My Dear Friend,

Revelation 22 is the last Word on God's Word. It closes the Book of Revelation, the 27-book New Testament, and the entire 66-book Bible. I propose that its message, therefore, is momentous.

In penning his closing words, the apostle John, under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, chose to emphasize the Second Advent. How?

He simply repeated it. Not redundantly or accidentally but purposely, intentionally, intelligently - no less than six times! Why? To leave the thought of Jesus' return uppermost in our minds - lingering as inspired food for thoughtful, life-changing meditation - every time we put down our Bibles.

Some critical scholars may object and claim that, since John could not have known his work would cap the final portion of God's Book, it is erroneous to "read this into the text." But I beg to differ.

John indeed did not know where his apocalypse would end up in the New Testament. That was not finally determined by church leaders until the latter part of the fourth century (AD 367). But God the Holy Spirit, John's heavenly co-Author, knew this all along.

Realizing John's final words would be His final Words, the omniscient One very intentionally, with all history laid out before His foreseeing mind, chose to lead John to clearly and emphatically emphasize Jesus' return. This was no coincidence.

It was providence! Divine planning behind human action for the good of God's people. And, again, John's heavenly co-Author led him to focus on the church's blessed, purifying, anchoring hope six times in Revelation 22.

These references are as follows:

1. VERSE 7 - Jesus speaks, "Behold, I come quickly." "Quickly," of course, is from God's perspective, who considers a thousand years no longer than a day (2 Pet. 3:8-9).

2. VERSE 12 - Jesus again speaks, "Behold, I come quickly," and then adds another key revelation: "and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." This reveals that Christ's Judgment Seat will immediately follow His appearing (the rapture) (1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8).

3. VERSE 17 - The "Spirit" and "bride" (church) say, "Come." The context makes it obvious the Spirit and bride are addressing Jesus. Thus, fully understood, the statement reads, "Come" Jesus!

4. VERSE 17 - Agreeing with the Spirit and bride, John exhorts his readers to respond. "Let him that heareth say 'Come.'" Again, Jesus is being addressed. So, John's call to us is, "Come" Jesus!

5. VERSE 22 - Jesus Himself speaks again, "Surely, I come quickly." "Surely," conveys the thought of, "most assuredly, without any doubt, this is something you can absolutely count on!"

6. VERSE 22 - The apostle John, in full, conscious agreement with His heavenly co-Author and the bride, responds, "Even so, come Lord Jesus!" Is this your response? Mine? Our generation's?

With all this intentional divine repetition before us, may I say, since the Holy Spirit and bride church are calling, yearning, even crying out for Jesus' return, shouldn't we be also? Yet many Christians are just the opposite: indifferent, dismissive, even hostile to it? Does this not suggest that, if we are apathetic or adversarial to the Parousia, something is deeply wrong with us? We're not in agreement with the New Testament. Not attuned to Jesus' last message. Not aligned with God's heart. What has happened?

Something has turned us from full devotion. Perhaps practicing sin, in acts or attitude, has blinded our minds and infected our hearts? Perhaps increasing love of this world has decreased our love of the event by which we will leave it - and trigger a 7-year process of divine judgment that will lead to a new world, one totally unlike this one, the earthly kingdom of Messiah Jesus? Perhaps well intended but errant End-Times teaching has taken the blessing out of our Blessed hope? Perhaps foolish date-setting has made us think Jesus' appearing is foolish? And soured our souls until we now consider our blessed hope a blasted hope?

If so, please consider this: if the Spirit, bride, revelatory apostle, John, and Jesus are all unified crying, "Come, Lord Jesus," and we are not, we have two faults:

1. We are not hearing "what the Spirit sayeth unto the churches" (Revelation 3:22).
2. We are not agreeing with the bride church. Specifically, Christians who by steady, submissive faith and obedience in testing are qualifying to be suddenly taken into Christ's presence when He appears (Revelation 3:10). They all eagerly and expectantly "look for Him" (Hebrews 9:28) and "love His appearing" rather than loathe it (2 Timothy 4:8).

Perhaps a simple example will help: If you read a book and its author closed his work by stating his primary theme no less than six times, you would not fail to get his message. So, don't fail to get the Spirit's message. And the apostle's. And the bride's. And the Lord's.

It is this: the Son is coming back to retrieve His intimate followers. And "quickly" from God's eternal perspective. But there's more.

Biblical signs of the times are everywhere. We know the End Times are very close. So, it is also true that, from our generation's perspective, Jesus is coming "quickly." This should breed not fanatical fervor but holy excitement, a controlled burning, deep in our souls. We should be quietly rapt by the thought of, for the first time, looking upon the face of the One who loved us so much He laid down His life to save us and have us as His own forever.

The Holy Spirit is very excited about our coming rendezvous with the Bridegroom. Why? At that moment, the Holy Spirit's age-long mission will be complete. With all faithful ministers standing beside Him, He will at last officially present the sanctified, tested, mature, Christlike church to the Bridegroom. Mission accomplished!

True bride Christians are also very excited about Jesus' appearing. At that moment they will officially begin their eternal union with Him, sit by His side at the great Marriage Supper, and, after He returns to earth, reign at His right hand for a thousand years!

The apostle John shares their excitement. When Jesus suddenly appears in the sky, at that moment John will see millions of Christians all over the world experiencing bodily the same amazing, instant translation to God's throne he experienced in spirit in AD 95 (Revelation 4:1-2). So, the rapture will personally bless John - and fully validate him for perpetuity as a true prophet.

The Spirit, bride, apostle, and Savior, that's a whole lot of holy excitement! Are you, am I, also excited? It is a most appropriate question.

You see, we Christians are not strangers to excitement. We get excited about many things: making money; succeeding in our profession, trade, or business; politics going our way; finding spouses, or great friends; having property, or possessions of all kinds; gaining positions of power or influence; meaningful achievements; receiving awards or accolades; and so forth. Why mention these objects of excitement?

Because a huge disconnect, a great contradiction, exists. We say we love Jesus with all our hearts, more than any other person or thing. If this is true, actual, and real, we should be far more excited about meeting Jesus face to face than any of the worldly joys cited above. And if we're not, clearly our profession of love for Him is false. Not real. A house of religious feelings not founded on solid facts. And we are self-deceived.

Truly, whoever is not excited about Jesus' coming, or even hostile to it, is not living in full union with the heart of God. Though saved by grace, they are sleepwalking blindly into the madly rushing future. And one day they will be rudely awakened by a shocking rapture of all who truly "love his appearing" (2 Timothy 4:8), cry after it, and prepare for it daily.

Does this excite or incite you? If the latter, please pause and reflect on Revelation 22. Identify what has turned your heart. Surrender your heart, and life, anew. Agree and align with God's Word - and let nothing and no one get you out of line again.

Don't just believe there is a bride. Be the bride! Share the Bridegroom's passion. And remember, prophecy is given for preparation. So, don't be negligent: hasten Jesus' appearing every day by godly living and faithful service. Let the Bible's last words be your last word: Maranatha - He comes!

Crying out for His coming,

Dr. Greg Hinnant

GREG HINNANT MINISTRIES