Behold, I Am Coming Quickly

“Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:7 NKJV

This last chapter of Revelation concludes John’s vision. Let’s begin with the final details about God’s glorious throne room.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Revelation 22:1-5 NKJV

Geographically

Remember our introduction to the tree of life in Genesis 2-3 and later in Revelation 3:17-24? God removed the Tree of Life from the Garden of Eden so that fallen man would not live forever in his state of sin. Then God promised in Revelation, ” ‘To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’ “

Although no sea will exist on the new earth, a crystal river of the water of life will flow from God’s throne, down the middle of the street. The tree of life will be on either side of the river, each bearing twelve fruits monthly. The nations will use the leaves from these trees for healing from their former curses. No longer will the sun or lamps exist because the glory of God will be its light.

God’s servants

The Bible tells us that no person can look at the face of God and live. When Moses asked God to show him His glory, God replied:

“I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.”

Exodus 33:19-23 NKJV

But we see in Revelation 22:4 that God’s servants will not only see His face, but His Name shall be on their foreheads.

This reminds us of the Great Tribulation when the Anti-christ forces his followers to take his mark (666) on their foreheads or right hand. (Read more about it HERE.)

We know that for everything God does, Satan has a counterfeit: a false Christ, false prophet, false worship, and an evil government system that destroys its citizens and marks them for hell.

In God’s kingdom, however, we are marked as His possession. In Ezekiel 9:4, God judges all idolaters without sparing. But for those who mourned for the nation’s sin, God instructed the angel to “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.” Additionally, we recall the 144,000 were sealed on their foreheads before the angels could carry out their mission of destruction on the earth (read about it HERE).

Lastly, the wonderful news is that we shall reign with God and Christ forever and ever. His is a kingdom without end.

John’s Conversation with the Angel

The angel testified to the truth and trustworthiness of his words to John. Not only did God reveal the future through His prophets, but he also used this angel to reveal it to God’s servants.

Then John testified that he assuredly heard and saw these things the angel showed him. But when John knelt to worship the angel, the angel rebuked him. ” ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!’ ” (Revelation 22:9 NKJV). This verse underscores the falseness of worshiping angels. All worship goes to God the Father and the Son, never to angels.

Then he told me, ‘Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.‘

Revelation 22:10-11 NKJV

The angel warns that the time of the end is near. He concludes with instructions to allow these words of prophecy to be shared with everyone, not hidden away and kept secret. No matter if people act wickedly or righteously, these words of prophecy will be fulfilled at the right time. Nothing performed by man has to happen on the earth before God’s words come to pass, except that the gospel first be preached to all the earth.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:14 NIV

Jesus’s Final Words and Invitation

Let’s let the truth and the power of the words of Jesus speak to us through these final verses of the Book of Revelation.

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

A Warning

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

I Am Coming Quickly

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”

Revelation 22:12-20a NKJV

Let’s all agree in prayer with the concluding words of the Bible.

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen (v.20b-21).

Behold, I am Coming Quickly by Karen Jurgens copyright ©2024 All rights reserved.