1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
Verses 1-5 of chapter 22 continue the description of the holy city. The description began in 21:9. In that verse, one of the angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues said, “Come hither, I will shew thee (δειξω) the bride, the Lamb's wife.” Then in 21:10, the angel showed (εδειξε) John the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven from God. Now in 22:1 the angel showed (εδειξε) John a river. The chapter break does not mean that the context has changed. We are still seeing the holy city in the context of the thousand year reign of Christ (see notes under 21:9 and under 21:10).
The angel showed John a pure river of water of life. It was coming out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. We may learn something about this river by looking at its earthly portrait. During the thousand year reign of Christ over the old earth, there will be a temple in the earthly Jerusalem. The prophet Ezekiel was given a vision of that temple and of a river that had its source at that temple: 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 47:1). The waters of that river will bring healing and blessing wherever they go: 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 47:9).
The prophet Zechariah also saw that future earthly river: 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).
The river that John saw did not come out from the temple; there will be no temple in the city that John saw because God Himself will be the temple (21:22). The river that John saw will come out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. The earthly river will be a real portrait of the river in the city which will come down from heaven. If the earthly river brings healing and life wherever it goes, the river above will do so exceedingly.
2In 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.
Ezekiel’s vision of the earthly river helps us to picture the one in the city that John saw:
And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezekiel 47:12).
John said that the leaves of the tree of life in the holy Jerusalem will be “for the healing of the nations.” No one in the city that is above will be sick. But during the thousand years, there will still be sickness and death on the earth below (Isaiah 65:20) because those who enter Christ’s kingdom at the end of the Tribulation will enter in their old bodies (see notes under 20:7-10). When Jesus was on earth at His first coming, a diseased woman was made well just by touching in faith the hem of His garment (Matthew 9:20-22). During His future thousand year reign over the old earth, healing like that may come from the leaves of the tree of life which grows beside the river that flows out from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
We don’t know much detail about the tree of life. It was in the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9). We know that anyone who eats of that tree lives forever. We know that Adam and Eve lost access to the tree when they sinned (Genesis 3:22-24). Jesus promised the churches that every true believer will be allowed to eat from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7). Verses 14 and 19 of Revelation 22 link access to the tree of life and the right to enter the holy city. It is likely that the tree itself is an eternal portrait of the cross of Christ, which became a tree of life for us: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed (I Peter 2:24).
3And 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: 4and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5And 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 context of verse 3 is the holy city that comes down from heaven. With these verses the description of that city is completed. Verse 5 ends by stating that His servants “shall reign for ever and ever.” We are brought back to the context of Revelation 21:1-2, where John saw the last of the seven events in the final narrative section of the book. The reign of Christ and His people continues after the thousand years in the new heavens and the new earth.
In verses 1 and 3 are found the expression, “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” There is only one throne. The Lamb is the eternal Son of God, one with the Father. While on earth Jesus prayed, And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was (John 17:5). That prayer will be answered.
6And 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. 7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
The voice in verse 6 is probably that of the angel that spoke in 21:3-4 and in the second part of 21:5. The angel now speaks in summary concerning the whole of the revelation given to John. The prophecies given to the holy prophets will have their complete fulfillment in the things revealed in this book. The words in verse 7 are clearly those of the Lord Jesus, as in 3:11. The voice in verse 7 is probably that of the Lord Jesus Himself as in verses 12-16.
8And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. 9Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. 10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
As in chapter 19, John was overwhelmed and fell down to worship before the angel that spoke to him, but, as before, the angel did not accept worship (see notes under 19:10).
When the prophet Daniel received revelation, he was told, But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased (Daniel 12:4). When Daniel did not understand all that he had heard, he was told, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end (Daniel 12:9). In contrast, the angel told John, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.” What changed between Daniel’s time and John’s time? Jesus came, He died for our sins, and He rose from the dead. He finished the work that had to be done to make a way of salvation for people from the coming judgment of God. The final chapter of history is ready to take place. The time is at hand.
11He 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 prophet Daniel was also told, Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand (Daniel 12:10). Even in the time of the judgments of the great Tribulation, the wicked will not repent; they will only blaspheme God (16:9,11,21).
So it is today. Reading about what will happen in the future does not save anyone. In chapter 1 we read: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand” (1:3). The Lord Jesus repeats the same blessing in verse 7 of this chapter: “Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Deliverance from the judgments to come requires a change of heart. God doesn’t accept neutrality or pretense.
12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
As in verse 7, the Lord Jesus speaks here. Two groups of people were named in verse 11; probably the same two groups of people are in view here. We know that unbelievers will be judged at the great white throne judgment according to their works (20:11-15) because they have not believed in the Savior. But believers also will be judged according to their works – not for salvation, but for rewards (John 5:24; I Corinthians 3:11-15).
The Lord Jesus is the beginning and the end. All things came into being through Him (John 1:3), and He will be the final Judge of all (John 5:22).
The statement “my reward is with me” is clearly like that in Isaiah 40:10: Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: his reward is with him, and his work before him. Jesus is the Lord GOD.
14Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
The angel who spoke in verse 6 and in verses 9-11 speaks again here. The angel says, “Blessed are they that do his commandments….” One of the things that happens at the moment when a person puts their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is that the commandments of God are effectively written on his or her heart (Hebrews 8:10). That fact does not mean that true believers always do right. It does mean, though, that a true believer has a heart desire to obey God. True believers feel an internal conflict when they sin. Also, though a true believer can sin very badly, God will not allow him or her to continue in sin. God disciplines His own children so that they will not be condemned. He will even take their physical life if necessary (I Corinthians 11:30-32).
16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
In verse 6 we read, “the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.” In verse 16, Jesus says, “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches.” Jesus is the Lord God.
When Jesus says, “I Jesus,” He puts His signature on the book of Revelation. He goes on to declare His identity. He is the root of David. Jesus was before David and before David’s ancestor Judah and before Judah’s father Jacob and before Jacob’s father Isaac and before Isaac’s father Abraham. Jesus said, Before Abraham was, I am (John 8:58). Jesus is also the offspring of David. Both Joseph the husband of Mary and Jesus’ mother Mary were in the line of king David. God told David, And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever (II Samuel 7:12-13). In verse 16 above, Jesus says that He is the promised descendant of David.
Jesus also says that He is “the bright and morning star.” Malachi spoke of the coming Messiah as the Sun of righteousness (Malachi 4:2). But in verse 16 above Jesus is speaking to the churches. This is the first time the churches have been mentioned in the book of Revelation since chapter 3. Before Jesus comes as “the Sun of righteousness” to judge and set up His kingdom, He will come as “the bright and morning star” to remove the true believers in the churches from the world. The church will not be on earth during the Tribulation period.
In the book of Job, angels are called morning stars (Job 38:7). Satan is also referred to as “shining one, son of dawn” (Isaiah 14:12). But there is an important lesson in the four living creatures (angels) in Revelation 4:7: “And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.” Each angel portrayed a particular characteristic of Jesus (see notes under 4:7). They imaged Jesus, not to be worshipped themselves, but to reflect His Person and thus bring Him glory. In the same way, the angels are called “morning stars” in the book of Job. They reflect the Person of Jesus, who is the Morning Star, in order to give Him glory. Satan, however, perverted his role as a morning star and tried to glorify himself.
17And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
The church is the bride of Christ. Sometimes Christians are afraid to invite people to come to take the water of life. Sometimes unbelievers get irritated when Christians insinuate that they need to come. But until Jesus returns to take His bride out of the world, it is the work of every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ to, in the strength of the Holy Spirit, give this invitation.
To be thirsty is a blessing. The person who feels that they have no need for the water of life will not come. But if a person has a thirst for real spiritual life, that person can receive it freely. Faith in the Lamb of God who paid the penalty for our sins is the only condition. Jesus promised, “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (21:6).
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19and 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. 20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.
The Lord Jesus speaks these words. They are a warning from Him who will be the Judge of all. The things written in this book are the word of God and are not to be tampered with.
The majority of the Greek manuscripts say “tree of life” in verse 19 rather than “book of life.” Perhaps there is a lesson in this for us. Imperfections exist in translations, in commentaries like this one, and in well-intended sermons. God is not threatening true believers who seek to correctly present His word. But He will judge those who deliberately attempt to change or distort His word. Jesus prayed for His disciples and for us: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth (John 17:17). God will guarantee that His word remains unadulterated and available for the sanctification of His people.
These verses also imply that everyone potentially has a part in the tree of life and in the holy city. Jesus suffered enough at the cross to pay for every sin of every person who has ever lived.
Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
In this last verse of the book of Revelation our Savior’s full title is given. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lamb who was slain will be exalted!
Note: All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible.