“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand'” (Revelation 22:10).
The Book of Revelation is a literary work that speaks to every human generation. Whether the events of this book are relatively close to fulfillment or reserved for the distant future, we can say that “…the time is at hand ” for everyone in some respect.
You see, human mortality is a subject we’d often prefer to avoid. But even though we hope to enjoy long and fulfilling lives, there is no guarantee that we will be blessed with the opportunity to welcome another sunrise tomorrow. Once we have passed into eternity, there is no further hope of returning to our mortal lives to rectify past mistakes or finish those tasks we neglected during our earthly sojourn. Therefore, our window of opportunity is limited to the present, and we would do well to remember the words of Revelation 22:10: “…the time is near” (GW).
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11).
So what are we to make of this rather enigmatic passage? Well, the way we respond to the book of Revelation tells us much about about ourselves. For instance, a person who seeks to follow the God of the Scriptures will surely respond differently to this book than someone who rejects Him. Thus, as one commentator observes, “By this he does not mean that men should remain unmoved by the prophecies of this book, but rather that if the prophecies are rejected, there is no other message that will work. If the warnings of this book are not sufficient, there is no more that God has to say.” (1)
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
This verse contains some of the last recorded words of Christ, and the message Jesus interjects here in Revelation 22:12 is something that applies to everyone. For example, Jesus makes an important promise to those who follow Him today: “I am returning soon and I am bringing your reward.” However, He makes that same promise to those who are hostile, ambivalent, or disinterested in Him as well.
Those rewards will be very different, for He will “…repay all people according to their deeds” (NLT). Since Romans 6:23 tells us, “…the wages of sin is death,” we would be wise to consider our response to that promise and take Jesus at His word.
(1) Walvoord, J. F. (1966). The Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Commentary, Moody Press. p.334.