B. Separation Between Good And Evil (21:5—8)
B. SEPARATION BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL (21:5—8)
5. This is noteworthy as one of the very few occasions in Revelation on which God himself is said to speak (1:8, perhaps 16:1, 17). It is usually an angel or an unidentified voice (as in v.3). John tells us now that God speaks, but he does not say to whom he speaks. It may be to the heavenly hosts, though it is not easy to see why they would need this saying. But certainly the words mean reassurance for the little church of John’s day. Its persecuted and threatened members needed these words of hope. I am making everything new (cf. Is. 65:17) of course refers primarily to the final renewing at the End. But the present tense is used and it is worth reflecting that God continually makes things new here and now (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:16—18; 5:16—17; Col. 3:1—4; etc.). Then he said is better than ‘And he said’ and is probably an interjection from another speaker (the Greek is kai legei which comes between two kai eipen). It may be that John was so astounded that he forgot to write and an angel reminded him, telling him that these words (presumably the words about to be spoken, though they may be the words about renewal) are trustworthy and true. They must be recorded.
6. It appears that we have the words of God again. It is done is really a plural, ‘they are done’. This probably refers to all the events that had to take place. To troubled Christians the future seemed problematical. The firm word of God reassures them. He is in command and in the end all things work out just as he wills. I am the Alpha and the Omega (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet) followed by the Beginning and the End (cf. 1:8; 22:13) reveals God as the Originator and Completer of all things. I is emphatic as the speaker moves on to the satisfying of man’s deep spiritual need. The gift is made to him who is thirsty, and we may fairly conclude that unless anyone feels a need he will not seek satisfaction. When he does the need is met from the spring of the water of life (cf. Is. 55:1; Jn. 4:10,14). The adverb ‘freely’ (NIV without cost) emphasizes that God’s gift is not grudging. The thirsty may rely on a full and free supply of their need.
7.
He who overcomes takes us back to the messages to the seven churches (chs.2 and 3). The victor is now assured that in the final triumph he will inherit all things. He will have no lack. Moreover God will be his God and he will be God’s son (cf. 2 Sa. 7:14). He will have a special relationship to the supreme Ruler of all.
8. The reverse side of this is the evil fate that awaits sinners. John inserts a brief but serious warning. The cowardly head the list. In the circumstances in which John’s readers found themselves, courage was very important, all the more so in that he is speaking now of final realities. To be cowardly before the enemies of God at the last is finally to lose the things of God. John is not speaking of natural timidity, but of that cowardice which in the last resort chooses self and safety before Christ, and fears the threats of the beast rather than trusts the love of Christ. God did not give his people such a spirit of cowardice (2 Tim. 1:7).
It is not unlikely that we should take apistois (unbelieving) in the sense ‘not to be trusted’, i.e. those who in the testing time have given way. It could, of course, mean those who lack all faith, but it seems that these are in mind throughout the list and are not to be located specially in any one term. The vile are not defined with precision. The term is a general one, covering defilement of various kinds. There is probably the idea that to accept ideas and practices from heathen religions is to be defiled (cf. 17:4-5).
Murderers will have a special reference to the persecutors, though, of course, all homicide is covered. The sexually immoral strictly are male prostitutes, but in the New Testament the word refers to sexual sin in general. Here there is possibly a reference to idol-worship as well. This will also be the case with those who practise magic arts, which may contain a side glance at such practices as making the image of the beast to speak (13:15). We should not dismiss magic as of no concern to us as long as many who call themselves Christians persist in the use of good-luck charms and the like. Their attitude is that of those who practised magic of old. Idolaters had to be castigated in the ancient world and we do well in modern times to be on our guard against putting anything in the place of the one true God. Last are all liars, for truth is a quality earnestly to be sought. The place for all such sinners is in the fiery lake of burning sulphur. John has described this as ‘the second death’ (20:14), a description he now repeats.