REVELATION 22.12-16

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly;

• Quickly. Again, the idea of immanence is the issue.
• Mark 13:32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. 35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: 36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
• Remember beloved that these words of Jesus were spoken to Peter and James and John and Andrew in private (Mark 13.3). It was Jesus answer to the question, when shall these things be (the destruction of the city of Jerusalem)? and (or, in addition to this) what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?
• Look at verse 37….there is no doubt in my mind that these 4 apostles left that conversation with Jesus with a firm conviction that they needed to be ready to meet The Lord in their lifetime.

and my reward [is] with me (this did not happen in 70AD), to give every man according as his work shall be.

• The rewarding of each believer according to his or her works is taught in Rom 14.10-12 & 2 Cor. 5:10. The judgment seat of Christ can be a time of great regret, or it can be an occasion of supreme joy.
• 2Cor 5:0 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
• Only those works which survive God’s testing fire have eternal value and are worthy of reward. In others words, the criteria for judgment is the motive of the heart.
• 1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
• WE now from this passage in Corinthians and Luke 12.47,48 that there will be degrees of rewards for believers and punishment for unbelievers.
• By the way, there is not reward for simply having good intentions. There is no reward in heaven for knowing the will of God, but doing it with the right heart.
• According to the teaching of Jesus in Matt 6, the reward of the religious person is that what he or she does is seen and admired by other people. On the contrary, whenever a person is motivated by the grace and redeeming love of God to pray, give or serve without the need of an audience or public approval, Jesus declared, thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly (Matt 6.4).
• Nothing that is done in The Name of Jesus will go unrewarded.
• Mt 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
• People are prone to forget or take for granted the things that you do for them, but not The Father.
• Heb 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
• But here is the only acceptable motive in God’s eyes: a love for Him and for the glory of His Name.
• Rev 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (they had become a religious, serving machine, void of the love of Jesus).
• 1Co 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

·      Christ’s rewards are meant to provide a powerful incentive for an obedient life. May we be a community of people who are motivated by the love of Christ to do all that we do for the glory of God.

• 1Co 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
• Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
• One very important truth that very Christian needs to keep in mind, Luke 12.48 For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.
• What are you doing with the gifts and talents that God has give unto you?

Rev 22:13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

• Jesus describes Himself as the Alpha and the Omega (first and last letters of the Gr. alphabet), the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
• As we saw last week, earlier the claim to the title “I am the Alpha and Omega” has come from God alone (Rev 1:8; 21:6).
• First and the last. 3 times in the book of Isaiah we read:
• Isa 41:4 Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD (Yehovah), the first, and with the last; I am he.
• Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD (Yehovah) the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD (Yehovah) of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God (elohim….same heb as Gen 1.1).
•  Isa 48:12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.
• The use of the same terms to describe the Lamb (Jesus Christ) with Yehovah affirms His Deity and was the basis for His claim that He and The father are one.

Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 

• Blessed. This is the last of the 7 beatitudes in Revelation that. Following Jesus Christ is the blessed life.
• Since no one can enter into the city unless their name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, Re 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life; this beatitude is speaking of those who are justified by a faith that expresses itself in good works of obedience (Eph. 2:8–10).

• Do His commandments. The majority of newer translations read wash their robes instead of do (keep) His commandments. Rev 7.14 These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
• This is one of the few times that I agree with the newer translations, for clear teaching of Scripture is that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in the provision made by Christ alone.
• Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
• Salvation, unlike rewards, is a gift stemming from the unmerited, undeserved grace of God. Genuine salvation is more than an intellectual assent to correct bible truth, for James writes that the devils also believe, and tremble (Jam 2.19).
• Salvation is a turning from sin unto God, and placing all of your faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as full payment of YOUR sin debt.
• Although no one is saved by keeping the commandments of God, it is consistent with Scripture to say that any person who has been regenerated by The Spirit of God will seek to live their lives in harmony with the commandments or revealed will of God.
• John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
• 1John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
• For a person to have the desire to walk in the commandments of God is not the reason that a person is saved, it is the fruit or evidence of being saved.
• The Pauline doctrine of salvation by grace through faith apart from works and James declaration that a saving faith produces works of faith are the two sides of the coin of salvation. And both saving faith and working faith are because of the grace of God at work in our lives.  
• The tree of life suggests a quality of life involving an intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ that is the reward of faithfulness and obedience.

Rev 22:15 For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Note those that are excluded from the eternal city (cp. Rev 21.8; 1 Cor 6.9,10; Eph 5.5,6; Gal 5.19-21).

• Dogs were considered despicable creatures in NT times. The term when applied to people referred to anyone of low moral character. It was used to describe the legalistic Judaizers in Phil 3.2.  It was used in the OT to describe the unfaithful leader (Isa 56.10) and homosexual prostitutes in Deut 23.18
• Sorcerers (Gr. pharmaeus; Heb. kashaph). Heb. To whisper a spell, i.e. to inchant or practise magic:--(use) witch(-craft). Gr. (a drug, i.e. spell-giving potion); a druggist ("pharmacist") or poisoner, i.e. (by extension) a magician.
• Whoremongers (pornos); a (male) prostitute, i.e. a debauchee (libertine):--fornicator. Any sexual act that is done outside of the marriage covenant which is a heterosexual relationship between a man and a woman….. Heb 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. It was Adam and Eve in the Garden who were given the gift of being fruitful and multiply.
• Murderers; This not only refers to acts of homicide, it also speaks of that attitude of the heart. 1John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
• Idolaters (image worshipper); an image worshipper. This is much deeper than bowing down before a statue or some kind of an icon, it is worshipping the creature more than the Creator.
• Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie; a person whose life is characterized by a continual series of lies, fabrications or exaggerations of the truth.
• Beloved, the fact that Jesus spoke about the reality of a place called hell is proof that the doctrine of universal salvation is a lie and unbiblical.
• Nowhere does the bible teach that a child of God will reach a place of absolute sinless perfection this side of heaven. However, the bible does teach that a born again Christian is given a new heart and a new life that results in an immediate and progressive change of character into the likeness of The Lord Jesus Christ.

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.

• Churches. This is the first reference to churches since the letters to the churches at the beginning of the book.

• The Root and the Offspring of David: The Lord Jesus Christ is both David’s Creator and his descendant.
• Mr 12:35 And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? 36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 37 David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
• This statement of Jesus can only be true if He is indeed both God and man. This important doctrine of Christ that He is both fully man and fully God is confirmed throughout all of Scripture.
• This doctrine that the Messiah would be the Lord and descendant of David is testified to in both testaments as well.
• Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. Isa 11:10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
• Re 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
• Jesus is both greater than David and the rightful heir to the throne of David.
• Bright and Morning Star. As the light of dawn approaches, the morning star announces the start of a new day----the dark night is past. For the Christian, Jesus Christ is the comforting light in a dark world until the dawn of His return (2:28). He is the day star who dwells in our hearts by faith (2 Pet 1.19).
• This Bright and Morning Star is the ruler whom Balaam foresaw arising from Israel to conquer the nations.
• Num 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

Beloved, one of my personal titles of Satan is that he is the great wanna be….let me explain

• In Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! The Hebrew word for Lucifer is heylel which means, the morning-star. Since he fell from his exalted position in glory, Satan has always desired to be worshipped as god.

• He is the fallen angel of light, the god of this fallen world system who steals, kills and destroys souls, marriages, churches, nations…..he is a liar and the father of all lies…..but his time is short. Rom 16:20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
• Satan is the author and finisher of every lie. There is no other way to b saved than by faith in the vicarious sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 
• Catholicism cannot save you, Protestantism cannot save you, no other “ism” or religion of man can save you. And my dear friend you and I cannot save ourselves because we are the problem.
• My friend, there is only One Bright and Morning Star Who loves you and cares for your soul, and that is The Lord Jesus Christ. He died on the cross of Calvary for our sin, that we might be reconciled to God. The gospel is not try harder, do better, pray longer, read more chapters, recite the creeds…it is trust n Jesus with all of your heat, soul, mind and strength and serve Him in spirit and in truth all the days of your life….Come up front after the service if you would like to know more about Jesus Christ….2 ways to live booklet….

We are excited about studying the Scriptures together….if you are new around here, we are in a book by book, verse by verse study of the OT, and Wed PM we begin a study in the book of Judges. That’s at 7.30…..Youth Group and children’s ministry that night as well.  

We are excited about our evenings of praise and adoration of our God…..if you have never been here for a Sunday PM praise night, consider joining us tonight.

Starts at 6.30

Lord’s Supper will be available during the time of praise when you are ready to take the elements.

Pastors/Elders will be here to pray for you and anoint you with oil

Bring a dessert or snack to pass around for fellowship in the agape hall after service.

***Pune girls home meting at 1.30 in agape hall after the last service…pizza will be served.