Another excellent piece by Robert Hoyle on the end times. What does Revelation mean by "Come, Lord Jesus"? Read and be challenged! From the intro:
It is lamentable that the book of Revelation is rarely appealed to for doctrine and exhortation. Although its pages abound with Scriptural allusion, despite its containing direct imperatives (blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book), and notwithstanding the brilliant imagery of Christ’s might, splendor, and dominion John’s Apocalypse remains a sealed book to many readers of the Bible. Confusion regarding its nature and message effectively serves to ward off the average lay-reader as well as ensure its being passed over in the vast majority of doctrinal preaching.
While it is outside the scope of the present article to remedy this dilemma it is hoped that some light can be shed on just one of the numerous important doctrines and themes which appear in the pages of this final book of the Bible. The particular topic which will here draw our attention is that of Christ’s coming as it is invoked in John's closing prayer of chapter 22.
The words of John in the close of Revelation, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus,” have in our day come to be interpreted in the standard-fare “rapture ready" mindset. In accordance with this reading John’s final prayer is that Christ remove him from this earthly scene of doom and destruction. Much to the contrary, we will find that far from petitioning God for his own removal from earthly service, John’s prayer is a display in the confidence he has that Christ will presently comfort His afflicted people and that it will be Christ’s enemies (not the Church) who are removed.
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