The Final Messages

"He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." Rev 22:11-12

Verse 11 marked the close of probation for mankind.  This work closes with 
the examination of the cases of the living in the investigative judgment. 
Mankind is judged here by his works.  These works are the fruits of the Holy Spirit
 in the life of the born again believer.  These fruits show to the universe that we are 
connected to Christ Jesus.  The reason God can save those in Christ is because,
 His death allows forgiveness for past sins and His perfect life is applied to our 
account.

"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
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." Rev 22:13+14

Christ here gives to Himself the title of Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end, the first and the last. Jesus is the speaker.  The 
commandments of which He speaks are His Father's.

Keeping His Commandments.--Reference here must be to the ten commandments
as delivered on Mt. Sinai. He pronounces a blessing upon those who keep
them. Thus in the closing chapter of the word of God, and near the very
close of the last testimony which the faithful and true Witness there left
for His people, He solemnly pronounces a blessing upon those who keep the
commandments of God. Let those who believe in the abolition of the law,
candidly consider the decisive bearing of this important fact.

Instead of the reading, "Blessed are they that do His commandments," some
translations, including the Revised Version have, "Blessed are they that
wash their robes." On this point Alford has this note: "The difference in the readings
 is curious, being in the original that between poiountes tas entolas autou, and
plunontes tas stolas auton, either of which might easily be mistaken for
the other." [1]  In view of the fact that the words and letters in these two
phrases are so strikingly alike, it is not surprising that this difference
of reading is found. But there seems to be good evidence that the first is
the original, from which the latter is a variation by the error of
transcribers. Thus the Syriac New Testament, one of the very earliest
translations from the original Greek, reads according to the Authorized
Version. And Cyprian, whose writings antedate any extant Greek manuscript,
quotes the text as reading, "Blessed are they that do His commandments."
[2] We may therefore safely consider this as the genuine reading.

" For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." Verse 15

Dog is the Bible symbol of a shameless and impudent man. Who would wish to
be left in the company of those whose lot is outside the city of God? Yet
how many will stand condemned as idolaters, for they have prioritized objects or
 people above God.

"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." Verse 16 

Jesus testifies these things in the churches, showing the entire book of
Revelation is given to the seven churches, which is another incidental
proof that the seven churches are representatives of the church through the
entire gospel age. Christ is the offspring of David, in that He appeared on
earth in the line of David's descendants. He is the root of David, inasmuch
as He is the great prototype of David, and the maker and upholder of all
things.

"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." Verse 17 

The Invitation to Come.--Thus are all invited to come. The Lord's love for
mankind would not be satisfied in merely preparing the blessings of eternal
life, opening the way to them, and announcing that all might come who
would; but He sends out an earnest invitation to come. He sets it forth as
a favor done to Himself if those invited will come and partake of the
infinite blessings provided by His infinite love. His invitation, how
gracious, how full, how free! none of those who are finally lost will ever
have occasion to complain that the provisions made for their salvation were
not sufficiently ample. They can never reasonably object that the light
given to show them the way of life was not sufficiently clear. They can
never excuse themselves on the ground that the invitations and entreaties
that Mercy has given them to turn and live, were not sufficiently full and
free. From the very beginning, there has been a power exerted a strong as
could be exerted and still leave man his own free agent,--a power to draw
him heavenward, and raise him from the abyss into which he has fallen.
"Come!" has been the entreaty of the Spirit from the lip of God Himself,
from the lips of His prophets, from the lips of His apostles, and from the
lips of His Son, even while, in His infinite compassion and humility, He
was paying the debt of our transgression.

The last message of mercy as it is now going forth, is another and final
utterance of divine long-suffering and compassion. Come, is the invitation
it give. Come, for all things are ready. The last sound that will fall from
Mercy's lips on the ear of the sinner before the thunders of vengeance
burst upon him, will be the heavenly invitation, Come. So great is the
loving-kindness of a merciful God to rebellious man.

Yet they will not come. Acting independently and deliberately, they refuse
to come. So when they shall see Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in the kingdom of
God, and themselves thrust out, they will have no one to accuse, no one to blame,
 but themselves. They will be brought to feel this in all its bitterness, for
the time will come when Robert Pollok's thrilling description of the
condemnation of the lost will be true to the letter:

                "And evermore the thunders, murmuring, spoke
             From out the darkness, uttering loud these words,
                 Which every guilty conscience echoed back:
                  'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not.'
           Dread words! that barred excuse, and threw the weight
                    Of every man's perdition on himself,
                            Directly home. . . .
               'Ye knew your duty, but ye did it not!' " [3]

The bride also says, Come. But the bride is the city, and how does it say,
Come? If we could be strengthened to behold the living glories of that city
and live, and should be permitted to gaze upon its dazzling beauty, and be
assured that we had a perfect right to enter therein, and revel in its
glory forever and ever, would it not then say to us, Come, with a
persuasion which no power could resist? Who of us, in view of this, could
turn away, and say, I have no desire for an inheritance there?

But though we cannot now look upon that city, the unfailing word of God has
promised it, and that is sufficient to inspire us with implicit and living
faith. Through the channel of that faith it says to us, Come. Come, if you
would inherit mansions where sickness, sorrow, pain, and death can never
enter; if you would have a right to the tree of life, and pluck its
immortal fruit, and eat and live; if you would drink of the water of the
river of life, that flows from the throne of God, clear as crystal. Come,
if you would obtain through those glittering gates of pearl an abundant
entrance into the eternal city; if you would walk its streets of
transparent gold; if you would behold its glowing foundation stones; if you
would see the King in His beauty on His throne. Come, if you would sing the
jubilee song of millions, and share their joy. Come, if you would join the anthems 
of the redeemed with their melodious harps, andknow that your exile is forever 
over, and this is your eternal home. Come,if you would receive a palm of victory,
 and know that you are forever free. Come, if you would exchange the furrows of 
your care-worn brow for ajeweled crown. Come, if you would see the salvation
 of the ransomedmyriads, the glorified throng which no man can number. Come, if
 you would drink from the pure fountain of celestial bliss, if you would shine as the
stars forever in the firmament of glory, if you would share in the
unutterable rapture that fills the triumphant hosts as they behold before
them unending ages of glory ever brightening and joys ever new.

The bride does say, Come. Who of us can resist the invitation? The word of
truth is pledged to us that if we keep the commandments of God and the
faith of Jesus, we shall have right to the tree of life, we shall enter in
through the gates into the city. We shall feel that we are at home in our
Father's house, the very mansions prepared for us, and realize the full
truth of the cheering words, "Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb." Revelation 19: 9.

"Let him that heareth say, Come." We have heard of the glory, of the
beauty, of the blessings, of that goodly land, and we say Come. We have
heard of the river with it verdant banks, of the tree with its healing
leaves, of the bowers that bloom in the Paradise of God, and we say, Come.
Whosoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely.

"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: 
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." Verse 18+19

What is it to add to, or take from, the book of this prophecy? Let it be
borne in mind that it is the book of this prophecy, or the Revelation,
which is the subject of remark; hence the words in regard to adding to or
taking from have exclusive reference to this book. Nothing can be called an 
addition except something added to it with the intention of having it considered 
as a genuine part of the book of Revelation. To take from the book would be to 
suppress some part of it. As the book of Revelation could not be called an 
addition to the book of Daniel, so if God should see fit to make further revelations
to us by His Spirit, it would be no addition to the book of Revelation unless
it should claim to be a part of that book.

 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.  
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Verse 20+21

The word of God is given to instruct us in reference to the plan of
salvation. The second coming of Christ is to be the climax and completion
of that great plan. It is most appropriate, therefore, that the book should
close with the solemn announcement, "Surely I come quickly." Be it ours to
join with fervent hearts in the response of the apostle, "Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus."

Thus closes the volume of inspiration--closes with that which constitutes
the best of all promises, and the substance of the Christian's hope, the
return of Christ. Then shall the elect be gathered, and bid a long farewell
to all the ills of this mortal life. How rich in all that is precious to
the Christian is this promise! Wandering an exile in this evil world,
separated from the few of like precious faith, he longs for the
companionship of the righteous, the communion of saints. Here he shall
obtain it, for all the good shall be gathered, not from one land only, but
from all lands; not from one age only, but from all ages--the great harvest
of all the good, coming up in long and glorious procession, while angels
shout the harvest home, and the timbrels of heaven sound forth in joyous
concert. A song before unheard, unknown, in the universe, the song of the
redeemed, shall add its thrilling notes of rapture and melody to the
universal jubilee. So shall the saints be gathered, to be joyful in one
another's presence forever and ever--

                "While the glory of God, like a molten sea,
                       Bathes the immortal company."

This gathering has nothing in it but that which is desirable. The saints
can but sigh and pray for it. Like Job, they cry out for the presence of
God. Like David, they cannot be satisfied till they awake in His likeness.
In this mortal condition we groan, being burdened, not for that we would be
"unclothed, but clothed upon." We can but be "upon tiptoe" for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body. Our eyes are open for its
visions, our ears are waiting to catch the sounds of the heavenly music,
and our hearts are beating in anticipation of tis infinite joy. Our
appetites are growing sharp for the marriage supper. We cry out for the
living God, and long to come into His presence. Come, Lord Jesus, come
quickly. No tidings more welcome than the announcement that the command has
gone forth from the Lord to His angels, "Gather together unto Me My elect
from the four winds of heaven."

The place of gathering has nothing but attraction. Jesus, the fairest among
ten thousand, is there. The throne of God and of the Lamb, in the glory of
which the sun disappears as the stars vanish in the light of day, is there.
The city of jasper and gold, whose builder and maker is God, is there. The
river of life, sparkling with the glory of God and flowing from His throne
in infinite leaves and life-giving fruit, is there. Abraham, Issac, and
Jacob, Noah, Job, and Daniel, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, the
perfection of heavenly society, will be there. Visions of beauty are there;
fields of living green, flowers that never fade, streams that never dry,
products in variety that never ends, fruits that never decay, crowns that
never dim, harps that know no discord, and all else of which a taste
purified from sin and raised to the plane of immortality, can form any
conception or think desirable, all these will be there.

Benediction.--We must be there. We must bask in the forgiving smiles of
God, to whom we have become reconciled, and sin no more. We must have
access to that exhaustless fount of vitality, the fruit of the tree of life, and never
 die. We must repose under the shadow of its leaves, which are for the service 
of the nations, and never again grow weary. We must drink from the life-giving 
fountain, and thirst nevermore; we must bathe in its silvery spray, and be refreshed;
we must walk on its golden sands, and feel that we are no longer exiles. We
must exchange the cross for the crown, and feel that the days of our
humiliation are ended. We must lay down the staff and take the palm branch,
and feel that the journey is done. We must put off the garments of our
warfare for the white robes of triumph, and feel that the conflict is ended
and the victory gained. We must exchange the toilworn, dusty raiment of our
pilgrimage for the glorious vesture of immortality, and feel that that sin
and the curse can nevermore pollute us. O day of rest and triumph, and
every good, delay not they dawning. Let the angels be quickly sent to
gather the elect. Let the promise be fulfilled which bears in its train
these matchless glories

[1] Henry Alford, The New Testament for English Readers, note on Revelation
22: 14, Vol. II, part II, p. 1100.

[2] "The Treaties of Cyprian," XII, The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. V, p.
525.

[3] Robert Pollok, The Course of Time, book IX.