"The Final Chapter"
Revelation 22:12
Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8 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. 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. 10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 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. 12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 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. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 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. 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.
Introduction: How many of you have ever picked up a book and jumped forward to the last chapter to find out how the story ends? I hope I'm not the only one who has done this! This morning we are going to "jump" to the last chapter of the last book in the Bible. We are told in the first verse of chapter one the following...Revelation 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
John who was one of the Lord's inner circle of disciples, had been entrusted with the care and keeping of the Lord's mother, Mary, and had become an important leader in the church. He is referred to in church history as the bishop of Ephesus. John had been persecuted, some say that he had survived being boiled in oil, and was later exiled to the isle of Patmos, and that he is the only one of the disciples to die a natural death. This is confirmed for us in chapter 1 verses 9-10...
Revelation 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,
My subject this morning is the Second Coming of Christ and I think is important that we understand that the promise of his return is the last great unfulfilled prophecy in the Word of God. The Lord himself spoke of His second advent on many occasions, the angels at His ascension declared that "this same Jesus" would come again, the apostles preached and taught that Jesus was coming again, and for two thousand years the church has been anticipating the coming of the Lord. With all this being said, let's look at verse 12 of our text which speaks of:
I. The Return of Christ -
It is interesting to note that Revelation begins and ends with statements about the second coming:
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen...22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
ILL - Dr. George Sweeting once estimated that "more than a fourth of the Bible is predictive prophecy...Both the Old and New Testaments are full of promises about the return of Jesus Christ. Over 1800 references appear in the O.T., and seventeen O.T. books give prominence to this theme. Of the 260 chapters in the N.T., there are more than 300 references to the Lord's return--one out of every 30 verses. Twenty-three of the 27 N.T. books refer to this great event...For every prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are 8 on Christ's second coming."
SOURCE: Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 40. Submitted by Guy Caley
In this passage we learn that the Second Coming is a
a. Promise to the persecuted ones
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
b. Promise to the pure ones
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ...
c. Promise to the patient ones
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. 8 Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
ILL - Bill Bright, just months before he died in July 2003: "Even though I've always believed in heaven and hell, after I became a believer, I gave little thought to it. But in recent months I've been writing on heaven and hell. My logic is this: The God whom we worship created at least 100 billion galaxies--some astronomers would say 200 billion. Do we give God credit? They say it was the Big Bang. But it was this great Creator God who made all this majesty and glory.
You can imagine, then, what he's done to create a heaven? "Eyes have not seen, ears have not heard, neither knows the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him"--beauty and magnificence beyond anything our little finite minds can imagine."
II. The Recompense by Christ- the time is at hand
Revelation 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. ESV
Now remember that the word recompense can be either good or bad; it can mean a reward or it can mean retribution
a. It's reward for the just
1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
ILL - David Peterson, former pastor at the First Presbyterian Church in Spokane, Washington, told about a time when he was preparing his sermon. His little daughter came in and said, "Daddy, can we play?" He answered, "I'm awfully sorry, Sweetheart, but I'm right in the middle of preparing this sermon. In about an hour I can play." She said, "Okay, when you're finished, Daddy, I am going to give you a great big hug. He said, "Well, I'll look forward to that. Thank you very much." She went to the door and (these are his words) "Then she did a U-turn and came back and gave me a chiropractic, bone-breaking hug." David said to her, "Baby, you said you were going to give me a hug after I finished." She answered, "Daddy, I just wanted you to know what you have to look forward to!"
b. It's retribution for the unjust
Notice in verse 12 that the Lord declares that "...my recompense is with me..."
When the Lord returns he is going to reward the just and pour out His retribution on the unjust.
ILL - Christian writer and commentator Warren Wiersbe, tells about a town where a horse bolted and ran away with a wagon carrying a little boy. Seeing the child in danger, a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop the wagon. The child who was saved grew up to become a lawless man, and one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime. The prisoner recognized the judge as the man who, years before had saved his life; so he pled for mercy on the basis of that experience. But the words from the bench silenced his plea: "Young man, then I was your savior; today I am your judge, and I must sentence you to be hanged." One day Jesus Christ will say to rebellious sinners, "During that long day of grace, I was the Savior, and I would have forgiven you. But today I am your Judge."
Notice also that this recompense will be "...according as his work shall be..."
Matthew 16:27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Romans 2:1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
c. It's restriction
There will be no second chances. No time to repent, or reform or make restitution.
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.
III. The Revelation of Christ -- Ultimately it's about Him
a. The address -- Alpha & Omega
The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. In earlier passages this is address is used of the Father but here it is used of Christ, crowing proof of His deity!
b. The assurance
The beginning and the end are applied only to Christ, thus giving us assurance that He is qualified to be the judge of all men.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Acts 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
c. The action
In Hebrews 12:2 Jesus is the archēgos kai teleiōtēs tēs pisteōs (the author and finisher of faith). Christ was the Creator of the universe for the Father. So now he is the Consummation of redemption. Robertson
Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
At the winding up of the whole scheme of revelation He announces Himself as the One before whom and after whom there is no God. JFB
Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
Holman also reminds us the focus of the Bible: God as the Bible's Primary Subject The Bible and history begin with God (Gen. 1:1). The last chapter of the Bible describes God as the "Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 22:13 NRSV). All the way through Scripture God is primary. For Christians the primacy of God is reassuring, liberating, and instructive. It reassures us that God controls all existence. It liberates us to know the loving, redeeming God seeks to set us free. It instructs us to be able to look for signs of God throughout His universe.
Conclusion: THE DANGER OF SPIRITUAL PROCRASTINATION
ILL - There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and to ruin men. The first said, "I will tell them that there is no God."
Satan said, "That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God."
The second said, "I will tell men that there is no hell."
Satan answered, "You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin."
The third said, "I will tell men that there is no hurry."
"Go," said Satan, "and you will ruin men by the thousands."
The most dangerous of all delusions is that there is plenty of time.
(William Barclay: The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2 [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1975], p. 317. From a sermon by Matthew Kratz, The parable of the Faithful & Wise Servant, 7/17/2010)
