“The Great Unveiling: The Final Chapter”
Revelation 22:6-21
We have watched this entire vision, this drama, with John. The drama is over; everything has been unveiled. The curtain has been drawn. And now the lead actor, Jesus Christ, comes out in front of the curtain and reiterates that everything we’ve just seen is trustworthy and true, and that He hopes we have been able to see ourselves in the drama - because if we have then WE CAN BET OUR LIVES ON JESUS. That, after all, is what John did when he boldly signed his name to what he wrote instead of using a surname.
Let’s look more closely at this final chapter. First of all there is a FINAL WARNING (vs. 7): “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” John said that it is a privilege to hear these words – and certainly that’s true. If you’ve ever read Scripture and prayed at the bedside of one who is dying, or shared the Word with someone in need, then you know the comfort and joy and peace it can bring. But there is a warning: HEARING THAT SAME WORD CAN ALSO BE A CURSE. It all depends on what we do with it! If we accept it and live accordingly, it’s a blessing. But if we fail to accept or obey them, then it is not a blessing.
Listen again to verses 18-19: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” It’s a warning – a warning against tampering, interfering, disagreeing with the Word. IT’S WRONG TO IGNORE OR DISTORT THE WORD OR ITS TEACHINGS. What is contained in this Word is more than just the product of a great man’s mind, imagination, or genius; it’s God’s Word. We must therefore come to love it, know it, understand it, believe it, and obey it. We must not modify it, compromise it, or dilute it or ignore it in order to make our life more comfortable and acceptable. We must take it to heart! We must live it!
And if we choose not to, we are warned that GOD’S WRATH WILL BE POURED OUT UPON US! The entire book of Revelation stresses the theme that the punishment will fit the crime. If we add to the Word and try to make it say what it doesn’t say, the plagues, with all their gory details, will be added us. If we take away from the Word or ignore those words which are a problem for us, if we live in opposition to them, then God will take away our share of the blessed life with all its’ glory.
And all of this simply reminds us again that WE MUST BE OBEDIENT! Jesus said it clearly: “If you love me, you will obey what I command…Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me…If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching…if you obey my commands you will remain in my love…You are my friends if you do what I command.” (Jn. 14:15,21,23 & 15:9, 14)) A a hymn puts it, “What he says we will do, where he sends we will go; never fear, only trust and obey.” There really is no other way! The way is fixed. It’s up to us to heed it! This morning we can reaffirm our choice to heed that warning – to commit ourselves to learn His Word and live by it.
The second message for our attention is a FINAL WELCOME, in verse 17. “The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” These words are addressed to two categories of people.
First THE CALLERS, the “SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE, are spoken to.” It means the Holy Spirit and the Church. The Church is us! The Holy Spirit has been sent to help us invite others to Christ. Jesus, the King of King and Lord of Lords, has chosen to work through His church – through us! OUR WORK IS TO SAY, “COME!” The end will come when all nations will have had the opportunity to hear the Gospel. That means that we have a direct relationship to the end of the age and the coming of Christ! There is no ideal time to get to work; this is the only time we have. This is the time to get the Word out! Our duty is not done when we’ve just heard the Word; it’s not done if we’ve only “lived right”; our duty is not complete if we have just been faithful. It’s only done when we have invited others to “Come!” The Holy Spirit is ready to help us say “Come!”
And the second part of the message to the callers is that SOME WILL HEAR. Then they, too, in their turn, must invite others! Those who hear the Word and accept it, who believe and are saved, must invite! They must call others and pass on their newly found source of life. No one is exempt. The receivers of the Word MUST PASS IT ON; the found must find others; the invited must invite others; the saved must be the instrument of saving others. Wherever you are in life – a veteran Christian or newly born, caller or hearer, you have a responsibility to share the Word of Life!
But this final welcome is also addressed to THE COMERS. (17) “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” Jesus gives one last call to THOSE WHO STILL HAVE NOT YIELDED TO HIM. And here He hits at the heart of their problem. In essence He says, “If you’re thirsty, empty, dry – come to me.” Those who are true to themselves, who are conscious of their need, will come. The only qualification is to come to Him. Even those who only desire to try Him, even if they aren’t quite ready to admit their need, can come! There is still this chance, this time; He is still offering an opportunity!
And that really speaks to all of us this morning. Perhaps you’ve felt you’re just not worthy enough to come to Christ or to be saved – you can come. Maybe you’ve wondered if you’re good enough to merit Christ’s attention and favor – you can come. You’ve felt like damaged goods and unwelcome in Christ’s presence – you can come. Maybe you’ve thought you didn’t need His help for life and then struck out on your own – you can come. It might be that you really haven’t wanted Him badly enough, and haven’t ever had “that feeling”, and so have never responded – you can come. Or you feel you’ve tried but failed too much, have just been too involved in sin – you can come. ANYONE – ANY OF US – CAN COME, ANY TIME.
What an echo of Isaiah (41:17-18): “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” (55:1) – “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price!” Come – He will be there. As a hymn invites us: We can come to the water and stand by His side; He knows we are thirsty and we won’t be denied! He has felt every tear drop when in darkness we’ve cried, and He strives to remind us that for those very tears He has died! Respond to the final welcome; come to Jesus!
No we come to the FINAL WORDS of Jesus. First, Jesus says, in verse 13, I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” He reminds us again that JESUS IS THE END OF LIFE – EVERYONE MUST COME TO TERMS WITH HIM. Life is designed for His glory – He in whom and for whom all things exist! He began the world, He sustains it, and He will end it. He is the beginning of all that is new, and the end of all that is yet to be. One of the purposes of Revelation is to help us understand that Christ is even now the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that as it was in the beginning it is now and ever shall be!
And verse 16 tells us that in addition to being the beginning and the end, He is also the “BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR.” The bright or morning star is the star that ushers in the day. And isn’t that what Christ is always doing? JESUS USHERS IN THE NEW DAY! Wherever Jesus is, it’s a new day! His birth occurred under the star of a new day; His earthly ministry ushered in a new day; His life, death, resurrection, and ascension ushered in a new day; Pentecost ushered in a new day! When Christ comes into peoples’ hearts He ushers in a new day as the daystar “rises in our hearts”! And here in Revelation Christ ushers in the new eternal day. He always heralds the end of night! He ushers in the unclouded eternal glories of the everlasting kingdom!
And that means WE CAN HAVE FAITH! The creation account in Genesis ended in the 7th night – day was yet to come. Revelation ends with the day! It is coming! The long night of trouble will be over! So no matter how tired we may be, how ill we are, how poor we feel, how badly we’ve acted, how abused we’ve been, how many times we’ve failed; no matter how shaky the marriage, no matter how slow the business, no matter how dull and hard the school, no matter how awful the team may be, no matter how hard our life – THERE WILL BE A NEW DAY! The bright and morning star will rise in our hearts!
I’ve had plenty of ‘those’ days – totally frustrated, thoroughly exhausted, completely down in the dumps. But Jesus somehow, someway always gets my attention and reminds me that He is the Bright and Morning Star. I might still be tired and frustrated, and all the rest, but I can see the horizon again! The promised one of the future comes crashing once again into my present. And life is new all over again! Behold His brightness!
And the third word of Jesus I am labeling simply “BEHOLD!” “HE IS COMING SOON!” Soon! Still on His time! When His purposes of redemption are complete, then He will come with all swiftness. At the end of the age He will come to confine Satan and his followers! He will gather His own unto Himself! And we shall behold Him! For that has always been His way – HE ALWAYS COMES WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. He was born when the time was right, died when the time was right, and sent His Spirit when the time was right. He always comes when the time is right. He came in time to relieve the saints in Asia who first heard and read this letter; He came on time to end powers of opposition; and He will come again – when the time is right!
Yet the message of Revelation is that not just at the end of the age, but anytime, anywhere, even when you least expect it – the living Lord Jesus Christ will come! There’s an interesting parable in Matthew 25: It’s about a wedding that is ready to start, but “… the bridegroom was delayed . . .” Imagine – everyone and everything is ready; the bride is standing at the rear of the church waiting to enter. But the groom is not there; no one knows where he is! We may be ready for Christ to come, we may want Him to come – but He will come when it’s best for us and He is ready!
So as we conclude this series, think about God’s timing. WHEN HAS CHRIST COME IN YOUR LIFE? Ever too early? Or too late? I vividly remember how I felt as a freshman at Central College when the sudden realization hit me that music would definitely not be my life. I was crushed, defeated. But that just allowed God the opportunity to show me what He had in mind – so I’ve been pastoring almost 40 years. I’m here as your pastor tonight as a result of it! I recall as well the summer I worked at Cran-Hill Ranch. I left school that spring with a rather deep and serious relationship with a girl; it was important to me. Just a few days before heading for the Ranch, I got her “dear John” letter. Crushed! Devastated! The last thing I wanted to do was go and work at Church Camp! But I went. And into my life came Barb – not too soon nor too late. God knew far more than I did about who and what I needed for life. For I can testify that, in addition to eh Holy Spirit, her love and support have been, and always will be, the foundation of my emotional make up and my stability for ministry; it’s her love which keeps my life in balance when, in my weakness, I’d rather forget it and move on to something else. God came not too soon or too late.
How has it been with you? Perhaps Helen Steiner Rice said it well in her poem “What More Can You Ask”:
God’s love endureth forever –
What a wonderful thing to know
When the tides of life run against you
And your spirit is downcast and low . . .
God’s kindness is ever around you,
Always ready to freely impart
Strength to your faltering spirit,
Cheer to your lonely heart . . .
God’s presence is ever beside you,
As near as the reach of your hand,
You have but to tell Him your troubles,
There is nothing He won’t understand . . .
And knowing God’s love is unfailing,
And His mercy unending and great,
You have but to trust in His promise –
“God comes not too soon or too late”.
So wait with a heart that is patient
For the goodness of God to prevail –
For never do prayers go unanswered,
And His mercy and love never fail.
Behold! He comes! On Time! Just right! Soon! Bet your life on Jesus!
And John said, “Amen!” So be it! “Even so, COME, LORD JESUS!” WHAT COMES TO US FROM HEAVEN AS A PROMISE, SHOULD RETURN TO HEAVEN AS A PRAYER! And that is our continual prayer – “Come, Lord Jesus!” Come – end the night of sin; Come - break the day of sorrow; Come - smash the hour of temptation; come - heal our broken spirits and bodies; come - destroy the period of confusion, chaos, and loss. Come - pick up the pieces of a broken world. Come – gather your people and reign forever! Amen! COME, LORD JESUS.
(1) For Those Tears I Died, Marsha Stevens, © 1976 Children of the Day
