Revelation 22:3 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Revelation 22:3

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The Greek word for ‘curse’ is derived from a word meaning ‘a thing devoted to God without hope of being redeemed’ or ‘devoted to destruction’. What is this curse which will be no more? It is spoken of as something which all are familiar with. It is the curse which was pronounced in Eden on mankind and indeed on the whole creation, following Adam’s first sin. It was a remarkable and profound change to the world around him. It affected his body as well as his soul. More than that it affected the sun above his head and the soil under his feet. Everywhere he looked he saw the effect of what he had done. He was taught the enormity of his act of disobedience and how it had changed him and his world forever. Yes, God even subjected the creation to futility for man’s sake. It is the law of decay that operates in the whole of the created order, for when sin entered the heart of man, God did not allow the creation around him to continue in its original perfection, but caused it to reflect the change that sin had brought about in man’s heart. It brought death into the world and suffering and sorrow. It touched the creation in a way that it cannot recover from. The world is now passing away. God’s remedy is to create a new heaven and a new earth, and it is that which is spoken of here. There will be no curse in it, ‘For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, ²¹ Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God’ (Romans 8:20-21). At the same that God announced the punishment, he also announced the remedy. The seed of the woman would one day bruise the serpent’s head. This was stated in veiled form to begin with, but in time would become more and more clear. The deliverance would start with forgiveness. God put in place sacrifices which confirmed his intention to forgive sin. From the earliest time Scripture gave types and shadows of the resurrection. The prophets became even more explicit in holding out hope as time went on, and Isaiah eventually spoke of the creation of a new heaven and earth, free from the corruption of this world (Isaiah 65:25).

Application

But this current cursed universe is so much a part of our daily experience and so pervasive that we find it hard to imagine anything different. Unbelieving parents teach their children that it is normal to be born and to die, part of the natural cycle of this world. Sickness and pain are realities that children come to terms with early in life. The Christian parent looks at their child and wonders what a world they have brought their child into. Nevertheless, the curse weighs heavily on man’s spirit. It is not easy for him to come to terms with death. To the unbeliever, death looms at the end of life as that great absurdity for which he can give no explanation. His attempts to create meaning out of life when death relentlessly reduces his entire life’s work to nothing, are doomed to failure. It is an unequal struggle.

The curse can be viewed not only as a punishment but also as an important source of instruction. It is instruction which enters deep into man’s soul. Though not welcome, it teaches him that all is not well between him and God. It is part of the mercy of God that Adam did not die physically the moment he sinned. That would have immediately ended his opportunity to be saved. As it was, God prolonged his life in this world while leaving the spectre of death hanging over him. The curse, of which death is the most obvious element, warns men that this world is passing away. To make a god of it is foolishness. To seek security in it is a flawed policy. The effect of the curse ought to be to drive men and women to God, who alone is incorruptible. For those who do not believe there is a God, life is indeed hopeless.

‘And his servants shall serve him.’ What a wonderful definition of a converted person! You serve him wherever you are. You serve him at business. Wherever you are placed by God you are a representative of Christ. You are serving him by your life; in every opportunity he provides you speak of him, and the word of the gospel and new standards. In the church, in our leisure moments, we are always serving him. What a terrible thing when we drift from that, and we are no longer serving Christ. We worship, we pray, we trust him, but we must also say, ‘I'm in his service in the family circle. I’m in his service in my conduct toward my husband, my wife, my children. I’m ever in his service, pleasing him. That’s my aspiration and my aim.

Questions

This verse teaches that the throne of God cannot be established in Jerusalem until the curse is removed. How could it be otherwise? How could Christ reign on earth that still showed signs of his anger towards it. What is more blessed than the coming of the Son of God to rule his people personally? But what shows God’s displeasure against man more clearly than the curse? How could the Lord give such contradictory messages at once? How could Christ return to rule over a world that still bore marks of corruption. His kingdom is a perfect kingdom; it would be a great dishonour to his majesty for him to return to rule over a creation still under the curse. Again, how could heaven come down to earth before the curse had been removed? Heaven must be kept pure and undefiled with the pollution of the earth. Otherwise heaven would be no different to the earth. The saints have been given their resurrection bodies, new glorified bodies. How can such bodies dwell in a world still under the curse?

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Revelation 22:3 Commentary and Bible Study