Have you meditated on these words?

December 30, 2024

Have you meditated on these words?

Revelation 22:12-13

Grant Wilkie

Big Book Idea

God with us.

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Introduction to Revelation

Timeline

Author and Date

Jesus Christ is the divine author of this “revelation” (1:1). He describes coming events to his servant John. John, son of Zebedee, was the “beloved disciple” who also wrote the Fourth Gospel and 1, 2 and 3 John. Most scholars believe John recorded these visions while imprisoned on the island of Patmos in the mid-90s A.D. Revelation is addressed specifically to seven first-century churches in the Roman province of Asia (now western Turkey), but the message is for all churches everywhere.

Theme

The word “Revelation” translates the Greek word apokalypsis, which means “disclosure” or “unveiling.” Revelation unveils the unseen spiritual war in which the church is engaged: the cosmic conflict between God and his Christ on the one hand, and Satan and his evil allies (both demonic and human) on the other. In this conflict, Jesus the Lamb has already won the decisive victory through his sacrificial death, but his church continues to be assaulted by the dragon, in its death-throes, through persecution (the beast), deceptive heresy (the false prophet), and the allure of material affluence and cultural approval (the prostitute). By revealing the spiritual realities behind the church’s trials and temptations, and by affirming the certainty of Christ’s triumph in the new heaven and earth, the visions of Revelation fortify believers to endure suffering. The reader of Revelation is encouraged to stay pure from the defiling enticements of the present world order.

Key Themes

Through his sacrificial death, Jesus Christ has conquered Satan, the accuser. Jesus has redeemed people from every nation to become a kingdom of priests, gladly serving in God’s presence (1:5, 18; 5:5–10; 12:1–11).
Jesus Christ is present among his churches through his Holy Spirit. He knows their trials, triumphs, and failures (1:12–3:22).
World history, including its disasters, is under the control of Jesus, the victorious Lamb (5:1–8:1).
God is presently holding back his wrath and preventing his enemies’ efforts to destroy the church. He patiently gathers his redeemed people through their witness for Jesus (6:5–11; 7:1–3; 8:6–12; 9:4–6, 18; 11:3–7; 12:6, 13–17).
Present disasters are warnings of increasing judgments to come (6:3–17; 8:6–13; 11:13; 16:1–21; 20:11–15).
Believers will continue their faithful testimony to the death. They will conquer both the dragon and the beast. The martyrs’ victory is now hidden, but it will be obvious when Christ returns (2:10–11, 26–29; 3:11–13; 6:9–11; 7:9–17; 11:7–12, 17–18; 12:10–11; 14:1–5; 15:2–4; 20:4–6).
Satan attacks the church’s perseverance and purity through persecution, deceptive teaching, and the temptations of wealth and sensual pleasure (2:1–3:22; 13:1–18; 17:1–18:24).
At the end of the age, the church’s opponents will increase their persecution. Jesus, the triumphant Word of God, will defeat and destroy all his enemies. The old heaven and earth, marked by sin and suffering, will be replaced by the new heaven and earth. The church will be presented as a pure bride to her husband, the Lamb (16:12–16; 19:11–21; 20:7–22:5).

Outline

Revelation contains four series of seven messages or visions. These include letters to churches (chs. 2–3), seals on a scroll (4:1–8:1), trumpets (8:2–11:19), and bowls of wrath (chs. 15–16). There is a general movement from “the things that are” to “the things that are to take place after this.” Yet the visions sometimes return to subjects from the previous sections. The order in which John received the visions does not necessarily indicate the order of the events they symbolize.

Prologue (1:1–8)
Body (1:9–22:5)
1. “Things that are”: Christ’s presence with and knowledge of his churches (1:9–3:22)
2. “Things that shall take place after this”: Christ’s defense of his church and destruction of its enemies (4:1–22:5)
Epilogue (22:6–21)

The Setting of Revelation

c. A.D. 95

John addressed the book of Revelation “to the seven churches that are in Asia,” namely Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea, although there were undoubtedly other churches elsewhere in the province of Asia (e.g., Miletus and Colossae, see Acts 20:17; Col. 1:2). John had apparently been exiled from Ephesus to the island of Patmos, southwest of Ephesus, and it was probably there that he recorded his visions.

The Global Message of Revelation

The last book of the Bible explodes with a cosmic celebration of the triumph of God’s global purposes in the world.

This triumph takes place amid much suffering, suffering that is intensified as the final end draws near. Yet the resounding note of Revelation is hope, as God’s promises come to full completion and the multi-ethnic family of God enters into the new heavens and the new earth.

Revelation and Redemptive History

From Genesis to Revelation. Revelation brings to a final conclusion the entire sweep of redemptive history that began in Eden. The last three chapters of Revelation sum up the history that began in the first three chapters of Genesis. Genesis 1:1 tells us that God created the heavens and the earth; Revelation 21:1 speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. Genesis 3:8 speaks of God dwelling with humanity, and Revelation 21:3 speaks of a restoration of God’s dwelling presence. More connections occur—a flowing river, a tree of life, the presence of cosmic light, and more—in both the first three and the last three chapters of the Bible. Eden is being restored. The world is finally being brought to what it was intended to be.

All through Christ. In all this, Christ himself is the one who restores this world to the way it was meant to be. The history of redemption that starts in Genesis passes through Christ to get to Revelation. Indeed, just as God created a bride for the man in Genesis, so Christ himself is the true Bridegroom (Mark 2:19). The marriage of Christ to his people is the reality to which every human marriage points (Eph. 5:31–32). And in Revelation 21, John sees the new Jerusalem “coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).

God’s international family. Most pertinent of all as we consider the global message of Revelation is the emphasis it gives to the multinational people of God. Jesus Christ is worshiped in Revelation because he “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). Mankind’s pride at Babel caused them to be scattered and given different languages and cultures, yet in his great grace God redeems this diversity and saves a people for himself from all the peoples of the world.

Universal Themes in Revelation

God’s control of world events. Revelation recounts vividly the woes and disasters that will befall the world, both throughout history as well as in an intensified way toward the end of time. Much of the anguish described is directed at God’s people, who are persecuted for their loyalty to Christ. Reading all this in Revelation would produce deep discouragement were it not for the clear teaching that the sovereign hand of God extends to every detail of history. He is the “Sovereign Lord, holy and true,” who one day will “judge and avenge” all injustice toward his people (Rev. 6:10; note also 1:7; 2:1).

God’s defeat of Satan. Through his sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, Jesus Christ has triumphed over Satan, the accuser of God’s people. Though he was slain like a helpless lamb, it was through this suffering that Jesus conquered Satan and wiped away the sins of his people (Rev. 1:5; 5:5–10). Jesus now has “the keys of Death and Hades” (1:18). The accuser has been silenced (12:1–11).

God’s restoration of the cosmos. At the end of Revelation, God’s people do not escape this earth and fly away to heaven. Rather, heaven comes down to earth. The new Jerusalem descends, and God’s people take up residence on the earth with God and the Lamb (Rev. 21:1–22:5). Sin and Satan have been vanquished. Every inch of the globe—all that was touched by the curse—will be restored to its true design and intent (22:3). “Behold, I am making all things new,” says Jesus (21:5).

God’s creation of a global people. “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes” (Rev. 7:9; see also 5:9). At the end of Revelation we are told that “the kings of the earth” will bring into the new Jerusalem “the glory and the honor of the nations” (21:24, 26). And just as God’s saving grace reaches to every people group on earth, so his righteous judgment and punishment will extend to “all tribes of the earth” who have rejected Jesus (1:7). An integral part of the beauty of the new earth will be the rich diversity of those redeemed by the Lamb from all around the world.

The Global Message of Revelation for Today

The central message of Revelation for the global church today is that, in the cosmic war currently being waged between the forces of good and evil, the outcome is secure. Because Jesus has paid with his life for the sins of his people, Satan’s accusations are emptied of their power. The shed blood of the Lamb means that the sovereign Lord of the universe is now fully able to act on behalf of his people while at the same time upholding his perfect justice.

Ever since his resurrection and ascension, Christ has reigned. Yet Satan’s influence still exists. Revelation depicts the day when Christ’s reign will be made visible as he once and for all conquers Satan and his evil allies. On that day Christ will descend to earth a second time, this time openly as the triumphant Son of God, with the armies of heaven at his side (Rev. 19:11–16). Injustice and misery will be permanently defeated. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore” (21:4). The Lord’s righteous reign will be established and will extend to every corner of the globe.

In all the challenges that face the global church, this certain truth of Christ’s return and the exacting of perfect justice is the rock on which we stand. Especially in times of adversity, we remember his tender care for his saints. As the church faces internal squabbles, difficult cases of church discipline, or afflicted consciences due to sin, we remember that we are under the Lordship of the one who shed his blood for us. When we are ridiculed, maligned, insulted, or excluded by the world because of our loyalty to Christ, we remember that we are guaranteed that one day we will reign on the earth and will forever share in the resplendent glory of God himself.

From every corner of the globe God’s redeemed people will sing:

“Great and amazing are your deeds,

    O Lord God the Almighty!

Just and true are your ways,

    O King of the nations!

Who will not fear, O Lord,

    and glorify your name?

For you alone are holy.

    All nations will come

    and worship you,

for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:3–4)

Joshua Fact #13: Megiddo

Fact: Megiddo

Megiddo was the site of many important OT battles. It was a walled city that guarded the main road that linked Egypt and Syria. Its setting made Megiddo a strategic military stronghold. In John’s visions in Revelation, Megiddo represents the global combat zone where the final battle between Christ and Satan will be fought. The word Armageddon means “Mount Megiddo” (Zech. 12:11; Rev. 16:16).

Revelation Fact #10: The OT in Revelation

Fact: The OT in Revelation

The OT in Revelation. Roughly one-seventh of the book of Revelation consists of quotations from the OT. It is a reminder of just how important it is to read and understand the OT as foundational for the New.

The Setting of Revelation

c. A.D. 95

Promises to Overcomers

The following images depict ways in which God will “be . . . God” to those who conquer (Rev. 21:7).

Promise	What Will Happen	Fulfillment
2:7	will eat from the tree of life	22:2
2:11	will not be hurt by the second death	20:6; 21:7–8
2:17	will be given a white stone	21:11, 18–21
2:26–27; 3:21	will reign with Christ on his throne	20:4
2:28	will be given the morning star	21:23; 22:5, 16
3:5	will be clothed in bright garments	19:7–8; 21:2, 9–10
3:5	name will be in the book of life	21:27
3:12	will be made a pillar in God’s temple	21:22–23
3:12	will participate in the new Jerusalem	21:10
3:12	will have God’s name written on them	22:4

The Seven Benedictions

Blessed is the one who reads aloud, hears, and keeps the words of this prophecy	1:3
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord	14:13
Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on	16:15
Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb	19:9
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection	20:6
Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book	22:7
Blessed are those who wash their robes	22:14

The “Bookends” of Biblical Theology

God’s ultimate purpose in redemptive history is to create a people to dwell in his presence, glorifying him through numerous varied activities and enjoying him forever. The story begins with God in eternal glory, and it ends with God and his people in eternal glory. At the center stands the cross, where God revealed his glory through his Son.

The biblical story of redemption must be understood within the larger story of creation. First Adam, and later Israel, was placed in God’s sanctuary (the garden and the Promised Land, respectively), but both Adam and Israel failed to be a faithful, obedient steward, and both were expelled from the sanctuary God had created for them. But Jesus Christ—the second Adam, the son of Abraham, the son of David—was faithful and obedient to God. Though the world killed him, God raised him to life, which meant that death was defeated. Through his Spirit, God pours into sinners the resurrection life of his Son, creating a new humanity “in Christ.” Those who are “in Christ” move through death into new, re-embodied life and exaltation in God’s sanctuary, there to enjoy his presence forever.

The “bookends” concept of biblical theology illustrates that in the third-to-last chapter of the Bible (Revelation 20) God removes his enemies—Satan, death, and evil—that entered the story line in the third chapter of the Bible (Genesis 3), thus completing the story of redemption. The last two chapters (Revelation 21–22) don’t simply restore the first two chapters (Genesis 1–2); they go beyond them to a world that is fully ordered and holy, in which God is fully present with his people, completing the story of creation. (Chapter divisions in the Bible are, of course, human contributions, not divinely inspired.)

Study Notes

Rev. 22:13 the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. See note on 21:6.

S3:257 Revelation 22:12-13

Listen Now

I'm a sucker for some background noise. When cooking dinner, I'm prone to rewatching the same recycled shows. When I can't give something my full attention, I don't want something fresh. I want familiarity.

Certain stories, though, are familiar in message, yet fresh in perspective. There's something uniquely compelling about these. This passage is one such story. Don't let it become background noise.

As our year's reading started with God in the beginning, so, too, it ends. Yet, there's a twist. God is not only the beginning; He is the end. The Bible is bookended by declarations of God's self-existent life. He is eternal, without beginning or end. These are not hypotheticals; rather, they are the truest facts of the universe. Reality is rooted in God Himself.

Though God is the beginning and the end, he is also deeply concerned with the "middle"—with history, with my life, and with yours. We're prone to forget the middle matters. Yet, Jesus promises to "repay each one for what he has done."

God is perfect, just, and gloriously holy. He cares deeply about the ways we live these middle days. Our lives are not eternally insignificant. Rather, each day is an opportunity to await Christ's return in righteous obedience.

Do you believe you will give an account for every moment of these middle days?

Each moment reflects our devotion to God. As Jesus says, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15) Even on our best days, we do not love God enough to perfectly keep His commandments. Surely, we know this is true. We must be willing to look in the mirror and admit we cannot pass the test. Our love is fickle, our devotion weak.

While we cannot live perfectly, Jesus did. Therefore, God "repays" all who trust in Christ according to what Jesus has already done. His righteousness becomes ours; His success replaces our failure; His life redeems our death. God—beginning, middle, and end—writes us into His own story.

Thus, the hint of failure becomes a beacon of hope. A familiar message, fresh indeed.

This month's memory verse

everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”

– Isaiah 43:7

1. Every day, God gives us an opportunity to faithfully await Christ's return. Do you live with the end in mind? How so?

2. The ways we live within the "middle" deeply matter. Do you consider the importance of your life and give weight to your choices?

3. Christ Himself has perfectly fulfilled the righteous requirement of the Law, thus securing a rich inheritance for all who trust in Him. Yet, we can often neglect the rich blessings we have in Christ, instead focusing solely on our escape from judgment. Consider, for a moment, the wealth of riches available to you in Jesus—love, joy, and peace, to name a few. Why is it easier to see Jesus only as a "get- out-of-jail-free card" than as the source of all of your blessings?

As we gear up to release even more features for Join The Journey in 2025, our staff team, unfortunately, no longer has the margin to continue to support the comment functionality. We have big things in store for Join The Journey 2025. Stay tuned!