Coming Soon

⁶ The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

⁷ “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”~ Revelation 22:6-7

Now, there appears to be an elephant in this prophecy.

And given the appearance of dragons and beasts and angels, an elephant seems almost unremarkable.

But the phrase 'an elephant in the room' refers to something huge and unignorable that people are somehow avoiding to mention,  though they obviously all have noticed.

This Elephant is the word 'soon'.

One of my favourite bands, the smiths, have a track called 'How soon is now? '

The question for us is often 'how soon is soon?' 

Jesus lived,  died and rose again over 2000 years ago. This prophecy was written about 70 years after that. 

So how soon is soon? 

There are so many clichés I could use,   to the effect of saying that it is sooner now than it was then. 

And it is quite clear that the apostles and writers of the New Testament really did expect it to be within their lifespan. 

The Jehovahs witnesses actually went out on a limb and gave a date for Jesus return.... 

Which came...

 and went....

....and was reinterpreted to mean some sort of spiritualised version, that he had come and yet somehow we hadn't noticed... 

But he will come again,  again.

I have to confess,  I struggle to really be expectant. I almost take the view that it will almost certainly NOT happen in my lifetime. 

But then I look at the speed of developments in the middle East, and I have to concede,  you just never know. 

You never know. 

And that. Surely is the point. 

When I was a teenager I was often delighted to be left alone in the house. 

My Mum would tell me she was going shopping or something,  and I would deduce that she would be so long or at least this long (however long that was)  or maybe longer. 

How long will you be?  I would ask. 

And her answer was always vague. 

You never know how long. 

And then, once she had gone, I would do all the things in her absence that I could not do in her presence. 

I would smoke out in the garden.  I would help myself to something from the liquor cabinet (usually a sherry) and I would rummage through my parent's bedroom,  hallowed ground that I was not allowed access to under normal circumstances. 

And once in a while, mid sinning, I would hear the unexpected but dreaded noise of tyres on the tarmac of our driveway. And sheer terror would beset me.  Rapidly closing the draw. Locking up the cabinet,  spraying air freshener /deodorant. 

She was back Early!! 

Sometimes it was after a few minute having forgotten her purse.Sometimes me little sister had been whining a lot and she had called it a day earlier than expected. 

But the point is, after being caught out, I knew I had to be ready to cover my tracks quickly. 

Yeah. I was a nightmare. 

I saw a T-shirt once with the slogan at the top, 

'Jesus is coming'

And below it said ;

Look busy. 

I suppose,  and it's almost crass to say it,  God wants to keep us on our toes. Jesus himself said that 'no man knoweth the day or the hour'.

Only the Father. 

But he does hint than it will be unexpected. 

It will also be unmissable. 

Every eye will see him. This will be a truly global event. 

But Revelation gives us prophetic warnings so that although we could almost convince ourselves that's it isn't going to happen,  we see historic and world events are all understood and predicted by God. And nothing is outside his control. 

This is still in hand. 

The verses in question today tells us 'I am coming soon.  Blessed is everyone who keeps the words of this book .

The promise is two fold. Yes it is definitely a warning.

Later in verse 12 he says 'I am coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. 

Now if Mum had caught me with my hand in hand in the liquor cabinet,  she would have rewarded me according to my works.  It can't help but be a warning. 

But those who are of Christ will not fear that judgement. 

The reward they look for it primarily his presence and favour. 

The reward on offer here is directed primarily at those who have been holding on faithfully in there face of great trouble. Even persecution. 

That is why he says blessed are those thats keep the words of this book. The second purpose of the promise.  To bless us. 

It prepares us. It strengthens us. 

The message is; have a good confession and don't give in,  even in the face of persecution and yes,  even death.

Overcome with the word of your testimony,  the blood of the Lamb and with not loving your life so much as to shrink back from death.  

And there is nothing wrong with being kept on your toes. 

If it was soon then, then how soon is soon now? 

And you will be blessed as you keep these words and hold fast to the faith. Blessed. 

Blessed this day, 

And all days. 

Amen.