Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Christ himself speaks this promise, assuring that his coming is near and soon and certain on his own faithful and true word. Keeping the sayings of the prophecy means more than hearing them, but taking Scripture as guide, studying it, holding its teachings in the heart, and doing his commandments as the Word reads. That keeping leans the helpless soul on the Lord alone rather than on any man, refuses worship of fellow men and all contention and lifting up of the soul unto vanity, and refuses to teach suppositions and new theories and commandments of men not grounded in Scripture. The blessing on those who keep is everlasting life, with right to the tree of life and entrance through the gates into the city, fulfillment of the book's promises, and reigning forever with God. Because the book was given especially for the perils of the last days now upon us, it must be read carefully and prayerfully and obeyed without delay, with earnest forming of character after the divine likeness and untiring work to teach and warn others perishing in sin.
Promise in Context
The speaker is Christ himself, making himself known to John while John was on the Isle of Patmos, giving the Revelation sent by God through His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly be done. It reveals the last events of this earth's history and reminds of the things that will be, as a solemn warning from God for these last days. Time in it is represented as very short.
Its sayings are faithful and true, revealing events that must shortly take place. The book is not a sealed book and is not to be sealed, because the time is at hand. For that reason its prophecy is to be read, heard, and kept. The angel who showed these things to John is a fellow servant with those who keep the book's sayings, while worship belongs to God alone.
The announcement that He comes quickly is His own promise that His coming is near and soon and certain. The expectation of that soon coming rests on His own words. The blessing is pronounced on those who keep the teachings and words of the book's prophecy. That promise of His soon coming gives urgency to heeding its message and earnestness in forming character after the divine likeness.
Quickly sets no date and does not mean the coming must occur within the span finite minds expect. Time has continued longer than was expected in the early days and may appear delayed beyond human expectation, and years may pass before He comes, yet the word has not failed and does not make Him a deceiver. The promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional. He is the faithful and true Witness whose words are verity and truth, so His testimony is faithful and true and calls for getting ready and being found waiting, watching, and loving His appearing. Though the wait may seem long, there is reason not to ask for it to be shortened while people still have the opportunity to be saved.
Meaning of Keeping
Keeping the sayings is more than merely hearing the prophecy; it is heeding what is said. It is holding the sayings in the heart, taking Scripture as a guide, studying it, and faithfully holding to its teachings. Those who keep in this way also teach and encourage others to keep.
Keeping means doing His commandments as the Word reads, just as the Lord directed. Those who do His commandments have right to the tree of life and entrance through the gates into the city, to receive from Christ at His quick coming reward according to work. No one can be saved while refusing to keep the Sabbath once it is shown from Scripture, so willingness to obey it is required. The Scriptures must be searched to see if these things are so, with prayer for opened understanding and a mind willing to grasp every ray of light even when opposed to past belief.
The blessing is a warning to all living on the earth to lean helpless souls upon the Lord alone and not upon any man. It forbids worshiping fellow men and forbids being exalted by the worship of fellow men, since that brings eternal ruin to both the worshiped and the worshipers as the deceived lead others astray. Keeping requires stopping all contention and faultfinding and all lifting up of the soul unto vanity.
Keeping forbids teaching ideas not grounded in Scripture, for teaching what the Word does not contain leads people away from the Word. Ministers must search the Scriptures earnestly and preach the Word instead of preaching their own suppositions, inventive new theories, fanciful imaginary doctrines, traditions, or commandments of men. Those who teach for doctrine things not contained in God's Word come under the warning given in the last chapter of Revelation.
The blessing on those who keep belongs with everlasting life and the blessings promised to God's children, with the fulfillment of the book's promises, and with reigning forever with God. Faithful service in this life is connected with the redeemed's future life with God. That hope of eternal life gives urgency to sharing the Word with those perishing in sin.
Last-Days Urgency
The closing chapter belongs especially to those facing the perils of the last days now upon them, and its prophetic message concerns those living at this time. Satan with evil fallen angels is constantly at work in all deceivableness of unrighteousness to deceive if possible the very elect. Minds in these last days must understand what it reveals of the last events and the things that will be, must give no place to confusion lest the deceiver gain a great victory, and must not merely hear the prophecy but heed what it says.
It is to be read carefully and prayerfully and allowed to impress heart and life and character, and its closing chapters are to be obeyed without delay. The work it calls for should have been done long ago and now needs to be done, for Christ's coming is near and there is no time to dally.
In view of that soon coming believers are to be earnest in forming character after the divine likeness, following on day by day to know the Lord, for without daily advance ground is lost. What is required is deep, thorough, individual work in every worker, especially those carrying responsibility in the printing work and in the church, with cleansing and refining and transforming of the heart, thorough humbling of the soul before God, earnest seeking of the Lord with heart and mind and soul, deep searching of heart, and cleansing of the soul temple. Every soul must make most thorough work for repentance, purify the soul by heartfelt repentance, ask God to forgive unfaithful discharge of duty, tarry no longer in an unprepared state, and open the door of the heart that Christ may enter, rather than in this life doing as they please and gratifying their own desires and inclinations.
The promised eternal life and blessings for God's children give urgency to holding the sayings in the heart and to teaching and encouraging others to keep them and sharing the Word with people perishing in sin. Preparation for helping others and watching for souls calls for diligent cultivation of the soil of the individual heart, fruit in the life in proportion to the light given, through the pure Word of God and the softening, subduing grace of God, putting away self and a wrong spirit that would cause backsliding and permeate office and church. Praying earnestly and working untiringly are to bring every church and school and sanitarium, with printing office and worker, to a much higher platform.
Christ himself speaks this promise, assuring that his coming is near and soon and certain on his own faithful and true word. Keeping the sayings of the prophecy means more than hearing them, but taking Scripture as guide, studying it, holding its teachings in the heart, and doing his commandments as the Word reads. That keeping leans the helpless soul on the Lord alone rather than on any man, refuses worship of fellow men and all contention and lifting up of the soul unto vanity, and refuses to teach suppositions and new theories and commandments of men not grounded in Scripture. The blessing on those who keep is everlasting life, with right to the tree of life and entrance through the gates into the city, fulfillment of the book's promises, and reigning forever with God. Because the book was given especially for the perils of the last days now upon us, it must be read carefully and prayerfully and obeyed without delay, with earnest forming of character after the divine likeness and untiring work to teach and warn others perishing in sin.
Promise in Context
The speaker is Christ himself, making himself known to John while John was on the Isle of Patmos, giving the Revelation sent by God through His angel to show His servants the things that must shortly be done. It reveals the last events of this earth's history and reminds of the things that will be, as a solemn warning from God for these last days. Time in it is represented as very short.
Its sayings are faithful and true, revealing events that must shortly take place. The book is not a sealed book and is not to be sealed, because the time is at hand. For that reason its prophecy is to be read, heard, and kept. The angel who showed these things to John is a fellow servant with those who keep the book's sayings, while worship belongs to God alone.
The announcement that He comes quickly is His own promise that His coming is near and soon and certain. The expectation of that soon coming rests on His own words. The blessing is pronounced on those who keep the teachings and words of the book's prophecy. That promise of His soon coming gives urgency to heeding its message and earnestness in forming character after the divine likeness.
Quickly sets no date and does not mean the coming must occur within the span finite minds expect. Time has continued longer than was expected in the early days and may appear delayed beyond human expectation, and years may pass before He comes, yet the word has not failed and does not make Him a deceiver. The promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional. He is the faithful and true Witness whose words are verity and truth, so His testimony is faithful and true and calls for getting ready and being found waiting, watching, and loving His appearing. Though the wait may seem long, there is reason not to ask for it to be shortened while people still have the opportunity to be saved.
Meaning of Keeping
Keeping the sayings is more than merely hearing the prophecy; it is heeding what is said. It is holding the sayings in the heart, taking Scripture as a guide, studying it, and faithfully holding to its teachings. Those who keep in this way also teach and encourage others to keep.
Keeping means doing His commandments as the Word reads, just as the Lord directed. Those who do His commandments have right to the tree of life and entrance through the gates into the city, to receive from Christ at His quick coming reward according to work. No one can be saved while refusing to keep the Sabbath once it is shown from Scripture, so willingness to obey it is required. The Scriptures must be searched to see if these things are so, with prayer for opened understanding and a mind willing to grasp every ray of light even when opposed to past belief.
The blessing is a warning to all living on the earth to lean helpless souls upon the Lord alone and not upon any man. It forbids worshiping fellow men and forbids being exalted by the worship of fellow men, since that brings eternal ruin to both the worshiped and the worshipers as the deceived lead others astray. Keeping requires stopping all contention and faultfinding and all lifting up of the soul unto vanity.
Keeping forbids teaching ideas not grounded in Scripture, for teaching what the Word does not contain leads people away from the Word. Ministers must search the Scriptures earnestly and preach the Word instead of preaching their own suppositions, inventive new theories, fanciful imaginary doctrines, traditions, or commandments of men. Those who teach for doctrine things not contained in God's Word come under the warning given in the last chapter of Revelation.
The blessing on those who keep belongs with everlasting life and the blessings promised to God's children, with the fulfillment of the book's promises, and with reigning forever with God. Faithful service in this life is connected with the redeemed's future life with God. That hope of eternal life gives urgency to sharing the Word with those perishing in sin.
Last-Days Urgency
The closing chapter belongs especially to those facing the perils of the last days now upon them, and its prophetic message concerns those living at this time. Satan with evil fallen angels is constantly at work in all deceivableness of unrighteousness to deceive if possible the very elect. Minds in these last days must understand what it reveals of the last events and the things that will be, must give no place to confusion lest the deceiver gain a great victory, and must not merely hear the prophecy but heed what it says.
It is to be read carefully and prayerfully and allowed to impress heart and life and character, and its closing chapters are to be obeyed without delay. The work it calls for should have been done long ago and now needs to be done, for Christ's coming is near and there is no time to dally.
In view of that soon coming believers are to be earnest in forming character after the divine likeness, following on day by day to know the Lord, for without daily advance ground is lost. What is required is deep, thorough, individual work in every worker, especially those carrying responsibility in the printing work and in the church, with cleansing and refining and transforming of the heart, thorough humbling of the soul before God, earnest seeking of the Lord with heart and mind and soul, deep searching of heart, and cleansing of the soul temple. Every soul must make most thorough work for repentance, purify the soul by heartfelt repentance, ask God to forgive unfaithful discharge of duty, tarry no longer in an unprepared state, and open the door of the heart that Christ may enter, rather than in this life doing as they please and gratifying their own desires and inclinations.
The promised eternal life and blessings for God's children give urgency to holding the sayings in the heart and to teaching and encouraging others to keep them and sharing the Word with people perishing in sin. Preparation for helping others and watching for souls calls for diligent cultivation of the soil of the individual heart, fruit in the life in proportion to the light given, through the pure Word of God and the softening, subduing grace of God, putting away self and a wrong spirit that would cause backsliding and permeate office and church. Praying earnestly and working untiringly are to bring every church and school and sanitarium, with printing office and worker, to a much higher platform.