I’ve been picking away at a book titled Last Stands, about military battles fought by those who at some point in the fight knew that they could not win. The first chapter recounts how 300 Spartans withstood the million-man Persian army for a few days at Thermopylae. They did not retreat, they did not surrender. As the author of the book summarizes, “With the outcome decided, all that was left was the glory” (Michael Walsh).

Here we are at the end of Revelation; the end of the matter, all has been heard. All that’s left is the glory.

The outro-duction, as I’m calling it, began in verse 6 after the conclusion of John’s final vision. We saw that the prophetic words are dependable, applicable, accessible, and profitable for the righteous who do right, who hold fast Christ’s name, and who conquer by the blood of the Lamb (see also 12:11). These last eight verses of Revelation get us to the final amen.

The In and the Out (verses 14-15)

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they might have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. (verse 14)

Here is the seventh beatitude, the last #blessed of the book. Eternal happiness belongs to the righteous, those who wash their robes. The washed ones are the living forever ones who have the tree of life. If you are clean, then you may enter into the joy of your Master in the city.

The robe-washing-ones aren’t saved by washing themselves, the washing is part of their salvation. The Lamb did all the redeeming, and His redeeming work doesn’t end with forgiving unrighteousness. He sends the Holy Spirit to reside in us, and the Holy Spirit gives us a desire for and a power to pursue righteousness. We’d call it sanctification, consecration, the obedience of faith. We wear our consecration like garments. (See also 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 as well as Revelation 7:14-17.)

The robe-washing ones have two privileges, both in terms of authority over. They have access to the tree of life (unlike the punishment on the first couple in Eden) and access to enter the city.

John saw the tree of life in his last vision (22:2). It grows by the river of the water of live which flows from God’s throne through the center of New Jerusalem. God prohibited Adam from eating this tree’s fruit when he sinned, while the second Adam purchased our access to the tree, for its food and for its healing.

The gates are never shut (21:25), but not everyone can enter (see the following verse). The righteous are allowed in, no restrictions, no barrier to fellowship and glory.

Verse 15 shows the other side, the outside.

Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolators, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (verse 15)

John draws the antithesis. The robe-washers dwell with God and the rest are dogs. It’s as derogatory as can be. These dogs aren’t man’s best friend, these are the worst of men referred to as dogs. The sorcerers try to manipulate the world apart from God’s natural laws, the sexually immoral try to satisfy themselves apart from God’s sexual laws, the murderers take out their hatred on God’s image-bearers, and idolators deceive themselves thinking they can have their own make-believe God. All the ones loving and practicing lies perfectly summarize the sons of the devil, a liar from the beginning, and they join him in the lake of fire.

Blessing is being in. Blessing is God’s welcome. It’s hell to be left out.

The Root and the Fruit (verse 16)

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and descendent of David, the bright morning star. (verse 16)

Jesus speaks directly for the second time in the epilogue. In verse 7 He promised blessing for those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book, and then John testified that he received the revelation. John quotes Jesus here as claiming to be the source. The Apocalypse is not creative fiction.

Jesus sent my angel to testify, and this confirms the first words of the book; “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John” (Revelation 1:1). The source is Jesus, the content are the things of judgment and promise, the beneficiaries are the churches. In the immediate context it’s the seven churches addressed in chapters 2-3, and in the historical context it’s all the Bride.

Among all the options Jesus had to establish His testimony, including the option of providing no qualifications other than what has come in the visions, He declares Himself with perhaps the least abstract, least timeless attributes He could, the opposite of His attributes in verse 13. Being the root and descendent of David Jesus is of course royalty, but also extraordinary. He’s both the one from whom David came and the one who comes from David, an ancestor and descendent. That’s tough to do on a timeline, and only Jesus can. This also means Jesus is King, the “King of the Jews.” He is the fulfillment of an old covenant. (See Isaiah 11:1, 10, as well as Revelation 5:5.)

Being the bright morning star Jesus fulfills the poetic efforts of the rosy-fingered dawn (think Homer’s Illiad), the astronomical target of a guiding north, the great light of the world. Balaam also declared that “a star will come out of Jacob” (Numbers 24:17).

The Call For and the Call To (verse 17)

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. (verse 17)

There’s not agreement about who is speaking. It could be Jesus, continuing on from what we have as verse 16. If it’s Jesus, the repetition of “Come” would obviously not be to Him about His coming. All three (or four) parts of verse 17 would be an evangelistic call.

But that doesn’t make the most sense.

The unveiling that is the book of Revelation is about Jesus’ return, the things that will happen leading up to it and the glory for His people following it. The outro-duction is dominated by that theme. In verse 7 Jesus says, “I am coming soon.” In verse 20 Jesus says, “Surely I am coming soon.” John himself responds with “Come, Lord Jesus.” And so verse 17 begins with the Spirit and the Bride expressing their desire for Him.

The one-hearing is more individual. The one-hearing is a seven-fold refrain heard at the end of every message to the seven churches. The image of the Bride emphasizes the collective nature of the desire, and this description focuses on the individual disciple.

The remaining part of the verse does turn evangelistic. Every hearing one wants to see the Lamb in His glory, and, don’t you want to be a hearing-one? The reasons to repent from rebellion are repeated throughout the Revelation. As the rider on the white horse He will consume every enemy. None will escape the fury of His wrath. But in Him is much more than the proverbial fire insurance. In Him is soul satisfaction. In Him is life. And all of it is by grace, available only in Him and available only without price. (See also Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 21:6.)

The Plus and the Minus (verses 18-19)

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. (verses 18-19)

It’s actually another testimony; I warn is an interpretive turn on “I testify” based on the double threats that follow. Don’t mess with the Apocalypse or else. Take care with this book, book, book, book.

There are two ways to mess it up, adding and subtracting, and there are two matching consequences.

Want more? You can have more, just probably not the more you wanted. Add to the prophecies, get the plagues. Plagues puts the judgments into skin and bone; the rubber meets the rebellion.

Prefer to remove some of the parts? Want to make it a little easier, more palatable perhaps? Take away from the prophecies and watch all the good parts slide away.

This does not apply, at least not necessarily, to Preterists or Postmillennialists (or whatever eschatology we don’t happen to agree with). It applies to denial of eternal judgment, or to promotion of immorality and idolatry, things that turn others away from the Lamb (think the churches in Pergamum (2:14) and Thyatira (2:20-23). “Those who twist the divinely inspired prophecies to their own ends will suffer the consequence that fits their sin” (Osborne).

Also, this is not the first time such a warning has been inspired. (See Deuteronomy 4:2 and 29:19-20, when Moses warned the Israelites. See also Proverbs 30:6.)

It is convenient that it comes at the end of the Scripture Canon as we have it, with prophecies into the eternal state. There is relevance for the entire inspired Word of God, but it applies primarily to the book of Revelation.

The Promise and the Plea (verse 20)

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (verse 20)

Here is the third testimony (also verses 16 and 18), more promise, more hope. The I in the I am coming soon is the King, the star, the Lamb. He is Lord Jesus. *Veni, Domine Jesu.*Also Maranatha (an Aramaic transliteration in 1 Corinthians 16:22).

Amen hears and affirms. So let it be. Christians live in light of the Lord’s lordship and in light of the Lord’s return. We care about His kingdom and His coming, about His kingdom come. We will see Him as He is in His glory. We will be transformed into His image; we will share His glory. We will dwell with Him, and we will serve Him. Our fellowship will no longer be by faith, it will be direct.

Christian, you get to want this. You are allowed to long for this; there is no angelic warning against it. You cannot have too much of a Christ-is-coming-ly mindset to be any earthly good. You will do good works on earth because of this witness.

The Lord and the Last Word (verse 21)

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (verse 21)

After all the plagues, the final word is a good word, a benediction. After all the judgment, John finishes off with grace, and not just any grace, but the grace of the Lord Jesus. Who has more grace?

Even with the haunting images and the horrors of God’s righteous wrath, there is a holy happiness offered to those who submit to the Almighty. He gives grace to understand, grace to conquer.

With a bit of irony, this second Amen in as many verses is not actually found in all the early Greek manuscripts (though included in most of the major English translations). It is easier to account for its addition by a later scribe than it is to explain its absence so, according to the priorities of textual criticism, it may not have been written by John. I say it has irony because of not “adding to” the words of the prophecy, while also that’s not what the warning is about, and any scribe would have just copied that part. It fits.

Conclusion

There is a focus on “words” in verses 6, 7, 9, 10. 18, 19; Revelation is given that we would say say Yes and Amen. Agree and attend to the truth, to Him who is the Truth, to Him who is our King.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:11–13 ESV)

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Charge

Beloved, Jesus is Lord. As He regularly told His disciples, no one knows the day or the hour of His return, so be on guard, keep awake. Watch for Him.

Benediction:

If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:22–24, ESV)