The book of Revelation ends similar to how it began. There is a promise for a blessing to whoever keeps the words of the prophecy (1.3, 22.7), another reminder that Jesus will return (1.7, 22.7), Jesus’ self-identification as “Alpha and Omega” (1.8, 22.13). Furthermore, as the book opens with a typical 1st-century epistle greeting (1.1-5), it also ends like a typical epistle would (22.21).
The final words of the Apocalypse summarize the major points of the book. Jesus is coming again; when Jesus does come, he will reward those who have faithfully maintained their devotion to him, and a severe punishment awaits false teachers and those persecuting God’s people. Furthermore the reward for those who do remain faithful is eternal life.
I had said previously that one of the features of Revelation is that it is ethical; that is, the author wants the reader to do something. Any good study of any book of the Bible must end by answering the question, “So what?” If we read Revelation as if it were simply a blueprint of unchangeable future events, that question may be answered by trying to put the end-times puzzle together, figuring out who is the anti-Christ, what “666” refers to, what the duration of the “tribulation” is, where the “rapture” fits and so on. What a waste of time! With this way of thinking, the answer to “So What?” may be nothing more than, “...so you’d better be ready!” or worse, “How Interesting!”
Instead, when you read Revelation the way the author intended for it to be read, you find out that the author wants the readers to make some serious behavioral decisions: some to change the course they are on and others to continue to behave in the way they have.
There are some churches (like Ephesus, Sardis and Laodicea) who are, for one reason or another, ineffective in carrying out their God-given obligations. They are in danger of caving in to the cultural pressure to reject Christ. When such churches get to the end of Revelation and ask, “So what?” the answer is, “Straighten up! Start acting right! Stand strong against the temptation to reject Jesus!”
There are other churches (like Pergamum and Thyatira) who are not in danger of completely denying Jesus, but who are in danger of putting other gods at the same level as Jesus. These are willing to compromise: “Jesus, Yes! And Caesar Also!” When they get to the end of the book and ask, “So what?” the answer is, “God tolerates no rivals! There is no room for God and another! Get rid of your idolatry and worship God alone!”
Finally, there are other churches (such as Smyrna and Philadelphia) who are doing everything right. They are successfully resisting the temptation to conform to society and to compromise what they know to be true. They have kept his word and have not denied him even in the face of suffering and persecution. When they get to the end of the book and ask “So what”? the answer for them is, “Keep doing what you are doing! Keep resisting the pressures of society! Keep fighting the good fight!”
The answer to “So what?” is emphasized throughout chapter 22. First, Jesus reiterates the promise that he is returning and in the meantime, “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy” (22.7). “Keeping” does not mean successfully predicting the end-times; it means acting in a way pleasing to God; resisting temptation, repenting from sin and idolatry, and continuing in faith and good works.
In verses 8-9, John seems to be dramatizing what some churches are truly in danger of: giving undue adoration and worship to someone other than God. In his case, it is an angel. The angel’s response to John is the second answer to the question “So what?”: Worship God.
Verse 11 brings up a bit of an enigma, saying: “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile.” I think perhaps this is a way of saying, “Your persecutors are not going to change. They will continue to marginalize you, oppress you, persecute you, and kill you. But in the meantime, if you are a true disciple of Christ, Continue to do Right! Continue to be Holy!”
Verse 14 pronounces a blessing on those who “wash their robes” and contrasts them with “dogs” who practice, among other things, “falsehood.” It is not simply that these people are liars in a technical sense, meaning they cheated on their taxes, intentionally misled a neighbor, or told a woman “that dress doesn’t make you look fat” when, in fact, it does. Rather, “lying” in the context of Revelation has to do with a supposed-Christian’s confession when compared with his/her lifestyle. If a person confesses faith in Christ, that is wonderful! But what makes a person a “liar” is when their life and behavior betrays that confession. Liars are dirty, and the proper response to the message of Revelation, for liars, is to “wash your robes” by aligning your lifestyle with the confession you made.
Finally, there is a warning in verses 18-19 not to “add” or “take” from the words in Revelation. This has often been used as a proof-text against some cults who’s theological gymnastics involves deleting certain portions of Scripture which do not align with their beliefs; and other cults who conveniently “add” to what is already present. I think the warning certainly involves this practice of biblical “cut-and-paste”, but there is more to it than that.
The warnings come from Deuteronomy 4 and 12 with respect to idolatry. Namely, the warning from Moses is that when the Israelites enter the Promised Land, they will encounter Canaanites who worship very different gods than the God of Israel. Moses wanted them to be sure that they do not “add” those gods to the God who rescued them from Egypt. One might have been tempted to say, “We can worship both God and Baal!” On the other hand, they might also be tempted to “take away” their God, saying, “Forget God, Baal is much better!”
This makes perfect sense in the context of Revelation. The message is that the reader is not to add Caesar to Jesus, as if the two are equals: they are not. The reader is also not to take away Jesus and replace him with Caesar, as if Caesar is a better alternative: he is not.
Revelation has far more relevance in the lives of believers than simply being a misapplied end-of-the-world prediction. This is particularly the case in cultures where society as a whole is becoming more hostile and less tolerant towards people of faith. In places where Christianity is directly under attack, the message of staying the course despite cultural pressure could not be more relevant. This is why “Horton Hears a Who” provides an appropriate metaphor for the book of Revelation. Horton is simply a noble character who wants to do the right thing. The Kangaroo, on the other hand, places pressure on Horton to do the exact opposite. It is not long before society follows suit and Horton finds himself a persecuted minority (who nevertheless possesses the truth) against a hostile majority who wants to punish him.
What will you do when your culture and society puts pressure on you? How will you respond when your neighbors turn on you and force you to give up your silly little belief, or else? Will you give in? Will you turn your back against the God who saved you? Will you join the crowd? Or will you remain on the narrow road? Will you refuse to cave to the strong majority? Will you say, like Horton, “I’ll never give in”?
The “So what?” of Revelation is, Don’t Give In! Keep the Faith! Even if they kill you, there are worse things than death! And ultimately, in the end, God wins!
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