Good morning,

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. A day to remember and thank them for all they have done for us.

This week we will look at three mothers whose sons had a tremendous impact on the world.

Hannah-Samuel (1 Samuel 1:1-11, 20, 26-28) 

“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite:² And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.³ And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.⁴ And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:⁵ But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.⁶ And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. ⁷ And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.⁸ Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than ten sons?⁹ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” 

“Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.” 

“And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.²⁷ For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:²⁸ Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.” 

Hannah’s story is one of the most touching in the entire Bible. Like several other mothers in the Bible, she knew what it meant to suffer long years of barrenness. 

In Hannah’s case she was cruelly taunted by her husband’s other wife. But Hannah never gave up on God. Finally, her heartfelt prayers were answered. She gave birth to a son, Samuel, then did something entirely selfless to honor her promise to God. God favored Hannah with five more children, bringing great blessing to her life. (Zavada, Jack. “8 Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well.” Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/mothers-in-the-bible-701220.) 

Distinctive traits of a Godly mother: 

Prayer, Patience 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. A day to remember and thank them for all they have done for us.

This week we will look at three mothers whose sons had a tremendous impact on the world.

Jochebed-Moses (Numbers 26:59, Exodus 2:1-10) 

“And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.” 

“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.² And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.³ And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.⁴ And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.⁵ And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.⁶ And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.⁷ Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?⁸ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.⁹ And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.¹⁰ And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.” 

Jochebed, the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, is one of the underappreciated mothers in the Bible, yet she also showed tremendous faith in God. To avoid the mass slaughter of Hebrew boys, she set her baby adrift in the Nile River, hoping someone would find him and raise him. God so worked that her baby was found by Pharaoh’s daughter. Jochebed even became her own son’s nurse, ensuring that Israel’s great leader would grow up under the godly influence of his mother during his most formative years. 

God used Moses mightily to free the Hebrew people from their 400-year bondage to slavery and take them to the Promised Land. The writer of Hebrews pays tribute to Jochebed (Hebrews 11:23), showing that her faith allowed her to see the importance of saving her child’s life so that he might, in turn, save his people. Although little is written about Jochebed in the Bible, her story speaks powerfully to mothers of today. (Zavada, Jack. “8 Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well.” Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/mothers-in-the-bible-701220.) 

Distinctive traits of a Godly mother: 

Courage 

Faith 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Believers place their faith in the God of:

Creation

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Salvation

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Protection

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:34-39)

Wisdom

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)

Is the God of creation, salvation, protection, and wisdom, where we place our faith? All that we have seen this week points to that conclusion.

My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. Where do we place our faith and hope?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001, chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

People of God

Those who rejected God

Satan

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

Moses

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.¹¹ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?¹² And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.¹³ And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:10-14)

Do we say, “No to God“? It is not a wise course of action. God wants to bless, protect, guide, teach, and send us out to be His ambassadors. We cannot, if we choose not to trust Him. Faith is trusting every aspect of the character of God. Will we?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Living by faith in 2021

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Introduction: We live in the realm of the unknown

Experiences of the unknown

Elisha’s servant

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-17)

Balaam’s Donkey

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said. (Numbers 22:23-30)

People of the Bible

Those who had faith in God

Abraham

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.⁴ So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)

Noah

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.¹⁴ Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (Genesis 6:13-14)

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Genesis 6:22)

Those who bargained with God

Gideon

And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. (Judges 6:16-17)

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,³⁷ Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.³⁸ And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.³⁹ And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.⁴⁰ And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40)

Jacob

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,²¹ So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:20-22)

Those who rejected God

Satan

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

Moses

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.¹¹ And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?¹² And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.¹³ And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?¹⁴ And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you. (Exodus 3:10-14)

Believers place their faith in the God of:

Creation

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

Salvation

For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10)

Protection

Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?³⁶ As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.³⁷ Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.³⁸ For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,³⁹ Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:34-39)

Wisdom

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5)

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001, chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

People of the Bible

Those who had faith in God

Abraham

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee:² And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:³ And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.⁴ So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. (Genesis 12:1-4)

Noah

And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.¹⁴ Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. (Genesis 6:13-14)

Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he. (Genesis 6:22)

Those who bargained with God

Gideon

And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.¹⁷ And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. (Judges 6:16-17)

And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,³⁷ Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.³⁸ And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.³⁹ And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.⁴⁰ And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. (Judges 6:36-40)

Jacob

And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,²¹ So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the Lord be my God:²² And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee. (Genesis 28:20-22)

God wants us to completely trust Him. When we try to bargain with God, we are saying we do not trust Him. We have a better idea. We do not.

Remember, God knows all, sees all, is everywhere at once, and powerful enough to change any circumstance in an instant.

Is that good enough for our trust?

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Living by faith

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Introduction: We live in the realm of the unknown

Experiences of the unknown

Elisha’s servant

Therefore sent he thither horses, and chariots, and a great host: and they came by night, and compassed the city about.¹⁵ And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?¹⁶ And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.¹⁷ And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (2 Kings 6:14-17)

Balaam’s Donkey

When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road with a drawn sword in his hand, it turned off the road into a field. Balaam beat it to get it back on the road.²⁴ Then the angel of the Lord stood in a narrow path through the vineyards, with walls on both sides. ²⁵ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam’s foot against it. So he beat the donkey again.²⁶ Then the angel of the Lord moved on ahead and stood in a narrow place where there was no room to turn, either to the right or to the left. ²⁷ When the donkey saw the angel of the Lord, it lay down under Balaam, and he was angry and beat it with his staff. ²⁸ Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?”²⁹ Balaam answered the donkey, “You have made a fool of me! If only I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.”³⁰ The donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day? Have I been in the habit of doing this to you?”

“No,” he said. (Numbers 22:23-30)

Do we have the faith of Elisha and Balaam’s donkey or the lack of faith by Elisha’s servant and Balaam? It is kind of embarrassing when a donkey has more faith than we do.

Trust God!

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Revelation 22

Do not add or take away from the words of this prophecy (22:18-19) 

^“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” 

This warning is aimed against the willful distortion of the message of the book. The speaker is Christ Himself, who thus claims a canonicity for the book (and the entire New Testament) equal to that of the Old Testament. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2019) 

Even so, come Lord Jesus (22:20-21) 

^“20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” 

The final promise of Christ in the Bible is that His return is imminent. The answers to the problems of life is to be found in the return of the sovereign Son of God. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2019) 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Revelation 22

...Come (22:16-17) 

^“16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” 

Jesus now authenticates His angel through whom He has given the revelation to John. You is plural, indicating that the revelation is for all the churches. As the root and the offspring of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of Isaiah 11:1. As the bright and morning star, Jesus will shortly bring in the new age: the messianic kingdom. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2018) 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Revelation 22 

River of Life and Tree of Life (22:1-2) 

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding ² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” 

These verses depict the abundant life and continual blessing of the New Jerusalem. One river, containing water of life, comes from God’s throne and waters the entire city. The tree of life pictures eternal sustenance and immortality. Both the variety and abundance of fruit are emphasized. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2017) 

We Shall Serve, See, and Reign Forever with God (22:3-5) 

^“3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.“ 

The effects of the post-Endemic curse will be totally gone forever. God’s saints will serve Him and reign with Him forever. The greatest blessing of eternity is that they shall see His face. The name of God in their foreheads shows ownership and consecration. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2017) 

Sayings are Faithful and True (22:6-7) 

^“6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” 

These sayings refer to the entire Book of Revelation. They are authenticated as genuine by the angel who God sent to give them through John to His servants, that is, the members of the churches. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2017) 

Worship God (22:8-11) 

^“8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” 

John certifies that he has actually seen and heard everything that he has written in the book. He again makes the mistake of worshipping the messenger (angel) of God rather than God Himself. John is told to leave the book open (Seal not). The Messiah has come, his return is imminent, and thus the time is at hand. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2018) 

I am the Alpha and Omega (22:12-13) 

^“12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” 

Again Christ declares the imminence of His return. The three designations of verse 13 are virtually equivalent in meaning. By applying them to Himself, Christ claims unlimited, eternal equality with God. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2018) 

Tree of Life (22:14—15) 

^“14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” 

They that do His commandments are believers. The tree of life indicates immortality and divine blessings. To be able to enter in through the gates into the city is to have heavenly citizenship in the eternal dwelling place of God and redeemed mankind. All unbelievers are without (outside) the city in the lake of fire. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2018) 

…Come (22:16-17) 

^“16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” 

Jesus now authenticates His angel through whom He has given the revelation to John. You is plural, indicating that the revelation is for all the churches. As the root and the offspring of David, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Messianic promise of Isaiah 11:1. As the bright and morning star, Jesus will shortly bring in the new age: the messianic kingdom. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2018) 

Do not add or take away from the words of this prophecy (22:18-19) 

^“18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” 

This warning is aimed against the willful distortion of the message of the book. The speaker is Christ Himself, who thus claims a canonicity for the book (and the entire New Testament) equal to that of the Old Testament. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2019) 

Even so, come Lord Jesus (22:20-21) 

^“20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” 

The final promise of Christ in the Bible is that His return is imminent. The answers to the problems of life is to be found in the return of the sovereign Son of God. (Liberty Annotated Study Bible, pg. 2019) 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com