Search

1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3There will be no curse any more. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no night, and they need no lamp light or sun light; for the Lord God will illuminate them. They will reign forever and ever.

6He said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets sent his angel to show to his bondservants the things which must happen soon.”

7“Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. 9He said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 10He said to me, “Don’t seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. 11He who acts unjustly, let him act unjustly still. He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. He who is righteous, let him do righteousness still. He who is holy, let him be holy still.”

12“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city. 15Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” He who hears, let him say, “Come!” He who is thirsty, let him come. He who desires, let him take the water of life freely.

18I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book. 19If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. 20He who testifies these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen! Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

21The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all the saints. Amen.

Archaeological Evidence for the Existence of King David

Archaeological Evidence for the Existence of King David

Artifact | Rev 22:16 | Hershel Wayne House

For a number of years many biblical scholars and archaeologists have questioned the historicity of King David. In the 20th century, this began to change because of three important finds. First, Avraham Biran discovered at Tel Dan an Aramaic stela, dated approximately 841 B.C. that mentioned the House of David, a usage in the ancient world clearly referring to the founder of a dynasty, and written about 150 years after David’s death. 

The pertinent section of the text reads:

“[I killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab] king of Israel,
and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin]g
      of the House of David.”

(Tel Dan Inscription, lines 7b-8a)

The Mesha stela, dating to the 9th century B.C. (also known as Moabite Stone) reveals the designation House of David (though some recent scholars have argued that it speaks of the Moabite king Balak), as well as the name of Yahweh, God of Israel. The text speaks of Judah’s occupation of part of southern Moab.

   The pertinent section of the text reads:

         "altars of Yahweh, and I brought them before Chemosh. (line 18)

. . .

         “And the house [of Da]vid (bt[d]wd) dwelt in Horonen

           [. . .] and Kamosh said to me: “Go down!

                   Fight against Horonen.”

            (Mesha Inscription, lines 31b-32a)

Last of all is the engraving of Pharoah Shoshenq I of Egypt at Karnak, where he has a lengthy list of place names in Israel, Judah, the Negev, and nearby locations, in which the name of David is mentioned (the heights of Dwt). 

   The pertinent section of the text reads:

         “highlands/heights of David”

         (Shoshenq I [Shishak in OT] Inscription, number 105 + 106)

(See K. A. Kitchen, On the Reliability of the Old Testament, 92-93), André Lemaire, “‘House of David’ Restored in Moabite Inscription” Biblical Archaeology Review 20:3 (May/June 1994, Michael D. Coogan, ed., The Oxford History of the Biblical World, pp. 175-176, and Iain Provan, V. Philips Long, and Tremper Longman III, A Biblical History of Israel, p. 216 [basis of texts and translations above]).