Big Idea: Those who obey this authentic prophecy from God, which proclaims how to live in light of Christ’s imminent return, will be eternally blessed.
Understanding the Text
The somewhat random organization of the conclusion results from the many things John is trying to accomplish in this closing section. There are various speakers (John, an angel, Jesus, the Spirit and the bride, the hearers), important parallels with the prologue in 1:1–8,1and three central themes that reinforce the overall message of the book: (1) the book is an authentic prophecy from God (22:6–8, 10, 16, 18–19), (2) Jesus Christ’s return is imminent (22:6–7, 10, 12, 20), and (3) those who obey the prophecy will be blessed (22:7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18–19). The first section of the epilogue (22:6–7) concludes the pr…