Revelation Teaches us how to Live Today.
“Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy. Look, I am coming soon, bringing my reward with me to repay all people according to their deeds.” Revelation 22:11-12.NLT
Prophecies like Revelation are not given to satisfy our curiosity about the future, but to teach us how to live today.
First-century Christians tended to read texts like the above in a similar fashion. As time went on, they were tempted to think that the Lord was becoming slack in the performance of His promises (2Pet.3:9). But Peter pointed out that the seeming delay of the Advent was due to God’s desire that all would come to repentance. The time between Christ’s first and second comings are an extension of His grace. God’s desire to save is so great that even those who scoff against the reality of His coming receive an extended opportunity to repent.
Those who have genuine faith, however, will find that their faith gets stronger and stronger as the delay gets longer and longer. The key to this text is not the timing of Jesus’ return but the identity of the One who is returning. Those who are waiting for the return of a great friend find their anticipation growing as the time of separation increases. When my wife is away visiting family in Brazil, she gets more beautiful by the day, and my desire to be with her increases with time. There is always a great reunion!
It is out of a living relationship with Jesus that confidence in His soon return is maintained. While we must live each day as if it were our last one on earth, the delay will not destroy that relationship.
For each day of our lives, the word is, “He is coming soon!”
V12 There are two parts to this text. We tend to seize on the former and ignore the latter. The crucial message is not the nearness of the End, but the fact that our behaviour today affects our reward then.
Prophecies like Revelation are not given to satisfy our curiosity about the future, but to teach us how to live today. Ignoring this principle can have sad and deadly consequences. This statement of v12 is not a message of salvation by works. Our good works will always only ever be an indication of our faith. While it is true that no one will be saved by good works it is also true that no one will be saved without them. The tree bears fruit naturally.