As we draw closer to the end of the Book of Revelation, John’s words take on an urgency. This devotional reading looks at the urgency that the purpose of Revelation brings.
Nuggets
- God wants us to know what is going to happen in the end times so we can choose eternity with Him — meaning that we have to be told.
- Verse 11 seems to imply that sin is permissible— but it isn’t.
- The angel said that Jesus was coming soon, but it has been approximately 2,000 years.
- We choose whether we get a reward or a repayment for our choice.
- God and Jesus are both the Alpha and Omega.
We’ve talked at the beginning of our study that Revelation was written for a purpose. That purpose is revisited here – along with an added urgency.
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the Eternity Begins series
Words with a Purpose
“And he 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.’ ‘Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done’” (Rev. 22: 10-12 ESV)
Don’t Seal Up the Words
God wants us to know what is going to happen in the end times so we can choose eternity with Him — meaning that we have to be told.
John was told not to seal the words of what he saw in all the visions of Revelation. They were meant to be shared with the seven Asian churches.
They were also meant to be shared with us. If God did not intend for them to be still read today, they wouldn’t have lasted. They would have gone the way of the third letter to the Corinthians — last forever.
John’s words were meant to survive so that we could study them. But we need to do more than just read them.
We need to believe them. We need to share them with others.
Let the Evildoer Still Do Evil
Verse 11 seems to imply that sin is permissible— but it isn’t.
From the time John wrote the Book of Revelation until now, Satan has been allowed to rule this world.
God didn’t immediately set things right when Adam and Eve committed the original sin. It was approximately 4,000 years from Adam’s sin to Jesus’ death. It has been another approximate 2,000 years since Jesus’ death.
Sin has been allowed to continue. God isn’t a dictator who takes away our free will.
Yes, Jesus is coming again to end that sin. That means, whoever hasn’t ABCDed will be thrown into a lake of fire (Rev. 20: 15).
Our sinful character will last for eternity in hell, while our holy character will last for eternity in New Jerusalem.
Our location for eternity is set upon our death. No one is going to pray another into Heaven. They definitely will not buy another person’s way in.
Where we spend eternity is based on our character when we die. Do we have the character of Christ?
Chalmers agreed. He wrote,
“The character wherewith we sink into the grave at death, is the very character with which we shall reappear on the day of resurrection. The moral lineaments which be graven on the tablet of the inner man, and which every day of an unconverted life makes deeper and more indelible than before, will retain the impress they have received unaltered by the transition to the future state of our existence. … Each is ripening for his own everlasting doom, and, whether in the depravities of the one or in the graces of the other, we see materials enough either for a worm that dieth not, or for the pleasures that are for evermore.”
Resource
I like that. Our character will be set in stone. We are what we have been.
This is talking ingrained habits and virtuous principles. We’re talking about this short, temporary life now.
Death doesn’t change things. The brevity of this life doesn’t mean it isn’t important.
This life sets up eternity.
Chalmers asked if our spiritual condition alone was going to dictate where we spend eternity. The answer is yes. God is most interested in our spiritual condition than our physical actions.
- What is the state of our heart? “And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deut. 30: 6 ESV).
- What are our habits and passions? “And he said to all, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me’” (Lk. 9: 23 ESV).
- What is the state of our character? “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy’” (I Pet. 1: 14-16 ESV).
- What is the state of our submission to God? “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mk. 12: 30 ESV).
That is a pretty good foundation for walking with God.
I wonder if these words means that — though sin itself will be ended with the end times — the punishment for those sins will be eternal.
I Am Coming Soon
The angel said that Jesus was coming soon, but it has been approximately 2,000 years.
What gives?
Soon is relative. We have to remember that God lives outside of space and time.
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (II Pet. 3: 8-9 ESV).
God doesn’t run on our calendar or clock.
Repay Each One
We choose whether we get a reward or a repayment for our choice.
“He will render to each one according to his works” (Rom. 2: 6 ESV).
Pastor Steve is always saying that there are blessings in the obedience. The Homilist agreed. In The Great Invitation, it was written, “The reward is dependent upon conduct — blessings to the obedient, disgrace to those who continue without.”
Resource
The Book of Revelation makes it abundantly clear that those who do not choose to ABCD will receive a horrible punishment. God would rather that not happen. “… it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (I Tim. 2: 3-4 ESV).
We choose in this life where we will spend eternity. That isn’t going to change after our physical deaths.
Alpha and Omega
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 22: 13 ESV)
God and Jesus are both the Alpha and Omega.
This statement bookends the Book of Revelation. “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’” (Rev. 1: 8 ESV).
Alpha and omega are the first letter of the Greek alphabet and the last. Beginning and end is another way to say who was, who is, and who is to be.
Zephaniah summed it up. “And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one” (Zeph. 14: 9 ESV).
Remember this is the angel giving God’s words.
- “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life …” (Rev. 22: 1 ESV).
- “And he said to me, ‘These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place’” (Rev. 22: 6 ESV emphasis added).
- “And behold, I am coming soon …” (Rev. 22: 7 ESV)
- “And he said to me ‘…’” (Rev. 22: 10 ESV).
- “Behold, I am coming soon …” (Rev. 22: 12 ESV).
What this shows is God is eternal. No one created Him — He created everything. He controls everything.
Jesus, as God’s Son, is also eternal. Everything was created in Him. He has authority over everything.
Making the Connections #1
So, do you see the urgency of John’s words? We don’t know when we are going to die. We have to have ourselves right with God before death because there is no changing it at, by, or after death.
Our location in eternity rests on the choice we make now. Are we following God or are we following Satan.
There isn’t any other choice. We are either holy, or we are not.
Making the Connections #2
Hoyt said something interesting that got me thinking. He wrote, “‘Habit diminishes feeling and increases activity’ …”
Resource
We want to develop our seek God into habits, but do we want to lose the feeling? Well, yes and no.
We want our seeking God to be so ingrained in us that it is as natural to us as breathing. We want to prioritize our relationships with God.
But what about the feelings? Well, we want to lose our feelings of dislike in reading God’s Word and praying. We want to lose the discomfort and annoyance of meeting with like-minded believers.
We definitely want to lose the desire of sinful things.
We do not want to lose our love of God. “Love the Lord”
As we grow our habits, we want to grow our faith in and love for God.
We don’t want to have to think about whether we or going to do good or evil. We should have our habits so ingrained that they are character.
How Do We Apply This?
- Get our character right with God because it is not going to be changed at, by, or after death.
- Accept God’s moral truth now.
- Don’t resist the Truth.
- Realize acts and habits establish character in order to ensure the character we want to have — God’s character — is developed.
- Love God as the Alpha and Omega.
- Trust Jesus as the Alpha and Omega.
- Make Them the Alpha and Omega of our lives.
Resource
Father God. If we have not genuinely asked Jesus to be our Savior and Redeemer, we ask that He come into our lives now and take control. Lord God, if we have, grow our habits so that we can grow our faith in and our love for You. Amen.
What do you think?
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