Corona Chronicles - Crown of Gold

Okay. Welcome back to corona chronicles. And yesterday we were looking at this stunning garden city, this restored Eden, this fruitful tree across the healing of the nations, the center of the new creation. And now we're we we've kind of, as is always happening in revelation, we've given a vision of heaven, a vision of the future, and then we're we're pulled back down to earth to see what about now and that's the kind of thing that's going on here. So we're in verse 6 of chapter 22.

The angel said to me these words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the god who inspires the prophet sent his angel to show his servant the things that must soon take place. Look, I am coming soon. Belested is the 1 who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll. I, John, I'm the 1 who heard and saw these things.

And when I had heard and seen him, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. But he said to me, don't do that. I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all, keep the words of this scroll. Worship God. Then he told me do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll because the time is near.

That the 1 who does wrong continue to do wrong, let the vile person continue to be vile, let the 1 who does right continue to do right, and let the holy person continue to be holy. So here we are at the end of all these things and we're given a reminder of what we sort of saw at the beginning of the book -- Yeah. -- which is that these words are trustworthy and true. And then actually they're from God. Yes.

And they've given to us to show us what might soon take place that we would keep what's written in this role, but we would be obedient. And it's cut yeah. It's just kind of like a final reminder, isn't it? It's sort of at the beginning. This is what this is.

Then at the end, now that was what that was. Yeah. Now, bless this 1, you you keeps this. Yeah. Yeah.

Absolutely. And I and I think that that is such an important principle. Net that that these words and and this this does I think refer to the entire book and by extension the entire bible, you know, this is that the Bible and this message of Revelation is inspired of God. You know, it is God's breathed out words -- Yeah. -- which he has passed on through his prophets, through his servants, through his apostles such that what we have is is the true word of the living God.

And that gives us great confidence, doesn't it? That Babylon is gonna fall. Yes. The new creation is gonna come. This isn't just John's opinion.

You know, it's it's the word of God as revealed to John. And as you say, you know, the the blessing is in hearing and keeping. Yeah. It's not just for mental stimulation. No.

I also add to a library of religious literature. Mhmm. The the blessing is in is in the obedience. To do it. It reminds me that seam of Jesus is walking along and somebody says, blessed is the mother who birthed you and who raised you.

And he turns back saying blessed rather are those who hear the word have got in a bay. Yeah. In other words, that's where the blessing is in hearing and obeying. Not just having a kind of association with with Jesus in the words. So that's that's that's that's an imperative to us, isn't it?

Yep. To to obey things we've seen him. Yeah. And I mean, the there's a warning that goes along with that in there. Because we're we're told the time is near.

So therefore, and also this sort of last section in verse 11 that the 1 who does wrong continue to do wrong with the vile person continued to be vile, like the 1 who does right, continue to be right, the holy person continue to be holy. So there's there is there's a there's a warning here as well, isn't there? So the time is coming soon. Yes. Therefore, what are you gonna do about it?

Are you gonna be 1 of the righteous who who keeps the words that we've heard here. Yeah. Or are you gonna be someone who, you know, you stay stuck in your ways perhaps you went into this at the beginning, adamant, and then you're coming out the other end, sort of still adamant that you're not going to serve him. Yeah. Yeah.

There's a warning, you know. Yeah. The time is near, so be careful. Yeah. Absolutely.

And I think it's a it's a kind of ironic statement, isn't so it's not that the vile people have got no hope -- Yeah. -- because we were vile people, you know. But it it it's rather as, you know, as you said, it choose your course. You know, stick You know, whatever you choose, you choose it, you stick with it, you know. And there's that bit at the end of Joshua, you know, where where he says, look, basically, you wanna serve the pagans, you wanna serve the other gods.

You go do it. Yeah. But as for me at my house, we're gonna serve for Lord. Yeah. Because you make your choice now like what what are you gonna do?

And that's that's the point here, isn't it? Look, come on, trust in cross, be found among the holy people, and then pursue that path. Yes. But if you if you if you wanna live in rebellion, if you hate God, you know, that you pursue your path. Come what mate.

Yeah. It's that it's that kind of thing, isn't it? But even that is kind of a sort of a bit of a challenge, isn't it? Yeah. It's like it's kind of It's sort of putting into the test.

And none of this would have been given to us if we weren't able to change our course. Yeah. You know, the point of all of this is to show us the futility of following our own hearts and -- It is. -- and Babylon. And it's the whole thing is an invitation, isn't it?

Like an invitation. Come and join the the banquet for that. Yeah. And come to the wedding feast. Come into this garden city.

It is summer is. Yeah. And it's it's a wonderful thing and, you know, again, this verse 10 do not seal up the words of the prophecy. In other words, you know, this is This is not just for some far off distant future. This is a prophecy for today for John's generation and for our generation.

And, you know, by God's grace, that's what we've been trying to do in this whole series -- Yeah. -- is to is to not seal up. Yeah. But to break the seal if you like on prophecy and to to explore it together. And did such a reflection of our world today, isn't it?

As we've been going through it, we we just think, well, how is this is a description of the world that we're in. Yeah. And this and, you know, we have the same calls to God, you know, how long, when will you come back? We long for the curse to be over. Yeah.

So yeah. Right. It's not something that's sealed up. Just to be sealed up all or for a different time. Yeah.

It's totally relevant for us. It is. Totally. And, you know, the encouragement here is, you know, look I'm coming soon. And, you know, although although, you know, it's been, you know, thousands of years since these words were penned, I think whilst, you know, that's not very soon.

Actually, we're told, you know, with the lord of days is a thousand years and a thousand years is is a day and he's not slow in keeping his promises and so whenever we read this, we are to think, yeah, the lord Jesus is coming soon. Yes. He's coming soon. You know, it may take a while, but he's coming too. Yeah.

That's the kind of balance work that we're in here. And we're to live with that anticipation, aren't we? 1 of our pizzas about it, which is, you know, Jesus doesn't come back. Within your lifetime. You've only got 80 years on this world anyway.

Yeah. So for you it is soon. For you it is soon, regardless of when, you know, this happens. You you will come face to face with the And that is soup. And that is soup.

So, yeah, that's that's good, isn't it? Yeah. And then there's this interesting thing which we've had repeated haven't we? Where John is sort of taken up with the the angel and the message and begins to try to worship the angel. Yeah.

And once again, he rebukes in verse 9. Don't do that. Mhmm. You know? And the point is, look, you know, you you need to honor the source of this message rather than the messenger.

Yeah. What a great thing that is that we probably ought to be doing that to each other, aren't we? We see a brother or a sister starting to worship something in their lives. We just -- Yeah. -- we should probably get alongside them like this angel.

It's not really a harsh rebuke because it's just -- Yeah. -- well, maybe it is. But it's just an encouragement like, come on, look to something bigger. Yeah. You know, you're you're impressed by me.

Yeah. How much more impressive as the face of God. Yeah. So, you know, keep looking to that. Yeah.

I remember hearing 1 chap quoting Preacher, I don't know who it was that was and his motto was basically preach Christ die and be forgotten. Yes. You know? Yeah. You know, that that the whole point here is not to 1 of myself -- Sure.

-- that not that you honor the source of the message, be the messenger. Yeah. But that you honor Christ and then forget all about it. Yeah. How many countless ministers over the decades and the centuries have done that.

Yeah. And we have no idea about, but we're here today because of their faithfulness their faith of work. Absolutely. Absolutely. So wonderful stuff.

We we've got a prophecy here that we need to read, that we need to open, that we need to obey. Because these words are true and Jesus is coming soon. So let's choose our course and and come to come to him ultimately and we'll see you tomorrow.