chapter three

(v. 12) which sums up in itself all the fulness of the future revelation of God to the glorified, the transcendental and ineffable name to men upon earth “which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it”, i. e. in the future life of the heavenly kingdom.

It is surely worthy of our attention here to note in closing, how all God’s revelations of himself have not only tended to grow in intensity and clearness, but also to center in the name by which he is made known. Beginning with the announcement of his sacred name Jehovah, as distinct from his former name Elohim, in connection with the great events of Israel’s redemptive history, there is a manifest movement in the historical self‐revelation of God to men that is marked by progressive steps which lead on through all the promise and mystery of the incarnate Christ to this final revelation of himself, lying beyond history, that shall be made to the redeemed under the “new name” when redemption is complete. He who was first promised to men, to be born “of the seed of the woman”, and “of the seed of Abraham”, and was afterward more clearly revealed to Israel as “the son of David”, “the servant of Jehovah”, “Immanuel”, “the Son of Man”, and “the Messiah”, and who was made known to men in his incarnation as “Jesus”, “the Christ”, and “our Lord”, was finally recognized by the church under his full redemptive title as “the Lord Jesus Christ”, by which name he shall be known throughout all the centuries to the end of time. But the vision of the city of God reaches far beyond this, and tells of his name to be then written upon the foreheads of the redeemed, manifestly his “own new name” (ch. 3:12) that is to be revealed to the glorified when redemption is complete, which stands for the full, final, and complete revelation of God in Christ in the new relations of the great future life in heaven.

Thus, with the redeemed enthroned in power, and dwelling in the unveiled presence of God revealed, there is completely fulfilled the ultimate divine purpose of man’s creation and redemption. This, in John’s view, is the consummation of all things, that

“One far‐off divine event, To which the whole creation moves.”

The transition to the closing part of the book is now made, but it is not very definitely marked, and in the division into chapters it was overlooked entirely, for the twenty‐second chapter should begin at this point. Some would make the break at the close of verse seven, but it more properly belongs at the close of verse five, where the description of the New Jerusalem ends.

III THE EPILOGUE, Ch. 22:6‐21

The epilogue consists of a recapitulation of the authority and contents of the book, instructions for its use, and an enforcement of its lessons. It is a brief but impressive conclusion, giving the final words of the angel, with the promise of Christ to the victors, and the closing testimony of John.

A The Final Words of the Angel, with the Promise of Christ, Ch. 22:6‐16

These words should be regarded as spoken for Christ, and the promise to the victors as made in his name, by the angel that he sent to testify these things unto John, the interpreting angel of