Revelation 22:12-16
“Look! I come quickly, and my reward is with me to
render back to each as is his work. I am
the alpha and the omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the
end. Blessed are the ones who wash their
robes in order that their authority will be upon the tree of life and they
should go into the gateways into the city.
Outside are the corruptors, the sorcerers, the fornicators, the
murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and who does falsehood. I, Jesus, sent my angel to witness these
things to you upon the assemblies. I am
the root and the offspring of David – the shining and morning star.”
Thoughts for Today
First Thought:
The last speaker, and the speaker upon
whom we will focus entirely today, is Jesus.
Jesus once more reminds us that He is coming quickly. He also says that He is bringing payment for
our deeds, each according to our work.
Once more we hear the message that there will be consequences. While this message is intended to give all of
us pause, it is intended to bring hope and reassurance to the lesser ones in
society: those who are picked on, persecuted, tortured, rejected, and
outcast. This verse is more of a warning
to those who oppress others than it is a generalized warning for all. We can all take pause, of course. But those who are actively seeking to oppress
the followers of Christ should feel the most concern.
What do you think that it means when
Christ says that He is coming quickly?
Having read through the book of Revelation, are you brought more fear or
peace when you hear the promise of Christ to return? Why is it healthy to feel a little of both?
Second Thought:
Next, we hear Jesus say that those who
have washed their robes are to be blessed.
This truly is the key to mitigating the prior thought. Yes, we can all pause and reflect how our
deeds have led to sin. We can certainly
take stock in how our actions have not born out the fruit that God would desire
from us. But that is what repentance is
for. That is why Christ came to
die. When we are humble and acknowledge
that our life is full of sinfulness, we are washing our robes in His blood. When we acknowledge that God’s ways are
better than our ways and try to live that out, we are demonstrating our desire –
however imperfect – to imitate Christ.
These people, in spite of their imperfection, will be granted entrance
into the holy city in order to dwell with God forever.
How does this message from Christ
reveal God’s grace and mercy? How does
this passage reveal that God does desire us to respond, even though He did the
work of salvation all by Himself?
Third Thought:
Lastly, we
have the warning of judgment upon those who do not repent. They will be banned from the New Jerusalem. The list of sinful behaviors is nearly
identical to the list that we saw in Revelation 21:8. There will be consequences. There will be judgment. Not all people will find admission into life
with God. We do all indeed have free
will. In the end those who are unable to
humble themselves before God will not find access to dwell in the presence of
God. Rather than have God’s perfection
to sustain them, they will have their sinfulness to keep them company.
When you
think about such an existence, what emotions do you feel? Why do you think that God will not allow all
people into His presence, especially since we are all guilty of sin?
Passage for Tomorrow: Revelation
22:17-21
No comments:
Post a Comment