For some time now we have systematically gone through the book of Revelation and looking at the highlights and some details along the way as well. We have come to this last chapter. The last messages the Lord wants to leave with His people before He closes the scriptures, and that would be the last message that He would give us before His return.
We want to pick that up in Revelation 22:10, “And he said to me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” It is interesting when He says this to John to look at the parallel passage in Daniel 12:9, and you might recall that the book of Daniel is very similar in some ways. It is kind of the Old Testament counterpart to the book of Revelation. Daniel is receiving visions and revelations. He is proclaiming prophecies of the end times here. We come to Daniel 12, where Daniel is writing down and recording the prophecies he is receiving from God. When we come to Daniel 12:9, he is getting ready to record one final prophecy that would have to do with the end times. He is told in Daniel 12:9, “He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for these words are concealed and sealed up until the end time.’” So, Daniel is not allowed to record the message, the revelation, the vision that God had given him here. Now we come back to Revelation 22:10 and John is writing, and I think almost certainly that now John is going to record the message that Daniel was not allowed to record hundreds of years prior to this. John is told, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” Don’t seal it! Write it down! The time is near! When Daniel wrote his prophecies there were still many centuries before Revelation would be recorded. Now, the time is near, and God wants us to hear what He has to say. So, there is a contrast there.
Moving to Revelation 22:11 where it says, “Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” This is kind of a curious verse. Especially the first part when it talks about people that are doing wrong and unrighteous acts and so forth. The Lord says to those people just continue on the way you are living and continue to do what you are doing . . .
