What did Jesus mean when He said, "Behold I am coming soon" (Revelation 22:7)?

The following verse presents a point of great interest: "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." (v. 7.) The angel speaks in verse 6; and now the Lord Himself, it being His own testimony, speaks through the lips of the angel. This transition from the prophet to Him, whose angel (messenger) the prophet was, is often found in the Old Testament. A striking illustration of this is found in Zechariah 11, where Jehovah takes up the word His servant was uttering, and so distinctly, that He says, "If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." (v. 12.) So here the Lord Himself, His communications now drawing to a close, announces His speedy return; not, if our interpretation is correct, His return for the church, but His return to the earth. For this annunciation, as we understand it, is made for the cheer and the encouragement of the suffering remnant in the period between the rapture of the saints and the Lord's appearing, during the period therefore of Jacob's trouble, and of "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev. 3:10.) And it is evidently made in view of the fearful temptations and seductions which will then beset the saints to surrender their testimony; for it is added, "Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." It is this that will delight the heart of the Lord, not achieving great things or rendering splendid service, but simply keeping His word, His word for that time. "Keeping" here is observing, carrying out, and this involves another sense of the word, viz., "treasuring up," and even another, "holding fast"; for it is not until the Word has been treasured up in the heart, and retained there, that it moulds the life, and, is thus observed. And it may easily be perceived what an immense encouragement this message will prove to those who will be hemmed in on every side by the powers of darkness. To be assured that the Lord's eye is upon them, and that He is speedily coming for their relief and deliverance, and that what He desires and approves, beyond all, is their fidelity to His word, will be an unceasing source of sustainment and consolation to their souls. In principle, it is scarcely necessary to say, this is applicable to saints now, although the special announcement for them is lower down in the chapter. The fact of His coming quickly is true for both the one and the other, and of His approbation, during His absence, for those who keep His sayings.

The following verse presents a point of great interest: "Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." (v. 7.) The angel speaks in verse 6; and now the Lord Himself, it being His own testimony, speaks through the lips of the angel. This transition from the prophet to Him, whose angel (messenger) the prophet was, is often found in the Old Testament. A striking illustration of this is found in Zechariah 11, where Jehovah takes up the word His servant was uttering, and so distinctly, that He says, "If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver." (v. 12.) So here the Lord Himself, His communications now drawing to a close, announces His speedy return; not, if our interpretation is correct, His return for the church, but His return to the earth. For this annunciation, as we understand it, is made for the cheer and the encouragement of the suffering remnant in the period between the rapture of the saints and the Lord's appearing, during the period therefore of Jacob's trouble, and of "the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth." (Rev. 3:10.) And it is evidently made in view of the fearful temptations and seductions which will then beset the saints to surrender their testimony; for it is added, "Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." It is this that will delight the heart of the Lord, not achieving great things or rendering splendid service, but simply keeping His word, His word for that time. "Keeping" here is observing, carrying out, and this involves another sense of the word, viz., "treasuring up," and even another, "holding fast"; for it is not until the Word has been treasured up in the heart, and retained there, that it moulds the life, and, is thus observed. And it may easily be perceived what an immense encouragement this message will prove to those who will be hemmed in on every side by the powers of darkness. To be assured that the Lord's eye is upon them, and that He is speedily coming for their relief and deliverance, and that what He desires and approves, beyond all, is their fidelity to His word, will be an unceasing source of sustainment and consolation to their souls. In principle, it is scarcely necessary to say, this is applicable to saints now, although the special announcement for them is lower down in the chapter. The fact of His coming quickly is true for both the one and the other, and of His approbation, during His absence, for those who keep His sayings.

“Behold, I come quickly.” It is the voice of Christ we hear. It is not the announcement of a prophetic event, but the authoritative word of the Lord Himself. Three times and in different connections does He announce His Coming (vv. 7, 12, 20). In each instance the word quickly is found as intimating how near we are to the realisation of that blessed hope.

Moreover they are "things which must shortly be done." This statement surely is intended to intimate to us that we must reckon time according to the Divine estimation and not according to ours. The word translated "shortly" is almost the same as that translated "quickly" in the next verse, where we have the first of the three declarations, "I come quickly," that occur in these closing verses. Our centuries are but so many minutes in God's great clock! We incline to think however that this word is also intended to signify that when the Divine action takes place it is marked by swiftness, as it says in Romans 9:28, "A short work will the Lord make upon the earth." When Jesus comes it will be no slow and long drawn out manifestation but rather like the lightning's flash.

While we wait for His coming our blessedness lies in keeping the sayings of the prophecy we have been considering. We shall "keep" them if we bear them in mind so effectually that they govern our lives. We have heard the study of prophecy decried on the ground that it is but an intellectual exercise. It may be merely that of course, but it is not intended to be. If we keep the sayings of the prophecy we shall be enriched by the understanding of God's purpose, of the objectives He has before Him, and of the way in which He will reach them. We shall also be blessed by the assurance of the complete victory that will crown all His judgments and His ways.

“I come quickly” is the announcement of the Lord’s speedy return from Heaven. It is three times repeated in the last chapter of the book (Rev. 22:7, 12, 20). How can “quickly” be reconciled with a lengthened delay of nigh two thousand years? Ah! we have to adjust our modes of reckoning, and measure time as the Lord does. “Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). About two days thus measures the period between the two Advents, His first and second.

The expression, "the Lord God of the spirits of the prophets" may puzzle some. It reminds us that God is the One who has the authority not over the prophets as such, but over their spirits of those of whom we read. That God is the God of the spirits of all men is something mentioned already in the Old Testament. In Numbers 16:22 where we read that "God is the God of the spirits of all flesh". It means that God is not only Creator but also He has authority over His creatures and over all humanity. All the spirits of men are subject to this sovereign God. That is a very general statement, but here there is this special statement concerning the prophets. It is not the spirits of the prophets in themselves, independently, who have thought but also have said and written these things, it is the God of their human spirits who has given the predictions which are found in this book. He has sent His angel, a heavenly messenger, as in chapter 1:1 where it is said, "to show to his bondmen what must shortly take place". It is carefully made clear here that, as Peter says, "For we have not made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly imagined fables" (2 Pet.1:16). Even if it is now nineteen hundred years (John wrote at the end of the first century), it is still "shortly". It was shortly then and it is still shortly now because as the same apostle Peter writes in the second epistle, "one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day". That means we might be encouraged to think, 'Ah, six thousand years - six days; seventh day - millennium'. It is not in the Bible as such, but it is an old tradition amongst Christians from the second century. It is not the sense here, "one day with the Lord is as a thousand years", but we have to add the following statement, "and a thousand years as one day". Putting these two scriptures together it means that for God time is no factor at all. For us time is a very important factor, but not for God. We have been reminded of His counsel before the foundation of the world and for Him it was all as if it is accomplished, so if the Lord Jesus says, "And behold, I come quickly" we must say, as again Peter says in his second epistle, "The Lord does not delay his promise" (3:9). The promise of His coming is precious and shortly will be fulfilled. We were praying for the gospel this morning. For one reason, among many, God is waiting to give time for people to repent, He "is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance". He is patient with those who are not yet believers. We have been reminded that there may be one or two in our company today and perhaps it is for you that the Lord has not come. Perhaps it is your soul He wants to save. Things must and will shortly come to pass, but when the last soul is saved He will come. His coming in these three verses in our chapter is not limited to the rapture. When He says, "behold, I come quickly", He speaks about His second coming to give to everyone what they deserve. The only two passages in Revelation where we could insert the rapture is between chapters 3 and 4 where John is lifted up after the history of the assembly as a testimony on earth is taken up to heaven. The second is in chapter 12 where we see that the son of the woman of Israel is taken up to heaven and after He is taken up to heaven the three and a half years begin, so we might insert the rapture there too. It is in the Lord's coming we find from chapter 4, "the things that are about to be after these". Three times this expression, "the things which must come to pass", chapters 1:1, 22:6 and 4:1, where it is not said, "the things which must soon come to pass", but "the things which must take place after these things" (v.1). So if the Lord says, "behold, I come quickly" it is in view of His appearing not the rapture.

In verse 7 we have two points presented to us. Firstly, "behold, I come quickly" is the word given to us by Christ Himself. Secondly, it is one of the seven blesseds found in the book of Revelation, "Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book". Concerning the first thing, "behold, I come quickly", the expression is found four times in the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation has been called 'the book of the Lord's coming'. The first time we find this expression is in the epistle to Philadelphia, "behold, I come quickly", and then three times here in the last chapter, verses 7 already quoted, and now verse 12, "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward with me, to render to every one as his work shall be" and lastly in verse 20, "He that testifies these things says, Yea, I come quickly. Amen; come, Lord Jesus". There are two phases in the second coming. First the Lord to take the church to Himself, and then His public appearing in glory. We must not here exclude the first stage of the Lord's coming particularly in view of the fact that in this chapter the Lord Jesus presents Himself not as the Sun of righteousness, as in Malachi. "The bright and morning star" is more particularly is connected with the church. As to the second mention of His coming (in verse 12) this relates to the reward is in connection with the public appearance of the Lord Jesus.

The angel declares the truth of these things, and that the Lord God of the prophets — not as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, nor as directly teaching the assembly as dwelling in it by the Spirit — the Lord God of the prophets has sent His angel to inform His servants of these events. "Behold," says Christ, speaking as of old, in the prophetic spirit, rising up to His now personal testimony, "Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book." The assembly is viewed, not as the subject of prophecy, but as "the things that are," time not being counted, specially time to come. Those that keep it are those concerned in the book, who are warned that Christ will soon be there. No doubt we all can profit by it, but we are not in the scenes it speaks of. John, impressed with the dignity of the messenger, fell down and would have worshipped him. But the saints of the assembly, even if made prophets of, were not to return into the uncertainty of ancient days. The angel was a simple angel, John's fellow-servant, and fellow-servant of his brethren the prophets: he was to worship God. Nor were the sayings to be sealed, as with Daniel: the time was at hand. When it closed its testimony, men would remain in the same state for judgment or blessing. And Christ would quickly come, and every man receive as his work was. Verse 7 was a warning, in form of blessing, to those in the circumstances referred to, to keep the sayings of the book, but this verse 12 is the record of Christ's coming to the general judgment of the quick.

These are the words of the Lord Jesus Himself, conveyed by the angel. He adds the assurance, “Behold I am coming quickly” (v. 7). Mere impatience might not think this to be true, but faith absolutely believes it. Then it surely follows that there is greatest blessing for one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. Keeping these words surely involves laying them to heart and acting in the light of their truth.

In Revelation we have come to the end of the story. Moses and Elijah have disappeared. Peter and Paul and all the great names of every epoch have disappeared, and there remains — "I Jesus." He stands before us in all His excellent beauty and glory. He is the coming One, and he is coming quickly. Perhaps we have understood this word a little too much as referring to time and centuries whereas its primary meaning here may be that of swiftness — no gradual unfolding when He comes but swift as the flash of lightning! When He comes all will be brought to a triumphant conclusion.