What Revelation's Designed to Do (Revelation 22:6-21)

Big Idea: Revelation is written to increase your confidence in God's plan, prepare you for Jesus' return, and make you long for his coming.

We’re in our 27th and final sermon through the book of Revelation. If you’ve been here all along, we’ve just spent almost 20 hours trying to understand the book of Revelation. We've examined beasts, bowls, seals, and plagues. We’ve all been stretched to understand and to deal with what we don’t understand and also see differently.

And now we have to ask: what’s the point of everything we’ve just read? What’s the takeaway? Why was Revelation written, and why did we spend all this effort going through this book? How is this supposed to change our lives?

That’s what the end of Revelation tells us.

Let me tell you what the purpose of Revelation is not. The purpose of Revelation is not to create confusion and speculation over the details of what we’ve just read. G.K. Chesterton supposedly said, "Though St. John the Evangelist saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creatures so wild as one of his own commentators.” If all we do is walk away with our charts and interpretations of our view of the end times, we’ve failed. Understanding Revelation is important, but it's meant for more than just speculation and curiosity.

What is Revelation supposed to do in our lives? Revelation 22 tells us. So let’s look at the three ways Revelation is to make a difference in our lives.

It's designed to change your life by increasing your confidence in God's plan (22:6-9).

There's something about living in this world that saps our confidence. Given the many interpretations of current events and our limited view, we urgently need a trustworthy source to explain what's happening and how to understand it. That's exactly what Revelation does for us.

Read verses 6 to 9 with me:

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."
"And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."
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, 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."

These verses establish a crucial truth: God's word in Revelation is trustworthy and will bless those who believe it.

Why can we trust Revelation? Because we can trace its source directly: God gave it to his angel, who showed it to John, who recorded it for us. This didn't emerge from John's imagination—it came from God himself.

Even the angel who delivered this message redirects our attention away from himself. Though we might be tempted to worship such a messenger, the angel reminds us he's simply a fellow servant. We should focus on God, who provides us with a trustworthy understanding of our world and the future.

This trustworthy message culminates in Christ's return and blesses those who keep it. How does it bless us?

• Revelation changes how we see everything. The world isn't what it appears. God reigns and is in control of history.
• Revelation reveals the full Christ. Revelation shows Jesus in his glory. He is on the throne of heaven, and he is glorious, and he is coming back again.
• Revelation shifts our perspective. From heaven's view, worldly things are temporary, while faithful suffering has eternal value.
• Revelation moves us to worship and courage. It guides our worship, drives us to prayer, and removes fear by showing us where history leads.
• Revelation reorients our hope. We expect God's justice and live for the new creation, not this broken world.

Revelation is meant to transform your Tuesday morning commute, your bedtime prayers, your resolve during cultural pressure, even your dreams. This book is designed to change how you live by giving you complete confidence in God's plan.

What do you do when the wrong guy wins the election? What do you do when another war breaks out? What do you do when you’re laid off, or when your investments lose half their value? What do you do when this world’s offerings start to win your heart? What do you do when they threaten to fire you unless you get on board with something that dishonors God? You remind yourself that God’s word is trustworthy and true, that there is more.

When you have confidence in God’s plan, you don’t need to worry about the news. The news can’t tell you what’s happening in the world. It only gives you a partial, earthbound picture. You don’t need to panic over setbacks in your life. You don’t even have to worry about being killed. Understanding Revelation can change your perspective on life and the world, boosting your confidence even in difficult times.

Keep reading and meditating on Revelation until it changes you. Revelation is designed to change your life by increasing your confidence in God's plan. You can understand what's happening in this world and live with unshakeable confidence. That's the blessing God intends through his trustworthy word.

But that’s not all. There’s a second way that Revelation is meant to make a difference in our lives. It’s meant to

It’s meant to prepare us for Jesus’ return (22:10-15).

In verse 10, John receives a striking command: do not seal up the contents of this book. This contrasts sharply with Daniel, who was told to seal certain prophecies for a future time (Daniel 12:4). Earlier, John himself was instructed to seal what the seven thunders declared (Revelation 10:4). But now? The opposite command. These words of prophecy must remain open, accessible to all. The contents of Revelation are not meant to be secret—everyone should know what is coming.

Verse 11 delivers a jarring reality check: "Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy." This echoes Daniel 12:10: "Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly." Here's the unsettling truth: don't be surprised when evil people persist in evil. The end is approaching, yet some will remain indifferent. Let them pursue their sin—but don't let their choices dictate yours. Stay faithful to God, even if you stand alone.

Then Jesus himself speaks in verses 12-13:

Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.

Jesus' message is clear: stop worrying about the evil surrounding you. He is returning, and he will deal with evildoers in his perfect timing. Your responsibility isn't to fix the world's wickedness—it's to remain faithful. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, not on the darkness around you.

Verses 14-15 present the final reality:

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. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Two paths. Two destinies. No escape from choosing.

Inside the city: the new Jerusalem—paradise beyond imagination awaiting all who trusted Christ and surrendered to his transforming grace. Outside the city: eternal exile from God's presence, the fate of those who chose to embrace evil.

The line is drawn. Final. Absolute. When time ends, every person will stand on one side or the other.

One group gets justice. They receive exactly what their hearts craved and pursued. The other group gets grace. They receive what they never deserved through God's love in the gospel. These are blessed because their filthy robes were washed clean, and now they thrive in God's presence forever.

The contrast is stark and terrifying.

Those who sincerely repent and accept God's grace will receive endless blessings and true fulfillment in the presence of their loving Savior. Those who reject God's grace will face deserved judgment, experiencing endless misery separated from the Savior they dishonored. The question thunders: Which will it be for you? Will you stay trapped in your spiritual filth? Or run to Christ for cleansing? Will you be banished—forever locked outside the gates? Or will you wear a spotless robe, walking through those gates to feast at the tree of life in the King's presence?

The time to choose and prepare is now. The time to prepare is now. Nothing—absolutely nothing—matters more than being ready for the day Jesus returns.

So what is Revelation meant to do? It's designed to change your life by increasing your confidence in God's plan. It’s also meant to prepare us for Jesus’ return by presenting a binary choice before you, a choice we can’t escape.

There’s one more thing that Revelation is meant to do.

It’s meant to make us long for Jesus’ return (22:16-21).

Read verses 16-21 and see if you can spot the repeated phrase:

“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.” 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.
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, 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.
He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

There’s a lot in these final verses. You have:

• A reminder of Jesus' identity — Jesus identifies himself as the "Root and Descendant of David" and the "bright Morning Star," confirming he's both the promised Messiah and divine.
• An open invitation — The passage offers salvation freely to anyone who is "thirsty" - emphasizing that God's grace is available to all people.
• A reminder that Jesus is coming soon— Jesus repeatedly says "I am coming soon," creating urgency and hope for believers.
• A warning — There's a serious warning against adding to or removing anything from this prophecy.
• A benediction of grace— The book concludes by blessing us and reminding us that everything depends on God's grace.

The final verses of Revelation highlight key messages: Jesus is Lord, salvation is free, he will return, and we should live with hope.

But there's one important phrase that is repeated over and over. It's this: Come. Look again at verses 17 and 20:

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come… He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The Spirit and believers unite in longing for the coming of Jesus. But before Jesus comes, there's a desire in verse 17 that anyone who desires come to Jesus first. Friends, long for Jesus to come. If you’re thirsty, if you desire the water of life, don’t delay. Nothing else will satisfy. Come and drink the waters of life and be satisfied. Come to Jesus today.

And believer, cry out for Jesus to come. It’s the last prayer of the Bible. It’s one of the shortest prayers. It’s the prayer to end all prayers. The prayer "Come, Lord Jesus!" asks for Jesus to return to end sadness, pain, suffering, and death, and to remove sin and make everything new.

It’s a prayer to long for heaven. As Randy Alcorn says:

Nothing is more often misdiagnosed than our homesickness for Heaven. We think that what we want is sex, drugs, alcohol, a new job, a raise, a doctorate, a spouse, a large-screen television, a new car, a cabin in the woods, a condo in Hawaii. What we really want is the person we were made for, Jesus, and the place we were made for, Heaven. Nothing less can satisfy us. . . . We may imagine we want a thousand different things, but God is the one we really long for. His presence brings satisfaction; his absence brings thirst and longing. Our longing for Heaven is a longing for God.

Friends, that is what Revelation is designed to do in our lives. It’s not written to satisfy our curiosity or so that we can argue over interpretations. Revelation is written to increase your confidence in God's plan, prepare you for Jesus' return, and make you long for his coming.

As we close our journey through Revelation, don't let this book become just another study you've completed. Let it do what God designed it to do.

Revelation wasn't intended to satisfy our curiosity about prophecy; it was meant to transform us into confident, ready, and eager people awaiting our Savior's return. The question isn't whether you understand every detail of what we've studied. The question is whether Revelation is doing in you what God intended it to do. May it be so, until that day when we see him face to face.