When John first received a vision from heaven, the Lord told him to write down all he saw in a book (Revelation 1:11), and John had dutifully done so. The result is that we today have an account of what John saw and heard thus far, including the words of the three flying angels. Yet now he receives an additional command to write down specifically the words of the heavenly voice, and that surely highlights how important the Lord God himself considered this fourth message to be. Given the content of this fourth message, we can understand that it may not be lost or bypassed; this word is written also for our instruction and encouragement (see 1 Corinthians 10:11).
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”