Word of Salvation – Vol. 46 No.33 – September 2001

 

Living the Vision

 

Sermon by Rev L Douma

on Revelation 22

Scripture Reading: Revelation 22

 

Beloved in the Lord.

For too long the vision of the diaconal calling has not been fully seen.  Often in the past deacons were seen as ‘apprentice elders’.  I have sat in session meetings where it was said, “so and so is too inexperienced to be nominated for elder.  Put him up for deacon and let him get some experience on session”.  Too often the task of the deacon was seen simply as handling the deacons fund for the needy few in the congregation, and for some good causes in the world.

But listen again to what the Form for Ordination says: “Deacons stimulate relief, in Christ’s Name, for victims of poverty, distress and injustice…  Encourage them with words that create hope in their hearts and with deeds that bring joy into their lives…  Deacons are to …study the structures and patterns of modern society so that they may be counsellors to their victims and prophetic critics of waste, injustice and selfishness…  Thereby they show that Christians live by the Spirit of the kingdom, fervently desiring to give life the shape of things to come.”

What a glorious vision.  Deacons are called to lead all of us to struggle against injustice, poverty, whatever brings distress, so that we give hope, so that we give others a glimpse of the glorious life to come.

And what will that life be like?  John has seen it in his vision of the “new heavens and new earth, and the Holy City, the New Jerusalem.”  In chapter 21 John saw this creation completely renewed, made all over again with sin removed.  He saw a world in which there is never again injustice, poverty, distress.  He saw God wiping the tears from the eyes of His people and heard the voice that proclaimed, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

John saw the new Jerusalem absolutely astounding in its size and magnificence, a city representing the church, all the people of God, a city so brilliant, made of gold and jewels and pearls.  Why so magnificent?  Because the city is God’s dwelling place.  God fulfils the covenant of grace and says, “I am your God, you are my people, now my dwelling is with you.”

Now, it is this magnificent vision of the Holy City that is continued in chapter 22.  John, in our text, is now shown by the angel how the city is supplied with water and food.  Ancient cities sometimes had open gutters in the middle of their streets to drain off the rain water and sewage.  But not this Holy City.  It has a river, the “river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.”  Along both sides of the river grows the tree of life, watered by the river.

Now the symbolism here reminds us of the garden of Eden.  In Genesis 2 we read of the river that flowed through the garden and of the “tree of life”.  But here it is not just one tree.  The term “tree of life” is collective.  So there are whole rows of trees along the river, parks full of trees along the street and river.  So the city is full of the river of life and full of parks with the trees of life.  And these trees are full of fruit.  They bear fruit regularly, every month.  Even the leaves of these trees are for healing.

Together these things symbolise the super abundant character of the life to come.  There is food and drink, in full supply for all God’s people all the time – pure water, health and healing, eternal life in the fruit.  Never again, those who hunger and thirst.  Never again, those who are poor, those who struggle with disease and handicap.  Never again, those who suffer under injustice – their cries unheard by those in leadership.  The supply of this water comes from the throne of God and the Lamb itself.

It was in the garden, the Garden of Eden, that the fall into sin occurred.  Adam and Eve took and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  They were driven out of the garden to ensure they did not eat of the tree of life and live forever in sin.  But now at the end of time the garden will be in the Holy City.  God will be with His people all the time and supply all their need.  The will eat and drink and be satisfied.  They will have the right to reach for the tree of life and live eternally.  They will be healed of all the scars of sin.  No longer will there be physical pain.

But then there will also no longer be the spiritual longing, the spiritual pain.  The water of life so often symbolises the Holy Spirit (John 7).  So often the thirst in our lives is for spiritual wholeness, for living lives that are truly in tune with God.  We ache and long for meaning, for joy and peace, for the removal of our doubt, our rebelliousness, our inability to love God fully.  We desire to have a place that is truly home, where we are received openly, fully – no prejudices, no racism, or sexism.  A place to see God the Father and know we are loved.

John says in verse 3, “There will no longer be any curse.  The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city and his servants will serve Him.”  Verse 4: “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.”  No longer any curse – sin gone forever.  And because it’s gone, God’s people can do what Moses longed to do: to see God’s face.

I think the greatest of all the blessings of the new life are expressed in that one phrase, “and they shall see his face”.  Moses was told, “man shall not see me and live”.  The great man of God, Moses, was still a sinner.  But now, through the grace that comes by the Lamb (that was slain) all God’s people are pure, perfect.  Jesus had promised, “the pure in heart shall see God” (Mat.5:8).  How glorious that time shall be – to approach God and the Lamb – and be in their presence as Father and child, loved and loving in return – a people belonging in God’s presence.

When John says, “and his name will be on their foreheads”, he means, like in Revelation 7 and 14, that we will be sealed with His Spirit – that we will have the character of God.  As we look upon God, our faces will display His likeness.  Already now the Spirit is transforming us to be more and more like Jesus.  But then we will truly reflect the character of our Father.  Then we will truly live as we were meant to live.  We will display without any sin that we are God’s image bearers, looking after all creation as His stewards.  We will care for the world and each other, as God Himself would do, searching God’s thoughts after Him in our discoveries, being caring and gentle as our Father, being creative and insightful, wise – developing the earth as God designed.  No longer pollution and waste, no longer abuse and greed, no longer injustice and tyranny.

This is what John means when he says there will be no more night.  The darkness in the Bible stands for evil, injustice, wrong.  It’s in the night, in the darkness, under cover of secrecy that wrong is done, that bribes are made, that drunkenness and orgies take place.  Isaiah speaks of the people being in darkness, being oppressed, poor, hungering.  But then the light shines in the darkness – the Christ comes.  But now the Lamb is with the people all the time.  There is no longer darkness.  God Himself gives His light all the time.

It reminds us of the benediction in Numbers 6, “The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.”  The imagery here in Revelation, of the constant light because of God’s presence, symbolises God’s eternal benediction over His people.  What they are and what they do is good and perfect.  The Lord’s face shines upon it all and blesses His children.

That is the vision, the “shape of things to come.” That is what we have to make clear to the world.  And our deacons are called to give this vision practical expression – encouraging all of us to care for the poor, strive for justice, battle against greed, give hope to the down hearted, so that we give a taste of the eternal life on the new earth, a taste that has people thirsting for more – for the Christ.

John having told his readers of all he saw in his vision, from verse 6 to the end, we have the conclusion or epilogue of his letter to the churches.  There are two main themes in this conclusion.  First, the authenticity of this letter as divine revelation.  Second, that Jesus is coming quickly.

You can well imagine that folk in John’s time, as well as throughout history, have found the visions of Revelation all a bit hard to believe.  Maybe it was seen as nonsense or too good to be true.  But we see that three times in this conclusion we have a testimony to the truth.

First in verse 6, the angel says to John, “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.”  We are reminded that what John saw and wrote down was not just his own imaginings.  They are a revealing from God.  This pastoral letter to the seven churches is a prophecy of things to come.  Things that could not be known unless God revealed them.

The angel describes God as “the God of the spirits of the prophets”.  God controlled the spirit or natural manner of each prophet in such a way that he used their manner and character to bring across His divine Word.  If we know our Old Testament well, we will see that so much of Revelation was foretold by the Old Testament prophets.  For example, the vision of the river and tree of life are all seen in Ezekiel 47.  What John is giving the churches in his letter is the inspired Word of God.  They are trustworthy and true.

Second, John himself bears witness.  In verse 8 he writes, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things.”  And what John saw so overwhelmed him that he fell to the ground to worship at the feet of the angel.  John did not just sit back and use his imagination.  What he saw “knocked him off his socks”.  Stuff that overwhelmed him, that made him weep, that took his breath away, that made him fall to the ground in worship.  He had insights that could only come from God.

Third, we see that Jesus bears testimony to the truth.  Verse 16: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you (plural) this testimony to the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”  Jesus here conjures up in these few words the whole Old Testament.  He also shows His divinity and humanity.  He is David’s offspring, born in David’s city Bethlehem.  But He is also the root of David – his God before all time.  Jesus is Himself the Morning star – that which we see in the sky as the promise that the night is nearly over.  As Jesus came the first time, that which we celebrate as Advent and Christmas – bringing light to the long night of sin – so He will come again.

And the promise is that He will come again quickly.  Again three times we read in this epilogue (vss.7,12, 20) the words of Jesus “I am coming soon.”  Now someone will say, “coming soon?  It’s the end of the second millennium, we’re in the 2000s AD, and still Jesus has not returned.”  Yes, but do you realise that Jesus has been coming all those years.  Remember all that stuff about the seals, the trumpets, the bowls.  Throughout history, the trumpets have been blowing, catastrophes have occurred, judgments of God to have people see the evil in the world and come to Him.  We see the despair inflicted by the scorpions in the attitudes of so many today.

And throughout all those years the gospel has been preached.  The “two witnesses” have told of Jesus.  The church has spread.  Everywhere there are those who follow the Lamb.  History moves closer and closer to its final end.  But it will not come until the final number of God’s elect have come to know Christ as Lord.  There is a sense in which if we want the great day to arrive quicker, we had better get out and work harder at evangelism, and strive more to bring the various parts of our lives and work under the control of Christ.  Yes, Jesus is coming quickly, without any delay.  But all must first be fulfilled.

In saying that Jesus comes quickly, there is the sense of expectancy.  If Revelation had said, “Jesus is coming in 2050″, we would all slacken off until the year before (and then go crazy).  But Jesus’ coming is always imminent.  We are always to be ready – today, now.  Today is the day to prepare.  Today is the day to repent.  John is told in verse 10: “Do not seal up the prophecy of this book for the time is near.”  In other words “get this message out, John” – tell the seven churches, tell the world.  In fact, John is told the time is so near that it’s (just about) too late to repent and change.  That’s why he is told (vs 11) “let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right, let him who is holy continue to be holy.”  There comes a point when, despite all our witness and pleading, a person hardens themselves in their wrong, and because it’s too late, we let them go.  That shows how near to the end Revelation sees things.

Change, repent now.  John says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates to the city.”  He means, blessed are those who are washed clean by the blood of the Lamb – if we have come to Jesus and acknowledged our sin, and accepted Him as Saviour and Lord – we may enter this wonderful city to come.  But if we have not done this, then we are not allowed in (cf.vs.15).  Please don’t stall on this most important matter.  Coming to be God’s child is not a matter of being decent and middle class do-gooders.  Revelation says, “Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”  You see, it’s a free gift to whoever longs to meet and know God, and be reconciled with Him.

Now, if we are already God’s children, by faith, then how do we act while we wait.  We show that we are God’s children by our deep longing.  Verse 17: “The Spirit and the Bride say ‘Come!’”  Verse 20: “Amen, come Lord Jesus.”  A bride, deeply in love, cannot wait for the bridegroom to come.  Every day she will listen for his footsteps, she will look out for signs of his coming.  So, you and I are to live in faith each day, living in expectation that today could be the day that Jesus comes and brings the new heavens and the new earth.  If we live like that, then we will not stumble at the awful warning John has near the end of this letter (cf.vss.18,19).

In our congregation we have a high view of the Scriptures.  I don’t think there is anyone who would take away from the words of Revelation by saying that we think some of the visions were nonsense, or that we do not believe that God will bring judgement or whatever.  Nor would we add our own ideas.  We accept it, in faith, as the Word of God.  But I wonder if we are aware that we can take away words from this book of prophecy by the way we live.  Someone has said, “What we do is what we say”.  If we do the deeds of Christ, we say to Him, “come”.  But if we do the deeds of the dragon, of satan, we are saying, “do not come”.

We said that the vision of the deacons is to help those they assist to get a glimpse of the world to come.  By caring, striving for justice, showing Christ’s compassion, we give others a clue as to how God wants things to be and will one day make it.  But what if we, Christians, are not showing Jesus and His grace to the world?  What if we are greedy, caring little for others, enjoying great gains because of unjust systems?  Do we then not stifle the vision?  Do we not take away words from the book of the vision of what is to come?  If people in the church have no care to follow God’s commands, they beg the question as to whether they are really His.

Having seen the visions of John, let us respond with him and take on board all it implies: “Amen.  Come Lord Jesus.”  Then the grace of the Lord Jesus will be with all of us, as God’s people.

Amen.