6 And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
7 “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practises falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
17 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 desires take the water of life without price.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Nothing could be sweeter or simpler than the invitation to 'Come', given by Jesus Himself, through the Spirit and the Church (17). This is the Spirit's testimony throughout Scripture. The tugging that we have known at our hearts, the stirring within us at the sound of the gospel, the feeling within us, wistful and longing, wanting it to be true, the sudden awareness of the persuasiveness and power of its message - all this is the Spirit saying 'Come'. And the Bride, the Church likewise adds her persuasion to the pleading of the Spirit (cf John 15:26, 27, for a felicitous illustration of this blessedly fruitful co-operation - 'The Spirit shall testify of Me: and ye also'). The Church is commissioned by the Lord to invite men to come to him. As Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 5:20, 'We are ambassadors for Christ...we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God'. And who could invite men more warmly or eagerly than those who themselves have come to Him and experienced His grace and power! The invitation continues, 'Let him that is athirst come'. This is the only qualification a man ever needs. How wonderful that a book that has sounded out so many stern and frightening notes should end so tenderly and winsomely, and with an appeal as wide as the world itself - 'whosoever will….'! This serves to underline still more conclusively that judgment is God's 'strange' work, and that His 'proper' work is to love and to save. It is when we call Him 'Saviour' that we give Him His best and sweetest Name!