First Pass at This Weekend's Bible Lesson: Revelation 22:12-21

[Most weeks, I present as many updates on my reflections and study of the Biblical texts on which our weekend worship celebrations will be built as I can. The purpose is to help the people of the congregation I serve as pastor, Friendship Lutheran Church of Amelia, Ohio, get ready for worship. Hopefully, it's helpful to others as well, since our Bible lesson is usually one from the weekly lectionary, variations of which are used in most of the churches of the world.]

This Week's Bible Lesson: Revelation 22:12-21
12“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they will have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16“It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let everyone who hears say, “Come.” And let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift. 18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this book; 19if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

20The one who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

General Comments:
1. John, the only Gospel writer to have a prologue and a brief epilogue in his narrative of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, appears to have the same literary devices in the book of Revelation. Our lesson is part of what most scholars see as the epilogue of Revelation.

Some say that the epilogue is composed of Revelation 22:6-21, while others leave out the last verse as a separate item, a stereotyped closing greeting in early Christian correspondence.

2. Whatever one includes in epilogue, it's clear that John intends for it, along with the prologue, to form what scholars call an inclusio, framing the major themes of Revelation at the book's beginning and end. (For a brief, helpful discussion of the inclusio as a literary device, see the second section here.)

3. Jeske points to common verbal similarities between the prologue, Revelation 1:1-8, and epilogue:

One can...see that a relationship...between the epilogue and prologue in terms of verbal similarities and subject matter. For instance [in the epilogue], there is a restatement of the theme of reception, that God is the source of the message that John has shared with his audience, mediated to him from Jesus through an angelic messenger (22:6, 16; cf. 1:1). There is also the reference to the entire writing as "the words of prophecy" (22:7, 10, 18-19; cf. 1:3), to be read in the church (22:18; cf. 1:3, 11). Those who keep the words of this prophecy are blessed (22:18; cf. 1:3, 11). Those who keep the words of this prophecy are blessed (22:7; cf. 1:3). There are the Alpha and the Omega theme (22:13; cf. 1:8), beatitudes (22:7, 14; cf. 1:3), a word of grace (22:21; cf. 1:4), and the announcement of Christ's coming soon (22:6-7, 12, 20; cf. 1:1, 7)...

4. It isn't surprising, Jeske says, to see certain of the entire book's themes reiterated in the epilogue:

For instance, the warning to John is repeated that he should not confuse the mediating messenger with God, the source of the message...(22:8-9; cf. 19:10). Other repeated themes include: the access of God's people to the tree of life in the new holy city (22:14, 19; cf. 22:2); a list of vices (22:15; cf. 21:8); the testimony to the churches as delivered by the messenger sent by Jesus (22:16; cf. 2:1-3:22).

[I hope to have verse-by-verse comments tomorrow.]