Well, when Jenny and I have visitors coming to our house,
whether that's planned or unplanned, I go into clean mode.
It's kind of scary, actually, as my family would attest.
I want our house a welcoming place.
Jenny, don't get me wrong, she does a great job keeping her house clean,
but when people are coming, I want our place clean and tidy
for people to come in and feel welcome.
But what can happen is, in my cleaning, I can forget who's coming.
This morning, we can be so occupied with the things of God
that we can forget who's coming.
This morning, we're wrapping up the book of Revelation,
and we're going to be in the epilogue of the book of Revelation,
the last word, the afterword of the book of Revelation,
and we're going to see the last words of Jesus in the entire Bible,
Bible, in which he says,
I am coming soon.
Are you looking forward to his coming?
Famous last words.
Apparently, Jack Daniel, of Jack Daniel's fame,
his last words on his deathbed were,
one last drink, please.
Winston Churchill, on his deathbed, said,
I'm bored with it all.
The moment he died, I don't think he was bored anymore.
Steve Jobs, of Apple fame,
his last words were,
oh wow, oh wow, oh wow.
And the moment he passed into death
and stood before Jesus,
I'm guessing it turned to,
oh no, oh no, oh no.
Oh no.
Edgar Allan Poe, of the Raven fame,
his last words were,
Lord, help my soul.
Joan Crawford, of actress fame,
said, don't you dare ask God to help me,
and died.
Harriet Tubman, the abolitionist, said,
swing low, sweet chariot,
come.
This morning, we're looking at Revelation chapter 22,
through 6, through 21,
and we're going to see the last words of this book,
the last words of the Bible,
even the last words of Jesus,
recorded in Scripture.
And this afterward,
it's kind of a summary,
and when it talks about these words in 22, 6,
it's talking about all of the words of the book,
of the prophecy of Revelation.
This entire book shows us vision after vision
of not only what's to come,
but of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And so this morning,
as we wrap up this book,
and we have received the message of this book,
we've got to ask the question,
what do we do now?
In between Jesus' first coming and second coming,
having received these words of the book of Revelation,
what do we do now?
Well, the point of this section in Revelation 22 is,
we must keep these words of this prophecy
until He comes.
We must keep these words.
And this morning,
I just want to walk you through
seven truths
about these words that we must keep.
So I'm just going to pull them out of the text,
and they're going to provide
somewhat of a summary of our study
of the book of Revelation.
And so,
we need to keep these words
of the prophecy of this book
until Jesus comes,
and He has promised to come.
I'm coming soon.
So,
truth number one.
It's in 22, 6.
The angel says to John,
these words
are trustworthy and true.
So,
the first truth of these words,
these words are true words.
These words are true words.
And the angel,
when he says these words,
he's referring to all of the book of Revelation
from chapter 1
through chapter 22.
All of the visions.
All of the glories.
What chapter 119,
what God tells John
to write down for us.
All these words
are trustworthy and true.
Another way you can say that,
trustworthy and true,
you could say
that these words
of this prophecy
are reliable
and accurate.
Because
they are God's words.
Revealing reality.
I'm not sure
if you noticed this,
but in verse 6,
these words
are trustworthy and true.
And then we read,
in the Lord,
the God of the spirits
of the prophets
has sent his angel
to show his servants
what must soon take place.
In that little section,
there is a process
of transmission
of these words
that start with God,
go through his prophet,
and land in the church.
These words
are trustworthy
and true
because they are
originally from God.
These words,
the book of Revelation,
these are God's words.
They're true.
They depict reality.
They show us
what is to come.
Did you see the show?
He has sent his angel
to show his servants
what must soon take place.
And the book of Revelation
is showing us.
We see again and again
these visions
of what's to come
and of our great God.
These words are reliable
and true
because they are ultimately
from God
and they show us reality.
And if I were to sum up,
what is the reality
that this book shows us,
what God is showing us?
He is showing us this.
that all of humanity
is basically split
into two groups of people.
Those who belong to the Lamb
and those who belong
to the Beast
and one is worshipping the Lamb
and one is worshipping the Beast
and God is gradually moving
all of history
until that one great day
in which he judges all.
This book,
these words show us
what is to come.
It's a prophecy.
It reveals
what is going to happen
when he comes
and he makes all things right.
So the first truth
is this.
These words
are true.
They're from God.
They show us
reality.
Things as they
truly are.
And that's why
he must keep them
until he comes.
The second truth
I want you to see
is this.
These words,
all of them,
from beginning to end
in the book of Revelation,
they must be kept.
In verse 7,
we read,
Blessed is the one
who keeps
the words
of the prophecy
of this book.
Blessed is the one
who keeps
the words
of the prophecy
of this book.
Because these words
come from God
and they are
trustworthy and true
and they are
clear depictions
of what reality is,
we must keep them.
We must believe them.
We must obey them.
We must align
our lives
with them
accurately.
And so,
this does include
all the moral commands
from the book of Revelation
and there are many.
If you remember
from the seven letters
to the seven churches,
Jesus comes out strong.
He squarely
rebukes Pergamum
and Theotira
for their
sexual immorality
and he calls them
to repent.
Not just of their
sexual immorality
but of the teaching
that undergirded it.
Called them out of that.
And so,
for all of us
in the room,
the call there
is to,
if you're involved
with sexual immorality,
if you're doing
something sexually
that God forbids
through his word,
repent of it.
We gotta obey
these words.
We gotta keep
these words.
But that's not
all that we are
to keep.
Because in the book
of Revelation,
there are these
truth claims
all throughout
of what reality
truly is
and we must
keep hold of those
despite what
CNN says,
despite what
Fox News is saying,
despite what
you may be reading
on your NPR app,
this book
tells us
how things
truly are.
It's a revelation.
It pulls back
the curtain
and helps us
to see
what's truly
going on.
And so,
for example,
the book
of Revelation
reveals to us
that God
is on his throne
reigning
on high
and that
Jesus,
the Lamb,
has been
given
the scroll
with seven
seals
and he is
the divine
executor
of God's
will,
carrying out
God's plan
for the fullness
of time.
This book,
these words
claim a reality.
God is in
control.
We don't live
in a random
universe.
More so,
this book
claims in
Revelation 12
and 13,
we have
spiritual
opposition
as followers
of Jesus.
We have
an enemy,
the evil
forces of
darkness,
the anti-trinity,
actively seeking
to deceive
and destroy
and dismay
right now.
It's not
just creative
writing.
It's making
a truth claim
as to how
things truly
are.
So,
you can't
walk away
from the
book of
Revelation
and say,
yeah,
I think
that the
whole dragon
devil business,
I think
that's just
kind of
metaphoric.
It's a
claim that
there is an
enemy of
our soul.
He is
seeking to
work us
woe,
but his
days are
numbered
and he
will be
tossed
headlong
into the
lake of
fire.
Furthermore,
there's another
claim and
we see it
throughout this
text.
If you look
at verse
seven,
we see
red ink,
Jesus saying
and behold,
I am coming
soon.
In verse
12,
red ink,
behold,
I am coming
soon.
And then in
verse 20,
surely I am
coming soon.
Three times
in this text,
Jesus says,
I'm coming
back soon.
We've got to
hold on to
that.
We've got to
keep those
words.
It's a
claim of
reality.
Jesus is
sitting at
the right
hand of
the Father
in heaven,
sitting on
G,
waiting on
O,
from the
Father to
come back.
We're one
day closer.
These are
all these
truth claims.
So not only
do we need
to obey
the moral
commands of
the book
of Revelation,
we need to
obey the
truth claims.
Keep them
how things
truly are.
And here's
what this
means.
When we
keep the
words of
this prophecy
of this
book,
we don't
need to
freak out
and wonder
if the
earth is
going to
eventually
be invaded
and colonized
by these
slimy
aliens that
will make
all humanity
their slaves.
We don't
need to
worry about
that because
that's not
in the
book.
Nor,
if we
keep these
words,
we don't
need to
worry about
a zombie
apocalypse.
We need
to be aware
of an
apocalypse,
not a
zombie
apocalypse.
So if
you're a
fan of
The Walking
Dead,
throw it
out.
It's not
determining,
it's not
what's going
to happen.
It's not
if we
keep these
words,
we don't
need to
fear that
the earth
will be
devastated by
a giant
meteor wiping
out of all
the entire
human race.
But,
if Revelation
8, 10, and
11 is
accurate,
the third
trumpet,
it looks
like there
is going
to be a
meteor strike
that will
devastate a
third of
the drinking
water on
the planet.
that will
result in
the deaths
of a
third of
humanity.
I mean,
it doesn't
mean we're
going to
send Bruce
Willis up
into the
sky and
try to
destroy the
asteroid.
This is
God at
work.
If we
keep the
words of
this book,
it means
that as
we are
paying attention
to global
warming
happening all
around us,
if you keep
the words of
this book,
it raises the
possibility of a
third explanation
for global
warming.
Explanation
number one,
natural causes.
Explanation two for
global warming,
it's human
intervention,
the result of
human activity.
The
explanation three
of global warming
is that it's
actually God
at work
allowing the
earth to
heat up.
Revelation 16,
8 through 9,
the fourth
bowl judgment,
the sun was
allowed by God
to scorch
people by its
fierce heat.
It's possible.
It's an
explanation.
It may
happen.
It may
happen.
We must
keep these
words.
And when we
keep these
words, we
don't need to
despair that
the bad guys
are going to
get away with
it because
there is a
great white
throne judgment
coming.
So these
truth claims
of this
book
function in
our lives
of what
reality truly
is.
Did you
notice in
verse 7,
the
blessed?
Blessed are
those who
keep the
words of
this book.
Blessed is
the one who
obeys.
Blessed is
the one who
does the
words of
the prophecy
of this
book.
This is
the sixth
blessing
pronounced
on those
who have
been bought
by the
blood of
the Lamb
who obey
Him.
It's the
sixth of
seven.
The
seventh
blessing
is in
verse 14.
Blessed are
those who
wash their
robes.
To be
blessed means
to experience
God's
unmerited
grace,
undeserved
favor.
The Old
Testament
described it
as when
God would
shine His
face upon
you.
God
shines His
face upon
us,
not because
of anything
we have
done,
but because
He's a
God of
grace.
So here's
what this
means when
we read
these blessings
in the
book of
Revelation.
We keep
these words
not to
be blessed.
We keep
these words
because we
already have
been blessed.
We've
already been
bought by
the blood
of the
Lamb.
And so
those who
have been
blessed with
salvation
and live
faithfully
to the
Lamb.
And they
are a
blessed
bunch.
They
have washed
their robes
and made
them white
in the
blood of
the Lamb.
So when
you keep
these words
of the
book of
this prophecy,
the result
is
obedience
to Jesus.
us.
Persevering
through
hardship,
tribulation
which are
surely to
come,
the result
is faithful
discipleship
to the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Okay,
we've hit
the first
two truths,
now the
last five,
and we're
going to
speed up
the pace.
The third
truth is
this.
These
words
must
not
be
sealed.
In
verses
10 and
11 we
read,
and he
the angel
said to
me,
do not
seal up
the words
of the
prophecy
of this
book,
for the
time is
near.
Let the
evildoer
still do
evil,
and the
filthy
still be
filthy,
and the
righteous
still do
right,
and the
holy
still be
holy.
There's
some Old
Testament
background
you need
to know.
In the
book of
Daniel,
God reveals
these visions
to Daniel
of what
will happen
in the
distant
future.
And so
in Daniel
chapter 12,
verse 4
and verse 9,
God tells
Daniel,
after giving
these visions,
to seal
up the
words of
the prophecy
of the
book,
until the
end.
Here in
verse 10,
stark contrast
to Daniel,
which was
intentional,
the angel
commands John
to not
seal up
the words
of the
prophecy
of this
book.
And why
not?
For the
time is
near.
The time
of tribulation,
the time
of increasing
judgment,
the end
is near.
It's no
longer far
away,
Daniel
chapter 12.
It's no
longer distant,
which means
this,
we need
these
words
now.
Don't seal
them up.
Don't close
the book.
These words
need to be
available and
functioning in
the life of
God's people.
We need
the words
of the
prophecy of
this book
now to
understand the
conflict we
are in and
what is soon
to come and
to give us
these glorious
visions of
a risen,
radiant,
and reigning
Christ who
makes it all
worth it.
You need
the book,
you need
these words
now to
faithfully
follow Jesus
in the midst
of the
situation we
find ourselves
in,
challenging on
all sides.
We need
these words
now because
we live in
between his
first coming
and his
second coming
and that's
the point
of verse
11.
When we
live in
between,
there will
be two
groups of
people.
There are
those who
follow after
the beast,
evil doing
evil,
filthy being
filthy,
and those
who follow
after the
lamb,
righteous doing
right,
holy being
holy,
and we
need these
words unsealed,
functioning in
our lives to
show us how
to remain
faithful to
the lamb,
to walk
with him
because he's
worth it.
So brothers
and sisters,
here we are at
the end of the
book of
Revelation and
I need to
tell you,
don't close
it up.
Don't come
back to it
in two
years.
Don't think
about our
working through
the book of
Revelation from
September of
2018 to
June 2019
as a notch
we put on
our belt.
This book,
these words,
are to be
functioning in
our lives.
We're to
live by them.
We are to
keep them.
We need
them now
so that
these words
don't seal
them up,
don't put
them away.
Let them
speak.
The fourth
truth about
these words
is that
these words
warn.
Look at
verse 12.
Behold,
I am coming
soon,
bringing my
recompense with
me to repay
each one for
what he has
done.
Now,
this verse
warns all
of us in
the room
and around
the world
that we
will one
day stand
before the
Lord Jesus
Christ and
give an
account to
him.
When he
comes,
he will
reward or
punish.
These
words warn
us
because our
actions
reveal who
we worship.
What we
just saw in
verse 11,
evil being
evil,
filthy being
filthy,
righteous doing
right,
holy being
holy,
those actions
reveal who
they are
living for.
And because
our actions
reveal who
we worship,
they reveal
whose mark
we bear,
who where
our loyalties
lie.
These words
warn those
inside the
faith as
well as
outside the
faith.
I'm not
sure if
you,
verses 8 and
9 caught
your attention.
They're
fascinating to
me.
I,
John,
am the
one who
heard and
saw these
things.
He's saying,
I'm a
prophet.
These visions
were given
to me.
And when I
heard and
saw them,
what does
he do?
I fell
down to
worship at
the feet of
the angel
who showed
them to
me.
But the
angel said
to me,
what do
you think
you're doing?
You must
not do
that.
I'm a
fellow servant
with you and
your brothers,
the prophets,
and with those
who keep the
words of this
book.
There again,
keep the
words of
this book.
And then
the angel
says,
don't worship
me,
worship God.
And it's a
warning for
us all.
These words
warn us.
Think about
it.
If John,
the disciple
who put
his head
on the chest
of Jesus
and received
these divine
visions from
angels,
if he was
tempted to
worship an
angel,
what does
that mean
for us?
us.
As Christians,
we can
worship things
that are not
God.
We can
worship certain
preachers,
whether of
a bygone age
or present.
We can
actually worship
the Bible.
We can put
the Bible on
the same
par as who
God is.
We can
worship theology
or a theological
system.
We can
worship worship.
We can
spin greed
into a
worship.
You see,
these words,
they warn
us inside
the faith.
They warn
us to
worship God
alone.
He is
worthy of
our exclusive
devotion.
But these
words also
warn those
outside the
faith.
If you
looked at
verses 14
and 15,
we read,
blessed are
those who
wash their
robes so
that they
may have
the right
to the
tree.
of life
and that
they may
enter the
city by
the gates.
Those
inside the
faith,
in the
city,
robes
washed
white.
And then
in verse
15,
outside
are the
dogs and
sorcerers
and sexual
immoral
and murderers
and idolaters
and everyone
who loves
and practices
falsehood.
These
words of
the book
of Revelation
from beginning
to end,
they are
warning
those inside
the faith,
don't go
after things
that aren't
God.
And it's
warning those
outside the
faith,
stop your
worship of
that which
is created.
In verse
15,
those outside
the city
of light,
the new
Jerusalem,
living in
Jesus'
word,
in darkness,
these are the
ones who are
evil and filthy,
verse 11.
Again and again,
all throughout the
Bible,
all throughout
the book of
Revelation,
there is
warning after
warning,
warning about
the dragon,
warning about
the beast,
warning about
the false
prophet in
Babylon,
warning of
the judgment
to come,
warning about
the lake
of fire,
and it's
all designed
to warn
someone outside
the faith,
stop what
you're doing.
You must
repent and
turn to the
living God.
Don't worship
that which is
not God.
God is
maybe you
notice that
these outsiders
are called
dogs and
you're like,
oh,
that's not
too nice,
but when you
realize that
it's actually
a fitting
description because
they're just
behaving like
the one they're
worshiping,
the beast.
There's a
little beast.
Now,
if you're in
the room right
now and you
are feeling
this sense
of conviction
that you are
outside of
God's people,
that you've
not been
taking God's
word seriously,
I'll tell
you what,
not only is
God warning
you today,
He's inviting
you because
the fifth
truth I
want you to
see is
that not
only do
these words
warn those
inside and
outside the
faith,
these words
invite.
All
throughout
the book
of Revelation,
invitation
after invitation
to come,
come to the
one.
In verses
16 and
17, we
read that
Jesus, I
Jesus, this
is Jesus
speaking, have
sent my
angel to
testify to
you about
these things
for the
churches.
Again, it's
this transmission
of these words
starting with
God, going
through Jesus,
moving to an
angel, then to
John, to the
churches, to the
world.
Lord, and
here we have
Jesus saying,
I sent these
words to you
for the
churches.
And then we
see in verse
17, midway
through, we
read this, and
let the one who
is thirsty
come.
Let the one
who desires
take the water
of life
without price.
the one
speaking is
described as
the root and
descendant of
David.
Verse 16.
It's a claim of
messiahship, of
kingship, of
authority.
He's described as
the bright
morning star.
It's a picture
of hope.
So this
king, who
is the giver
of hope, is
calling out
to those on
the outside
and thirsty,
come drink
of the water
I give.
Come and
drink.
There's an
invitation here.
These words
invite those
who are thirsty
and on the
outside to
come in
and drink
of the
water of
life.
And from
22.1, we
learn that this
water flows
from the
throne of God
in the new
Jerusalem.
To drink the
water of life
that Jesus
offers is to
come under
the life-giving
authority of
God and the
Lamb.
Do you
remember in
John 4,
Jesus is
speaking at the
woman at the
well.
She had gone
through a lot
of men.
And Jesus
says to her
in verse 14,
whoever drinks
of this water
that I will
give will
never be
thirsty
again.
Again.
And
maybe you
walked into
this building
this morning
and you
didn't think
yourself thirsty.
You don't
need a drink
of water.
But you
know your
soul is
thirsty
because of
your guilt
and your
shame,
your anger,
your lust,
your greed.
The result
of all of
that has
made you
soul thirsty.
You can't
find anything
to quench
it.
And today
Jesus is
saying to
you,
come to
the waters
I can
give.
At no
cost to
you.
It's
paid by
him.
Come and
drink.
You're
invited to
come.
If that's
you this
morning,
will you
take what
Jesus gives?
Just say
to him,
I'll take
it.
I'll take
the water
that you
alone offer.
quench my
soul.
These words
not only
invite,
these words,
the sixth
truth,
these words
stir
longing
in our
hearts.
There's
another kind
of invitation
happening in
this passage.
passage.
It's
coming from
those who've
been quenched
by the
water of
life.
Let me
help you
see it.
Remember
in 22.7,
Jesus says,
behold,
I'm coming
soon.
In 22.12,
Jesus says
again,
behold,
I'm coming
soon.
And then
in 22.20,
Jesus says,
surely I'm
coming soon.
There's a
response to
that in
this passage.
there's a
response
of longing
among those
whose souls
have been
quenched
by Jesus.
We see it
in verse 17.
The spirit
and the
bride say,
come.
Jesus says,
behold,
I'm coming
soon.
The spirit
and the
bride say,
come.
The spirit
is the
Holy Spirit
and the
bride,
of course,
is the
church of
God.
Those who
have been
bought by
the blood
of the
lamb,
the blessed
ones.
And if
the church
is the
bride,
that makes
the lamb
the groom.
And so
when you
read these
words,
the spirit
and the
bride say,
come.
Think of it
this way.
The Holy
Spirit who
indwells each
of us is
stirring our
hearts for
our bridegroom.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Come,
bridegroom.
But we
also read,
and let the
one who
hears,
verse 17,
say,
come.
Those who
hear these
words of
Jesus,
behold,
I'm coming
soon.
These words,
and by the
way,
these words
of Jesus
coming,
they start
in verse
8 of
chapter 1.
The one
who hears
these words,
let him
say,
come,
Lord Jesus.
Come.
come.
And in
verse 20,
John,
the prophet,
the apostle,
he hears
Jesus say,
surely I'm
coming soon,
and John
himself says,
amen,
so be
it.
Come,
Lord Jesus,
come.
Why are
all these
people saying
come?
Come.
Because all
of their
souls have
been quenched
by Jesus,
and their
greatest longing
is for their
bridegroom,
who is
saying,
I'm coming
soon,
but you may
be sitting
in your
pew saying,
wait,
hold on a
second.
John was
given this
vision in
96 AD.
If Jesus
said,
then I'm
coming soon,
that is a
really long
soon.
In 2 Peter
3,
3-4,
Peter
describes
scoffers
who scoff
at these
very words
of Jesus,
in which he
says,
I'm coming
soon.
The way that
Peter describes
it is,
these scoffers
are saying,
where is the
promise of
his coming?
For ever
since the
fathers fell
asleep,
all things
continue as
they were.
That the
first generation
has died and
nothing's changed.
Where's your
Jesus?
He hasn't
come and
he's saying
he's coming
soon.
And here we
are almost
two millennia
later,
since he said
these things
to the
churches.
You know,
it can raise
in your
heart,
it can make
you wonder,
are these
words trustworthy
and true?
I'm coming
soon?
In 2 Peter 3,
8, 9, and
10, Peter
answers the
scoffers and
those of us
who wonder,
how much
longer?
Why the
delay?
Peter says,
God does not
work on your
timetable.
God has a
different
timetable.
But that's not
low, he says.
He then goes
on to say,
God is not
slow to
fulfill his
promise,
I'm coming
soon,
but is
patient towards
you all,
not wishing
that any
shall perish,
but that all
should repent.
So not only
on a different
timetable,
he's got
an unfinished
task he's
doing.
And then
Peter says,
but the day
of the Lord
will come
like a
thief,
imminent,
unexpected.
So when
Jesus says
three times
in Revelation
22,
6 through
21,
I'm coming
soon,
he means
it.
He's just
working off
a different
timetable
and finalizing
an uncompleted
task.
The delay
is so all
those written
in the
Lamb's
book of
life will
repent and
wash their
robes white
in the
blood of
the Lamb,
Revelation
7,
14.
And as
we wait
for him
to finish
his great
harvest,
Revelation
14,
those of
us with
quenched
souls,
we say,
oh,
come,
I don't
know how
much longer,
but come,
come.
His promise
stands,
surely I am
coming.
So let me
ask you this
question this
morning.
Is your
soul
longing
for your
bridegroom?
Or is your
soul longing
for something
else?
When he
comes,
and he will
come,
remember what
he brings,
a new
heavens and
a new
earth,
a new
Jerusalem,
no more
tears,
no more
sin,
no more
struggle,
no more
threats,
I was
threatened this
week,
no more
conflict,
no more
fears,
no more
anxiety,
no more
depression,
no more
hatred,
no more
disappointment,
no more,
no more
tears.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
1 John 3
2 says,
beloved,
we are
God's
children now
and what
we will
be has
not yet
appeared,
but we
know that
when he
appears we
shall be
like him
because we
shall see
him as
he is.
I am
coming soon
like a
thief,
anytime.
the
seventh and
final
truth
about
these
words
is my
favorite.
These
words of
this book,
of this
prophecy,
they show
us time
and time
again
what's
to come,
yes,
but even
more
gloriously,
it shows
us our
Jesus.
It's a
magnificent,
magnificent
book
revealing
the glory
of our
Christ.
It paints
glorious
pictures of
who he
is.
Here in
our passage,
we learn that
Jesus is the
Alpha and
Omega,
113.
He's the
first and
last,
the beginning
and the
end.
You can
look at the
beginning and
the end and
say,
well,
that's
interesting.
You know
what the
claim is?
He's the
source of
all and
he is the
end of
all.
All things
exist by
him and
for him.
That's the
claim of
those three
words.
But we
also,
he's the
root and
descendant of
David.
He is
David's
greater
son.
He's the
bright
morning star.
In him
is our
hope.
Revelation,
over and
over again,
paints these
big pictures
of Jesus
for us
because they're
true.
And God
knows what we
need when
life gets
hard.
He's showing
us over and
over again how
worthy is
the lamb
who was
slain.
Endure.
If you
flip back
in the book
of Revelation
to Revelation
1.1,
the first
five words
of this
book say
the
revelation
of Jesus
Christ.
The
revealing,
the
disclosing,
the unveiling
of Jesus
Christ.
And so
in chapter
1, 12
through 16
we see
this glorious
picture of
the risen
radiant
and raiding
Christ.
Remember
those fire
eyes?
He's holy.
Chapter
5,
the one
seated on
the throne
holds up
a scroll.
An angel
says,
who is
worthy to
take up
the scroll
and break
its seals?
And then
in 5,
5,
and 6,
the lamb
who was
slain
is standing
in the
middle of
the heavenly
entourage
and he
takes
the scroll
and all
of heaven
bow down
and worship
the lamb.
That
is the
one
who's
saying,
I am
coming
soon.
In
chapter
12,
there's a
child born
of a woman
and the
dragon
sought to
devour him.
But this
child is the
fulfillment of
Psalm 2,
9.
He will
rule the
nations with
a rod of
iron.
That is
the one
who is
saying,
I am
coming
soon.
Chapter
19,
the rider
on the
white
horse,
he returns
faithful and
true with
the word
of God.
He has a
name that
only he
knows.
And the
greatest title,
the king
of kings
and lord
of lords.
This is
the one
who's
promised,
I am
coming
soon.
He is
the
millennial
king
reigning
over the
old
earth
during
the
thousand
year
reign.
That's
who's
coming.
He is
the judge
on the
great
white
throne.
That's
who's
saying,
I'm
coming
soon.
And in
chapter
21,
this
one
who's
the
temple
of the
new
Jerusalem,
who
lights
up the
place
with
lamb
light,
the
one
whose
face
we
will
see,
he
is
our
bridegroom.
and he's
saying,
I'm
coming
soon,
bride.
I will
wipe
away
your
tears.
These
words
show us
Jesus.
And that
is what I
love so
much about
the book
of
Revelation
and why
this book
has done
my soul
and maybe
your soul
so good
over the
last several
months,
again and
again.
These
words give
us
Jesus,
the one
who was
slain for
us and
the one
who has
promised to
come back
for us.
Well,
this morning
we've
wrapped up
the book
of Revelation
in not
a notch
on our
belts.
These
words we
must keep.
Famous
last words.
The book
of Revelation,
even the
entire
Bible
closes on
these
words.
Surely
I am
coming
soon.
So how
must we
live
having
received
these
words and
yet Jesus
has yet
to return?
We don't
seal them
up.
We keep
these words
until he
comes
because these
words,
chapters
22,
verse 21,
they are
the grace
of the
Lord Jesus
for us.
Amen.
Come,
Lord Jesus.
Let's pray.
God,
thank you
for this
book.
Would you
now press
it into
our hearts
so that we
may keep
them until
you come
because we
can't wait
to see you
face to
face.
It's in
your name
we pray.
Amen.