Wednesday, December 30 –
We have come to the next to
last day in our reading thru the New Testament in a year. Today’s reading is from Revelation 22:6 – 21. Please read the passage and come back to take
a second look at it together.
John has been on a marvelous, wondrous journey.
I wonder what he felt like as he came towards the end? As John stands in
the New Heaven, the New Earth, he sees the beauty of the re-creation in
heavenly form. Rivers of water that are
full of life, trees bearing twelves different kinds of fruit every month of the
year. The leaves are for healing the people
who are redeemed and have come out of the great tribulation. Most of all, he sees and realizes we will
all see the throne of God and the Lamb – Jesus, whose glory shone bright.
(22:1-5).
“And he said to me, “These
words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the
prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of
the prophecy of this book” (22:6-7).
The “he” at the beginning of
verse six is the angel who has guided John through the visions and pointed out
to him what to “see”. The angel speaks
to John’s wonder and awe – “it’s all true”, and it will be fulfilled – “soon”. We read that word “soon” and wonder how two
thousand years can be soon? Yet, we remember
from the scriptures “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a
thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). What the angel speaks to John is much more than
a timetable, it is an exhortation for John, as well as for us today. John’s life was filled with
uncertainties. All of the disciples had
been martyred, and so had many of the early church believers. John was exiled on an island because he dared
preach the Gospel that the Romans despised.
The uncertainties of life, along with the opposition of a culture opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ was true then, and it is true today. Therefore, he speaks to John – “believe
what you saw, it’s trustworthy and true”.
Secondly, look forward with hope, expectation, and faith, for one day it
will take place. Last of all, “keep the words of the prophecy”. How do we “keep” the words of the book of
Revelation? John wrote what he saw and
he wrote to the churches of his day that they might realize that God knows what
is happening upon the earth. God knows
about the cult of the emperor. God knows
about the spread of evil that has its source in the Devil. God knows about the tragedies and
martyrdoms. God knows all of this, and
yet he calls them to be faithful, to persevere, and to trust obediently in Him –
the best is yet to come.
“I, John, am the one who heard
and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at
the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must
not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and
with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to
me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is
near” (22:8-10).
John is overwhelmed by all that
he has seen, and it leads him for a moment to forget that it was an angel who was
showing him these things. As he falls at
the angel’s feet, he hears the angel speak – “you must not do that! I am a
servant like you, and all others who keep this book. Worship God”. It had happened to him before (19:10), and it
is easy for us also to love the revelation, the ecstasy of the knowledge while
forgetting that it is God who reveals himself to us, and he alone is who we are
to give our worship. It was in the book
of Daniel that similar prophecies had been shown and at the end, an angel had
told Daniel to “seal up the prophecies” for they were not yet ready to be fulfilled
(Daniel 12:4). Now, the angel tells John
“do not seal up the words of the prophecy, for the times is near (22:10). The time the prophecy speaks of is coming and
nothing more needs to occur for it to come to pass. The book of Revelation was written to remind
every age of Christianity that Christ may come back “NOW”. In light of that, how then should we live?
“Let the evildoer still do
evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the
holy still be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense
with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are
those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life
and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and
sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone
who loves and practices falsehood” (22:11-15).
John sees into the present day
and the choices people make. While
Revelation is at times disturbing, often mystifying, it is a call for people to
heed their choices. To those who reject
God and his word, the book of Revelation will not make any sense. To those who practice a lifestyle of ignoring
God’s holiness, and despising his commandments, there is no good that awaits
them. To those who see God at work in
these “revelations”, and believes that there is a choice that leads to eternal
life, and they want that – then they are those who have had their robes washed
and have the right to the tree of life that is inside the city.
The Bible began in the creation of
the universe, and the earth was made as a place for humans to live with God and
enjoy his creation. When Adam and Eve
turned away from God, the sin that entered in sought to overthrow all God had
done. Now, John sees that God is
re-creating the heavens and the earth, free of the sin that once reigned in every
human heart. Again, we realize how God did
it –
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel
to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the
descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride
say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is
thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (22:16-17).
He is the living water, and those who know their need can only be found in Him are the thirsty ones who will come. Even at the end of the prophecy, Jesus is inviting anyone who will come to Him, to come. It is an invitation from the Spirit of God who convicts us of our need as sinners, and it is the Church (the bride) that brings us to Christ. John is finished, the revelation is over, but yet in the end there is both a warning and a reminder –
“I warn everyone who hears the
words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him
the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of
life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (22:18-20).
It is standard in many early
century letters to warn those who receive it not to change the contents. Since most letters were copied and sent on,
it was possible for the copyist to change what he felt needed changing. John warns those who would receive the
revelation to not add or subtract from the words he received. God had spoken very similar words to Moses at
the giving of the Law (Deuteronomy 4:12; 12:32). We are told to receive the
word of God as inspired by God for our needs (2 Timothy 3:16-17). We are never given the option to vote on what
we like or dislike.
The message is finished and all
that remains is a benediction – a word of affirmation and blessing for all who
would receive it –
“He who testifies to these
things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace
of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen” (22:21).
We say “Amen” as a form of
agreement – “yes Lord, yes Lord”. John
is full of joy as he concludes because he knows that all that he has seen and
written will come to pass. Even though
it did not happen in total during his own day, he prays with us even today – “Come,
Lord Jesus! …may your grace be with us…Amen”.
John lived through the end of
the first century. The emperor Domitian
also lived at the end. Domitian saw
himself as a god but learned quickly after his death that the enemy had lied
to him. John also died at the end of the
first century and quickly saw heaven again.
To the Christians that lived on, more persecution from other emperors
would take place. It was encouragement
that John saw God conveying to those who suffered, even died, for their
faith. To those who were mystified by
the resilience and perseverance, as well as love and forgiveness, they kept hearing
the invitation to “come”. The grace of
God knows no boundaries and heaven is made up of forgiven sinners, not people
who worked their way there.
Back at the beginning of the
revelation, John saw Jesus standing among the churches. He heard the reproofs he had to those who
were religious, but had lost their focus, lost their first love. Grace is needed for all of us in all situations,
and grace is what draws us back to loving our Savior – the one we longingly
pray “Come, Lord Jesus, come”.
While we finished the book of
Revelation, there is one more thing to write – an epilogue if you will. We'll look back at “what have we just read?” - a look once again at the big picture. That
we will do as we end these readings, tomorrow.
Peace
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