Revelation 22:6–21

22:6 As the book of Revelation comes to an end, the angel looks back at what John has revealed and written for the churches and declares it is trustworthy and true (cf. 21:5 and 19:9). These are the very words of God for the churches, and they must be heard, believed, and obeyed. We know they are true, for the same Lord who rules over the spirits of the prophets (cf. Num. 27:16; 1 Cor. 14:32), the God who inspired them to speak and write their words (e.g., Dan. 2:28–29, 45), has now sent his angel to show his servants what will soon come to pass. We recall the first verse of the book, also communicated to John by an angel, which announced God’s revelation about and from Jesus Christ to his servants, to show them what would happen soon.

22:7 The speaker in verse 6 may be Jesus, though it could also be an angel (cf. 22:1). The speaker in 22:7, however, is clearly Jesus, for he says he is coming soon. The nearness of Jesus’ coming and the fulfillment of what has been spoken and written pervade the book (cf. 1:1, 3; 2:16; 3:11; 22:6, 12, 20). How we should understand “soon” is discussed more fully in the comment on 1:1, but the passing of two thousand years does not mean John and/or Jesus was mistaken. The nearness of Jesus’ coming is a relative term, for as Peter says, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years” (2 Pet. 3:8). Every generation must be prepared for the Lord to return.

A blessing is then pronounced on those who keep the words of the prophecy contained in the book of Revelation.¹ Again we have a striking parallel with the beginning of the book: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Rev. 1:3). The flow of thought in 22:7 is clear. Since Jesus is coming soon, those who keep the words of the prophecy will be blessed—they will gain an eternal reward. Nothing in life is more important than receiving such a reward. Merely hearing the prophecies does not suffice; one must observe and keep what is prophesied.

22:8–9 John attests that he is the one who has heard and seen the visions (1:1, 4, 9). After hearing and seeing such remarkable things, he is overcome and bows to worship the angel who disclosed such things to him. The angel, however, rebukes him; he is a fellow servant along with John and the prophets and all who keep the instructions recorded in this book. He commands John to worship only God. Angels are glorious, and this is the second time John is commanded not to worship an angel (19:10; cf. Acts 10:25–26). The worship of Jesus as the Lamb stands out all the more starkly when we read these words, because believers and angels worship him throughout the book. Such worship is never criticized but always commended, for Jesus is truly God.

22:10 Since the time is near, it is imperative for John not to seal up or hide the words of the prophecy recorded in the book. We are reminded again that the book of Revelation is not merely apocalyptic but is also prophetic (cf. 1:3; 22:7, 18–19). Daniel was told to seal up his prophecy for the end of time (Dan. 12:4; cf. 1 En. 82:1), but John must not seal up what he has written, for the end is at hand (cf. comment on Rev. 10:4).

22:11 The words of this verse are certainly among the most unexpected in the book, for here the unrighteous and the “filthy” are told to continue in their unrighteousness and filthiness, while the righteous and holy are to continue to be righteous and holy. Certainly this does not mean people should not repent of evil, for John clearly thinks people should do so (9:20–21; 16:9, 11). The shock of the statement is meant to prompt repentance, as in Amos’s command to “Come to Bethel, and transgress” (Amos 4:4). Furthermore, those who are evil are invited to come and drink freely of the water of life (Rev. 21:6; 22:17).

The command of verse 11 is not some fatalistic word, as if the evil should in fact pursue their wicked ways. Daniel 12:10 helps us understand what John means, which is not surprising, for John alluded to Daniel 12 in the previous verse. In referring to the time of the end Daniel 12:10 says, “Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.” Here we have a clue as to John’s intention. The point is that Daniel’s prophecy is being fulfilled; many of the wicked will never understand but will continue in their wickedness (cf. Isa. 6:9–10). Their incomprehension seems baffling to the righteous; it can even sow doubts in the hearts of the saints as to whether they are right in following the Lord. The problem, though, is not with any lack of clarity of truth but with wicked hearts. As Ezekiel 3:27 says, “He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house.” The parallel to Revelation is again striking, and Ezekiel clarifies that the wicked do not comprehend the truth because of their rebellion. The righteous should understand, then, that the evil have no desire to be cleansed of their filth or to depart from their unrighteousness. Hence the godly should not be deterred by the recalcitrance of the wicked but should continue to pursue righteousness and holiness. Paul expresses the same thought when he writes, “Evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). The righteous should heed the mandate of Isaiah 56:1: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my righteousness be revealed.”

22:12 The importance of our actions in this life is again underscored and sharpened, for the end is near. The “I” who declares he is coming soon is almost certainly Jesus. The nearness of Jesus’ coming is emphasized a number of times in the book (cf. 1:1, 3; 3:11; 22:7, 20). Christians of every generation have rightly believed that Jesus might come during their lifetime, and hence the prophecy functions as promise and warning. The announcement provokes believers to be prepared for Christ’s return. When he returns, he will reward or repay all in accordance with what they have done. This theme was already emphasized in 20:12–13 (cf. 2:23), and, as we saw there, it accords with many biblical texts (e.g., Pss. 28:4; 62:12; Prov. 24:12; Isa. 40:10; 62:11; Matt. 16:27; Rom. 2:6; etc.). John heralds the freeness of the water of life (Rev. 21:6; 22:17) while insisting that those who drink from it must live in a way that pleases God.

22:13 Jesus, who is still presumably the speaker (cf. v. 12), now declares that he is the “Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Elsewhere God is the Alpha and the Omega (1:8; 21:6), but here Jesus is declared as such. Isaiah especially proclaims that God is the first and the last, that Yahweh is the true God, the only God (Isa. 41:4; 44:6–8; 48:12), who gives his glory to no other (Isa. 48:11). Yet Jesus is also identified as the first and the last (Rev. 1:17; 2:8), the beginning and the end (cf. Isa. 46:10). Clearly he has the same stature as God himself. Interestingly, this verse is nestled between two verses promising a future reward for believers. What is the logical relationship between these statements? Jesus is declaring that he has the stature and the power to reward and punish. The promise of a reward is not an idle promise, for the one who rules over all of history from beginning to end makes the promise. He will most certainly make good on his word.

22:14 The last of the seven blessings is enunciated here (cf. comment on 1:3). Those who wash their robes, who are clean from evil, have the right to eat from the tree of life and enter the gates of the city (Ps. 118:19–20). The tree of life and entering the city are two different images for the life of the age to come. The tree of life was withheld from Adam and Eve because of their sin (Gen. 2:9; 3:17, 22, 24), but now it is given to those who enjoy life in the garden to come, the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7). Garden images are juxtaposed with the bustling life of the city, which seems strange to us, but both pictures communicate the wonder of new life in store for those who have clean robes. The robes of believers are clean because they have washed them in the Lamb’s blood (7:14). No one is able to remove his defilement by his own efforts. At the same time, clean robes stand for those who, having once been cleansed by the Lamb, have walked in white and have conquered (3:4–5). Those who are truly clean must live lives of virtue.

22:15 Not everyone eats of the tree of life, for some are outside the city. We have seen this pattern before in Revelation. Some drink from the water of life and become heirs (21:6–7), while others pursue evil and are punished in the lake of fire (21:8). John gives us a sample of those who are outside the city. He mentions dogs first, unclean animals (cf. Ex. 22:31; Isa. 66:3) who went about in packs to ravage and scavenge (1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21:19; Ps. 59:6, 14; Prov. 26:11). By NT times, “dogs” was used to designate Gentiles (Matt. 7:6; 15:26, 27; Mark 7:27, 28; cf. Phil. 3:2), those outside the people of God. The appellation “dogs,” therefore, refers to those who have unwashed robes (Rev. 22:14), who are unclean in God’s sight. John also mentions sorcerers (cf. comment on 21:8), who try to manipulate circumstances with magic instead of trusting God, and the sexually immoral and murderers, who violate God’s commands (Ex. 20:13–14). Those who give themselves to sexual sin do not entrust their bodies to God but seek out pleasure in accord with their own desires. Those who murder deface another person made in God’s image and take justice into their own hands. Idolaters are also excluded, for they certainly cannot inhabit a city characterized by the presence of a God they despise and refuse to serve. Lastly, those who love and practice lying are outside the city. This may be an indictment of those who claim to be Christians but deny their profession by their lives. The expression strikes even to the desires of the heart; indeed, the practice of lying has its roots in loving what is not true, and those who love and practice falsehood cannot be in the heavenly city. The city is a place where the clarity of truth shines and no lie is tolerated. The truth centers on God and the Lamb, and those who love lying hate both.

22:16 As the book rushes to a close, the importance of what is written is stressed. Jesus himself addresses the audience, underscoring that he sent an angel (cf. 1:1, 4) to testify about these matters to the churches. These are urgent words of the risen Christ for all the churches. What is emphasized is the message of the Messiah: he is the root and heir of David (cf. Isa. 11:1, 10; 53:2). Jesus’ messianic stature is quite important to John, playing a major role in the decisive chapter on Christ’s redemptive work (Revelation 5; cf. esp. 5:5). Jesus is also the bright morning star (cf. 2:28), an allusion to Numbers 24:17, which prophesies, “A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” This scepter and star will pulverize God’s enemies, a major theme of Revelation. The destruction of God’s enemies also means vindication for his people. It is difficult to know what the morning star refers to here. Perhaps it means Jesus reigns even now, even though his reign is not consummated. The star has risen, but we have not yet seen it shine in all its brightness.

22:17 The key word of the verse is “come.” It is difficult to know if the audience is invited to come to Jesus for salvation or if Jesus is invited to come again. Certainty is impossible. Many interpreters claim the first two invitations are addressed to Jesus and the third to believers. This is possible, but I lean toward all three being addressed to humans. It is a bit jarring if the subject of the coming shifts from Christ to human beings. The Holy Spirit, through the words of the book of Revelation and the bride of Christ (his church), invites people to come to Jesus to satisfy the thirst of their souls. In addition, those who hear the words of Revelation invite others to come. The urgency of the invitation is communicated by its threefold repetition. John pleads with his audience to come to Jesus before it is too late. Who is invited to come? Those who are thirsty, who long to be filled, who feel their need for Jesus (cf. 21:6). As Isaiah 55:1 says, “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters.” Isaiah goes on to say they can buy and eat “without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1). So too here, the one who desires to come can “take the water of life without price.” To respond to the call to come is to give one’s life to Jesus, to crown him as one’s Lord. To those who do so, life is offered freely and openly. Nothing hinders anyone but his own desires, and he who comes will find his deepest longings satisfied, the thirst and ache in his heart filled by Jesus.

22:18 As the book concludes, Jesus sternly warns against adding to or subtracting from what is written in the book of Revelation. Those who hear the prophetic words must not add to them. We see Revelation again described as prophecy (cf. 1:3; 10:11; 19:10; 22:6, 7, 9, 10), and it must not be tampered with. Adding to the book changes the content of the prophecy and alters its message. To do so is to distort the word of God. As Deuteronomy 4:2 says, “You shall not add to the word that I command you,” and Deuteronomy 12:32 adds, “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.” How serious is it to add to the words of the prophecy in Revelation? It is of eternal significance, for on those who do so God will set the plagues described in this book (cf. 9:18, 20; 11:6; 15:1, 6, 8; 16:9, 21; 18:4, 8; 21:9; cf. Deut. 29:19). Clearly this is no trivial matter, for those who transgress will suffer eternal punishment.

22:19 To add to the prophetic words recorded in this book is not the only potential danger; there is also the danger of subtracting, of removing the words deposited and thus eliminating crucial elements of the message. Certain texts and themes may be cut away because they are distasteful or unattractive to readers. Still, readers have no right to alter the words of God, and those who subtract from the message will be removed from the tree of life and the holy city (cf. comment on 2:7; cf. 3:12; 21:2, 10, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23; 22:2, 14). The admonition does not relate to textual criticism or legitimate questions of the wording of the biblical text. Nor does it prohibit exposition of Scripture, unfolding its meaning for readers and hearers. By extension, what is said here rightly applies to all of Scripture. Those who deliberately add to or subtract from God’s Word so as to distort its message are threatened with eternal punishment.

22:20 The last words of Jesus in the book are recorded here. He is identified as the one who has witnessed to and verified the message communicated in the book. Jesus reminds his hearers of the eschatological urgency of the times. He affirms he is coming soon—the end is near. The message at the beginning of the book is reaffirmed at the end (cf. comments on 1:1; 1:3). History is short, and Jesus is at the door. John now speaks, affirming with his own voice (“Amen”) the near coming of Jesus and adding his own prayer, the prayer of every true believer: “Come, Lord Jesus.” If this is not the cry of our own hearts, we have not truly understood this book or the message of the NT.

22:21 The book of Revelation and the NT appropriately end with a grace wish. More specifically, grace from the Lord Jesus; it is not an abstract power or entity but flows from a person. Grace benedictions are pervasive in the NT books (e.g., Rom. 16:20; 1 Cor. 16:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 6:18; Eph. 6:24; Heb. 13:25), and it is fitting that the NT itself ends with a word of grace.