Rev. 22:1-21
Introduction: Today we conclude our Revelation study with chapter 22. This chapter contains two distinct parts: (1) John could have ended the Book of Revelation with v. 5, which would seem to be a perfect conclusion; (2) however, like any good preacher, in vv. 6-21 John brings us abruptly back to the present (we're still in the Church Age, although 1,928 years later) in order to reiterate a few critical warnings-as much as we'd like to be, we're not there yet.
Read Revelation 22:1-5 - THE GLORY OF EDEN RESTORED
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
vv. 1 -2a: The angel draws John's attention to "the river of the water of life, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb." This future river in New Jerusalem symbolizes the power, purity, and the eternal nature of the heavenly city. The throne, indicated as that of both God and the Lamb, confirms that Christ is still on the throne in the eternal state, although His role here differs from His rule in the Millennial state.
v. 2b: Next, John sees the Tree of Life, reminding us of a restored and sinless Garden of Eden. The tree, to which God's people are given eternal access, is a symbol of eternal life, and the 12 types of fruit it bears represent the completeness of that eternal life. The leaves of the tree that heal the nations, signify a complete eradication of sin and its effects on mankind.
vv. 3-5: This verse brings a new Garden of Eden to mind again: instead of a curse and separation from God as with the old Garden, the redeemed enjoy the presence of God eternally, so there will be no curse nor any need for divine punishment. Do you remember that Moses couldn't see God's face and live (Ex. 33:20-23); yet, v. 4 tells us that in eternity, God's redeemed will see His face (because they are in a glorified state), and "His name on their foreheads" symbolizes that they belong to Him. Then v. 5 reiterates what we heard in 21:25 last week; that the night will be banished, and the city will be eternally illuminated by God's glory.
TRUTH 1: The throne, indicated as that of both God and the Lamb, confirms that CHRIST is still on the throne in the eternal state. In the center of the service and worship of the saints will be Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Heb. 13:8.
Note on vv. 6-21: Scholars call this the Epilogue, which is kind of like a long-winded P.S. in which the writer says, "Oh, wait a minute-here's something else you need to know." This conclusion to the Book of Revelation is also the conclusion to the entire Bible. We should keep in mind that the Book of Revelation is the last book inspired by God as well as being the final book to be placed in the Biblical text. Because of this, the conclusion found in Revelation forms the end to the entire body of inspired writings that God revealed to mankind, starting with the Pentateuch and extending over a period of approximately 2,500 years. In content, John's Epilogue repeats the themes of his Prologue (Rev. 1:1-8), which (1) reaffirms the trustworthiness of the book, (2) gives a blessing to those who heed its words, and (3) promises the impending return of Jesus Christ.
Read Rev. 22:6-12 - THE CERTAINTY OF THE BOOK
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 each one for what he has done.
vv. 6-7: With words similar to 1:1, the angel who had the seven bowls reminds John that these words (i.e., the entire Book of Revelation) are "trustworthy and true." Since Jesus Himself is trustworthy and true and never goes back on His word, we can believe the book of Revelation word-for-word. Remember that a prophecy of God becomes a fact in history even before it occurs. In v. 7, Jesus speaking, declares He's coming soon. The Greek word for "soon," (tachu) can mean either at once or suddenly. In any case, we should consider His return to be a foregone conclusion that can happen at any moment. Finally, in the 7th and last beatitude, Christ tells us we will receive a special blessing if we apply the teachings of this Book to our lives.
vv. 8-9: After hearing this, John was so overwhelmed that he began worshipping the angel, who, in a sharp reprimand, told John that he (the angel) was just a servant, like Him, and to worship God only.
vv. 10-12: When the angel tells John not to "seal" the book, he means it's to be proclaimed, i.e., God intends the Book of Revelation to be an open book for all to understand. The "evildoers" who have rejected the Gospel, certainly won't heed the coming judgments pronounced by this book, but believers are expected to live in light of it with the sure knowledge that Jesus is coming again. In v. 12, Jesus, speaking again, announces He's coming soon and bringing His "recompense," which is a reference to the heavenly rewards for good works done in faith. Jesus urges us to work hard to lay up treasure in heaven while there's still time-it could be tomorrow!
TRUTH 2: Since Jesus Himself is trustworthy and true and never goes back on His word, we can BELIEVE the book of Revelation word-for-word. Remember that a prophecy of God becomes a fact in history even before it occurs, and Jesus tells us we will receive a special blessing if we apply the teachings of this Book to our lives.
Read Rev. 22:13-17 - THE MAJESTY OF THE ETERNAL CHRIST
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 practices 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.
vv. 13-15: Jesus gives Himself three titles in v. 13: (1)the "Alpha and Omega" exemplifies His eternal nature and sovereignty; (2) the "beginning and end" confirms that He always finishes what He starts; and (3) the "first and last" identifies that He and the Father are the one God who are the cause and goal of history. The blessing in v. 14, the expression "wash their robes" is a figure of speech that means seeking God's cleansing by confession of sin, and the verb "wash" is present tense, indicating that confession should be daily. v. 15 is a curse against those whose works are indicative of a life of unbelief in the Gospel and will not enter the eternal city (we know from Rev. 20 that their fate is the lake of fire). "Dogs" is a metaphor for those who distort the Gospel and tell lies.
vv. 16-17: Jesus explains that He's giving witness of who He is through His angel so that all the churches will hear or read these words (as we are doing now). The "root and descendant of David" points to Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy and the "bright morning star," which appears only as the night is almost ending, points to His second coming, when He will burst upon the scene of human history at its darkest hour. The verb "come" occurs three times in v. 17: The first two references from the "Spirit and the Bride" (the Holy Spirit and the Church) are calls for Jesus to return. But In the third "come," the invitation is turned around to "the ones who hear," which would include both unbelievers who need to take their first drink of the living water and believers who need to keep their thirst quenched by coming to the well again and again (i.e., in order to be a fruitful Christian). This is the same "living water" Jesus referred to in Jn. 4:10-14 in His encounter with the woman at the well.
TRUTH 3: The Book of Revelation forms yet another INVITATION to unbelievers who need to take their first drink of the "water of life" (v. 17). The same verse should also encourage believers who need to keep their thirst quenched by coming to the well again and again (i.e., in order to be fruitful).
Read Rev. 22:18-19 - WARNING NOT TO ALTER THE BOOK
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.
vv. 18-19: This is really pretty clear: If anyone adds words to the book of Revelation, God will visit him or her with the kind of plagues seen in Rev. 6-16. If the person doing this is a believer, this warning doesn't imply a loss of salvation, but he or she might very well lose his or her life. In like manner, anyone who "takes away from the words" (that is tries to corrupt the meaning of it in some way), again, won't necessarily lose their salvation but such action obviously points to a substantial loss of heavenly rewards. Unbelievers who write these things, well, either way, will receive their ultimate punishment in the lake of fire. Examples of attempts to add to God's revelation are seen in the Book of Mormon and the Koran, and there are many other less well-known writings that have attempted to add new revelation beyond the Biblical account. Liberal secular humanists don't view the Bible as inspired by God but treat it as an old book of fables written by men who express out-dated moral standards. The truth, as clearly stated in these two verses, is that the Bible is a closed book-there will be no further revelation. God's Word incorporates a "divine copyright," and if you tamper with it, God will tamper with you.
TRUTH 4: Revelation forms the END to the entire body of inspired writings that God revealed to mankind. In short, the Bible is God's complete revelation, and nothing can be added to it or subtracted from it.
Read Rev. 22: 20-21 - BENEDICTION
2O 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.
vv. 20-21: In contrast to the other two similar announcements (vv. 7 and 12, above), v. 20 adds the word "surely" (Gr. nai), followed by the word "amen," both used to emphasize the certainty of Jesus' coming. So, John, who is eager to see Christ again himself, leaves no doubt. The message to us to be ready-to be watching-this is really the entire message of Revelation. In the last verse, v. 21, God wants to make absolutely sure that "grace" will have the last word. The entire picture of eternity laid out in the Book of Revelation is literally the last word in God's grace, a free gift of inestimable value.
Conclusion: This final book of the Bible, which began with the revelation of Jesus Christ, ends with a prayer that His grace will be with those who have witnessed the visions revealed to us-by God Almighty-through the inspired writing of the apostle John. There is probably no other book in the Bible that presents a more visible and forceful contrast of the grace of God as seen in the lives and destinies of the redeemed in comparison to the righteous judgment that awaits the wicked. In no other book are these issues brought into sharper focus. If nothing else, this book should change the way we perceive ourselves and those around us in the lost world. There are billions out there who need to be told the truth, who need to receive the invitation of v. 17-to drink the water of life without price. Does this bother you? Does it break your heart? Who will tell them?
