The Final Message Pt. 5

Revelation ends with repeated or multiple messages to look and be ready for the coming again of Jesus.  Paul called it the blessed hope and glorious appearing (Titus 2:13).  John simply says, "Come, Lord Jesus!"  What can we expect while we wait for Jesus to Come.

• We will be blessed:  All throughout Revelation, God promises blessing for the faithful.  Seven different times, we see this phrase, "Blessed is the one..." or "Blessed are those..."  The book started in Revelation 1:3 saying, "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.  Then see how the book ends.  Revelation 22:7  "And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."  Then in verse 14, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates."   Jesus says, we will be blessed if we obey while we wait.
• We will be rewarded:  Revelation 22:12  "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done."  When Jesus says that He is bringing his recompense with Him in order to repay each person for what he has done, unlike some similiar warnings to unbelievers throughout Revelation, this is a message of encouragement to believers.  Jesus is promising that He is going to reward each of His followers according to how faithful they have been to Him in their life here on earth.  The reward is not salvation, that work was done by Jesus on our behalf.  So, let's not be confused.  This is the same thing the Apostle Paul talked in 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15, For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire."  We will all be rewarded fairly for how we served Jesus during our lifetime.  So, I suggest we get busy.
• We will be prepared:  Revelation 22:21 "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen."  My prayer for you and my prayer for me and my prayer for Connect church in light of the book of Revelation is:  God give us unwavering holiness in this world.  God by your grace (verse 21), help us to resist compromise and to refuse complacency, to fight against sin, and to endure in the midst of suffering, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to everyone we know and to the ends of the earth knowing that it won't be easy.  Knowing that this is a costly way to live in this world.  But knowing that we have unshakable hope in the world to come. God give us unwavering holiness in this world with unshakable hope in the world to come.