Join us for an enlightening exploration of Revelation Chapter 22, where the profound identity of Jesus Christ is revealed as the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. We delve into crucial discussions about the divinity of Christ, touching upon powerful biblical references from the book of Isaiah. This rich theological discourse aims to address the question of who Jesus truly is, providing clarity and understanding to believers and seekers alike.
jewish man came up to me after the meeting and said uh it’s obvious to me that you think jesus is god you know when they do that i almost feel like saying no you know but anyway uh He was a neat guy. I just loved him from the moment he opened his mouth. And he has an English Protestant Bible, Old King James, that he hands it to me. He says, you show me right now, out of the Old Testament, not the New, that Jesus is God, and I’ll believe it. Well…
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Sometimes you meet someone who disarms you the moment they speak. They’re honest, curious, direct, and not afraid to put you on the spot. And when someone says, show me right now from the Old Testament that Jesus is God, you feel the weight of that moment. The importance of knowing God’s word and the reality that people are still asking the most important question ever raised. Who is Jesus really? And here in Revelation chapter 22, where we’re studying once again today, that answer is not hidden at all. Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star, the one who is coming quickly. Today, David Hawking continues our study in Revelation chapter 22, verses 6 to 21, with day three of his message, Behold, I Come Quickly. This is hope for today, and we’ll begin our study time in just a moment. First, here’s David with a quick word for you and all of our listening family.
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Automated monthly donation program. Do we have it? Yes, we do. And you can partner with us in a special way by a monthly auto donation program. All you have to do is call us and say, I want to be a partner on the auto donation program. And thanks. God bless you.
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And to support this ministry with a special one-time year-end gift, or to become a regular monthly supporter of Hope for Today, call 800-75-BIBLE, that’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, Bible by the numbers 24253. You can also give securely online at davidhawking.org. And I’ll have our mailing addresses at the end of the program. Right now, though, here’s David with day three of Behold, I Come Quickly.
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Now, in looking at chapter 22, verse 6 and following, first of all, in verses 6 to 9, we have the impact of this book mentioned to us in several ways. In verses 10 to 15, the importance of the book is revealed to us. Look at verse 13. The importance of the book is, It reveals the climax of God’s plan as it relates to the destiny of believers and unbelievers, and that’s making the book very, very serious. It also reveals the coming of Jesus Christ as he will come with his reward with him and give to every man according to what his work is. But it also reveals this wonderful book and why it’s so important, the divine character of Jesus Christ. That’s why verse 13 is so important, and he’s talking. Jesus says, I am Alpha and Omega. I am the beginning and the end. I am the first and the last. This past week I was in Boston. I did not realize the problems they have with homosexuality, lesbian, gay, witches, warlocks, you name it. New England is a needy, needy place. But the thing that was on my mind about what we’re speaking about here, the divine character of Jesus Christ, was a Jewish man who was there, who came up to me after the meeting and He said, it’s obvious to me that you think Jesus is God. Show me right now, out of the Old Testament, that Jesus is God, and I’ll believe it. Well, take your Bibles, please, and turn to Isaiah, the book of Isaiah. And I had such fun with him. He just was a neat brother. And so frustrated over the whole thing, he loved to come to the worship. Like the people, they just got one problem, you know. They think Jesus is God. That’s their problem. Maybe you can straighten out and help this thing. It’s just wonderful, isn’t it, to open God’s Word and to share His wonderful Word with people. Well, we looked at a lot of things, like, for instance, in chapter 43, verse 11, I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there’s no Savior. All right, yeah, yeah. Verse 14, thus saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. Yeah, yeah. Verse 15, I’m the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel. Yeah, yeah, okay. We just keep going on. Chapter 44, verse 6. Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts, two Jehovah’s in the same verse. I am the first and I am the last. And beside me there is no what? God. He got very nervous. He said, let me see that again. I said, sure, right there. Isaiah 44, 6. There it is. I am the first, I am the last, and beside me there’s no God. That’s what it says. I turned over to chapter 45, verse 5, I am the Lord, there’s none else, there’s no God besides me. Verse 6, there’s none beside me, I’m the Lord, there is none else. He’s even the creator. Verse 8, I the Lord have created. He’s the Holy One of Israel. Verse 11, He made the earth and created man on it, verse 12. The end of verse 14, surely God is in thee. There’s none else. There’s no God. Just him. He’s the only God there is. Verse 18, thus saith the Lord who created the heavens. End of the verse, I am the Lord and there is none else. Into verse 21, there’s no God else beside me, just God and a Savior. There’s none beside me. Look unto me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there’s none else. He said, it was cute when we were going over this, he said, you seem to have a number of verses. I said, oh, there’s a lot here. It’s wonderful. Just keeps talking about the Redeemer. And I said, you know, according to Isaiah 45, verses 21 and 22, apparently nobody can be saved without him. There’s no other hope. We just kept going on and on, and you can glance through the chapters. Many of these verses are quoted in the book of Revelation. And then we came down to verse 1 of chapter 53. Who hath believed our report, and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he, who’s the he? Back to 52, 13. Behold my servant. Verse 14, his visage was so marred more than any other man. His form more than the sons of men. The servant has become man and got beat up. Verse 2, he shall grow up before him like a tender plant, like a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. When we shall see him, there’s no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from him. He was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. but he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we were healed. All we like sheep have gone astray. We’ve turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. I said, who’s the him? He said, the Jewish people. I said, no, it’s not. It’s singular, not plural. But I will agree with you this, with this point, it is a Jewish person. It’s a Jewish man. You got that right. And whoever he is, he’s borne the iniquity of us all. I said, tell me, why don’t the folks down at your synagogue and temple, wherever you go, why don’t they read Isaiah 53? Why did they skip over it? Now, their official opinion is this is the Holocaust under Hitler, and we don’t need to go over that again. Excuse me, it’s not the Holocaust under Hitler. It’s talking about an individual who was wounded and bruised. And when you keep going about this Redeemer, all this has happened to him, I took him to chapter 59, verse 20. It says, “…the Redeemer shall come to Zion.” And verse 21, as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit is upon thee. Chapter 60, the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. The Lord shall arise. Chapter 61, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me. I said, who’s the me? He said, the Redeemer. I said, then the Redeemer’s the only one who can save you, and he’s God. He’s called God in the book of Isaiah. There’s no way of getting out of it. The Messiah is called God. When we read, I am Alpha and Omega, I am the first and the last, that’s the prophecy of Isaiah. There’s no God besides me. I’m the beginning and the end. He’s the creator of all things. He’s the only Savior. And if you don’t turn to him, you’ll be lost forever. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but through me. There isn’t any other way. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. There is no other hope. Only the Messiah, only the Redeemer, whom the Bible calls God. There is no God besides me. He’s the only one. Look unto me and be saved, all ye ends of the earth. He’s the only one who can save you. A praise-a-loo-ya or amen would be appropriate about that, if you really believe that in your heart. Revelation 22, what a great Savior we have. This book is so important. It not only reveals the climax of God’s plan as it relates to believer and unbeliever, not only reveals the great coming of Christ when he brings his reward with him, not only reveals the divine character of Jesus Christ, but it also reveals the consequences of the gospel over and over again. This book is an evangelistic book. Don’t let anybody tell you differently. It’s an evangelistic book as God makes this great, wonderful, last appeal to all people to come to Christ. And he tells us the consequences of the gospel here. Verse 14 and 15. Blessed are they that do his commandments. Some of you have a text that says wash their robes. That’s found in Codex Sinianicus and Codex Alexandrinus. But the text is Receptus and the majority reads, do his commandments. There’s nothing wrong with wash their robes. That’s also used earlier in the book. That they may have the right to the tree of life. Mentioned ten times. First in the book of Genesis, several times in Proverbs, and finally in Revelation. that they may have a right to the tree of life, the symbol of eternal life, that they may enter in through the gates into the city. For without, talk about consequences, are dogs, sorcerers, whoremongers, murderers, idolaters, whoever loves and make a lie. Again, it describes how we may enter the heavenly city. It determines who is inside the city, who is outside the city. The whole book is presenting the consequences of the gospel of Christ. Now the final invitation, it begins at verse 16. And I’d like you to notice four things very simply in these closing verses. The final invitation of the entire Bible. God’s one last appeal. It sort of reminds me of Jesus at the Last Supper with that passing the sop to Judas. Almost as if to say, this is your last chance, Judas. The final invitation. Notice, first of all, the person who is the center and object of this invitation. Verse 16, I, Jesus. I, Jesus Christ. I have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David and the bright and morning star. Isaiah 11, 1 calls the Messiah the root of Jesse. We just read in Isaiah 53, verse 2, he is a root out of a dry ground. We learn in Psalm 132, 11 and 12 that he must come out of the loins of King David. I’m the offspring of David. We learn that the great promise of a son of David to sit on the throne forever and ever in 2 Samuel 7, Jesus is that son. He is the morning star, the bright and morning star. And Numbers 24, 17 speaks about that star and the scepter. Back in Revelation 2, 28, to the church of Thyatira, it says, to those who believe, I’ll give him the morning star. The blessing of salvation is we have Jesus. He is given to us. He is the center, the object of the invitation. If somebody has given you an invitation and it simply means to join the church, you have missed it. as important and serious as baptism is, if that was the invitation, you missed it. If it is a system of doing things, if it’s a card, signing up for certain denominational distinctives or beliefs or whatever it is, you missed it. The invitation is Jesus Christ. I, Jesus. I am the root and offspring of David. I’m the bright and morning star. Christianity is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ our Lord. When you receive Christ, the Bible is filled with this phrase, Christ in you, the hope of glory. What it’s all about is having Jesus Christ as the Lord and Master and Savior of your life. Nothing else will do. It’s Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly, look at the provision of this invitation in verse 17. The Spirit and the Bride. I like that. The Holy Spirit is drawing people to Jesus, and so is the Bride, who have come to know Christ, all believers. The Holy Spirit, working through the believers, says, Come! Come! What a beautiful word. Jesus said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden. and I will give you rest. Come. Please come. The people who give this invitation are believers whom the Holy Spirit has indwelt in. The Holy Spirit working through their life and inviting people to come to Christ. The Bible says in John 16, 14 that the spirit of God’s ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ. The invitation we give to the world, though we may invite them to our services in our church, that is not the invitation of the gospel, come to church. It’s come to Jesus Christ. Come. And there’s a prerequisite here that must be faced. Look at verse 17. Let him that is a thirst come. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink, goes the old adage. Let him who is a thirst come. Jesus said, if any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. And I love to tell the whole world, no matter who they are, no matter what their background has been, it’s whosoever will. That’s what the Bible says. Whosoever will. Let him take the water of life. And don’t you love this? Freely. Freely. Freely. Oh, it costs the Lord Jesus his death on the cross. But to all of us, salvation is free. Not cheap, free. It’s the free gift of eternal life. The punishment, however, for those who reject this invitation is mentioned in verse 18 and 19. We’ve looked at the person who’s the center of this invitation, the provision of the invitation, and the punishment for those who reject. In verse 18 and 19, I believe is a clear statement dealing with the finality of God’s revelation. But I believe there’s a more serious subject, and that is for those who reject the invitation. 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. If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life and out of the holy city. Some manuscripts have tree of life. I don’t want to fight over it. Tree of life is mentioned in verse 14. Maybe a scribe decided to put it in there in some manuscripts. There are a lot of manuscripts that have tree of life. It’s also in Codex Sinaiticus, Codex Alexandrinus. But the Textus Receptus, the majority of manuscripts read by the church throughout its history, reads the Book of Life. Back at verse 27 of chapter 21, it speaks of those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Back in chapter 20, verse 15, it says, Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. I think it makes sense that it’s book of life. God will take away his part from the book of life and out of the holy city. This is a punishment for those who reject the invitation that is graciously given by our Lord here. One final thing, we have a prophecy that makes this invitation so important in verse 20. He who testified these things saith, surely I come quickly. It’s an event that will happen soon. And it’s also the expectation of every believer when he says, amen, even so come Lord Jesus. You know, in the early church, they used to all speak out in unison those words, even so come Lord Jesus. I thought it might be a good idea that we do the same. I’ll count to three. We’ll all say it. One, two, three. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Now close your eyes and think of him. It’s a prayer. One, two, three. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
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That’s David Hawking, and this is Hope for Today. He’ll be back to close out today’s lesson in just a moment, so stay right there. First, David’s son Matt and I have a very special resource that may just be the perfect Christmas gift for someone on your list.
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John tells us that the infinite, all-powerful God became flesh and lived for a while among us, but most of the world refuses to believe that he is God.
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And even some who call themselves Christians, Matt, struggle with this. And your dad in his book, Jesus Christ, The Reason, he recalls one preacher who claims to be preaching the word of God, stating that Jesus needs to be born again. Jesus.
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There is a not so subtle undermining of the basic tenet of the gospel that Jesus is God and the divinity of Jesus Christ is central to the true meaning of Christmas. Yeah, Emmanuel. Amen.
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The Hebrew word meaning God with us.
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God with us. Yeah, God with us.
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It is most famously a name for Jesus Christ foretold of in the book of Isaiah and fulfilled in the Gospel of Matthew, signifying God’s presence with his people.
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Well, bring the Christ of Christmas, Emmanuel, the greatest gift of all time, powerfully into your holiday this season with the Hope for Today Christmas Package.
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Yeah, the Hope for Today Christmas Package includes David’s 87-page booklet, Jesus Christ, the Reason. And it’s a beautiful book just to look at, Matt. Plus, a three-message miniseries also titled Jesus Christ the Reason. And with this package, David’s going to take you into God’s Word to discover afresh the wonder of our Savior, whose birth brought the greatest gift of all time to our lost world. Order the Hope for Today Christmas package for just $20. And prayerfully consider adding a donation.
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And please do pray for us whenever you hear or remember.
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Hope for Today. Amen. If you’d like our special 2025 Christmas package, the Jesus Christ the Reason Christmas package featuring David’s 87-page booklet, Jesus Christ the Reason, together with his three-message audio series by that same title, Jesus Christ the Reason. And the complete package is just $20. This is going to be a special addition to this Christmas season and every Christmas season in the years to come. Call 800-75-BIBLE. That’s in the U.S., or 888-75-BIBLE-IN-CANADA, or purchase on our website, davidhocking.org. Hey, by the way, while you’re at it, remember that David’s one-year devotional, Learning to Praise in the Psalms, is also available. That’s $20. You can mention it when you get in touch with us. And order now so you’ll have it in time to have a devotional in the Psalms on January 1st. How about that? Well, David’s back in just a few seconds. First, when you think over this past year, has there been a moment when God used this daily broadcast teaching the Word of God to steady your heart, to give you hope when you weren’t feeling very hopeful? If that’s true, please consider a special one-time gift for Hope for Today at the end of the year, or perhaps becoming a regular monthly supporter. You can give securely at davidhawking.org. Our calling is at 875-BIBLE in the U.S., 888-75-BIBLE in Canada, Bible by the numbers 24253. You can also write us at Hope for Today, Box 3927. Tustin, California, 92781. That’s in the U.S. In Canada, write to Hope for Today, Box 15011, RPO 7 Oaks, Abbotsford, B.C., V2S 8P1. Thanks so much for praying for us and prayerfully consider joining our support team. David?
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Well, friends, I hope you’ve enjoyed our study of the book of Revelation. And as we wrap up chapter 22, there’s an invitation. The Spirit, the Holy Spirit, and the Bride of our Lord, all believers, say, “‘Come, let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'” Wow! Listen, if you try to add to these words, God says he’ll add the plagues that are written in this book. Listen, you say what God says, no more, no less. And if you take away from the words of this prophecy, God is going to take away your part out of the book of life and the holy city and the things that are written in this book. Wow! Talk about judgment. So don’t mess with Revelation. Stick to what God has to say. And his final words are, surely I come quickly. And John says, amen. I think maybe you’re saying that in your heart. even so come Lord Yeshua, Lord Jesus. And the last verse of Revelation, he says, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the grace of Yeshua HaMashiach be with you all. Amen. Listen, friends, grace gives us what we don’t deserve. According to Ephesians 2, we are saved by grace. It is not by works of righteousness which we have done. but it’s according to His mercy. Mercy holds back from us what we really do deserve because of our sin, but grace gives us what we do not deserve. I trust you know the Lord. And by the way, we are going to start our next broadcast about a summary.
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Plan to be with us. And Frigg, you don’t want to miss David’s powerful summary of our time in the book of Revelation. That four-day summary begins tomorrow, so do join us right here on Hope for Today.
