New Testament · Prophecy

Revelation 22

Come, Lord Jesus

The final invitation. The Spirit and the bride say: Come. The last words of Scripture are a promise and a prayer.

Berean Standard Bible BSB KJV

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1Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

2down the middle of the main street of the city. On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

3No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be within the city, and His servants will worship Him.

4They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

5There will be no more night in the city, and they will have no need for the light of a lamp or of the sun. For the Lord God will shine on them, and they will reign forever and ever.

6Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”

7“Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”

8And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.

9But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”

10Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.

11Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”

12“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”

14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.

15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

16“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”

17The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.

18I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.

19And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.

20He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints.

Understand This

Revelation 22, explained

What Revelation 22 is saying

The angel shows John a river of the water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb through the city, with the tree of life on either side bearing twelve fruits and leaves 'for the healing of the nations.' The curse of Genesis 3 is reversed: God's servants see His face, bear His name on their foreheads, and reign forever. The epilogue contains solemn attestations of the book's authenticity, warnings against adding to or subtracting from its words, and the repeated promise 'I am coming soon' (erchomai tachy). The Apocalypse closes with the church's responsive prayer: 'Come, Lord Jesus' (Erchou, Kyrie Iesou)—the Greek equivalent of the Aramaic Maranatha.

The background behind it

The river and tree of life deliberately restore the Eden imagery of Genesis 2:9–10, creating an inclusio for the entire biblical canon. The tree's healing leaves for the nations draws on Ezekiel 47:12, where trees along the eschatological river produce monthly fruit and medicinal leaves. The Maranatha prayer (1 Corinthians 16:22) was among the earliest liturgical expressions of the primitive church, reflecting eschatological longing.

Themes running underneath

The Genesis-to-Revelation inclusio is theologically deliberate: what was lost in the garden is not merely restored but exceeded—a city replaces a garden, and the river flows from a throne rather than emerging from the ground. The healing of the nations indicates that the new creation addresses not only individual salvation but the restoration of broken international and intercultural relationships. The open canon warning preserves the text's integrity while the 'Come, Lord Jesus' prayer ensures the Apocalypse ends not with information but with worship.

Why it still matters

The final chapter anchors Christian hope not in escape from creation but in its ultimate renewal. The closing prayer models the proper response to apocalyptic revelation: not fear or speculation, but longing for the presence of Christ.

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Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible — used by permission, Bible Hub.