Skipping Ahead to the Last Page

The scriptures include Revelation 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21.  It was preached on June 2, 2019 at Florence Communities Vespers service that afternoon..

Skipping Ahead to the Last Page

This is the 7^th Sunday of Easter,

next Sunday is Pentecost;

an ending before something new begins.

Our scripture today comes from the last chapter,

the last verses of

the last book of the Bible.

So, is it an ending or a beginning?

As you and I look at these verses today,

we are in a way, skipping ahead to the last page.

Have you done that?

Skipped ahead and read the last page of a book

while you are still reading it?

maybe it was a mystery,

and you really wanted to know

-who did it;

maybe it was a romance novel

and you really needed to know

-if there is a happily ever after;

maybe you needed to know

-if good prevails.

For me, on the occasion or two I have read ahead,

it re-assured me and did not take away any of the joy

of reading of how the story goes;

I like the journey, how does everything flow together

to get to the conclusion, the happy ending,

the moment of triumph.

Today’s scripture is from Revelation,

the final chapter, the final verses.

You and I can recite how the Bible begins in Genesis…

In the beginning when God created

the heavens and the earth,

the earth was a formless void and

darkness covered the face of the deep…

Yes, I want to know more,

…and there are 66 books in the Bible to read

before getting to the last page.

How will it end?

Who did it?

Is there a happily ever after?

Does good triumph?

All that comes between is important,

the history,

the covenants,

the wisdom,

the good news -there is joy in that journey!

So, what does the last page tell us?

It reminds us that God is present

in all times, all places, always:

the Alpha and the Omega,

the first and the last,

the beginning and the end.

Before creation,

in Eden,

with the Old Testament patriarchs, people, and prophets,

in the Gospels

with the first disciples of Jesus, the early church,

and beyond the scriptures,

reaching to the present and beyond:

there is the Alpha and Omega.

God is present before the beginning of history

and will be there beyond the ending.

The Revelation given to John

is a complicated book to study and understand.

There is the context of the day, the Roman Empire,

the uncertainties of the early church, and

the hope for the future, especially in their lifetime...

Come, Lord Jesus!

These words, for John, are a declaration of joy and

a prayer for God’s promises being fulfilled.

Those simple words as prayer,

sums up the theological focus of the entire book.;

from the words in chapter one

Grace to you and peace from him

who is and who was,

and who is to come…

And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…

to the vision of the new Jerusalem

to the last chapter where you and I hear about

the river of the water of life,

the tree of life, and the city by the gates.

The prayer Come, Lord Jesus! is a faithful confession.

John desires to see the revelation of his visions

to be brought to the reality of the world;

to experience God’s kingdom,

promises fulfilled,

the light that shines in the darkness,

the grace of God that comes through Jesus.

A quote from Mitchell Reddish’s commentary on Revelation:

“To pray for the coming of Christ is

to pray for God’s triumph over sin, evil, and death.

To pray for the Parousia is to pray

for a world of compassion, nonviolence,

love, joy, and justice.

To pray for the coming of God’s kingdom is

to pray that God’s world

will be healed and renewed.”¹

As you and I skipped ahead to the last page,

we can be assured of the answers to the questions:

Who did it?

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.

Is there a happily ever after?

Yes, God is Lord! God’s Kingdom reigns!

Does good triumph?

Evil may reign for a time;

yet in the end, good will prevail!

The light is coming!

The ending of the book of Revelation is not the end

of our call for discipleship,

for what you and I can do in the present,

for our prayers.

We worship,

we praise,

we witness to the Good News.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.”
And let everyone who hears say, “Come.”
And let everyone who is thirsty come.

You and I have faith for what is to come:

for healing and renewal: Come, Lord Jesus!

for unity, fellowship, and peace: Come, Lord Jesus!

for joy, love, and mercy: Come, Lord Jesus!

for justice and restoration: Come, Lord Jesus!

for the light of God’s Kingdom: Come, Lord Jesus!

John’s final words are a benediction for all believers:

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.

And may we together also shout Amen!

1 SMYTH & HELWYS Bible Commentary -Revelation by Mitchell G. Reddish -page 436