Look especially at the words in verse 20. Jesus said to John, "I come quickly." John in response says to the Lord Jesus, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

In this Scripture Jesus declared His coming, John desired His coming. Jesus says to John, "John I am coming." John responds by saying , "Come on Lord, I am ready for you to come at any time."

When Christ came the first time it was to die, but when He comes again it will be in pomp, power, and in glory.

Notice some of the characteristics of these wonderful words of Jesus to John and of John to Jesus.

3. They are calming words. Nothing can tranquilize the troubled soul like words about the return of Jesus Christ to planet earth. That will work where the pills may fail. So many folks are worried to death. They need to "calm down." Jesus is coming again and very soon!

4. They are comforting words. Jesus promised us before He went away that He would not leave us comfortless. The Holy Ghost is an inner comforter. Never forget that He uses and works in co-operation with the Word of God to give us sweet comfort in our souls.

5. They are confident words. Jesus is confident that He will come and John is confident that He is coming. The second coming as a hope is not just wishful thinking on our part, but it is a confident expectation that Jesus will carry through on ALL that He has promised to do.

You and I can identify with the words of John when he said, "Even so Come, Lord Jesus." Since Jesus left the Mount of Olives over 2,000 years ago, His people have been looking for His return.

I feel now we can really begin to look for Him to come again. First he will secretly rapture the saints, then seven years later He will reveal Himself to the whole world, and every eye shall see Him (Rev.1:7).

Some just knew that He would come just when the year 2,000 rolled over. Remember Jesus said, "In an hour when ye think not." Friend, He will come at a time when many are not expecting Him to come. I did not really think He would come on New Years Day 2,000, because too many were looking for Him to come then.

We not only have a RESURRECTED Lord, we also have a RETURNING Lord. Death could not hold Him down, and in the future the devil and evil men cannot keep Him from coming back to this world.

Let’s look together today at several things surrounding this verse that closes out the Lord’s revelation to John. Our thoughts are going to focus around the words, "Even so come."

Here is the way I believe God would have us to look at this text today. First, what was said? Secondly, who said it? Thirdly, where did He say it? Fourthly, when did he say it? In the fifth place, why did he say it?

You just do not hear words like we have in the first part of verse 20, when Jesus said, "Surely I come quickly," and not give some kind of response.

A person will either respond in belief or in unbelief to a strong statement like Jesus made in the first part of verse 20.

Is your response one of faith in the words of Jesus? It certainly should be, because He cannot lie and is the Faithful and True One.

This is such a startling statement by our Lord that you cannot stand on neutral ground. John could not help but to respond in faith saying, "Even so come, Lord Jesus."

He longed for Jesus to come. It was something John anticipated and longed for with every fiber of his being. The revelator’s heart was bursting with faith and burning with a desire to see the one that he caught a glimpse of in Rev.1:12-16.

The vision John saw in Rev. 1 was certainly no normal person for His hair and head was white like wool; His eyes were as a flame fire; His feet were like unto fine brass; He had seven starts in His right hand; He had a two-edged sword coming out of His mouth; and His countenance was so bright that it shone as does the sun in its strength.

John was so overwhelmed in that glory that he fell at the feet of the Lord Jesus like a dead man and worshiped the Lord. I do not believe John ever lost the wonder of it all.

Someone once asked the Evangelist, Gypsy Smith about the secret of the success of His ministry. Brother Gipsy said to the person who asked, "I have never lost the wonder of it." Like the songwriter said, "The Wonder of It All." To many church folks today are going through a form and ritual and have lost the wonder that should be associated with the things of God.

In places it seems the Bible is speaking of one big event not separated by time. But when we look carefully at the Scriptures, it is plain to me that there is one coming in two stages. First there is the "Rapture" phase, when Jesus comes only for the saved to take them to glory, and then there is a "Revelation phase" when every eye shall see Him. In the "Revelation phase" the Son of God will destroy the armies of the earth at Armageddon.

The Bible speaks of various times of judgment.
1. In the past, our sins were judged in Jesus at Calvary.
2. The believe must stand at the Judgment Seat of Christ to determine the degree of their heavenly reward (Rom.14:10; 1 Cor.3:9-15). This seems to be right after the church is raptured.
3. Israel will be judged before they enter into the kingdom at the end of the tribulation period (Ezek.20:33-44; Matt.24:9-25:30).
4. There is the Judgment of the Living Nations, which will take place at the close of the Tribulation Period. Remember, during the tribulation period, nations will take sides "for" or "against" Israel. All nations in regard to their relationship with Israel, God’s chosen people, will be judged. There will be nations on God’s right (place of blessing) and some on the left hand (place of judgment). It is in reference to this incident where some people see the picture of one "big" judgment.
5.Later there is the Judgment Seat of Christ where the lost will stand to be condemned to the lake of fire. The degree of their punishment will be determined there. (Rev.20:11-15). People there are all cast into the lake of fire. It will happened at the end of the 1,000 year earthly reign of Jesus Christ.

What Was Said?

***John The Baptist- He baptized Jesus and announced Christ

***John Mark- He is the one who accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey and left Paul at Pergma, then returned to Jerusalem. For that reason Paul did not allow John Mark to accompany him on the second missionary journey. The subject of John Mark brought about a sharp disagreement between Barnabus and Paul.

***John the Apostle. He is the one who wrote the Book from which we get our text in this message.

1. Younger brother of James (Matt.4:21).

2. Was an apostle of Jesus (he had seen the Lord).

3. Had been a fisherman.

4. Was a close companion to the apostle Peter.

5. Wrote the Gospel of John, I, II, III John and the Book of the Revelation.

6. His name in the Hebrew means, "Jehovah is gracious." So much is said in the Bible about John "the beloved."

7. He underwent much persecution for his faith.

8. There are differences of opinion about the fate of John the Apostle.

Tradition says he was taken to Rome, put in boiling oil, but the oil had no power to hurt him.

Another tradition has James and John being marytered.

My belief is that the Book of the Revelation points to John being taken to the Island of Patmos. I believe, after John moved to Ephesus in Asia Minor, from there he was banished to the Island of Patmos during the reign of Domitian in 81-96 A.D. Tradition says he returned later to Ephesus and did some time after Trajan became emperor in 98 A.D.

What was said?

Who said it?

III. Where Was It Said?

These words were uttered by John from the Island of Patmos while he was "in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day" (Rev.1:10). This was not a normal day for John for God had a special spiritual experience for him, as he saw visions of the future and what it would hold.

Patmos was an island just off the coast of Asia Minor, about 35 miles S.W. of Miletus.

A. It was a small place.

It is a small island about 6 x 10 miles.

Aren’t you glad God came come to you and speak in the "small hemmed-in" places of life?

It served as a place of banishment during the time of the greatness of the Roman Empire. They did not have to worry about people trying to swim from the island to the mainland. They needed no barbed wire around the island for it was cut off from the rest of civilization.

Seclusions speaks to me of loneliness. I am sure he missed his family while he was there, but God helped him to go on.

John probably suffered more than the other prisoners because he was such a great propagator and proclaimer of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who did not know God hated him because of the holy God he represented.

John was willing to suffer than to deny the Lord Jesus Christ. His philosophy was he had rather go through hard times, being in the will of God, than to have ease outside of the will of God.

It was know to be a barren, rocky island. The rocks speak of hardship, trouble and pain. Some of you here today may be in the same place in your life, but God can pay you a special visit as he did John, and lift you up above the troubles of this present world.

What was said?

Who said it?

Where Was It Said?

John was banished to the Isle of Patmos.

When you feel alone, God will come to you.

Song:

Standing somewhere in the shadows you’ll find Jesus-

He’s a friend who always hears and understands,

Standing somewhere in the shadows you find Jesus,

and you’ll know Him by the nail prints in his hands.

It did cost John greatly to all our serve Jesus.

It will cost you if you serve him like you should–people will reject you, the world will hate you, and society will badger you.

John had served God faithfully in spite of great obstacles and difficulties. He knew God would not forget his work of faith and his labor of love. Certainly not!

You do not need to think God will forget about what you have done for Him. He will reward you now and in eternity if you are faithful to Him in sunshine and in shadows.

He was "caught up" in the Lord. He was "in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day."

He was so absorbed in God and His purposes and plans, that was all that seemed to matter to the Apostle John.

Have you even been really down and the Lord just seem to show up, saturate you in His person and His power, and give you a special spiritual thrill in your heart? I am speaking about times of "spiritual ecstasy." I have had many experiences of that in my life. The spiritual life is not just "feelings" but thank God when they come out of our spiritual experiences with God.

Note:
I had that kind of experience recently in my study. God was more real to me than the desk, the book shelves, and the books on the shelves, and I was so full I could not stop crying, rejoicing and shouting. God was so real! He can be that way today if you will only allow him to.

What was said?

Who said it?

Where was it said?

When did he say it?


V. Why Did He Say It?

Let me take a few minutes to give you several reasons why I believe John said what he did:

A. Sorrows Would Be Ended

n heaven there are no more sorrows.

"Sorrow" can be defined as " distress caused by loss, affliction, disappointment, etc.; grief, sadness, or regret.

1. Our failures cause sorrow

2. Death causes sorrow

3. Others can cause us sorrow

By what say–by what they do—what they fail to do

4. Bodily pain and sickness causes us sorrow

Rev. 21: 4 says "sorrow" is excluded from within the pearly gates of the city of God.

John went through much sorrow due to the fact he was persecuted. How many of you have even been thrown into boiling oil for the Lord? I am sure none of us, but tradition says John was.

How many of you have been on an barren, rocky island in exile like John was for his testimony? JOHN WANTED ALL OF HIS SORROWS TO BE OVER.

Sometimes we wonder if it will ever be over. They will be one day. Storms will be no more.

God uses storms to make us, but even knowing that, we all look forward to the day that storms will be no more.

Illustration:

Last week I heard mention of a young man named Randy Kiger. He was key board player for a gospel group that is good friends with Brother Zeno Groce. He is a very talented young man and looked like had a great future ahead of him. He had simple kidney stone surgery and something went wrong. Randy has some very bad days. He was not able to be with his group to sing at the Smokey Mountain Jubilee this past week. They said Brother Kiger wept because he did not have enough physical strength to be present in the meeting. They spoke to him on a cell from the platform of the auditorium while the meeting was going on , assuring him he was missed and that they were praying for him. I AM SURE BROTHER RANDY IS SAYING UNDER HIS BREATH, "EVEN SO COME LORD JESUS."

Jesus said in Rev.22:20, "Surely, I come quickly."

He did not just say, "I come quickly." His first word is "surely."

I would believe just the "I come quickly"—but Christ added–"Surely I come quickly."

What Christ says will come to pass.

I have wondered when He would come. Great men have debated and discussed it through the years.

Remember God had given Paul a glimpse of several things in the Book of the Revelation:

1- The various periods of the history of the church

Rev. 2-3

2- The tribulation period coming upon planet earth.

Seal, trumpet, and vial judgments.

Saw the horrors of what would happen on earth and in heaven.

3- The millennial or golden age in Rev. 19

Christ would rule with a rod of iron on the earth.

4- The glorious literal city, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven.

5- He also saw the time there would be a new heaven and a new earth.

After seeing all of that John says in so many words, "Lord come and fulfill all that you showed me would happen in this special revelation.

When Jesus comes the suspense will be over about when He is coming and the particulars of His coming.

Ills.

One of those mansions is mine, one of those mansions is mine,

a home filled with glory divine, yes one of those mansions is mine.

I long to see Jesus.

John the Apostle wrote:

If I were not able to be like Him, I would just love to see Him. I have served Him by faith for many years now, but what a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see.

Conclusion:

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

1- You must be ready

2- You should be expectant

3- You should live holy.

Even so come Lord Jesus.