Revelation 22

Revelation 22:1-5

Chapter 55 With Christ in Heaven: paradise regained ‘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’ Revelation 22:1-5 When God created the first man, Adam, he placed him in the Garden of Eden. Eden was a place of innocence, abundance, life, and joy. It was Paradise on earth. But Paradise was not complete for Adam until the Lord God had given him a woman to be his bride. So the Lord caused Adam to sleep in the earth and took a rib from his side. From Adam’s wounded side Eve was made. She came from Adam. She was a part of Adam. Without Adam, Eve could never have lived. Yet, without Eve, Adam could never have been complete. Adam and Eve had for their home the Paradise of God. There they lived in perfect harmony, holiness, and happiness. But soon the serpent beguiled Eve and persuaded her to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And Adam, when he saw what Eve had done, took the fruit of the tree in rebellion against God. Sin had entered the world. Paradise was lost. Fallen man was driven away from the presence of the Lord. But, in the fullness of time, the second Adam was born. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to seek his beloved Bride, his elect Church. He came to recover for us what we lost in Adam. By his obedience unto death, he has regained for us all that we lost in Adam: righteousness, peace, life, fellowship with God, and Paradise. And he has already entered the Paradise of God as our Representative, claiming it in the name of his people (Hebrews 6:20). But, as Adam without Eve was incomplete, so Christ without his beloved Bride is incomplete.

The Head must have the Body. The Bridegroom must have his Bride. And Christ must have his Church, ‘Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all’ (Ephesians 1:23). When Christ and his Church are united in heaven, in the perfection of heavenly glory, Paradise shall be fully recovered. In this passage, John describes the Holy City, New Jerusalem, using symbols drawn from the Garden of Eden. (Read Revelation 22:1-5.) The eternal, heavenly state of God’s saints with Christ is Paradise regained. Our Lord said to the thief on the cross, ‘Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise’ (Luke 23:43). The apostle Paul was ‘Caught up into Paradise’ (2 Corinthians 12:4). That blessed place and condition is described as, ‘The paradise of God’ (Revelation 2:7). When God’s saints leave this world, they enter into Paradise, not purgatory, not limbo, but Paradise! What is it like? In these five verses John shows us six things about Paradise:

1. The river of paradise The earthly Paradise was watered by a mighty river. But it was only a river of water for the earth. The heavenly Paradise is watered by the river of the water of life (Revelation 22:1). This river of the water of life is the everlasting love of God (Psalms 46:4) Like a river, the love of God is ever flowing towards his elect, abundant and free (Ephesians 3:18-19). The streams of this river make glad the hearts of God’s people. The streams of this river, like the river in Eden, run in four directions across the earth. The streams of the river are: eternal election, blood atonement, effectual calling, peace, pardon, justification, and eternal life. Flowing to sinners from the river of God’s everlasting love, through the mediation of Christ, these blessings of grace bring us eternal life. This river is called the ‘river of the water of life’ (Zechariah 14:8-9; John 7:38-39) because the love of God is the source and cause of life, revives the saints with life, and sustains them in life. God’s love for us is a mighty, flowing river that is pure and clear as crystal His love for us is pure, sincere, true, without hypocrisy. And the love of God is as clear as crystal. It is free, without motive or condition. It promotes purity. The gospel, which reveals it, is a gospel of purity and holiness. The grace which is the fruit of it is righteousness. And every discovery of this love compels and constrains us to consecrate ourselves to Christ in obedience, love, and faith. The love of God is free from licentiousness and can never promote licentiousness. The source of this great river of love is the throne of God and of the Lamb God’s love for us is not caused by or conditioned upon our obedience or love to him. His love for us precedes our love for him and is the cause of our love for him (1 John 4:19). God’s love for us is not caused or conditioned even upon the obedience and death of Christ as our Substitute. It was God’s love for us that sent Christ to die for us and redeem us (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). God’s love for his elect is free. He said, from eternity, ‘I will love them freely’ (Hosea 14:4). God’s love for us is like God himself, eternal, immutable, and indestructible. And the source and cause of his love is his own sovereign will and pleasure (Romans 9:11-18). It cannot be attributed to anything else.
2. The tree of paradise (Revelation 22:2)In the Garden of Eden there was a tree of life. Adam, by sin, lost his right to eat of that tree. In the Paradise of God there is another Tree of Life. And that Tree of Life is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He is that One in heaven who heals chosen sinners scattered through the nations of the earth by virtue of his finished work of redemption and by the power of his Holy Spirit. Christ, the Tree of Life, fills heaven. He is seen in the midst of the street and on both sides of the river.

The City of God is full of Christ. That is the blessedness of heaven. Christ is there! Luther’s doctrine concerning the ubiquity of Christ’s physical body after his glorification may not be correct, but his heavenly body is such that he is immediately known and accessible everywhere and to everyone at all times. What mortal can imagine such a body? Our Savior’s immortal body and the immortal bodies we shall have after the resurrection will be free of all limitations and hindrances necessary to this earthly existence. Christ, the Tree of Life, bears twelve manner of fruits. He bears fruit for the twelve tribes of the Israel of God.

He has fruit sufficient for the whole Israel of God, the whole body of his elect. All fullness is in him. And we have our perfection and completion in him (John 1:16; Ephesians 1:6; Colossians 2:9). The fruit of this Tree of Life is abundant at all times. From it we obtain abundant, perfect righteousness, (both for justification and for sanctification), plenteous redemption, (from the curse of the law by Christ’s atonement, from the dominion of sin by the power of his grace, and from the very being and consequences of sin by the resurrection of our bodies), and eternal life, with all its blessedness in time and eternity. The leaves of this Tree are for the healing of the nations.

The leaves of this tree are the blessed doctrines of the gospel: substitutionary redemption and imputed righteousness. Through the preaching of the gospel today, God sends his grace into the nations of the world for the healing of men’s souls (Romans 1:15-16; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:21).

And in heaven’s glory the leaves of this tree, the blessed gospel of Christ, will yet preserve all God’s elect in life as the tree of life in Eden would have preserved Adam in life (Genesis 3:22-24). Even in that blessed, eternal state God’s saints will be ‘kept by the power of his grace.’ In a word, everything in Christ will unceasingly contribute to and secure the everlasting life and joy of God’s saints in heaven. 3. The freedom of paradise ‘And there shall be no more curse.’ Having been redeemed from the curse of the law by Christ’s precious blood (Galatians 3:13), the curse of the law cannot fall upon the redeemed. Where there is no sin, there is no cause for the curse. And Christ has put away our sins forever. We shall not even suffer loss or be treated any the less graciously because of our sin. Imagine that! God will not impute sin to those for whom Christ has died (Romans 4:8), neither in this world, nor in the world to come.

In that blessed state awaiting us, there shall be no possibility of a curse because there shall be no possibility of sin. Not only has the Son of God saved us from the fall, he has saved us from the possibility of another fall (John 10:28). Consequently, in the holy city, New Jerusalem there will never even be the fear of the curse of God’s holy law! 4. The throne of paradise ‘But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.’ It is the presence and stability of this throne that guarantees the security of God’s saints and removes all possibility of curse from us. It is called ’the throne of God and of the Lamb’ because God and the Lamb are One and God is seen, known, and revealed only in the Lamb (John 1:14; John 1:18). This throne is the source of all things, the rule of all things, and the end of all things (Romans 11:36). This throne, a throne of free grace (Hebrews 4:16) and sovereign dominion (Daniel 4:35-37), is the joy of all believers, and the dread of all rebels. 5. The joy of paradise (Revelation 22:4-5) ‘His servants shall serve him.’ In eternity we will serve God our Savior perfectly and perpetually. ‘And they shall see his face.’ Then, when we see him who loved us and gave himself for us face to face, we shall enjoy perfect communion with him, complete acceptance with God in him and with him, and full satisfaction in him. In heaven’s glory he will make a full disclosure of himself, his works, and his ways to us. And when we see his face, seeing all things as he sees them, we will be filled with intense, indescribable delight! ‘And his name shall be in their foreheads.’ That simply means that we will own and be owned, accept and be accepted of our God forever. We will confess him to be our God; and he will confess us to be his people forever. ‘And there shall be no night there.’ There will be no darkness of any kind in heaven: no darkness of sin, sorrow, ignorance, or bigotry. In the New Jerusalem, there will be no need for secondary lights, no need for the symbolic ordinances that now contribute so much to our worship, neither believer’s baptism (the confession of Christ) nor the Lord’s Supper (the remembrance of Christ). There will not even be a need of pastors and teachers to instruct, guide, and correct us. The reason is this - ‘For the Lord God giveth them light.’ 6. The duration of paradise ‘And they shall reign for ever and ever.’ When the Lord Jesus Christ has presented his bride, his body, the church and kingdom of God in its entirety to the Father, holy, blameless, unreproveable, and glorious, we shall reign with him for ever and ever (1 Corinthians 15:24-28) in ’the glorious liberty of the children of God’ (Romans 8:21). Let these thoughts sustain, comfort, and rejoice your heart, child of God, as you live in the hope of that city whose Builder and Maker is your God: (1.) Our Adam, the second Adam, the Lord Jesus Christ is in Paradise now. (2.) From his wounded side God is forming a bride for him. (3.) Paradise will not be complete for Christ until he has his beloved Bride with him. And (4.) Christ shall have his bride. Not one of God’s elect, given to Christ in eternity, redeemed by Christ at Calvary, and called by the Spirit of Christ in time shall be missing in the heavenly Paradise.

Revelation 22:3-4

Chapter 57 The throne of God and of the Lamb ‘The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him’ Revelation 22:3-4 In this last chapter of Revelation the Apostle John is describing the glory, bliss, and beauty of heaven’s eternal paradise. In verses three and four he shows us ’the throne of God and of the Lamb.’ Wherever heaven is, whatever heaven is, in it ’there shall be no more curse!’ In the old paradise, the garden of Eden, there was a river and a tree of life. But the paradise of God, which we shall inherit in the new creation, is infinitely better than Eden, for in the paradise of God, ’there shall be no more curse!’ There shall be no curse there because there shall be no sin, the cause of the curse. There shall be no pain, sorrow, and death, the results of the curse. And there shall be no possibility of curse - No devil! No temptation! No weakness! ‘But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it’ The name of the city of God is Jehovah-shammah, ’the Lord is there!’ God, in the trinity of his blessed Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, shall be there upon the throne of glory. And the Lamb, the sin-atoning Sacrifice, the Mediator, the Man Christ Jesus, shall be there upon the throne of glory. There is but one throne, for there is but one God. God and the Lamb are one (John 10:30; Colossians 2:10). ‘And his servants shall serve him’ The highest, most constant desire of God’s servants is that we may serve him. And this shall be our delight in heaven’s glory. In that blessed, eternal day we shall serve the Lord our God like the angels themselves, perfectly and perpetually. We shall worship him perfectly and perpetually. We shall do his will perfectly and perpetually. We shall glorify him perfectly and perpetually! ‘And they shall see his face’ We shall see the face of the triune God, in all the fullness, majesty, and spender of his brilliant glory, as we behold the face of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. All his saints shall see him as he is. When we see him, we shall be like him (1 John 3:2). A) To see his face is to enjoy intimate, personal, familiar communion. B) To see his face is to have the largest possible discovery of his love. C) To see his face is to have him clearly and fully revealed. It is to know him. It is to dwell in perfect light. D) To see his face is to attain perfect satisfaction (Psalms 17:15). ‘And his name shall be in their foreheads’ In that blessed, eternal day of heavenly glory, every child of God shall be known to all the universe as one of God’s elect. They shall all be owned of God, publicly owned, gloriously owned, delightfully owned, and eternally owned. Owned by the Father as the objects of his love. Owned by the Son as the purchase of his blood. Owned by the Spirit as the fruit of his grace. In these two verses the Holy Spirit shows us the glory that awaits those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Lift up the hands that hang down, strengthen those feeble knees, keep your eye upon the prize that awaits you, and run with patience the race that is set before you. Particularly as you run your race, as you endure hardness here, as you suffer adversity here, as you fight and war with sin, satan, and the world, I encourage you to fix your eye of faith upon ’the throne of God and of the Lamb.’ Nothing is more comforting and encouraging to God’s people in this world than the realization of our Savior’s Mediatorial reign over all things. Behold the Lamb of God We can never see and know God until we behold the Lamb of God. And we can never get a proper view of the throne of God until we behold the Lamb of God. So, in all things spiritual, the first order of business is to behold the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Before the world began God ordained that his dear Son would come into this world to die as an innocent victim, as a Lamb for the atonement of his people’s sins (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-21). God has always had the Lamb before his eye. Everything he has ever done, is doing, or shall hereafter do, is done for the sake of the Lamb. In all the Old Testament Scriptures, the central figure in the revelation Of God was the lamb of sacrifice. The first blood shed in the world was the blood of a lamb (Genesis 3:21). Abel offered God the blood of a lamb (Genesis 4:1-5). Abraham offered a lamb in the place of Isaac upon the mount (Genesis 22:8-14). When the judgment of God fell upon Egypt, Israel was saved by the blood of a lamb (Exodus 12:1-14). The prophet Isaiah vividly described the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ as the substitutionary, sin-atoning Lamb of God (Isaiah 53:1-12). When John the Baptist pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world,’ his disciples knew exactly what he was saying. He was saying, ‘Behold, the Redeemer of whom God in the prophets spoke!’ The Lord Jesus Christ, as the Lamb of God, has taken away the sin of the world. The sins of God’s elect throughout the whole world were at one time imputed to him. And he has effectually taken away their sins. The world here is the world of God’s elect. Everybody in this world is redeemed, justified, and saved, for the Lamb of God took their sins away. When the word ‘world’ is used in connection with the love and grace of God, or redemption, salvation, intercession, and life in and by Christ, it is always to be understood in this sense (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2; 1 John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10). We know that because God plainly asserts that he does not love, has not redeemed, and will not save some people in the world (Psalms 7:11; Romans 9:11-18). The Lord Jesus refused even to pray for the reprobate of the world (John 17:9; John 17:20). It is utterly foolish to imagine that he died to redeemed those for whom he would not pray, and blasphemous to assert that he died to redeem and save those who yet perish under the wrath of God. The Son of God did not die in vain. Christ has put away the sins of God’s elect by the sacrifice of himself (Hebrews 9:26; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 4:1). He put our sins away by voluntarily suffering the wrath of God to the full satisfaction of justice, dying as the Lamb of God upon the altar of God, by the hand of God, for the people of God. ‘Behold, the Lamb of God!’ Jesus Christ is the Lamb appointed by God, anointed by God, approved by God, accepted by God, and the Lamb who is God! To behold the Lamb of God is to trust the Lord Jesus Christ as the Lamb of sacrifice and atonement, by whose merit alone we have acceptance with God. Behold the Lamb upon his throne Verse three speaks of ’the throne of God and of the Lamb.’ There is but one throne. Yet it is equally and fully the throne of God and of the Lamb, because God and the Lamb are One. The Lord Jesus Christ sits upon the throne in heaven by lawful right, both as God and as the Lamb. We have seen this many times in our study of Revelation; but it is one of those blessed facts of our faith that needs to be constantly brought to our attention. As God, Jesus Christ always sat upon the throne of universal sovereignty, dominion, and power. He is very God of very God, co-eternal, co-equal with the Father in all things. He possessed the glory of Divinity from eternity, before ever the earth was made (John 1:1-3). But now, God sits upon his throne in the person of the sin-atoning, Mediatorial Lamb, the God-man, Jesus Christ. By his obedience to God as our Mediator and the merit of his blood as our sin-atoning Lamb, Jesus Christ has earned the right to rule the universe forever as a Man (John 17:2; Romans 14:9). He is to God’s elect what Joseph was to his people in Egypt (Genesis 41:43-44).

Our Savior rules over all creation (Ephesians 1:22), all the details of providence, all his enemies and ours (2 Peter 2:1), and all the vast realms of grace (Psalms 68:18-20), for the salvation of his elect (John 17:2). His rule and dominion is unlimited, sovereign, and everlasting (Daniel 4:35-37). Behold the throne of God and of the Lamb Though it is the throne of God, it is none the less the throne of the Lamb. And though it is the throne of the Lamb, it is none the less the throne of God. What does that mean? It is a throne of august majesty, perfect holiness, and strict justice. It is a throne of infinite mercy and sovereign grace (Hebrews 4:16). It is an approachable, accessible throne. It is a throne of absolute safety and security. It is an appealing, alluring, charming throne. Behold the throne of God and of the Lamb with delightful, anxious hope and anticipation (Revelation 4:9-10). ‘The throne of God and of the Lamb,’ above all other things, is what draws our hearts to heaven. Ever behold the Lamb upon the throne, and be at peace.

Revelation 22:4

Chapter 56 Face to face with Christ our savior ‘And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads’ Revelation 22:4 Heaven is set forth in the Scriptures by many pictures of bliss awaiting God’s elect in eternity. Heaven is a place prepared for us. It is the everlasting kingdom. It is eternal glory. Heaven is our purchased inheritance. It is the city of God and of the Lamb.

It is our home. Heaven is our final resting place These, and many other descriptive phrases, fill our hearts with joy and anticipation. But here is the greatest bliss of the eternal state, the consummation of glory, the very heaven of heaven - ‘And they shall see his face.’ When the Lord said to Moses, ‘Thou canst not see my face and live,’ he was speaking to a mere mortal upon the earth. Those words have no reference to those who have put on immortality and incorruption. In the coming glory-land every child of God shall see the face of our God and live. Indeed, it is this sight of Christ which shall be the essence and excellence of our life.

We shall see him who is the brightness of the Father’s glory and the express image of his person face to face! That is the heaven which awaits us! ‘Face to face with Christ my Savior, Face to face, what will it be; When with rapture I behold him, Jesus Christ who died for me?’ What is this heavenly vision Some people have very carnal and unscriptural ideas about heaven. Some think of heaven only as a place where they can gratify their carnal desires. They seem to think only of the comforts and pleasures that heaven might bring to them in a natural, physical way. To them, the streets of gold, the gates of pearl, and the walls of jasper are enough.. I have even heard men talk about heaven as though it were a place that would gratify their religious pride and self-righteousness. Some religious denominations have the vain imagination that their particular brand of religion will give them a place of superiority in glory. In pride and self-righteous bigotry, they suppose that all of God’s saints will be beneath them and serve them! Such carnal ideas of heaven must be rejected. However, there are many things in heaven that we shall see and enjoy. We will see the holy angels who have ministered to us throughout our earthly pilgrimage (Hebrews 1:14). Men and women of flesh and bones will commune with cherubim and seraphim. Gabriel, and all the heavenly hosts, shall be known by us. We will see the patriarchs who served God in those early days of time.

We will even know those men and women who walked with God before the flood like Abel, Enoch, and Noah.. The apostles and prophets will be seen and known by us. Those martyrs, with whose blood the pages of church history are written, shall be seen. Those brethren, with whom we have enjoyed sweet fellowship upon the earth, will be seen by us. And those loved ones who fell asleep in Christ Jesus shall be seen again. Without question, in our glorified state, earthly ties will no longer divide us; but the saints in glory will know one another, just as Peter, James, and John knew Moses and Elijah when they appeared with them in the mount of transfiguration. Yet, for all of this, the greatest joy and fullness of heaven will be the fact that we shall see Christ himself face to face. That which we desire above all else in heaven is the sight of Christ. With the Psalmist we most gladly declare, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee’ (Psalms 73:25). Christ is all in all to us here, and we long for a heaven in which he shall be all in all to us forever. Here upon the earth, it was a sight of Christ which first turned our sorrow into joy.

The daily renewal of communion with Christ lifts us up above the cares of this world. Even here, we say, if we have Christ we have enough. If Christ is all to us now, what shall he be in glory? The Paradise of God is a heaven of intense, eternal, spiritual fellowship with Christ. Heaven is a place where it is promised - ‘They shall see his face.’ Moses, we are told, saw his back parts. He saw the train of his majesty.

But, there, we shall see his face. We shall literally see our Savior’s face. Though he is glorified, that very man who died at Calvary is upon the throne of glory. We shall see him, the God-man. What a sight that shall be for redeemed sinners. We will see our well-beloved - his hands, his feet, his side, his head, and his face. We shall literally see him who loved us and gave himself for us. Even sweeter is the fact that we shall enjoy a perfect, spiritual sight of our Redeemer. This text seems to imply a greater ability in the next world by which we shall be able to more fully see Christ. Here, upon the earth, the very best of us are only infants.

Now we know in part. Now we see through a shaded glass. But in heaven, we shall see the Savior face to face. And we shall know even as we are known. We will see Christ in such a way that we shall know him. We shall know the heights, depths, lengths, and breadth of the love of Christ that passes knowledge.

We shall see the Savior always. The saints in heaven shall never cease to see him. We shall never cease to embrace our Savior! It is not so now. Sometimes we are near the throne, at other times we are afar off. Sometimes we are as bright as the angels, at other times we are as dull as lead.

At times we are hot with love, but at other times we are cold with indifference. But, the day will soon come, when we shall forever be in the closest possible association with Christ. Then we shall see his face without ceasing. And we shall see our Savior’s face as it is now, in the fullness of his glory (John 17:24). John gave us a little glimpse of that in chapter one Revelation 22:13-16. Read it again and rejoice in the prospect of this blessed hope. How are we going to see Christ in glory The word ‘see’ in this text implies a clear, full, undimmed sight of Christ. We will see Christ clearly, because everything that hinders our sight of him here will be removed. Our sins and our carnal nature will be completely removed. All of those earthly cares that now cloud our vision will be taken out of the way. All our sorrows will be ended (Revelation 21:4). And there nothing will stand between us and our Savior.

In glory there will be no rival in our hearts. We will love Christ supremely. We will see Christ personally. Now we see him by faith, but then faith will be turned to sight, and we will see Christ personally for ourselves. The language of Job is a proper confession of every believer’s future prospect (Job 19:25-27). We shall see our Savior in all the fullness of his person and work. .Beholding fully his glorious person, we will see him who is God over all and blessed forever in the perfection of his glorified manhood.

In that day, we will see Christ in the fullness of his covenant engagements, and in the perfection of all his mediatoral offices as our Surety: Prophet, Priest, King, Husband, Shepherd, and Substitute. In the world to come, we will see Christ in the fullness of his saving grace. Then we will know the meaning of electing love. Then we will know the price of blood atonement. Then we will know the power of his priestly intercession. Then we will know the goodness of his preserving grace.

And when we see his face, our eyes shall be full of adoration for him alone. In that world of glory to come there will be no voice heard that speaks of the power of man’s free-will, or the goodness of man’s works. In that day we shall say, ‘Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be honor, and power, and glory, and dominion forever and ever.’ (Psalms 115:1; Revelation 1:5-6; Revelation 5:9-10). Why do we consider this vision of Christ the greatest bliss and joy of heaven I have said that seeing Christ face to face is the heaven of heaven, the glory of glory. But why do we place such importance upon this one aspect of our eternal inheritance? The answer should be obvious. When we see him our salvation will be complete. Soon the resurrection day will come, and all men shall see the great God and Savior. When the wicked see his face, they will be consumed in his fierce wrath.

But we shall see him and live. We will be like the burning bush, glowing with the glory of God, but not consumed. We shall stand in the presence of God in perfect salvation. Our souls shall be eradicated of every spot of sin. Our bodies shall be made immortal, uncorruptible, glorious. When we see his face we shall be conscious of his favor and have a perfect and uninterrupted fellowship with him.

In glory, we shall walk with God perfectly. Not until we see his face will we fully know the meaning of being one with him. When we see him there will be a complete transformation - ‘We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.’ We will see things as he sees them, think as he thinks, will what he wills, love what he loves, and hate what he hates, perfectly. When we see the face of the Son of God we will be perfectly satisfied (Psalms 17:15). Who are they to whom this promise is given The apostle tells us that those who shall see his face are none ‘but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life’ (Revelation 21:27). Everyone of those who are the objects of God’s eternal grace shall see his face. Every soul that was chosen of God in the council of love shall see Christ in the courts of glory (Ephesians 1:4). Every one predestined to be his son shall be his son (Romans 8:29). Every soul for whom Jesus died at Calvary shall see his face in heaven. They are accepted, pardoned, justified, sanctified, and purchased.

And they shall see him (Isaiah 53:10-12). Every man, woman, and child who is called by the Spirit of God and regenerated by divine power shall see his face (Ephesians 1:13-14). Everyone that repents of his sin and believes on Christ shall see him (John 1:12-13). Every heart that bows in submission to King Jesus shall see the King in his beauty (Luke 14:25-33). Everyone who loves Christ shall see Christ (2 Timothy 4:8). They may have been the vilest, most abominable wretches ever to walk upon the earth, but they are washed, they are justified, they are sanctified.

And ’they shall see his face!’ They shall all with equal clearness see the face of Christ. I read of no secondary joys in heaven. There are no back streets in the New Jerusalem! Whoever invented the doctrine of degrees in heaven knew nothing of free-grace. There is as much foundation for such a doctrine in the Scriptures as there is for the doctrine of purgatory, and no more. All the saints of God shall see the Savior’s face.

What more can anyone want? The dying thief went with Christ to paradise, and so did Paul. Heaven is altogether the reward of grace, not of debt and shall be fully possessed by all the heirs of grace (Romans 8:17). All the saved are loved by God with a perfect love. All were chosen in Christ. We all have the same blessings of grace in the covenant.

We are all redeemed by the same blood. We are all accepted in the same righteousness. We are all the sons of God upon the same grounds. And we all have the same hope of glory. Heaven was earned and bought for us by the Son of God. And it shall be given to us in all its fulness.

In this world of sorrow, comfort yourself with this hope. ‘They’ who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ ‘shall see his face.’

Revelation 22:6-21

Chapter 58 The scriptures confirmed ‘And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.’ Revelation 22:6-21 In these verses, God the Holy Spirit confirms his Holy Word to us, giving us distinct evidences of inspiration. This is God’s own confirmation of the Holy Scriptures as his Word. God’s last written word to man is a word of confirmation and ratification to the whole Volume of Inspiration. Many think these verses refer only to the contents of the Book of Revelation. But John begins by telling us that what he is saying includes and completes God’s revelation of himself by the holy prophets (v.6). By divine arrangement, this is the last chapter of the Book of God. What it says is true of the whole canon of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. Four facts about the bible Here are four facts about the Bible that need to be constantly and forcefully emphasized with clarity in the church of God today. Let all who believe God be fully persuaded of these things and seek to understand them clearly.

1. The Bible alone is the inspired Word of God (2 Peter 1:19-21) ‘All scriptures is given by inspiration of God’ (2 Timothy 3:16). Holy men of God, prophets and apostles, chosen, ordained, and gifted by God wrote the Scriptures as they were infallibly guided by the Spirit of God. Though these men were, for the most part, unknown to one another, though they lived in different lands, cultures, and ages, though they were men of greatly varying natural abilities and lifestyles (kings, shepherds, fishermen, doctors, etc.), they all wrote of one Person and declared the same message without the slightest contradiction (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44-47). The Person of whom the Scriptures speak is our Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:45; John 5:39). The message the Scriptures declare is redemption by the blood of Christ (Luke 24:45-46), redemption purposed by grace, accomplished by grace, applied by grace, and received by grace.
2. That holy Book, the Bible, is to be reverenced, honored, and esteemed by us as the Word of God (Psalms 138:2)David said, ‘Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.’ I know that men and women can be idolatrous and superstitious regarding the Word of God. But let us never depreciate or in anyway show any disrespect or disregard for the Word of God. If God has magnified his Word above all his name, then surely those who know and reverence his name will reverence his Word. In an attempt to rebuke a superstitious attitude for the Scriptures, I have heard men say, ‘Apart from the application of the Holy Spirit, this Book is no more valuable than the morning newspaper.’ Oh, no! Unlike any other printed Word, there is a special blessing promised to those who read, hear, obey, and keep the things written in this Book. This blessed Book is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
3. We are required by God to submit to the total authority of his Word as his Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Creeds and confessions are useful in their place, but the only rule of faith and practice in the house of God must be the Word of God. We must not be induced by anyone to pin our faith to the words of fallible men. Faith simply submits to God’s Revelation. Faith does not argue with God’s Word, oppose God’s Word, or ignore God’s Word. Faith believes the Word, submits to the Word, and obeys the Word. Faith holds the Book of God to be singularly authoritative in all things. The Holy Scriptures alone are authoritative in the kingdom of God.
4. The Word of God is, by the blessing of God the Holy Spirit, the instrumental source and cause of all spiritual life in men (Hebrews 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Romans 10:1; Romans 7)God saves his elect by the Word which he has given, through the preaching of the gospel. He who preaches and teaches the gospel of Christ fully preaches and teaches the Word of God fully (Compare Acts 20:27; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 1 Peter 1:25). That alone is God’s ordained means of grace (1 Corinthians 1:21). God’s own confirmation of his word The Bible is, in its entirety, the Word of God, inerrant, infallible, and immutable. Let us reverence and submit to it as such. Here are fifteen facts that will help to strengthen and confirm your faith in God’s Revelation of his Son, the Holy Bible.
5. The Bible is confirmed as the Word of God by the name of him who gave it (Revelation 22:6). It has been given to us to us by our Mediator, Jesus Christ, who is the Lord God of the holy prophets (Revelation 1:1). Christ is the living Word of whom the written Word speaks (John 1:1-3). The whole Revelation of God to man is given in, by, and through the mediatoral Man, Christ Jesus, the Son of God. And all that the Lord God reveals is faithful and true. Not one word from God has ever fallen to the ground, neither a word of prophecy, nor of promise, nor of threat.
6. The Bible is confirmed as the Word of God by the messengers God has employed to give it (Revelation 22:6) . The holy God gave his holy Word to his holy angels, to give to his holy prophets, to show his servants in every generation the mind and will of God in all things spiritual. I do not know how the angels are involved in giving us the Word of God, but they have been (Galatians 3:19). Perhaps they are charged with secretly protecting and preserving the Holy Scriptures for us.
7. The Scriptures will soon be confirmed to all the world as the Word of God by the accomplishment of all that has been revealed in them (Revelation 22:6-7) The Bible reveals certain ’things which must shortly be done.’ Though men scoff and mock, they shall be done. Christ shall come. There will be a resurrection of the dead. This world shall be destroyed, both the religious and political systems of the world and the material earth upon which we now live. We will stand before God in judgment. Our God shall make all things new. We will spend eternity somewhere, either in heaven or in hell.
8. The Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by its honesty and forthrightness in exposing the sins of its most eminent characters (Revelation 22:8-9) The first time John fell down to worship an angel, it might be overlooked as a mistake. He may have thought the angel was Christ himself. But here, John’s behavior reveals the sinfulness and idolatry that is in the hearts of all men (Revelation 19:10). Even when he was in the Spirit, John was only a sinful man, prone to every imaginable evil. Why does the Word of God so plainly and frequently reveal the corruption and sin of God’s elect? (1.) To show us our depravity. (2.) To show us that salvation is by grace alone (1 Corinthians 4:7). (3.) To show us that Christ alone is our righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). (4.) To keep us looking to Christ alone for all our salvation (1 Corinthians 1:30).
9. Another confirmation of the Bible as the Word of God is the fact that it is open to public scrutiny (Revelation 22:10) God’s Word is not a secret revelation. It is open to all, for all to read and hear. No part of God’s truth is hidden from anyone; and God’s servants make no effort to hide it. All the doctrines of the Bible are open for inspection. All the prophecies of the Bible are open for scrutiny. All the Scriptures are open to be studied and believed (1 John 5:10).
10. The Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the effect it has upon those who hear it and read it (Revelation 22:11) . To some it is a savor of life unto life, to others a savor of death unto death (2 Corinthians 2:15-17); but none hear or read the Word of God without being affected by it.
11. The Bible shall be confirmed as the Word of God in the day of judgment, for in that day the Book of God, and the gospel it reveals will be the basis of judgment (Revelation 22:12) . In that great day the Lord Jesus Christ will dispense the rewards of justice according to the rule of Holy Scripture. Those who obey the gospel shall be saved. Those who disobey the gospel shall be damned.
12. The Bible shall be confirmed to all men as the Word of God by Christ himself when he comes to reward his saints (Revelation 22:13-14) They shall live who obey his commandments (1 John 3:23). But the only way any sinner can obey God’s commandments is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:28-31). All who do believe shall eat of the tree of life by just right because in Christ they are worthy to do so (Colossians 1:12). They shall enter into the city of God.
13. The Bible shall be confirmed as the Word of God, faithful and true, by condemning and banishing from heaven all who despise its message and reject its counsel (Revelation 22:15) ‘Dogs’ are religious prostitutes, those who have prostituted the gospel for their own gain (Deuteronomy 23:17-18; Isaiah 56:10-11; Philippians 3:2). ‘Sorcerers’ are superstitious people, people who look to the stars, astrological signs, or palm readers for information, rather than to the Lord God. ‘Whoremongers and murderers’ are profligate, lawless rebels. ‘Idolaters’ are worshippers of strange or false gods and materialists, who idolize things. ‘Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie’ are false prophets and their followers, free-will, works religionists, those who attempt to mingle works with grace and the will of man with the will of God in the affair of salvation (Galatians 1:6-8; 2 Thessalonians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:22).
14. The Bible is confirmed as the Word of God to all who hear the gospel preached by the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ through his messenger (Revelation 22:16)It is Christ who speaks to us by his Word. The angel (preacher) is his messenger. His message is found and heard in his churches.
15. The Holy Scriptures are confirmed to us as the Word of God by its open call to sinners issued by the Lord of glory (Revelation 22:17)No matter how it is interpreted, this call is full of grace. The Spirit of God and the Bride of Christ, say to the Lord Jesus, ‘Come,’ fulfill your word. The gospel preacher, the one who hears the Word of the Lord, stands upon the walls of Zion, and says, ‘Come…’ Sinner, come and welcome to Jesus, or Lord Jesus, come to us poor sinners. The Lord himself calls sinners (‘Him that is athirst!’ ‘Whosoever will!’) to come and take of the water of life freely.
16. God confirms the pages of Holy Scripture as his own Word by the solemn sanction he places upon every word, doctrine, and precept revealed in its pages (Revelation 22:18-19)Compare Deuteronomy 4:2 at the end of the law, and Malachi 4:4 at the end of the prophets, and Revelation 22:18-19 at the end of the apostles. The warnings here given apply to the entire Bible.
17. The Bible is confirmed as the Word of God by the testimony of Christ himself (Revelation 22:20)The Lord Jesus here declares, I will do what I have revealed and promised (John 14:1-3).
18. The Scriptures are confirmed to the world as the Word of God by the hope and expectation of God’s saints in this world (Revelation 22:20)Having heard his Word, the whole church of God stands upon the tiptoe of faith and cries, ‘Even so come, Lord Jesus!’
19. The Bible is confirmed to us as the Word of God by the benediction of grace with which it ends (Revelation 22:21)The Bible ends with this final word from God to men. With it the Lord God gives clear testimony to eternal Godhead of Christ. He is the Lord, the giver of all grace. God’s final word is a word of grace and an assurance of grace. His final word is ‘Amen,’ so shall it be!

Revelation 22:11

Chapter 60 No changes in eternity ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still’ Revelation 22:11 Read the words of the wise man and learn what they mean: In the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be’ (Ecclesiastes 11:3). Solomon’s language is not hard to understand. His meaning is: Whatever your condition is when you die, that will be your condition throughout eternity. Death changes nothing. There will be no changes in eternity. Whatever your spiritual condition is at the moment of death, that will be your spiritual condition throughout eternity.

Whatever your state is before God when you die, that will be your state before God throughout eternity. There will be no changes in eternity. The judgment bar of God is not to be a trial to determine the guilt or innocence of those who stand before him. Judgment day will determine nothing. But it will show the guilt or innocence of all who stand before him, and execute the penalty of justice upon the guilty and the reward of justice upon the righteous. Judgment will reveal everything, but will change nothing.

I repeat myself deliberately. There will be no changes in eternity. Purgatory is a lie. Limbo is a delusion. ‘In the place where the tree 1, there shall it lie!’ In Revelation 22:11 the angel said to John, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ Here are four unalterable, inflexible, unbending statements of divine justice. They cannot change or be changed. We are told that ‘justice is blind.’ Among men, that is questionable.

But I assure you that the justice of God is blind. It does not take into consideration, or offer leniency upon the grounds of, age, race, sex, environment, education, ability, or knowledge. It sees only two things: sin and righteousness, guilt and innocence, filthiness and holiness. Justice gives consideration to nothing else.

1. All who die in a state of guilt and condemnation, with the curse of the law and the wrath of God upon them, will spend eternity in a state of guilt and condemnation, under the curse and unmitigated wrath of God Nothing will change after we die. There will be no changes in eternity. It is written, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still.’ If you are without Christ, you are unjust, you are in a state and condition of non-justification. You have broken God’s law. The guilt of sin is upon you. Oh, if you could understand what I am saying to you, you would tremble with fear. The wrath of God is upon you! You are cursed! You are condemned! The very same wrath of God that heats the fires of hell is upon you right now (Psalms 5:5; Psalms 7:11-13; Psalms 11:4-6; Ezekiel 18:20; John 3:18; John 3:36). Your unjustified condition, your state of condemnation is a matter of righteousness, justice, and truth. If God should seize you before you draw your next breath and cast you into hell, his judgment upon you would be exactly what you deserve. You have earned his wrath. ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23; Psalms 51:1-5). Here are three reasons why you ought to go to hell, three reasons why you ought to be damned forever. (1.) You were born in a state of guilt and condemnation (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:3). (2.) You have personally broken every law of God, transgressed every commandment, and come short of every requirement of God from your youth up (Romans 3:23; Psalms 58:3). (3.) You have repeatedly heard and rejected the gospel of the grace of God. You have repeatedly had Christ crucified set before you and willfully despised him (Proverbs 1:23-33; 1 John 5:10). My comments are particularly addressed to you who have been raised under the sound of the gospel, who yet refuse to believe on and bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. You know the message of substitution, but you despise the Substitute. You know the commandment and promise of God. ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved!’ But you will not obey the commandment. And you despise the promise. You know that you can never be justified by your works, yet you will not acknowledge the evil of your ‘good’ works, confess you sin, and trust Christ alone. If you die in your present condition, unjust, you will be forever unjust.

You are without hope, without life, without God, without Christ. Dare you die in such a state? If you do, there will be no mercy for you, but only wrath, no friend in heaven for you, but only enemies. You will forever remain unjustified! The only change that will take place is this: When you wake up in hell, you will value justification by Christ more than anything and want it more than anything, but there will be no possibility of you obtaining it. 2. If you die in a state of filth, depraved, defiled, degenerate, and sin, you will be filthy forever There will be no changes in eternity. It is written: ‘He which is filthy, let him be filthy still.’ ‘Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ ‘All mankind are originally, naturally, and universally filthy, or defiled with sin’ (Gill). None of us like to hear it, but it is true. And if I would be faithful to your soul, I must tell you the truth. If you are without Christ, you are filthy, so filthy that even your righteousnesses are filthy rags in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6). No one likes to think of filth, be around filth, see filth, smell filth, or touch filth. Have you ever smelled a filthy thing, or had to work in filth? If you have, just the remembrance of it will make your stomach begin to churn. Yet, the Word of God declares that you and I are by nature filthy. Our hearts are filthy (Mark 7:21-23).

Our best deeds are filthy (Isaiah 64:6). Our consciences are filthy and must be purged (Hebrews 9:14). If you die in your filth, you will wallow in your filth forever in hell. Death will not change you. The fires of hell will not purge away the filth of nature. ‘He which is filthy, let him be filthy still!’ There will be no regeneration of the heart, no repentance from sin, no renovation of the soul, and no reformation of life in hell. The only thing that will change is this: In hell your lusts and filthy passions will be more acute than ever, but shall have no satisfaction.

And the corruptions of your heart will torment you more, infinitely more, in hell than any man has ever been tormented by conscience in this world. The only one who can purge you from your filth is the Lord Jesus Christ. His blood has purged away the filth of every believer from the book of justice. Christ’s blood, if you believe, will purge away the guilt of your filth from your conscience. In fact, your faith in him will be to you the evidence that his blood purged away your sins when he satisfied the justice of God for his elect at Calvary (Hebrews 11:1).By the power, merit, and virtue of his blood, the Son of God will purge away the filth of sin from our bodies in the resurrection. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and be clean (Zechariah 13:1). 3. All who die in a state of righteousness, justified and complete in Christ, shall be righteous forever and enjoy the just reward of perfect righteousness in eternal glory Nothing will change after you die. There will be no changes in eternity. It is written, ‘He that is righteous, let him be righteous still.’ That which God has given shall never be changed, lost, or taken away (Ecclesiastes 3:14; John 10:28-29; Romans 11:29). Death and judgment will not make you any more righteous than you are at the moment you die. And it will not make you one bit less righteous than you are at the moment you die. Death changes nothing. Judgment changes nothing. Eternity changes nothing.

Are you interested in being righteous before God? If you are, let me show you six things from the Word of God. (1.) You cannot make yourself righteous, no matter what you do (Galatians 2:21). (2.) The only way any sinner can be made righteous is by the righteous obedience of Christ being imputed to him (Romans 5:19). Just as Adam’s sin was imputed to us, the sins of God’s elect were imputed to Christ, and Christ’s righteousness is imputed to every believer. (3.) The only way you can obtain the imputed righteousness of God in Christ is by faith (Romans 9:31-33). Faith does not perform righteousness, or accomplish righteousness, or merit righteousness. Faith receives righteousness. (4.) If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you are perfectly righteous in him (1 Corinthians 1:30; Jeremiah 2:6; Jeremiah 33:16; Colossians 2:10), immutably righteous, completely righteous, and eternally righteous. (5.) If you are now righteous in God’s sight, if you have received the righteousness of God by faith in Christ, God in strict justice will reward you for the perfect, righteous obedience of Christ when you stand before Him in judgment (Colossians 1:12). Looking on you in Christ and having imputed to you all that Christ did for sinners in his life and in his death, you will here the Lord God say to you, ‘Well done!’ (6.) If you have been made righteous by the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to you, you will live soberly, righteously, and godly in this world, for the glory of Him who has made you righteous (Titus 2:11-14).

Grace never makes saved sinners licentious, but righteous. Sod’s saints are never perfectly righteous in this world.

All true believers know and acknowledge that fact (1 John 1:8-10). But they are sincerely righteous, universally, and in all aspects of life righteous (Romans 6:11-18). 4. If you die in a state of holiness, born again (regenerated and sanctified) by the spirit of God, you shall be forever holy and inherit the kingdom of holiness Remember, that which God has done cannot be undone, made better, or made less (Ecclesiastes 3:14). Death changes nothing. There will be no changes in eternity! It is written, ‘He that is holy, let him be holy still.’ Perhaps you wander, ‘What is the difference between righteousness and holiness?’ The one is a matter of legal standing. the other is a matter of personal experience. All men without Christ are in a state of being unjust, a state of non-justification, condemnation, and guilt before the law of God. That is man’s standing before God.

But his nature is ‘filthy,’ the condition of his heart, the thought of his mind, the state of his soul is ‘filthy.’ All who are in Christ, redeemed by his blood, are ‘righteous.’ Our legal standing before God is righteous, right in the eyes of the law, because Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us. We were made righteous by Christ’s obedience. But ‘holiness’ is the believer’s new nature in Christ. Holiness is not what we do. Holiness is what we are by the new birth. Holiness is the righteousness of Christ imparted to us in regeneration. Holiness is that new nature given to every believer whom he is born of God (1 John 3:9; 2 Peter 1;4; 1 Corinthians 3:17). However, though God has given us a new, holy nature by the new birth, we still have the old nature of sin. This is the cause of that warfare that goes on in every believer’s hear between the flesh and the Spirit (Romans 7:14-25). The believer is not two persons, but one, one person with two natures. These two natures, so long as we are in this world, must be at war with one another (Galatians 5:17). The Spirit rules but never conquers the flesh in this world.

Flesh will not submit to the Spirit, agree with the Spirit, or be at peace with the Spirit for a moment. When we die we will not become one bit more holy than we now are; we will simply cease to be bothered by this sinful body of flesh. In eternity we will do what we now want to do, (only and always that which is perfectly righteous), because we will be what we now long, with all our hearts to be, totally free from all sin! But death will make no changes. There will be no changes in eternity. ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’ ‘In the place where the tree falleth, there shall it lie.’ Only one thing in this world is of any real consequence, because only one thing in this world is of any eternal consequence, and that is your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ is the one urgent, eternal necessity of your soul. ‘He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. '

Revelation 22:14

Chapter 59 Our Lord’s final beatitudes ‘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’ Revelation 22:14A beatitude is the sure and certain promise of immortal bliss, eternal happiness, and supreme delight. The Lord Jesus pronounced nine beatitudes in his sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:3-12). The apostle Paul, by divine inspiration, gave us what some have called ’the last beatitude’ in Acts 20:35 - ‘Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Everyone knows that it is more blessed in this world to be rich and have the means to give than it is to be poor and have nothing to give. But the words of our Lord mean: It is more blessed to give to others than it is to receive from them. It is more blessed to give what we have, be it little or much, for the good of others, than it is to increase what we have. Many give for the hope of gain, to get more.

God’s people give according to their ability, to do good, hoping for nothing in return. It is more blessed to give our labor to those who need it than it is to be paid for our labor from those who do not need it. It is blessed to give and labor for those who are grateful and appreciative. But it is more blessed and honorable to give and labor for those who are ungrateful and unappreciative, for then our gifts and our labors are to God alone. Look at Acts 20:35. ‘I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how that he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ It tells us three things about the children of God in this world. First, God’s saints are honest, hardworking men and women. They work for their living. They work hard. They work for the glory of God (Ephesians 6:5-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:11; 2 Thessalonians 3:10; 1 Timothy 5:8). God’s people are not lazy, loitering dolts, but productive members of society.

Second, God’s people work, not merely to enrich themselves, but to support the weak, the poor, the needy, and the work of the gospel (Ephesians 4:28). Believers are not greedy, grasping people, but generous, giving people. We work to support our families, the work of the gospel (churches, pastors, missionaries, etc.), and, those who are not able to support themselves. Third, God’s saints in this world who give with willing and cheerful hearts are blessed of God. The fact that they give with willing hearts, freely and cheerfully is proof that they are loved of God. Our giving does not cause God to love us and bless us with his grace.

But it is a proof that he does love us and has blessed us (2 Corinthians 9:7). Giving men and women shall be constantly supplied by God with the ability to give (2 Corinthians 9:8; Philippians 4:19; Luke 6:38). Generous, open-hearted, and open-handed men and women, those who give willingly and cheerfully because they love Christ are blessed with God’s unspeakable gift, Jesus Christ, and everlasting glory in him (2 Corinthians 8:9; 2 Corinthians 9:15). ‘Blessed!’ - The text says, giving men and women are ‘blessed.’ These are the beatitudes of our Lord, his sure, unconditional promises of supreme happiness and eternal bliss to his people. These beatitudes and the blessedness they promise are not conditioned upon the character and conduct of those to whom the promises are made. Rather, their character and conduct is the result of the blessing bestowed (Ephesians 1:3). Our Lord gives seven final beatitudes are given to his people in the book of Revelation Here are the last seven beatitudes given to God’s elect in the Word of God. Here, in the last Book of the Bible, are seven sure and certain promises of immortal bliss, eternal happiness, and supreme delight given to all who believe.

1. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss are connected with the public ministry of the Word ‘Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein (Revelation 1:3). ‘Blessed is he that readeth.’ John Gill suggested that the word ‘readeth’ here means to read with explanation. The faithful gospel preacher reads God’s word to the church and explains the meaning of the words. That is what it is to preach the Scriptures. And the man who does so is blessed of God, with grace, with gifts of knowledge and understanding (Jeremiah 3:15), and with the ability to preach the gospel, teaching the Word of God. That man is blessed of God in the preparation and in the preaching of God’s message to his people (Ephesians 3:8). ‘Blessed are they that hear the words of this prophecy.’ Those who hear the Word of God faithfully read and proclaimed are blessed in the providence of God, for this is the means of grace, the means by which God calls, comforts, corrects, and cleanses his elect (Isaiah 52:7; Romans 10:14-17; Ephesians 4:8-16; Ephesians 5:26). Those who hear in faith with understanding hearts are blessed with divine grace and eternal life (John 3:5-7; 1 Corinthians 2:9-14). ‘Blessed are they that keep those things which are written therein.’ Those who keep the Word in their hearts are the children of God.

Their hearts have been prepared by grace. The Word has been sown in their hearts by grace. And they keep the Word by grace. They receive the Word as seed sown in good ground; and it brings forth fruit (Matthew 13:23). They receive the Word by the power and grace of God the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5). 2. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who die in the Lord Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them (Revelation 14:13). There is a great, indescribable blessedness connected with death for the believer. ‘Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints’ (Psalms 116:15). Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-9. ‘They rest from their labours.’ (See Hebrews 4:9-11). As soon as a sinner comes to Christ in faith, he begins to keep a sabbath rest. Ceasing from his own works, he rests in Christ’s purchase, trusting him alone for acceptance with God. That is what the Old Testament sabbath day typified.

We also rest, at least in measure, in our Lord’s providence (Romans 8:28). But as soon as God’s saints leave this world of woe, they enter into the perfect rest of his presence. ‘And their works do follow them.’ Our works do not go before us to prepare a place for us in heaven. Christ did that (John 14:1-3; Hebrews 6:20). We do not carry our works with us as the ground of our acceptance with God or the basis for reward in heaven. Every believer knows that his righteousnesses are filthy rags before God (Isaiah 64:6). But our works do follow us to heaven for the praise, honor, and glory of Christ. 3. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to those who persevere in the faith of Chris ‘Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame ’ (Revelation 16:15). God’s saints live in anticipation of Christ’s coming to carry them home. We look for his second coming at any moment; and we look for him to come and carry us away by death at any moment. We are watching for him. We do not watch for him as we ought. But we do watch for him in faith. This is the constant life of faith. Faith never quits. Thus, we keep our garments, the garments of salvation, persevering in faith (Matthew 10:22; 1 Corinthians 15:1-3; Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 10:23). Those who do not persevere unto the end, those who cast away the faith of Christ, never truly knew him. Being found naked, they shall be ashamed and cast away forever (Matthew 22:12-14). 4. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb ‘Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb’ (Revelation 19:9). The call here spoken of is the effectual call of grace, by which God the Holy Spirit brings chosen, redeemed sinners to Christ, creating faith in them by his irresistible power (Psalms 65:4; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). This is that distinctive, distinguishing call which separates the precious from the vile (Romans 8:29; 1 Corinthians 4:7). 5. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to those who are born of God ‘Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years’ (Revelation 20:6). This is not a promise to be fulfilled in some imaginary millennial kingdom. The first resurrection is a spiritual resurrection. It is the new birth (John 5:25; Ephesians 2:1-5). All who have been resurrected representatively with Christ must be resurrected from spiritual death by the Holy Spirit in the new birth, and shall be resurrected physically at the second coming of Christ (Job 19:25-27). It is by virtue of this first resurrection that God’s saints are made kings and priests unto God. ‘And they shall never perish’ (John 10:28) 6. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who keep, or obey, the words of Christ ‘Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book’ (Revelation 22:7). ‘The sayings of the prophecy of this book’ are the commandments of the gospel issued to sinners in the book of Revelation. They are all matters of faith, acts of faith which grace alone can enable us to perform, but commandments we are responsible to obey. Our Lord requires us, by an act of faith, to buy of him everlasting salvation (Revelation 3:18; Isaiah 55:1-3). He demands that any of his saints, desiring communion with him, open the door to him (Revelation 3:20).Yet, we know that if we open to him, it is because he put his hand to the door and opened it first (Son 5:2-6). The Son of God also demands that all who follow him make a clean break from all false religion (Revelation 18:4). And he calls whosoever will to come to him and drink of the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17). All who obey his voice of grace have been blessed with grace from eternity (Ephesians 1:3), and shall be blessed with grace forever. 7. Supreme happiness and eternal bliss is promised to all who obey the commandments of God 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’ (Revelation 22:14). His commandments are very simple (1 John 3:23). Believing Christ, we offer to God perfect righteousness and the complete fulfilment of all his commandments (Romans 3:28-31). All who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ have the right to live forever. By the gift of God, the purchase of Christ, and the imputation of righteousness to them, they are worthy to inherit eternal life (Colossians 1:12).

Revelation 22:16

Chapter 61 Four names for our savior ‘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’ Revelation 22:16 Our Lord here uses four names to describe and identify himself. ‘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 the morning star.’ In the Bible the names of Christ show us his personal character, covenant offices, mediatoral work, and divine authority. In the Scriptures everything revolves around, is built upon, and points to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1. We are saved by faith in his name (Acts 4:12; Acts 10:43).
2. We are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38).
3. We pray in the name of Christ (John 14:13-14; John 16:23-26).
4. We gather to worship in his name (Matthew 18:20).
5. We preach his name (Acts 9:15).
6. We suffer the afflictions of the gospel for his name’s sake (Acts 5:41).
7. We are preserved, kept, and accepted of God in his name (Revelation 22:4).
8. And one day soon all the world will know his name (Philippians 2:8-11). The prophet Isaiah tells us, ‘His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace’ (Isaiah 9:6). Our Lord’s name tells us who he is and what he does for us as our God and Savior. I want to simply show you the meaning of these four names used by our Savior to describe himself. As God the Holy Spirit gives understanding these names will yield to the believing heart both comfort and strength. Our savior’s name is ‘Jesus’ (Matthew 1:21)Though he is exalted in the glory of heaven, our Savior still wears the name of his humiliation to assure us that he is the same now as he ever was. He says, ‘I Jesus.’ The angel said to Joseph, ‘Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.’ The name of the incarnate Son of God is ‘Jesus,’ ‘Deliverer.’ It tells us what he came into this world to do. This angelic messenger told Joseph and us three things about this ‘Jesus’ who is the Christ of God.
9. Jesus, who is the Christ, has a people in this world Long before he came into the world, the Son of God had a people in the world, chosen by him in eternal election and given to him in the covenant of grace. There are many antichrists today called ‘Jesus.’ But Jesus who is the Christ of God is the Jesus of sovereign, electing grace (John 15:16; Matthew 11:25-27). He has a people whom he must and shall save (John 10:16).
10. This Jesus, who is the Christ, came into this world on an errand of mercy, with a mission to accomplish and a work to perform The Son of God did not come into this world to start a new religion, to establish a Jewish kingdom, or to bring about a moral, social revolution. He came here to save his people from their sins. He did not come to provide salvation, but to save. He did not come to make salvation possible, but to save. He did not come to save all people in general, but his people in particular (John 6:37-40; Hebrews 10:5-14).
11. This Jesus, who is the Christ, is an effectual, successful savior He came to save his people from their sins, and save them he does. He saved all his people from the penalty of their sins by his obedience unto death (Hebrews 9:12; Hebrews 9:27). He saves all his people from the power of their sins by his almighty power and sovereign grace in regeneration (John 17:2). He will save all his people from the presence of sin by bringing them home to heaven at last (Hebrews 2:13). The Lord Jesus Christ is so glorious a Savior that he saves his people from all sin, all the punishment of sin, all the consequences of sin, and ultimately even from all the sorrow of sin. The Lord Jesus Christ, though he is exalted to heaven’s glory, is still Jesus, the friend of sinners. He says, ‘I Jesus.’ He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Our savior, Jesus, is ’the root of David’ That simply means that Jesus Christ, the man, is himself almighty God. He is the Root, the source, and cause of David’s existence, faith, spiritual life, and everlasting glory. David was what he was, did what he did, and is what he is in heaven today, because of and by the power of Jesus Christ, our eternal God. Let us never, for a moment, lose sight of this glorious truth - Our blessed Savior, Redeemer, and King is himself God (John 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:16; Romans 9:4; Acts 20:28; Colossians 2:9-10). Our savior, Jesus Christ our God, is also ’the offspring of David’That is to say, Christ Jesus is a man, born of the lineage of David, and rightful heir to the throne of Israel, the Messiah. In Romans 1:1-5 the apostle Paul tells us that the gospel is…of God…promised by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures…concerning his Son…made of the seed of David…declared to be the Son of God…by whom we have received grace and faith. The gospel is the proclamation of the incarnation accomplishments of the Son of God. God and man are forever united in immutable and indissolvable union in the Person of Jesus Christ. By means of his miraculous incarnation, the Son of God took into union with himself manhood. Every ransomed sinner ought constantly give thanks to God for ‘his unspeakable gift’ (1 Corinthians 9:15; Galatians 4:4-6). Only as man could he obey the law and suffer the penalty of the law for men (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 2:17). But only as God could his obedience and death be effectual, meritorious, and satisfying for the accomplishment of our salvation. Only a man in heaven could be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. But only God could effectually deliver us from our infirmities. Our savior is also ’the bright and morning star.‘He is the Light by whom God is revealed and known to men. In his light we live now and shall live forever (John 1:5; John 1:9; 1 John 2:5; Revelation 21:23). The voice of prophecy announced Christ’s coming as ‘a Star out of Jacob’ who should come (Numbers 24:16-17). But here our Lord calls himself ’the bright and morning star.’ The morning star does not merely show forth light. All the stars do that. The morning star announces and ushers in the day. That is what Christ is. He is the Bright and Morning Star, who announces and ushers in the day. When our Savior first arose in this world, he dispelled the darkness of Judaism and ushered in the gospel day Before he came, there were faint sparkles of light in the types and shadows of the law. But as soon as he began to preach the gospel, light shined into the world. The Pharisees obscured the law with their traditions in darkness. He gave light to the law. By his life, his death, and his resurrection, our Lord fulfilled the dark shadows of the law. And by sending his Spirit and his gospel into the world, he dispelled the darkness of heathenism and brought the light of day. He appeared as ’the Day-spring from on high’ (Luke 1:78), and ’the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings’ (Malachi 4:2). In conversion Christ arises as the day star in the hearts of his people and drives away darkness (2 Peter 1:19) We see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). He enlightens our minds and instructs our hearts by his Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14-16). He gives hope of a brighter day (1 Corinthians 13:12; Titus 2:11-14). Until Christ came to us in his saving grace, we groped about in darkness. Now we walk in the light, as he is in the light. When the Bright and Morning Star shall appear at the end of this world, he will introduce the great eternal day In that great day, he will give his elect ’the Morning Star’ and all that the Morning Star promises (Revelation 2:28). In that great day, our great Savior will bring all things to light, and we shall see all things clearly. Then, but not until then, shall we understand…all the purposes of God…all the dispensations of providence…all the work of redemption…all the fullness of the covenant…all the glory of grace…and why he saved us. This is the name of our dear Savior…‘Jesus’ - Our Savior…‘The Root of David’ - Our God…‘The Offspring of David’ - Our Mediator…‘The Bright and Morning Star’ - Our Revelation.

Revelation 22:17

Chapter 62 Come to the savior ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely’ Revelation 22:17 There is a vast difference between being religious and knowing the living God as he is revealed in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We must never presume that people are saved, born again, and truly know the Lord Jesus Christ simply because they attend church, participate in Bible studies, or even engage in a personal study of Holy Scripture. With that fact in mind, I want to persuade any reading these lines who have not yet come to Christ in faith to do so. I know of no better way to do so than to instruct you in the great and glorious truths of the gospel. As you read these lines, pray that God the Holy Spirit will grant you life and faith in Christ. It is he who through the revelation of the gospel bids us come to the Savior. Yet, the most aged, well-taught, and deeply experienced of God’s saints will find the contents of this study comforting, edifying, and delightful, as they are applied to his heart by the Holy Spirit.

1. God has planned, purposed, and predestinated the salvation of a great multitude of sinners He will save some. That is certain (Romans 8:29-30). He saves them by grace alone, without condition or qualification. If God has purposed to save some, perhaps I am one, perhaps you are one. It may be that he has kept you alive these many years so that he may be gracious to you at this moment.
2. The Lord Jesus Christ has fully met and satisfied every requirement of God for the salvation of his elect There is nothing for us to do. Jesus Christ has done it all. All who are saved are saved upon the basis of and by the merits of Christ’s obedience to God as the sinner’s Substitute (Romans 5:19). He has finished the work of righteousness (John 17:4). He has finished the work of redemption (John 19:30). That is to say, he has both obeyed and satisfied all the demands of God’s holy law as the Surety and Representative of God’s elect.
3. God the Holy Spirit will effectually regenerate and call every chosen, redeemed sinner to life and faith in Christ (Psalms 65:4; John 6:63)Christ will save his sheep. Not one of God’s elect will perish. The Son of God shall see of the travail of his soul and be satisfied. Christ’s blood was not shed in vain. God’s purpose will not be overturned. The grace of God cannot be frustrated.
4. Every sinner who comes to Christ in faith is saved. ‘He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life’ (John 3:36) Faith in Christ is the evidence of eternal election, effectual redemption, and saving grace (Hebrews 11:1). If you trust Christ, you have life. It really is as simple as that. :Your faith is the fruit and result of God’s predestination, Christ’s redemption, and the Spirit’s call.
5. Every sinner who hears (or reads) the gospel is called, invited, and urged to come to Christ and live (Revelation 22:17)You are invited, you are called, you are urged to come to Christ. The blessings held forth to you in the Word of life are rich beyond expression. The invitations given to you in the gospel are as free as sunshine. Throughout the Scriptures every encouragement is given to sinners to ’lay hold upon the hope that is set before you’ in the gospel. Everything in the Book of God is designed of God to encourage sinners to come to Christ and live.

There is not a word in the Bible to discourage any sinner from trusting Christ. And here, at the close of the Inspired Volume, invitations are heaped upon invitations from every quarter, urging you to enter the door of mercy before it is closed. ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.’ If you come to the Lord Jesus Christ by faith you shall have eternal life. If you come to Christ, you have already passed from death unto life, and shall never, under any circumstances, come into condemnation (John 5:24). We do not believe on Christ to get born again. We believe on Christ because we have been born again. Faith is not our contribution to the work of grace. Our faith is the fruit of grace already bestowed (Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 1:29; Colossians 2:12). Here is a gospel invitation ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.’ I know that sinners are commanded to trust Christ. And I know that it is the responsibility of every sinner to do so. Yet, the Lord Jesus, by his Spirit, in the gospel, also gently woos and invites needy sinners to come to him, and tenderly urges them to do so (Matthew 11:28-30; Matthew 23:37). The spirit of this passage is not so much that of an authoritative command as it is that of a tender, loving, urgent invitation. It is an invitation from three sources.

1. The Spirit says, ‘Come’ It is the office work of God the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ to men and effectually bring sinners to him in repentance and faith, causing them to look to him and be saved (Zechariah 12:10; John 16:7-13). Whenever the Word comes in power, it comes in the power, not of men, but of the Holy Spirit, who alone can conquer the hearts of men and bring them effectually to Christ (1 Thessalonians 1:4-5). Only God the Holy Spirit can give life to the dead, faith to the faithless, and grace to the graceless. The success of the gospel is not determined by the ability and ingenuity of preachers, but by the power of God the Holy Spirit. By the ministry of his servants preaching the gospel of Christ the Holy Spirit pleads with and beseeches sinners to come to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). By the voices of men the Spirit of God urges sinners to come to Christ.

Yet, sincere as these gospel invitations are, they will be unheeded by you unless the Spirit of God graciously arrests you, compels you, and forces you to come. It takes more than an invitation to get sinners to trust Christ. It takes a mighty operation of grace (Colossians 2:12). Man has neither the ability nor the will to come to Christ (John 6:44; John 5:40). Only God the Holy Spirit can make you willing and give you the ability to come to Christ (Psalms 110:3). 2. The bride says, ‘Come’ The bride is the church, the Lamb’s wife. Because she has experienced the blessedness of salvation, she is anxious for all around her to know its delight. Those who have experienced grace are anxious to see others experience grace. In the Song of Solomon, the church cried, ‘Draw me, and we will run after thee’ (Revelation 1:4), as if to say, ‘Draw me and I will not be content to come alone. I will do everything in my power to bring others with me.’ This is the work of the church in every age. She is the pillar and ground of the truth.

She supports the truth, proclaims the truth, publishes the truth, and seeks to bring men and women into the knowledge of the truth. The church of God unites with the Spirit of God, and says, ‘Come.’ ‘Come to the Savior. See what a wonderful Savior he is. See in us what Christ can do for you. You are far off; but Christ can bring you nigh. You are strangers, foreigners, and aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; but Christ can make you heirs of God.

You are dead; but Christ can give you life. You are lost; but Christ can save you. You are sinful; but Christ can made you holy.’ ‘Come, and see!’ 3. ‘And let him that heareth say, Come’ All who have heard and believe the gospel are to be actively engaged in the furtherance of the gospel. Let us use every means at our disposal and every opportunity given to induce sinners to come to Christ. Each one is to be a preacher in his own circle (John 1:35-49). This gracious invitation is both free and universal It is an unconditional offer of grace to all who will but come to Christ. All who are thirsty are welcome to come. The invitation is to you, ‘And let him that is athirst come.’ Every mourning, broken, heavy hearted sinner in the universe is bidden to come. Perhaps you think, ‘I am not thirsty enough. I would come, but I do not really pant and thirst for Christ as I should, as the hart panteth after the waterbrooks. If I had greater thirst, then I could come to Christ.’ If that is the case, answer this question: Are you willing to come to Christ?

If you are willing to come, you are welcome to come. The invitation reads, ‘And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’ Are you inclined to come to Christ? Do you desire to come to Christ? Will you come to Christ? If you will come, you can come and may come. That is the rub - Will you come to Christ.

Will you be saved by grace alone? Will you be saved by the righteousness of another? Will you be saved by the blood of Jesus? If you are willing to come, the invitation is free and unconditional. ‘Let him take,’ by personal faith, ’the water of life,’ Christ Jesus, ‘Freely,’ without cost, condition, or cause. This invitation is easily obeyed This is what must be done: ‘Come.’ This coming is not a physical act involving the body. It is a spiritual act of the heart and mind. Right where you sit, without moving a muscle, come to Jesus Christ now. To come to Christ is to trust him. Come like the leper - in submission (Matthew 8:1). Come like the woman with an issue of blood - in desperation (Matthew 9:20-21). Come like Bartemaeus - in earnest (Mark 10:46-52). Come like the Gadarene - naked and vile (Mark 5:1-15). Come like the publican - a sinner needing mercy (Luke 18:13). Come like the thief - to be remembered (Luke 23:42). Come like the adulterous woman - with all your accusers (John 8:1-12). But come to the Savior! Obedience to this gospel invitation is richly rewarded If you do come to Christ, you shall be saved. Come to Christ anyway you can, anyway you will, believing on him, trusting him alone to save you. He promises, ‘Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out’ (John 6:37). Come to Christ in faith and eternal life is yours. The blessings of grace in Christ are called the ‘Water of Life.’ The source from which this water of life flows is the Lord Jesus Christ himself (Revelation 22:1). As the waters gushed out of the smitten Rock in the wilderness to supply life to Israel, so our Lord Jesus Christ, smitten by the rod of God’s law and justice, pours out the waters of salvation upon perishing sinners (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Christ is the Fountain of Living Waters, who gives life and grace to thirsty sinners (Revelation 21:6; John 4:10-14; John 7:37-38). Pardon (Zechariah 13:1; Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 1:7), holiness (Ezekiel 36:25-27), and everlasting life are found in this Fountain of Living Waters (Psalms 36:8-9). The Lord Jesus Christ, is a fountain opened to sinners. He is not a sealed fountain, but an opened Fountain. He is not a secret fountain, hidden in the mists of religious confusion, but an opened Fountain. This fountain was opened in the covenant, opened at the cross, and is opened by the faithful exposition of the gospel.

None who drink of this Fountain shall be disappointed (John 7:37-39; John 4:14). May God give you grace to come to the Fountain and drink. ‘And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.’

Revelation 22:18-19

Chapter 63 The perfection and sanctity of the scriptures ‘For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book’ Revelation 22:18-19 Revelation 22:18-19 stands as a flaming sword planted by God to guard the canon of Holy Scripture from profane hands. Similar passages are found in the Old Testament Scriptures. After the giving of the law, God gave strict command forbidding anyone to add a single word to it or take a single word from it (Deuteronomy 4:2). And when he gave his final word of prophecy in the Old Testament, the Lord placed the same prohibition upon the words of the prophets (Malachi 4:4; cf. Deuteronomy 4:10). Here, as he concludes the volume of inspiration, in the most solemn manner possible, our Lord warns all men that none dare add anything to or take anything from the Holy Word of God. Any who dare to do so shall suffer all the terrible wrath of God forever in hell without mercy. The Person speaking in this text is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. He holds the volume of Holy Scripture before us, elevating it to the position of highest possible reverence. It is written in the Psalms, ‘Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name’ (Psalms 138:2). The warnings given here indicate that God regards nothing more sacred than his Word and looks upon the contempt of his Word as the highest crime and most hideously evil thing in the world. That Book which God has so highly magnified is the inspired Word of God. Without question, there is a particular reference in this text to the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. This last Book of the Inspired Volume is of equal value and authority as the other sixty-five. However, because this book, by the arrangement of divine providence, closes the Sacred Volume, it is reasonable for us to assume that the warnings of this text extend to and include the entire Bible, from the opening word ‘In’ in Genesis to the final ‘Amen’ in Revelation. The entire Bible is the Word of God, authoritative, complete, perfect, and holy, a Book to be reverenced, believed, and obeyed. The Lord Jesus here declares the divine authority of the scripturesI cannot stress the importance of what I am about to write enough. It may seem trite and insignificant to some. But this is one of the most profound statements you will ever read or hear, and one of the most important. That Book, which we call the Holy Bible, the Book you probably have open before you as you read these words, is the Word of God! Its every word is inspired, infallible, and holy. It contains no errors, contradictions, or inaccurate statements. It was written by ‘holy men of God (who) spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Peter 1:21). The Bible is a book with one message Its message is redemption by the blood of Christ and salvation by his grace. The scarlet thread which runs through every page of the Book and binds them all together is the message of blood atonement by Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44-47; John 1:45; John 5:39; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:29). The Word of God might be compared to that alabaster box that was brought into Simon’s house in Bethany (Mark 14:1-9) containing ‘ointment of spikenard very precious.’ When the box was broken and the ointment poured out, the sweet fragrance filled the room. Gospel preachers are like the woman who brought the box and broke it open. They come to the house of God with the Word of God, break it open, and as they expound the Scriptures the sweet fragrance of Christ crucified fills the house. Those who faithfully expound the Scriptures faithfully proclaim Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Corinthians 2:2), for he is the theme of all the Scriptures.

The Old Testament declares that the Redeemer is coming. The four Gospels and the Epistles tell us that the Redeemer has come. The Book of Revelation promises us that the Redeemer is coming again. This Bible alone is able to make us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15) It raises and answers every question regarding life and death, and eternal life and eternal death. If we want to know where and how life began, we need only to read the Word of God ((Genesis 1:1; Genesis 2:7; John 1:1-3; Hebrews 1:1-3). The facts of creation given throughout the Scriptures, unlike the theories of speculative science and vain philosophy, are in total agreement with one another and cannot be refuted. If anyone is interested in knowing how the human race got into the mess it is in, he needs only to read the Word of God. We got into the shape we are in through the sin and fall of our father Adam (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12). We all became sinners by his sin. He was our representative before God. In him, the whole human race died spiritually. From him we all inherit our sinful nature. All human beings are born, as the children of Adam, in spiritual death, with depraved hearts, and go forth from the womb speaking lies (Psalms 51:5; Psalms 58:3; Matthew 15:19; Ephesians 2:1-3). If anyone wants to know the way out of the mess we are in, he needs only to read the Word of God. God’s remedy for man’s ruin is his own dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinner’s Substitute, the last Adam (John 3:14-16; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22). By his obedience to the law and will of God as their Representative, Christ brought in everlasting righteousness for his people, which God the Father imputes to all who believe on him (Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Lord Jesus took upon himself the sins of his people, died in their place, and by his blood took away the curse of the law and the wrath of God, having satisfied the justice of God for their sins (Galatians 3:13). Sinners must be born again by the grace and power of God the Holy Spirit. There is no other way of salvation and life (John 3:5-7;Ephesians 2:8-9).

This great salvation is freely given to every sinner who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 3:28). And even the faith by which we believe on Christ is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). So the whole work of salvation is by the grace of God and for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). All men know by nature that there is life after death. All are conscious of that fact. But should anyone want to know what awaits him in eternity, again, he needs only to read the Bible (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Corinthians 5:1-11; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:11 to Revelation 21:8). We are all creatures with immortal souls. We will spend eternity somewhere, either in the torments of the damned or in the bliss of the saved, either in the presence of the devil or in the presence of God, either in hell or in heaven. In the resurrection day our bodies and souls will be reunited, either to everlasting damnation or to everlasting righteousness and life with Christ (John 5:28-29). The Bible is able to meet every moral, spiritual, and emotional need of our lives (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Everything that is needed for the temporal and eternal welfare of our souls is revealed in the Word of God. As we have already seen, the Bible tells us how spiritual life is imparted to the soul by divine regeneration, through the preaching of the gospel, and preserved and carried on to perfection by divine grace. The Bible tells us how to behave in every relationship and circumstance of life. The path of life is plainly marked out for us in the Word of God. The Bible teaches us how to live in this world in patience, comfort, and hope (Romans 15:4), submitting to the will of God, trusting the providence of God, waiting for the promises of God (Habakkuk 2:3; Habakkuk 3:17-19). The Bible alone is authoritative in the church and kingdom of God It is our only rule of faith and practice. We have no right to believe any doctrine that is not specifically taught in the Bible. And we have no right to reject any doctrine that is taught in the Bible. We have no right to practice any form of worship that is not specifically taught in the Bible. And we have no right to reject any form of worship that is taught in the Bible Our Lord is also declaring the perfection of the scriptures That to which nothing can be added and from which nothing can be taken away is perfect and complete. When John wrote, ‘Amen,’ at the end of Rev 22:21, the Scriptures were perfect, complete, lacking nothing. It is this perfection to which Paul makes reference in 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. As the Revelation of God, the Scriptures are perfect. There are many things about God which are, for the present, hidden from us. Those secret things belong to the Lord.

But everything needful and useful for our souls is revealed in this Book, revealed fully, and revealed perfectly. There is nothing to be known about God in this world which is not revealed in his written Word. It clearly reveals and teaches the perfections of his Being (Exodus 33:18-19; Isaiah 45:20; 1 John 5:7), the purpose of his grace (Ephesians 1:3-14; Romans 8:28-30; Romans 9:11-23), the meaning of his providence (Romans 8:28), and the fullness of his perfect will (Proverbs 3:5-6).There is nothing lacking in the Word of God, nothing to be added to it, no additional visions, prophecies, or revelations are needed; and none are to be accepted. The Son of God declares the sanctity of the scriptures, too A very solemn warning is given by God regarding his Word. Any alteration of it is strictly forbidden, upon penalty of the most severe consequences. If any man adds to the inspired Writings, God shall add to that man all the plagues of eternal damnation. If any man takes away from the inspired Writings, God shall take away from that man all that he appears to have: all life, all grace, and all hope. The denunciations of God’s wrath are never so full and comprehensive as they are in these two verses. God will not allow any man to suppress or add a single word.

This is the sanctity of the Scriptures. If we presume to suppress, or leave out, anything God has revealed, that would be a denial of God’s wisdom. If we presume to add our words to the Word of God, that would be a claim of equality with God. We dare not modify God’s law. We dare not modify God’s gospel. We dare not modify God’s ordinances.

We must take the whole Word of God, just as it is given. To alter it in anyway is to court eternal damnation. This is the sanctity God has placed upon his Word. No man is to touch it; no preacher, no church, no denomination! Our Lord demands our reverence for the Scriptures. The Bible is the Word of God.

Let us reverence it as the Word of God. It is to be read prayerfully, preached faithfully, heard believingly, submitted to willingly, and obeyed implicitly!

Revelation 22:20

Chapter 64 Pictures of Christ in Revelation ‘Even So, Come, Lord Jesus’ Revelation 22:20 The Book of Revelation reveals many things which must come to pass. The prophecies of this Book are matters of absolute certainty. All that is revealed in these twenty-two chapters is fixed by God’s immutable, unalterable decree. We look upon the promises and prophecies of Holy Scripture as matters of certainty because we know that they are matters of divine predestination. Were God not totally sovereign, both in predestination and in providence, no promise of God could be believed with confidence, and no prophecy of Scripture could be looked upon as that which must come to pass. But this Book is the Revelation of One who is sovereign in all things and over all things.

Therefore the prophecies of the Book are certain. The Church of God will be triumphant at last. The gospel of Christ shall be victorious. God’s elect shall all be saved. The enemies of Christ and his people shall be put to open and endless shame. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, into whose hands all things have been committed, shall be glorified in all things.

The most prominent and glorious prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the subject of Rev 22:20. ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’ With those words the Holy Spirit teaches us three things about the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The second coming of Christ is certainIt is the Lord Jesus himself who speaks first. He says, ‘He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come.’ I make no effort to prove that Christ is coming a second time to this earth with power and great glory. Scoffers and infidels do not bother me. And I will not bother them. I refuse to mar the beauty of the gospel by lowering it to speculation, investigation, and argument. We simply declare the naked truth of God and demand that all men believe that which God has revealed. Any who refuse to believe God’s revelation upon its own merits shall perish forever under the wrath of God. However, in this text, the Lord Jesus Christ does emphasize the certainty of his second coming. He says, ‘Surely,’ in spite of all the mockery of scoffing infidels, ‘I come.’ In that declaration our Savior is graciously assuring us of his glorious advent. Knowing the weakness of our flesh, knowing our tendency to forget his promise and see only our present trouble, our dear Savior condescends to our need and gives this word to drive away doubt and unbelief - ‘Surely I come!’ It has been almost two thousand years now since our Lord died for us and ascended back into heaven. Men every where say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming.’ God forbid that we should be among them. There is a day and an hour appointed by God from eternity when Jesus Christ our Lord shall come again to bring in the fullness of that everlasting covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure. Christ who loved us and gave himself for us will come to gather us unto himself. As he ransomed our souls from the curse of the law and delivered our hearts from the bondage of sin, the Son of God will yet retrieve our bodies from the power of the grave. ‘He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied.’ The second coming of Christ is promised repeatedly throughout the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible is so full of promises regarding the second coming of our Lord that it cannot be denied without denouncing the Word of God as a mere religious myth that is full of lies. The patriarchs of old, those fathers of the church who were examples of faith, spoke plainly of our Lord’s second coming. I do not know how much those ancient believers knew, or how clear their knowledge was. But they knew more than most religious people in these ’enlightened’ times. They knew that God would come in the flesh to redeem his elect by substitutionary atonement (Genesis 22:8). And they knew that that God-man Redeemer would come again in glory to reign forever. Enoch, who lived before the flood, gave a full description of Christ’s coming in power and great glory (Jude 1:14-15).

Job, who probably lived in the days of Abraham, lived in hope and expectation of Christ’s second coming (Job 19:25-29). And David, the sweet singer of Israel, spoke with joy of the Lord’s coming to judge the world (Psalms 96:13; Psalms 98:9). All the prophets, since the beginning of the world, spoke of Christ’s second coming with precise language (Acts 3:21). To those men of God in the Old Testament, Christ’s second coming was no more vague or uncertain than his first coming. They anticipated his coming in glory as much as they did his coming in humiliation (Daniel 7:13-14; Daniel 12:1-3; Zechariah 14:3-9; Malachi 4:1-3). Throughout the days of his earthly ministry, our Savior taught his disciples to look for and anticipate his second advent. While our Lord plainly declared that no man could know the day or hour of his coming (Matthew 24:36; Matthew 25:13; Acts 1:7), he did speak of that day when he would personally come again frequently, plainly, and positively (Matthew 24:27; Matthew 24:30; Matthew 24:36-37; Matthew 25:1; Matthew 25:5-6; Matthew 25:10; Matthew 25:31-46; John 14:1-3). Even the angels of God have been employed by our Lord to assure us of his glorious second advent (Acts 1:11). Throughout the book of Acts the apostles went everywhere preaching the Lordship of Christ and his second coming in glory. They constantly declared Christ’s sovereign dominion as Lord and the certainty of his coming again to judgment. (Acts 3:19-21; Acts 17:30-31). The same is true of their inspired writings in the epistles of the New Testament, in which we are constantly taught to watch for our Lord’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:10-14; 2 Peter 3:9-14; 1 John 3:1-3). And, of course, the Book of Revelation declares the promise of our Lord’s return repeatedly (Revelation 1:7; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12; Revelation 22:20). We are never told to look for signs of his coming, or given any hint as to when our Lord will come again; but we are constantly urged to stand upon the tiptoe of faith, looking for his return with immediate hope and expectation.

If the Bible is truly the Word of God, if there is a God in heaven, if there is any hope for fallen men, then it is certain that Jesus Christ will come again. This is his testimony - ‘Surely, I come!’ Christ will come quicklyOur Savior says, ‘Surely I come quickly.’ And he means quickly. Time, in our very limited view of things, seems to be very, very long. But with God one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. When our Lord was upon the earth, he spoke of his second coming as being at hand. Paul wrote of Christ’s coming in the language of immediate anticipation. And we should look for our Lord to return quickly.

The word ‘quickly’ means two things: (1.) Our Lord Jesus Christ will soon appear. There are no signs to be given, or prophecies to be fulfilled. Christ Jesus may come at any moment. (2.) Christ will come suddenly, without warning! Whether viewed from the standpoint of Christ’s coming to call men away from this state of existence at the hour of death, or from the standpoint of his glorious second advent, the Lord’s coming will be sudden and without warning. While it is true that he sometimes gives advance warning of death, even then the fatal disease or other forerunner of death overcomes the one to be taken so suddenly that death usually takes men by surprise and unprepared. In the light of these facts, what manner of persons ought we to be? (Read 2 Peter 3:9-15.) We ought always to live in the immediate prospect of eternity. Like Paul, let us make it our hearts’ desire and determination to be found in Christ, seeking to know him, possess him, and be possessed by him (Philippians 3:8-14). The second coming of Christ is greatly desired by his people (Titus 2:11-14). ‘The Spirit and the Bride say, Come.’ And when John heard the Savior say, ‘Surely I come quickly,’ his heart’s immediate response was, ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’ He said, ‘That’s it. That’s what I want! So be it. Come, my Lord and my Savior.’ How is it possible for sinful men and women, who know themselves to be sinners altogether fit for hell and unfit for heaven by nature, to love Christ’s appearing and anxiously desire it? Let me give you three answers to that question. (1).

Because we look to Christ alone as our Savior, we look for Christ anxiously. Christ alone is all our hope before God (1 Corinthians 1:30). His blood is our only atonement for sin; and his righteousness is our only righteousness before God. Believing him, we have all that God demands of us and are accepted in the Beloved (Romans 3:28; Romans 3:31; Ephesians 1:6).(2.) Because we have the earnest of the Spirit, we groan for our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:14; 2 Corinthians 5:5; Romans 8:16-23). God the Holy Spirit, by giving us faith in Christ, has sealed to our hearts all the blessings and benefits of the covenant of grace, assuring us that we are indeed the sons and daughters of God. (3.) Because we have a good hope through grace, we anxiously await the fulfillment of our hope (Romans 8:24-25; 1 John 3:1-2). We who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ live in hope of all that he has purchased for us and promised to us (1 Corinthians 15:51-58).

When he comes, he shall be satisfied with us (Isaiah 53:11); and we shall be satisfied with him (Ephesians 5:25-27). ‘Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’

Revelation 22:21

Chapter 65 The benediction ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all’ Revelation 22:21 The book of Revelation is identified in the first verse of the first chapter as, ‘The Revelation of Jesus Christ.’ Setting forth the theme of the whole book, it rings out the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The last verse of the last chapter repeats the heavenly sound. The Lord Jesus Christ is the sum, substance, and glory of every vision seen by John on the island of Patmos. All that John saw and wrote in this book by the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit was about the glorious Person and gracious work of our Lord Jesus Christ. And before he laid his pen aside to write no more, he penned his benediction in these words: ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’ This was John’s prayer for God’s elect. It is an invocation of blessing upon all the saints of God in every place. How often we read and hear these words without thought or attention. Most commentators either ignore them entirely, or give them only passing attention. Many have heard them recited as a part of a religious ceremony, but have never had the words explained to them. That ought not be the case. The words of this text are full of spiritual instruction, recorded here by God the Holy Spirit, ‘for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.’ (Romans 15:4). Read the text again, slowly, pausing between the words to meditate upon and enjoy this final word from God to man. ‘The grace of our Lord’ The grace we need, the grace John here seeks for God’s people is the grace of our Lord and Master. Grace comes from his Majesty. It is the benefit of his sovereign pleasure. It is the gift of his will. It is the blessing of his throne. Grace belongs to God. And God the Father has given it to his Son as our Mediator, whom he has made Lord over all flesh, to give to whomsoever he will (John 17:2). He has mercy on whom he will have mercy. He has compassion on whom he will have compassion. And he is gracious to whom he will be gracious. ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus’ He is the Lord. Therefore he has the right to be gracious. And he is Jesus our Savior. Therefore we know that he will be gracious. His grace is redeeming, saving, preserving, forgiving, justifying, sanctifying, glorifying grace. All grace is in Christ; and if we are in Christ all grace is ours in him (Ephesians 1:3). ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ He is the ‘Anointed One.’ As Aaron was anointed with holy oil, Christ our great High Priest is anointed with grace. As the oil ran down over Aaron’s beard and his robe, so the grace of God runs down from Christ our Head to all the members of his body, the church, giving us both the knowledge of and acceptance with God himself. ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ’ Did you catch that little word ‘our’? What a precious word! What a word of boldness, confidence, and faith! John calls the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the universe, the Lord of glory, ‘our Lord Jesus Christ’! He is ours because he has made himself to be ours. He is ours by covenant agreement. And he is ours by faith. But he is ours! And if the Lord Jesus Christ is ours, then all the grace that he possesses is surely ours too. Therefore John says, ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.’ This was John’s prayer and desire for all his brethren in his day, and for all who would read his book in the days to come. I want to show you three things about this benediction, given by the inspiration of God the Spirit. The blessing of it The one thing we need and must have is grace. And grace is the blessing upon which John focuses his own attention and ours. The word used here is ‘charis.’ It is the word from which we get our English word, ‘charismatic.’ It signifies love, kindness, and favor. The root of the word ‘charis’ is joy. Wherever grace is known and experienced, joy is also found. John is saying, ‘Oh, that you may have the grace, the love, kindness, and favor, of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the joy it brings.’ The grace mentioned in this benediction is divine grace It is ’the grace of our Lord.’ The original source of grace is the everlasting love of God for his people (Deuteronomy 7:8). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit loved us before the world began. And because God loved us, he is gracious to us. It is written, ‘I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee’ (Jeremiah 31:3). All grace comes to us from God the Father, through God the Son, by God the Holy Spirit. The grace spoken of is ’the grace of our Lord’ It is divine grace. Yet, it is ’the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ That is to say, it is also the grace of a Man, the God-man, our Savior. This grace has the stamp of deity upon it. But it also has the stamp of humanity upon it. It is the tender, compassionate, brotherly grace of our near Kinsman. As Ruth possessed all the love of Boaz, God’s elect always possess all the love, grace, and mercy of their dear Kinsman’s heart, the grace of that wondrous, mysterious, complex, delightful Person who is both God and Man, Immanuel, our Lord Jesus Christ. Here are nine things revealed in the Word of God about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is sure, covenant grace (Jeremiah 31:31-34; 2 Samuel 23:5). It is eternal, electing grace (Ephesians 1:3-6). It is redeeming, justifying grace (Romans 3:24-26). It is effectual, saving grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is sovereign, distinguishing grace (Romans 9:11-23). It is infinite, rich grace (Ephesians 3:8; Romans 5:21) (See 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). It is immutable, preserving grace (Malachi 3:6; John 10:28-30). It is daily, providential grace (Romans 8:28). It is unconditional, free grace (Romans 9:16). This is my heart’s prayer and desire for you who read these lines, as it was John’s prayer and desire for all who read what he had written: ‘The grace (all the grace) of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,’ young and old, rich and poor, strong and weak. May you trust the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. May you enjoy all the favors that flow to sinners in the boundless river of grace. May you know the sweet communion of grace. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always and forever: when you pray, when you are tempted, when you are discouraged, when you are tired, when you are weak, when you are in danger, when your heart and flesh fail you, when you have fallen, when you die, and when you stand before God. The blessing of this benediction is grace, ’the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ Next observe… The position of it This benediction is at the end. Divine providence has made it the last word of the book of the Revelation, the last word of the Bible, the last word from God to man. It is as though John were saying, as though God through John were saying, ‘Whatever else you may miss, be sure you do not miss this. You must have grace.’ Let the preacher, while preaching grace to others, be sure he possess grace. Let the deacon, as he serves the church, be sure he is in the church. Let the teacher, as he teaches about the Savior, be sure he knows the Savior.

When you eat the Lord’s Supper, be sure you have eaten his flesh and drunk his blood by faith. Have you been baptized in water, professing faith in Christ? Be sure you have been baptized into Jesus Christ. We must have ’the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ or we will perish, no matter what else we have. As the children of God, those to whom Christ is revealed and by whom he is known, grace is the one thing we must have as long as we are in this world. Therefore John says, ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.’ We will need it to the end to cleanse, teach, guide, protect, strengthen, restore, comfort, and keep us. If we have ’the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ we have all we need. He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ The fact that this blessing has been placed at the end of the Book of God indicates to me that grace is the one and only thing we shall want when the end comes. When our appointed end comes, we will care for nothing but ’the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.’ One more thing is revealed in this benediction about grace. The certainty of it Look at the last word in the benediction. ‘Amen.’ That word, given by divine inspiration, means, ‘So shall it be!’ And so it shall be! It is a matter of certainty! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be with the ‘you all’ to whom the book of Revelation is addressed. The grace of Christ shall be with all the churches of Christ. The grace of Christ shall be with all God’s elect. The grace of Christ shall be with all who trust Christ. Amen.