(Revelation
22:1-21)
INTRODUCTION
This is the last chapter of the book of
Revelation. It is the concluding message of the book. It contains God’s last
invitation with incentive to respond positively to all that has been revealed. Chapter
1 introduces us to the author and message it contains. It reveals how
John was taken to the Isles of Patmos while chapters
2-3 exposes us to the message of Jesus to the seven churches in Asia
Minor (the present day Turkey).
The seven seals are recorded in chapters 5-7 while chapters
9-11 talks about the Anti-Christ. The Mark of the Beast (666)
is recorded in chapters 12-13. An angel publishing the everlasting gospel is
seen in chapters 14-15 after the rapture.
The Battle
of Armageddon in the Valley
of Megiddo is seen in chapters
16-18 while The Marriage of the Supper is explained in chapter
19. The Great White Throne
Judgement is recorded in chapter 20 while The New Heaven and the
New Earth (New Jerusalem) are
explained to us in chapter 21. The Final Vision and Prophecy is in chapter 22 where the study of today is taken from. No any other
vision and prophecy after chapter 22.
The study
is divided into five sub-topics thus:
Inheritance received from God; Imminent return for the godly; immediate
response of the godly; Inescapable ruin of the godless and Invitation recorded
for the ungodly.
1. INHERITANCE RECEIVED
FROM GOD (Revelation 22:1-5; Ps 46:4;
Gen 3:22; Rev 2:7; I John 3:1-2; Rev 21:23,25; Rev 22:14. we “shall
hunger no more, neither thirst any more” (Rev 7:16-17), yet we have the ‘river of the water of life’.
The Tree
of Life here yields different types of fruit each month. ‘The
leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations’. There shall be no more curse and death…
neither shall there be any more pain (Revelation
22:3; 21:4).
2. IMMINENT RETURN FOR THE
GODLY (Rev 22:6-7, 12-13, 20-21; 1:7;
3:11; 16:15; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11). The doctrine of Christ’s Second
Coming is seen very clearly in Scriptures. Prophecy
occupies one-fifth of the 333 prophecies concerning Christ. Only 109 of them were fulfilled in His first
coming, leaving 224 yet to be fulfilled in His second coming. There are 7,959
verses (KJV) in the New Testament and 330 of which refer directly to the second
coming. The Lord, Himself, refers to His return twenty-one times. Men are
exhorted to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ over fifty times. Christ’s
coming (rapture) will be soon and sudden!
3. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE OF
THE GODLY (Rev. 22:7, 12-14, 16; Mark
13:33-37; Luke 12:35-40; Hebrews 10: 22-25; James 5:8-9; II Pet 3:17-18).
If the Bride is expecting the Bridegroom to return from a long journey, she
will prepare in response to her expectation. The Christian’s immediate response
to Christ’s imminent return is obedience,
worship, proclamation and service.
We must preach the message as warning o unbelievers (II Corinthians 5:10-11) and encouragement to believers (I Thessalonians 4:18).
4. THE INESCAPABLE RUIN OF THE
GODLESS (Rev 22:11, 15, 18-19; 21:8, 27; Deut 4:2;
12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matt 25:30). Unrepentant sinners will remain
forever in the lake of fire. In verses 18-19 of Revelation 22, Christ
warns all against tampering with the sacred message found in this book of
Revelation. Fiery indignation, wrath and judgement await all who add or
subtract from His Word.
5. INVITATION RECORDED FOR THE
UNGODLY (Rev. 22:6-10; Isaiah 55:1-3; Matt 11:28-30;
Rev 3:20). Here is God’s final invitation to “whosoever wills”. All
who are thirsty for peace, forgiveness, life and relationship with God are
invited to come and take the Water of
Life freely. It is free because Jesus Christ has paid the whole price. That
is what the GOSPEL means. God’s
Only Son Paid Every Liability.
CONCLUSION
Nothing catches God unawares and He doesn’t want the
rapture to meet us unaware. We need to live our lives in the way the Lord wants
it because He owns us.
“If ye know
all these things, happy (blessed) are ye if ye do them”
–John 13:17
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