Revelation 22:8-14

(Rev 22:8 KJV)
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 showed me these things.

John was once again overwhelmed with what he was shown and with what he heard, he had bowed down in front of the messenger to worship at his feet. This messenger was no doubt so filled with the glory of God, that it caused John to bow down to worship him.

(Rev 22:9 KJV)
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.

John is once again prevented from worshipping this messenger because he is not the Lord God. We are to worship only the Lord God and never to worship anything nor anyone, even of the heavenly host. This was forbidden and this type of worship had caused Israel to go astray with the surrounding pagan nations who worshipped false gods and worshipped the heavenly hosts. It is not likely that John was attempting to commit idolatry but the glorious situation he was in may have caused him to inadvertently attempt to worship the messenger.

(Rev 22:10 KJV)
And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

(Dan 12:4 KJV) But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Daniel was told to seal up the book till the time of the end. According to the book of Revelation, the end times started at the cross and would come to an end on the last day. In 22:10, the messenger is telling John that he should not seal up the book because the time is at hand, in other words, the end has begun and Revelation will not be a closed book. As with all the Scriptures, it remains a closed book to those who are unsaved but to the true believer who is indwelled with the Holy Spirit, the Bible will be an unsealed book. It will still not be the most easy book to understand but with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to come to an understanding of it. This is why God gave us the Holy Spirit so He can illuminate the Scriptures for us.

(Rev 22:11 KJV)
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.

Here is the separation of the holy and unholy. Those who are saved will be righteous and holy but those who are unsaved will remain filthy and unjust. When God chose Him a people from before the foundation of the world, those who would become saved would become righteous and holy, and because they can never lose their salvation, they will remain in that saved state of righteousness and holiness. The unbeliever who is not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will remain in an unsaved state throughout their life on earth and into eternity.

(Rev 22:12 KJV)
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Once again the Lord Jesus reminds us that He is going to come quickly (speedily) and His reward is with Him to give to every person who has ever lived on earth. The reward of the saved will be eternal life. (Luke 18:29-30 KJV) And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, {30} Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. Those who did not become saved will also receive their reward which will be according to their works. The unbeliever will have the works of unrighteousness and those works will cause them to be cast into eternal hell. (2 Tim 4:14 KJV) Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

(Rev 22:13 KJV)
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Here we are once again presented with the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, which is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. It tells us that all things in this present world and universe began with Him and will end with Him. He is the first and the last which teaches us that He is the eternal one. He was before all things were created and He will bring all things to their appointed end. When we look at the point of view of the Lord Jesus Christ, the end was already at hand in John’s day, how much closer today?

(Rev 22:14 KJV)
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.

Those that do His commandments are only those who have kept them perfectly. No human on their own could ever keep the law of God perfectly. The only way a person can keep the law is through the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ who became the sacrifice for the sins of God’s Elect. Those who are truly saved have the imputed righteousness of Christ upon them. Since Christ kept the holy demands of God’s righteous law perfectly, that perfection was imputed to the believer upon the moment of their salvation. The tree of life is a synonym for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself and true salvation is the gate whereby the true believer enters the city, which is the body of believers.