; we can read it whenever we want, and there is no lost key to hamper us from understanding it, but do we read it? If there is any key component missing that keeps us from understanding the Scriptures, it is us. We are the limiting factor of our own faith; God is not keeping us from understanding Him; we are keeping ourselves from Him. (214h) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> Relatively soon -- This verse goes with verse 6. Note what the angel said to John, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.” The angel spoke in relation to God’s timepiece that measures in eras, saying that the time was near, but the message to Daniel was that multiple eras stood between him and the time of the end (Dan 12-4). Both Daniel and Revelation dealt with time. The angel essentially said to Daniel, ‘Seal it up, because it’s going to be a while;’ but he said to John, ‘Don’t seal it, for these things will take place in the age they were revealed.' If Daniel's seal was broken in the era we are living, how much more relevant is the book of Revelation to us now that we are on the far end of that age? 2000 years have passed; to us it is a long time, but to God it's only been two days (2Pet 3-8), and the end of this age defines the last of man’s reign. Man has had 2000 years to prepare for the second coming of Christ, but people are no more ready to meet God than in Daniel's time. See also: Angels; Rev 22-15; 245m KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-11,12 (48e) Judgment >> Levels of judgment >> Judged according to your deeds >> In the day of judgment – God cares about what we think, but he will judge us for what we have done, and what we say is part of our deeds. God will not judge us for being tempted, unless we fall prey to them. He will not condemn us for having wrong thoughts, only for acting on them. Rev 22-11 (4f) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> From him who has shall much be required -- This verse corresponds with verse 14. It may be difficult to serve the Lord in the last days, but consider the promise of eternal life and the hope that is set before us, and compare it to the temporal trials that we now face; they daunt our temptations. Verse 11 paints a picture of a polarized society that is divided, not politically, ethnically, or even religiously, but spiritually between the righteous and the wicked. The book of Revelation, in fact the entire Bible, was written with this theme in mind. The wording in verse 11 is not arbitrary or merely poetic, but indicates a strong spirit of conformity in the world prior to the second coming of Christ, and He was saying not to give in to it. The wrong doers and the filthy will not repent, and those who have dedicated their hearts to the Lord will not fall from their steadfastness, for the Lord can make them stand. (16k) Sin >> Continuing in sin to avoid the light >> Suppressing the truth they cannot deny (93a) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Keep yourself on the narrow way -- This verse goes with verse 14 (133g) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> The body of Christ is holy >> We have made ourselves holy through Christ (145g) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Jesus’ works bear witness of Himself >> Demon possession >> Human state >> Filthiness >> That which Is unclean (172b) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Devils among the saints >> Unrighteous among the righteous Rev 22-12 (61g) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Quickly—Soon / Suddenly -- This verse goes with verse 20 (90i) Thy kingdom come >> Keeping the law >> Righteousness of the law >> All righteousness is covered by the law (215e) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God views time in eternity >> God sees eras as moments – The Bible was written in God’s perspective, including the notion of time. 2000 years have transpired since these words were written, but according to Peter it has only been two days (2Pet 3-8). We need to adopt God’s perspective, not just when reading the Bible, but also in life. We’ve been given a blessing in the hope of eternal salvation and in the hope that our suffering and difficulties will end in glory, and that we will live in the city of God and walk on street of gold. What more do we need; what more do we want? (215i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> God brings His kingdom to pass in its time -- This verse goes with verse 20 (226i) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of heaven >> Levels of reward >> God rewards us to the degree of our labors – "Rendering to every man according to his deeds," does not just refer to receiving rewards for doing right but also refers to suffering consequences for doing wrong. Those who do evil, God will render to him according to what he has done, and His judgments are just. To those who end up with nothing, that is what they deserve, and those who receive many cities to govern, that is what God has determined they deserve. He intends to give us more than we can imagine, so the person who receives nothing will suffer unimaginable loss, if he makes it into heaven at all. It says in 1Cor 3,12-15 that a person can pass through the fire of God’s judgment and everything he did burn in the flames, yet survive as through fire. He is allowed to pass through the gates of the Holy City but with no offering in his hand for the King, and he will see others enjoying eternity with blessings they could have enjoyed, had they only applied themselves. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-13 (56i) Paradox >> Opposites >> Last is first and the first is last – The following question is erroneous: ‘How long did Jesus existed before the beginning?’ Answer: if He was before the beginning, then He is without a beginning. People have questioned whether Jesus is part of God’s creation or if He is a member of the Godhead, and it is answered in whether He had a beginning. If He didn’t, then He was never created and therefore He is an aspect of God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. When Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end,” He wasn’t confessing to have a beginning or that He will have an end but just the opposite (Col 1-17). God’s promise to us is eternal life; even we will live forever. Conversely, when Jesus said He was “the end,” He was not prophesying about the end of His existence, but if the new creation had an end, He will exist beyond it. This is how John starts his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.” (Jn 1,1-3). This is saying that Jesus was not created, rather, He created all things, and since He is not part of God’s creation, He shares the Godhead with the Father. Jesus openly confessed to be the origin of God's creation (Rev 3-14), being the first fruit of the resurrection. See also: Jesus never had a beginning; Jn 1-27; 253e (215f) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God views time in eternity >> God’s time is forever – God is greater than eternity, who had no beginning and will have no end, who stands at opposite ends of the timeline and sees both ends as one point. He existed before the beginning of all things and His kingdom will endure before Him forever. Since the universe is infinite, and the Creator is greater than the creation, He is beyond infinity. There is no end to God in both length and breadth. See also: God is infinite; Rev 22-15; 245m (248e) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Jesus is first >> Jesus has first place in everything (253b) Trinity >> Relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Father >> Jesus has all the external qualities of the Father >> Son is infinite and eternal like the Father Rev 22-14,15 (155kb) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of salvation >> You will know them by their fruits >> You will know them by their good deeds >> Good works prepared before the foundation of the world – We wash our robes in the presence of dogs and sorcerers. All sin and evil is a product of unbelief. We wash our robes and make them white in the blood of the lamb through faith that God gives us, and we keep the faith by repenting of our unbelief. (243m) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> God will create a new Adam and Eve -- These verses go with verse 5. If the saints in heaven had any commandments to keep, they would always keep them, so John wasn't talking about the saints. Moreover, it says that the Tree of Life was meant for the healing of the nations (v2), not for the saints, referring to a time after the millennium. Also verse 3 says, "There will be no curse any more," no curse anywhere in God's New Creation, where His kingdom will extend even to the farthest galaxy. God has no intention of creating a finite universe. If God's kingdom includes the New Heavens and the New Earth, then where is "Outside"? This wording sounds like there is evil lurking just outside the gates of the New Jerusalem, but this is not the case. Rather, "Outside" refers to the center of the New Earth, to the lake of fire and those who dwell in it. Rev 22-14 (4f) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> From him who has shall much be required -- This verse corresponds with verse 11 (71d) Authority >> Ordained by God >> Worthiness of man >> God makes us worthy of heaven (92d) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> Putting on His good works (103f) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Spirit like water >> Spirit cleanses you from the desire to sin -- This verse goes with verse 17. Our robes represent our works, the things that people see about us. To wash our robes is to separate unrighteousness from our good works. We immerse our works in the Holy Spirit that He might cleanse us from sin, as Paul said, “...cleansing her by the washing with water through the word” (Eph 5,25-27). Passages that equate water with the Holy Spirit, washing our deeds with the gift of repentance, point to this river of life emanating from the throne of God. We wash our robes before we enter the city; these cleansing properties belong to the Holy Spirit that the river represents (2The 2-13). We wash our robes outside the city as a prerequisite to entering, in preparation to receiving the kingdom, that we may drink from the same. Note also in Rev 7-14 it says, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Therefore, the blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the river of life are all one. (113c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Heaven’s clothes >> Protection >> Clothe yourself with good works (224i) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The people of heaven >> Traits of the people who make it to heaven KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-15 (25f) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Satan and his children are murderers (47i) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is the absence of God – Where did God put hell? 1Cor 15-25 says, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” Taking this literally suggests that hell is at the center of the new earth. The very last verse in the book of Isaiah says, “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind” (Isaiah 66-24). God will provide a portal where all His people can look into hell and see the suffering as a reminder of the consequence of rebellion, though none of His creation will ever be tempted again to sin. (84j) Thy kingdom come >> Your words can lead to your own demise >> Lying (134k) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Sins of the body >> Immorality >> Sexual perversion >> Basic immorality (157e) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Being displeasing to God >> Walking in disobedience (183a) Works of the devil >> The origin of lawlessness >> Spirit of Error (Anti-Christ / Anti-Semitism) >> Witchcraft >> Sin is the incubator of witchcraft >> Through rebellion (195i) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping other gods >> Worshipping other gods as a god yourself (201b) Denying Christ >> Whoever is not with Jesus is against him >> You are against Christ when your unbelief materializes >> Our disobedience is against Christ (224k) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> The people of heaven >> Traits of people who don’t make it to heaven – Every Christian has told a lie and struggles with hating other people and has committed every sin on this list. It grieves our spirit and we return to God and to our faith. We don’t practice murder, lying, sorcery, idolatry and immorality, because the Bible says that those who do practice these things are not going to heaven (Gal 5,19-21). We can fall under bondage to certain sins and still remain Christians, because we mourn over the things we do that don't bring honor to our God, and when we feel conviction of the Holy Spirit and find repentance and overcome bondage, it demonstrates the power of God. However, those who continue in sin and never seek repentance are no different from the heathen, and “For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Eph 5-5). (245m) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestations of the devil >> Manifestation of darkness – Chapter 21 was mostly devoted to describing the wall of the New Jerusalem, which emphasizes the fact that there is an inside and an outside of the holy city. The fact that there are angels guarding the twelve gates, though sin has been defeated and the kingdom of heaven no longer has enemies, guarantees that nobody will enter the city who was not invited. There are no threats, yet the presence of guards makes it clear that not everyone has access to the city, except by invitation and an escort. The purpose of the guards is not to add another layer of security as much as to add another layer of serenity to the place, so people will feel all the more at ease in God's heavenly city. It says that outside the city wall is hell, but in fact outside the city is God’s kingdom. There is no place in God's creation where hell resides, except one place, under the feet of Christ, at the center of the new earth, as it is written, "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet" (Heb 1-13, taken from Psalm 110-1). Case in point, Mat 22,11-13 says, “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. `Friend,' he asked, `how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, `Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'” There is a couple interesting contrasts between Revelation’s depiction of heaven and Jesus parable. First, directly outside the stone wall of the heavenly city is by no means outer darkness. Secondly, the scenario of someone sneaking past the guards into the city uninvited would be altogether impossible, since God has put away sin once and for all. So, these expressions: "outside" and "outer darkness" refer to someplace outside Christ's kingdom, and since His kingdom will ultimately stretch across the universe to the farthest planet, "outside" could only mean at the center of the new earth. See also: See also: Angels; Rev 22-8,9; 15k / God is infinite; Rev 22-1,2; 32d / New Jerusalem; Rev 22-17; 254h (250i) Priorities >> God’s prerequisites >> Lists >> List of traits that can be found in man >> List of deeds of the body Rev 22-16 (112b) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Light >> Jesus’ light overcomes darkness >> The light of His power -- This verse goes with verse 5. Jesus made reference to his physical descendants, the root of David, and then said He was the bright morning star, which was once Lucifer's title (Isaiah 14,4-19). God allowed Lucifer to fall into sin to prove that no created being was humble enough take authority over God's entire creation. Lucifer probably fell almost immediately after receiving his inheritance, just as Adam and Eve fell before they conceived their first child, meaning they experimented on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil before they experimented on each other. God needed to instill these lessons into Adam, because He wanted His creation to be completely free, and in his freedom he crossed the line. Now that the lessons have been learned and we know there is nothing meaningful on the other side, we can pursue righteousness and truth knowing that our temptations are hollow. Those who sit on Jesus' right and on His left will know that the One who sits between them is irreplaceable. KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-17 (31h) Gift of God >> Grace >> Salvation >> The ministry of reconciliation (35k) Gift of God >> God gives Himself to us >> Gifts from the Holy Spirit >> The gift of life (77a) Thy kingdom come >> Hunger for the essence of God >> Hunger for His righteousness (91g) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Walking along the narrow way >> Responding to the call of God (103d) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> God’s cleansing power >> Cleansing power of the Holy Spirit -- This verse goes with verse 1 (103f) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Spirit like water >> Cleanses you from the desire to sin -- This verse goes with verse 1 (106o) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> God ordains our calling (119e) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Fences of freedom >> Freedom in Christ (150a) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Invitation to the Kingdom of God (254h) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> Jesus is equal with the Holy Spirit >> Holy Spirit is life >> Spirit of God is the life of Christ -- This verse goes with verses 1&2. It said earlier that the bride of Christ was the holy city New Jerusalem (Rev 21,9-11), but we also know the bride of Christ is the Church (see: 3e), so both the Church and the city are one. He has given a formal invitation to the Kingdom of Heaven; anyone willing to come is welcome. It doesn’t matter what sins we’ve committed; we can repent and be fully restored and become a member of His body. Many people in the world are thirsty for God, but will they come to the water of life and imbibe its purity? There are many counterfeit brands of this water in the many religions of the world, and each has its own additive they have laced in the water so that it doesn't run crystal clear. There is only one river that runs true, one river of life that can satisfy, the one that Jesus invited the woman at the well to drink (Jn 4,7-24). “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (Jn 7,37-39). See also: New Jerusalem; Rev 22,1-6; 224l Rev 22,18-20 (148b) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Solemnly testify against unbelief Rev 22-18,19 (48a) Judgment >> God judges the world >> Eternal judgment >> Consequences for sin (51b) Judgment >> Judging the Church with the world >> Warning about hell – John is saying that anybody who adds to the prophecy of this book and laces the river of life with religious additives, when the mark of the beast is offered, he will receive it, because he has proven more loyal to the world and to demons than to God. This is a very stern warning to those who prefer their religion over God’s truth. Do not manipulate what it says to fit your own brand of Christianity, for doing so will lead to your own demise. (177b) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture to avoid the truth – In Act 13,16-21 Paul explained that the sacrifice of the old covenant has been made, so we no longer look forward to a time to come, but we look backward to the sacrifice that has already been made and put our faith in Jesus, who is the Savior of the world. The First Century Church was added to the Old Testament, and the new covenant is a continuation of His-story, and so the New Testament was added to the Bible, but if we add anything to it or subtract anything from what has been written, it proves that we do not fear God. Many believe in a version of the gospel, or maybe they believe in another religion altogether, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Mormons or a plethora of other religions that try to explain God that invariably add-to or subtract from the gospel, and they will incur the judgment of God upon themselves. Rev 22-18 (26m) Sin >> Consequences of sin >> Curse >> Deeds that return to the doer >> False doctrine (106j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Means of hearing from God >> Through the Bible -- This verse goes with verse 7 (152ia) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> Prophets >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> Church operates under a prophetic anointing >> Delivering a prophetic message from God -- This verse goes with verses 6&7 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar Rev 22-19 (133e) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> The body of Christ is holy >> The temple of God is holy (207e) Salvation >> God makes promises on His terms >> Eternal security? >> God Himself will tear you down Rev 22-20 (61g) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Quickly—Soon / Suddenly -- This verse goes with verse 7 (215i) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The Kingdom of Heaven appears suddenly >> Without warning >> God brings His kingdom to pass in its time -- This verse goes with verse 7. If we are fortunate enough to live in the generation that sees the unfolding of endtime prophecy, it will be a privilege to suffer for Christ. Days are coming when God will release His grace and anointing and power and glory for His people to believe in Him like no other time in history. He wants us all to take full advantage of this opportunity and clothe ourselves with His grace, and develop a deep and abiding relationship with Jesus, because this is what will get us through those arduous times. We can prepare all we want for doomsday, but those days will outlast most people's food supply and other stockpiles, and then what will they do? We need God and each other before we have any real hope of obtaining victory over the antichrist that is coming and is already here (1Jn 2,18-21).