As I was typing the reference title for today it occurred to me that the message of these final chapters in God’s word are a perfect message for the coming year, 2022. Bonus!
What is the message? We did a series on the “end times” (eschatology) in October and November of this year. I’ll link to that page if you are interested to learn more about it.
This is my take on the whole as well as the subsection of these last 3 chapters.
There are 2 points of view, and although I lean heavily in one direction, I appreciate both of them. God gave us all of His word with a very specific purpose in mind, but more about that next week.
View A:
Assembling the detailed picture God left for us in His word between the prophet’s message, some of Jesus’ teachings, and the writings of John is both very exciting and daunting. A person like me can get pretty lost in the weeds in doing so. Jerry Jenkins & Tim LaHaye wrote a fictional series named “Left Behind” describing their interpretation of all that has been written about it. I have listened to many sermons and read various opinions having to do with how much is written literally and how much is allegory. This leads to decisions about positions using long and less familiar terminology. Yes, I do have a personal opinion about the events written and their order, but more than that I wonder over how those given the responsibility to “write this down” must have been thinking and feeling. How did they come up with words to express things they’d never seen?
Believe it or not, I have actually been to the island of Patmos, where John was exiled. I have even visited “the cave” (or a least a cave) that John may or may not have hung out to do some writing. So it’s pretty easy for me to imagine how fantastically wild the visions would have been to John from the time and place that he was writing. Can you imagine trying, for instance, to describe the internet in the late 1970s? “Write this down” isn’t as easy as it sounds. So I have tremendous respect for John and all of the prophet that were describing events so far into the future they would have no experience from which to write. On a more practical level I both appreciate solving a mystery and placing events in an orderly fashion onto a timeline.
The second and opposite position that I like to dwell on, however, is the overall general message that involves our faith. What is the message God wanted to make unmistakably clear? Bowls, horses, numbers, dates, angels, enemies, they are not the message. The message is “come!” (Revelation 22:17) Revelation 21:6-8 says if you’re thirsty, come get get a free drink of living water. (Isaiah 55:1) Much like Jesus described in John 4:13-14 to the Samaritan woman at the well.
And why should you come and drink the living water?
Throughout the Bible there is an invitation issued which is reiterated in the last few chapters of Revelation. Why? Because there are 2 potential eternal destinations for humanity. Which destination they are sent or invited to is decided by the choice each person makes.
There is a destination for the unbeliever and enemy of God. It is the “lake of fire”. It is eternal separation from God. (Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8; 22:15)
There is a destination for the believer and child of God. It is eternity with God where there is no sin, no evil, no pain, no sorrow. (Revelation 21:3-4) Exactly where doesn’t matter so much. There is a new heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem created. The new Jerusalem is described in much detail. (Side note: I have for years and years thought of “pearly gates, streets of gold, laden with gems as describing heaven. Oooops! This is actually the new Jerusalem. Where the throne of God exists, and the river of living water, and the tree of life, and the glory that illuminates everything.) What matters to me most of all is not where, but with whom. Where God is is where I am going! How about you?
John’s instructions were to share this message with the world. God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin. Thus the reason that everything we know and see currently will be destroyed and remade after the judgement of all who have denied Christ. Revelation 21:6 says that it’s done at that point. Sin and death are done. The pure, holy things have been made. The holy Trinity is together. The bride (all of God’s people) are together, with their sin long since washed away. And let’s not forget the angels, the mighty servants of God, are there as well. ‘Eternity’ as described through the WORD of God begins at that point and never ends. Hallelujah!
That message is a simple, straight forward one. You decide. Are you on team Jesus? or team Satan? It is a life and death question that only you and God can answer. I want to invite you to COME, and learn how you can have peace with God and the security of a pure and perfect eternity with God.
