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It is done!

Introduction

In verse 6 of the previous chapter (Revelation 21) we saw the One sat upon the throne declare “it is done!” God’s plan from before the foundation of the world is completed. This is summerised in Ephesians 1:9-10, where Paul states:  “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him” (Eph 1:9-10).

My paraphrase of this verse is that the mystery once hidden, has now been revealed, and it is this: that when everything is said and done, God will gather together into one all the believing Jews and believing Gentiles, whether rich, poor, masters & servants, male and female; all gathered together without distinction in Christ. As He hold the universe together by the world of His power, so He will unite all of redeemed humanity, forever to be His people and He to be their God!

In Ephesians 2 Paul reminds us of our past, that we were dead in trespasses and sins, that we had fallen short of God’s perfect standard, that we were destined for God’s righteous judgment and wrath, “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:4-7).

It is these ‘ages to come’ that we are given a glimpse of in the closing chapters of Revelation. In the last chapter we began to look at this incredible city, prepared and beautified like a bride on her wedding day.  This city is to be the eternal home of the redeemed. We continue our study in chapter 22…

CHAPTER 22

Rev 22:1

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Back in Rev 2:6 John was told “It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely”. So, what is this ‘water of life?’ Is it natural water (H20)? How is it that it brings life?

We can glean some insight by looking at an encounter Jesus had with a Samaritan woman. In John chapter 4:

“There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” (John 4:7-15)

When the northern kingdom of Israel was taken away from their land by the king of Assyria in 722 B.C. he sent other people (who had also been displaced from their own lands) to live in northern Israel. In 2 Kings 17 we read: “And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land”.

In the British Museum there are very detailed reliefs from Assyria that depict the problem of this Lion infestation.

As a result the king of Assyria sent a Hebrew priest back to the land to teach the new inhabitants the customs of the God of Israel.

Thus began a hybrid religion which was a mix of the paganism they had been brought up with and this new monotheistic faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These new inhabitants became known as Samaritans. The Jews upon returning from their own Babylonian captivity wanted nothing at all to do with these people and their watered-down religion. This helps to put the parable of the Good Samaritan that Jesus told in Luke 10 into perspective, but it also explains why the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 was so surprised that a Jew would talk to her! In truth, we should all be amazed that Jesus would want to speak to us!

Jesus offers this woman the same living water that we see flowing down the streets of the New Jerusalem. At first the women is sceptical of Jesus offer to give her this living water as He has nothing to draw the water out of the well. But of course Jesus was not talking about H2O which can only temporarily satisfy a natural thirst, but about something He could give which could satisfy a much deeper and profound thirst, a thirst that is found within each of us.

So many of us spend years thinking that Jesus has nothing to offer us, that we are best to just carry on satisfying our own thirsts.

Eventually the woman asks Jesus if she can have some of this living water so that she would no longer have to go through the daily routine of traipsing out to the well.

Many of us have also come to that place where we have got tired of the daily grind. We may even enjoy our day job’s or routines to a point, but there comes a time when we realise the futility of it all Solomon wrote a whole book lamenting this struggle! – see Ecclesiastes. Solomon said: “Therefore I hated life; because the work that is wrought under the sun is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit. Yea, I hated all my labour which I had taken under the sun: because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me.” (Eccl 2:17-18)

It is that thirst which the world can never satisfy that is met by this living water.

There is another account worth mentioning at this point. In John 7 the Jews were celebrating the feast of Tabernacles, to commemorate the time they spent living in tents in the wilderness after their flight from Egypt. For seven days the priests would go down to the pool of Siloam and draw water, then carry it up to the Temple and pour is out on the alter, letting it run down the street into the city. This was to remember the water that had miraculously come from the Rock in Horeb that Moses struck in Exodus 18.  However on the eighth day they would not draw the water to symbolise their thirst had not yet been satisfied because (as far as they believed) the Messiah had not yet come. On this day the High Priest would read from the scroll of Isaiah:

“Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee”. (Isaiah 12:3-6).

Typically the multitudes gathered would be silent as the High Priest read. But then, the cutting through the silence… Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:37-39).

You can almost feel the tension as you read the text. All eyes suddenly turned from watching the High Priest to the Holy One of Israel in the midst of them!

Clearly the water flowing down those streets at that time could never satisfy, but Jesus was offering something that will meet every need, appease every longing, heal every hurt and satisfy every thirst.

God made us, He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He wants for us to be satisfied; but that can never happen outside of a relationship with Himself. All the time we try to accomplish this on our own we will be like the woman travelling daily out to the well, or like the High Priest who, year after year, would go back to the pool of Siloam, never being able to break the cycle.

For those who put their trust and hope in Jesus now, they don’t have to wait until the New Jerusalem to experience the water of life the Jesus spoke of and that will flow endlessly through the eternal city.

God can sustain our natural bodies (as He did with Moses and Jesus when they fasted), our real need is not in the physical domain, but in the spiritual, and only Jesus can satisfy.

As this point, if you have not already done so, come now and drink! Come now to Jesus. Come now and drink undeservedly, but also unreservedly! Ask Him to meet you where you are.

The following insightful commentary on these two verses (available on-line from the Blue Letter Bible www.blueletterbible.org) is by Calvary Chapel founding pastor, Chuck Smith:

“IN THE LAST DAY, THAT GREAT DAY OF THE FEAST.”

  1. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, Succoth.
  2. Made their booths beside their houses.
  3. At the celebration in Jerusalem, the priests would pour water from their jugs on the pavement of the Temple Mount.
  4. This was a memorial of the water out of the rock in the wilderness.
  5. On last day they did not go through this ritual as a reminder that they now possessed the land promised by God.
  6. “JESUS STOOD AND CRIED.”
  7. The standing was significant.
  8. When the Rabbi’s taught they sat.
  9. When they were heralding a truth they stood.
  10. Why did Jesus get so emotional over this?
  11. Paul tells us, “Jesus was that Rock.”
  12. That is, men are perishing in the wilderness of sin. Without Christ they will surely die.

III. “IF ANY MAN THIRST.”

  1. Jesus was not referring to physical thirst.
  2. There are body thirsts or drives necessary for our survival.
  3. Meslov has defined them and catalogued them in order of intensity.
  4. The strongest being our air drive.
  5. Next is the thirst drive.
  6. The thirst drive can be overwhelming.
  7. He was not referring to our emotional drives.
  8. We need love from early infancy.
  9. A baby in the first six months denied this love and fondling will suffer permanent mental retardation.
  10. We need security; to be needed.
  11. Deep inside man the spirit is crying out for God.
  12. The psychologist who denies the spiritual nature of man will never truly understand human behavior.
  13. The psychologists admit that neurotic behavior often begins with frustration.
  14. They trace the neurosis to the guilt, to the escape, to the inferiority, to the frustration.
  15. What is frustration but thirst?
  16. David said, “My soul thirsts after the living God.”
  17. “LET HIM COME UNTO ME AND DRINK.”
  18. Here is the gospel in the simplest terms.
  19. The answer to man’s thirst for God can be fully satisfied by Jesus Christ.
  20. He calls to your poor, thirsty soul, “Come…”
  21. He said to woman at the well, “Drink of this water and you will thirst again.”
  22. “HE THAT BELIEVES IN ME.”
  23. Here He tells us how to drink from Him.
  24. My spirit is thirsting for God – where can I satisfy this thirst?
  25. Jesus said, “Come unto Me, believe in Me.”
  26. Does it work?
  27. Listen to the testimony of thousands of witnesses.
  28. “Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.”
  29. Out of his belly shall gush torrents.
  30. That area of man that so consistently is seeking to be fed will become the source.
  31. God is not satisfied to just fill your life, He wants your life to overflow.
  32. “THIS SPAKE HE OF THE SPIRIT.”
  33. This is John’s added commentary from the perspective of hindsight.
  34. What is He saying about the Holy Spirit?
  35. It should be as a torrent gushing forth from your life.

 Rev 22:2

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

In the previous chapter (v21) we were told that this street of the city was made of pure gold, so pure that it is transparent. The river seemingly runs from the throne and on through the city, so it might be that the street crosses over the river at 90o. That being the case, the river and the street would form a cross in the midst of the city.

We are now also told that in the middle of the street was the Tree of Life.

The Tree of Life appears elsewhere in scripture:

Prov 3:18 – [Wisdom] is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

Prov 11:30 – The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Prov 13:12 – Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

Prov 15:4 – A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Of course, out first encounter with the Tree of Life was back in the Garden of Eden, where this was one of two specific trees that God planted in the Garden. Sadly, as we know all too well, Eve (and subsequently Adam) chose to eat the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good & Evil. Why they didn’t want to reach out and grab the fruit of the Tree of Life is a mystery. However, once they had fallen, God guarded the way to the Tree of Life lest they would then eat of it and so remain forever in their fallen state. Rather, God, in His mercy, built in an incredible escape plan: Death!

By making death the punishment for Adam’s sin, God made a way for man to be redeemed. If someone could be found who would die in man’s place, one who would be a ‘substitute’, God’s judgment (that sin was to be punished by death) would be satisfied and a way out would be made available for anyone willing to accept the offer. Of course, it would take the death of God’s Son to pay for the sins of the world.

Clearly then, the properties of the fruit from the Tree of Life have some amazing qualities.

The verses above from Proverbs indicate that this fruit makes one wise, is intrinsically linked to righteousness, it does not disappoint but completely satisfies! Furthermore its leaves have therapeutic properties that are able to keep people in perfect health! (that is what is meant by ‘the healing of the nations’. There will not be any sickness, so we won’t require healing in that sense, but the leaves are able to keep us in that state of perfect health).

My mum always encouraged me to eat fruit as a child, as my wife does now! But this might be the perfect time to start eating fruit!! – this stuff sounds really good!

There are a couple of interesting observations we make from this verse: Firstly, there will be some measure of time, for we have twelve fruits being produced, each month, making one year. Some have erroneously deduced from Revelation 10:6 that time itself will stop. However as we noted in our study of chapter 10, that verse is simply saying that time is up! – judgment is now coming in full force and Jesus is poised to reclaim the earth. cost of cialis

Is the fruit for food as well? Although we won’t depend on food in our eternal bodies, Jesus ate food after His resurrection, although He didn’t need it to survive.

Will this tree have roots? If there is no sea, there will be no hydo-systyem as we currently know it, so presumably no rain. The roots of trees now go down into the soil to draw up water. We are told that this tree is the Tree of Life, so will it be sustained in the way a ‘normal’ Tree is today? Given these thoughts, it’s even more remarkable that Adam and Even bypassed this tree in the Garden of Eden and headed for the ‘other’ one! In Psalm 119 David said “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word”. (Psalm 119:67). This is in essence the summary of the ‘why’ of God’s plan of redemption. Why did God have to go through with this elaborate plan, sending His Son to die for the sins of the world, raising Him to life, building the church, etc.? Simply because in Eden Adam and Eve obeyed for a short time, not out of love a deep love for God, but out of familiarity, out of never being faced with an alternative. However, the moment the option to choose became a reality, they casually abandoned their First Love and fell into sin.

This is what happens to many young people today, particularly in Christian families. Their parents do their utmost to keep them from spiritual dangers, trying to guard their hearts and minds. But in reality all they are doing is cutting of all the other options, removing the opportunity for anything else. In effect many Christian children are ‘obedient’ and ‘keep the faith’ because they don’t have a choice. However, the moment they leave home to go to university, or step out into the work place, they are presented with multiple choices! Sadly so many, without their own strong roots that go down deep into the soil of God’s Word, end up ‘experimenting’ just as Eve did. Curiosity may kill the cat, but it is just as deadly to mankind!

So many end up as prodigals, that hopefully one day will come home to the Lord, but first they must endure the affliction that comes from a life given over to the flesh.

However, after enduring this self-imposed affliction, as many can testify, after experiencing the pain that comes from ‘the way that seems right to a man’, those who then come to Christ do so, not because they have no other choice, but because they now know that there is no better choice!

In the New Jerusalem there will be no one who is tempted by sin. Sin will have been exposed for the perverted lie it is. Now we will gladly walk right on by the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil without giving it a second look, and make a bee-line for the Tree of Life!

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust him, cialis sale

In His presence daily live

 

All to Jesus I surrender,

Humbly at His feet I bow,

Worldly pleasures all forsaken;

Take me, Jesus, take me now.

 

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to thee, my blessed Saviour, I surrender all.

 

John tells us: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” (1 John 5:12)

The tree is life. Jesus is life. Thus here we see the attributes of God being clearly seen in the things He has made, and freely given (unconditionally given). In this is the Father’s glory, that we reflect Him.

Rev 22:3

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:

No more curse, nothing to hinder or come between us and God! There will be no curse because there will be no sin. As we have just noted, we will all know the truth and the Truth will have set us free!

We truly will be like Him. As we have previously mentioned, David longed for that time when he would awake in the likeness of his Redeemer (Psalm 17:15).

We are told that the very throne of God and of.. (notice the title used) …the Lamb, will be in the city.

Jesus uses this title more than any other in Revelation.

His servants will serve Him. Who are these? The next verse tells us……

Rev 22:4

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

This is us! The Redeemed from all the ages.

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12)

Rev 22:5

And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

As we discovered in the previous chapter, (verse 25) there will be no night there and God’s light will forever illuminate His creation. He is light and in Him no darkness dwells. (1 John 1:5)

In this verse we have yet another confirmation that Jesus is God. Compare with verse 16, for there we are told that the Lamb is the light of the city, and here it will be God (in the person of Jesus) who will give light.

Rev 22:6

And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

‘These things are dependable and without fiction.’ We can build and base our lives on these promises, the world may think us mad, let them laugh for a while. We will have eternity living in the reality of these promises.

“…shortly be done..”  When they start they will happen quickly. We only have to look at the pace with which things are now moving in the world. Everyone from a climatologist to the news-reader knows that the world is out of control, and it is all gaining momentum.

As Dr Chuck Missler often says, we are living at a time of which the Bible says more than it does about any other period of history, including the time when Jesus walked the shores of Galilee and climbed the mountains of Judea. There has never been a better time to be a student of the Bible!

Rev 22:7

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This verse actually marks the end of this Revelation. The challenge is for us to keep faithfully the things that we have learned.

Will we treasure, will we guard, will we compare these things to the world’s temptations and realise that what God has is so much better, even if for now we see through a glass darkly?

This is the first of 3 ‘warnings’ that Jesus will come suddenly.

We are now drawn to the importance of this book, which is mentioned seven times from now to the end of the chapter.

Rev 22:8-9

And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

John now give us an epilogue, and reminds us that this is not just a fanciful dream but a true account of the last days of this world and the beginning of the next. As we pause to ponder all that we have seen through John’s eyes during our study of this book, from the opening vision of the glorious risen Christ, the sobering and yet deeply encouraging letters to the Churches; the throne room of heaven and the award ceremony for the believers; the Lamb taking the title deed to the earth and loosening the 7 seals; the war, famine, pestilence, death and earthquakes that produces such fear in the people on the earth; the 144,000; the great multitude who come out of the Great Tribulation; the horror of the trumpet judgments; the two witnesses; Satan being cast out of Heaven; Antichrist and the False Prophet deceiving the world; the last of the Tribulation martyrs followed by the full force of God’s wrath in the pouring out of the 7 vials; the destruction of the One World Church, the false religious system that has deceived the nations and shed the blood of the saints throughout history; the ten kings who will reign with Antichrist; the excitement of the marriage supper – everyone loves a party! – the battle of Armageddon and the intervention of Jesus at the Second Coming to save the Jews; the millennial kingdom  of Christ on earth; the last great battle and the destruction of Satan; the Great White Throne and all the dead judged; the earth literally blowing apart to nothing; then a wonderful new heavens and new earth; and finally the New Jerusalem, home of the Lamb and His bride for eternity; after all of this it is no wonder John falls down to worship at the feet of this messenger!

Rev 22:9

Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

This messenger then immediately stops John from worshipping him because, he explains, he is also one of his brethren and a prophet.

Is this an angel? Maybe. But personally, because he says that he is one of John’s brethren, I believe that this is a redeemed man – and probably Daniel! (See previous notes for more on that theory!) .

Rev 22:10

And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

Time is short. Daniel was told to seal up his prophecy until the time of the end, John is told not to seal this. This is what we find in the first chapter where we are told that a blessing will fall upon all who open up this book. 

Rev 22:11

He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

With Pharaoh in Egypt, God hardened his heart. That is, He confirmed Pharaoh’s heart, or if you will, granted that Pharaoh’s heart could be fixed upon his own course. That is what this verse is saying. Those who have chosen their own path will be granted that they may walk in it and ‘enjoy’ the fruits of it! To most ungodly people the thought of Heaven doesn’t appeal to them much! They need not worry; God will not force anyone to accept something they don’t want; until that is we reach the day of judgment! For now, each individual has a choice; but time is running out for any who may want to rethink their position before hearts are set forever on the course they have chosen.

As Joshua said to the Children of Israel, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve!” (Joshua 24:15)

Rev 22:12

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Once again, He is coming quickly (suddenly).

This verse is actually true on three levels:

Firstly, Jesus is bringing His reward. What is Jesus’ reward? His bride whom He purchased with His blood! His Bride alongside Him will then judge the nations according their works (Rev 2:26-27 / Rev 20:4).

For the Church however, Jesus is coming soon, and when He comes at the time of the Rapture He will bring with Him the rewards (crown’s specifically) that He has promised us, and we will be rewarded according to our works of righteousness (see again 1 Corinthians 3:11-17).

Thirdly, Jesus is coming like a thief in the night upon the unrighteous, and He will give to each according to their works.

In short, all will be rewarded and get what they deserve – except of course all those who are saved who won’t get what we deserve because we deserve wrath but are actually given everlasting life!

Rev 22:13

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

In connection with the last verse, this is a statement of trust. Because Jesus was there at the beginning, and will be there at the end. His judgment and rewards will be just, and because His is the beginning and the end, no one will be able to challenge Him say they have been treated unfairly. Jesus knows and has seen all things, even the things done in secret.

The writer to the Hebrews reminds us: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (Heb 4:12-13).

“For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.”  (Luke 8:17)

“God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things”. (1 John 3:20)

Rev 22:14

Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Some version say: “Blessed are those who wash their robes”, whereas the King James says:  “Blessed are they that do his commandments” – however, all debate aside, they are synonyms, one and the same. He who washes his robes is the same as he who keeps His commandments.

Rev 22:15

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

This is not just those who commit such things, but also those who approve of such things. Chuck Missler points out that Sodom and Gommorah were not destroyed for indulging in homosexual activity, but because they openly condoned it- much like the world we are now living in.

Anyone who is living with these things cannot look up and say ‘Come Lord Jesus’.

As this is the last and most serious exhortation in the Bible, let’s look at each of these categories:

Dogs:               –           Used in scripture to mean the Gentiles because they were considered unclean – both physically and spiritually. Here it implies any form of spiritual unleanliness.

Sorcerers:         –           The Greek word is ‘Pharmacia’  and means the using and /or dependence on drugs because they open the door to demonic activity and altered states of consciousness.

Whoremongers: –        All who are sexually immoral – and those who approve of those who practice sexual immorality. ‘Fornicators’ (pre marital) / ‘Adulterers’ (post marital)

Murderers:       –           According to Matt 5:22 this even includes those with hatred in their hearts, because evil begins in the heart. (Matt 15:19 / Jer 17:9)

Idolaters:         –           Those who have made a god in their own image – this will include all those who say ‘I don’t think that God would send me to hell because He’s a loving God’ or ‘There are many ways to God, Christians are just too narrow minded’ – this is making a god to suit yourself, a god based upon how you think it should be – it is idolatry.

Lying:              –           According to a leading American psychiatrist, the ‘average’ person lies 200 times a day. Of course, assuming the psychiatrist is an average person, we have no reason to believe that what he said is true, it could be just one of his 200 lies??! The first sin recorded in scripture was lying – bearing false witness, ‘did God really say….’ and the last warned against here in this list is lying. Anything that is not the truth is a lie.

Rev 22:16

I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Jesus identifies Himself clearly. There are many ‘Jesus’’ doing the rounds even in the church today as we have already mentioned. The true Jesus identifies Himself as both the root and offspring of David. He is both God and a Jewish descendant of a Jewish king. He will rule on a Jewish throne during the Millennium.

The next time someone tries to tell you that God has finished with Israel, gently encourage them to read Romans 9,10 & 11; or Jeremiah 30 & 31, or Isaiah 11, or 2 Samuel 7, or the Bible! 

Rev 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Here is evangelism. It is not just the Church who is calling, but the Holy Spirit too.

Let people who hear and thirst know that the offer has been made; all they have to do is to simply come, and they will never thirst again.

Rev 22:18-19

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

Which book? The Bible or just Revelation? (Are you prepared to take a chance?)

The answer would appear to be both!

We have the ‘prophecy of this book’ and the ‘book of this prophecy’. If the ‘prophecy of this book’ refers to Revelation, then the ‘book of this prophecy’ must refer to the Bible, as the prophecy of Revelation is a part of the book we call the Bible!

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” (Prov 30:5-6)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Tim 3:16-17) hard get prescription viagra

“Thy word is true from the beginning:” (Psalm 119:160)

Rev 22:20

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The first words of man recorded in the Bible are words of fear. “And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (Gen 3:10)

In this verse we have the final words of man in the Bible “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”, however this time the words are in confident assurance in the redemptive work of Jesus.

Rev 22:21

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Grace. – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

 

This brings us to the end of our verse by verse study through the book of Revelation. If you have been following along, I hope you have been blessed.

If you would like a two part overview of this incredible book, we summerised Revelation in our Through The Bible in a Year studies available from the Teaching & Audio section of this web site (Go to: https://www.calvaryportsmouth.co.uk/sermons/session-47-revelation-1-11/)

Also, you might want to listen to the topical study on the Lamb’s Book of Life, which showed the incredible detail and design that God has woven into the pages of Scripture. The question is then asked, could the Bible itself be the Lamb’s book of life? Does it contain your name hidden beneath the surface text? (Go to: https://www.calvaryportsmouth.co.uk/sermons/the-lambs-book-of-life/)

May God bless you as you continue to study His word and grow in knowledge and grace!

 

Every blessing,

 

Pastor Barry.

 

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