About This Chapter: Revelation chapter twenty-two continues with a beautiful description of the river of the water of life and the tree of life. John then records a series of important statements concerning the book of Revelation. John describes his response to what he hears but is quickly corrected by his angelic escort. The chapter concludes with some final encouragements, blessings, and warnings from Jesus Himself, an invitation from the Spirit and the bride, and a closing blessing.
Revelation 22:1–5 — The River and the Tree
Revelation 22:6–17 — Jesus’ Final Message
Revelation 22:18–21 — A Warning and a Blessing
Revelation 22:1–5 — The River and the Tree
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
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. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:1-5).
The final chapter of the Book of Revelation presents us with the crystal-clear water of life that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb. This recalls Jesus’ message from John 6:35 when He said, “…he who believes in me will never be thirst.” Taken together, these passages convey the joyous future that awaits God’s people.
The next verse follows with a familiar image: the tree of life. This tree initially appeared in the first book of the Bible and now makes a fitting reappearance in the last book of the Bible. Consider the first appearance of this tree from Genesis chapter two…
“The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17).
After the first human couple disobeyed that directive, here was the result…
“Then the LORD God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’ –therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24).
We’ll make an important application from these passages next.
“through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2 ESV).
While there was a punitive aspect to God’s decision to banish Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, we should not overlook another facet of that judgment. By prohibiting access to the Tree of Life within the Garden, God eliminated the possibility that humanity might partake of that tree and remain perpetually estranged from Him. So, that decision contained an element of mercy as well.
However, the chain of events that started with that first act of disobedience will finally reach its end, for Revelation 22:3 declares, “…there shall be no more curse.” Genesis 3:16-19 defined several characteristics of that curse, including sorrow, pain, strenuous labor with minimal return, and death. But once God lifts that curse, His people will enjoy life as it was meant to be.
Revelation 22:3 also says, “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” Unlike the caricature of heaven where the people of God float among the clouds while strumming harps, the word “servant” implies “service.” The implication is that there will be things to do in eternity. While we can only speculate on what form that service will take, we will undoubtedly find many ways to serve God, along with the satisfaction and enjoyment of doing so.
Verse four then continues by saying, “They will see his face…” While there is much we can learn about people we’ve never met, there is no substitute for an in-person encounter with those we seek to know better. The Living Bible paraphrase of 1 Corinthians 13:12 offers the following insight with respect to this idea…
“…we can see and understand only a little about God now, as if we were peering at his reflection in a poor mirror; but someday we are going to see him in his completeness, face to face. Now all that I know is hazy and blurred, but then I will see everything clearly…”
Next comes a rather cryptic reference: “…his name will be on their foreheads.” Just as a furrowed brow often serves to express our inner thought process, this reference to one’s forehead may be symbolic of our internal mindset. Thus, we can say that our thoughts, our character, and our individual personalities will find their identity in the God who created us.
Revelation 22:5 then concludes by saying, “And they will reign for ever and ever.” So what opportunities to reign await in the boundless expanse of eternity? We’ll consider the answer to that question next.
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Revelation 22:6–17 — Jesus’ Final Message
“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/
“Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God’” (Revelation 22:8-9).
Our text from Revelation 22:8-9 contains several insights that merit careful consideration. We can begin with the actions taken by John, the author of Revelation. If John’s response to this angelic being seems familiar, it might stem from a similar error he made earlier…
“And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ And he said to me, ‘These are the true words of God.’ Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy’” (Revelation 19:9-10).
John’s experience highlights the value of learning from our mistakes. But simply recognizing a mistake does not guarantee that we will avoid repeating it. Instead, we should seek God’s help in recognizing those patterns that may cause us to repeat unhealthy behaviors. If we fail to do so, we may end up replicating those same mistakes, just as John did here. We can break that cycle if we humbly and prayerfully seek God’s empowerment to guide our decision-making responsibilities each day.
This passage also reminds us that God’s people are not immune to serious judgmental errors. In this instance, John received a divine revelation and failed to respond appropriately. This portion of Scripture thus provides us with a contemporary principle that we can apply today: if God grants us insight into the people and circumstances around us, we have a corresponding obligation to glorify God and act responsibly upon that information.
Finally, we should remember that spiritual leaders (even prominent ones such as John), are fallible human beings who are vulnerable to error. In such instances, the following passage from Galatians 6:1 should guide our response…
“Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too” (NET).
“And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand’” (Revelation 22:10).
The Book of Revelation is a literary work that speaks to every human generation. Whether the events of this book are relatively close to fulfillment or reserved for the distant future, we can say that “…the time is at hand ” for everyone in some respect.
You see, human mortality is a subject we’d often prefer to avoid. But even though we hope to enjoy long and fulfilling lives, there is no guarantee that we will be blessed with the opportunity to welcome another sunrise tomorrow. Once we have passed into eternity, there is no further hope of returning to our mortal lives to rectify past mistakes or finish those tasks we neglected during our earthly sojourn. Therefore, our window of opportunity is limited to the present, and we would do well to remember the words of Revelation 22:10: “…the time is near” (GW).
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (Revelation 22:11).
So what are we to make of this rather enigmatic passage? Well, the way we respond to the book of Revelation tells us much about about ourselves. For instance, a person who seeks to follow the God of the Scriptures will surely respond differently to this book than someone who rejects Him. Thus, as one commentator observes, “By this he does not mean that men should remain unmoved by the prophecies of this book, but rather that if the prophecies are rejected, there is no other message that will work. If the warnings of this book are not sufficient, there is no more that God has to say.” (1)
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).
This verse contains some of the last recorded words of Christ, and the message Jesus interjects here in Revelation 22:12 is something that applies to everyone. For example, Jesus makes an important promise to those who follow Him today: “I am returning soon and I am bringing your reward.” However, He makes that same promise to those who are hostile, ambivalent, or disinterested in Him as well.
Those rewards will be very different, for He will “…repay all people according to their deeds” (NLT). Since Romans 6:23 tells us, “…the wages of sin is death,” we would be wise to consider our response to that promise and take Jesus at His word.
(1) Walvoord, J. F. (1966). The Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Commentary, Moody Press. p.334.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (Revelation 22:13).
Jesus makes use of a familiar, self-descriptive term here in Revelation 22:13: “Alpha and the Omega…” An identical self-description appears in Revelation chapter one in advance of Jesus’ letters to the seven churches of chapters two and three. So, this passage reminds us that Jesus is the A to Z, the beginning and end, and the First and Last of everything that encompasses our lives. As such, it is fitting that this self-identification appears in the first and last chapters of this book.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (Revelation 22:14-15).
Although people in the New Testament era sometimes kept dogs as household pets, society commonly viewed them as scavengers and pests. As such, people did not regard dogs as “man’s best friend” during that period. This led to the use of the word “dog” as a derogatory term to describe an offensive individual. It also recalls the cautionary message regarding the city of God that appeared earlier in Revelation chapter twenty-one: “…nothing that is impure will enter the city, nor anyone who does shameful things or tells lies. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of the living will enter the city” (Revelation 21:27 GNT).
Several other practices that appeared in the previous chapter of Revelation are reiterated here as well…
- Sorcerers. This involves those who engage in occultic practices or the ritualistic use of drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness.
- The sexually immoral. The Biblical model for marital unions involves a monogamous relationship between a genetic male and a genetic female. Relationships that fall outside that standard are broadly associated with the term “sexual immorality.”
- Murderers. Murder refers to the unlawful taking of another person’s life, an act that violates the sixth Commandment.
- Idolaters. We can define an idol as anything that supplants God’s place in our lives.
- Whoever loves and practices a lie. “Lying” involves an attempt to deceive by falsehood. Since “truth” can be defined as “that which corresponds to reality,” lying is incompatible with the God of truth. Those who engage in such practices exclude themselves from an eternal home with Christ, who is “…the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
It is no accident that this list of sinful behaviors appears in each of the last two chapters of the final book of the Bible. With this in mind, we should prayerfully ensure that none of these practices enter our lives.
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“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (Revelation 22:16).
While the book of Revelation contains many challenging passages, it is not a book that is reserved for a select group of readers who possess some form of special knowledge. Instead, it is given to “the churches.” And just as we read earlier in Revelation chapter one, “Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near” (Revelation 1:3).
That brings to the last five verses of the book of Revelation…
“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:17-21).
Just as the Spirit of God appeared in the opening verses of the first Biblical book, He now appears once again in the closing verses of the last Biblical book. In addition to what we read here in Revelation 22: 17, Jesus spoke of the Spirit’s continuing ministry in the Gospel of John when He said, “…when he has come he will convince the world of its sin, and of the availability of God’s goodness, and of deliverance from judgment” (John 16:8 TLB).
Earlier in Revelation nineteen, we also encountered the imagery of a bride who “…was given fine linen to wear, bright and pure. For the fine linen represents the righteous acts of the saints” (Revelation 19:8 HCSB). So, these passages portray God’s people as a bride, while the marriage relationship symbolizes the privileged, intimate relationship that Christ seeks to enjoy with His people.
Here, the Holy Spirit joins together with the bride of Christ to present God’s gracious invitation to eternal life: “…Let those who are thirsty come! Let those who want the water of life take it as a gift” (GW).
Revelation 22:18–21 — A Warning and a Blessing
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19 ESV).
There’s an interesting nuance in these verses that may be easy to miss. Notice that Revelation 22:18 references “…the prophecy of this book” while the following verse speaks of “…the book of this prophecy.” Although theses references are similar, they are not identical. That should prompt us to dig a little deeper into these verses to see if there is any significance to those differences.
For instance, it seems that verse eighteen references the book of Revelation, while the following verse speaks of the Bible in its entirety. In other words, “the prophecy of this book” directs our attention to the book of Revelation itself. The following reference to “the book of this prophecy” encompasses the sixty-six books of the Biblical Scriptures.
While readers are free to draw their own conclusions, the fundamental message seems clear: do not add or subtract from God’s Word. Unfortunately, there is seemingly no end to those who have sought to augment or “correct” God’s Word throughout the ages. This offers an opportunity to reiterate three Biblical tenets mentioned earlier in our look at Revelation chapter eleven…
“Test everything. Hold on to the good…” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV).
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
”Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge In him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke-you and prove you a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6 NIV).
With this in mind, it’s important to remember that the Biblical book of Revelation has challenged students and commentators for centuries. Despite the wide variety of theories and opinions surrounding this book, every person who engages with this portion of Scripture shares a common obligation: we must avoid any attempt to negate it, supplement it, or modify it to suit our preferences. The same holds true for the rest of the Biblical Scriptures. Those who attempt to do so are subject to the terrible penalties described here in the closing verses of chapter twenty-two.
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In Revelation 22:20, we encounter the Bible’s final recorded statement from Jesus…
“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:20-21).
So what did Jesus choose to share as His final message? Well, those last words are, “Surely I am coming quickly.” In fact, this is the third time He has spoken this same message in the concluding chapter of this book (the other two instances appear in verses seven and twelve). This is something that should command our attention, for a repetitive statement usually indicates that someone is seeking to emphasize a point.
For instance, we might respond to a suggested course of action with a simple “no.” Or, we might express our strong aversion to that idea by replying, “no, no, no.” That latter response employs a repetitive statement to make a point, and it’s possible that Jesus has taken a similar approach here in the last chapter of Revelation. But if that is the case, then why would He do so?
One answer relates to how easily we can become absorbed by the seemingly endless array of obligations, responsibilities, and “to-do” lists that accompany the grind of daily life. The stresses of everyday living may obscure the fact that this life only represents a small portion of our existence. For instance, how would our lives differ if we acted on these messages from Revelation 22:7, 22:12, and 22:20? How might things change if we pursued a mindset that aligned with Revelation 22:12: “‘Listen!’ says Jesus. ‘I am coming soon! I will bring my rewards with me, to give to each one according to what he has done’” (GNT).
These verses also remind us that Jesus is certain to show up unexpectedly in the lives of those who fail to look for Him. Therefore, we should seek to cultivate an attitude and lifestyle that honors God and awaits Christ’s return whenever it may occur. In the meantime, Jesus presents us with an opportunity to make a difference in a world that desperately needs it. Thus, we should endeavor to take advantage of those opportunities in light of this cautionary message from Revelation 22:20.
Since we don’t know what the future holds, we should live with the expectation of Christ’s return, and plan as if God will grant us the blessing of a long, good life. And with that, we will close our time in the book of Revelation with the benediction of the final verse…
“May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all” (Mounce).
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