Behold I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.
Revelation 22.7
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22.17
I hope the scriptures we have focussed on this week have given you an increasing sense of anticipation as to what awaits you in the new heaven and the new earth. This surely comes out of the amazing descriptions recorded for us and is heightened further as we look on our troubled world.
Not just a sense of anticipation but a sense of longing also to be in the presence of the ‘Lamb who was slain’ our Saviour, who we can now only worship unseen but then face to face in the glory and light of God.
How wonderful therefore to read these words ‘Behold I am coming soon!’ For time bound people living in 24 hour days, 7 day weeks and 52 week years ‘soon’ has a somewhat different meaning when set against eternity but take heart, forget the ‘soon’ for the moment and glory in truth
‘Behold I am coming…’
Believers have been strengthened, encouraged and emboldened by this truth ever since that dramatic moment when Jesus was taken up into heaven with the words of the angel ringing in their ears ‘this same Jesus will come back’ Acts 1.11 and now the closing chapter of our Bible three times repeat ‘Behold I am coming soon’ (vs.7,12,20) and end with ‘Come Lord Jesus’ before the final prayer for God’s grace to be with his people.
Meditate today on the whole of the chapter but note especially the invitation to ‘Come!’ in v.17. That invitation is still open. As Paul writes to the Corinthian church ‘now is the time of God’s favour, now is the day of salvation.’ 2 Corinthians 6.2
Contemplating the glory that awaits us and rejoicing that the invitation is still open, let us pray that we may live lives that commend our Saviour to those who currently have no thought beyond this life, for there is coming a time when a change will be too late (v.11 ).
It may be that reading this your thoughts have been awakened to eternity in a way that has not happened before. If that is the case then accept the invitation of v.17.
Come Lord Jesus!