The Pathway Machine
A Response To The SAB - Revelation 22
Revelation 22:1 - "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb."
The SAB doesn't have an annotation for Revelation 22:1, which I think is kind of odd, because you would think that everlasting life given freely to anyone that asks for it would be at least worth a mention in the Good Stuff of the Bible.
There are a couple reference scriptures to this verse I thought were important. The first is Ezekiel 47:1-10 the prophet sees the water of life mentioned in Revelation 22:1. The angel tells Ezekiel that the water must come to the sea (literally stinking waters) and the sea's water is actually healed, and everything where the water goes will come alive.
At John 4:14 Jesus told a Samaritan woman at the well that the water he gave was everlasting life.
Revelation 22:2 - "In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."
Listed as an absurdity, the SAB says of this verse: "In heaven there will be a tree that has 12 kinds of fruit with leaves that will heal nations. And there will be horses of different colors, singing munchkins, and a great and powerful wizard."
Isn't that cute?
Skeptics are funny in that they will scorn God for allowing the suffering which man created and then mock God for the promise of everlasting life. A symbolic representation of the healing of the nations, where every resident is free from physical, mental and emotional illness is compared to the Wizard Of Oz.
Revelation 22:3 - And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
Though not annotated this verse is important in that the curse, Greek katathema, or "anathema," is applied to the subject in a similar way as was applied to unfaithful Jerusalem, which was cursed by God, and similar to Babylon the Great, which is apostate Christianity. (Revelation 18:4-8) At Galatians 3:10, 13 Paul uses a similar word, epikataratos, to describe the Jews who were under a curse of the Law until Christ who became cursed himself in our place. Paul translated the Hebrew arar from Deuteronomy 27:26.
Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
The SAB: "His name shall be in their foreheads."
WTF? His name will be in their foreheads? Which of Jesus' many secret names will that be? Will believers have "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" branded on their foreheads like Jesus has tattooed to his thigh? Or "The Word of God" or "Jealous?" And why does God have to mark his followers on their foreheads? Can't he tell the ones that are stupid enough to believe this kind of stuff?
Response: Listed as an absurdity, some important facts in considering this verse are that in the Hebrew and Greek the words translated as forehead literally mean "between the eyes" due to its prominence and visibility on a person. In ancient times slaves were marked on their foreheads to display who they belonged to. This carried over to those devoted to pagan gods. The practice is still used today.
Knowing this, it is not surprising that the term was applied figuratively to the slaves of Jehovah God. A similar case can be found at Ezekiel 9:3-6.
Revelation 22:5 - And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Not annotated, Revelation 22:5 mentions there would be no light of the sun. Isaiah 6:19 makes the same statement hundreds of years earlier. Night being no more is most likely only figurative, since night provides covering for all sorts of bad things it can be seen as such an application.
Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
The SAB: "Things which must shortly be done"
All the crazy stuff in this book was supposed to happen soon. And crazy people today still expect it to happen soon.
Response: At Matthew 24:3 / Mark 13:3, 4 John asked Jesus about the end of the system of things, and 60 years later he was still looking forward to it.
There are a couple of points that I would like to make about Skeptics who scoff at the idea of Jesus coming quickly. Of course anyone who has debated with Christians know that they will say a thousand years is like a day to God but there is also the fact that the first prophetic verse regarding Jesus in the Bible is Genesis 3:15. So it was thousands of years before he came the first time, and secondly the Bible indicates that Jesus has most likely already returned.
In 607 B.C.E. the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem. This began a period of time in Biblical history known as the appointed time of the nations (Luke 21:24)
Jerusalem and its kings were God's representation on earth. The destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. was explained by Daniel 4:23-25 as being represented by a great tree which was cut down, but with the rootstock remaining in the earth, though banded with copper. As long as the band was in place the tree wouldn't grow. Daniel said that this period of time when God's kingdom on earth would be interrupted during which there would be no kings representing God on earth would last 7 times.
Revelation 12:6, 14 shows that three and a half times equals 1, 260 days. Twice that would be 7 times or 2,520 days. If a day for a year is applied (Ezekiel 4:6) counting from 607 B.C.E. would bring us to 1914 C.E.
Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The SAB: (22:7, 12, 20) "Behold, I come quickly." - Listed under prophecy.
Revelation 22:8 - And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
There is no annotation for this verse, I would only point out a reference scripture of Acts 10:25-26 where Peter is put into a similar position as the angel.
Revelation 22:9 - Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
The SAB: "I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets"
Mormon apologists use this verse to explain the plagiarism of the Bible in the Book of Mormon. (Prophets sometimes send angelic visitors to other prophets to help with the proper wording of scripture.)
Response: The Book Of Mormon, claimed to be "most correct," quotes 27,000 words directly from the King James Version which is full of errors. Joseph Smith himself began to revise the KJV. The Book Of Mormon itself has had quite a few changes in grammar, spelling and substance.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV) says: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
1 Nephi 1:2-3 (BOM) says: "Yea, I make a record in the language of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians. And I know that the record which I make is true; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge."
Jacob 7:26 (BOM) says: "And it came to pass that I, Jacob, began to be old; and the record of this people being kept on the other plates of Nephi, wherefore, I conclude this record, declaring that I have written according to the best of my knowledge, by saying that the time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a lonesome and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, born in tribulation, in a wilderness, and hated of our brethren, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, we did mourn out our days."
Revelation 22:10 - And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
Listed as an absurdity; see Revelation 22:6, 7, 12, and 20.
Revelation 22:11 - He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
No annotation. Pretty self explanatory. The only thing I would add is that most Christians could learn something by paying attention to this and stop being a self imposed moral authority over those who's lifestyle may be considered filthy.
Revelation 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
No annotation; see Revelation 22:6, 7, 10, and 20.
Revelation 22:13 - "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."
Revelation 22:14 - Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:15 - For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
Listed under Injustice, Language, Intolerance and Homosexuality; the SAB says: "Dogs [homosexuals?], sorcerers, whoremongers, idolaters" and along with anyone who ever told a lie will not enter the heavenly city.
The NWT gives Deuteronomy 23:18 / Matthew 7:6 / Philippians 3:2 as reference verses for the word dogs in Revelation 22:15. At Deuteronomy 23:18 it has a footnote where the word dog appears that reads (Likely a pederast; one who practices anal intercourse, especially with a boy.) In context, considering verse 17 this makes sense because it refers to the sons of Israel not being devoted to temple prostitution, or as the footnote there reads "a catamite" which was a boy kept for purposes of sexual perversion. There are no contextual references to that effect in the case of Revelations 22:15 nor do I see any reason to assign it specifically to a reference of homosexuals, but rather to the morally unclean.
The Hebrew kelev is the word for dog; Greek kyon or kynarion for "little dog" (Matthew 15:26) To the ancient Israelites the dog was ceremoniously unclean so they were not likely to have been domestic. Only Job, a non-Israelite referred to dogs as being his flock. (Job 30:1)
They were scavengers, especially in the cities. (1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:24) Dogs were used figuratively in reference to morally unclean persons.
Dogs were also used in a figurative sense at Judges 7:5 for alertness. Those keeping their eyes open while lapping up water from their hands like a dog were chosen to fight Midian.
The NWT also used the word spiritism (Greek pharmakia) and those carrying on a lie rather than maketh one. There is a distinction between someone who repents the telling of a lie similar to Peter's having denied Jesus 3 times (Matthew 26:69-75) and those who are not repentant and live a lie, carry on lying, especially against the holy spirit or a false love of God while hating your brother. (1 John 4:20-21 / Acts 5:1-11)
Revelation 22:16 - "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." (Greek aster)
The SAB has this verse listed as an absurdity. I can't imagine why. Specifically they seem to think the statement about the morning star is absurd. I think skeptics tend to take the Bible literally in every instance because it is much easier to dismiss it as such. Jesus saying he is a star in a literal sense is absurd.
Stars are used in the Bible to represent persons, angelic or human. Joseph's dream where his parents were the sun and moon and his 11 brothers were 11 stars, for example (Genesis 37:9, 10), as well as the "morning stars" who joyfully cried out at the founding of the earth. (Job 38:7)
Jesus spoke of himself as "the bright morning star" and promised his followers that he would give them "the morning star." (Revelation 22:16; 2:26, 28)
The morning star or daystar represents the dawn of a new day. At certain seasons the brightest of the stars in the eastern horizon announced the coming of the dawn, and so the morning or daystar was a figurative representation of something new.
Some confusion regarding this was caused by the use of the Latin word Lucifer at Isaiah 14:4, 12-13. Jerome's Latin Vulgate translated the Hebrew word Heylel which means "shine; shining one" into the Latin Lucifer which means "light bearer; bringer of dawn." Since the King James Version is heavily influenced by the Latin Vulgate they used the term Lucifer which was thereafter often confused as a name which applies to Satan. Actually the term is being applied there to Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian dynasty, who thought to exalt their throne above the stars of God.
Nebuchadnezzar was the shining one, or bringer of a new dawn in the sense that he would destroy God's earthly representation on earth for their faithlessness. Babylon's conquest of Jerusalem put an end to the Judean kings and began the appointed times of the nations, a time when God would have no kingly representation until the coming of Jesus, a new King.
The term also appeared in the Greek (phosphoros) translated morning star or daystar at 2 Peter 1:19 in a similar way, representing the possibility of a new dawn in the heart of Christians paying attention to the inspired scripture.
Revelation 22:17 - And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
The SAB has no entry for Revelation 22:17. One thing that I thought of interest in the verse is that where it says "and the spirit" it could read "inspired utterance." Also notice that the choice in the matter is up to the person rather than foreordained.
Revelation 22:18-19 - "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
Listed as an absurdity, Revelation 22:18-19 is explained like this by the SAB: "Anyone who adds to the words in Revelation (or to the rest of the Bible) will be struck with plagues, and anyone that tries to remove anything from it will have his name removed from the book of life."
One thing that skeptics often overlook is to whom the Bible is addressed specifically. In Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32 / Proverbs 30:6 there is similar advice to the people of Israel as 2 Corinthians 11:4 / Galatians 1:8 / 1 John 4:3 and Revelation 22:18-19 applied to the early Christians undertaking in the extremely important ministry of the first century C.E.
The Bible wasn't written for us specifically in mind. It was written for the people of the time in which it was written and used by us from example.
Revelation 22:20 - He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
No annotation. See Revelation 22:6 above.
Revelation 22:21 - The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Though the SAB hasn't highlighted verse 21, I have a brief addition myself.
My thoughts on the passage. Grace is a word I sort of bristle at. It has a religious connotation to it that is abused in a way that religious words often are. My personal favorite translation uses "undeserved kindness" instead of "Grace." A footnote points out that the Latin Vulgate, by Jerome, c. 400 C.E. (Iuxta Vulgatam Versionem, Wurttembergische Bibelanstalt, Stuttgart, 1975) and Philoxenian-Harclean Syriac Version, sixth and seventh cent. C.E. Greek Scripture uses the term "Christ" rather than Jesus Christ, and that Codex Sinaiticus, Greek, fourth cent. C.E., British Museum, Hebrew Scripture, Greek Scripture and Codex Alexandrinus, Greek, fifth cent. C.E., British Museum, Hebrew Scripture, Greek Scripture omit it.
It also says "holy ones" instead of "you all." A footnote says that the Codex Sinaiticus, and the Philoxenian-Harclean Syriac Version, both mentioned above uses the term "With the holy ones. Amen!" and the the Latin Vulgate, Clementine recension (S. Bagster & Sons, London, 1977) reads "with all the holy ones. Amen!"; the Codex Alexandrinus and Latin Vulgate, by Jerome, (see above) reads "with you all. Amen!"
The term Jesus Christ was first used by Jesus himself at John 17:3. The Christian Greek scripture opens and closes with the term. (Matthew 1:1; Revelation 22:21)
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