This summer, we are embarking on an 8-week journey through the book of Revelation. Our prayer for you as you read this book and we tackle it together is that you will be able to see Jesus clearly each day, and that it will help you to remain faithful and live in hopeful anticipation of the day when Jesus will return!
Welcome to Week 8!
Day 7: Reflection Day
Don’t Get Ready, Be Ready
Revelation begins with John falling at the feet of the risen Jesus “as though dead” (Revelation 1:17), and it ends with a simple promise:
“Yes, I am coming soon.” Revelation 22:20
Between those words, Revelation shows us Jesus in ways that are both comforting and even a bit overwhelming.
He is the Living One who was dead but is alive forevermore, holding the keys of death and Hades (1:17–18). He is the Lamb who was slain, surrounded by countless angels declaring Him worthy of power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and praise (5:11–14). He is the victorious King who will defeat evil, judge justly, restore creation, and reign forever.
And in Revelation 22, we finally see where all of this is going.
The curse is gone. God’s servants see His face. There is no more night. Life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Everything that sin damaged is finally and completely restored.
Then Jesus says:
“Look, I am coming soon!” (22:7)
And again:
“Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me.” (22:12)
Revelation therefore leaves us with more than a picture of the future. It leaves us with a question about the present:
How should I live if I truly believe Jesus is coming back?
Perhaps the answer is simply: ready.
Not anxiously watching the world for signs. Not trying to calculate dates. Not withdrawing from a world that desperately needs Jesus.
Being ready means faithfully doing what Jesus has called us to do today. Loving Him. Loving others. Resisting sin. Forgiving. Serving. Sharing the gospel. Remaining faithful when obedience is costly. Living with our hearts pointed toward a Kingdom that is coming even when the pressure of this world seems overwhelming.
I had a teacher in Bible college who used to say, “Remember, history is HIS STORY.” Sister Ruth was reminding us that history is not wandering toward an uncertain conclusion. It is moving toward Jesus.
And for those who belong to Him, His return is not ultimately something to fear.
It is something to anticipate.
One day faith will become sight. The Lamb we worship but cannot see will stand before us and we will see His face.
Until then, may our lives echo the final prayer of Scripture:
“Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.”
Something to prayerfully consider: What has Revelation taught me about who Jesus really is—and, if I truly believed He could return at any time, what would I want Him to find me doing when He comes?
