HH Ko—Heidelberg, Germany

INTRODUCTION

The Book of Revelation, for all its vivid chronicling of the apocalyptic drama of the end times, has much to say regarding blessings as well. The phrase “blessed is/are the” occurs seven times in the book, in much the same fashion as the Beatitudes of Jesus. Unlike the Beatitudes, however, these blessings are scattered throughout the Book of Revelation and can only be identified after a thorough reading of the entire book.

Of the seven blessings, we shall study the final one, recorded in Revelation 22:14–15. This blessing came during a very pressing time; the preceding verses help us understand what a critical moment this was:

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. (Rev 22:6)

This verse illuminates the exigency and gravitas of the situation, as God affirms the “faithful and true” insights He has shown John, and hastens to spread news of the prophecies which are “shortly” to come to pass. Additionally, verse 7 contains Jesus’ terse declaration, “Behold, I am coming quickly!” This further punctuates the urgency underlying the final blessing.

Throughout the Bible, God’s prophets never fail to remind us that the end of all things is always on the horizon; and it is in these perilous, fleeting times that we must turn once more to the enduring truths in the Bible’s last book. God’s words are faithful and true, and His unfailing promises in the Book of Revelation are for us to study and cherish, that we may stand prepared for His return.

SEALING AND UNSEALING

God underscores the significance of Revelation’s message in His instructions, relayed by His angel, to Elder John:

And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 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.” (Rev 22:10–11)

God intends for the prophecy to be a public announcement to all creation. By instructing the scribe, Elder John, to leave “the words of the prophecy of this book” unsealed, God is also instructing future generations of Christians to seize upon every word of these prophecies and study them diligently while time is still on their side. This divine command to unveil the precious truths of Revelation stands in contrast to the command given to Daniel, at a time when he too was a recipient of God’s grand revelations. Daniel was told,

“But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Dan 12:4)

What was revealed to Daniel was as much a mystery to him as it would have been to anyone who read them during his time. Yet when Daniel, in the throes of his confusion, asked,

Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, “My lord, what shall be the end of these things?” (Dan 12:8),

God replied, definitively: “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.” (Dan 12:9)

It was not yet time for the truth of the end times to be revealed. Hence, Daniel did not get his answer. God’s advice to “Go your way” can be read as an invitation for Daniel to retire from his earthly quest. The “end” to which God referred is the same end that Revelation speaks of.

By comparing these two episodes, when God spoke first to Daniel and then to Elder John centuries later about the last days, God’s intricate plan becomes clear: today, what was once sealed is sealed no longer. The profound mysteries that were once veiled to Daniel have been declared openly to all who belong to the Lord today, for He desires to reach out and save those who would answer the call.

We would be foolish to ignore the insights for which Daniel had so ardently and—having fasted three weeks as he sought his answers—hungered for, but couldn’t obtain.

UNDERSTANDING

God had warned Daniel of an ominous future:

“Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” (Dan 12:10)

Today, the True Jesus Church Christian lives in the age about which Daniel had been solemnly forewarned. Just as the verse implies, God in His boundless grace has revealed the truths recorded in Revelation to man. What complicates God’s gift of grace to us is how we, in our capacities as moral creatures, behave.

Blindness to God’s message is not just the result of our explicit refusal to accept God. Many remain oblivious to the mysteries of God simply by living a life in which God exists only at the periphery, or is otherwise completely absent. To not consider God and His laws in our day-to-day life is to forfeit any chance of gaining the wisdom necessary to grasp the meaning of His mysteries.

AS WHITE AS SNOW

On to the final blessing:

“Blessed are those who wash their robes  that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Rev 22:14)

Heavy with symbolic meaning, the last blessing in Revelation has much to teach us. Even the linguistic construction of the blessing is worthy of note. 

We turn first to the word “wash.” The Greek word translated as “wash” in the verse is rarely used in the Bible. In fact, it occurs only three times in the entire Bible, and only once outside of Revelation. What makes it unique is the specific function of the word, which was commonly applied in reference to the washing of fishermen’s nets. These fishing nets were large, heavy pieces of equipment that required multiple men to clean. The use of this word in Revelation to refer to the washing of garments thus becomes incredibly intriguing. Why the use of this lexicographical rarity instead of the more conventional and suitable word for the washing of garments?

A different kind of washing is used because the blessing is also speaking of a different kind of garment. Firstly, in a biblical context, “robes” do not merely refer to physical outerwear. It is to be understood, in a spiritual context, as the garment acquired during baptism. To borrow from Apostle Paul, these robes are put on in the same sense as our “putting on” of Christ (Rom 13:14) when we enter into the promise of salvation. Secondly, the significance of the special word for “wash” becomes clear when we understand what these robes actually signify. Just as great effort and care were required to wash the heavy fishing nets, the same is needed to maintain the purity and righteousness of our election in the Lord—a responsibility that demands hard work and perseverance.

ROBES, TREES AND GATES

Robes

More can be unearthed while studying the “robes” of the final blessing.

And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. (Rev 6:10–11)

The robes mentioned in this moving passage give us a clue as to what the robes mentioned in the final blessing may also represent. The robes spoken of here are hard-earned symbols of honor, won and worn by persecuted Christians who had remained faithful till the very end.

Exiled in Patmos for his beliefs, the author of Revelation knew very well how much this meant. Back in Rome, his fellow Christian brethren were also languishing under imperial persecution. Suffering was not far from the faithful followers of Christ.

Moreover, the white robes were donned by the “great multitude” as they stood before the throne and the Lamb (Rev 7:9). This special crowd, as explained in verses 13–14 of the same chapter, were those who had emerged from great tribulation victorious in Christ, and who had “washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” One must come out of great tribulation in order to receive these white robes, and have the blood of the Lamb to wash their robes until they become white. One has to wash his own robes. While the robe is a gift, a grace, it is not something one receives without effort. When we put on Christ at baptism, the garment we receive is given freely to us without any effort or merit on our part—not because we are lovable or worthy. But the white robe in Revelation requires that we come out of the great tribulation to obtain it.

What about us? Can we see ourselves within the “great multitude”? It is useful for Christians to take a step back every now and again to take stock of our lives of faith. In all our years in Christ’s fold, we are sure to have met with affliction. Yet we often fail to appreciate the significance of our simple victories: after all this time, we still attend services, sing hymns, pray, and do our bit in church work. These are accomplishments, marking our steadfast refusal to bow to the troubles the world throws at us.

Trees

Returning to Revelation 22:14, we turn to the last portion of the blessing: “…that they may have the right to the tree of life.”

A literal translation of the Greek would give us “authority over the tree of life.” God’s elect, the “great multitude,” possesses the power to obtain the tree of life and its fruit. To understand what the tree of life is, we can consult Proverbs. The tree of life is wisdom (Prov 3:13–18), and, according to Proverbs 11:30,

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

And he who wins souls is wise.

Wisdom is the immeasurable prize, worthy of all our troubles. After our baptism of fire—the variety of trials set in our way—we don our white robes and are bestowed with the gift of gifts: true wisdom. At the close of our long and troubled lives, this is our victory—the tree of life within, and eternal life.

Gates

The final blessing ends with the elect’s admission into the city. All that stands between us and the treasures of heaven, and what we need to pass through, is a gate. There is no other way into the eternal holy city—no shortcuts, no secret entries. After we go through the gate, we will see a beautiful scene. In Revelation 21:10, the angel showed John the city, and the things within the city. This is the city that we can enter, through the city gate.

The final blessing in Revelation is followed by a bleak picture. In the end time, if we are not able to obtain the seventh blessing, it means that we have fallen short, and everything we have worked for in our lives will be lost. We cannot enter the city, and are left behind with the “dogs [i.e., heretics] and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Rev 22:15).

This contrast highlights the ultimate importance of the final blessing. It is more than a bonus or a reward: it is a necessity. Only when we grasp this blessing and obtain it are we privy to the boundless treasures of salvation reserved for God’s children.

CONCLUSION

The Book of Revelation captures in vivid detail the universal experience of human suffering. That is man’s inescapable condition. Yet it also tells us of ultimate deliverance—the prize for the faithful Christian. Until this time comes, we must continue to grow in our faith, endure trials and tribulations, and steadfastly serve. As long as we do our part, the seventh blessing of Revelation will be given to us. At the end, we will enter through the city gate into the New Jerusalem, our promised land, as part of the “great multitude,” wearing white robes.