Timely Words

        The trumpet angel turns to John with a clear message: “These words are faithful and true,” and affirms that they are meant to tell us what must take place shortly [in our time], particularly concerning Christ’s second coming (Rev. 22:6-7). No wonder John is overcome with praise and worship. He is seeing all these things at the start of the last Days. The time “is at hand” (v. 10), unlike in Daniel’s time when the prophet saw the last Day in a vision as well, but was told to seal up the vision for it “refers to many days in the future” (Dan. 8:26).
      End-Time Lesson: Jesus likewise affirms to John that He is coming quickly. In this last time the people need to decide one way or another, for shortly it will be too late. Once again, it is the choice of the tree of life or the knowledge of evil.
         Jesus reminds John that He is “the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (v. 16). The first title refers to the Lord’s Jewish ancestry. The second title refers to the high priest’s prophecy concerning Jesus’ birth as the incarnate God, the Son of Man, the Dayspring (Luke 1:78; 2 Pet. 1:19). He brought salvation to all mankind. Ironically, in Him all earthly titles lose their significance, for He alone is the Anointed Savior of all (Gal. 3:28).
            As His Bride, our avid response to this revelation shouldn’t be confusion or even fear. No, our call to our Beloved should be: “Come! Amen [so be it!]. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen!” This is the timely message we need to be sharing with others. They need to see the comfort, hope, and victory that is ours in Christ Jesus.
            To have this strong sense of comfort, hope, and victory, the Church needs to remember the one thing that Peter told us we need to know about the end-times: how God counts prophetic time. We need to understand God’s appointed times and corresponding seasons in God’s prophetic great Week. Without this timely revelation, we see darkly. We’re left with an ambiguous “soon” that has been going on now for some time.
            Which brings us to the warning included in this last chapter. It is not the warning that is so prominently preached, that we cannot know the time or the hour. No, the true warning is to not add or subtract from this God-given revelation. Doing so has serious ramifications.
            The warning is meant for nonbelievers and the forces of evil, those who say it is all a myth, a grand farce of mankind’s religions. For believers, however, our salvation in Christ is sure. It is not dependent upon our works, but upon God’s grace and Christ’s finished work on the cross.
            The incomplete and obstacle-strewn views of God’s end-time highway that we inherited came because we saw through a mirror darkly. The image wasn’t clear yet because the time to see was not fully at hand. God, in His mercy, understands our unfortunate errors. He knows they were not deliberate, nor meant to bring confusion, even though that was the result.
            Yet now the time is truly at hand. We are the generation that shall see our Lord’s coming at the rapture. Therefore, we need to lay aside our man-made interpretations, the traditions of men, being humble enough to let them go. We need to search the scriptures once again with an open-mind without our own agenda, and see clearly what shall truly take place shortly—as Jesus revealed in this final book.
            “But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to and fro and search anxiously [through the Book], and knowledge [of God’s purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased and become great” (Dan. 12:4, Amplified Version).
            Recognizing this true end-time highway will encourage us to speak the truth boldly. When we add our voice on earth as in Heaven, we can expect a timely move of God, one that brings a revival like no other. I will bring in a miraculous catch of fish into the boat—the Ark of salvation that is Jesus Christ.