Revelation 22:6-21--Jesus Is Coming

Revelation 22:6-21
English Standard Version

Jesus Is Coming
6 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.”

7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

8 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, 9 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.”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

14 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. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16 “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.”

17 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.

18 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, 19 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.

20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

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

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These are the last words of the last book of the Bible, and aren't they great words?!  Jesus is coming again--coming for you and for me!  That is a great message for those of us who belong to Him, but a really scary message for those who don't belong to Him.  It's important to understand that both are appropriate responses.  The saved should have no fear concerning the return of Christ, and the lost should have no peace about it.

Many of the messages to the Seven Churches are repeated here to all believers (which is why many believe that the letters to the Seven Churches are for all believers).  Jesus repeats that He is the one called Faithful (trustworthy) and True, and therefore, His words and testimony are trustworthy and true.  He has been giving glimpses of what must come in the future by way of angelic messengers and the prophets since long ago. 

He then interjects, "Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."  It is largely not a book full of commands and teachings to keep, but there is some of that as we are told to stand in the truth of the gospel, even at the cost of our lives, until the very end.  We are to entrust our souls and everything that we own to the Lord, for He is going to give us something far better.

We are to proclaim the words of this book openly and publicly so that the guilty will be without excuse in the day of judgment, and so that those who have been made holy might live according to their calling of being a royal priesthood.  We are ambassadors or the Kingdom and ministers of reconciliation.  God is giving one final altar call here.  Do you hear Him calling for you?

The Tree of Life will be the inheritance of all those who belong to Jesus Christ, but for the wicked (and their characteristics are listed here) who have never been "born again" and live according to their fallen nature and the flesh, their destiny will be The Lake of Fire.  These are the only two options--eternal life or eternal death.  You choose.

Jesus reminds us that He is David's Lord as and the root from which David's tree springs even though He is physically also a descendant of David and the last of the line of Davidic kings.  Therefore, He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  All power and authority belongs to Him both now and forevermore.  He was the only one able to open the scroll and bring about God's final judgment, but He was also the only one who was able to save His people (and the two are not independent of one another, for part of saving His people is to protect His people from their enemies by destroying their enemies).

The Spirit and the Bride (the Church) say "Come!" This is the call of The Great Commission and our work of evangelism.  Respond to the invitation while there is still time, for there will be a day when the doors of the banquet hall will close never to be opened to anyone on the outside.  An open door has been set in front of us, but we must walk through it and accept the initiation (and the wedding garments that we have been offered, for we must come dressed in the wedding clothes that we have received, for that is how we will be recognized.)

​We are neither to add to nor subtract from the words of this book of prophecy (nor any other book of the Bible for that matter).  Those who add to this book to make it say something it does not say will have the plagues of this book added to them and those who take away from this book to make it say something it does not say will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book..  God did not give us permission to edit His words, but He did command us to proclaim them and read them aloud, and He promises a special blessing to us if we do.

The one who promises these things says, "Surely, I am coming soon!" to which we respond, "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!" and say "Amen!"