Revelation 22

“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book.” I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. But he *said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God.”  Revelation 22:7-9 NASB

As a people, we have been called to carry the message of salvation to the whole world. We are priests, disciples, preachers of the Gospel, every one of us. We must think of ourselves as God’s workers, His army, in the places where we’ve been deployed, speaking the name of Jesus in every setting and over every situation. 

Revelation 22:10-13 NASB And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy.” “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

God told Abraham that through his descendants, all of the nations of the earth would be blessed. Never did God intend that the promise should be kept to ourselves. For thousands of years our faith in Jesus has included us in the company of the people of God. We receive the Lord’s commission not as a burden or as a heaviness we’re forced to carry at the expense of the pleasures of life, but as a gift of life eternal in the kingdom of God…..

Revelation 22:14-17 NASB Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you 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 wishes take the water of life without cost.

In this life things are such that what tomorrow brings will always be unknown. Indeed, the only thing which can be known with complete certainty is that Jesus Christ came into this world to reconcile man to God, to move people from darkness into light; to give hope to those who were despondent and forgiveness to those whose souls were befouled by transgressions.  

And Jesus Christ is the same in our lives today. He invites us into His family, He waits for us, He accepts us right where we are. He sees in each one of us exactly what God created us to be. An intricate stained glass window holding together (by His grace) the pieces of fragmented glass, our sin, mistakes and transgressions. 

Revelation 22:18-21 NASB I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

While the world is unpredictable, Jesus’ promise to be with us through the breaking, the healing, can be counted on and trusted. No matter the outcome, Jesus remains steady, a Rock to comfort and sustain, to haul us out of the pit and and place us in eternity.