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Echoes of Revelation
Revelation never quotes the Old Testament outright, yet no New Testament book refers to it more. See both texts side by side, why they don’t match, and what John does with them.
Revelation 22:12, my reward is with me
Isaiah's picture of the Lord coming with his reward is spoken by Jesus of himself, with the Old Testament rule that each is repaid by his works.
Revelation 22:12, in every translation this tool compares.
When a deputy says the boss's line in the first person, the listeners know who he claims to be. Isaiah announced that the Lord was coming, with his reward with him. Jesus says it of himself, in the first person, with the reward as his own. He adds that he will repay each person for what they have done, a rule the psalms say belongs to God.
Look, coming, and his reward with him. The Greek of Isaiah 40:10 reads idou … ho misthos autou met' autou; John has idou … ho misthos mou met' emou. Isaiah 62:11 repeats it. Psalm 62:12 has repaying each according to works.
Isaiah speaks of the Lord in the third person; Jesus speaks in the first. Isaiah adds that his work is before him; John turns work into each person's deeds. The Greek of Isaiah 62:11 already says the saviour comes, which Beale thinks helped John apply the line to Jesus. The judging by works comes from Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12 and Jeremiah 17:10.
What was said of the Lord is now said by Jesus. Beale calls it another claim to deity. In Isaiah the reward is salvation for God's people; in John it covers reward and judgment, since Jesus repays each person by their works.
Not salvation earned by deeds. Beale says works show who has been washed in the Lamb's blood (22:14); the reward in Isaiah was salvation God gives.
Beale sets Isaiah 40:10 in the Greek beside 22:12 and says what Isaiah foretold of the Lord is fulfilled in Jesus. He adds Isaiah 62:11, where the Greek reads behold, the saviour has come, having his reward with him, and says the Targum and some Greek copies already read the work as each person's work. The Hebrew of Isaiah 40:10 is hinneh secharo itto, his wage is with him. For repayment by works he points to 2:23 and texts such as Proverbs 24:12. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible names Isaiah 40:10, 62:11, Psalm 62:12, Proverbs 24:12 and Jeremiah 17:10 and says the divine role is applied to Jesus. Keener cites Psalm 62:12; the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible cites Isaiah 40:10 and 62:11. The grade is drawn here: the phrase matches Isaiah almost word for word.
The ESV Study Bible reads Jesus here as the Divine Warrior of Isaiah 62:10-63:6, bringing reward and punishment, with degrees of each. Beale stresses that Isaiah's reward is salvation and that judgment is only implied there. Beale also hears Matthew 16:27.
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- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), comment on 22:12
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Revelation 22:12
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, note on Revelation 22:12
- ESV Study Bible, note on Revelation 22:12-16
- NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, cross-references on Revelation 22:12
- Septuagint, Isaiah 40:10 and 62:11, Interlinear Greek-English Septuagint
- Hebrew text of Isaiah 40:10, Miqra according to the Masorah (Sefaria)
- SBL Greek New Testament (MorphGNT), Revelation 22:12
