St. Matthew’s Ev. Lutheran Church + Benton Harbor, Michigan

The Last Sunday of End Times, November 21, 1999

Revelation 22:12-17, 20

“Behold, I Am Coming Soon!”

By Pastor Timothy H. Buelow

“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. ¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.” ¹⁷ The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. ²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

Twelve years ago a man published a book called “88 reasons why the Rapture will occur in 1988.” He predicted that on some specific date in September of that year, Christ would return not to judge, as the Scripture teaches, but to take believers away from earth to heaven, and leave everyone else living and working on earth for a thousand years. Of course he was proved to be a false prophet. Those who know their Bibles realized that long before September 1988 came and passed. They know that such millennial dreams are unscriptural. And they also know what Jesus says about predicting the date of his return. “No one knows the day or the hour.” Jesus said. With the coming of the year 2000, lots of books with similar themes are not only being published, but their selling big.

It’s truly sad, that so many are led astray by the false teachings of millennialism. Don’t fall for it.

Nevertheless, we do know from Scripture that Jesus could come back at any time—not to set up an earthly 1000 year kingdom, but to judge the living and the dead. That’s why Jesus told us the parable of the ten virgins, to urge us always to keep our lamp of faith burning with the oil of his word. At his ascension, angels appeared to comfort his disciples with the words, “Why are you standing here gazing into heaven. This same Jesus will return in the same manner in which you have seen him go.” Some years after his ascension, Jesus appeared again, this time in a vision to Saint John to repeat the same message. He who calls himself the “Faithful witness” spoke these words: “Behold! I Am Coming Soon!”

1. Jesus Is Coming Soon

In the Lord’s eyes, a thousand years are as a day, and a day as a thousand years. Even 1900 some years after Jesus said he is coming soon, those words ring true. It could definitely be at any moment. It could be during this worship service, or when you’re driving home. But he will return in the sky, and all mankind will see him coming.

The Christ who will return will not be some weak, wimpy character. He will return as the victorious, resurrected Christ who is “Mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.” He will be the one who appeared to John in the beginning of his vision, recorded in chapter one: “His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.” (Re 1:14-16)

That is because he is the immortal, eternal, invincible God of the Ages. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End,” he says to John. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” ‘I am the great Jehovah of the Old Testament. I am the voice from the burning bush. I am the messenger of the covenant. I was the still small voice that spoke to Elijah on Mount Sinai. I am the one who took Elijah to meet me in a fiery chariot. I, who rose triumphant from the dead, I whom you saw ascend into heavenly glory before your very eyes, I even I am he who is coming soon.’

The one who spoke these words ^16a “Behold, I am coming soon!” is the faithful witness: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.” He has always been the faithful witness. During his ministry he offered pure light to those walking in darkness. Some heard and were enlightened. Others preferred the blindness with which they were born. But the truth was certainly offered to them by the faithful witness who will come again. He gave repentant thieves and robbers and prostitutes the purest gift of forgiveness, and from his faithful mouth the smug and self-righteous were called snakes, whitewashed graves and blind fools.

He witnessed faithfully to the Apostles, sending on them the Spirit from on high—the Spirit of wisdom and truth and power, to guide them into all truth and leave behind in sacred writ the words of his faithful testimony.

He who says, “Behold, I am coming soon!” remains the faithful witness, who sends his word into all the world, by sending laborers into the harvest to faithfully proclaim his Word.

He, who is coming soon, says: ^16b “I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright morning star.” He is David’s son, yet David’s Lord. He is man, yet he is true God from true God. He is God become flesh to be our Savior from sin. Even as the disciples saw him go before their eyes into heaven at the ascension, so he will also return “in glory, to judge both the living and the dead.”

2. He Is Coming with His Recompense

¹² “Behold, I Am Coming Soon!” and my reward—my recompense—is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” Blessed are those who see their filthy sin, that they recognize the need for cleansing. Blessed are those who recognize in the cross the punishment that was ours laid upon Christ. Blessed are those who have looked to that cross of Christ for forgiveness, life and salvation. Blessed are those who have been justified through faith. “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.”

“Behold, I Am Coming Soon!” and my reward—my recompense—is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” To the righteous, everlasting life, pleasure and joy in the presence of the Father. To those who have rejected Christ—eternal damnation in the slavery of Satan, eternally in the flames of the lake of burning sulfur.

¹⁵ “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.” There is not room in heaven for all those who think they will be there. There is no room for those whose séances and tarot cards and horoscopes and psychic hotlines delude unstable people. There is no room for those who think sex without marriage is acceptable in the eyes of God. There is no room for those who take the life of another, without a regret, without repentance. There is no room for those who hate, whose blood boils at the sight of another, who stare down there fellow man with murder in their eyes. There is no room for those who pray ‘Lord forgive us our trespasses, but I will not forgive those of others.’ “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life.” There is no room for idolaters, but only for those who worship the Bible’s God, the faithful witness, and hold to his faithful word, neither changing it, nor adding to it, nor subtracting from it. There is no room for those who lie, who mutilate the reputation of the innocent, who gossip and backstab their neighbor, putting into words the hatred in their hearts. Such are the dogs—the unclean—and they are outside the walls of the city.

They too can expect the recompense, the repayment in kind and in full, of the Glorious King who says “Behold! I Am Coming Soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”

Yet even for them, there is hope, as long as they are alive. Jesus says ¹⁷“Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.”

3. Through His Bride, the Church, He Invites Us to Be Ready

“The Spirit says ‘Come!’” The invitation is open to all through the means of grace. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him should be saved.” “God is not willing that any should perish, but come to the knowledge of the truth.” So the Spirit says “Come!” in the words of Scripture. The Spirit says come in the water and word of baptism. The Spirit says come in the bread and wine with the word in Holy Communion. Come with repentant and believing hearts, to take the free gift of the water of life. Take them now while they are offered. Take them now, before it is too late.

And “The Bride says, ‘Come!” The bride is Christ’s church, adorned in the wedding garment of Christ’s forgiveness, eagerly awaiting the return of the bridegroom. It is through the bride that the Spirit says, “Come!” as the church faithfully carries out its task of preaching the Gospel to all creation.

Many look for salvation at home in bed, or out in the park, or on television. They are mistaken. It is the bride—the church—that says “Come!” Take the free gift of the water of life. It is in the church, by God’s grace, that the invitation to “Come!” still goes out week after week in Bible Classes, private communions and visits, liturgy and sermons. Heed the call. The only one excluded is the one who feels no thirst. But “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

“And let him who hears say ‘Come!’” You have heard the call. You have heeded the call. With souls parched by sin, you have thirsted for the free gift of the water of life, and you have been satisfied. You have heard. Now you say, “Come!” Offer the invitation to the Lamb’s high feast to others who thirst after righteousness—the righteousness that Christ gives to those who believe. Say, “Come!” to your fellow believers. “Encourage and admonish one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Be the salt of the earth—don’t lose your saltiness. Tell the world, don’t let the world convert you and take away your prize possession.

With the Gospel of Jesus in your hearts and on your lips. You are ready. And you have every reason to be eager and longing for Christ’s return. Join with your fellow saints in the invitation to Jesus—“Come and take us home.” “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”