December 31st~The Beginning and The End

Revelation 19:1-22:21

We closed John’s book of Revelation and with that we closed the Bible. The Lord Jesus, who existed before time and who started this story in Genesis, is the One who writes the final chapter. He describes Himself by saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (22:12).

After the wrath of God has been poured out on the earth and all things are devastated or destroyed, the One sitting on the throne says, “Look, I am making all things new” (21:5). The storyline of history comes to a close, and the characters, conflicts, plots, and problems that were introduced in the beginning (Genesis) are brought to completion in the end (Revelation).

For example (as William McDonald points out in his excellent commentary), in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, but in the end God destroys and replaces them with a new heavens and new earth (21:1). In the beginning, sin and death are introduced, but in the end, sin is eradicated and death is banished (21:4, 27). In Genesis, creation was cursed; in Revelation, the cursed is removed (22:3). Satan began his reign in the beginning, but, in the end, both he and all his cohorts will be cast in the Lake of Fire (20:10). In Genesis, man was removed from Paradise (Eden) and his access to the Tree of Life was denied; in Revelation, man is welcomed back to Paradise (heaven) and given access to the Tree of Life forever (22:1-7, 19). Finally, at the beginning, we witnessed the first marriage (the First Adam), but at the end, we will witness the last marriage, the Marriage of the Lamb (Second Adam, 19:7).

Another event that we should notice is the final judgment of the dead, great and small, at the throne of God (20:11-15). Just as God kept Adam and Eve accountable to their sin in the Garden of Eden, so also will He keep all men accountable for their sins. No one will escape. “They will be judged according to the things written in the books (of sin), according to what they had done... and anyone’s name who is not found in the Book of Life (none of these will be found there) will be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

Daily Reflection

Praise God, you and I will not be standing in line at this judgment. Those who have given their lives to Christ will have their names written in the Book of Life and will escape this final judgment. Instead, we will be enjoying the wedding feast of the Lamb (19:6-9). We will be with Christ! We will be part of the “vast crowd in heaven shouting, ‘Hallelujah! Salvation is from our God. Glory and power belong to Him alone. His judgments are just and true” (19:1, 2).

While all of these things sound surreal, too difficult to imagine, much less believe, we must remember who it is that gave John these insights — Jesus Himself. They are part of God’s Word, and we hold God’s Word as authoritative and true because of the trustworthiness of the Author. God is not a man; He cannot lie. All that He has said is true and will be fulfilled.

How are you supposed to reconcile these visions of John with everyday life? How should your knowledge of the end affect how you live now?

After all that we have read this year, and after all that has transpired just in our lifetime, I hope you will join me in saying, “Come, Lord Jesus! Come quickly!”

BiAY.org | Day 365 — The End!