Jesus is Coming

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Scripture: Revelation 22:18-21 (NIV)

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll. He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Devotion:

The stern warning about altering the prophecy confronts us with the seriousness of God’s revelation. It is not a casual suggestion but a covenantal word entrusted to the church. To add or subtract is to treat the message as negotiable, to make human preference the measure of divine truth. That warning guards the integrity of Scripture and calls readers to humility before a revelation that exceeds our control. At the same time, the closing lines turn from admonition to assurance. The promise that Jesus is coming soon reframes urgency into hope: the One who spoke through visions and symbols will return to make all things right. The benediction that follows—grace with God’s people—reminds us that the same Christ who judges is also the source of mercy. The final “Amen” is not merely a liturgical tag; it is the congregation’s assent, a communal echo that affirms trust in the Word and in the One who speaks it.

This tension—between warning and promise—shapes Christian life. The warning calls for reverence, careful listening, and fidelity. The promise calls for patience, endurance, and longing. Together they form a pastoral architecture: live faithfully because the Word is true, and live expectantly because the Word will be fulfilled. The closing of Revelation thus refuses both careless tinkering with truth and passive resignation to the present order. It summons a people who take the prophecy seriously enough to be transformed by it and who hold fast to hope because the Lord’s coming is the hinge of history.

Let this passage sharpen our attention to the Scriptures and deepen our dependence on Christ. When we encounter passages that challenge or unsettle us, the closing of Revelation invites us to respond with humility rather than revision, with study rather than dismissal, and with prayer rather than presumption. It also invites a posture of hopeful waiting: to live in the present with hands open to God’s justice and mercy, confident that the One who promised will come.

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, keep us faithful to your Word, steady in hope, and full of grace toward one another as we wait for your return. Amen.

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