Revelation 22:6; These Words Are Faithful and True
Revelation 22:6 (KJV) 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.
Yet “these sayings are faithful and true” is not just an endorsement of Revelation 21:9-22:5 as the similar ‘these words are the true sayings of God” in Revelation. 19:9 are for the earlier intercalation.
Revelation 19:9 (KJV) And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
“The things which must shortly be done” a little later in v6 shows that this confirmation applies to the whole book (cf. Daniel 8:26).
Daniel 8:26 (KJV) And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true: wherefore shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days.
The all-inclusive scope of “these sayings” provide a smooth transition from the glorious vision of the New Jerusalem to the conclusion of the book (Johnson). “Faithful” and “true” have already received attention at Revelation 19:9 and 21:5.
Revelation 21:5 (KJV) And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
No book in the Bible has more pointed attestation, a stronger safeguarding against tampering, or a more urgent recommendation for study and observance than does the Apocalypse, especially in its Epilogue.
The “and” that follows “true” are quasi-epexegetic, because the clause that follows gives the reason why “these sayings” are faithful and true (Swete). Words approximating the reminder of “the Lord God of the holy prophets” were the words of John himself in Revelation 1:1 (Beckwith), but here they are a continuation of the words of the angel-guide who continued his part at the beginning of v6.
Revelation 1:1 (KJV) The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Terminology related to the title “the Lord God of the holy prophets” has occurred in Revelation 19:10.
Revelation 19:10 (KJV) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The spirit of prophecy are this own spirits, particularly as reflected in their teaching – subjected to God, enlightened and inspired by the Holy Spirit as Revelation 19:10 indicates (Revelation 10:7; 11:18; 22:9; cf. 1 Peter 1:10-11, 2 Peter 1:21; contra Numbers 16:22).
Revelation 10:7 (KJV) But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.
Revelation 11:18 (KJV) And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
Revelation 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.
1 Peter 1:10-11 (KJV) Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
2 Peter 1:21 (KJV) For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they weremoved by the Holy Ghost.
Numbers 16:22 (KJV) And they fell upon their faces, and said, O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt thou be wroth with all the congregation?
This title for God designates one from whom all the prophets, including John, received their messages (Johnson), so this is an indirect certification of John’s words as genuine (Beckwith, Ladd). John associates himself with the whole body of Christian prophets, but not in such a way as to isolate the prophetic order from the rest of the church (Swete). In 1 Corinthians 14:12; 32 “spirit” has the sense of spiritual gifts, a sense that fits comfortably with this context too.
1 Corinthians 14:12 (KJV) Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:32 (KJV) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
The words “and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done” are a direct reference to Revelation 1:1 and the purpose of the whole book in a clock of revealed certainty.
[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody 1995, 496]