Jesus' Final Words
Revelation 22:12-17, 20
JESUS IS COMING, vv. 12-15, 20
A. To John, Jesus declares, "Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense, to repay every one for
what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end," vv.
12-13.
1. Jesus is coming soon - as I have articulated before, this must refer to judgment upon Rome.
2. Jesus is bringing his recompense, to repay every one for what he has done.
a. Those who have worshiped the emperor will be repaid for what they have done.
1) No one can argue that this is anything but fair.
2) The Lord punished these individuals according to their deeds - it's not, as sometimes occurs
under our judicial system, that these individuals were punished for what they did not do.
b. When we stand before God at the final judgment, we shall be judged according to what we have
done.
1) "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the
things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10).
2) "If you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work,
conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear" (1 Pet. 1:17).
3. Jesus tells John why he can judge - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the
beginning and the end."
a. Only God can judge.
b. Jesus here claims to be God; he claims to be eternal; he claims to be the One who was before
and who is after all things.
4. Jesus repeats his pledge to come in judgment in v. 20 - "He who testifies to these things says,
'Surely I am coming quickly"' (v. 20).
B. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they
may enter the city by the gates, v. 14.
1. Those who have the right to the tree of life and the city have washed their robes.
a. We have encountered the theme of pure robes before in this book.
1) "He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments" (3 :5).
2) When the martyrs under the altar cried out, "a white robe was given to each of them"
(6:11).
b. White garments symbolize purity - "You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled
their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are white" (3 :4).
c. We are told in Revelation how to wash our robes - "These are the ones who come out of the
great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (7:14).
2. Those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb will have the right to the tree of life, and they will
enter the city by the gates.
a. Those whose robes have been washed in Jesus' blood will be able to eat from the tree of life -
they will be able to live forever.
b. Those whose robes have been washed in Jesus' blood will be able to enter the city by the gates
- they won't have to try to sneak into the city, but will enter openly.
C. Outside the city are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever
loves and practices a lie, v. 15.
1. "Dogs" probably refers to unrepentant prostitutes - Deut. 23:17-18.
2. Those who persist in sin will be outside the city; they will not be allowed to enter the city.
JESUS' ANGEL CAME, v. 16
A. "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the
Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star," v. 16.
B. Jesus sent his angel to testify to John to testify these things in the churches.
1. What this demonstrates is that Jesus has power over the angels.
a. Jesus refers to this angel of prophecy as "My angel."
b. The angels do the bidding of Jesus.
1) Remember the passage Satan quoted to Jesus in the wilderness - "He shall give His angels
charge over you" (Mt. 4:6).
2) Granted, Satan misused this passage; however, it is still true that God gave his angels charge
over Jesus.
2. The angel was sent to testify to these things.
a. We have previously discussed that angels were often agents through which God revealed his
will.
b. This angel was sent to John to reveal to him the Will of God.
C. Jesus enumerates his right to send this angel - he is the "Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright
and Morning Star."
1. He is the Root and the Offspring of David.
a. As the Root and Offspring of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy (Is 11:1, 10).
b. Because he fulfills the prophetic word, he has the authority to send his angel to John.
2. He is the Bright and Morning Star.
a. Balaam prophesied that a star would come out of Jacob (Num. 24:17).
b. Thus, again the idea seems to be that since Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy he has the
authority to send this angel.
JESUS WANTS YOU TO COME, v. 17
A. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts
come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
B. The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!"
1. The Spirit, of course, is the Holy Spirit, and he calls men and women to come to Jesus.
a. Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment" (Jn. 16:8).
b. How does the Holy Spirit "convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment"?
1) Does he not do this through the Word he inspired men to write?
2) As the Gospel is proclaimed, the Spirit calls men and women to Jesus - "He called you by
our Gospel" (2 Thess. 2:14).
3) Thus, the Spirit says, "Come!", not through some miraculous means, but through the
proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus.
2. The bride, of course, is the church, "the bride of Christ."
a. We need to call people to Jesus, and to say, "Come!"
b. You know the Scriptures that teach our need to share our faith. Let us in our lives be calling
people to come to Jesus. Let us say, "Come!"
C. And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come.
1. Those who hear the Gospel often say to their friends and family, "Come!" Many of you were
probably baptized when a spouse or other friend or loved one was baptized.
2. Those who thirst can come & what a blessing it is to know that whoever wants to come to Jesus can
do so.
D. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
1. Whoever wants can come to Jesus - black, white, Hispanic, Iraqi, Japanese, whoever wants to
come.
a. Since whoever desires can come, we cannot think of some people more deserving of the Gospel
than others.
b. We dare not think that someone is not welcome here or not worthy of the Gospel because of
who he or she is.
2. We can take the water of life freely.
a. Because God requires obedience from us, I'm afraid that we occasionally forget that salvation is
a gift.
b. Salvation is a free gift of God.
1) "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have no money, Come, buy
and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without money and without price" (Is. 55:1).
2) We are "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Rom.
3:24).
c. Salvation is tree in that God does not have to give it; he gives it out of his own freewill and grace.