Revelations 22:12-21 (NIV)
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
What must first observe here: The City, The New Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb) was brought down from Heaven after the rapture and wedding banquet (Revelations 21:2-10). Inside of it are those who were saved from the wrath of GOD under Grace. These people who will be rewarded in this chapter 22 were not included in the rapture to the Wedding of the Lamb in Heaven. They were left out here on earth to witness the wrath of GOD because they depend on their works and not the works of GOD in them, those who lived in lie. CHRIST JESUS may let them enter the city at the end, and join the people who were inside(raptured people). Jesus may also give them life as reward for their good works to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life. The Truth:Rewards are both spiritual and material blessings, but Salvation is a grace not a reward.
Going to our main topic: Jesus is our Beginning and our End. It means that Jesus is the main source of all Creations. He was not a creation, but our Creator. And at the end, we are all going to face Him to be our God, as Our Savior?, or God, as Our Judge?
John 1:1-3, 14 says;
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Jesus is the Word, the GOD, the Creator who became flesh. And not only that, we are all created in His Image. Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let US make mankind in OUR image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” GOD here is Elohim, the plural God. He exists here with His Spirit and His Word.
John the Baptist in John 1:15 testified that although he is older by age to Jesus of 3 months, he knew through the Spirit that Jesus existed before him. The New Testament says; “John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”
Jesus Christ also revealed that He existed before Abraham to the Jews. In John 8:53-58 says;
53 The Jews asked Jesus, “Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55 Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
St Paul told in Colossians 1:16-17
16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together
Jesus Christ is The Almighty GOD, the Beginning and the End. He is not only a prophet but more than a prophet.(Matthew 11:9)
Take note that no prophets in the Old and New Testament had released the Holy Spirit to anyone except Christ Jesus.
In Numbers 11:25, It is GOD who gave Moses His Spirit, and then afterwards got some of Spirit from Moses and put it to seventy elders. I quote, “Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him; and He took some of the Spirit who was upon Moses and put Him upon the seventy elders.” But in the New Testament, Jesus Himself gave the Holy Spirit to His disciples. In John 20:22, it states; “And when He said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
So going further on Jesus Christ’s Almightiness, we know that Isaiah’s prophecy was about Jesus Christ as our GOD and Savior. Let’s take note of the following:
Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 44:8
“This is what the Lord says—
Israel’s King and Redeemer,
the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
apart from me there is no God
And then in the New Testament, Jesus Christ send His message to John the Apostle in
Revelation 1:7-8
7“Look, he is coming with the clouds,”
and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,
“who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Revelation 19:11-13
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.
With all these Scriptures above, we all creations could not deny that we all begin in Jesus, and will end in Him too. So, we should also heed in St. Paul’s advice;
Romans 14:8
“ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.”
Philippians 3:7-11
7 “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.”
To GOD be the Glory, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, AMEN.
Amen!