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“I Am Coming Quickly!” • 12.13.20 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- It's hard to believe, but we have come to the end of the book of Revelation. What a tremendous journey we have taken.
- We have witnessed two thousand years of church history, seven years of grievous tribulation, a thousand years of the Lord's administration upon the Earth and now, eternity!
- Last week, the Lord graciously revealed what He has been working on since He returned to His Father's side. John was led away in the Spirit to a high mountain.
- He has to be far enough away in order to actually see the entirety of the city, which, by the dimensions given, is 3/4 the size of the United States and larger than the moon!
- It is a bejeweled masterpiece, large enough for 20 percent of 100 billion people to have their own 75 acre plot! It is the home of the Lord's Bride!
- Jesus has spared no expense to adorn it, from the foundations made of gemstones, to gates made of pearl and to streets that are made of gold! It is more amazing than any person can imagine!
- In this last chapter, God brings John into the city, to reveal to Him the final details that He will leave us with until we join Him there. Let's pick it up in verse 1.
Text
• Revelation 22:1-3 : "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him." : The angel that promised John a view of the bride of the Lamb, brings John in for a closer look.
- The first feature that he wants the Apostle to see is a pure or clean river. There may not be a sea, but we can look forward to some river rafting! This river is filled with the water of life!
- In the ancient near East, water sources were matters of great importance. The cities that owned the rights to "living" or moving water, were considered the most wealthy.
- Heaven has an abundance of true living water! As you look at the water, you can look right down to the very bottom of the river!
- There is nothing that can foul or contaminate this water because of where it is sourced.
- This crystal clear river emanates from the very throne of God and the Lamb! It flows from the presence of God Himself, out from the center of His loving administration.
- Revelation 21:6 contains the promise of the Lord to give of this water to any who are thirsty. Do you see that He alone has access to this blessing? The fountain begins in Him!
- Every good and perfect gift comes from above without variation! (James 1:17) The blessing of the Lord makes one rich and He adds no sorrow to it! (Proverbs 10:22)
- God has the right to dispense the water of life and His people have the right to enjoy it forever! It comes from the single throne of God and the Lamb!
- There is no competition, no insecurity, no avarice. There is our Father and our Redeemer, sitting in harmony, overseeing the continual blessing of this city!
- That river flows right down the main street, feeding the life of one very old and important tree, which of course, is the tree of life! The language is somewhat confusing here.
- There is one tree of life which seems to be in the middle of a grove of trees. This tree of life has a deep intersection with the people of God, as far back as the second chapter of Genesis!
- This is the tree that God kept fallen man from accessing after he had taken of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The danger was that Adam would take of this tree and live forever!
- There are many who believe that that would be a gift to mankind. God knows better!
- To live forever in a fallen state would have been a greater curse than any anyone could have imagined! But that is not the case here in the New Jerusalem!
- Here, the tree of life sits out in the open without angelic guard and without the other tree, which is nowhere to be found! There won't be an occasion to sin here!
- Here, only the redeemed have access to this wonderful tree and there is no limit to it's access. It bears 12 different kinds of fruits in regular intervals. It's leaves are used to heal the nations.
- This is a particular interesting group of verses. First, note that there is some recording of time and second that there is a use for medicinal properties!
- We have long talked about eternity being "time without end." There is sequence in heaven. There is a measurement of time, but men will not measure their activities against it!
- We will not be slaves to time, but masters of it. The fact that there are nations mentioned here means that there is diversity. Their partaking of this tree will be for their continued health.
- The word "healing" comes from the word which give us our word "therapy." The leaves of the tree of life will be therapeutic, life giving to the varied nations gathered together.
- But how will we live in peace? There is no curse in the New Jerusalem. The cultures, the language barriers, the fight for position on this planet will be gone!
- We will all be united by the presence of the Lord God and the joy of serving Him there!
- "Wait a minute? Are you saying that we will continue to work in heaven?" That isn't what I'm saying. It's what the BIBLE is saying!
- The New Jerusalemem is a place of order, sequence and purpose for the people of God!
- As with our relationships, so also with our work: We will love working apart from the presence of the curse!
- We will be able to do what God has created us to do without the sense of pressure or frustration that is so common to us today!
- There will be no greater joy than to finally express what we truly are without sin! Verse 4.
• Revelation 22:4-7 : "They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Then he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true.' And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. 'Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.'" : When you look for the real treasure of heaven, look no further! The Lord's servants will see His face.
- They will look upon Him with their eyes, as the Greek word for "optics" is chosen. Our glorified eyes will be able to look upon our Savior. His own Name will be upon our foreheads!
- We will belong solely to Him in this place of light. Literally, it seems as though God will endow us with light. We will shine with a light that emanates from us!
- There are many commentators who have believed that Adam and Eve were once empowered to shine with this kind of light. When they sinned, the lights went out.
- At this point in the New Jerusalem neither candles or artificial lighting of any kind will be needed, as we will give off that formerly present light.
- This will be the emblem of our reign with the Lord forever as we walk in His light forever and ever! Don't believe Him? Jesus says yet again, "These words are faithful and true!"
- Just when you are hesitant to believe, the Lord Jesus interjects these words, reminding you and me and every other believer that He cannot lie! This is His promise!
- This entire volume has been the disclosure of God! The Lord God of the Holy Prophets. That is the only time in the Bible that you hear that phrase.
- For the people of God listening to this, there was a reverence for the prophets who spoke and foretold the will of God. The God that sent them, sent His angel with the exact same mission!
- He wants His servants to know what is coming and what must shortly take place! That which begins to happen will take place with rapidity. What does He want them to know?
- "Behold," Jesus says. Pay attention! Why? "I am coming quickly!" Hear His urgency. Trust His tone. Feel His heart beat! He wants you to know this! What must you do?
- The only thing that shows Him that you are looking for His return relates to your and my keeping of the Word! Blessed are those that keep the words of this book!
- We've noted in the past that the word "blessed" refers to a state of completed contenment. Our word "congratulations," I believe, may be the closest cultural equivalent to the word "blessed."
- Congratulations to the one then, that has learned to always guard and attend themselves to the words of the prophecy of this book.
- You and I can parse through this statement and debate what this means, but wouldn't you rather say, "Lord, whatever it means, teach me to learn how to make it true of my own life!"
- That is the heart that He will always bless! That is the life that has found happiness. Verse 8.
• Revelation 22:8-11 : " Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.' And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.'" : The fact that this has already happened once is baffling. To see this happen again to our John is beyond incomprehensible!
- And yet, it is a mark of authenticity. The Bible doesn't hide it's author's flaws. John, in a state of profound euphoria, once again falls down to worship the angel that showed him these things.
- This is a virtual repeat of what had already occurred in Revelation 19:10ff. The angel even responds with the very same rebuke. He is a fellow servant.
- This angel has served the Apostles, the prophets and all Christians who have been stewards of the book! His worship and ours is to be reserved solely for God!
- It's at this point that there is a further admonition by the angel. This is not the time to keep back any of the words of this revelation. The opportunity to act upon them is at hand!
- It's funny that the angel says this so clearly, but there are groups that insist that it is sealed by insisting on a figurative, spiritualized interpretation of Revelation as "church history."
- The angel did not get that memo and clearly tells John not to seal this book!
- According to the BLB lexicon, when the Rabbis used this very term, they used it as a euphemism for proselytizing. This book assures us that our time to reach people is indeed limited!
- Our opportunity is before us to share the glorious truths of our faith and their opportunity may not come around again! So for the ones who are unjust or soiled morally remain as they are.
- It's not as though the Lord is satisfied or happy with the fact that men are this way. But it's a recognition of what men have settled for. What is His answer to them?
- Let those who are righteous and holy remain as they are! Let these two continue to engage one another. Let the wicked see that there is a reality that Jesus can inspire in a life.
- Whatever words there are to use in argumentation, our greatest apologetic are lives well lived, transformed from darkness into light!
- However one chooses to live, there is a truth that should be taken into account. Verse 12.
• Revelation 22:12-15 : "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.' Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie." : Verse 12 records the Lord's promise to come quickly for the second time in this chapter.
- Let the filthy remain in their state of filthiness, but understand that Jesus is coming quickly! Let the righteous continue to live righteously, with the same understanding!
- That truth alone provides the great equalizing reality that each kind of person must live with. Namely, there is a God that exists that will one day appear on the scene with reward in His hand.
- Every one, whether righteous or wicked, will receive something from Him which will be according to, appropriate for the type of work that has come from their faith.
- "Wait, does everyone have faith!?" Yes! The entire world is living right now according to their faith about this very proposition.
- Christians are endowed with the very faith of Christ. It is implanted in our souls by the Holy Spirit and we operate in this world FROM that faith that desires to honor God the Father's will.
- Our works stem from our faith as a matter of love and joyful participation in the things of the Kingdom of God.
- A non-Christian operates on faith, NOT believing in a moral God, choosing instead to believe that their actions, properly balanced, will equal in their acceptance into a benevolent eternity.
- Whatever actions are produced are weighed against their own value system, in essence, revealing that their true faith is centered in their own intellect!
- They alone dictate just how many righteous actions offset their unrighteous actions!
- The non-Christian's works operate to replace faith in Christ and to eventually add up to a salvation that would be acceptable to any deity in charge, assuming there is one!
- The issue is that Jesus is that authority and He is the One who has a reward for each person. He signs this as the "Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last!"
- Pay attention to that final designation. Jesus is the sum total of all that God wants to say to humanity, from the first to the last letter and everything in between!
- The designation "the First and the Last" is a very telling callback to deity that Jesus applies to Himself from the book of Isaiah.
• Isaiah 44:6 : "Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God."
- For those that believe that Jesus never identifies Himself as God, remember these words!
- He promises blessing to those that faithfully hold to His commandments. They will have access to the Tree of life and can come and go into the city of God with freedom!
- Won't that be amazing!? We can leave the cube and tour the galaxy and be home in time for supper with the Lamb! That's our reward.
- On the other hand, for those whose lives are dominated by filth and injustice, they are simply outside of the city. They have no right of passage or hope of entry!
- They have no citizenship, no protection, no future! They will take their place alongside of the dogs. This word translated "dogs" has often been associated with male cult prostitution.
- Generally speaking, the word refers to a man given to an impure mind. Dogs and sorcerers, men whose minds are given over to illicit drug use, altering their perception of reality.
- These are bedfellows with the sexually immoral, murderers, idolators and anyone who loves and practices a lie. These have no place in God's city.
- The only people that are in God's heaven are those that have lived their lives according to God's ways! Those that have lived according to their own ways will always live on their own! V.16.
• Revelation 22:16,17 : "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.' And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let him who hears say, 'Come!' And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely." : Jesus certifies that He has sent His angel to bring personal, legal testimony to the churches. Everything that has been written, has been written for the benefit of the church.
- Jesus is the Root of King David. He is the progenitor. Before David was, Jesus is! He is where David came from and the One who also came from David! He is David's Son, yet David's Lord!
- Jesus is the Bright, shining morning Star whose presence ever illuminates the New Jerusalem. Commentators have called this the last and brightest star before the dawn!
- What a picture to leave us with! It may be darkest before the dawn, but His presence is the sign that soon darkness will give way to light and that, forever!
- Listen to His Spirit, the Holy Spirit of promise and His bride, the church! All they can say to the Lord is "Come." Let this go from hope to realized history!
- Let the one with ears to hear agree! Lord Jesus come! And let him who thirsts, come!
- This entire book has been a testimony to real events that will soon transpire and the hope for preserving the book has come with this invitation in mind.
- "Come and be a part of the life that God offers to every person in Christ!" The promise is that all who wish to enjoy the water of life my come and do just that! Verse 18.
• Revelation 22:18,19 : "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." : Jesus continues to add His voice to these last verses, the gravity of which is potent.
- To everyone that has been listening to the prophecy of this book, take heed. Remember that this word has two meanings, the first is the forthtelling of the desire of God.
- The second meaning is the foretelling of future events. Revelation has had sections in which both definitions are applicable.
- If you have heard these things, be careful not to add anything to these things. The word speaks of imposing something onto these things. How does one "add to" these things?
- I'd suggest that we think of it in terms of Pharisees and Sadducees. Pharisees accept the whole Bible, but add their own brand of legalism to each precept.
- You can tithe of your mint and anise. You must strain out the gnat, even while you are swallowing a camel! To add to God's word is to add something that He did not say.
- If one sins in this way, they can expect the Lord to add the very plagues of this book to that person. A similar warning exists for the person who takes away from these words.
- The word refers to choosing a part to cut off. It is not readily apparent how one could add to the words that are written here, but I can easily see the temptation to choose to cut some things off!
- There are moments in this book that are so terrifying and spiritually intense that it feels almost silly to bring them to the forefront. I could hardly believe them except that He has said them!
- This is where the Sadducees come in. They are the spiritual elite who refused to believe in a resurrection or anything non-material, making much of plain declared scripture, something far less.
- The Sadducees were very good at spiritualizing, taking meaning away from what God had left for His people! To be honest, I believe that Post and A-millenial teachers are in danger of doing this.
- When you have to change your approach to scripture and assume certain theological constructs regarding the nation of Israel and the church, you are lining up for disaster.
- For a person who gives into this temptation, he can expect God to remove His part from the book of life, from the Holy City and the good promises of this book!
- Does this mean that a person can lose their salvation? We can have this argument every time and never sufficiently answer the question.
- Does this person, by seeking to take away from scripture, reveal that they never belonged to Christ in the first place? Or, are they so blinded by their preconceptions that they error miserably?
- Suffice it to say, it would be wise to preserve the knowledge of this book and present it in it's full potency! Verse 20.
• Revelation 22:20,21 : "He who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming quickly.' Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." : The One who adds His voice to these precedings says clearly, with all conviction, "Surely I am coming quickly!"
- This is the third time that Jesus has said this in this chapter alone! "Surely" is a word of certainty! When the Lord begins to come, it will happen rapidly and we agree with John!
- What do you say to that? May you say what the scripture says: "Amen!" Let it be! Even so, come Lord Jesus!" As I get older, I am less hesitant to call for His coming!
- It used to be that I was willing for the Lord to delay His coming so that "so-and-so" would have a chance to repent. My heart still wants their repentance, but I want Him to come much more!
- The book of Revelation ends with the grace of Jesus being toward all! His grace is toward you who believe, giving you the strength to endure to the end.
- His grace is toward you who do not believe, giving you yet another chance to respond to Him! I pray that none will waste the opportunity, because whether we want it or not, Jesus is coming soon!
- You are in a good place if that thrills your soul and a not so-good place if it brings a chill to your soul! He who has an ear, let Him hear!
Conclusion
- Let's pray!
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