“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5 NIV).
So, what will there be to govern in eternity? To address that question, let’s return to the Garden of Eden and the era that preceded humanity’s fall. Genesis 2:15 details Adam’s responsibility during that period: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.”
This passage tells us that God entrusted Adam with the responsibility to manage and care for the Garden of Eden before he fell from his state of perfection. Adam thus reigned over the Garden through God’s decree. In like manner, Revelation 22:5 may reference a similar oversight responsibility in respect to the “…new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). In that sense, we can say that we shall reign forever.
“Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’ And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. ‘Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book'” (Revelation 22:6-7).
These promises come from the most trustworthy source possible: “…the Lord God of the holy prophets.” Revelation 22:7 then continues with the words of Christ: “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (CSB). Yet, given the period of time that has elapsed since Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, some may object to the statement, “I am coming soon!”
This recalls a similar question addressed earlier in Revelation chapter three, where Jesus gave the following message to the Biblical church of Philadelphia: “I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown” (Revelation 3:11). As mentioned previously, the word translated “soon” can mean “without delay.” However, the definition of this work also includes “by surprise” or “suddenly” as well. (1)
So when Jesus says, “I am coming soon,” we might understand this to mean that He will return unexpectedly. So whether Jesus returns to inaugurate a new historical era for humanity or simply returns for us at the end of our mortal lives, blessed is the one “…who pays heed to the words of the prophecy in this book” (Phillips).
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(1) G5035 – tachy – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g5035/kjv/tr/0-1/