If its not worth doing, then don't do it!
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If its not worth doing, then don't do it! |
     
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The Words of the Prophet Revelation 22: 6-21
This week as I was preparing this chapter study of Revelation an idea in verse six caught my attention. Then the words of a song that was popular a long time ago in the sixties kept coming to mind. The phrase was "the words of the prophets are written"! That is as far as my memory would go. I could remember the rhythm, the authors Simon and Garfunkel, but no more. Ever have a little melodic phrase in your mind like that to make you wonder what you had heard and where you had heard it? One that just wouldn't go away? For me it is usually a hymn tune or words, this time it was secular music. Well, I did find that the phrase in question came from a song called The Sound of Silence. I probably spent more time tracking down the trivial phrasing than I should have. However, the theme of the song concerned the failure for people overly busy in life to hear the sounds of silence. The final verse of that song contained the words I vaguely remembered. "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls, tell me more, whispered the sounds of silence." Tell me more was a very quiet echo that I listened two half a dozen times without catching the words. I even had to ask my wife to tell me what I could not quite hear. "Tell me more"! Now please realize those words were not profound, neither are they inspired. But the echo of the refrain in my mind eventually led me to our theme verse in Ezekiel 33: 33. "When all this comes true - and it surely will - then they will know that a prophet has been among them." My process of getting to this verse from where I started is described by C.S. Lewis in one of his books about romantic literature. The word which describes the process is "Florimel". And this process is the pursuing of one object so intensely that you are led indirectly to another object of more importance. C.S. Lewis says that this pursuit like the pursuit of the gold at the end of an Irish rainbow is the basis for all romanticism in literature, art and music. And he strongly hints, that if we would allow ourselves some romantic license to pursue our best dreams, that seeking will eventually lead us to a greater object than we first pursued! This certainly was King Solomon's experience of which you can read chapter after chapter in Ecclesiastes. In the case of Lewis, his romanticism led him by a round about way to Jesus Christ! Of course in his case as well as in our own the key factor in our romantic pursuit is to be blinded by the spiritual light of the Holy Spirit so that we can indeed hear the whispered words of the real prophets of God. Will you listen, but even more importantly, will you even hear? READ: Revelation 22: 6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." The immediate sense of these words of John here may certainly imply the prophetic doom of Jerusalem within a very few years at his recording of these visions. The specific implication is that the visions shown to John are from God the Father. If we today were to see our way clear to understand that some of the more specific passages in this book apply prophetically to the destruction of Jerusalem, then we could more fully be assured of the implications contained in the more obscure passages. Our theme today is similar to the structure of the book of Daniel. In that prophetic book there are very many chapters that are confirmed in greatest detail by later History. However, at a certain point, Daniel like John looks beyond the immediate future and describes the end times still to come. Just like Daniel's prophecy we can see that hard times did come to the Jews in Jerusalem as John was shown by these visions. Just as certainly, we may be assured that all of the words of this book and all of the biblical canon are trustworthy and true. If we come to the point of accepting God's word as being true than we are ready for the promise in verse seven: READ: Revelation 22: 7 "Behold, I am coming soon!" The Apostle John was so overcome by this promise that he again mistakenly attempts to worship at the feet of an Angel. It would be if many of our evangelical ministers would remember these instructions when their members mistakenly make little gods of their leaders. Like the Angel here, all of God's own ministers must remind their flocks that they are fellow worshippers of our Christ. We are all called to worship God alone. But, then we have a another calling to be obedient as we prepare for His coming. See that second phrase of verse seven? "Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." There are also words of warning in verse eleven. Some will continue their present course and continue in sin. But others will continue to follow our Christ. And those who do will find comfort in verse twelve. "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me," A little further along in verse fourteen we find the blessing reserved for the elect. "Blessed are those who are washing their robes". Yes, that is what the Greek implies in its present tense. "Be washing" is our charge. I remember when I was little, the four children in my family were newly washed and ready for Church. Mom and Dad sat us down and told us to stay clean while they put on their good clothes. Within five minutes someone found a mud puddle to wade in. None of the rest of us dared go drag him out! When Mom came out there was one of my brothers with his dirty socks off washing them in the tank of water used to cool the milk cans. He said "I be washing!" So our Lord should find us. "Be washing!" Certainly we are saved once and for all and cleansed from sin by our Lord Jesus Christ. However, we so easily defile ourselves day by day as we live in the pressures of this world, that it is necessary for us to be cleansed continually. "Be washing!" If we are found in this activity we are promised the right to the tree of life and that we will be allowed through the gates of the heavenly city. But be warned, there are several types of people who are locked out. They are described in verse fifteen. These people are not ready for Christ's coming. A while back a student asked me at the end of class one day what I wanted more than anything else. I answered that I wanted Christ to come again immediately. He choked and said he hoped not, because he wasn't anywhere near ready. Please don't want that he said! But this is to be our desire as we see in verse seventeen. The words there should also be translated slightly different like the phrase "Be washing" we should read "Be coming!" "Be coming" that is the ardent prayer to which the bride is moved by the Holy Spirit. And we are invited to join in the chorus as well. And who is invited? Whoever is thirsty, whoever wishes! The gift of sovereign grace is free for the asking! This is the love of God, so touching and tender, which is addressed here to all those who have been made conscious of the need of living water. This is the gospel message to which we are solemnly charged to neither add to nor subtract from. Do you accept these words of the prophet? Are you ready to earnestly pray the prayer at the end of verse twenty? "Come, Lord Jesus." If you are not quite that far into the heavenly kingdom, are you at least willing to mouth the words of our worldly song. "Tell me more"! If you are at least willing to pray that request we may affirm the benediction of the last words of the Bible. "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people." Here we see that all who are willing to submit their will and life to Jesus Christ will receive His grace. Amen.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Box 13926 -- Columbus, OH 43213 Rev 22a 03 June 90
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