TEXT: Revelation 22:12-21
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
The Free State of Glory (Part 52): Better Days Ahead
This weekend, the new Star Wars film, The Last Jedi, hit theaters. Predictably, it followed in the footsteps of its eight predecessors for the sheer behemoth size of its cultural footprint — something which has lasted since 1977. As many have tried to explain why the series is so enduring, observers seem to circle back repeatedly to one word: hope. In a galaxy filled with an unrelenting dark force, a seemingly infinite supply of evil, merciless, brainwashed soldiers, and not one, but three planet-destroying weapons, what keeps the battered, ragtag Resistance going? Hope. A belief that, at some time in the future, better days are coming.
Hope for the future is something we all can identify with. It is a constant human endeavour to look ahead to what will presumably be better days. The world as we know it is filled with heartbreak, pain, woe, and numerous reasons to think that there is only worse down the road. Yet, God has put within each of us a spirit that says, “No matter what is happening now, there must be better days ahead.” Even though the book of Revelation deals largely with judgement to come, it is undeniably filled with this sense of hope. And, as we close in on the final few verses of the Revelation, this sense of hope surfaces once again.
In verse 16, Jesus speaks, telling us that better days are coming. He says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” The churches of John’s day regularly faced violent persecution. Many believed that the end of the world was already upon them. How wonderful it was for the churches who received John’s Revelation to hear from Jesus, their King, Himself! John Walvoord writes, “The entire Book of Revelation was delivered by Christ through His angel and is for the churches. Christ described Himself as the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. Historically Christ comes through David. Prophetically His Coming is like the morning star, the beginning of a bright new day.”
Warren Wiersbe said, “Our Lord’s titles in Revelation 22:16 are most interesting. The “root” is buried in the ground where no one can see it, but the “star” is in the heavens where everyone can see it. In “the Root and Offspring of David” we have Jesus’ Jewish, national name, but in “the Bright and Morning Star” we have His universal name. One speaks of humility, the other of majesty and glory.
As “the Root of David,” Jesus Christ brought David into existence. As “the Offspring of David,” Jesus came into this world, born a Jew from David’s line. Both the deity and the humanity of Jesus are evident here. The “morning star” announces dawn’s soon arrival. Jesus Christ will come for His church as “the Morning Star.” But when He returns to judge, it will be as “the Sun of righteousness” in burning fury.”
Note that Jesus does not actually do anything in this passage. He simply shows up and declares Himself present: “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.” It is in Jesus that we find our true hope and our confidence that better days are truly ahead. It is a great benefit to be reminded that Heaven is our home and that we are just passing through this sin-cursed world. As long as we remember that Jesus is here with us — the same yesterday, today, and forever — the King of kings — we can keep our sense of hope against the seemingly overwhelming dark forces of the world.
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If you are not a believer, you will be condemned to remain without the gates of Heaven. Make sure you are within by placing your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Allow me to show you how you can do that right now.
First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”
Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”
Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.
Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.
If you just trusted Jesus Christ as your Saviour, and you prayed that prayer and meant it from your heart, I declare to you that based upon the Word of God, you are now saved from Hell and you are on your way to Heaven. Welcome to the family of God! Congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door.” Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.
Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.
He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.
He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.
BCNN1 WP 