Alpha Omega

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.

I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:12–20)

Jesus will come back soon. He is coming with a reward for everyone, “according to what he has done.” But Moses, David and Paul took part in murder. The thief on the cross never performed any good deeds. And what about the woman caught in adultery, or the prostitute who bathed Jesus’ feet with her tears? Will they all be locked out of the city?

Jesus’ words allude to those of the prophet Isaiah, who announced that God would come to his people Israel with his reward (Isaiah 40:10 and 62:11). That “reward” was not based on anything that Israel deserved. The “reward” referred to God’s work of bestowing the blessings of salvation on his faithful people. That “work” is actually God’s work of forgiveness (Isaiah 40:2).

Only the Lamb was “worthy” to be accepted by God (Revelation 5:22), while “those who washed their robes and made them white by the blood of the lamb” (Revelation 7:14) are those to be saved. We will be rewarded by Jesus when he returns for us and we are saved not just from our sins, but from their effects. Our reward is the inheritance we have in God’s Kingdom as his forgiven and adopted children.

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About R.P. Nettelhorst

I'm married with three daughters. I live in southern California and I'm the interim pastor at Quartz Hill Community Church. I have written several books. I spent a couple of summers while I was in college working on a kibbutz in Israel. In 2004, I was a volunteer with the Ansari X-Prize at the winning launches of SpaceShipOne. Member of Society of Biblical Literature, American Academy of Religion, and The Authors Guild
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