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Revelation 22

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Chapter overviewAt a glance + deeper study

REVIEWED OVERVIEW

Revelation 22 Overview

Revelation closes with the river of water of life flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, the tree of life, healing of the nations, and the removal of the curse. God’s servants see His face and reign forever. Jesus repeatedly says He comes quickly, invites the thirsty to take the water of life freely, warns against adding to or taking from the prophecy, and ends with the prayer, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’

RevelationBook

22Chapter

21Verses

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Before you read Revelation 22

Coming from

John sees a new heaven and new earth, with the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending from God. God dwells with His people, wipes away every tear, abolishes death, sorrow, crying, and pain, and makes all things new. The city shines with divine glory, has twelve gates named for Israel’s tribes and twelve foundations named for the apostles, and needs no temple or sun because God and the Lamb are its temple and light.

In this chapter

Leads into

Revelation 22 closes the canon with the new creation, the free water-of-life invitation, Christ’s promise to come, and the prayer, ‘Even so, come, Lord Jesus.’

Key understandingExplore deeper

The final invitation is explicitly free: ‘whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.’ This harmonizes with the Bible’s faith-alone presentation of eternal life as God’s gift.

The warning about adding to or taking from ‘the words of the book of this prophecy’ directly concerns Revelation; it should not be casually rewritten as though the verse itself says something broader than its actual wording.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

The curse is finally removed

God’s servants live in His presence and reign forever.

Christ’s coming remains imminent in expectation

The book ends repeatedly with ‘I come quickly.’

The water of life is freely offered

The thirsty may take without price.

God’s word must not be altered

The prophecy closes with a solemn textual warning.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Genesis 2:9–10

The tree and river imagery return from Eden in perfected form.

Isaiah 55:1

The thirsty are invited to receive freely without money or price.

John 4:10–14

Jesus offers living water resulting in everlasting life.

Revelation 21:6

The previous chapter likewise promises the fountain of life freely.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not add human works to the free water-of-life invitation

The final gospel-style invitation says ‘freely.’

Do not claim ‘come quickly’ gives a date-setting formula

The response is watchful readiness, not calculation.

Do not extend the add/take-away warning beyond its wording without acknowledging the immediate reference

It directly names this prophecy.

Do not end Revelation in fear while ignoring grace

The final words include both Christ’s promise and ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.’

Read Revelation 22 watching for…

The river from God’s throne.

The tree of life and removal of the curse.

Seeing God’s face and reigning forever.

Repeated ‘I come quickly.’

The free water-of-life invitation.

The final textual warning, prayer, and closing grace.

Chapter outline6 sections

1-5The river and tree of life are shown, the curse is gone, and God’s servants reign for ever 6-11The prophecy is declared faithful and true, Christ says he comes quickly, and John is told to worship God 12-15Christ announces his coming and reward, identifies himself as Alpha and Omega, and contrasts those inside and outside the city 16-17Jesus testifies to the churches, and the Spirit and bride invite the thirsty to take the water of life freely 18-19A warning is given not to add to or take away from the words of the prophecy 20-21Jesus says he comes quickly, John answers, and the book closes with grace

And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

In 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.

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:

And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And 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.

And 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.

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

And 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.

Then 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.

And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

He 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.

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

Blessed 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.

For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

I 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.

And 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.

For 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:

And 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.

He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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Revelation 22:2

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