Revelation 22:12-21 (NIV)

Transcription

1 Power Hour Lesson Summary for November 27, 2016 First and Last Lesson Text: Revelation 22:12-21 Background Scripture: Revelation 22:8-21 Devotional Reading: Revelation 1:4-8 Revelation 22:12-21 (NIV) 12 Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. 17 The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let the one who hears say, Come! Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. 20 He who testifies to these things says, Yes, I am coming soon. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God s people. Amen. TODAY S LESSON AIMS Learning Fact: To identify the descriptions that are intended to apply to Jesus. Biblical Principle: To explore the meaning of the Second Coming to see the importance of this hoped-for reality. Daily Application: To express (through praise chorus, song or traditional hymn) the hope of Jesus promised return. INTRODUCTION Delays Your flight has been delayed. These words are distressing to the air traveler. In an environment of tight connections and few direct flights, a flight delay can result in disrupted plans and great inconvenience. It is a mark of our impatience as a society how traumatic a few hours delay can be. Yet delays are part of our everyday life. Car repairs take longer than expected. That package with promised twoday delivery actually takes three. Our food at the restaurant takes 10 minutes longer than we think it should. Delays are a frustratingly common element of life. But what if the delay is for hundreds of years? Thousands? As Christians, we must therefore use our time wisely as we patiently await Christ s promised return. Heaven is more than a destination; it is a motivation. Knowing that we shall dwell in the heavenly city with Jesus ought to make a difference in our lives here and now. The vision of the heavenly city motivated the patriarchs as they walked with God and served Him (Heb. 11:10, 13-16). Knowing that He was returning to the Father in heaven also encouraged Jesus Christ as He faced the cross (Heb. 12:2). The assurance of heaven must not lull us into complacency or carelessness, but spur us to fulfill our spiritual duties.

2 LESSON BACKGROUND Time: A.D. 96 Place: from Patmos The Old Testament teaches in many places that God will send a deliverer for His people. The people of Israel in the first century thought such a person would be a political and military rescuer. God s anointed leader, they thought, would be empowered to defeat their nation s enemies, bringing peace and independence in the process (compare Acts 1:6; etc.). Jerusalem and its temple would be freed from Gentile influence, and pure worship of the Lord could then take place. But two unexpected things happened. First, the Messiah that God sent did not come to be a leader of armies and defeat pagan invaders (John 6:15). He came, rather, to save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). His mission ultimately was for all humanity, for all are sinners. His death was a sacrifice for sins, intended to be effective for all people for all time, for He was the sacrificial Lamb who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Most firstcentury Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because He did not meet their expectations. Second, the Jerusalem temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70 during the horrific War of the Jews. This was something that no Israelite of the time expected. Jewish faith, based as it was on the sacrifices of the temple, went into a downward spiral. Expectations of a military messiah to defeat the Romans were crushed. Some, perhaps most, Christians of the same century found their own hopes under distress as Jesus return did not materialize as they thought it should (compare 2 Peter 3:3, 4). But Jesus himself promised that He would indeed return. His return is to be in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). His return will usher in the final judgment of both the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). Christians and some Jews both look for the Messiah to come, but their expectations are very different. As the current lesson opens, the Apostle John is still being addressed by the angel of the vials of plagues, his guide to the new Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9; 22:1, 8-10). The angel has just told him that the prophecies he is to write are not to be sealed up because the time is near (22:10). This gives a heightened sense of the necessary fulfillment of these prophecies. It causes us to focus anew on the greatest of all of Revelation s prophecies: Christ will return! Jesus Declaration of Sovereignty: Revelation 22: What promise did Jesus restate concerning His second coming? (Revelation 22:12) While the Second Coming was delayed, its importance remained crucial. The church has expected Christ to return since the days of the Apostles, and He has not yet come; but when John's prophecies begin to be fulfilled, they will happen very quickly. There will be no delay. Therefore, the emphasis of the discussion turns so that its certainty is the central point rather than its nearness. As in Revelation 22:7, the voice of the Lamb (Jesus) breaks through. He does so to restate His promise to come quickly (see 2:16; 3:11). Previously a blessing was given to the ones who kept the words of the prophecy (1:3). Here, however, we might interpret the Lamb s pronouncement as both a blessing and a curse, for He promises to reward each person according as his work shall be. The two sets of rewards are set forth in verse What did Jesus call Himself Alpha and Omega? (Revelation 22:13) For the final time in Revelation, we hear the voice of Jesus calling Himself Alpha and Omega (compare Revelation 1:8, 11; 21:6). Alpha and Omega are the letters that begin and end the Greek alphabet. To be Alpha and Omega is therefore another way of saying the beginning and the end and the first and the last of all things (compare Isaiah 44:6; 48:12; Revelation 1:17; 2:8). This is Jesus sovereign, and eternal character.

3 Jesus Sovereignty Over Human Destinies: Revelation 22: How can one enter the heavenly city? (Revelation 22:14) The only way to enter the heavenly city is through the gates of pearl (Revelation 21:21), and only those who have lived victorious, obedient lives will be allowed into the city. These are granted eternal life, as signified by their access to the tree of life (compare 22:2). They have overcome (2:7). Revelation draws a clear line between the saved and the lost. In 22:14-15 the saved are washed and given eternal life, while those not saved are referred to as dogs and evil workers. But as stark as these distinctions are, those outside are invited in. In verse 17, the Holy Spirit and the church (the bride ) invite all people into the blessings of salvation (while there is still time). Everyone is invited into this bliss and anyone who hears or thirsts for God is invited to accept the full life God offers. The church is not to be the smug receiver of salvation that it keeps to itself. When we experience the life God gives, the proper response is to want to share it with others. If we remember all that this gift of salvation means for our present life and our life to come, we should be bursting to invite others to join us! In what ways has Christ made you an overcomer? How can you share your story with others? Jesus Testimony, Offer and Warning: Revelation 22: What other self-designations did Jesus give to help us understand the importance of Revelation? (Revelation 22:16) Jesus includes more self-designations that help us understand the importance of the book of Revelation for the profit of the churches. Prophecy spoke of the coming Messiah as a Branch to grow from roots (see Isaiah 11:1; compare Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15; Zechariah 6:12). For Jesus himself to be that root in an ultimate sense is quite a strong claim! He is Messiah in all its fullness. Any status that David has ultimately flows from Jesus Christ, not the other way around, although genetically born after ( offspring, see Matthew 1:1-17). The final self-identifier, the bright Morning Star (cf. 2 Peter 1:19), links Him with the church. The Old Testament ends with Christ as the sun of righteousness (cf. Malachi 4:2) to rise with healing in its wings in millennial blessing; the New Testament closes with Him as the bright Morning Star. He will come for His saints before He comes with them to reign, just as the morning star appears before the sun. 5. Who is giving out the invitations to come and partake of life in Christ? (Revelation 22:17) As previously mentioned, the Spirit is the Holy Spirit, the promised divine presence on earth after Christ s ascension (see John 16:7-13). The bride is the church, the embodiment of Christ in His followers on earth. These representatives of Christ are present now, and they invite all who hear their message to come and drink of the eternal water of life now. This is a call to faith and obedience, a call to join Christ before He comes again. It is a choice available to all! What are some ways churches hinder themselves from issuing clear come to the water invitations? How can this problem be fixed? 6. What warnings are given concerning the contents of the book of Revelation? (Revelation 22:18-19) The book of Revelation ends with a solemn warning not to tamper with the words God has given. The warning is addressed to any who hears the words of the prophecy in this book and then either adds to or subtracts from

4 them. While it is a dire matter to alter any part of God s Word (cf. Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:6; Jer. 26:2), this warning pertains specifically to the prophecies given in Revelation. Those who add to it will be subject to the plagues it foretells, and those who take away from it will forfeit the right to God s blessings. They are condemned not for some minor or inadvertent alteration of the text but for a defiant attitude that rejects the message God has given. By adding human conditions for salvation or minimizing His condemnation of sin, they are as summing they are wiser than God. All the book s messages are to be taken to heart! In what ways do people minimize or dilute the authority of God s Word? How do we guard ourselves against this danger? The Promise and Benediction: Revelation 22: What encouraging message does the Book of Revelation leave us with? (Revelation 22:20-21) In verse 20, These things refers to the contents of the entire book; all the message is from Christ personally. He has promised to come quickly (cf. Heb. 10:37). If the reckoning (calculating) were on Gods chronometer, hardly two days are gone (cf. 2 Pet. 3:8). Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The Old Testament closed with a threatened curse (cf. Mal 4:6); the New Testament concludes with a benediction of grace (Revelation 22:21). There is this vast difference, because Christ has come and died. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. NIV The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God s people. Amen. This is a blessed word of calming peace, assuring us that God s marvelous grace toward us is not just past or future. It is present and available right now. POINTS TO PONDER 1. Be encouraged! God is a rewarder, and is faithful to finish all that He starts in you! (Revelation 22:11-13). 2. Blessings with life eternal in heaven awaits those who live for Jesus (vs ). 3. The invitation to faith and obedience in Christ is a choice available to all (vs ). 4. Take the messages of Revelation to heart do not add or subtract from its content (vs ). 5. May we may grow accustomed to having lives enriched by God s grace and presence daily Even so, Come, Lord Jesus (vs ). CONCLUSION Praying Maranatha The return of Christ is a key theme of the book of Revelation. We joyously celebrate His first coming, His first advent, in the Christmas season. But daily we should also anticipate and pray for His return, His second advent, to take us home to be with Him forever. Maranatha is an Aramaic word meaning Come, Lord. Jesus Christ gives us only a peek in Revelation as to how His coming and our residence in the new Jerusalem will work. That s because we don t need to know everything. We just need to be ready for Christ to come again. Are you ready? Being able and willing to pray for Christ to return right now is a great test of one s spiritual health, a test of one s relationship with the Lord Jesus. Sadly, some Christians today do not hope for the swift return of

5 Christ. Some are more comfortable with the world than were the earliest Christians under persecution. Let us not fall into complacency with this world in which we must leave someday anyway. Practice the Maranatha prayer for a week. Pray it sincerely, in true faith. If you take this seriously, it will make a difference. PRAYER Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus! Come now, we pray. Amen. THOUGHT TO REMEMBER Make the Alpha and Omega first and last in your life! ANTICIPATING THE NEXT LESSON Next week's lesson is God Promises a Savior and describes Gabriel s visit to Mary when she learned of her part in God s plan to bring salvation to the world. Study Luke 1:26-38.