trusted online casino malaysia
Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
The Scriptorium

"Come!"

Even so, Lord...

Revelation 21, 22: The Seventh Facet

Week 10, Saturday: Maranatha!
Our passage for today makes it quite clear that working out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2.12) is an important aspect of preparing for the return of the Lord. We must do the good works for which we have been redeemed (Eph. 2.10); however, not in order to earn salvation, but to express and complete it.

A wedding feast is being prepared, and they who are not clothed for it will be shut out from it (Matt. 22.1-14).

Read Revelation 22

Meditate on Revelation 22.12-17
1.      The message of the book of Revelation is the same as all the rest of Scripture where the matter of works is concerned: We’re not saved by works, but we’re not saved without them. Explain.

2.      According to Revelation, where should we look to discover the works Jesus expects of us (cf. Jms. 1.22-25; Rev. 12.17; 22.14)? How does Psalm 1 counsel us concerning this? How about Matthew 5.17-19?

3.      The good works believers do gives them “the right” to a place in the City to Come (v. 14)? The Greek word here is “authority.” Obedience to God’s Law gives believers a certain “authority” with God. But as we set out each day to do these works, what must we always bear in mind (Rev. 22.1, 2; Phil. 2.12, 13)? How should this affect our view of the good works we are able to do (cf. Rev. 4.10, 11)?

4.      Verse 16 reminds us that Jesus is the “last word” on the book of Revelation, as on everything else. He cites two forms of divine revelation to reinforce the truth of His sovereign rule. One of these derives from Scripture, and one from the revelation of God in creation. How does each suggest and bear witness to the authority and sovereignty of Christ?

5.      A day of judgment is coming, and our works will feature in it. Yet John indicates that, with the Spirit, our attitude should be one of eagerness (v. 17). Why? How does the second part of this verse “dip into” the hope which is to come (vv. 1, 2; cf. Rev. 21.6) and bring it from the there and then into the here and now?

My Reflection
What opportunities for expressing and completing your salvation do you anticipate today? How can you prepare for these so that, when the opportunity arises, you’ll be sure to make the most of it (Eph. 5.15-17)?

The Glory of God
Meditate on Matthew 5.13-16. On the day of judgment, how will our good works make it clear that we have “the right” to a place in the City to Come? What are the implications of this for our lives here and now?

Glory to Glory
Revelation 22.15 mentions several hindrances that can keep us from realizing more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God – keeping us from entering more fully into the City to Come in the here and now of our lives. How might you expect to encounter each of these hindrances during a typical week? How should you prepare to recognize and resist these, so that you can continue “overcoming” for Christ and His Kingdom?

Memorize
Recite Revelation 21.6, 7. Share this verse and what you’ve learned from it with a fellow believer today.

Closing Prayer
The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.
Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

Psalm 126.3-6

T. M. Moore

Download the studies for week 10, and all previous weeks, by clicking here.

The book of Revelation is the culminating episode in the story of God’s covenant. To learn more about that covenant, and to discover the way it integrates all of Scripture into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, order a copy of T. M.’s book, I Will Be Your God, by clicking here.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

Subscribe to Ailbe Newsletters

Sign up to receive our email newsletters and read columns about revival, renewal, and awakening built upon prayer, sharing, and mutual edification.