With the present tense the Lord Jesus Christ reassures his readers that his return involves a process that he (at the time he revealed this to John now 2,000 years ago) is already working on. By way of analogy, our coming
to a given address is the culmination of planning, packing, and travelling. Similarly, Jesus’ arrival on the last day is the culmination of his doing the various details contained in the scroll he had taken from God’s hand (Revelation 5:7–8).
12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.