In the closing chapters of the revealed Word of God John sets before us what he has seen and heard concerning the new order. As we considered in the last issue, Revelation 21:1-5 brings before our minds something of the wonder of our secure future as the people with whom God dwells. In that future there is nothing which causes pain or suffering; all the fruit of the Fall is past. There are definitive “no more's” and a mighty affirmation from the One who sits upon the throne that his words are trustworthy and true.

Following on in verses 6-8 we have a further declaration as to the certainty of this: “It is done”. We then transcend time for we have a present invitation to the thirsty, a future promise concerning the gift and inheritance, and another future declaration concerning the end of the idolater.

1. The Certainty of the New Order⤒🔗

And he said to me, 'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.'v 6

What is it that is so certain? It is what John has just seen and heard. It is the new heavens and new earth. Their coming into being is certain.

Checked to here←↰⤒🔗

He has seen the New Jerusalem, the Holy City, the Bride of Christ, and this glorious corporate entity of the body of all believers is a certain reality in God’s grace. It is not a vain hope but something gloriously new made. This is a Bride prepared by the one who makes all things new. There is a certainty to this New Jerusalem.

And that near presence of God is not something vainly hoped for, but something real and certain in God’s purpose and plan. And in that near presence, his abiding comfort of wiping our tears away, assuring us that the cause of our grief is completely at an end, is a sure reality.

Now he gives reasons to assure us of the certainty of these things. The first of these we gave some mention to last time in closing, namely his trustworthy word. As sure as His word is true so certain shall these things come to pass. But he gives us another reason now to assure our faith in the certainty of these things, and that is His Name.

It is as if he now swears the coming to pass of these things by his Name. It is done. It has occurred. So certain is this future happening that it is spoken of as having already happened. Indeed in John’s vision it has.

But on what basis is the certainty? – on the basis of the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. This certainty is based upon God, sovereign and eternal. It is based upon the one who begins, the one who continues, who controls, who purposes from beginning and brings to pass in time, who rules in providence and who brings to completion.

What doctrine of God is contained in that statement, “It is done, I am the Alpha and the Omega”! It is the doctrine of a God who works all things in conformity with the purpose of his own will.

But more than that, this doctrine comes home with sweetness to us who know this God in a saving way. We who have come to know him whom to know is life eternal now listen to him speak of his work and enjoy a rich measure of assurance from our Alpha and Omega. The certainty of this happening brings security to the believer.

This is something similar to the encouragements I sought to bring from the first letter of John. There the letter brought home to us the reality of it all. This is real. Now this is bringing home to us the certainty of it all. Not only real, but certainly real.

The believer has been chosen before the creation of the world. And upon the reborn believer God lavishes this wisdom and understanding, this mystery of his will, and the One who now says it is done, works out everything, according to Ephes. 1 “in order that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be for the praise of his glory.” – now that is something staggering, and powerfully reassuring.

This certainty of the reality comes from the voice of a true and trustworthy God, a beginning and end, God, and it includes fallen sons of Adam, you and me, who by grace have been brought to know Jesus Christ. This certainty brings security – your security, my security, for it is all “in order that”, it is for that purpose, for the making of the Bride, the making of the New Jerusalem, for the praise of His glory.

And so as we listen to this “Tis done” do we not long to be there. We have read, and shortly we will read something of the glorious nature of our secure hope and desire to be absent from the body and present with the Lord, desiring this corruption to put on incorruption, desiring to be with Christ the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, our Alpha and Omega, the one who began the work, and the one graciously, and perseveringly will bring it to completion.

He shall lose none. None shall snatch them from his hand. The no more’s and the near presence IS a secure and living hope for the soul who trusts in the finished work of Christ, dying on the cross for our sins.

A Sovereign Protector I have, Unseen yet ever at hand, unchangeably faithful to save, Almighty to rule and command. He smiles and my comforts abound; His grace as the dew shall descend, and walls of salvation surround the soul he delights to defend.

The Certainty of the New Order.

2. The Present Invitation to the Thirsty←⤒🔗

V 6a There are a number of scriptural parallels. A similar invitation to the thirsty is given in Isaiah 55:1-3. The thought is carried through with regard to the free nature of the gift, and in v 6, 7 (of Isaiah) further exhortation is given which parallels our next verse in Rev 21 concerning the wicked. Isaiah also makes the point of the vanity of seeking the world to the detriment of your soul. There are things which do not satisfy, so listen, listen to me, Isaiah appeals, eat what is good, and you soul will delight in the richest of fare.

Jesus speaks to the woman of Samaria concerning the water of life that he gives, which satisfies, and springs up within unceasingly. In the Sermon on the Mount he speaks of the blessedness of those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.

Salvation is presented for us in scripture as a free gift and as a satisfying draught. The constant error and folly of sinner man is that he thinks he has to earn his salvation, and that Christ is not enough, we must have Christ plus, and Christ plus is the Galatian error.

Christ alone is enough, and Christ is set before you to be received freely. We do not present a cheap gospel, for his blood is priceless, but the wonder of grace is that we present to you a free gospel and invite all thirsty sinners to drink of Christ. There is no exception here, all you who thirst are invited to drink of Christ.

When we come to a communion service there must be a clear fencing of the table that only those who have spiritually drank of Christ may physically drink of the symbol of his blood. You will notice that at communion services my invitation to the table is a fenced invitation, a limited one. Now some would have the table so open that unbelievers may drink in the hope that through drinking they may believe, or may come closer to God. Not so. That is the wrong way around, using an end justifies the means principle. Rather the table is only open to those who approach in living faith, discerning, understanding, contemplating the Lord’s body to the nourishment of their souls.

But concerning the invitation of this scripture, it is an open one to thirsty sinners. And so I ask you this evening “Does your soul so thirst for God for the living God? Can you say with the Psalmist, “O God you are my God, my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water”?

This world has no satisfying water for the sin-sick soul. So why spend money on what is not bread and labour for what does not satisfy. Give ear to me that your soul may live.

There is a glorious and simple promise in our text. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink from the spring of the water of life. Sinner, are you thirsty? Is there an unsatisfied soul weary of this world, and parched? Is there someone, young or old, who has tried the broken cisterns the muddy waters that life offers, but still knows no satisfaction, then my friend I invite you to come to Christ. He invites you to come to him.

And you can be sure, as his word is trustworthy and true, that if you so come in humble repentance and faith, simply turning from sin unto him, that he will surely give you what he has promised, and his gift of grace, and gift of salvation is a fully satisfying drink, and one which is ever flowing from now unto eternity.

And what does he promise? – an inheritance and a sonship. Where on earth can you find such treasure? What on earth compares to such riches? Gain the whole world you may, but it profits nothing if you lose your soul.

It has been the scriptural covenantal promise that God will be our God and we will be his people, or sons. Now that promise is brought to fulfilment by the words of the alpha and omega. And remember that these words for first for the persecuted church of the first century. What sweet comfort to those who overcame and even sealed their testimony by their own blood, of whom the world was not worthy, despised and persecuted, yet precious to him. He will be my son.

And it is still his gracious promise to the one who receives Christ who drinks of his living water that he comes to us, makes his home with us, saves and sanctifies, perseveres, and enables, beautifies his bride for that spoken for day. He makes all things new, he is making, we are his workmanship, and the certainty of our future is found in his words, Tis done.

Of what worth is vanity-fair world? Even our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed.

But then along with this invitation, there comes this warning. I said last time that we read in Revelation a picture that is largely positive with only a few negatives. Well in the midst of all this glorious revelation we do have this sobering negative concerning the end of the wicked.

3. The End of the Wicked←⤒🔗

But, and there is a but, v 8. In John 3:36 John the Baptist makes a similar inviting remark, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”, and there too there is a “but”, “but whoever rejects the son will not see life, (and gives the reason), for God’s wrath remains on him.”

And what a list we have here, beginning with the cowardly. That is noteworthy when we consider some of the first century church where being called to courageous self sacrifice, even death. Some however turned back. Some proved that their faith was not genuine and fell away, like Demas who loved the world.

Under intense persecution the church was called and also graced to a holy steadfastness, and those who overcame would inherit, but, but the cowardly... Here is a warning to those so tempted. The cowardly are listed here first. Those who fear men more that they fear God are first included in this wicked list.

It is a sad truth that in our day many are giving way to the fear of man.

Church leaders are taking an easy route as men pleasers rather than faithful this week concerning lowering the age of consent – the church said “This gave out the wrong sign.” What sort of response is that? It should say – “It is SINFUL!! – and shall meet with the judgment of God.” But it fears the great pressure of such small but influential sodomite groups.

The church should stand against wickedness whatever the cost. Courage brethren! So, our prayers are with today’s persecuted brethren, and we pray for their strengthening. And then we read with sadness of the persecution in Sudan where Christians are being enticed to convert to Islam and are being offered money, housing, scarce goods, and some professing faith are falling. While we cannot judge or see anyone’s true condition, yet the warning here and the naming of the cowardly at the top should stir us and they into a watchfulness and a standing firm in his grace.

Well the list is self explanatory, and the end of the wicked is clearly known to be the eternal fires of hell. But just as we conclude I want us to turn to 1 Cor. 6:9-11 and see the parallels.

In these days of grace, the invitation still stands to the thirsty, even the thirsty who presently are included in this list of evil doers. Because if truth be told, and our hearts laid bare, we all stand guilty of these offences. This IS what some of you were, but by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the work he wrought for you, you were washed, sanctified, justified.

And now therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Come...