Revelation Chapter 22

Come, Lord Jesus

A. The Interior of the New Jerusalem

1. Revelation 22:1, A River Flowing from the Throne of God

Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

John is now shown the interior life of the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21 emphasized the city itself, its glory, its foundations, its gates, its measurements, its holiness, and the absence of every defiling thing. Revelation 22 now brings the reader inside the city and shows the living provision that flows from God Himself. The first thing John sees is not a marketplace, a military fortress, a political throne room, or a temple complex, but a river. This is significant because the life of the eternal city is not sustained by human engineering, human commerce, human government, or human religion, but by the direct and continual provision of God and of the Lamb.

The river is described as “a pure river of water of life.” This is not ordinary water as we know it in the present fallen world. It is pure, life giving, unpolluted, and proceeding directly from the throne of God. The wording points to complete sufficiency. In the eternal state there is no scarcity, no contamination, no decay, no drought, no curse, and no threat of death. The water of life is the symbol and reality of divine provision in its fullest and final form. Everything necessary for eternal joy, satisfaction, fellowship, holiness, and life flows from God Himself.

Throughout the Old Testament, the image of a river is used as a powerful expression of richness, provision, blessing, and peace. This imagery is not accidental. Scripture repeatedly uses water, rivers, fountains, and streams to picture the abundance that comes from God. In a dry and thirsty land, water represents life. In a barren land, water represents fruitfulness. In a world under judgment, pure water represents restoration. Therefore, when John sees a pure river flowing through the New Jerusalem, he is seeing the final and perfect fulfillment of what God had foreshadowed throughout Scripture.

Isaiah 48:18, “O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments, then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.”

Isaiah 48:18 connects the image of a river with peace. God told Israel that if they had obeyed His commandments, their peace would have been like a river. A river suggests continuity, abundance, and movement. Peace from God is not thin, shallow, or temporary. It is full, steady, and supplied by Him. Israel forfeited many blessings through disobedience, yet God’s final plan restores His people and His creation in perfect peace. In the New Jerusalem, peace will no longer be conditional upon human obedience in a fallen state, because sin will be gone, the curse will be removed, and the redeemed will dwell forever in perfect righteousness before God.

Zechariah 14:8, “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea, in summer and in winter shall it be.”

Zechariah 14:8 describes living waters flowing from Jerusalem in the day of the Lord. From a premillennial and dispensational perspective, this passage points first to the kingdom age, when Messiah reigns from Jerusalem on the earth. It shows that God’s kingdom will be marked by supernatural provision, restoration, and blessing. Yet Revelation 22 takes the image higher. Zechariah shows living waters flowing from earthly Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom, but Revelation 22 shows the pure river of water of life flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb in the New Jerusalem. The millennial river is glorious, but the eternal river is greater. The kingdom age previews the eternal state, but the New Jerusalem displays the final perfection of God’s dwelling with His people.

Ezekiel 47:1, “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house, and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.”

Ezekiel 47:2, “Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward, and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.”

Ezekiel 47:3, “And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters, the waters were to the ankles.”

Ezekiel 47:4, “Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters, the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through, the waters were to the loins.”

Ezekiel 47:5, “Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over, for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.”

Ezekiel 47:6, “And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this, Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.”

Ezekiel 47:7, “Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.”

Ezekiel 47:8, “Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea, which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.”

Ezekiel 47:9, “And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live, and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall be healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.”

Ezekiel 47 gives one of the clearest Old Testament pictures of a river flowing from the temple and bringing life wherever it goes. The water begins at the temple, grows deeper as it flows, and brings healing even to the sea. From a literal premillennial view, this should not be spiritualized away as merely a picture of the church. Ezekiel is describing a real future work of God connected with the restored temple and the kingdom reign of Messiah. Yet even that glorious scene is not the final scene. Ezekiel’s river belongs to the millennial earth, while Revelation 22 describes the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth. Ezekiel’s river flows from the temple, but Revelation’s river flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Ezekiel’s river brings healing to the earth during the kingdom, while Revelation’s river belongs to the eternal state where the curse is gone. This means Ezekiel’s vision is a preview, but Revelation 22 is the consummation.

Psalm 46:4, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.”

Psalm 46:5, “God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved, God shall help her, and that right early.”

Psalm 46:4 and 46:5 are especially fitting in connection with Revelation 22. The psalmist speaks of a river whose streams make glad the city of God. The reason the city is glad is not merely because of the river itself, but because God is in the midst of her. The river represents the blessing that comes from the presence of God. The security of the city is also grounded in God’s presence, “she shall not be moved.” This fits perfectly with the New Jerusalem. The eternal city is glad because God dwells there. It is secure because God is in the midst of her. It is supplied because the river proceeds from His throne.

The phrase “clear as crystal” emphasizes the absolute purity of the river. In this present world, water can be polluted, poisoned, stagnant, or corrupted. Men have known polluted streams, broken wells, diseased waters, and water shortages. But the river John sees is clear as crystal. There is nothing corrupt in it because there is nothing corrupt in its source. The river proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Because the source is holy, the stream is holy. Because the source is eternal, the provision is eternal. Because the source is God Himself, the river is pure, sufficient, and life giving.

This also teaches that all true blessing comes from God’s throne. The throne speaks of sovereignty, authority, government, and rule. In the New Jerusalem, life does not flow from democracy, empire, economics, science, technology, or human achievement. Life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. This is the final answer to man’s ancient rebellion. Since Genesis 3, fallen humanity has tried to live independently from God. Man has sought life apart from God, wisdom apart from God, morality apart from God, government apart from God, and glory apart from God. Revelation 22 shows the utter failure of that rebellion. Eternal life, eternal joy, eternal peace, and eternal provision are found only in submission to and fellowship with the enthroned God and the Lamb.

The phrase “of God and of the Lamb” is also deeply theological. The throne is singular in Revelation 22:1, yet it is called the throne “of God and of the Lamb.” This shows the unity of the Father and the Son in divine rule. The Lamb is not a lesser creature standing beside God as an exalted servant. He shares the throne. This is consistent with the full deity of Christ. The same Lamb who was slain, who redeemed men by His blood, who opened the scroll, who judged the earth, and who returned in glory, now reigns eternally with God. The river flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb because salvation, life, and eternal blessing come from the Triune God through the redemptive work of Christ.

The river also reminds the believer that heaven is not merely the absence of suffering, but the fullness of life. Many people think of eternity only in terms of what will not be there. There will be no death, no sorrow, no crying, no pain, no curse, no night, no temple, and no sin. All of that is true and glorious. But Revelation 22 also tells us what will be there. There will be life. There will be provision. There will be purity. There will be joy. There will be the throne of God. There will be the Lamb. There will be direct access to the source of all blessing.

2. Revelation 22:2, The Tree of Life

Revelation 22:2, “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.”

John next sees the tree of life. This takes the reader all the way back to Genesis. The Bible begins with the tree of life in Eden, and it ends with the tree of life in the New Jerusalem. This is not an accidental parallel. Genesis shows man’s fall, Revelation shows man’s restoration. Genesis shows man barred from the tree of life, Revelation shows the redeemed granted access to it. Genesis shows the curse entering creation, Revelation shows the curse removed. Genesis shows man driven from the garden, Revelation shows man dwelling with God in the eternal city.

Genesis 3:22, “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.”

Genesis 3:23, “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”

Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the man, and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

After Adam sinned, God barred man from the tree of life. This was judgment, but it was also mercy. Had fallen man eaten of the tree of life in his sinful condition, he would have been confirmed in a state of endless corruption. God drove man out of Eden and guarded the way to the tree of life. This showed that sinful man could not have eternal life on his own terms. Access to life must come through God’s appointed way. That appointed way is ultimately Christ Himself.

In Revelation 22, the way to the tree of life is opened again. This means redemption is complete. The redeemed are no longer exiled from the place of life. They are no longer barred by cherubim and flaming sword. They are no longer under the curse that began in Eden. Through the blood of the Lamb, they have access to the eternal provision of God. What Adam lost through sin, Christ restores through redemption. Yet Christ does more than merely return believers to Eden. The final state is greater than the first state. The redeemed do not simply return to a garden, they enter a city. They do not merely walk with God in the cool of the day, they dwell with God forever in unveiled glory. They do not merely have access to a tree in a probationary world, they have access to the tree of life in an eternal world where sin can never enter again.

The description of the tree is difficult to picture in ordinary earthly terms. John says it is “in the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river.” This may mean the river flows down the middle of the great street, while the tree of life spans the river. It may also mean that “tree of life” is being used collectively, describing rows of trees of the same kind growing on both sides of the river. Either way, the meaning is clear. The life of the city is organized around divine provision. The street, the river, and the tree all belong together. The redeemed walk where God provides life continually.

The imagery also suggests abundance. This is not a hidden tree, a forbidden tree, or a guarded tree. It is visible, accessible, and fruitful. It stands in the center of the city’s life. In Eden, man was driven away from the tree. In the New Jerusalem, the tree is central to the life of the redeemed. The final picture is one of restored access, unbroken fellowship, and continual provision.

The tree “bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month.” The number twelve is significant in Scripture, often associated with governmental completeness and covenant order. There were twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles of the Lamb, twelve gates, twelve foundations, and here twelve fruits. The tree of life produces full and complete provision for the people of God. Its fruit is not seasonal in the limiting sense known in the present world. It yields fruit every month. There is no barrenness, no waiting through dead seasons, no decay, and no failure of supply.

This raises an interesting point. Revelation 22:2 includes a time marker, “every month.” This indicates that in the eternal state there may still be some form of ordered sequence or measured experience. Eternity does not necessarily mean the absence of all sequence. Rather, it means freedom from decay, death, limitation, and the tyranny of time as we know it. The redeemed may still experience ordered life, worship, service, and enjoyment, but they will not be subject to aging, decline, urgency, loss, or death. Time, if present, will serve life rather than consume it.

Some wonder whether the redeemed will eat in heaven. Scripture gives good reason to say that eating will be possible, though not necessary for survival in the same way it is now. The resurrection body of Jesus was capable of eating. Angels ate with Abraham. The marriage supper of the Lamb is presented as a real celebration. Food in the eternal state should not be viewed as a crude or fleshly idea. Eating was part of God’s good creation before sin entered the world. The problem was never food itself, but disobedience. Man fell by eating what God forbade. In the eternal state, the redeemed may eat from what God freely provides.

Luke 24:41, “And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?”

Luke 24:42, “And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.”

Luke 24:43, “And he took it, and did eat before them.”

Luke 24:41 through 24:43 shows that the resurrected Christ ate food in the presence of His disciples. This was not because His resurrection body depended on food in weakness, but because His body was real, physical, and glorified. The resurrection is not the escape of the soul from the body, but the redemption and glorification of the body. This matters because the eternal state is not a ghostly existence. The redeemed will have real resurrected bodies in a real renewed creation, dwelling in a real city, enjoying real provision from God.

John 21:12, “Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord.”

John 21:13, “Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.”

John 21:14, “This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples, after that he was risen from the dead.”

John 21:12 through 21:14 also shows the resurrected Lord in connection with food and fellowship. Jesus invited His disciples to dine. The meal was not merely biological, it was relational. This gives insight into the biblical view of eating in glory. Food in God’s design is not merely fuel. It is fellowship, celebration, provision, and joy. The tree of life in Revelation 22 points to eternal enjoyment of God’s provision in a world where nothing is defiled.

Genesis 18:6, “And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth.”

Genesis 18:7, “And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hasted to dress it.”

Genesis 18:8, “And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them, and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat.”

Genesis 18:6 through 18:8 shows heavenly visitors eating with Abraham. The passage demonstrates that Scripture has no embarrassment about physical provision, hospitality, and food in connection with heavenly beings. This does not mean angels need food to survive, but it does show that eating can be part of meaningful fellowship in God’s created order.

Revelation 19:9, “And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.”

Revelation 19:9 speaks of the marriage supper of the Lamb. This is one of the great celebrations of Scripture. It reminds us that the consummation of redemption is not presented as sterile, abstract, or merely intellectual. It is a supper. It is joy. It is fellowship. It is covenant celebration. The tree of life fits naturally with this biblical pattern. God’s final world is not less rich than the first creation, but infinitely greater.

The leaves of the tree are said to be “for the healing of the nations.” This raises a question. Why would the nations need healing in the eternal state if there is no more curse, no more death, no more pain, and no more sin? The answer likely rests in the meaning of the word translated “healing.” The idea may be better understood as health giving, life sustaining, therapeutic, or ministering. It does not imply that sickness still exists in the eternal state. Rather, it emphasizes that the tree’s leaves serve the nations in a way that promotes fullness, wholeness, and well being.

This is important because Revelation 22 is not reintroducing sickness after Revelation 21 has already declared the removal of sorrow, crying, pain, and death. The “healing” of the nations should not be read as though disease continues into eternity. Instead, the leaves of the tree are part of the ongoing blessedness of the nations. They minister life, health, and wholeness. The nations are not healed from rebellion in the sense that rebellion still exists, but they enjoy the full health and harmony of life under God’s eternal rule.

The mention of “nations” also deserves attention. The eternal state does not erase all distinction among redeemed peoples. Revelation 21 and 22 repeatedly speak of nations and kings in connection with the New Jerusalem. This does not mean political rivalry, ethnic hostility, or national sin continues. Those things belong to the fallen world. Rather, it means the redeemed order of humanity is preserved and purified under God. God’s purpose is not to destroy created distinction, but to redeem it. The glory of the nations will be brought into the city, but nothing that defiles will enter. The nations will no longer rage against God. They will be healed, ordered, and blessed under the throne of God and of the Lamb.

The street, the river, the tree, the fruit, and the leaves are all concrete images. The question often arises whether these are literal or symbolic. The safest answer is that John is describing what he truly saw, using language understandable to us. Since heaven and the eternal state exceed our current experience, the language may stretch earthly categories. However, symbolic language does not mean unreal language. A symbol in Scripture is not an empty fiction. It points to a reality greater than itself. When John says river, tree, fruit, and leaves, we should not flatten those things into vague religious ideas. We should understand that the eternal city contains realities corresponding to these descriptions, whether they are exactly like earthly rivers and trees or greater realities that earthly rivers and trees only foreshadow.

This is consistent with the way prophecy often works. God uses language rooted in creation to reveal things beyond our present experience. We should neither over spiritualize the text until it loses meaning, nor pretend we can fully reconstruct the visual details beyond what is written. The correct posture is reverent literalism. The river is real. The tree is real. The life is real. The provision is real. The exact physical arrangement may be beyond our present imagination, but the reality is not uncertain.

The return of the tree of life also completes the biblical storyline. In Genesis, man is in a garden with a tree, a river, and access to God. Sin enters, man is expelled, the ground is cursed, death begins, and access to the tree of life is barred. In Revelation, the redeemed are in a city with a river, the tree of life, and direct access to God. The curse is removed, death is gone, and the throne of God and of the Lamb is central. The Bible begins with paradise lost and ends with paradise not merely regained, but glorified.

This section also calls believers to think seriously about heaven. The New Jerusalem is not a decorative ending to the Bible. It is the destination of redemptive history. A man’s hope shapes his life. If his hope is earthly, temporary, and fleshly, his life will be governed by fear, appetite, and ambition. If his hope is fixed on the eternal city, his life will be governed by faith, holiness, endurance, and worship. The Christian should not treat heaven as a vague afterthought. Scripture commands believers to look for the blessed hope, to seek those things which are above, and to live as citizens of heaven.

Colossians 3:1, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”

Colossians 3:2, “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Colossians 3:1 and 3:2 gives the proper response to Revelation 22. The believer should set his affection on things above. This does not mean neglecting earthly responsibility. A faithful Christian should work, provide, build, serve, lead, teach, and steward what God has placed in his hands. But his final affection must not be chained to this present world. The river of life and the tree of life remind the believer that the fullest life is still ahead, and it is found in the presence of God and the Lamb.

Philippians 3:20, “For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.”

Philippians 3:20 and 3:21 reminds believers that their citizenship is in heaven. The hope of heaven is tied to the return of Christ and the transformation of the body. Revelation 22 shows the world in which the redeemed will dwell after God has completed His work of judgment, resurrection, restoration, and renewal. The river and tree belong to the inheritance of those whose bodies have been glorified and whose citizenship is with God.

The practical application is clear. The believer should live now in light of the world to come. Revelation 22 is not given to satisfy curiosity only. It strengthens faith, purifies hope, and lifts the eyes of the saints above the corruption of this present age. The world offers broken cisterns, polluted streams, dying systems, and temporary pleasures. God offers the pure river of water of life, the tree of life, the presence of the Lamb, and an eternal city where the curse is gone forever.

3. Revelation 22:3 through Revelation 22:5, What It Will Be Like and What the Saints Will Do

Revelation 22:3, “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.”

Revelation 22:4, “And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

Revelation 22:5, “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 description of the New Jerusalem reaches one of its highest points in Revelation 22:3 through Revelation 22:5. John now moves from the river of life and the tree of life to the full condition of the redeemed in the eternal state. These verses tell us what will be absent, what will be present, what the saints will do, what they will see, how they will be identified, how they will be illuminated, and how long they will reign. This is not vague religious poetry. It is the final state of redeemed humanity, dwelling forever under the immediate presence and rule of God and of the Lamb.

The first statement is, “And there shall be no more curse.” This is one of the most important statements in all of Scripture because it declares the final and total removal of everything that entered creation through sin. The curse began in Genesis 3 after Adam disobeyed God. Since that moment, man and creation have lived under the consequences of sin. The ground was cursed. Labor became painful and frustrating. Childbearing was marked by sorrow. Marriage was affected by sinful tension and disorder. Death entered the human experience. Creation itself was subjected to corruption. Every funeral, every grave, every disease, every broken body, every conflict, every painful labor, every ruined relationship, and every act of decay traces back to the entrance of sin and the curse that followed.

Genesis 3:16, “Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.”

Genesis 3:17, “And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it, cursed is the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.”

Genesis 3:18, “Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.”

Genesis 3:19, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.”

Genesis 3:16 through Genesis 3:19 explains the curse that Revelation 22:3 says will be removed forever. The woman’s sorrow in childbirth, the disorder introduced into the relationship between man and woman, the frustration of work, the curse upon the ground, the presence of thorns and thistles, the sweat of labor, and the return of the body to dust are all effects of the fall. These things are so common in the present world that fallen man often treats them as normal. But Scripture teaches that they are not normal in the ultimate sense. They are the effects of sin in a cursed creation. Revelation 22:3 announces that in the New Jerusalem, these things are gone forever.

This means that the eternal state is not merely an improved version of this present world. It is creation fully delivered from the consequences of sin. There will be no curse in the body, no curse in the ground, no curse in human relationships, no curse in labor, no curse in worship, no curse in government, no curse in knowledge, and no curse in fellowship with God. Nothing will be bent by sin. Nothing will be frustrated by decay. Nothing will be threatened by death. The redeemed will no longer live in a world where joy is mixed with sorrow, work is mixed with futility, and life is shadowed by the grave. The curse will not be reduced, softened, restrained, or postponed. It will be gone.

From a premillennial perspective, this also distinguishes the eternal state from the Millennium. The Millennium will be a real earthly kingdom in which Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem in righteousness. It will be a glorious age of peace, justice, restoration, and blessing. Yet the Millennium will still take place on the present earth, not yet the final new heaven and new earth. The curse will be greatly restrained under the perfect rule of Christ, but it will not yet be completely removed. There will still be mortal people, birth, aging, death, and the possibility of sin among those born during that kingdom era. Isaiah 65:20 shows that death and judgment can still occur in the millennial earth.

Isaiah 65:20, “There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days, for the child shall die an hundred years old, but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.”

Isaiah 65:20 cannot describe the eternal state because Revelation 21 and Revelation 22 make clear that death, sorrow, pain, and the curse are gone forever in the new heaven and new earth. Isaiah 65:20 fits the millennial kingdom, where life spans are greatly extended and righteousness governs the earth, but where death has not yet been finally abolished from the created order. Revelation 22:3 goes beyond the Millennium. It describes the final state after the last judgment, after death and hell are cast into the lake of fire, after the first heaven and first earth have passed away, and after God has made all things new.

Revelation 20:14, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.”

Revelation 21:4, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.”

Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:1, and Revelation 21:4 show the sequence and finality of God’s work. Death and hell are cast into the lake of fire. The first heaven and first earth pass away. God creates the new heaven and new earth. Tears, death, sorrow, crying, and pain are removed. Revelation 22:3 then adds, “there shall be no more curse.” The Bible began with creation, fall, curse, exile, and death. It ends with new creation, redemption, blessing, access, and life.

Instead of the curse, “the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.” This is the great exchange. The curse is removed, and the throne is present. The curse represented alienation, judgment, disorder, and death. The throne represents God’s rule, righteousness, grace, order, and life. In Eden, man rebelled against God’s command. In the New Jerusalem, man lives forever under God’s perfect rule. The throne is not distant from the city. It is in it. God’s government is not remote, bureaucratic, oppressive, or corrupt. It is immediate, holy, gracious, and life giving.

The phrase “the throne of God and of the Lamb” is rich with doctrine. There is one throne, and it is the throne of God and of the Lamb. This shows the unity of divine rule between the Father and the Son. The Lamb is not treated as a secondary creature or merely an honored servant. He shares the throne of God. The same Lamb who was slain now reigns. The One who redeemed His people by blood governs them in glory. The throne is a throne of righteousness because God reigns there. It is also a throne of grace because the Lamb reigns there. The sacrifice and the sovereignty of Christ are united.

This also means that the redeemed will never again fear judgment from that throne. For the unbeliever, the throne of God is terrifying because it is the place of righteous judgment. For the believer, the throne of God and of the Lamb is the place of eternal security because the Lamb who sits upon it is the One who bore judgment in the believer’s place. The altar and the throne meet in Christ. The Lamb once offered Himself as the sacrifice for sin, and now the Lamb reigns eternally over the redeemed. No accusation can overturn His atonement. No condemnation can rise against those who are in Him.

Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

Romans 8:33, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect, It is God that justifieth.”

Romans 8:34, “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.”

Romans 8:1 and Romans 8:33 through Romans 8:34 explain why the throne is not a threat to the believer. There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. God justifies. Christ died, rose again, sits at the right hand of God, and makes intercession for His people. In Revelation 22, that security reaches its visible and eternal fullness. The believer stands in a city where the throne of God and of the Lamb is present, and that throne is not against him. It is the center of his life, joy, worship, service, and reign.

The next phrase says, “and his servants shall serve him.” Heaven will not be a place of lazy idleness. It will not be endless boredom, sentimental floating, or passive existence. The redeemed will serve God. This service will not be like labor under the curse. Present work is often marked by fatigue, resistance, frustration, inefficiency, conflict, and decay. Even good labor in this present age is affected by the curse. But in the eternal state, service will be pure, joyful, unhindered, meaningful, and perfectly directed toward God.

The word “servants” is important. The redeemed are sons, heirs, kings, priests, and citizens of the heavenly city, but they are also servants. Eternal glory does not remove submission to God. It perfects it. In the present world, fallen man often thinks freedom means autonomy, self rule, and independence from authority. Scripture teaches the opposite. True freedom is joyful service under the righteous rule of God. In the New Jerusalem, the saints will serve Him without rebellion in the heart, weakness in the body, confusion in the mind, pride in the will, or corruption in the motives.

Revelation 1:5, “And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.”

Revelation 1:6, “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 1:5 and Revelation 1:6 already declared that Christ has washed His people from their sins in His own blood and made them kings and priests unto God. Revelation 22 shows that this priestly and kingly identity continues forever. The saints serve God because they are His. Their service is worshipful, priestly, royal, and eternal. It is not the service of slaves under fear, but the service of redeemed servants who love their Master and delight in His presence.

Psalm 100:2, “Serve the LORD with gladness, come before his presence with singing.”

Psalm 100:2 captures the spirit of service that will be perfected in the New Jerusalem. The redeemed will serve the Lord with gladness. In this life, believers often serve God with mixed motives, weary bodies, distracted minds, and limited understanding. In the eternal state, service will be free from sin and weakness. Every act will be worship. Every responsibility will be joy. Every assignment will be done in perfect love. There will be no wasted labor, no prideful ambition, no rivalry, no burnout, no corruption, and no failure.

Revelation 22:4 then says, “And they shall see his face.” This is one of the greatest promises in the Bible. The redeemed will see God’s face. The Bible presents this as the highest privilege of fellowship with God. In the present age, no sinful man can see God in the fullness of His unveiled glory and live. Moses, though uniquely favored by God, was denied the full sight of God’s face. He was allowed to see God’s back parts, but not His face.

Exodus 33:20, “And he said, Thou canst not see my face, for there shall no man see me, and live.”

Exodus 33:21, “And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock.”

Exodus 33:22, “And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by.”

Exodus 33:23, “And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts, but my face shall not be seen.”

Exodus 33:20 through Exodus 33:23 shows the limitation placed upon even Moses. Moses had extraordinary communion with God, yet he could not see God’s face in the fullness of divine glory. Revelation 22:4 announces that what was denied to Moses in this present order will be granted to all the redeemed in the eternal state. “They shall see his face.” This means direct, unhindered, unveiled fellowship with God.

This promise should not be reduced to a vague spiritual feeling. The saints will see God in the way He makes Himself visible to glorified humanity. Because Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son, the believer will look upon the face of the Lord Jesus Christ in a real, personal, and glorified way. In their resurrected bodies, the saints will behold the Lamb. They will see the One who loved them, died for them, rose for them, kept them, judged their enemies, and brought them into glory.

At the same time, “they shall see his face” also speaks of enlarged spiritual understanding. The saints will know Christ more deeply than they ever could in this life. They will understand His person, His offices, His character, His work, His love, His mercy, His justice, His holiness, and His glory with a clarity presently impossible under the limitations of the flesh. The weakest believer in glory will know Christ more clearly than the greatest theologian knows Him now. This is not because earthly study is useless, but because present knowledge is partial. In glory, knowledge will be direct, purified, and enlarged.

2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Second Corinthians 4:6 teaches that believers already know something of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. God has shined in our hearts. The same God who commanded light to shine out of darkness in creation gives spiritual illumination through Christ. Even now, the believer sees God truly through Christ, though not yet fully. Christ is the visible revelation of the invisible God. To know Christ is to know the Father. To see the glory of Christ is to behold the glory of God as He has revealed Himself.

John 14:8, “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

John 14:9, “Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip, He that hath seen me hath seen the Father, and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?”

John 14:8 and John 14:9 show that Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father. Philip asked to see the Father, and Jesus answered that the one who has seen Him has seen the Father. This does not mean the Father and Son are the same Person, but it does mean the Son fully reveals the Father. In Revelation 22, the redeemed will see the face of God in the fullest way appropriate to glorified saints, centered in the glory of Jesus Christ, the Lamb.

1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face, now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

First Corinthians 13:12 gives the contrast between present knowledge and future knowledge. Now we see through a glass darkly. Our understanding is real, but partial. We know truth, but we do not know it with the fullness we will have in glory. Then we shall see face to face. Revelation 22:4 is the fulfillment of that hope. The believer will no longer see through the dimness of present limitation. He will see clearly.

In that day, nothing will obscure the believer’s vision of Christ. Sin will be gone, so there will be no moral darkness in the heart. Care and worry will be gone, so there will be no anxiety clouding the soul. Idols will be gone, so there will be no false loves competing for the believer’s worship. Ignorance will be gone, so there will be no confusion about who Christ is. Weakness will be gone, so there will be no inability to serve Him. Death will be gone, so there will be no fear of losing the joy of His presence.

This is the greatest glory of heaven. The greatest glory of heaven is not the street of gold, the gates of pearl, the foundations of precious stones, the river of life, or the tree of life, glorious as those are. The greatest glory of heaven is God Himself. The saints shall see His face. Heaven is heaven because Christ is there. Eternal life is not merely endless existence. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.

John 17:3, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

John 17:3 defines eternal life as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. Revelation 22:4 shows the perfected experience of that eternal life. The redeemed will know God without distance, without alienation, without guilt, without fear, and without obstruction. They will see His face.

The verse continues, “and his name shall be in their foreheads.” This speaks of ownership, identification, loyalty, consecration, and belonging. The saints will forever be marked as God’s people. In the present world, believers can be mocked, misunderstood, persecuted, slandered, and pressured to hide their allegiance to Christ. In the eternal state, there will be no shame and no ambiguity. The redeemed will openly and forever bear the name of their God.

This also stands in deliberate contrast to the mark of the beast in Revelation. During the Tribulation, those who worship the beast receive his mark, showing their allegiance to Antichrist and his kingdom. In the eternal state, the saints bear the name of God, showing their eternal allegiance to the Lord. The forehead represents open identification. Their identity is no longer contested. They belong to God forever.

Revelation 13:16, “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads.”

Revelation 13:17, “And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.”

Revelation 13:16 and Revelation 13:17 show the counterfeit kingdom of the beast. The beast demands visible allegiance and controls commerce through his mark. That mark identifies men with rebellion, deception, and judgment. Revelation 22:4 gives the righteous counterpart. God’s people bear His name, not under coercion, but as a mark of eternal belonging and blessed identification.

Revelation 14:1, “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.”

Revelation 14:1 shows the one hundred forty four thousand marked with the Father’s name on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4 extends the idea to the eternal state, where all the redeemed are openly identified with God. This is the final answer to the shame and conflict of the present age. The people of God will never again be hidden, scattered, oppressed, or uncertain. His name will be upon them.

Revelation 22:5 says, “And there shall be no night there.” This repeats and reinforces the truth already stated in Revelation 21. The New Jerusalem will have no night. Night in Scripture can be associated with danger, ignorance, judgment, weariness, evil, and limitation. In the present world, night is part of the created order and is not evil in itself, but in biblical imagery it often represents the darkness of this present age. In the New Jerusalem, that darkness is gone forever.

Revelation 21:23, “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

Revelation 21:25, “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there.”

Revelation 21:23 and Revelation 21:25 explain why there is no night in the city. The glory of God illuminates it, and the Lamb is its light. The city does not depend upon the sun or moon. Its gates are never shut because there is no night, no threat, no enemy, and no danger. Revelation 22:5 repeats this because the point is essential. The redeemed will live forever in the light of God.

The verse says, “and they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light.” This means the light of the eternal city is not artificial and not dependent upon created luminaries. No candle is needed. No sun is needed. God Himself gives them light. This does not necessarily mean the sun has no existence anywhere in the new creation, but it does mean the New Jerusalem does not depend on it. The immediate glory of God supplies the light of the city.

This light is more than physical brightness. It is the full illumination of God’s presence, truth, holiness, and glory. In the present age, men walk in darkness because of sin. They are blind to truth unless God opens their eyes. Even believers, though saved, still live in a world full of spiritual confusion and moral darkness. In the eternal state, darkness is gone. There will be no false doctrine, no deception, no ignorance, no hidden sin, no shadowed motives, and no spiritual blindness. God’s light will be complete.

1 John 1:5, “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

First John 1:5 states the theological foundation for Revelation 22:5. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. The New Jerusalem is filled with light because it is filled with God’s presence. No darkness can remain where God’s glory is fully manifest. The city reflects the character of its King.

John 8:12, “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

John 8:12 shows that Jesus is the light of the world. Those who follow Him do not walk in darkness, but have the light of life. Revelation 22:5 shows the final and eternal fulfillment of that promise. The redeemed will never walk in darkness again. The Lamb who saved them will be their light forever.

The final statement is, “and they shall reign for ever and ever.” This is a staggering promise. The saints will not merely inhabit the eternal city. They will reign. This fulfills the royal destiny God gave man at creation, which was damaged by sin but restored through Christ. In Genesis, man was created to exercise dominion under God. Through sin, man fell under corruption and death. Through Christ, the redeemed are restored to rule under God forever.

Genesis 1:26, “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, andover all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them.”

Genesis 1:28, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, andsubdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 through Genesis 1:28 shows that dominion was part of man’s original creation mandate. Man was made in the image of God and appointed to rule over the earth under God’s authority. Sin did not erase God’s purpose, but it corrupted man’s ability to fulfill it righteously. Revelation 22:5 shows dominion restored, purified, and made eternal. The saints reign, but they reign as servants. They rule, but they rule under the throne of God and of the Lamb. Their reign is not independent from God, but perfectly submitted to Him.

This reign is also distinct from the millennial reign in duration. The Millennium lasts one thousand years. It is real, literal, earthly, and glorious, but it has a defined duration. The reign described in Revelation 22:5 is forever and ever. It has no end. The saints will reign eternally in the new heaven and new earth. This is the final form of redeemed human rule under God.

Revelation 20:4, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them, andI saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, andfor the word of God, andwhich had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or intheir hands, andthey lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:6, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such the second death hath no power, butthey shall be priests of God and of Christ, andshall reign with him a thousand years.”

Revelation 20:4 and Revelation 20:6 speak of the saints reigning with Christ for a thousand years during the Millennium. Revelation 22:5 goes beyond that thousand year reign and says they shall reign forever and ever. The millennial kingdom is not the end of the saints’ reign, but a stage in God’s program. The eternal state is the final, unending reign of God’s people under God’s throne.

This brings the Bible’s storyline to a perfect consummation. The Bible opens with Paradise lost, and it closes with Paradise regained and glorified. In Genesis, there is a garden. In Revelation, there is a city. In Genesis, there is a river. In Revelation, there is a river of water of life. In Genesis, there is the tree of life. In Revelation, the tree of life appears again. In Genesis, the curse enters. In Revelation, the curse is gone. In Genesis, man hides from God’s presence. In Revelation, the redeemed see His face. In Genesis, man’s dominion is corrupted. In Revelation, the saints reign forever and ever.

The final description may be summarized in a series of perfect realities. “No more curse” means perfect restoration. Everything broken by sin is restored and made better than before. “The throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it” means perfect administration. God’s rule is direct, righteous, gracious, and eternal. “His servants shall serve Him” means perfect subordination. The redeemed joyfully serve God without rebellion, pride, weariness, or corruption. “They shall see His face” means perfect transformation. The saints behold God in direct fellowship and are fully conformed to the glory of Christ. “His name shall be in their foreheads” means perfect identification. They belong to God openly, eternally, and without shame. “The Lord God giveth them light” means perfect illumination. All darkness, ignorance, fear, and deception are gone. “They shall reign forever and ever” means perfect exaltation. The redeemed reign under God, not temporarily, but eternally.

This passage also gives the believer a right view of heaven. Heaven is not an escape into inactivity. It is not a vague spiritual haze. It is not sentimental imagination. It is the eternal dwelling of God with His redeemed people in a restored creation where the curse is removed, service is perfected, fellowship is face to face, identity is secure, light is divine, and reigning is eternal. The saints will serve and reign at the same time. That is not a contradiction. In God’s kingdom, true authority is exercised through perfect submission to Him. The highest reign belongs to those who are wholly surrendered to God.

This should also shape Christian endurance in the present age. The believer presently lives in a world still marked by the curse. Work can be hard. Bodies weaken. Families suffer. Nations rage. Sin grieves. Death comes. Darkness presses in. Yet Revelation 22:3 through Revelation 22:5 tells the believer where history is going. The curse does not get the last word. Death does not get the last word. The devil does not get the last word. The Antichrist does not get the last word. Babylon does not get the last word. God and the Lamb reign forever, and the saints will reign with Him.

2 Timothy 2:11, “It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.”

2 Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him, if we deny him, he also will deny us.”

Second Timothy 2:11 and 2 Timothy 2:12 connect present endurance with future reign. Those who belong to Christ may suffer now, but they will reign with Him. Revelation 22:5 gives the final form of that promise. The reign of the saints will not be fragile, temporary, or contested. It will be forever and ever.

Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared withthe glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:18 is the proper perspective for Revelation 22. The sufferings of this present time are real, but they are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. The removal of the curse, the presence of the throne, the service of the saints, the sight of God’s face, the name of God upon His people, the light of God, and the eternal reign of the redeemed are all part of that glory.

Romans 8:21, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Romans 8:21 teaches that creation itself will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Revelation 22:3 through Revelation 22:5 shows that deliverance completed. The curse is gone. The bondage is over. The saints are free. Creation is restored. God reigns. The Lamb reigns. His servants serve Him, see His face, bear His name, live in His light, and reign forever and ever.

B. Parting Words

1. Revelation 22:6 through Revelation 22:7, The Angel and Jesus Add Words of Verification

Revelation 22:6, “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.”

Revelation 22:7, “Behold, I come quickly, blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

As the Book of Revelation comes to its closing words, the scene shifts from the vision of the New Jerusalem to the final exhortations, confirmations, warnings, and invitations that conclude the prophecy. These final verses contain parting words from several speakers. At times, the speaker is the angel. At times, the speaker is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ. At times, John himself responds. The transitions are sometimes rapid, but the themes remain clear. The closing section emphasizes verification, because the message is trustworthy. It emphasizes invitation, because the gospel call still goes forth. It emphasizes warning, because judgment is certain. It emphasizes readiness, because Christ is coming quickly.

The angel says to John, “These sayings are faithful and true.” This statement confirms the reliability of everything John has seen and heard. Revelation contains visions of terrifying judgments, the rise and destruction of the beast, the fall of Babylon, the return of Christ, the millennial reign, the final judgment, the lake of fire, the new heaven and new earth, and the New Jerusalem. These things are beyond ordinary human experience, but they are not speculation. They are not symbolic dreams invented by John. They are not religious imagination. They are faithful and true because they come from God.

The phrase “faithful and true” is especially important because it ties the message of Revelation to the character of God Himself. God cannot lie. His Word cannot fail. What He promises, He will fulfill. What He warns, He will execute. What He reveals, His people are responsible to believe. Revelation is often treated as a book of mystery, confusion, or debate, but God gives this final confirmation so the reader understands that these words are dependable. The events described may be difficult, majestic, frightening, and glorious, but they are faithful and true.

Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie, neither the son of man, that he should repent, hath he said, and shall he not do it, or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Numbers 23:19 gives the theological foundation for Revelation 22:6. God is not like man. He does not lie, He does not forget, He does not exaggerate, and He does not fail to perform what He has spoken. Therefore, when the angel declares that these sayings are faithful and true, the point is that the prophecy rests upon the unchanging truthfulness of God.

Titus 1:2, “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”

Titus 1:2 reminds the believer that God cannot lie. This is not merely that God chooses not to lie, but that lying is contrary to His holy nature. Therefore, the promises of eternal life, the warnings of judgment, and the revelations of things to come are secure. Revelation 22 is not too good to be true. It is true because God is true.

The angel further says, “the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” This connects the Book of Revelation to the entire prophetic witness of Scripture. The same Lord God who spoke through the holy prophets has now given this revelation to John. Revelation is not disconnected from the Old Testament prophets. It is the culmination of prophetic revelation. Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel, and the other prophets gave earlier portions of God’s prophetic program. Revelation gathers these prophetic streams together and shows their final fulfillment in the judgment of the wicked, the triumph of Christ, the kingdom, and the eternal state.

The phrase “the Lord God of the holy prophets” also teaches that true prophecy belongs to God. The prophets were not religious philosophers or political commentators giving their best guesses. They were holy men through whom God spoke. Their message carried divine authority because its source was God.

2 Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”

2 Peter 1:21, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Second Peter 1:20 through 2 Peter 1:21 explains how prophecy came. It did not originate in man’s will. It was not produced by human imagination. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. This is why Revelation must be handled with reverence. It is not a playground for speculation. It is the Word of God given through His appointed servant.

The angel says these things “must shortly be done.” This phrase points to the certainty and suddenness of the prophetic events. The word “must” shows divine necessity. These things are not optional. They are not merely possible. They must come to pass because God has decreed them. The word “shortly” must be understood carefully. It does not necessarily mean that all events would be completed within a few years of John’s lifetime. Rather, it carries the idea of suddenness, imminence, and readiness. Once these events begin to unfold, they will move rapidly according to God’s appointed plan.

Jesus then speaks, “Behold, I come quickly.” This statement is one of the great closing declarations of Revelation. The Lord Himself interrupts the scene with a direct reminder that His coming is certain and sudden. The word “quickly” does not mean that Jesus was mistaken because many centuries have passed since John wrote Revelation. It means that His coming is imminent and will occur suddenly when the appointed time arrives. The church is not told to calculate a distant date. The church is told to watch, serve, obey, and remain ready.

The early church rightly lived in expectation of Christ’s return. They were not wrong to expect Him. They were not misled by Jesus. God has designed the present age so that every generation of believers should live with the awareness that Christ could come. The doctrine of imminence is meant to produce readiness, holiness, evangelism, endurance, and watchfulness. It is not meant to produce laziness or date setting.

Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Matthew 24:43, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he wouldhave watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:42 through Matthew 24:44 teaches the same truth. Believers are to watch because they do not know the hour of the Lord’s coming. The point is not curiosity, but readiness. The Lord’s coming will not be scheduled according to man’s expectations. Therefore, the faithful servant must remain prepared.

1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

1 Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape.”

1 Thessalonians 5:4, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

First Thessalonians 5:2 through 1 Thessalonians 5:4 also emphasizes suddenness. The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night upon the unsuspecting world. The unbelieving world will speak of peace and safety, but sudden destruction will come. The believer, however, is not in darkness. He does not know the day or hour, but he knows the truth, he knows the Lord, and he is called to live alert and sober.

The statement “Behold, I come quickly” also fits a pretribulational understanding of the rapture and a premillennial understanding of Christ’s return. The church is not told to watch for the beast, Babylon, or the bowl judgments as the next necessary event. The church is told to look for Christ. The blessed hope is personal. It is centered on the coming of the Lord. Prophetic study should therefore sharpen expectation, not dull it with mere argument.

Titus 2:13, “Looking for that blessed hope, andthe glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Titus 2:13 teaches that believers are to look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Christian’s hope is not finally in political rescue, cultural reform, economic stability, or earthly security. The Christian’s hope is Christ Himself.

Jesus then says, “Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” This blessing is essential. Revelation is not given merely to satisfy curiosity about future events. It is given to be kept. To keep the sayings of this prophecy means to believe it, guard it, obey it, submit to it, and live in light of it. Prophecy is practical. It should change the way a man lives.

This blessing also corrects the misuse of prophecy. Some study Revelation only to win arguments, construct charts, speculate about headlines, or satisfy intellectual curiosity. Those things miss the point if they do not lead to obedience. Revelation calls the believer to worship God, endure suffering, reject compromise, remain separate from the world system, resist false worship, proclaim the gospel, and look for the coming of Christ. A man has not rightly studied Revelation if he can explain the beast but does not obey the Lamb.

Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, andthey that hear the words of this prophecy, andkeep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.”

Revelation 1:3 and Revelation 22:7 form a frame around the whole book. Revelation begins with a blessing upon those who read, hear, and keep the words of the prophecy. Revelation ends with a blessing upon the one who keeps the sayings of the prophecy. This means the book is intended to be read, understood, obeyed, and treasured. It is not a closed book for the elite. It is a prophetic word for the servants of God.

James 1:22, “But be ye doers of the word, andnot hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

James 1:22 gives the proper response to Revelation 22:7. The believer must be a doer of the Word, not a hearer only. To hear prophecy and not obey God is self deception. To know Christ is coming and still live carelessly is rebellion against revealed truth. To know judgment is coming and refuse to warn sinners is spiritual negligence. To know the New Jerusalem awaits the redeemed and still cling to Babylon is folly.

2. Revelation 22:8 through Revelation 22:9, John Is Corrected for Worshipping an Angel a Second Time

Revelation 22:8, “And I John saw these things, andheard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.”

Revelation 22:9, “Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellowservant, andof thy brethren the prophets, andof them which keep the sayings of this book, worship God.”

John now personally testifies, “And I John saw these things, and heard them.” This is eyewitness language. John is not passing along rumors. He saw and heard these things. The Book of Revelation is not presented as myth, allegory, or invented religious drama. John received this revelation and bears witness to it. He was overwhelmed by what he had seen and heard.

When John heard and saw these things, he says, “I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.” This is remarkable because John had already made a similar mistake earlier in Revelation 19:10. The visions were so overwhelming, and the angelic messenger so glorious, that John fell before him. Yet the angel immediately corrects him.

Revelation 19:10, “And I fell at his feet to worship him. Andhe said unto me, See thou do it not, I am thy fellowservant, andof thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus, worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 19:10 shows that this was not the first time John had to be corrected. The angel’s response in Revelation 22:9 is almost the same in substance. “See thou do it not.” In both cases, the command is clear. No created being is to receive worship. The angel does not accept worship, encourage devotion to himself, or excuse John’s action because of John’s good intention. The correction is immediate and direct. Worship belongs to God alone.

This is an important doctrinal point. Angels are glorious, powerful, holy servants of God, but they are creatures. They are not to be worshipped. No prophet, apostle, angel, saint, or heavenly messenger may receive worship. The biblical rule is simple and absolute. Worship God.

Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:4, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, orany likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, orthat is in the earth beneath, orthat is in the water under the earth.”

Exodus 20:5, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, norserve them, for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers uponthe children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

Exodus 20:3 through Exodus 20:5 establishes that God alone is to be worshipped. Bowing in religious worship before any created being is forbidden. The issue is not whether the person has sincere intentions. The issue is that worship belongs only to the Lord.

Matthew 4:10, “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, andhim only shalt thou serve.”

Matthew 4:10 gives the same truth from the mouth of Jesus. The Lord rebuked Satan by quoting Scripture, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Worship is exclusive. It belongs to God only. This is why the angel refuses John’s worship.

The angel says, “for I am thy fellowservant.” This is striking. Though the angel is glorious and heavenly, he identifies himself as a fellow servant with John. Angels and redeemed men are different orders of created beings, but both are servants of God. The angel is not John’s Lord. He is not a mediator of worship. He is not an object of devotion. He is a fellow servant carrying out the commands of God.

The angel also says he is a fellow servant “of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book.” This places John, the prophets, the angelic messenger, and obedient believers under the same authority. They all serve God. The true prophets did not seek worship. True angels do not accept worship. True believers do not worship creatures. The faithful keep the sayings of the book, and the central command is this, “worship God.”

This correction is especially important because Revelation contains some of the most elevated angelic activity in all Scripture. Angels announce judgments, pour out bowls, sound trumpets, carry messages, show visions, and execute divine assignments. Yet not one faithful angel receives worship. The more glorious the messenger appears, the more necessary it is to remember that the glory belongs to God who sent him.

This also draws a sharp contrast between angels and Jesus Christ. Angels refuse worship, but Jesus receives worship. This is one of the strong biblical evidences for the deity of Christ. If Jesus were merely a created being, He would have been obligated to refuse worship just as the angel did. But Jesus receives worship because He is God the Son.

Hebrews 1:6, “And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, Andlet all the angels of God worship him.”

Hebrews 1:6 says that all the angels of God worship the Son. This would be blasphemy if the Son were a creature. But because Jesus Christ is fully God, the worship of angels rightly belongs to Him. The angel in Revelation 22 refuses worship because he is a servant. Jesus receives worship because He is Lord.

Matthew 8:2, “And, behold, there came a leper andworshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”

Matthew 8:2 shows a leper worshipping Jesus. Jesus does not rebuke him for this act. Instead, He heals him. The worship is fitting because Jesus is worthy.

Matthew 14:33, “Then they that were in the ship came andworshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.”

Matthew 14:33 records the disciples worshipping Jesus after He walked on the sea and calmed their fear. Their worship is connected with their confession, “Of a truth thou art the Son of God.” Again, Jesus accepts the worship.

John 9:38, “And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.”

John 9:38 shows the man born blind worshipping Jesus after Jesus revealed Himself to him. Jesus does not refuse this worship. The contrast with Revelation 22 is plain. A holy angel rejects worship, but Jesus receives worship. Therefore, Jesus is not merely a prophet, angel, teacher, or exalted servant. He is God manifest in the flesh, worthy of worship.

This truth also exposes the error of directing religious worship, prayer, or devotion toward any created being, including angels, departed saints, or Mary. The angel in Revelation 22 had a high office. He showed John the visions of the New Jerusalem. He stood in direct connection with the message of Christ. Yet he refused worship. If worship is forbidden before such a glorious heavenly messenger, then it is also forbidden before any other creature. The intention may appear devout, but Scripture does not permit it. Worship God.

1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God, andone mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

First Timothy 2:5 is decisive. There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. No angel, saint, priest, prophet, or blessed woman occupies the place of mediator. Christ alone stands between God and men as Redeemer, Intercessor, and Lord. Therefore, prayer and worship must be directed to God, not to created intermediaries.

Colossians 2:18, “Let no man beguile you of your reward ina voluntary humility andworshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

Colossians 2:18 warns against the worshipping of angels. False spirituality often appears humble, mystical, and reverent, but if it directs worship away from God, it is deception. Revelation 22:8 through Revelation 22:9 gives the same warning in narrative form. Even John, overwhelmed by true revelation, had to be corrected. Therefore, believers must judge all spiritual experience by the Word of God.

The fact that John made this mistake a second time is also a warning. John was an apostle. He walked with Jesus. He saw the risen Christ. He received the Revelation. He saw heaven opened. Yet even John, under the weight of supernatural visions, could stumble in his response. This teaches that spiritual experience does not automatically guarantee doctrinal precision or proper practice. A person may have an overwhelming experience and still need correction. A vision, a dream, an emotional moment, or a powerful encounter must never be treated as higher authority than Scripture.

This is especially important in a time when many people chase visions, signs, impressions, angelic encounters, and supernatural claims. Revelation 22 teaches that even true supernatural encounters must be governed by sound doctrine. The angel’s command is not, “Follow the experience.” It is, “Worship God.” The highest test of spiritual experience is whether it directs attention to the Lord, submits to Scripture, and produces obedience.

Isaiah 8:20, “To the law andto the testimony, if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.”

Isaiah 8:20 gives the standard. Everything must be tested by the law and the testimony, meaning the written Word of God. If a message, teacher, spirit, or experience contradicts Scripture, there is no light in it. John’s correction proves that even overwhelming spiritual experience must bow before revealed truth.

1 John 4:1, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, buttry the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

First John 4:1 commands believers not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits. The apostle John himself wrote this. That instruction fits Revelation 22. The faithful believer is not gullible. He is reverent, but discerning. He worships God and tests all things by the Word of God.

The angel’s final command in this section is short and absolute, “worship God.” That is the proper conclusion to prophecy. Revelation is not ultimately about beasts, bowls, Babylon, the Antichrist, or even the New Jerusalem as an object by itself. Revelation is about the glory of God in Jesus Christ. It shows God’s sovereignty over history, God’s judgment against evil, God’s faithfulness to His promises, God’s redemption of His people, and God’s final dwelling with man. The only right response is worship.

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory andhonour andpower, for thou hast created all things, andfor thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 5:12, “Saying witha loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, andriches, andwisdom, andstrength, andhonour, andglory, andblessing.”

Revelation 5:13, “And every creature which is in heaven, andon the earth, andunder the earth, andsuch as are in the sea, andall that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, andhonour, andglory, andpower, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, andunto the Lamb for ever and ever.”

Revelation 4:11 and Revelation 5:12 through Revelation 5:13 show the worship that belongs to God and the Lamb. God is worthy because He created all things. The Lamb is worthy because He was slain and redeemed His people. All creation must give blessing, honor, glory, and power to Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever. Revelation 22:9 brings John and the reader back to this central duty, worship God.

This section therefore contains a strong doctrinal warning and a strong devotional command. The warning is that no created being is to be worshipped, no matter how glorious. The command is that God alone must be worshipped. The believer must not confuse the messenger with the Master, the servant with the Sovereign, the angel with the Lamb, or the experience with the truth. Prophecy rightly understood leads to worship, obedience, discernment, and readiness for the return of Christ.

3. Revelation 22:10 through Revelation 22:11, A Warning Is Given, Either by the Same Angel or by Jesus

Revelation 22:10, “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.”

Revelation 22:11, “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.”

The closing words of Revelation continue with a solemn warning. Whether these words are spoken by the same angel who has been addressing John, or by the Lord Jesus Himself, the message carries divine authority. John is commanded, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.” This is important because Revelation is not a hidden book, a forbidden book, or a permanently mysterious book. It is a revealed book. The name itself means unveiling. God did not give Revelation so the church would ignore it, fear it, or seal it away. He gave it so His servants would read it, hear it, keep it, and live in light of what must come to pass.

The command “Seal not” stands in contrast with certain Old Testament prophetic passages, especially in Daniel. Daniel received visions concerning future kingdoms, the rise of antichristian power, the time of the end, and the final purposes of God. Yet some of Daniel’s revelation was sealed because it looked forward to a later time in redemptive history. John, however, is told not to seal the prophecy of Revelation because “the time is at hand.” This does not mean that every event had to occur immediately in John’s lifetime. It means that with the death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return of Christ, history has entered the final stage before consummation. The church age runs along the edge of the final fulfillment of all things. The prophetic program is not distant in the sense of being irrelevant. It is near in the sense that Christ’s return is imminent and the final events may begin suddenly.

Daniel 8:26, “And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true, wherefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days.”

Daniel 8:26 shows the contrast. Daniel was told to shut up the vision because it concerned events that were still “for many days.” John is told the opposite. He is not to seal the words of Revelation because “the time is at hand.” This means Revelation is intended to be read and understood by God’s people. Men often seal Revelation in practical defiance of God’s command when they treat it as unknowable, irrelevant, allegorical beyond recognition, or too controversial to teach. God did not say, “Avoid this prophecy.” He said, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

This is also why Revelation must not be reduced to a vague symbol of good overcoming evil. It contains symbols, but those symbols reveal real persons, real judgments, real kingdoms, real rebellion, real worship, real salvation, real wrath, a real Second Coming, a real Millennium, a real final judgment, a real lake of fire, and a real New Jerusalem. To seal the book by excessive spiritualizing is to rob the church of the very prophetic clarity God intended to give. Revelation should be approached with humility, but also with confidence that God has spoken plainly enough for His servants to obey.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John.”

Revelation 1:2, “Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.”

Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, andkeep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.”

Revelation 1:1 through Revelation 1:3 confirms the same truth found in Revelation 22:10. The book was given to show Christ’s servants the things which must shortly come to pass. It was not given to confuse the servants of God. It was given to reveal Jesus Christ in His glory, His judgment, His kingdom, and His final victory. The blessing at the beginning of the book rests upon reading, hearing, and keeping the words of the prophecy. Revelation 22:10 repeats that the time is at hand, showing that the message at the beginning and end of the book is consistent.

The next statement is severe, “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.” This is not God encouraging wickedness. It is a warning about finality. When Christ comes, there will be no time for last minute repentance. When the final state arrives, character is fixed forever. The unjust remain unjust. The filthy remain filthy. The righteous remain righteous. The holy remain holy. The warning is plain. There is time to repent now, but there will not always be time.

This should sober every reader. Revelation has given repeated warnings of judgment, wrath, deception, false worship, Babylonian corruption, the mark of the beast, the lake of fire, and the second death. If those warnings do not move a man to repentance, there is no stronger warning left to give. God has spoken plainly. If a man hardens himself against the full testimony of Revelation, he is choosing the path of fixed rebellion.

Hebrews 9:27, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

Hebrews 9:27 teaches that death is followed by judgment. Scripture gives no promise of a second chance after death. The time to repent is now. The time to believe the gospel is now. The time to flee from the wrath to come is now. Revelation 22:11 warns that when the end comes, a man’s condition will be settled.

2 Corinthians 6:2, “For he saith, I have heard thee ina time accepted, andin the day of salvation have I succoured thee, behold, now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Second Corinthians 6:2 gives the proper response to Revelation 22:11. Now is the accepted time. Now is the day of salvation. The warning of Revelation is not given so a man can delay repentance. It is given so he will repent while mercy is still extended. A man who says, “I will get right with God later,” is gambling with his soul. Christ is coming quickly, and death itself can come without warning.

Proverbs 29:1, “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”

Proverbs 29:1 fits the warning perfectly. The man who is often reproved but hardens his neck will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Revelation contains repeated reproofs, repeated warnings, and repeated calls to worship God. If a man refuses them, he may reach a point where his rebellion hardens into final judgment.

This warning also has a sanctifying force for believers. “He that is righteous, let him be righteous still, and he that is holy, let him be holy still.” The faithful are not to be shaken by the rebellion of the wicked. They are not to compromise because the world grows darker. They are not to abandon holiness because evil men continue in evil. The righteous must remain righteous. The holy must remain holy. The closing prophecy of Revelation does not produce resignation. It produces perseverance.

1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding inthe work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain inthe Lord.”

First Corinthians 15:58 gives the believer’s posture as he waits for the fulfillment of God’s promises. He must be steadfast, unmoveable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord. Revelation 22:11 tells the righteous to continue in righteousness and the holy to continue in holiness. The coming of Christ should not produce spiritual laziness. It should produce endurance, obedience, and separation from the corruptions of this present age.

1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, andit doth not yet appear what we shall be, butwe know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

1 John 3:3, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

First John 3:2 through 1 John 3:3 connects the hope of seeing Christ with personal purity. The man who truly has this hope purifies himself. Therefore, the doctrine of Christ’s return is not meant to feed curiosity only. It is meant to purify the believer’s life. Revelation 22:11 presses the same truth. If a man is righteous, let him continue in righteousness. If he is holy, let him continue in holiness.

4. Revelation 22:12 through Revelation 22:13, Jesus Declares, I Am Coming Quickly

Revelation 22:12, “And, behold, I come quickly, andmy reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

The Lord Jesus now speaks directly with urgency and authority, “And, behold, I come quickly.” This repeats the theme already stated in Revelation 22:7. The repetition is intentional. The closing chapter of Revelation does not allow the reader to drift into cold speculation. Christ repeatedly brings the reader back to readiness. He is coming quickly. His coming is certain. His coming is sudden. His coming is personal. His coming will bring reward for His servants and judgment for His enemies.

The word “behold” calls attention to the importance of the declaration. Jesus does not merely state a fact. He arrests the attention of the reader. The believer must not sleep through this doctrine. The church must not treat the coming of Christ as a minor issue. The return of Jesus is one of the great motivating truths of the Christian life. The Lord’s message is always, “Be ready.”

Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:44 gives the practical meaning of “I come quickly.” The exact hour is unknown, so readiness is required. The doctrine of imminence means the believer must live prepared. A man who knows Christ may come should not be spiritually careless, morally compromised, or absorbed in this present world as though it were permanent.

Luke 12:35, “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning.”

Luke 12:36, “And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.”

Luke 12:37, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching, verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, andmake them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”

Luke 12:35 through Luke 12:37 shows the posture of faithful servants. Their loins are girded, their lights are burning, and they are waiting for their lord. This is the same spiritual posture Revelation 22 demands. The servant who believes his Master is coming lives ready to open immediately when He comes.

Jesus then says, “and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.” This statement does not teach salvation by works. Scripture is clear that salvation is by grace through faith, not by works. A sinner is justified by faith in Christ, not by personal merit, religious effort, or moral performance. Yet Scripture is also clear that works reveal the reality of faith, and believers will be rewarded according to faithful service.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, andthat not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:9, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that weshould walk in them.”

Ephesians 2:8 through Ephesians 2:10 gives the proper balance. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works. Yet those who are saved are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Works are not the root of salvation, but they are the fruit of salvation. A man is not saved because he works. A saved man works because God has made him alive in Christ.

Jesus says He will give every man according to his work. For the unbeliever, works will expose guilt and confirm judgment. For the believer, works will be evaluated for reward. The believer’s sins were judged at the cross, but his service will be assessed by Christ. The Lord sees motives, faithfulness, sacrifice, obedience, endurance, and stewardship. Nothing done faithfully for Christ is forgotten.

2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done inhis body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

Second Corinthians 5:10 teaches that believers will appear before the judgment seat of Christ. This judgment is not to determine whether the believer is saved, because salvation rests on the finished work of Christ. It is a judgment of evaluation and reward. The Lord will assess the believer’s life and service. Revelation 22:12 reminds the church that the returning Christ brings reward with Him.

1 Corinthians 3:11, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 3:12, “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble.”

1 Corinthians 3:13, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest, forthe day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire, andthe fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”

1 Corinthians 3:14, “If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”

1 Corinthians 3:15, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, buthe himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire.”

First Corinthians 3:11 through 1 Corinthians 3:15 explains how the believer’s work will be tested. The foundation is Jesus Christ. No other foundation can be laid. Yet what a man builds upon that foundation matters. Some work is like gold, silver, and precious stones. It endures. Some work is like wood, hay, and stubble. It burns. The man himself may be saved, yet suffer loss of reward. Revelation 22:12 should therefore make the believer serious about the quality of his life and service.

The mention of reward also confirms that God is just. Many faithful believers serve in obscurity, suffer without recognition, labor without applause, and obey when no one sees. Christ sees. His reward is with Him. No cup of cold water given in His name will be forgotten. No faithful endurance will be wasted. No act of obedience will be overlooked. The world may reward pride, compromise, celebrity, and power, but Christ rewards faithfulness.

Matthew 10:42, “And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only inthe name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.”

Matthew 10:42 shows that even small acts done faithfully in the name of the Lord are noticed by Him. Christ’s reward is not measured according to worldly applause, but according to His righteous judgment. Revelation 22:12 should encourage faithful servants who feel unseen. The Lord is coming, and His reward is with Him.

The relationship between faith and works is made clear in James and Titus. Living faith produces works. Dead faith produces nothing. Good works do not save, but the absence of good works exposes a dead profession.

James 2:20, “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”

James 2:20 directly confronts empty profession. Faith without works is dead. James is not teaching salvation by works. He is teaching that true faith is never barren. A man who claims to believe but has no fruit gives evidence that his faith is not living faith.

Titus 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, andthese things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful tomaintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.”

Titus 3:8 gives the pastoral application. Those who have believed in God must be careful to maintain good works. This is not optional. Good works are good and profitable. Revelation 22:12 adds weight to this command because Jesus will reward every man according to his work. A believer should therefore live with his Master’s evaluation in view.

The quality of a man’s life reveals what he truly believes. A man may profess prophecy, talk about the rapture, argue about the Millennium, and claim to love Revelation, but if his life is marked by rebellion, compromise, laziness, and worldliness, his profession is hollow. True prophetic hope produces obedience. A man who truly believes Jesus is coming quickly will not live as though Babylon is his home.

Jesus then declares, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” This is one of the clearest declarations of the deity of Christ in the Book of Revelation. Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. The title means that Christ is the source, goal, and sovereign Lord over all things. He is not merely part of history. He stands over history. He is not one teacher among many. He is the beginning and the end. He is not merely a prophet who points to God. He is God the Son, the eternal Word, the Lord of glory.

Revelation 1:8, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning andthe ending, saith the Lord, which is, andwhich was, andwhich is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:8 applies the title Alpha and Omega to the Lord, the Almighty, the One who is, who was, and who is to come. This is divine language. It speaks of eternality, sovereignty, and omnipotence. When Revelation 22:13 applies these titles to Jesus, it crowns the book’s testimony to His deity.

Revelation 21:6, “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning andthe end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.”

Revelation 21:6 again uses the title Alpha and Omega in connection with the One who brings all things to completion and gives the water of life freely. Revelation 22:13 now places this full divine title in the mouth of Christ. Jesus is the beginning and the end. He is the One in whom creation, redemption, judgment, and new creation find their meaning.

The title “the first and the last” is especially significant because it is used by the LORD in Isaiah. This proves that Jesus is not a lesser divine figure or created being. He bears the title of Yahweh. The One speaking in Revelation 22 is the same eternal Lord revealed in the Old Testament, now fully revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 41:4, “Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning, I the LORD, the first, and with the last, I am he.”

Isaiah 41:4 identifies the LORD as the first and with the last. He is sovereign over generations. He calls history from the beginning. Revelation 22:13 applies this same kind of language to Jesus. This is irrefutable testimony to the deity of Christ. Jesus is not a mere messenger. He is the eternal Lord.

Isaiah 44:6, “Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, andhis redeemer the LORD of hosts, I am the first, andI am the last, andbeside me there is no God.”

Isaiah 44:6 makes the point even stronger. The LORD says, “I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God.” When Jesus says in Revelation 22:13, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last,” He is claiming divine identity. There is no way to reduce Jesus to a created being without doing violence to the text.

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, andthe Word was with God, andthe Word was God.”

John 1:2, “The same was in the beginning with God.”

John 1:3, “All things were made by him, andwithout him was not any thing made that was made.”

John 1:1 through John 1:3 agrees perfectly with Revelation 22:13. Jesus, the Word, was in the beginning. He was with God, and He was God. All things were made by Him. Therefore, He is the beginning because He is the Creator. He is the end because all things are moving toward His appointed consummation. He is the first and the last because He is eternal God.

These titles also give the believer a reason to be ready. The One who says, “I come quickly,” is not merely a future visitor. He is the Alpha and Omega. He has authority over time, history, judgment, reward, salvation, and eternity. If a man truly understands who Jesus is, he will not treat His coming lightly. Carelessness before Christ is rooted in a low view of Christ. Reverence, readiness, obedience, and worship flow from a high and biblical view of Christ.

Jesus is the beginning, middle, and end of the Christian life. Christianity without Christ at the center is empty. Prophecy without Christ is speculation. Doctrine without Christ is lifeless orthodoxy. Morality without Christ becomes self righteousness. Ministry without Christ becomes machinery. Worship without Christ becomes performance. If Christ is removed, there is no gospel, no salvation, no life, no light, no hope, and no heaven.

Colossians 1:16, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, andthat are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they bethrones, ordominions, orprincipalities, orpowers, all things were created by him, andfor him.”

Colossians 1:17, “And he is before all things, andby him all things consist.”

Colossians 1:18, “And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn fromthe dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.”

Colossians 1:16 through Colossians 1:18 gives the doctrinal heart of Revelation 22:13. All things were created by Christ and for Christ. He is before all things. By Him all things consist. He is the head of the church. He is the beginning. He must have preeminence in all things. That is why Revelation ends with Christ declaring who He is. The final exhortation is not grounded merely in fear of events, but in the majesty of the Person who is coming.

The practical conclusion is direct. Since the book is not sealed, the believer must read and keep it. Since the time is at hand, the believer must live ready. Since the unjust and filthy will one day be fixed in their state, sinners must repent now. Since the righteous and holy are called to continue, believers must persevere now. Since Jesus is coming quickly, the church must watch now. Since His reward is with Him, servants must labor faithfully now. Since He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last, every knee must bow before Him.

Philippians 2:9, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, andgiven him a name which is above every name.”

Philippians 2:10, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, andthings in earth, andthings under the earth.”

Philippians 2:11, “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9 through Philippians 2:11 shows the final universal confession of Christ’s Lordship. Every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. The wise man bows now in repentance and faith. The rebel will bow later in judgment. Revelation 22:10 through Revelation 22:13 presses that reality upon every reader.

Revelation 22:14, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right tothe tree of life, and may enter inthrough the gates into the city.”

Revelation 22:15, “For without are dogs, andsorcerers, andwhoremongers, andmurderers, andidolaters, andwhosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

Revelation 22:14 gives one of the final blessings of the Book of Revelation. “Blessed are they that do his commandments.” This blessing must be handled carefully. The verse is not teaching that obedience earns eternal life. Scripture is clear that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not by human works, commandment keeping, religious merit, or moral achievement. However, obedience is the evidence of genuine salvation. The person who truly belongs to Christ does not live in settled rebellion against Him. A living faith produces obedience because the heart has been changed by the grace of God.

Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, andthat not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.”

Ephesians 2:9, “Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created inChrist Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk inthem.”

Ephesians 2:8 through Ephesians 2:10 gives the proper balance. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works. No man can boast before God as though he earned salvation. Yet the same passage says believers are created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Good works do not cause salvation, but they follow salvation. Obedience is not the root of eternal life, it is the fruit of eternal life.

John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

John 14:15 shows that obedience is the expression of love for Christ. Jesus did not say that commandment keeping earns His love. He said that those who love Him keep His commandments. A man who claims to love Christ while knowingly rejecting Christ’s authority is contradicting himself. Love for Christ is not mere sentiment. It bows to His lordship.

1 John 2:3, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.”

1 John 2:4, “He that saith, I know him, andkeepeth not his commandments, is a liar, andthe truth is not inhim.”

1 John 2:5, “But whoso keepeth his word, inhim verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are inhim.”

First John 2:3 through 1 John 2:5 makes the same point with direct force. Obedience gives evidence that a person truly knows God. The one who says, “I know him,” while refusing His commandments is a liar. This fits the warning in Revelation 22:15, where those who love and practice a lie are excluded from the city. True believers do not obey perfectly in this life, but they do have a changed relationship to God’s commands. They love what God loves. They repent when they sin. They desire to walk in the truth.

There is also an inherent blessing in doing God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not cruel, foolish, or burdensome in the sense of being destructive to His people. His commandments are good and right. They reflect His holy nature and His wise design for human life. Sin promises freedom but produces bondage. Obedience may look costly in the present world, but it leads to blessing, stability, holiness, and fellowship with God.

1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, andhis commandments are not grievous.”

First John 5:3 teaches that God’s commandments are not grievous. They are not oppressive burdens placed on the redeemed by a harsh Master. They are the righteous instructions of a good God. The world views obedience as restriction, but the believer understands that obedience is life under the wise rule of the Lord.

The blessing continues, “that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” This is covenant privilege, redeemed access, and eternal inheritance. The tree of life was barred from fallen man after Adam’s sin, but in the New Jerusalem the redeemed have the right to the tree of life. This right is not based on personal merit. It is granted through redemption in Christ. Yet the obedient life gives evidence that one has truly been washed, redeemed, and granted access.

Genesis 3:22, “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good andevil, andnow, lest he put forth his hand, andtake also of the tree of life, andeat, andlive for ever.”

Genesis 3:23, “Therefore the LORD God sent him forth fromthe garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.”

Genesis 3:24, “So he drove out the man, andhe placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, anda flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.”

Genesis 3:22 through Genesis 3:24 explains why Revelation 22:14 is so glorious. After sin entered, man was barred from the tree of life. God placed cherubims and a flaming sword to keep the way of the tree. Sin cut man off from direct access to life. Revelation 22:14 shows that, through Christ, the way is opened again. The redeemed enter the city and have right to the tree of life. What was lost in Adam is restored in Christ, and more than restored, it is secured forever in the eternal state.

There is also a textual issue in Revelation 22:14. Some translations read, “Blessed are they that do his commandments,” while others read, “Blessed are they that wash their robes.” The difference comes from two similar ancient Greek phrases. One reading is “those who do His commandments,” and the other is “those who have washed their robes.” The two readings are different, but the essential theology is not damaged. Those who wash their robes are those cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, and those who do His commandments are those whose lives give evidence of that cleansing. Both ideas are biblical and consistent with the teaching of Revelation.

Revelation 7:14, “And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. Andhe said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, andhave washed their robes, andmade them white inthe blood of the Lamb.”

Revelation 7:14 shows the biblical meaning of washed robes. The saints are made white in the blood of the Lamb. This is the language of cleansing through Christ’s atonement. No one enters the New Jerusalem by self purification. The redeemed enter because Christ has washed them from their sins in His own blood.

Revelation 1:5, “And fromJesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, andthe first begotten of the dead, andthe prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, andwashed us from our sins inhis own blood.”

Revelation 1:5 confirms that Christ washed His people from their sins in His own blood. Therefore, whether the reading is “do his commandments” or “wash their robes,” the doctrine remains sound. The redeemed are cleansed by Christ, and those cleansed by Christ walk in obedience to Him. This is a good example of how a copyist issue can affect the wording of a passage in a minor way without overthrowing any essential doctrine. The believer can trust the Scriptures. The great doctrines of salvation, judgment, holiness, Christ’s return, and eternal life do not rest on uncertain ground.

Revelation 22:15 then gives the contrast, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” This is the negative side of the blessing. Those who belong to Christ enter the city and have access to the tree of life. Those who remain in wickedness are outside. This does not mean that, in the eternal state, crowds of wicked people will be gathered just outside the walls of the New Jerusalem, looking in and wishing they could enter. Revelation has already shown that the wicked are judged and cast into the lake of fire. The language here describes exclusion from the city using the imagery of the present order. The point is not geography outside the wall, but eternal separation from the blessedness of the redeemed.

Revelation 20:14, “And death andhell were cast intothe lake of fire. This is the second death.”

Revelation 20:15, “And whosoever was not found written inthe book of life was cast intothe lake of fire.”

Revelation 20:14 through Revelation 20:15 gives the final destiny of the lost. Those not found written in the book of life are cast into the lake of fire. Therefore, Revelation 22:15 should not be read as though the wicked live eternally just outside the gates of the city. The verse speaks of exclusion. They have no right to the tree of life and no entrance into the city.

The first group listed is “dogs.” This does not refer to literal animals or settle the question of whether animals may be present in the renewed creation. In biblical usage, especially in the ancient Near Eastern context, dogs were often viewed as unclean scavengers. They were not usually the beloved household pets many people think of today. The term “dogs” is used as a picture of moral uncleanness, spiritual corruption, and contemptible behavior. It refers to people characterized by impurity and rebellion against God.

Matthew 7:6, “Give not that which is holy untothe dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, andturn again andrend you.”

Matthew 7:6 uses dogs as an image for those who despise holy things. The point is not literal animals. It is a moral and spiritual warning. Some people are so hostile to sacred truth that they trample what is holy and turn violently against those who present it.

Philippians 3:2, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.”

Philippians 3:2 also uses “dogs” as a strong term of warning. Paul applies it to evil workers and false religious men. In Revelation 22:15, “dogs” describes the morally impure and spiritually corrupt who are excluded from the holy city.

The next group is “sorcerers.” This refers to those involved in occult practices, magic arts, demonic religion, and spiritual deception. Revelation has repeatedly condemned sorcery because it is tied to rebellion against God, deception of the nations, and the corrupt world system. Sorcery seeks spiritual power apart from submission to the Lord. It belongs outside the city because the New Jerusalem is governed by God’s throne, not by dark powers, occult manipulation, or demonic deception.

Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, andunbelieving, andthe abominable, andmurderers, andwhoremongers, andsorcerers, andidolaters, andall liars, shall have their part inthe lake which burneth with fire andbrimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 21:8 gives a similar list and clearly states the destiny of such people. Sorcerers, murderers, idolaters, and all liars have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. Revelation 22:15 repeats the moral categories to emphasize that such people are excluded from the city of God.

The next group is “whoremongers,” referring to the sexually immoral. Scripture consistently teaches that sexual immorality is sin against God. The present world often treats sexual sin as normal, private, or harmless, but God does not. The eternal city is holy. Those who remain in unrepentant sexual immorality show that they belong to the corrupt order that is judged, not to the holy city that is redeemed.

1 Corinthians 6:9, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God, Be not deceived, neither fornicators, noridolaters, noradulterers, noreffeminate, norabusers of themselves withmankind.”

1 Corinthians 6:10, “Nor thieves, norcovetous, nordrunkards, norrevilers, norextortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

1 Corinthians 6:11, “And such were some of you, butye are washed, butye are sanctified, butye are justified inthe name of the Lord Jesus, andby the Spirit of our God.”

First Corinthians 6:9 through 1 Corinthians 6:11 gives both warning and hope. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Yet Paul also says, “such were some of you.” That means sinners can be washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. Revelation 22:15 is not saying that no one who ever committed these sins can be saved. It is saying that those who remain defined by unrepentant wickedness are excluded from the city.

The next group is “murderers.” Murder is the unlawful taking of human life and is an assault upon the image of God in man. From Genesis onward, God treats murder as a grave evil because man is made in His image. The New Jerusalem is a city of life. Murder belongs to the old order of death, violence, hatred, and rebellion.

Genesis 9:6, “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for inthe image of God made he man.”

Genesis 9:6 shows the seriousness of murder. Human life is sacred because man is made in the image of God. Revelation 22:15 places murderers outside because the eternal city is holy and life filled. The violent order of fallen man has no place there.

The next group is “idolaters.” Idolatry is the worship of anything or anyone other than the true God. It includes bowing before false gods, but it also includes giving ultimate allegiance, trust, love, or devotion to anything created. Revelation has shown the final form of idolatry in the worship of the beast and his image. The New Jerusalem is the city where God and the Lamb are worshipped. Idolaters are outside because false worship has no place in God’s eternal dwelling.

Exodus 20:3, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

Exodus 20:4, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, orany likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, orthat is inthe earth beneath, orthat is inthe water under the earth.”

Exodus 20:5, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, norserve them, for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers uponthe children untothe third and fourth generation of them that hate me.”

Exodus 20:3 through Exodus 20:5 shows that worship belongs to God alone. Idolatry is not a minor error. It is spiritual treason. Revelation 22:15 confirms that idolaters have no place in the holy city.

Finally, the verse says, “and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” This is broader than simply telling a falsehood with the lips. It includes those who love falsehood, practice deception, promote error, live by lies, and reject the truth of God. The wording is searching. Some men do not merely tell lies, they love lies. They love false doctrine because it excuses sin. They love false religion because it avoids the cross. They love false morality because it justifies rebellion. They love false identity because it allows them to deny the Creator. They love false hope because it comforts them without repentance. Such people are outside.

John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil, andthe lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer fromthe beginning, andabode not inthe truth, because there is no truth inhim. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, andthe father of it.”

John 8:44 shows that lies are satanic in origin. The devil is a liar and the father of it. Those who love and practice lies show alignment with the kingdom of darkness. The New Jerusalem is the city of truth, because it is the city of God and of the Lamb.

Revelation 21:27, “And there shall inno wise enter intoit any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, ormaketh a lie, butthey which are written inthe Lamb’s book of life.”

Revelation 21:27 already stated the same truth. Nothing that defiles, works abomination, or makes a lie will enter the city. Only those written in the Lamb’s book of life enter. Revelation 22:15 repeats this exclusion at the close of the book so no reader misses the seriousness of holiness, truth, and salvation.

6. Revelation 22:16, Jesus Brings a Word of Verification

Revelation 22:16, “I Jesus have sent mine angel totestify untoyou these things inthe churches. I am the root andthe offspring of David, andthe bright and morning star.”

Revelation 22:16 is one of the most direct personal statements of Christ in the entire book. Jesus says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.” With these words, the Lord authenticates the entire Book of Revelation. This is not merely John’s book. It is not merely an angel’s message. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ, sent through His angel and given to the churches. Because Jesus Himself verifies the message, the church must receive it with full seriousness.

Much in Revelation is majestic, terrifying, and beyond ordinary experience. The judgments are severe. The beasts are dreadful. Babylon’s fall is dramatic. The return of Christ is glorious. The Millennium is magnificent. The Great White Throne is solemn. The New Jerusalem is almost beyond imagination. Yet Jesus says He sent His angel to testify these things. Therefore, the faithful response is not skepticism, embarrassment, or avoidance. The faithful response is belief, reverence, obedience, and proclamation.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew untohis servants things which must shortly come to pass, andhe sent andsignified it by his angel untohis servant John.”

Revelation 1:1 connects directly with Revelation 22:16. The book begins by saying that Jesus sent and signified the Revelation by His angel to His servant John. The book ends with Jesus Himself confirming, “I Jesus have sent mine angel.” This forms a strong bracket around the whole book. The source is Christ. The messenger is sent by Christ. The message is for Christ’s servants and churches.

Jesus says the angel was sent “to testify unto you these things in the churches.” Revelation is for the churches. It is not private information for a spiritual elite. It is not restricted to scholars, mystics, or prophecy specialists. It is not a sealed book for a hidden class. It is a church book, meant to be read, taught, believed, and kept by the people of God. This is also significant because the church has not been directly mentioned since the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3. Now, at the end of the book, Jesus again states that the message is for the churches.

Revelation 2:7, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith untothe churches, To him that overcometh will I give toeat of the tree of life, which is inthe midst of the paradise of God.”

Revelation 2:7 shows that the Spirit speaks to the churches. The promise of eating from the tree of life was already given to the overcomer in the message to Ephesus, and Revelation 22 shows that promise fulfilled in the New Jerusalem. This strengthens the unity of the book. The churches are warned, exhorted, corrected, and encouraged in Revelation 2 and Revelation 3, and the final chapters show the consummation of the promises made to the faithful.

Jesus then says, “I am the root and the offspring of David.” This is a precious Messianic title. It shows both the deity and humanity of Christ. As the root of David, Jesus is David’s source, Creator, and Lord. As the offspring of David, Jesus is David’s descendant according to the flesh, the promised King from David’s line. No mere man could be both David’s root and David’s offspring. This title reveals the mystery and glory of the incarnate Son of God. He is before David, yet born from David’s line. He is David’s Lord, yet also David’s Son.

Isaiah 11:1, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”

Isaiah 11:1 prophesies the coming Messianic Branch from the line of Jesse, David’s father. This points to the Davidic lineage of Christ. Jesus is the promised King who comes from David’s family line to rule in righteousness.

Isaiah 11:2, “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest uponhim, the spirit of wisdom andunderstanding, the spirit of counsel andmight, the spirit of knowledge andof the fear of the LORD.”

Isaiah 11:3, “And shall make him of quick understanding inthe fear of the LORD, andhe shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.”

Isaiah 11:4, “But withrighteousness shall he judge the poor, andreprove withequity forthe meek of the earth, andhe shall smite the earth withthe rod of his mouth, andwiththe breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

Isaiah 11:5, “And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, andfaithfulness the girdle of his reins.”

Isaiah 11:2 through Isaiah 11:5 describes the righteous rule of the Messiah. The Spirit of the LORD rests upon Him. He judges in righteousness. He smites the wicked with the rod of His mouth. This fits the portrait of Christ in Revelation. He is the coming King, the righteous Judge, and the fulfillment of the Davidic promises.

Jesus Himself pressed this same truth when He questioned the Pharisees about the identity of the Messiah.

Matthew 22:41, “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them.”

Matthew 22:42, “Saying, What think ye of Christ, whose son is he, They say unto him, The Son of David.”

Matthew 22:43, “He saith untothem, How then doth David inspirit call him Lord, saying.”

Matthew 22:44, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou onmy right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?”

Matthew 22:45, “If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?”

Matthew 22:46, “And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man fromthat day forth ask him any more questions.”

Matthew 22:41 through Matthew 22:46 shows Jesus confronting the Pharisees with the full identity of the Messiah. They knew the Messiah was the Son of David, but they did not understand how David could call Him Lord. Jesus showed that the Messiah is more than David’s descendant. He is David’s Lord. Revelation 22:16 gives the answer plainly. Jesus is both the root and the offspring of David. He is the eternal Lord who created David, and He is the promised King born from David’s line.

This title also confirms the literal faithfulness of God’s promises to Israel and to David. God promised David a throne, a kingdom, and a royal descendant. Jesus fulfills that promise. A literal, grammatical, historical reading of Scripture does not dissolve the Davidic promises into vague spiritual metaphors. Christ is the Davidic King. He will reign. Revelation has already shown Him as King of kings and Lord of lords, and Revelation 22 confirms that He is the promised Davidic Messiah.

2 Samuel 7:12, “And when thy days be fulfilled, andthou shalt sleep withthy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed outof thy bowels, andI will establish his kingdom.”

2 Samuel 7:13, “He shall build an house formy name, andI will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”

2 Samuel 7:14, “I will be his father, andhe shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him withthe rod of men, andwiththe stripes of the children of men.”

2 Samuel 7:15, “But my mercy shall not depart away fromhim, asI took it fromSaul, whom I put away before thee.”

2 Samuel 7:16, “And thine house andthy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever.”

Second Samuel 7:12 through 2 Samuel 7:16 gives the Davidic covenant. Though Solomon fulfilled part of this promise in an immediate sense, the eternal fulfillment is in Christ. Revelation 22:16 identifies Jesus as the One who fulfills the Davidic hope completely.

Jesus also says, “and the bright and morning star.” This is another Messianic title. The morning star appears before the full dawn and announces the coming day. Jesus is the bright and morning star because He is the One whose coming signals the end of the long night of this present age and the arrival of the kingdom glory. He is the hope of the saints and the herald of the new day.

Numbers 24:17, “I shall see him, butnot now, I shall behold him, butnot nigh, there shall come a Star outof Jacob, anda Sceptre shall rise outof Israel, andshall smite the corners of Moab, anddestroy all the children of Sheth.”

Numbers 24:17 prophesies a Star out of Jacob and a Sceptre rising out of Israel. This is Messianic language. The Star speaks of glory and appearing. The Sceptre speaks of rule and kingdom authority. Revelation 22:16 identifies Jesus as the bright and morning star, the One who fulfills the hope of Israel and brings the dawn of God’s final purposes.

Revelation 2:28, “And I will give him the morning star.”

Revelation 2:28 promised the morning star to the overcomer. Revelation 22:16 reveals Christ Himself as the bright and morning star. The reward of the overcomer is ultimately Christ. The believer does not merely receive blessings from Christ, he receives Christ Himself. He is the hope, the light, the glory, and the coming King.

2 Peter 1:19, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, asunto a light that shineth ina dark place, until the day dawn, andthe day star arise inyour hearts.”

Second Peter 1:19 connects prophecy with light shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the day star arises. This present age is dark, but prophecy gives light. Christ is coming. The morning star announces the dawn. Revelation 22:16 places that hope directly in Jesus. He is the bright and morning star, the One who will bring the darkness to an end.

This title should strengthen the believer. The world may look dark. Evil may appear strong. Apostasy may spread. Governments may rage. False religion may deceive. Babylon may intoxicate the nations. But the morning star has already been identified. Jesus is coming. His appearing will end the night. He is not merely one light among many. He is the bright and morning star.

The two titles together give a full picture of Christ. As the root and offspring of David, He is the promised King, the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant, the Messiah of Israel, and the rightful ruler over the nations. As the bright and morning star, He is the hope of the church, the herald of the new day, and the light that announces the end of darkness. He is David’s Lord and David’s Son. He is Israel’s Messiah and the church’s hope. He is the King who reigns and the Star who shines.

The practical application is clear. Since Jesus Himself authenticates Revelation, the churches must receive it. Since He is the root and offspring of David, believers must honor Him as the promised King. Since He is the bright and morning star, believers must look for His appearing with hope and watchfulness. Since those who do His commandments are blessed, believers must live in obedient faith. Since the wicked are outside, sinners must repent now. Since only those written in the Lamb’s book of life enter the city, every man must examine whether he belongs to Christ.

2 Corinthians 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be inthe faith, prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is inyou, except ye be reprobates?”

Second Corinthians 13:5 gives the proper sober response. A man should examine himself to see whether he is in the faith. Revelation 22:14 through Revelation 22:16 does not allow casual religion. It places before the reader blessing and exclusion, obedience and wickedness, the tree of life and the outside, the city of God and the lake of fire, the churches and the testimony of Jesus, the Davidic King and the morning star. The issue is eternal.

Revelation 22:17, “And the Spirit andthe bride say, Come. Andlet him that heareth say, Come. Andlet him that is athirst come. Andwhosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Revelation 22:17 gives one of the greatest invitations in all of Scripture. The Book of Revelation has shown judgment, wrath, seals, trumpets, bowls, Babylon’s fall, the beast, the false prophet, the lake of fire, the Great White Throne, and the eternal exclusion of the wicked. Yet before the book closes, God gives a final gospel invitation. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” The one who hears is told to say, “Come.” The thirsty are told to come. Whoever wills is invited to take the water of life freely. This is the mercy of God placed at the close of the Bible.

The phrase “the Spirit and the bride say, Come” may be understood in two faithful ways. It may be a cry directed toward the Lord Jesus, asking Him to return. This fits the larger context of Revelation 22, where Jesus repeatedly says, “Behold, I come quickly.” The Spirit and the bride long for the return of Christ. The Holy Spirit, who indwells and guides the church, produces in the people of God a longing for the coming of the Lord. The bride, which is the redeemed people of Christ, desires the Bridegroom’s appearing. In this sense, “Come” is the church’s prayer for Jesus to come quickly.

Revelation 22:7, “Behold, I come quickly, blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.”

Revelation 22:12, “And, behold, I come quickly, andmy reward is withme, togive every man according as his work shall be.”

Revelation 22:7 and Revelation 22:12 show why the cry “Come” naturally applies to the return of Christ. Jesus has said He is coming quickly. The faithful response of the church is to desire His appearing. The true bride does not dread the Bridegroom’s return. She longs for it. The world loves darkness and wants Christ delayed, but the bride says, “Come.”

2 Timothy 4:8, “Henceforth there is laid up forme a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me atthat day, andnot to me only, butunto all them also that love his appearing.”

Second Timothy 4:8 teaches that the righteous crown is promised not only to Paul, but to all those who love Christ’s appearing. That is the heart of the bride in Revelation 22:17. The bride loves His appearing and therefore says, “Come.” A believer’s attitude toward the return of Christ reveals much about his spiritual condition. The faithful long for Him. The compromised fear interruption. The unbelieving world resists Him.

Yet the phrase “Come” also functions as an invitation to sinners to come to Christ. The verse itself makes this clear because it continues, “And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The Spirit and the bride not only cry upward for Christ to come, they also call outward for sinners to come to Christ. Both meanings are true and fitting. The church says to Christ, “Come, Lord Jesus,” and the church says to the world, “Come to Jesus.”

The Spirit is central to this invitation. Salvation is not produced by human persuasion alone. The Holy Spirit convicts, awakens, calls, draws, regenerates, and opens the heart. No sinner comes to Christ unless God works in him. Yet the invitation is real, sincere, and open. The Spirit says, “Come.” The gospel call is not a reluctant offer from a stingy God. It is the gracious summons of God to thirsty sinners.

John 16:8, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, andof righteousness, andof judgment.”

John 16:9, “Of sin, because they believe not onme.”

John 16:10, “Of righteousness, because I go tomy Father, andye see me nomore.”

John 16:11, “Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

John 16:8 through John 16:11 shows the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reproves the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That conviction is necessary because fallen man does not naturally see his thirst rightly. He drinks from broken cisterns and thinks he is satisfied. The Spirit exposes sin, reveals the righteousness of Christ, and warns of coming judgment.

John 6:44, “No man can come tome, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, andI will raise him up atthe last day.”

John 6:44 teaches that no man can come to Christ unless the Father draws him. This guards the doctrine of grace. Human will is real, but fallen man’s will is bound by sin until God works. Revelation 22:17 says, “whosoever will,” but the wider testimony of Scripture shows that the willingness itself is awakened by the grace of God.

The bride also says, “Come.” The bride is the church, the redeemed people of Christ. The church has a responsibility to echo the invitation of the Spirit. The church is not to keep the gospel private. The one who hears is also told to say, “Come.” This means the gospel invitation is to be repeated by those who have received it. A man who has heard the call of Christ and come to Him should call others to come also.

Revelation 19:7, “Let us be glad andrejoice, andgive honour tohim, forthe marriage of the Lamb is come, andhis wife hath made herself ready.”

Revelation 19:8, “And toher was granted that she should be arrayed infine linen, clean andwhite, forthe fine linen is the righteousness of saints.”

Revelation 19:7 through Revelation 19:8 identifies the bride in relation to the Lamb. The wife of the Lamb is made ready and clothed in fine linen. The bride who belongs to Christ now joins the Spirit in calling others to come. This is the evangelistic duty of the redeemed.

Matthew 28:18, “And Jesus came andspake untothem, saying, All power is given untome inheaven andinearth.”

Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, andteach all nations, baptizing them inthe name of the Father, andof the Son, andof the Holy Ghost.”

Matthew 28:20, “Teaching them toobserve all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and, lo, I am withyou alway, even untothe end of the world. Amen.”

Matthew 28:18 through Matthew 28:20 shows that the church’s mission is grounded in Christ’s authority. The church is to go, teach all nations, baptize, and teach obedience to Christ’s commands. Revelation 22:17 gives the heart of that mission in one word, “Come.” Evangelism is not merely argument, institution building, or moral reform. It is the call for sinners to come to Christ and take the water of life freely.

The verse continues, “And let him that heareth say, Come.” This means the invitation is to multiply. The one who hears the gospel is not meant to remain silent. He becomes a witness. He joins the chorus of invitation. Every saved sinner becomes someone who can say to another sinner, “Come.” The gospel is not the private possession of scholars, pastors, missionaries, or evangelists only. Every believer who has heard and received the invitation should call others to Christ.

John 1:40, “One of the two which heard John speak, andfollowed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”

John 1:41, “He first findeth his own brother Simon, andsaith untohim, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.”

John 1:42, “And he brought him toJesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona, thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.”

John 1:40 through John 1:42 gives a simple picture of what Revelation 22:17 means. Andrew heard and followed Christ, then he went and brought his brother Simon Peter to Jesus. That is the pattern. The one who hears says, “Come.” He does not need to know everything to bear witness. He knows enough to bring another person to Christ.

The next phrase is, “And let him that is athirst come.” The thirsty are invited. Spiritual thirst is the awareness of need. It is the soul’s recognition that the world cannot satisfy, sin cannot heal, religion cannot save, and self cannot provide life. Thirst is not merit. It is need. Christ does not invite the satisfied, self righteous sinner who thinks he has no need. He invites the thirsty, the one who knows he needs mercy, life, forgiveness, cleansing, and God.

Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are they which do hunger andthirst after righteousness, forthey shall be filled.”

Matthew 5:6 shows that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed because they shall be filled. Spiritual thirst is not weakness to be despised. It is a sign that God is awakening the soul to its need. The thirsty man should not wait until he feels worthy. He should come.

John 7:37, “Inthe last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood andcried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come untome, anddrink.”

John 7:38, “He that believeth onme, asthe scripture hath said, outof his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

John 7:39, “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe onhim should receive, forthe Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”

John 7:37 through John 7:39 is one of the clearest parallels to Revelation 22:17. Jesus cried, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” The one who believes in Christ receives living water, and John explains that Jesus spoke of the Spirit. Revelation 22:17 stands at the end of Scripture with the same invitation. The thirsty are still called to come and drink.

Then comes the broad invitation, “And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” The word “whosoever” is large enough to include any sinner who desires Christ. No class, race, background, past sin, social condition, intelligence level, or personal failure excludes the one who will come to Christ. The invitation is not, “Whosoever understands all doctrine perfectly.” It is not, “Whosoever has cleaned himself up first.” It is not, “Whosoever has emotional intensity enough.” It is not, “Whosoever is worthy.” It is “whosoever will.”

This invitation does not deny human depravity or God’s sovereign grace. It declares the sincere offer of salvation. If a man desires Christ, let him come. If he thirsts for salvation, let him come. If he wants mercy, let him come. If he knows he has no strength to save himself, let him come. The barrier is not that Christ is unwilling. The barrier is man’s stubborn refusal to come.

John 6:37, “All that the Father giveth me shall come tome, andhim that cometh tome I will inno wise cast out.”

John 6:37 holds divine sovereignty and gospel invitation together. All whom the Father gives to the Son shall come, and the one who comes to Christ will not be cast out. This is strong comfort. No sinner who truly comes to Jesus will be rejected. The invitation is free, and Christ is faithful.

Isaiah 55:1, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye tothe waters, andhe that hath no money, come ye, buy, andeat, yea, come, buy wine andmilk without money andwithout price.”

Isaiah 55:1 gives the Old Testament background for the invitation. The thirsty are told to come to the waters. Those with no money are invited to buy and eat without money and without price. This is grace. The sinner does not bring payment. He comes empty and receives freely.

Isaiah 55:2, “Wherefore do ye spend money forthat which is not bread, andyour labour forthat which satisfieth not, hearken diligently untome, andeat ye that which is good, andlet your soul delight itself infatness.”

Isaiah 55:2 exposes the foolishness of sin and false religion. Men spend themselves on what cannot satisfy. They labor for that which is not bread. The world offers polluted water, broken cisterns, and false bread. God offers life freely. Revelation 22:17 is the final biblical invitation to stop drinking from what cannot satisfy and come to the water of life.

Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, andcome untome, hear, andyour soul shall live, andI will make an everlasting covenant withyou, even the sure mercies of David.”

Isaiah 55:3 adds the promise, “hear, and your soul shall live.” Life comes from hearing and responding to God’s gracious call. Revelation 22:17 says the same thing in final form. The one who hears says, “Come.” The thirsty come. Whoever wills takes the water of life freely.

The phrase “let him take” is also crucial. The sinner must receive what God offers. Christianity is not first a system of man bringing something to God, but God offering life to man through Jesus Christ. Fallen religion says, “Bring your works, your sacrifice, your merit, your effort, your ritual, your money, your self improvement, your suffering, and perhaps the gods will accept you.” The gospel says, “Take the water of life freely.” The sinner comes with empty hands and receives Christ.

Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, andcome short of the glory of God.”

Romans 3:24, “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is inChrist Jesus.”

Romans 3:23 through Romans 3:24 teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, yet sinners are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. The word “freely” is central. Salvation is not purchased by man. It is provided by Christ and received by faith.

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, butthe gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23 contrasts wages and gift. Sin pays wages, and the wages of sin is death. God gives a gift, and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Revelation 22:17 invites sinners to take the water of life freely because eternal life is a gift, not a wage earned by human effort.

This invitation is also urgent. The day of grace will not remain open forever. Revelation has shown that judgment is coming. The time to come is now. The one who delays because he does not understand enough should come anyway. The invitation does not say, “Whoever understands everything, let him take.” The one who delays because he does not feel enough should come anyway. The invitation does not say, “Whoever feels deeply enough, let him take.” The one who delays because he fears he cannot live the Christian life should come anyway. The invitation does not say, “Whoever has sufficient strength, let him take.” The one who delays because he feels unworthy should come anyway. The invitation does not say, “Whoever is worthy, let him take.” It says, “whosoever will.”

A man may pray honestly, “Lord, I desire to be saved. I desire a new heart. I desire to leave my sins. I desire to believe and obey, but I have no strength in myself. Give me the power to come, believe, repent, and follow.” Such a desire is not to be despised. The sinner who desires Christ should come to Christ. The water is free because Christ paid the price.

John 4:13, “Jesus answered andsaid untoher, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again.”

John 4:14, “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst, butthe water that I shall give him shall be inhim a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

John 4:13 through John 4:14 shows the nature of the water Christ gives. Earthly water satisfies only temporarily. The water Christ gives springs up into everlasting life. Revelation 22:17 closes the Bible by inviting sinners to take that water freely.

It is fitting that such an invitation appears at the end of Revelation and near the end of the Bible. After all the prophets, all the apostles, all the warnings, all the promises, all the judgments, all the covenants, all the sacrifices, all the visions, and all the fulfillment in Christ, the final call remains clear, come to Jesus. Come and take the water of life freely. That is the heart of the gospel invitation.

8. Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19, A Warning Is Given, Either by Jesus, an Angel, or John

Revelation 22:18, “For I testify untoevery man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add untothese things, God shall add untohim the plagues that are written inthis book.”

Revelation 22:19, “And if any man shall take away fromthe words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part outof the book of life, andoutof the holy city, andfromthe things which are written inthis book.”

After the great invitation of Revelation 22:17 comes one of the most solemn warnings in Scripture. The speaker is not identified beyond all dispute. Some believe these words are spoken by John, some by the angel, and some by Jesus Himself. The weight and solemnity of the warning may suggest that Christ is the speaker, but regardless of the immediate speaker, the authority is divine. The warning concerns the words of the prophecy of this book. No one is to add to them. No one is to take away from them.

The warning begins, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book.” The scope is broad. Every hearer is placed under responsibility. Revelation is not a book to be handled casually. It is God’s prophetic Word. Those who hear it are accountable for how they respond to it. To tamper with the message is to rebel against the God who gave it.

The first warning is, “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.” To add to Revelation means to insert human invention, false prophecy, unauthorized doctrine, or corrupt teaching into the message God has given. It means claiming more than God has said or placing man’s words on the level of God’s words. The penalty is severe. God will add to that person the plagues written in the book. Revelation has described terrible plagues of judgment. To tamper with God’s Word is no small matter.

Deuteronomy 4:2, “Ye shall not add untothe word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought fromit, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”

Deuteronomy 4:2 shows that the warning against adding to or taking from God’s Word is not new. God’s people were commanded not to add to His Word or diminish from it. The reason is clear. The Word belongs to God. Man is not authorized to revise divine revelation.

Proverbs 30:5, “Every word of God is pure, he is a shield untothem that put their trust inhim.”

Proverbs 30:6, “Add thou not untohis words, lest he reprove thee, andthou be found a liar.”

Proverbs 30:5 through Proverbs 30:6 also warns against adding to God’s words. Every word of God is pure. To add to His words is to invite His reproof and to be found a liar. Revelation 22:18 gives the same warning with final prophetic severity.

The second warning is, “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.” To take away from Revelation means to deny, suppress, remove, explain away, corrupt, or reject what God has written. This includes cutting out uncomfortable doctrines such as judgment, wrath, hell, the lake of fire, the exclusivity of Christ, the call to holiness, the reality of the Antichrist, the return of Christ, the final judgment, and eternal separation from God.

This warning strikes directly against the pride of man. Fallen man often wants a Bible edited to fit his desires. He wants promises without warnings, heaven without hell, grace without repentance, Christ without lordship, salvation without judgment, and a kingdom without the King’s authority. Revelation 22:19 says that such tampering is deadly. God’s Word must not be diminished.

Deuteronomy 12:32, “What thing soever I command you, observe todoit, thou shalt not add thereto, nordiminish fromit.”

Deuteronomy 12:32 repeats the command. God’s people are to observe what He commands, not add to it or diminish from it. The proper posture before Scripture is submission, not revision. The faithful teacher does not stand above the text as editor. He stands under the text as servant.

The warning in Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19 applies specifically to the Book of Revelation, but it also has broader implications for all Scripture. Revelation is the final book of the Bible, and these words function as a fitting seal upon the canon of Scripture. God has spoken. His revelation is complete. No alleged new revelation may be added to the authority of Scripture. No man has the right to remove any portion of what God has given. The church must guard the Word, preach the Word, teach the Word, and obey the Word.

2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, andis profitable for doctrine, forreproof, forcorrection, forinstruction inrighteousness.”

2 Timothy 3:17, “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished untoall good works.”

Second Timothy 3:16 through 2 Timothy 3:17 teaches that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Scripture is sufficient to make the man of God complete and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Because Scripture is God breathed, man has no authority to add to it or take from it.

Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence towrite untoyou of the common salvation, it was needful forme towrite untoyou, andexhort you that ye should earnestly contend forthe faith which was once delivered untothe saints.”

Jude 1:3 speaks of “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” The word “once” points to the finality and completeness of the apostolic faith. The church is not called to invent new doctrine, but to contend for the faith already delivered. Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19 is consistent with this. The church is to preserve the prophetic Word, not revise it.

This warning also proves that Revelation can be meaningfully understood. God would not attach such a severe warning against adding to or taking from a book if the book were hopelessly unintelligible. The presence of symbols does not mean the absence of meaning. The presence of difficult passages does not mean the message cannot be understood. Revelation can be read, heard, kept, preached, and obeyed. God holds men accountable for how they handle it.

Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is he that readeth, andthey that hear the words of this prophecy, andkeep those things which are written therein, forthe time is at hand.”

Revelation 1:3 confirms that the book is meant to be read, heard, and kept. A blessing is promised to those who do so. Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19 gives the corresponding warning to those who corrupt the book. Together, the blessing and warning show the seriousness of this prophecy.

This warning should sober every preacher, teacher, scholar, commentator, translator, and reader. It is possible to add to the Word through speculation presented as certainty. It is possible to take away from the Word through unbelief disguised as scholarship. It is possible to blunt the warnings of Revelation because they offend modern sensibilities. It is possible to erase the literal force of prophecy because one’s theological system cannot accommodate it. It is possible to explain away judgment because the age hates accountability. Revelation 22 gives no permission for any of that.

2 Timothy 4:1, “I charge thee therefore before God, andthe Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick andthe dead athis appearing andhis kingdom.”

2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the word, be instant inseason, outof season, reprove, rebuke, exhort withall longsuffering anddoctrine.”

2 Timothy 4:3, “Forthe time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, butafter their own lusts shall they heap tothemselves teachers, having itching ears.”

2 Timothy 4:4, “And they shall turn away their ears fromthe truth, andshall be turned untofables.”

Second Timothy 4:1 through 2 Timothy 4:4 gives the proper charge. Preach the Word. The time comes when men will not endure sound doctrine. They turn from truth to fables. That is exactly why Revelation’s warning matters. The church must not adjust the Word to satisfy itching ears. It must proclaim what God has said.

The warning also has personal application. A man may not physically remove verses from the Bible, yet he may functionally take away from the Word by refusing to believe or obey what it says. A preacher may not print a new Bible, yet he may take away from the book by never teaching judgment, never warning of hell, never preaching repentance, never declaring Christ’s return, and never confronting sin. Silence can become a form of subtraction when God has spoken and His servants refuse to say what He says.

Likewise, a man may add to the Word by binding consciences where God has not bound them, making human tradition equal with Scripture, inventing speculative prophecy systems beyond the text, or claiming new revelation that competes with the completed Word. The faithful path is neither addition nor subtraction, but submission.

Galatians 1:8, “But though we, oran angel fromheaven, preach any other gospel untoyou than that which we have preached untoyou, let him be accursed.”

Galatians 1:9, “As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel untoyou than that ye have received, let him be accursed.”

Galatians 1:8 through Galatians 1:9 shows the seriousness of corrupting the gospel. Even if an angel from heaven preached another gospel, he would be accursed. Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19 gives the same kind of solemn protection around the prophetic Word. God does not permit men to tamper with His revelation.

The connection between Revelation 22:17 and Revelation 22:18 through Revelation 22:19 is also important. God gives the widest invitation, “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Then God gives the sternest warning not to alter the message. The gospel invitation must remain free, but it must also remain true. Grace must not be distorted into universalism. Judgment must not be removed. Human works must not be added as the basis of salvation. Repentance must not be subtracted. Christ must not be reduced. The Word must stand as God gave it.

The faithful response is clear. Come to Christ, and do not corrupt His Word. Drink freely, and do not muddy the water. Receive the testimony, and do not revise it. Preach the invitation, and do not remove the warning. Await the Lord’s return, and do not soften His prophecy.

Revelation 22:20, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Revelation 22:21, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

The Book of Revelation closes with the final testimony of Jesus Christ, the final response of John, and the final blessing of grace. These are the last inspired words of the New Testament canon, and therefore the last inspired words of the Bible. The conclusion is simple, solemn, and powerful. Jesus says, “Surely I come quickly.” John answers, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Then the book closes with grace, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

The phrase “He which testifieth these things” refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness who has authenticated the prophecy of this book. Revelation is not John’s speculation, nor is it merely angelic instruction. It is the testimony of Jesus Christ. The same Lord who opened the book by revealing Himself to John now closes the book by confirming the certainty of His return.

Revelation 1:1, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew untohis servants things which must shortly come to pass, andhe sent andsignified it by his angel untohis servant John.”

Revelation 1:2, “Who bare record of the word of God, andof the testimony of Jesus Christ, andof all things that he saw.”

Revelation 1:1 through Revelation 1:2 shows that this book began as the Revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to Him to show His servants the things which must shortly come to pass. John bore record of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. Revelation 22:20 brings that testimony to its final point. The One who testifies these things says, “Surely I come quickly.”

The word “surely” adds certainty. Jesus does not merely say, “I come quickly.” He says, “Surely I come quickly.” This is not a possibility, not a symbolic hope, not a religious encouragement, and not an uncertain future. It is the guaranteed promise of the risen, glorified, reigning Christ. The return of Jesus is as certain as His first coming, His crucifixion, His resurrection, and His ascension. The world may mock it. Scoffers may deny it. The church may neglect it. False teachers may distort it. But Christ has spoken. He is coming.

2 Peter 3:3, “Knowing this first, that there shall come inthe last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.”

2 Peter 3:4, “And saying, Where is the promise of his coming, forsince the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were fromthe beginning of the creation.”

2 Peter 3:5, “For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, andthe earth standing out of the water andinthe water.”

2 Peter 3:6, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished.”

2 Peter 3:7, “But the heavens andthe earth, which are now, by the same word are kept instore, reserved untofire against the day of judgment andperdition of ungodly men.”

Second Peter 3:3 through 2 Peter 3:7 warns that scoffers will mock the promise of Christ’s coming. They will argue from the apparent continuity of history and claim that nothing has changed. Peter says they are willingly ignorant. The same God who judged the ancient world by water will judge the present heavens and earth by fire. Revelation 22:20 answers the scoffer with the voice of Christ Himself, “Surely I come quickly.”

The phrase “I come quickly” emphasizes imminence, suddenness, and readiness. It does not mean that Jesus was mistaken because many centuries have passed since John received this prophecy. It means that when the appointed time comes, His return will occur suddenly, and every generation must live in readiness. The church is not told to live carelessly because the Lord delays. The church is told to watch, serve, endure, and remain faithful because Christ may come at any time.

Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

Matthew 24:43, “But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known inwhat watch the thief would come, he wouldhave watched, andwould not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready, forin such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:42 through Matthew 24:44 gives the practical lesson of Revelation’s closing words. The believer must watch because he does not know the hour. He must be ready because the Son of man comes at an unexpected hour. Revelation is filled with prophecy, symbols, judgments, and visions, but its practical lesson is readiness. If a man studies Revelation but does not become watchful, he has missed the point.

Mark 13:35, “Watch ye therefore, forye know not when the master of the house cometh, ateven, oratmidnight, oratthe cockcrowing, orinthe morning.”

Mark 13:36, “Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.”

Mark 13:37, “And what I say untoyou I say untoall, Watch.”

Mark 13:35 through Mark 13:37 reinforces the same truth. The Lord may come suddenly, and He must not find His servants sleeping. The command is universal, “Watch.” Revelation 22:20 is not given so believers can argue without obedience. It is given so believers will remain alert, holy, faithful, and expectant.

Jesus emphasizes His promise on both sides. He says “Surely” before the promise, and John answers “Amen” after it. The promise is sealed with certainty and received with faith. “Surely” is Christ’s assurance. “Amen” is John’s agreement. The proper response to Christ’s promise is not skepticism, indifference, or fear. It is faith, agreement, longing, and prayer.

John then says, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” This is the final prayer of Revelation and one of the greatest prayers in the Bible. After seeing the judgments of God, the fall of Babylon, the defeat of the beast, the binding and final doom of Satan, the Great White Throne, the lake of fire, the new heaven and new earth, and the New Jerusalem, John’s heart settles on one longing, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

This prayer is closely related to the Aramaic expression “Maranatha,” which was known in the ancient church. It carries the sense of “Our Lord, come,” or “The Lord comes.” The early church lived with expectation. They did not see the return of Christ as a distant theological footnote. They prayed for it, hoped for it, and ordered their lives in light of it.

1 Corinthians 16:22, “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha.”

First Corinthians 16:22 includes the word “Maranatha.” It places the coming of the Lord in connection with love for Christ. If any man does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, he is under a curse. The Lord comes. That is a serious reality. To those who love Christ, His coming is hope. To those who reject Christ, His coming is judgment.

John’s longing for the return of Jesus is the proper heart of the bride. Revelation concerns many prophetic events, but it does not close with curiosity about events. It closes with longing for a Person. The goal is not merely to understand timelines, beasts, bowls, seals, trumpets, Babylon, or the Millennium. Those things matter because God revealed them. But the final longing of the believer is Christ Himself. John wants the Lord to come.

From a pretribulational and premillennial perspective, this longing includes the blessed hope of Christ coming for His church. The believer waits for the Lord Jesus, not for wrath. The church looks for the Savior, not for the Antichrist. The expectation of Christ’s coming should be personal, purifying, and comforting.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, “Forthe Lord himself shall descend fromheaven witha shout, withthe voice of the archangel, andwiththe trump of God, andthe dead inChrist shall rise first.”

1 Thessalonians 4:17, “Then we which are alive andremain shall be caught up together withthem inthe clouds, tomeet the Lord inthe air, andso shall we ever be withthe Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 4:18, “Wherefore comfort one another withthese words.”

First Thessalonians 4:16 through 1 Thessalonians 4:18 gives the comfort of the Lord coming for His people. The dead in Christ shall rise first, and living believers shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. The result is permanent fellowship, “so shall we ever be with the Lord.” Paul says to comfort one another with these words. Revelation 22:20 closes with the same longing, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Titus 2:13, “Looking forthat blessed hope, andthe glorious appearing of the great God andour Saviour Jesus Christ.”

Titus 2:13 calls believers to look for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. The Christian life is forward looking. The believer does not place his ultimate hope in man’s ability to fix the world. He looks for Christ. Human government cannot bring the New Jerusalem. Human progress cannot remove the curse. Human philosophy cannot defeat death. Human religion cannot cleanse sin. Only Christ can bring the final answer.

This is why John’s prayer is so important. The final answer to the problems of life does not lie in man’s ability to create a better world. Men should still do what is right, build what is good, govern justly, protect the innocent, preach the truth, and serve faithfully. But the final cure for sin, death, corruption, injustice, and the curse is not human achievement. It is the return of Jesus Christ. John understands this, so he prays, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

Creation itself waits for this consummation. The present world groans under the bondage of corruption. Believers also groan, longing for the redemption of the body and the fullness of the inheritance.

Romans 8:19, “Forthe earnest expectation of the creature waiteth forthe manifestation of the sons of God.”

Romans 8:20, “Forthe creature was made subject tovanity, not willingly, butby reason of him who hath subjected the same inhope.”

Romans 8:21, “Because the creature itself also shall be delivered fromthe bondage of corruption intothe glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Romans 8:22, “Forwe know that the whole creation groaneth andtravaileth inpain together until now.”

Romans 8:23, “And not only they, butourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, evenwe ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting forthe adoption, towit, the redemption of our body.”

Romans 8:19 through Romans 8:23 explains why the cry “Come, Lord Jesus” is so fitting. Creation groans. Believers groan. The world is not merely inconvenienced, it is under the bondage of corruption. The final answer is not the reform of the curse, but deliverance from it. Revelation 22 shows that deliverance completed, and Revelation 22:20 gives the prayer that longs for it.

John’s prayer is also personal, “Lord Jesus.” He does not merely say, “Let the kingdom come,” though that is true. He does not merely say, “Let prophecy be fulfilled,” though that is true. He says, “Come, Lord Jesus.” The hope of the believer is personal fellowship with Christ. The Lord who saves, keeps, sanctifies, intercedes, and reigns is the One who is coming. The Christian does not merely want relief. He wants Christ.

Philippians 3:20, “Forour conversation is inheaven, fromwhence also we look forthe Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 3:21, “Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like untohis glorious body, according tothe working whereby he is able even tosubdue all things untohimself.”

Philippians 3:20 through Philippians 3:21 teaches that the believer’s citizenship is in heaven, from which he looks for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, He will transform the believer’s body to be like His glorious body. This is part of the hope behind John’s prayer. The coming of Christ means resurrection, transformation, deliverance, kingdom, and glory.

Revelation 22:21 then gives the final benediction, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” The Bible ends with grace. This is profoundly fitting. Revelation has shown judgment, wrath, holiness, and eternal separation for the wicked. Yet the final word to the people of God is grace. The Christian life begins with grace, continues by grace, and will be completed by grace. The church needs grace until the Lord comes.

Grace is God’s unmerited favor given through Jesus Christ. It is not earned, purchased, or deserved by man. It is granted because of Christ’s person and work. The final blessing is not, “May your strength be enough.” It is not, “May your merit carry you.” It is not, “May your works save you.” It is, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.” That is the only way sinners are saved, saints endure, and the church remains faithful until the coming of the Lord.

John 1:16, “And of his fulness have all we received, andgrace forgrace.”

John 1:17, “Forthe law was given by Moses, butgrace andtruth came by Jesus Christ.”

John 1:16 through John 1:17 teaches that grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. The law exposes sin and reveals God’s righteous standard, but grace comes through Christ to save sinners and bring them into fellowship with God. Revelation ends with grace because Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant and the Savior of His people.

Ephesians 1:7, “Inwhom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according tothe riches of his grace.”

Ephesians 1:7 shows that redemption and forgiveness come through the blood of Christ according to the riches of God’s grace. Revelation has repeatedly presented Jesus as the Lamb. The final benediction of grace rests upon the finished work of that Lamb. The redeemed enter the city not because they were worthy in themselves, but because they were washed in His blood.

Revelation 1:5, “And fromJesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, andthe first begotten of the dead, andthe prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, andwashed us fromour sins inhis own blood.”

Revelation 1:5 reminds us that Jesus loved His people and washed them from their sins in His own blood. The same book that begins with Christ’s love and cleansing ends with Christ’s grace. The believer’s standing from beginning to end is found in Jesus Christ.

Paul often used similar words of grace in closing his letters. This shows that grace is not a minor doctrine, but the proper final word over the people of God.

1 Corinthians 16:23, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, andthe love of God, andthe communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.”

1 Thessalonians 5:28, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”

2 Thessalonians 3:18, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

These closing benedictions show the apostolic pattern. The churches need grace. They need the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in doctrine, worship, endurance, holiness, suffering, service, and hope. Revelation 22:21 gives the same final blessing to the readers of this prophecy.

In 2 Thessalonians, Paul even identifies his closing greeting as a mark of authenticity.

2 Thessalonians 3:17, “The salutation of Paul withmine own hand, which is the token inevery epistle, so I write.”

2 Thessalonians 3:18, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Second Thessalonians 3:17 through 2 Thessalonians 3:18 shows that Paul’s grace benediction functioned as part of his authentic apostolic signature. Revelation’s final blessing is not Paul’s signature, but it is the fitting signature of the entire New Testament, grace through Jesus Christ.

The last verse of the Old Testament contains a warning connected with a curse.

Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great anddreadful day of the LORD.”

Malachi 4:6, “And he shall turn the heart of the fathers tothe children, andthe heart of the children totheir fathers, lest I come andsmite the earth witha curse.”

Malachi 4:5 through Malachi 4:6 closes the Old Testament with the threat of a curse. That is fitting because the Old Testament ends with the need still unresolved. The law had exposed sin. The prophets had warned Israel. The promise of Messiah remained. The curse still hung over the earth. But the New Testament ends differently. It ends with grace because Christ has come, died, risen, ascended, and promised to return. The curse is answered by the cross, and the final destiny of the redeemed is not curse, but grace and glory.

This does not mean the New Testament ignores judgment. Revelation has shown judgment in full force. It means that for those who belong to Christ, the final word is grace. Grace saves from wrath. Grace keeps through tribulation. Grace strengthens obedience. Grace brings the believer home. Grace grants access to the tree of life. Grace brings entrance through the gates into the city. Grace carries the church until the Lord comes.

Romans 5:20, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”

Romans 5:21, “That assin hath reigned untodeath, even so might grace reign through righteousness untoeternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:20 through Romans 5:21 explains why grace is the fitting final word. Sin abounded, but grace did much more abound. Sin reigned unto death, but grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Revelation has shown the final overthrow of sin, death, Satan, Babylon, and the curse. The closing benediction declares the grace that brings God’s people safely into eternal life.

The final word “Amen” seals the book with agreement, certainty, and worship. The believer says Amen to Christ’s testimony, Amen to His coming, Amen to His grace, Amen to His warnings, Amen to His promises, Amen to His judgment, Amen to His kingdom, and Amen to His eternal glory. Revelation does not end in uncertainty. It ends with Christ coming, the church praying, and grace resting upon the people of God.

The practical message is plain. The Lord is coming quickly, so be ready. The Lord is coming surely, so do not doubt. The Lord is coming personally, so love His appearing. The Lord is coming sovereignly, so do not place final hope in man’s systems. The Lord is coming graciously for His people, so endure by grace. The Lord is coming in judgment against His enemies, so warn sinners. The Lord is coming to fulfill every promise, so pray with John, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”