Apocalypse: The Revelation of Jesus Christ
06/05/2005 - Jesus is Coming Soon
Last weekend, Memorial Day weekend, was the unofficial start of the summer season. And the gorgeous weather chased thousands of people down to the Jersey shore for a weekend of sun and fun. And at one point over the weekend, while I was watching the news, I saw families being interviewed who were enjoying the beauty of the sun and the beach and the ocean. They were having a ball!
And one woman in particular caught my attention. She was a grandmother, perhaps even a great grandmother, surrounded by four generations of her family who all love the beach. And in the interview you could tell that this woman was in heaven, just thrilled to be there. She was thrilled to be in the beauty of that place surrounded by her entire family. "It's just wonderful to all be together," she said. "That's the best part for me. I love having my whole family gathered together in a place that we love so much."
That was heaven for her. And I thought to myself, "She's right. That is a lot like heaven." Heaven is going to be this beautiful place, this brand new creation, 80 degrees, low humidity, year round. Kind of like Samoa! And it's going to be this perfect community, no anger, no bitterness, no jealousy to divide us, gathered together as the family of God to enjoy the breathtaking beauty, and to enjoy each other, and to enjoy God in person forever with nothing getting in the way.
Heaven is going to be the perfect creation coming together with the perfect community. That has only ever happened one time in history, but it didn't last very long. It was that way when the first creation began. The Garden of Eden described in Genesis 2 was a perfect creation and Adam and Eve were in perfect community with each other and with God. They were naked and felt no shame. Totally vulnerable and safe with one another until sin got in the way.
But then sin took its gruesome toll on creation. "Cursed is the ground because of you," God said. And then took its horrific toll on community. Adam and Eve hid from God and from one another, covering themselves with fig leaves. Their firstborn son, Cain, murdered his little brother, Abel. And innocence was lost.
But today we've finally come full circle. With the creation of the new heaven and the new earth in Revelation 21 we now have a new community reunited with God and each other that will last forever. Satan is gone and sin is vanquished.
Today, believe it or not, we finally conclude our fifteen-part series called Apocalypse: The Revelation of Jesus Christ with a teaching I've called "Jesus is Coming Soon." Congratulations, you've made it to the very end! You each deserve a medal or better yet a t-shirt that says, "I survived the apocalypse at Valley View!" If you have a Bible please turn with me to Revelation 22.
Last week, I acted as your realtor and took you on a tour of our Father's house, the home that God is preparing for his people. "It's a big, big house with lots and lots of rooms. It's got a big, big table with lots and lots of food. It's got a big, big yard where we can play football. It's my Father's house."
In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Our address will one day be the New Jerusalem, the kingdom of light, a brilliant city built like a cube, 1,500 miles long by 1,500 miles wide by 1,500 miles high, surrounded by a jasper wall over 200 feet thick. The wall of the city will have twelve foundations, each decorated with precious stones and named after one of the apostles and the twelve gates that lead in and out of the city will be made of huge pearls, each named for one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The great street of the city will be of pure gold, like transparent glass.
Now today I'd like to finish our tour by walking through the gate and taking you inside the New Jerusalem. Listen as I read Revelation 22:1-3, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be any curse.
When we enter this city we see something very different than we see in cities on earth. We don't see cars and traffic and trash and graffiti. We don't even see crowds of people. Instead, when we enter this city we enter into a beautiful garden.
And flowing right down Main Street is a crystal clear river, the river of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. There's water in this city. Now we might not think that's such a big deal because we never really lack for water do we? When we want a glass of water we can turn on the faucet or grab a water bottle out of the fridge and that's no big deal.
But in the desert countries like Israel water is a huge deal. In fact, the main concern of any city in Israel is water. Where's the water going to come from? A well? A cistern? A spring? A river? An aqueduct piping water in from some distant location? Water is always an issue. Today we might say the city is sitting on huge oil reserves. But water is even more important than oil.
The city of Jerusalem today has no river running through it. Water has always been a huge challenge for that city. Where there's water there's life. Where there's no water there's no life. It's that simple. In the apostle John's day, when Revelation was written, Jerusalem's only water source was a spring outside the city.
But in the New Jerusalem there is a river flowing right down Main Street. This is a picture of life. This is a picture of abundant life. This city has a water source running right through the middle of it flowing down from God's throne. It's the most incredible picture of abundance that John's readers could ever have imagined. That's what heaven's like. Heaven is teeming with abundance, more abundant life than we could ever imagine.
Jesus said in John 10:10, I have come that they might have life and have it more abundantly. Heaven is the culmination of that promise of Jesus to his followers. It is the place of abundant life!
Not only do we see a river of life, but we also discover a tree of life, which reminds us of the tree of life that was in the Garden of Eden. Only Adam and Eve weren't permitted to eat from that tree after they sinned because if they did they ran the risk of living forever in a state of permanent separation from God. So God posted an armed guard with a flaming sword around the tree of life in the garden, but not so in the New Jerusalem. This tree of life is open to all. It is to be eaten for all eternity. There is no danger anymore. And every month it bears different fruit. It might be apples in January and oranges in February and cherries in March and pears in April and bananas in May and on and on. The leaves are for the healing of the nations and no longer will there be any curse.
This image of the tree of life brings the whole story of the Bible together. We have now come full circle. If you read the first few chapters of Genesis and the last few chapters of Revelation you'll see some amazing parallels. In Genesis 1, the heavens and earth are created. In Revelation 21, the new heaven and new earth are created. In Genesis 1, the sun is created. In Revelation 21, there is no need for the sun anymore. In Genesis 1, night is established. In Revelation 21, there is no night anymore. In Genesis 1, the seas are created. In Revelation 21, there is no longer any sea. In Genesis 3, the man and the woman are driven out of paradise. In Revelation 22, an open invitation is given to every man and woman to reenter paradise. In Genesis 3, sorrow and pain and death begin. In Revelation 21, there is no more sorrow and pain and death. In Genesis 3, the curse is imposed. In Revelation 22, the curse is lifted in all its forms and finally reversed at the end of the story! It's beautiful!
But what else is in the city? Look at verses 3-5, The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign forever and ever.
The New Jerusalem is a place dripping with value, drenched in light, bathed in beauty. Why? Because God is there. And there's no being in the universe more valuable than God so wherever God is there's value. There's no being in the universe filled with more light and purity than God so wherever God is there's light. And there's no being in all of the universe more beautiful than God so wherever God is there's incredible, breathtaking beauty. That's what heaven is going to be like.
So what does that mean for us right now? The apostle Paul tells us what it means when he writes in Philippians 3:20, But we are citizens of heaven where the Lord Jesus Christ lives and we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. We're already citizens of this place. Heaven is our real home. Our down payment is secure. Our reservations are in. We're just waiting for Jesus to take us there. Our fundamental identity is citizens of heaven, even before we are citizens of the United States of America or any other country.
And what will we do when we arrive in the kingdom of light? I don't know all that we'll do. But I do know that God has been preparing us for at least four things. First, we'll worship him. We've seen that picture of heaven over and over again all throughout the book of Revelation. Second, we'll serve him. Verse three says, His servants will serve him. Third, we'll enjoy him. Verse four says, We will see his face. We'll have a face-to-face relationship with God. And, fourth, verse five says, We will reign with him forever and ever. That's where we're headed. That's what our future holds.
And knowing that we have all that to look forward to is meant to motivate us to do those things right now, to worship God, and serve God, and enjoy God right here, right now, every single day!
Now look at verse 6, The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." 7"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who keep the words of the prophecy in this book." 8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" 10Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11Let those who do wrong continue to do wrong; let those who are vile continue to be vile; let those who do right continue to do right; and let those who are holy continue to be holy." 12"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what they have done.
Stop right there. Notice that John is so overcome with this vision of heaven that he's tempted to worship the angel who is revealing it to him. But the angel says, "Stop. Don't worship me. Worship God. He alone is worthy of our worship."
Then the angel says something that sounds very strange in verse 11, Let those who do wrong continue to do wrong; let those who are vile continue to be vile; let those who do right continue to do right; and let those who are holy continue to be holy.
I don't think the angel is condoning evil with this statement. Instead, the point may be that if people don't heed the prophecy contained in this book, it will reveal the hardness of their hearts and they will continue in their evil ways. On the other hand, those who do heed the words of Revelation, and hopefully that would be us, will continue to do right and seek to live lives that please God.
Notice that twice in this passage Jesus says, "I am coming soon." He says it in verse seven and again in verse twelve. Behold, I am coming soon. And when we hear the word "soon" we think, "Wow! Maybe Jesus is coming sometime this year, maybe Jesus is coming in the next few weeks." And that's certainly possible. But his return could also be another 2,000 years away or more.
So how can he say he's coming soon? He can say that because in the Greek language the word for "soon" actually means at any time. It's not "sometime soon," it's "now soon," any moment kind of a soon. Behold, I am coming soon means, behold, I could come at any moment. Which is why we can say the return of Christ is imminent. It could happen anytime. Jesus said it that way so that any believer living at any time could look forward with hope and excitement to the coming of Jesus in their lifetime.
When it will happen is important, but not nearly as important as that it will happen. We don't when it will be. But we do know that it will be. And we also know who it will be that's coming back.
Look at verse 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. 15Outside 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."
Jesus describes himself as the Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and Omega is the last letter. In other words, Jesus is the source and the goal of everything. He was around before the first creation and will continue on into eternity. He is both David's root and David's offspring. As God, Jesus is David's root, in other words he's the one who created King David. As a man, Jesus is David's offspring, coming from the line of David. He's the bright Morning Star that signals the beginning of a brand new day.
Verse 14 says, Blessed are those who have washed their robes and have the right to eat from the tree of life and enter into the city.
That's a reference to believers in Jesus Christ, those who have had their sins forgiven. Outside the city are those who have not believed and accepted the grace and forgiveness of God. Their robes have not been washed. Jesus is not talking about everyone who's done those things that would be all of us. Instead, he's talking about everyone who's done those things, but hasn't turned to God for forgiveness. Our robes need to be washed clean of those things.
The only difference between those inside the New Jerusalem and those left on the outside is the color of their robes. The people in the city are not better people than those outside city. They're just better off because they've received the grace and forgiveness of God. Their robes are clean.
Verse fifteen gives us the clearest one word description of hell that you'll find anywhere in the Bible, "outside." That's what hell is. Hell is to be outside of God's love, outside of God's grace, outside of God's forgiveness, outside of God's beauty, outside of God's presence, outside of heaven. It's a place that's outside. But we need not end up outside if we have our robes washed by the blood of Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sin.
So the apocalypse ends with a final invitation given to all to receive the grace and forgiveness of God. This is a wonderful invitation extended to every generation right up until the return of Christ.
Look at verse 17,The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let those who hear say, "Come!" Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life. 18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone of you adds anything to them, God will add to you the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone of you takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from you your share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
Yes, I am coming soon. Jesus says it a third time. And John responds with, "Come, Lord Jesus." John has seen heaven with all its beauty. He has seen Jesus in all his glory and his response is, "Come as soon as you can, Lord Jesus. Come quickly."
The whole Bible ends with the offer of grace to everyone. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people literally reads as the grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. I think its no accident that the Holy Spirit made sure that the word "grace" was in the final verse of the Bible. And the last word in the Bible is not "Amen." In the Greek language the last word in the Bible is the word "all." All are invited to experience God's grace found in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Have you experienced God's grace? Have you responded to the invitation to come to Christ? If you haven't, you can come right now by believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that he died on the cross for your sin, in your place, to wash your robes clean. And three days after he died he rose again and is alive today, waiting to come back. Don't wait for Jesus to come to you. He invites you to come to him. And if you have, then you're invited to come to the Lord's Table and fellowship with him around the bread and the cup.
John Newton, who wrote "Amazing Grace," the song we will close with today, once said that in heaven we're going to be surprised by three things. First, we're going to be surprised by who is not there. Second, we're going to be surprised by who is there. And third, we're going to be surprised that we're there, that we get to wear a white robe all because of the grace of God to us.