Introduction

Hello, everyone. We continue with Revelation chapter 22. In the blink of an eye, we have come to the final chapter of Revelation. How I long for what this chapter speaks of to be fulfilled soon. When that day comes, none of our toil, none of the race we have run by faith, will have been in vain. So the theme of this chapter is: “Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Whether we have just begun to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit, whether we do not yet know God in this world, or whether we have only just come to know Him, there is in every heart a groaning and a burden. What exactly are we doing in this world? We go through so many things. Sometimes it is others who face separation and death; sometimes it is ourselves. Then a person is simply gone.

At times, I feel deeply moved. Several of my good friends in Singapore are gone. We used to be very close. We often drank coffee together, chatted, shared testimonies, and spoke of what God had done. But in a moment, one had been gone for three years, another for four years, another for two years.

When they lay in their coffins and I stood outside, what could I say? Man goes through so much in this world. How wonderful it would be if he were truly blessed. Yet blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book.

In my heart, there is a glorious hope—the blessing spoken of in this book. It is good to be blessed in this world. But to be blessed in eternity is something far greater. The prophecy speaks of blessing in eternity.

The Water of the River of Life

What is the difference between the water of the river of life and the mineral water we usually drink? Is it not all water? Let me tell you: the river of life is no ordinary water. After people drink ordinary water, they become thirsty again. A man working at a construction site may be sweating heavily, thirsty beyond words, with his throat feeling as though it is on fire. At that moment, water tastes very good.

But Jesus Christ said, “The water I give is the water of the river of life. Whoever drinks of it will never thirst again. In heaven, all who are willing may come and drink.” The water of the river of life will make you never thirst again.

We have all had drinks from brands such as Chagee and Mixue Bingcheng. Is the water of the river of life like Nongfu Spring—“a little sweet”? I have never tasted it, so I do not know. But I have a hope in my heart: one day, I want to drink the water of the river of life.

There is a strange thing about this world. I used to think, how good it would be if I had a car. I got my driving licence in the early 1990s, and I have been driving for more than thirty years. Before buying a car, I thought: having a car would be wonderful. So I bought not only a car, but also picnic chairs, a picnic table, picnic utensils, and a tent.

Then I went on one picnic. I set up the tent and found that it was not all that interesting. Beforehand, it had seemed so good. I had bought the entire set. Do you have this kind of experience? Later, all these things sat in the boot of the car, taking up space and growing mouldy. In the end, I threw them away. I had used them only a few times.

Sometimes I stood upstairs and looked down at my car from the window. I used to look at other people’s cars and think how nice it would be to drive out, go on a road trip, have a picnic, and put up a tent. Yet after using my own car a few times, I found it was nothing much. Later, I realised that things in this world are like this. You have a house, live in it, and find it is just so. You have a car, sit in it, and find it is just so.

The things of this world leave you thirsty again. But when you drink the water of the river of life, you will thirst no more. What does that feel like? If you have not been there, you cannot describe it.

When I first came to know the Lord Jesus, I entered a church. They brought me to a meeting. Before the meeting, there was a class. After the meeting, they brought me into a small room to pray for the “filling of the Holy Spirit.”

That day, I did not eat breakfast or lunch. They kept at it until three in the afternoon. My stomach was growling because they insisted that I pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, I could not leave that little room.

In fact, prayer was easy. I learned quickly. Those Christians were delighted. Though I had learned only a few phrases, I tell you, I had a very remarkable feeling at that time. Before I entered the church, I felt that the world was black, white, and dim. Everything looked grey, as if my heart had been covered in oil.

Then I entered the church and learned those two phrases of prayer in tongues. Wow. People had always said that Singapore was a garden city. It truly was. How had the flowers become colourful? They were beautiful. That was the first time I tasted the water of the river of life. After drinking it, I felt exceptionally good.

I had another feeling. Before I entered the church, my heart was unsettled. If you have that same feeling, then you too need the water of the river of life. When I came out of church, my heart was at rest. It felt good.

If someone dragged you into a small room and insisted on getting you “filled with the Holy Spirit,” would you come back next time? Probably not. But I had some sense. I felt good, so I came back the next time. I continued until today. Thank God. My feelings did not deceive me. My heart was at rest.

That church spoke English. Though I could understand only a few sentences now and then, it truly felt good. The water of the river of life makes you thirst no more. Your heart settles down, and your eyes begin to see things rightly. Later, I read the English Bible. In one chapter, there could be dozens of words I did not know. So I kept flipping through the dictionary and read with all my strength.

How wonderful it is to drink the water of the river of life. We are still at Alpha. When we arrive at the Omega of Revelation, we will be able to drink the water of the river of life. When we have drunk it, how good it will feel. Therefore, blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book.

By the River Stands the Tree of Life, Bearing the Fruit of Life

By the river is the tree of life, and on it is the fruit of the tree of life. Have you eaten it? I have not, but I have a glorious hope within me. Brothers and sisters, people must live with hope.

Once, I was on a train. Sitting opposite me was an elderly and wealthy man. We began to talk. He said to me, “Look, now I can eat whatever I want and drink whatever I want. But why does life no longer seem as full of purpose as it once did?”

Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. There is the water of the river of life and there is the fruit of the tree of life. I have not eaten it, but I truly want to. Whether it is the water of the river of life or the fruit borne by the tree of life beside the river, we have not tasted them. But I have this glorious hope. A man without hope is in a sad state.

When I was young, I felt that my parents had great hope. They thought, “In another five years, the children will all be grown up. They can work and earn money. We can repay our debts, and our family will no longer be poor.” What a great hope that was. I felt that life had a future. Therefore, we must live with hope.

What do I hope for? The water of the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life. It is like the peaches of immortality in Journey to the West. Not just anyone could eat them. Those who could eat the fruit of the peach tree of immortality and the ginseng fruit tree were no ordinary people.

Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. If Adam had picked the fruit of the tree of life, our story would have ended there. There would have been no Alpha, Beta, Gamma, or Omega. It would have gone directly to Omega. We would not even be here now.

But keeping the prophecy of this book is not easy, because many people place their hope in this world. To eat the fruit of the tree of life is a blessing. Imagine standing on the city wall, looking down, taking a bite of the fruit of the tree of life. The people outside the city wall see it. They do not have it. They want to eat it but cannot. They want to enter the city but cannot. Nor can you smuggle the fruit of the tree of life beyond the city wall. The people outside would be dying of envy. Who can eat it? Those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book.

For every price we pay, every battle, every victory, and every struggle, we may shed tears, sweat, and even blood. But we must not be without hope. Adam and Eve did not eat the fruit of the tree of life. They lived under a curse. It was tragic. Even for the sake of this fruit, we must run this heavenly race and keep the prophecy of this book. With this glorious hope, life on this earth has real purpose.

Brothers and sisters, do not be like the people of the world, who merely eat what they want and drink what they want. That is eating and drinking while waiting to die. We eat and drink while waiting for the fruit of the tree of life. Keeping the prophecy of this book is not easy because it requires us to pay a price.

Revelation says that the brethren overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they do not love their lives even unto death. In truth, it is not so difficult. When we carry this glorious hope, what are these light and momentary troubles?

We are already living in eternity. At our end, Jesus Christ gives us this revelation in Revelation: “Behold, blessed are those who keep this prophecy.” The water of the river of life and the fruit of the tree of life—how wonderful they are.

No More Curse, No More Night

If you have spiritual eyes, you will discover how terrible curses are. A person carrying a curse is in great misery. Can you turn a curse around by your own strength? You cannot. If Jesus Christ had not truly borne our curses and carried our sorrows, would we not be in utter misery? But if you keep the prophecy of this book, you will be blessed. The curse will be removed completely. There will be no more night, and God’s glory will be with us.

Some ask, “If the lights are not turned off, how can we sleep?” Perhaps you are still troubled by sleep now. At that time, you will not have such a concern. There will be no curse, no night, no sorrow. How wonderful. Will there still be sickness? No. Look at the state in which we live today: high blood sugar, low blood sugar, lumps on the head, pus flowing from the soles of the feet. Do you still place your hope in this world?

Can you become thoroughly disillusioned with this world and stop fussing over its matters? There are many curses in this world. There are many days of darkness. It is hard. Yesterday, as I led prayer, one person had pain in the foot, another had pain in the buttocks, and another had pain in the cervical spine. People in this world are in a miserable condition.

How could we live without the Lord? Once, I was eating with some classmates. Halfway through the meal, a call came. Another classmate had been admitted to the intensive care unit. I drove there to see him, but they would not let us enter the ICU. He had early-stage stomach cancer. The surgery had gone well, but on the third day, the wound did not heal, and his abdomen was filled with gastric fluid. A few days later, I went to the funeral parlour. He lay in a coffin. The man was gone.

Thank God. There will be no curse and no night. What a wonderful hope. Will we still need medicine? No. We will have the water of the river of life. Beside the river stands the tree of life, bearing fruit. Its leaves will heal the nations. There will be no curse, no night, and no tears—only joy and gladness.

Do you long for this? We must press our way in. Brothers and sisters, even if we have to force our way in with all our might, we must keep the prophecy of this book. When we have kept it, we will be blessed. We must become blessed people.

They Shall Reign as Kings

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

To reign as kings is an even greater blessing. Keeping this prophecy is the destiny of kings. How good it is to be a king. Across from Singapore lies Malaysia. Malaysia has several kings, called Sultans. Many small kingdoms came together to form Malaysia. In Malaysia, you do not offend a Sultan lightly. They are powerful because they are kings.

Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. They may also reign as kings. This gives us hope. In a deck of cards, there are big jokers and small jokers. To be a king is a blessing. To keep the prophecy of this book and pay this small price—what is that compared with the destiny of reigning as a king?

In ancient times, there was an emperor from the Liu family called Liu Bang. He was once an ordinary man from the streets, but he suddenly became emperor—Emperor Gaozu of Han. Tang Taizong, Li Shimin, was also an emperor. How much effort did they put in for the throne? Was it hard to fight battles north and south? Of course it was hard. Compared with them, what is the small price we pay? Therefore, blessed are those who keep the prophecy of this book.

Some say, “Teacher, I do not really want to be a king. I only want to go to heaven and work as a cleaner.” But the book contains no office of cleaner. There is, however, an office called king. You will govern several cities. Do not imagine that being a king means eating well and drinking well every day. That would be boring. You are going to reign in heaven and govern several cities. Pay some price now, shed some sweat, some tears, even some blood, and then you may reign as a king. Keeping the prophecy of this book is a good thing.

Do Not Seal the Prophecies

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

Revelation was written nearly two thousand years ago. But now, as we read Revelation, the time is indeed near. “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book” means that we must openly declare this prophecy to all. Do you want to reign as a king? Do you want to eat the fruit of the tree of life? Do you want to take some leaves from the tree of life, boil them into a soup, and be healed? Do you want to stop living under curses and have no more night? Of course you do. You dream of it.

Begin to dream now. The Bible paints for us a very beautiful dream. Blessed are those who keep the prophecy of this book. Do not seal this matter up. Speak of it openly. All of us Christians must hear it: blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Do you want it? If you dream of it, then keep dreaming.

There is a car brand called BYD. At the back of the car are the English words, “Build Your Dreams.” Is that not so? Do not seal this prophecy. It is so that you may have a dream.

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. (Revelation 22:11)

Do you have this dream? It is your choice. It is your destiny. Some do not want this dream. They only want to become the richest man in a third-tier city. Sadly, they do not succeed. They may drive a BYD, but they build nothing. This prophecy must be proclaimed, not sealed away. God speaks openly: do you want it or not? If you see it and think it is good, say, “I want it. I am willing to believe.”

If someone asks, “Why do you believe?” say, “It is so good. Why should I not believe?” This prophecy is excellent. It concerns whether a man believes or does not believe. If you do not believe, you have your dream and I have mine. We do not interfere with one another. You take your broad road; I take my narrow path.

Our dream is no ordinary dream. The way we believe is no ordinary way. Our blessing is no ordinary blessing. Let me tell you: if others ask, “Why do you believe in the Lord?” say, “From the day I believed, I have received grace upon grace. Why should I not believe?” The prophecy in this book writes to you about the end of this world. If you believe that the end of the world will be like this, then you should make a decision. How should you live? Consider it carefully.

If you are wise enough, receive this prophecy well. The things to come will be fulfilled according to the prophecy of the Bible. What will happen after its fulfilment? You will surely be assigned work of management. Jesus said, “Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your master. I will put you in charge of five cities.”

If you govern first-tier cities, that would be remarkable. Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen are four cities. If each city has twenty million people, five cities would mean one hundred million people. Can you govern them? You must understand how good this prophecy is. Make your choice now. This is not about becoming a millionaire or even a billionaire. This is far greater.

I often ask myself: how many cities can I govern? So I train myself well now. I ask God to mould me, so that I may become more and more after His heart. I only want to be a good and faithful servant, giving food at the proper time. Why do I work so diligently, study the Bible so carefully, and prepare sermons with such care? Because I will manage many things in the future, and I want to manage them well.

The Lord Jesus Is the Bright Morning Star

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12-13)

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. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practises a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright Morning Star.” And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:16-17)

We have such confidence because of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, have you experienced the grace of God? You have. If Jesus Christ had not accomplished salvation for us, we would still be living under curses.

Every brother and sister—whether you had a serious illness or a minor illness—if you were healed among us, have you not experienced God? We have testimonies large and small, experiences large and small. Because of these, you begin to carry a glorious hope in eternity. The promises of Jesus Christ are continually being manifested in us. Jesus Christ is the Bright Morning Star. He is the Lord who brings us hope.

Brothers and sisters, outside the city are sorcerers, the sexually immoral, and murderers. But inside the city, they are no more. Revelation is a revelation concerning the victorious church. Therefore, Jesus Christ sent His angel to testify these things to us in all the churches.

Our faith is not empty. It does not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. Let our faith be built upon Jesus Christ, upon His resurrection from the dead, and upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the power of God, how could we live?

Brothers and sisters, with this faith and hope, do not love the world any longer. You will surely be set free. You will surely have liberty. You will surely overcome the devil and the enemy through Jesus Christ, and overcome sickness. Do not hold on to fleshly notions. Sickness is linked to fleshly notions. Curses are matters of the spiritual realm. Every sickness is connected with demons.

Jesus Christ is the Bright Morning Star. He will testify these things to all the churches. Do you understand? If these things were not so real, what would we believe in? We would be believing in something empty. But believing in God truly works. The Lord is everything. If you are willing, you may freely take the water of life. The Lord Jesus is the water of the river of life.

Do Not Add to It or Take Away from It

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! (Revelation 22:18-20)

“Do not add and do not take away.” This is mentioned in the Five Books of Moses, and it is mentioned again in John’s Revelation. This means that adding to or taking away from God’s word is a very serious matter. If we believe in the Lord Jesus, we must believe in the whole gospel. Do not add anything, and do not take anything away.

The strongest point of Chinese Mingding Doctrine is that it continually returns to the Bible itself. What does it mean not to add or take away? The gospel of Jesus Christ is a complete system. You cannot remove from it, and you cannot add to it. Those who add will be cursed and will suffer disasters. From those who take away, God will take away their share in the tree of life and the holy city.

Consider this carefully. Much has been added, and much has been removed, that does not belong to the complete truth of the gospel. We observe carefully and find that some people seem very good. They serve God diligently in the church. They are senior pastors of large churches. Yet why do they get cancer?

Let me tell you: cancer is no joke. To die in misery, crying out in pain, is no good thing. Why do such things happen to these people? The key is that they add casually and take away casually.

If you use this logic to examine matters, you will find that many things in some churches are strange and not in accordance with the Bible. These people may think they are very biblical, yet they do not enjoy the blessing of keeping the prophecy of this book. The blessing of keeping the prophecy of this book includes freedom from cancer.

It is because the gospel we believe has been casually altered—something added here, something removed there. For example, healing and deliverance, the filling of the Holy Spirit, and prayer in tongues have been removed. That is fatal. When the gospel we believe has become a powerless gospel, wholly without power, and entirely different from what Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul did, then it is not the gospel at all.

Yet they still say, “We are orthodox.” I cannot be bothered to argue with them. God Himself will judge. God will surely deal with it. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me.” Reward and punishment have already come. Therefore, taking away or adding is fatal.

These people are bold. Some pastors visit church members with cancer in the hospital and dare to say anything. If it were me, I would say, “This is a curse.” Some say, “Teacher, that hurts people.” But the curse hurts him far more deeply than my saying it.

Many people dare not speak the truth. Instead, they say that sickness is “a blessing in disguise.” Then let them have some of it. Do they want it? I do not have the nerve to say such things. It is all to please people, because they dare not speak the truth. They say, “Sickness is grace,” when sickness is plainly a curse. Therefore, repent. Do not add anything. Do not take anything away. These matters are fatal.

If you say, “Teacher, there is such a verse in the Bible. That is what it says,” I would say, “Oh, I did not know that. Thank you.” Let me tell you: much suffering is related to curses. When a man disobeys God’s word, he will surely be miserable. Even if grace is given to you again and again, it cannot withstand your sinning again and again. Grace is meant to lead you to repentance.

The Lord Is Coming Quickly

The Lord is coming quickly. The One who testifies to these things is Jesus Christ. Has it been testified among us? Yes, it has. He says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Do you think the Lord Jesus delays? He does not. When will He come again? In truth, He is among us every day. God’s judgment can be seen in this world every day. Never think that Jesus Christ is Father Christmas.

Two thousand years have passed since Revelation was written. The Lord is coming quickly. The Lord Jesus has never delayed in judgment, reward, or punishment. The final blessing is this: blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Apart from this final blessing, the blessings we experience now are all recorded in the Bible. The Lord is coming quickly.

I never say, “Lord, when are You coming? Why has it taken so long?” For the Lord Jesus has promised, “I am coming quickly.” I say, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” When has our Lord Jesus ever delayed in doing anything? Never.

The time is drawing nearer. My hope is not in this world, but in Jesus Christ. We build His glorious church, lead brothers and sisters to keep the prophecy of this book, run this heavenly race together, and carry the glorious hope of eternity. Behold, a beautiful inheritance has been prepared for us. How wonderful it is.

This is where we will end today’s Bible study. May God bless you all!