“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book,” (22:7).
The final chapter of His Story; and the ending does not disappoint. A paradise is described reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, but this paradise will be eternally sustained by His River of Life that comes from His Throne; this is His paradise Made New as the curse of sin has been vanquished forever.
Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; (22:1-3).
And the privilege of living in the perpetual Light of His Presence, to forever behold His Glorious Face, and to be permanently marked as belonging to Him will be the eternal reality for every saint in heaven. A truly Happy Ending!
they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever, (22:4-5).
And this is no far-fetched fairy tale, a “too good to be true” story, as many would claim. For we have the claims of the Lord God Who sent His Word by His prophets and His angel, that we would know His Plans and Purpose for those who have become His bond-servants through faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bond-servants the things which must soon take place, (22:6).
But wait, the ending of His God-Breathed Word is really not the end of His Story. For three times He repeated exactly, “I am coming quickly,” reminding us that His Story will continue forever.
Consider Him Who is Coming Quickly
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book,” (22:7).
“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done,” (22:12).
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, (22:20).
How do we respond to Him Who is Coming Quickly?
To begin with, let’s admit that His concept of Quickly and ours probably seem radically different.
For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it passes by,
Or as a watch in the night, (Psalm 90:4).
But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day, (2 Peter 3:8).
But He said He is Coming Quickly, and so Quickly He must mean. And surely at the heart of His Quickly is His heart that we would live each day as though today is That Day. After all, according to the two preceding verses, it’s only been about two days!
But the enemy is busy every day, always enticing us into a complacent or impatient kind of waiting. And if we are lulled into waiting without watching, into waiting without expecting Him Who is Coming Quickly, then we can become susceptible to the destructive lies and fatal heresies of our adversary, the devil.
In this final chapter of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, He has given two strong words of caution during our time of waiting:
We are cautioned against the deception of the worship of angels or any other created being. We are to worship only God.
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. 9 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,” (22:8-9).
And we are admonished to firmly guard the integrity of His Words that “are faithful and true.”
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; 19 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, (22:18-19).
In preparing ourselves to wait with hope and expectancy, to remain true in our worship and to His Word, we will revisit each of His three declarations that He is “Coming Quickly,” as each one also includes the recommended and reasonable response. To help in this, we will consider the original language to broaden our understanding.
(Each definition is referenced from Louw- Nida Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament).
I. “And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book,” (22:7).
heed: “36.19 φυλάσσωb; τηρέωc; τήρησιςc, εως f: to continue to obey orders or commandments—‘to obey, to keep commandments, obedience.’”
- Let us obey and keep His Commandments that we would always be ready for Him Who is Coming Quickly.
- Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him,” (John 14:23).
II. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done,” (22:12).
reward (positive or negative): “38.14 μισθόςb, οῦ m: a recompense based upon what a person has earned and thus deserves, the nature of the recompense being either positive or negative—‘reward, recompense.’…In the context of Re 22:12, μισθός may be understood as either a positive or negative reward.”
render/recompense: “38.16 ἀποδίδωμιb: to recompense someone, whether positively or negatively, depending upon what the individual deserves—‘to reward, to recompense.’” Louw- Nida Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament
- Let us ask Him to grow our understanding of what we deserve, what we cannot earn, and what we can expect when our faith is in Him Who is Coming Quickly.
- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, (Romans 3:23-24).
- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).
- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast, (Ephesians 2:8-9).
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- The hope of the righteous is gladness,
But the expectation of the wicked perishes, (Proverbs 10:28). - The desire of the righteous is only good,
But the expectation of the wicked is wrath, (Proverbs 11:23). - Do not let your heart envy sinners,
But live in the fear of the Lord always.
18 Surely there is a future,
And your hope will not be cut off, (Proverbs 23:17-18).
- The hope of the righteous is gladness,
III. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus, (22:20).
Amen: “72.6 ἀμήν: strong affirmation of what is declared—‘truly, indeed, it is true that.’”
- Let us agree with His Testimony and desire His return, that we would finish strong as we wait for Him Who is Coming Quickly
- I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing, (2 Timothy 4:7-8).
But there’s more; for along the journey through the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, there are blessings recorded, almost like love notes from our Savior meant to strengthen and encourage us in the waiting.
We are probably familiar with the beatitudes spoken by Jesus and recorded in Matthew 5:1-12. Each one begins with “Blessed are” and concludes with “for theirs is” or “for they shall.” The beatitudes detail the blessings one can expect to receive from God when his or her life is marked by that particular character aspect He described.
https://www.gotquestions.org/beatitudes.html
“The Greek word translated “blessed” means “happy, blissful” or, literally, “to be enlarged.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus uses the word to refer to more than a superficial happiness; in this context, blessed refers to a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. The happiness is a deep joy of the soul. Those who experience the first aspect of a beatitude (poor, mourn, meek, hungry for righteousness, merciful, pure, peacemakers, and persecuted) will also experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of heaven). The blessed have a share in salvation and have entered the kingdom of God, experiencing a foretaste of heaven. Another possible rendering of the beginning of each beatitude is “O the bliss [or blessedness] of . . . .”
The Beatitudes describe the ideal disciple and his rewards, both present and future. The person whom Jesus describes in this passage has a different quality of character and lifestyle than those still “outside the kingdom.”
But there are also other beatitudes recorded in Scripture.
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers, (Psalm 1:1-3).
“Blessed. The happy condition of those who revere the Lord and do his will and who put their trust in him. Reference is not first of all to health and wealth but to the assurance and experience that they live under the guardianship and faithful care of the gracious Lord of life,” NIV Study Bible.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” (Matthew 5:3).
“Blessed. The word means more than happy because happiness is an emotion often dependent on outward circumstances. Blessed here refers to the ultimate well–being and distinctive spiritual joy of those who share in the salvation of the kingdom of God,” NIV Study Bible.
(For others, see Psalms 34:8; 65:4; 128:1; John 20:29; Romans 14:22; James 1:12)
And there are seven more “beatitudes,” seven more precious love notes tucked throughout the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, with two being found in the final chapter. (There’s that number seven again. How perfect!)
And each of the seven blessings perfectly and completely bestows His assurance that we live under His faithful care and that we truly share in the salvation of the kingdom of God as we take Him at His Word and follow His recommended response in our waiting.
Until He Comes Again…
…Let us devote ourselves to reading and hearing and obeying His Word.
“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near,” (1:3).
…Let us rest from our works by trusting Him in life and death.
And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them,” (14:13).
…Let us keep ourselves ready in holy living that brings glory to His Name.
“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame,” (16:15).
…Let us fix our mind on His promise for our future and the union we will share with Him forever.
Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God,” (19:9).
…Let us live in confident assurance that He has defeated death and we will one day reign as priests of God with Christ.
“Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years,” (20:6:).
…Let us watch for His coming that we would be prepared through studying and obeying His Word.
“And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book,” (22:7).
…And oh, let us live ever grateful for His cleansing blood and gift of eternal life that has granted us access to His Presence forever.
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 (22:14).
And we come to the very last sentence of the whole counsel of His God-Breathed Word; and it is about Grace. Of course it is! It is His Grace that prepares us for today and for the rest of His Story that will continue for eternity!
Let us pray that the Lord would so grow us in His Grace that our lives would demonstrate that we are ready for His Coming. And oh, let us live with such gratitude for His Amazing Grace that we would look for opportunities to extend the Grace of the Lord Jesus that we have received, always ready to share the hope we have in the Truth of His Gospel, so that others would also be changed by His Grace and be made ready for Him Who is Coming Quickly. “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. (22:20-21).