TEXT: Revelation 22:12-21
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.
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.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The Free State of Glory (Part 60)
Dr. Walvoord and Dr. Zuck of Dallas Theological Seminary said of this passage, “While on the one hand an invitation is extended to those who will listen, a word of warning is also given to those who reject the revelation of this final book of the Bible. A dual warning is given against adding to it or subtracting from it. How great will be the judgment of those who despise this book and relegate it to the mystical experiences of an old man, thereby denying that it is the inspired Word of God. Rejecting the Word of God is rejecting God Himself. And those who deny His promises of blessing and subtract from His truths will receive His judgment and will have no part in the tree of life or access to the holy city. One further word of testimony was then given: Yes, I am coming soon. To this John replied in a brief prayer, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. With this tremendous revelation completed, a final word of benediction was pronounced. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. This expression, so common in other New Testament books, brings this final word from God to an end. For those who believe that Christ in His first coming provided salvation, there is the wonderful promise of His coming again to bring full and final deliverance. As the book began by introducing a revelation of Jesus Christ so it ends with the same thought that He is coming again. Probably no other book of Scripture more sharply contrasts the blessed lot of the saints with the fearful future of those who are lost. No other book of the Bible is more explicit in its description of judgment on the one hand and the saints’ eternal bliss on the other. What a tragedy that so many pass by this book and fail to fathom its wonderful truths, thereby impoverishing their knowledge and hope in Christ Jesus. God’s people who understand and appreciate these wonderful promises can join with John in his prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus.”
In Revelation 22:20, we have the final words of Jesus in all of the Bible. John introduces Him as the one who “testifieth of these things.” In case anyone doubts the contents of the Revelation, John is saying that it is Jesus himself who bears witness to what is in the book. Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega of History, says that these things are true. If you can’t believe Jesus, whom all of the Old Testament leads to and whom all of the New Testament speaks of, maybe there is no hope for you.
This statement is followed by Jesus’ own words: “Surely I come quickly. Amen.” The Greek word translated as “surely” is “a primary particle of strong affirmation.” Coming from Jesus, it denotes an absolute, ultimate truth. “Surely, I am certainly coming again.” From the Garden of Eden onward, history looked to the coming of Jesus Christ. And from His ascension onward till today, the present and the future look to His second coming. Robert Mounce said, “At the very close of the book is the confession that the answers to the problems of life do not lie in man’s ability to create a better world but in the return of the One whose sovereign power controls the course of human affairs.”
And the sovereignly powerful Son of God is not just coming again, but He says, “I come quickly.” Don’t you love when things happen quickly? No one likes waiting. But, even though Christ says He is coming quickly, millions of Christians have had to wait. The word translated as “quickly” means “speedily, suddenly, or without delay.” Scholars have stated that this word is meant o show the manner of Christ’s second coming rather than the time of His coming. When Christ comes, it will happen in a snap, speedily or swiftly. There won’t be a long process. There won’t be any time to get ready or to get out of the way. When Christ comes, He’ll be here, everyone will know it, and many won’t be prepared for it.
Christians, whether the time of Christ’s return is today or two hundred years from now, the only appropriate response is John’s: “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Amen means “so be it.” It is our affirmation of Christ’s declaration. We want Him to come and are glad to hear that He is coming quickly.
Now, if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, I urge you to trust in Him before He comes and you have no time to change. Here is how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and the consequences of sin.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
The Gospel Light Minute X 