Revelation 22:10 (ASV)

Passage

And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.

Nearby Context

Revelation 22:8 And I John am he that heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel that showed me these things.

Revelation 22:9 And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren the prophets, and with them that keep the words of this book: worship God.

Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not up the words of the prophecy of this book; for the time is at hand.

Revelation 22:11 He that is unrighteous, let him do unrighteousness still: and he that is filthy, let him be made filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him do righteousness still: and he that is holy, let him be made holy still.

Revelation 22:12 Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to render to each man according as his work is.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "saith", "seal", "words", "prophecy", "book", "time", and "hand". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "saith" and "seal", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 9's "And he saith unto me See thou..." into verse 11's "He that is unrighteous let him do...", so "saith" and "seal" belong inside that flow. In Revelation context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "saith" and "seal" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.