As we conclude our eighty-six day journey through the book of Revelation I'd like to thank everyone who joined in this adventure with me. The Lord promised us a blessing for reading and keeping the words of this book in our hearts, and He always does what He says He's going to do. I already feel blessed to have been a part of this study.
In our final segment of this book the Lord Jesus begins by saying: "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelation 22:12-13) When the Bible began, the Lord was there, having existed throughout all eternity past. As we come to the end of the Bible, the Lord is there, and He is going to exist throughout all eternity future. There has never been any other Lord and Creator and there will never be another. Because of this, He is our only hope and source of mercy and salvation. As the He said to the people of Israel through the prophet Isaiah: "This is what the Lord says---Israel's King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
When the Lord Jesus says He is going to reward each person according to what they have done, He isn't preaching salvation through works. He's asking us, "Have you accepted Me---the first and the last, the only King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty?" Salvation has always been by faith and it always will be by faith. Of course we will naturally live holier lives and want to perform good works in the name of Christ after we give our hearts to Christ, but the only "work" that counts when it comes to salvation is whether or not we've made Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives. Do we believe He is the Son of God who came in the flesh and paid for our sins on the cross? Do we believe He died and rose from the dead? Do we believe He is with God the Father right now, making intercession continually for those who are His?
The Lord continues, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14) How are we washed clean? By the blood of the Lamb, by the blood of the One in whom we have placed our trust.
Who will not enjoy the beautiful eternity that the Lord has prepared for those who love Him? Those who have rejected His free pardon of sin. Those who preferred idolatry---be it the literal bowing down to false gods or the idolatry of the heart that says, "I will do what I want. I will answer to no one. I will be a 'god' to myself." The Lord makes this clear by speaking of those who sealed their eternal fate by choosing to serve anything and everything but Him. "Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." (Revelation 22:14-15)
The reference to "dogs" is not a reference to the furry creatures we know and love. In John's day this was a term the Jews would have used for pagan idolaters who lived in unclean ways. The Lord is saying that those who spent their lives doing the things described in verses 14 and 15, and who never repented of these things and turned to Him for salvation, won't be with Him and with His people in eternity. No one who preferred idolatry over serving the living God will be in His presence. Neither will those who chose to immerse themselves in occult practices. Neither will those who lived lives that served the flesh by engaging in any and all of the sexually immoral deeds that suited their carnal natures. Neither will those who lived lives of crime or who took the lives of others. Can idolaters, occultists, sexually immoral persons, and criminals receive salvation? Of course they can if, during their lifetime, they repent and turn to the Lord. But the Lord is speaking of those who never had any interest in repenting of their sins and in allowing Him to be their Redeemer and Lord.
"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." (Revelation 22:16) The late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, pastor and author and the founder of the Thru The Bible Radio program, says of verse 16 in his book Revelation: Volume III: "Have you noticed that the bright and morning star always appears at the darkest time of the night? Its appearance indicates that the sun will be coming up shortly." When the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world in the flesh, it was after four hundred years of silence from God. During those four centuries no prophets were called by the Lord. No fresh word came from the Lord at all. That was a dark time, but sometimes silence achieves what words do not. Then suddenly, out of the silence and the darkness, the light appeared. The Messiah was born. Here at the end of the book of Revelation, after studying some very dark and dreadful things, the sun comes out. Night will never fall again, so the Lord refers to Himself as the morning star. The sun has come out and it's going to shine forever.
The Holy Spirit who dwells within us longs for the Lord's kingdom to come. Our spirits are in agreement with Him. We want see our Redeemer face to face, and we want the dark deeds of this world to come to an end, and we want the eternal kingdom of joy and peace to begin. "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let the one who hears say, 'Come!' Let the one who is thirsty come, and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17) The Holy Spirit and the spirit of each of us who has been redeemed add our "amens" to what the Lord is saying. He has said, "I am coming soon!" And in response to that we answer, "Amen! Yes, Lord! Come soon!"
"I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll." (Revelation 22:18-19) According to the way the original Greek text is written, the Apostle John appears to be the one who adds this warning, though some scholars disagree and feel the Lord is speaking these words. I think John is the author of this warning but that he is speaking on the authority of a minister of the word of God, for any word given by the Lord is to be taken exactly as it is, without alteration. From Genesis to Revelation, God has said exactly what He meant to say. If any extra words needed to be added to the holy Scriptures, God would have added them. No unnecessary words are contained in the holy Scriptures because if they didn't belong there God wouldn't have put them there. We are not to take His instructions and add rules and regulations that are of human opinion and origin. We are not to take the message of the Lord and start removing the parts we don't like or don't want to obey. Doing any of these things is capable of rendering the gospel message ineffective and hindering someone from coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Woe to anyone who hinders someone from coming to the Lord! Our job as believers (who have all been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ to share the gospel with the world), is to present the word of God exactly as it is, without adding manmade rules and laws to God's rules and laws and without taking anything away from the gospel message. Any doctrine that does not proclaim what the Bible actually says (that we are sinners, that we need a Savior, that salvation is obtainable only through Jesus Christ because He is the only way to the Father) is a false doctrine---and woe to the teachers of false doctrines. To them God will add the plagues described in Revelation and from them will be taken their share in the tree of life and in the Holy City.
"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'" (Revelation 22:21a) The Lord is so faithful to us and is so patient with our weaknesses! He knows we need to hear His promises repeated to us over and over again. He knows what it's like to live in this fallen world and to walk through this world in a human body that is prone to fear and doubt and discouragement. Over and over again throughout the Scriptures He speaks words of hope to us. Time and time again He encourages us to hold on.
What does our spirit say in response to His repeated promise that He is coming soon? "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:23b) Amen! Come soon, Lord Jesus! We can't wait to see the face of our Redeemer! We can't wait to be with the One who loved us so much that He took on mortal flesh and walked the dusty roads of this world, and who endured human hardships, and who experienced rejection and betrayal, and who died a torturous death on a cross while He literally became sin in our place and took our shame and punishment upon Himself. There is no greater love than this, and we long for the day when we will forever be with the One who loved us more than He loved the glory that was His in heaven and who loved us more than He loved His own life.
My spirit, which has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, joins with the Holy Spirit who dwells within me and says, "Amen! Come soon, Lord Jesus!" The bride wants nothing more than to be with her Bridegroom, and then for His eternal kingdom to come, and for the entire creation to be redeemed, and for all who belong to the Lord to dwell in peace with Him forever.
John concludes with this benediction: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." (Revelation 22:21)
How do we obtain peace with our Creator? Through Christ alone. How do we obtain mercy, forgiveness, and the redemption of our souls? Through Christ alone. We close our study with the link below which is to a worship song that presents the gospel message to us, the message that salvation is found in Christ alone. There is no better time than today to make the Lord Jesus Christ the Lord of your life if you have not already done so. He is coming soon.
In Christ Alone
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