by Tammy Phillips
November 25, 2021
“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed [is] he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” … And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. … “And behold, I am coming quickly,and My reward [is] with Me, to give to everyone according to his work…”He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:7, 10, 12 ,20 NKJV)
Happy Thanksgiving! I am most thankful to God, then my family and friends. I could not do like without Him or them. I am thankful for His love letter that He inspired men to write, the Bible. I am thankful that although “we” fell in the “Genesis” of the book that He had a plan of redemption and restoration from before the beginning. I am so thankful in the end of the book that God reveals Jesus to us in the biggest way and we see in detail “the last act of God’s master performance.” -Hilton Sutton
Anytime we cry out for help, we are asking for salvation from the current situation or circumstance. What is the answer we want to hear in response? “I am coming!” When a child gets a boo-boo and cries out, he wants to hear his parent say, “I am coming!” When we fall, hurt ourselves, and cry for help, we want to hear, “I am coming!” When we cry out to Jesus, we long to hear, “I am coming.” The earth has been crying out for a Savior since it fell. In the final chapter of the written word of God, the Savior answers our plea, not once, not twice but three times. He leaves us with this hope, “I am coming quickly!”
We pick up where we left off yesterday in verse seven. The angel had been talking to John, but now Jesus interjects, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed [is] he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” (Revelation 22:7 NKJV) Jesus’ message was always urgent…no time to wait…be ready! “You also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:44 NKJV) Are you ready for the suddenly of His return? If you are, Jesus calls you blessed because you have kept and trusted His word to be faithful and true.
“And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 22:10 NKJV)
In the book of Daniel, his prophecies were sealed to “the time of the end (Dan. 18:26).” The book of Revelation was never sealed. When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished,” and He rose from the dead, the time was at hand. “Daniel was told to seal; John is told to reveal.”-Billye Brim
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” (Revelation 22:11 NKJV)
The Bible, and its last chapter, have exhorted and warned all of us. If what we have read in Revelation does not change us, there is not much hope. This is God’s final warning to turn to the Savior. When He comes quickly, there will be no do-overs, nor second chances.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward [is] with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.”(Revelation 22:12 NKJV)
We hear a second warning. He is coming quickly, And…there are rewards in heaven! God is a just God. He doesn’t have the mentality of the present-day world of everyone is a winner and gets a trophy just for playing. We gain rewards in heaven for what we do for Him here on earth. It’s a bonus program. We only gain entrance to heaven through the Savior. We cannot work our way in, however, with the right heart and attitude, we do earn bonuses. Rewards are always nice. God has given us much and it is what we do with what we are given that earns us His reward.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, [the] Beginning and [the] End, the First and the Last.”” (Revelation 22:13 NKJV).
Jesus reminds us Who He is lest we have forgotten at this point. He is the beginning, middle and the end. He has the first word and last word. He is the bomb.com! To leave Him out of life is to leave out everything! He is everything beginning to end.
“Blessed [are] those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city.” (Revelation 22:14 NKJV)
When we recognize and come to know Jesus, we desire to do His word. When we become doers of His word, accepting his call, and not just hearer’s, we are granted entrance into THE CITY, New Jerusalem, Heaven! Sadly, there are outsiders not granted entrance, they ignored or forwarded His call to voice mail,
“Outside [are] dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” (Revelation 22:15 NKJV) No one wants to be an outsider.
Jesus closes and signs His letter in the final verses with an invitation,
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star and the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:16-17 NKJV)
His salvation invitation is “COME!” If you hear, if you are thirsty, if you desire, WHOSOEVER, “COME!” Salvation is free. Salvation is paid for. Our entrance fee into heaven is compliments of Jesus. Can you hear Him pleading? He keeps calling. Answer His call.
Jesus’ “P.S…”
WARNING: Do not add or take away words from Revelation. Super bad consequences and high price to pay for tampering with the word of God. (See Rev22:18-19)
In Revelation 22:20, it is like Jesus is saying, “Wait! I have one more important thing to tell you before I sign off, ‘Surely, I am coming quickly. Amen.’” Do you hear Jesus? “Surely, assuredly, verily, truth, yes, I am coming quickly! So be it. I have told you.”
I hear Him say, “I know you think it’s been two thousand years, but a thousand years is like a day to me. It’s has only been a couple of days since I said this. A lot has gone on, but it has only been two days.”
John’s response was, and ours should be, “ Even so, come, Lord Jesus!“
I enCOURAGE you to heed John’s words! Listen to the word of God. Do the word of God. Jesus is coming! You might deny Him. You may even scoff, “He has not come again, yet!” You cannot stop, nor delay his sudden return. Do not wait until its too late. Surrender today to Jesus. What better day, Thanksgiving Day? Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Ps. 188:1)
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen.” (Revelation 22:21 NKJV)
Complete in Him 