Revelation 22. We come to the final chapter and to our final sermon in this series. An observation through the years: those who spend a lot of time worrying about and fussing over end times teaching don’t seem very often to speak much about entering into glory. They come with a shock factor of the here and the now, but heaven itself doesn’t get too much screen time, almost an afterthought. Well, we’re working towards correcting that.
If you join with me in prayer for the reading of God’s word this morning. O Lord, since your word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, we ask you to open and enlighten our minds that we may understand your judgments, that our hearts may be so effectually moved and ruled by your heavenly grace that we may not be hearers only but doers of your word. And this we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen. Beginning in verse 1: Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street and of the city. Also on either side of the river, the tree of life with its 12 kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it, and and his servants will worship him.
They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads, and night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. And he said to them, 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. And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.
Verse 16: I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And the one who hears says, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life without price. The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
As we come to the end of the book, a few things stand out. I mentioned this before, but there is not one mention of any kind of rapture in Revelation. No pre-, mid-, or post-rapture. There’s also no mention of the nation of Israel, and all the great battles are won by God without any real fight. Most of the things that we have heard so confidently told to us are really patched together from other places, but not Revelation.
We see all the heavenly lift— heavenly lifting is done by the Lamb himself, and we see the ultimate protection that we have, even while we may have temporary hardships and persecution, for those who follow the Lamb. We hear a consistent call to persevere, to remain faithful. But of course that shouldn’t surprise us because this is the message of Jesus after all. And it’s the same message that we heard Jesus speak to us of in the gospels. It’s his story.
In Genesis to Revelation is a single story. We learn in Genesis what happened to God’s good creation, that sin and death entered in, and then From there forward through the rest of the pages, we see what God is going to do to set things right. God, Emmanuel, would become one of us in order to save us. He is the one who conquers sin and death through his Son. And then finally, here we see where we’re going.
What happens next when redemption is finally and fully completed? Sin and death are no more, and we are present face to face with him. Last week I mentioned from Eugene Peterson, he said, if we don’t want God or don’t want to be very near him, we can hardly be expected to be interested in heaven. And I wonder if that might not be part of the reason that there’s so much effort expended on the means rather than the end, the details of the trip rather than the destination. There’s no doubt who John thinks is the main event, the centrality of Jesus through history, beginning and ending with him forever.
And because our ultimate joy is found only in Christ Jesus, we long for his return even while we are to be about his business.
We are interested in the destination.
Some of you, of course, will remember Doug and Sylvia Furee, who were part of our fellowship for a long time. But Doug died in 2020, and Sylvia has since moved away to be with family in Colorado. And I can’t remember how long they were married. I think we celebrated maybe a 65-year anniversary with them. It was a long time.
And Doug would, at times, he would tell me with a smile on his face just about their early years when they were dating about him driving from San Diego to Denver to see Sylvia when he was on leave in the military. That’s a long ways to drive for a short visit. That’s over 1,000 miles. But the what of the journey was not a hardship when he considered the who of the destination.
And we recognize that. We get that. When your heart is captured, by a who. Some of the whats don’t matter so much.
Revelation paints in broad brushstrokes these great themes of redemption found throughout the Bible. To those who are awaiting patiently and enduring hardship and persecutions, an encouragement and an admonishment both, as we wait for the who, Jesus. I appreciate Reinhold Niebuhr. He gives us wise counsel in dealing with the details. He said, it’s unwise for Christians to claim any knowledge of either the furniture of heaven or the temperature of hell, or to be too certain about any details of the kingdom of God in which history is consummated.
The details of the symbols can be bewildering. We’ve seen that, but the message is not. As I have repeated through this series, the literal way to understand symbolism is symbolically. And at the close, John continues to weave together these symbolic themes from all of the Bible to finish out this beautiful portrait of Christ. And right away we notice that this final chapter, it bookends with the first chapter.
And here he’s bringing together the new and the old. And what we see here is in some ways the beginning of a new picture of Eden. The angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb. Through the middle of the tree— of the street of the city, also on either side of the river, the tree of life with 12 kinds of fruit. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The tree of life mentioned here. And these verses speak of the refreshment that flows from God’s throne and the Lamb to his people. It’s the themes of Eden from Genesis brought into the end. The tree of life in the garden, and there we saw rivers flowing out of it to water the paradise of God. And this river we see flowing from the Father and the Son is a picture of the procession of the Holy Spirit.
Life is found in God. This is not meant to be a literal symbol of a river in the city. We’re meant to show us of the life that we have in him. Our triune God has made us for himself.
The references in the bulletin I meant to show you there, but the prophets speak about the The flowing river is a part of the ongoing blessing of the Lord for his people. And this blessing that they see, it culminates in Jesus. You’ll recall when the Samaritan woman was at the well with Jesus, he said to her that she should ask him about living water. He said, whoever drinks of the water that I will give will never be thirsty again.
He is the one who gives us living water. And later at the temple, Jesus cried out in the festival, if anyone thirsts, let him come and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures have said, out of him will flow rivers of living water. It’s telling us about Jesus. He is the one for whom our life finds its fulfillment, in whom is life itself.
And he goes on in verse 3, no longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and the Lamb will be in it. And notice in both 2 and 3, it’s the throne of God and the Lamb, the absolute centrality of Jesus with the Father. Now it’s a feature of our current times that people get bent outta shape about the exclusivity of Christianity, about the absolute necessity of Jesus. But Christianity is unlike any other religion. It stands unique.
We are not on a spiritual quest to find God and to show him somehow that we are deserving of eternal life. No, God found us and he did what we could not do. And that is the message of hope. That is the message of Jesus. But it shouldn’t surprise us that people find fault with God Choosing a path that all we have to do is to bow our proud hearts to, that we would still find fault because the rebellion that’s in us against our Creator, the need for Jesus.
Verse 3 goes on and says his servants will worship him. Go back just a couple of verses in chapter 21. There, John said, “I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” The temple is that place of worship. Some of you may recall the end of Ezekiel. Actually, there’s 8 chapters dedicated about a new vision of a new temple.
It goes on in great detail. And some in our time have thought that somehow a physical temple in Jerusalem has to be rebuilt. In the last days. Ezekiel, though, was speaking to the exiled Jews. The temple had been destroyed by the Babylonians.
They had been cast into exile, and, and they were waiting for the promises of God to restore them. And of course, they were restored. Many of them were brought back. A new temple was built, and later King Herod did this massive upgrade that took some 80 years to complete. But all of it came crashing down when the Jews revolted against Rome and it completely and utterly destroyed in 70 AD, just as Jesus had predicted, just as he had said.
You see, in the Old Testament, the temple was the visible presence of God. It was the center of worship for God’s people. But Hebrews tells us that this is a shadow, a shadow that points to the reality, to the substance. The substance is Jesus. Jesus is that temple.
There isn’t a temple in Revelation at the end because it’s Jesus. Jesus, the one who’s speaking of his body, said, “Destroy this temple, and in 3 days I will raise it up.” John 2. Or Mark 12, Jesus says, “Something greater than the temple is here.” Or John 4, “There’ll be a day when we will worship in spirit and in truth. The hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem Will you worship the Father? Because Jesus is the center of worship, not a location, not a temple, a who.
The who is Jesus. And his people come to worship, to worship him. And look at verse 8. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship the feet of the angel who showed them to me.
But he said to me, you must not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God. Now, no doubt John has been overcome with everything that he has seen, but it is clear worship is only to God. Who is this Jesus who can make this claim?
He is God and we are to worship him.
And then it continues, they will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. Night will be no more, and they’ll need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and he will reign forever and ever. In the garden, Adam and Eve were present with the Lord, so he walked with them in the cool of the day. They saw him, but from this temple of paradise they were expelled.
Later, when we see Moses about to approach the presence of God on the mountain in Exodus 33 and 34, he’s expressly told that he cannot see the face of God and live. You recall that in the Holy of Holies there’s a curtain separating the holiest place from the people, that only one time a year could the high priest come on the Day of Atonement. A separation from the holiness of God.
But we will be able to see God and live. We will be perfectly holy. We will no longer need to be protected from his all-consuming holiness and glory, because we’re going to participate in it. And then it goes on, no longer will there be anything accursed. The very curse from Adam in Eden will be lifted.
Recall in Genesis 2 as well, the Lord presented Eve to Adam as his bride. So too, the bride of Christ is presented here. Revelation 21, again, a few verses back, come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. That’s the people of God being brought to their bridegroom, who he has made holy, perfected without spot. Without wrinkle, without blemish.
And all of this is the newness that awaits us, the newness of everything being restored and whole. But we also see in here an old invitation.
Verse 6, 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. Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this The words are trustworthy and true. These are the words that are spoken here that are tied directly to everything that’s been spoken of in scripture moving forward. We see the echoes also of chapter 1, verse 2.
The theme of witness runs through the entire book of Revelation. Christ is the preeminent witness.
In chapter 1, John said he bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ. All that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, who keep what is written, for the time is near. Almost identical again, the front and the close. He’s communicating the witness through the entire book.
The saints of God have the task of witnessing and standing faithful in the face of opposition. Jesus promises to soon come, just like he did at the beginning in chapter 1. And the shortness of time is from the standpoint of Old Testament prophecy.
The Lord bookends this book for us, ties it completely through the invitation to endure, to remain faithful to Jesus. And in verse 11, let the evildoer still do evil, the filthy still be filthy, the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. At Christ’s return, that time of repentance is over. The patterns of unbelief that we see throughout history will come to an end. There will be a day when there will be no more recourse given.
When Jesus returns, he will demand a recompense, an accounting. Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me to repay each one for what he has done. Nobody is going to get away with anything.
And then there is in Bible a consistent dialectic, which just means looking at the truth from two points or two, two poles. We’re told that Jesus is coming soon, and we’re told that we are to wait with faithfulness for a time we’re not really sure how long it’s going to be. And Jesus even told several parables about this, about the waiting. And the going away, and we’re not sure when he’s returning, and to be ready at any moment. And now from time to time there has been groups that have come forward and they’ve been convinced that they know the exact moment of Jesus’ return.
And often it has been the case with these groups that they went around ringing up a bunch of credit card debt thinking they would not have to repay it. I’m pretty sure that credit card fraud It’s not what Jesus had in mind as a picture of faithful waiting. But you see the sinfulness of our heart? Wow, he’s coming back in 10 hours, I’m gonna go take advantage of people. That’s just the opposite of what we should be about.
It’s the faithfulness in the waiting. Peter helps us out with the soon part. 2 Peter 3, he said, but do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises, as some count slowness, but he’s patient towards you, not wishing any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.
We’re here because of his great patience. We long for Jesus to come back. We’re ready now. All of us want that to happen, as all of God’s people have through history. But we are here worshiping in this building because of this delay.
In his patience, men, women, and children are coming to faith in Jesus Christ, and for that we are grateful. And then we hear Jesus say in verse 13, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Twice now God has said this of himself, and throughout Revelation, Jesus has been given titles that can only be attributed to God. Verse 14: Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, everyone who loves and practices falsehood. I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches.
I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star. Hey, washing our robes is a symbol of salvation in Christ.
All of these promises, everything is ours by way of what he has done. We are not getting there on our own work and merit. It is because of his finished work. And then the Spirit and the bride say, “Come,” and let the one who hears say, “Come.” And we’re not quite sure, is the bride and the Spirit calling to Jesus to come, or maybe to people? It could be One or the other or both, but we are given very clear echoes of Isaiah 55.
Goes on to say, “And let the one who is thirsty come, let the one who desires to take the water of life without price.” Right out of Isaiah 55. And then he says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of this prophecy, this book, if he adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. If anyone takes away from the words of the book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life in the holy city, which are described in this book. Now, these warnings speak to this book as God’s word, but it certainly is extended to all of God’s words. It’s the same author who has given them to us.
Moses gave a similar warning in Deuteronomy 4:12. We are to be faithful to God’s word because in it we see the revelation of who? Jesus Christ, the beloved Son of God. And God cares about the words that He has revealed about His Son. And we are not to take those lightly or to change them.
He who testifies these things says, “Surely I’m coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen. The very end of the letter of 1 Corinthians in chapter 16, the Apostle Paul, he writes there something very similar.
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come. Very similar warning to what we see here. And Paul, though, uses the Aramaic expression, which many of you, you know, Maranatha. Maranatha just simply means our Lord come, or come, O Lord.
And for those who love Jesus, they long for his presence. They long for him to come and to renew all things. That is a prayer that is on the lips of his people. And we have been shown amazing pictures of Jesus’ victory. We’ve come to endure in his victory, to remain faithful.
Our eye is on the prize, which is Jesus. From John Newton, he says, suppose a man was going to New York to take possession of a large estate, and his carriage should break down a mile before he got to the city, which obliged him to walk the rest of the way. What a fool we should think him if we saw him wringing his hands and blubbering all the remaining mile, “My carriage is broken, my carriage is broken.” Who would do that? A broken car and a short walk is easy to endure with a massive estate before us.
But how easy it is for us to get our eyes off of the destination. And only be worried about the what of the journey.
It broke down. Bad things are happening in my life. I don’t understand this.
And right before us is the end, the goal. And the goal is a who, it’s Jesus. It’s Jesus in his fullness.
A thousand-mile trip seems a light and momentary affliction when the person that you desire to be with is at the end of the journey. That’s the motivation that we see given to us. It’s the who is in front of us.
That when Jesus has captured your heart, the things in this life, though some of them are miserable to be sure, They are not the thing that captivates us.
It’s Jesus. And that’s what John throughout the letter of Revelation has been giving us, these incredible, again, often bewildering but amazing symbols of who this Jesus is, of the victory that he has accomplished, of what we are coming to in the fullness of time to be with him. If you don’t want to be with Jesus, heaven is not going to sound very interesting. Interesting to you.
And you may be more concerned about the what than the who.
But it is only the who that you have life in.
It’s hard to imagine what is ahead of us. Think about that. I’m sure you’re similar in a way that I can kind of imagine a perfect building, a perfect garden, but I can’t really imagine perfect people. Get 1,000 of us together and not hear a complaint.
Not one person saying, “It’s too hot, it’s too cold. Why is he wearing that? Why is she dressed like that?” Not one. I can’t imagine that. I want to.
I long for that day when we can be together and not a sinful thing pops into my head.
Because of what Jesus has done, that is where we’re going. That is the destiny for his people. And so with that in mind, that is the message of hope that we have for those around us. We don’t have to have it all figured out, because we don’t. We don’t have all the answers to the questions.
We don’t— behave in such a way that we show a perfect life now of sinlessness. But what we do have is the who. And we tell people of the who. And our desire is there on him. That’s the joy that ought to fill our hearts, that moves us forward even through suffering and hardship.
You say, I can endure this. It’s just a mile’s walk.
And he’s in front of me, and he’s promised his presence, and I’m gonna see him as he is in fullness. I will not have to be shielded in protection from his consuming holiness and glory, but I will be able to walk in and participate in it with all of God’s people.
Brothers and sisters, that’s the destination. The destination is before us. The who is in front of us. We live and endure faithfully for him. Pray with me.
Father, indeed we thank you. We bless you for your goodness to us, Father, that you have made us for yourself. And indeed our hearts are restless until we find our rest in you and in you alone. We bless you, Triune God. Father, Son, and Spirit, we bless you, we praise you, and we worship you now and forever.
Amen.
Discaimer: This sermon text was generated by an automated transcription service.