Revelation 22:10 (DBY)

Passage

And he says to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near.

Nearby Context

Revelation 22:8 And I, John, [was] he who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to do homage before the feet of the angel who shewed me these things.

Revelation 22:9 And he says to me, See [thou do it] not. I am thy fellow-bondman, and [the fellow-bondman] of thy brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Do homage to God.

Revelation 22:10 And he says to me, Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. The time is near.

Revelation 22:11 Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously still; and let the filthy make himself filthy still; and let him that is righteous practise righteousness still; and he that is holy, let him be sanctified still.

Revelation 22:12 Behold, I come quickly, and my reward with me, to render to every one as his work shall be.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "says", "seal", "words", "prophecy", "book", "time", and "near". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "says" 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 says to me See thou..." into verse 11's "Let him that does unrighteously do unrighteously...", so "says" 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 "says" and "seal" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.