Revelation 22 - The Grand Adventure - God's Love Story
John wrote to encourage the early church about events that would happen in their lifetime. He wrote to both encourage them and warn them. We hear in this final chapter this verse, “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed are those who obey the words of prophecy written in this book” (22:7). God (the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega, the source of David and the heir to his throne) sent the angel to give the message to the churches through the beloved Apostle John (22:16).
The churches were to turn back to God, remain faithful, repent of evil deeds, go back to full faith, persevere, and be diligent turning away from indifference to rich fellowship with Jesus (Revelation chapters 1-3).
The story of the Bible is a love story. God desperately and faithfully loves His people. Jesus longs to be with his people and He desperately wants His people to long for His company. It’s also a story that shows time and again that we are constantly at risk of drifting away from God. Our sinful desires entice us and take us to places where we ought not to be, doing things we ought not to do.
The King’s commands are good and lead to the good life. But whether it be by giant leaps or tiny incremental movements we can become the people God describes in Revelation 21:8 (cowards, unbelievers, murderers, the immoral, etc.). It takes trust in Christ, self-control, and discipline to be the man or woman of God that we are meant to be.
Jesus repeats in Revelation that when He returns He will judge all people according to our deeds (Rev. 16:11, 18:5-6, 19:8, 20:13, 22:12). So, as Jesus commands the early churches so too the churchman now ought to have the same focus, putting our faith into action. We conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:21). Be brave. Encourage. Influence for good. Expose evil. Speak out when churchmen worship idols and steal for themselves the glory that belongs only to the Lamb of God. Build up the churches. Make disciples of Jesus. Help those in need of food, heat, and safety. Give your best to God.
God is extremely patient with His church. Thank God! We are a stubborn lot—that’s why He calls us sheep. But we are also His prized possession, and God is and will continue to do great things through His people, showing His power and the goodness and grandeur of His plan of salvation.
I end my commentary on this blessed book with a quick story of a friend of mine, Wally. He’s dead now, but Wally made a lasting impact on me. I can still hear him praying, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.” It’s hard to read this last chapter of Revelation without thinking of him.
When we first moved to Lynchburg back in 2019 we joined the big mega-church in town (more on that story another time) and we hosted a Bible study at our home for about three years (we stopped when we stopped attending that church). It was a great group of people, with anywhere between six and 16 of us meeting every Tuesday night. We met all through COVID and God was always with us as we gathered to study His word, pray, and fellowship. (Even before we were baptized 24 years ago we started opening up our home to Bible study and fellowship. Those fellowship times with other believers have been some of the greatest treasures and privileges of this life.)
Anyway, one of the members of that Bible study group was Wally. He was a PhD business professor who seemed to have lived many lives. He had a career in the armed forces then 20 some years in healthcare IT, then over 30 years teaching at the university. He was 84 when he died, but you’d never know it as he had a big head of white hair and he looked and talked more like he was late 60s or early 70s. He zipped around Lynchburg in his gold Honda Accord. He loved teaching business students and if they couldn’t afford textbooks he’d buy them and ship them at his own expense. He tried for years to convince others of the importance of artificial intelligence and just before he died he finished writing a textbook on artificial intelligence.
He had more influence than he knew. He convinced our small group that we needed to go to Sight and Sound up in Lancaster Pennsylvania (something we did twice as a group) and he never missed a potluck and was proud one time to show us his beautiful house as he hosted us for a potluck.
But Wally carried with him deep sadness and discontent. His wife of over 50 years had died two years before we met him and he missed her dearly. With no exaggeration, I can say that Wally wept over Judy every time we met with him for three years. He had a broken heart. He would pray earnestly for God to take him to heaven so that he could be with Judy.
Lots of things irritated Wally. I think he’d gotten to the age that he didn’t mind sharing what other polite Southerners may keep to themselves. He despised poor management in organizations and what he saw as greed and hypocrisy in the Lynchburg churches. He said that it had been years since anyone had invited him into their homes and that he felt abandoned by the church after his wife died. He would weep with thanksgiving as he told us how much he loved us and was thankful for being able to gather together and pray. Wally desperately and deeply loved Jesus, but he was so lonely. Wally said that patiently serving his wife as she battled cancer was nothing compared to the bitter loneliness without her loving company.
Wally shared openly with us that despite his old age he still battled sin and that evil spiritual forces were attacking him in his loneliness and old age as much as at any time in his life. I’ll never forget as we laid hands and prayed for another member of our group for healing that Wally, like a little boy asking a parent for permission to go play, asked us if we could do the same for him. He was old-school Southern Baptist, but oh how he longed and thirsted for the power of the Holy Spirit to wash over him. I wish I’d been a better friend to Wally. I’m so thankful for the time that we had with him.
Wally had a kind of robotic and funny, repetitive way of praying. But he prayed earnestly. I’ll never forget how he kept asking Jesus to take him home. I thought that odd, but he’d say as he wept, “Come, Lord Jesus.” When our Bible studies and prayers would end Wally would often be the first to leave. And in like fashion, he would also be the first to show up (sometimes he got confused about the time and would show up an hour early).
I got a text message from a friend of mine about two years ago now. Wally had flown out west to visit an old buddy and while there he had a massive stroke. Just like that, the lean active, energetic, thoughtful, loving dad and grandpa was gone. No more teaching MBA students. No more frustrating edits to the never-ending textbook on AI. No more writing, and teaching. No more taking students to China and Europe (as he’d done dozens of times). No more weeping and crying and pleading with God to bring him to his beloved Judy. No more tears. Wally's prayers were answered - he left this life and moved on to eternity.
I like honest people and those who don’t suffer fools lightly. Wally was like that. He could be brutally honest. Some of his quirks were a little wacky, but God has a deep sense of humor; we’re all quirky. Wally hated slow drivers, boring stories, and rude people. He loved good discussions, kind people, Bible study, key lime pie, being invited to potlucks, and any opportunity to talk about his grandkids. But his most prized discussion, and the one that always brought him to tears - was his precious Judy.
I’m sorry for droning on about my friend. He was a flawed man, just like the rest of us. But I want to encourage you to put your faith in action as the days are short. You are making a mark on others - make it a good one. Remember that we don’t have to agree on everything (I disagreed with some of Wally’s soteriology and eschatology), but we wholeheartedly agreed on what matters most - our deep love and trust in Jesus. And in Jesus’ promise of eternal life with Him in the world to come.
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people” (22:21). Those are ancient words, true and wonderful words. The final words of the Bible. I ask that you pray those words with me today.
Lord Jesus thank You for our dear friends, the people You place in our lives. Thank You for Your church as she shines in good deeds. Thank You for Your grace and for the patient way You teach us. Thank You for free will and for love - deep loving relationships giving us a glimpse of how much You love us.
Help us dear God to worship You alone. Thank You for the truth of the words of the prophecy in Revelation. Please give Your churches all they need to serve You well and to grow in good deeds.
Father, thank You for Your disciple. May Christ Jesus be increased in everything and may we not boast in anything but the Cross. May we be willing to give everything to You, Lord God, holding nothing back. May our friends and neighbors be blessed and may we be the ones to bless them. May You hold dear our family and friends who have gone on ahead of us to eternity. May we be cheerful today as we listen intently and serve joyfully. Thank You, Lord God, for Your promise to return, for the promised new heavens and new earth, and for Your promise that those who believe in the Son of God have their name written in the Book of Life. May all who hear Your voice and Your offer of salvation trust in You alone. Amen.
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