Revelation 21:5-8

Revelation 21:5-8

And the one who is sitting upon the throne said, “Look!  I make all things new.”  And he said, “Write, since these words are faithful and true.”  And he said to me, “They have happened.  I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.  I will freely give out of the spring of the water of life to the one who thirsts.  The one who conquers will inherit these things and I will be a God to them and he will be a son to me.  And to the timid ones, the unbelieving ones, the ones who have detested, the murderous ones, the fornicating ones, the ones who practice magical arts, the idolatrous ones, and all the lying ones: their part is in the lake that is being burned by fire and sulfur – which is the second death.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Once more in Revelation we encounter this famous description of God.  He is the alpha and the omega.  Yes, what people teach about this is true.  It is absolutely a claim that God preceded everything, everything came from Him, and He will be its end as well.  However, remember that this chapter is about eternal life with God.  If God is the alpha and omega, then He is omnipresent now, too.  There is a consistency in God’s presence.  He is present in the very creation that He created.

How is God present with you on a daily basis?  How do you know God will be there tomorrow and every day in the future?

Second Thought:

Furthermore, we hear that God will give freely out of the water of life to those who thirst.  Notice the quality that God emphasizes in this passage.  Those who thirst will receive.  It isn’t about our own perfection.  It isn’t about our righteousness.  It isn’t about our deserving nature.  It is solely about our desiring to receive from Him.  It is about our humble confession that we have something outside of us for which we should thirst.  But the good news is that if we thirst, we will receive freely.

Do you thirst for the water of life?  How do you experience this thirst in your life?  How do you talk about this thirst to others?

Third Thought:

In contrast to the new heaven and earth and its water of life, we see that there is the lake of fire.  This is Hell in its proper understanding.  What is it that we can learn about the people who are there?  These are the unbelieving.  These are the murderers.  These are the ones who fornicate.  These are the ones who practice with unnatural power.  These are the ones who lie.  These are the ones who detest others.  Do you hear a similar trend in each of these traits?  These are people who are unwilling to be humble before God.  These are people who seek the desire of their own heart rather than humbling themselves to seek something outside of themselves that only God can offer.  These are the people who are destined for the lake of fire.

Why do you think the lack of humbleness is such a dangerous trait?  Why is it problematic to always pursue the desires of your own heart?

Passage for Tomorrow: Revelation 21:9-14