Revelation 22

Studies in Revelation
by Dr. John H. Roller

Chapter 22



Introduction
Revelation 22 begins exactly where Revelation 21 ended. In many editions of the Bible, there isn’t even a paragraph break between the last verse of chapter 21 and the first verse of chapter 22.

Revelation 22:1
HE (the angel) SHOWED ME A RIVER OF WATER OF LIFE, CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, PROCEEDING OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD (the Father) AND OF THE LAMB (Jesus),

Revelation 22:2
IN THE MIDDLE OF ITS (the city’s main) STREET (accessible to everyone in the city). ON THIS SIDE OF THE RIVER AND ON THAT WAS THE TREE OF LIFE (I don’t think this means that a single tree spanned the river, with the water flowing through a hole in the base of its trunk; I think that it means that there were at least two trees – one on one side of the river, and one on the other – and, probably, many more than two, lining the banks of the river for its entire length), BEARING TWELVE KINDS OF FRUITS (in the present world, each kind of tree bears only one kind of fruit; but in this amazing future world, here is a single kind of tree that bears twelve different kinds of fruit), YIELDING ITS FRUIT EVERY MONTH (perhaps a different kind every month – that would make sense of the statement that it bears twelve kinds of fruit, rather than some other number). THE LEAVES OF THE TREE WERE FOR THE HEALING OF THE NATIONS. Even in this world, the leaves of many kinds of trees provide the organic compounds that are the basis for many kinds of medicine. I don’t know why there would be any need for healing (as we think of it today) in this amazing future world, since there is no sickness. Perhaps it could be said that the reason that there is no sickness is because the leaves of these trees provide the “medicines” that prevent sickness. The word that is translated “healing” could just mean “health,” which wouldn’t have the implication that there was any sickness to be “healed.”

Revelation 22:3
THERE WILL BE NO CURSE (like there was when Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, and like there has been in the present world ever since then) ANY MORE. THE THRONE OF GOD (the Father) AND OF THE LAMB (Jesus) WILL BE IN IT (the city), AND HIS (God’s) SERVANTS (will) SERVE HIM. That’s a short-and-simple answer to the question, “What will we do for all eternity?” We will do whatever God wants us to do.

Revelation 22:4
THEY (God’s servants) WILL SEE HIS (God’s) FACE, AND HIS (God’s) NAME WILL BE ON THEIR FOREHEADS. Contrast this “picture” with the “picture” in Revelation 13, in which the servants of the “beast” have the “mark” of the beast – the name of the beast, or the number of his name – on their foreheads.

Revelation 22:5
THERE WILL BE NO NIGHT (so any such expression as “day and night” can’t possibly refer to something that will take place in that world), AND THEY NEED NO LAMP LIGHT (such as was typically used at night before the invention of electric lights); FOR THE LORD GOD WILL ILLUMINATE THEM. THEY WILL REIGN FOREVER AND EVER.

Revelation 22:6
HE (the angel) SAID TO ME (John), “THESE WORDS (referring, I think, to all the words in the Book of Revelation – and, indeed, to all the words in the entire Bible) ARE FAITHFUL (trustworthy) AND TRUE (accurate). THE LORD GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF THE PROPHETS SENT HIS ANGEL TO SHOW TO HIS BONDSERVANTS (all Christians) THE THINGS WHICH MUST (begin to) HAPPEN (very) SOON (after the Book of Revelation was written).” This is almost an exact quotation of Revelation 1:1, which explains what the Book of Revelation is all about.

Revelation 22:7
“BEHOLD (“Look!”), I (Jesus will) COME QUICKLY (very soon after the completion of the fulfillment of all the other prophecies in this Book and elsewhere in the Bible). BLESSED IS HE (anyone) WHO KEEPS (obeys) THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK (the Book of Revelation – and, indeed, the entire Bible).” Notice that the blessing isn’t pronounced on those who understand everything that is written; it’s pronounced on those who obey whatever they do understand.

Revelation 22:8
I, JOHN, AM THE ONE WHO HEARD AND SAW THESE THINGS (the revelations and visions that are recorded in this Book). WHEN I HEARD AND SAW, I FELL DOWN TO WORSHIP BEFORE THE FEET OF THE ANGEL WHO HAD SHOWN ME THESE THINGS.

Revelation 22:9
HE (the angel) SAID TO ME (John), “SEE YOU DON’T DO IT! I AM A FELLOW BONDSERVANT WITH YOU AND WITH YOUR BROTHERS, THE PROPHETS, AND WITH THOSE WHO KEEP THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK.WORSHIP GOD.” This is exactly the same thing that was mentioned in Revelation 19:10. I don’t know if the same experience was repeated (which does, sometimes, happen) or if John was simply mentioning the previous experience again (by way of review). In any case, the point is the same. We should never worship mere angels, other human beings, Satan, demons, carved images of imaginary gods, or anything else. We should only worship the one true God.

Revelation 22:10
HE (the angel) SAID TO ME (John), “DON’T SEAL UP THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND (this is exactly the opposite of what an angel told Daniel, as recorded in Daniel 12:4 – the prophecies of Daniel didn’t begin to be fulfilled until some time after they had been given, so his Book needed to be preserved until the time for their fulfillment came; but the prophecies given to John were to begin to be fulfilled immediately after they were given, so his Book didn’t need to be hidden).

Revelation 22:11
HE (anyone) WHO ACTS UNJUSTLY, LET HIM ACT UNJUSTLY STILL. HE (anyone) WHO IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE FILTHY STILL. HE (anyone) WHO IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM DO RIGHTEOUSNESS STILL. HE (anyone) WHO IS HOLY, LET HIM BE HOLY STILL.” It seems that there comes a time when it is no longer possible for people to repent – to change their ways. I believe that that time comes for each individual when he (or she) dies; and it will come for the entire human race when Jesus returns. I don’t believe in any theory that provides for a further “chance” to “get it right” after one dies or after Jesus returns. II Corinthians 6:2 says that the day of salvation is now. Don’t count on having another chance to become a Christian some other time or in some other place!

Revelation 22:12
“BEHOLD (‘Look!’), I (Jesus will) COME QUICKLY (very soon after the completion of the fulfillment of all the other prophecies in this Book and elsewhere in the Bible). MY REWARD (the reward that I intend to give to My followers) IS WITH ME, TO REPAY TO EACH MAN ACCORDING TO HIS WORK (the ‘rewards’ are both positive and negative – eternal life for those who have followed Jesus, and final destruction for those who haven’t).

Revelation 22:13
I (Jesus) AM THE ALPHA (the first letter of the Greek alphabet) AND THE OMEGA (the last letter of the Greek alphabet), THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END (this is a combination of the statement that the Lord God made in Revelation 1:8 and the statement that Jesus made in Revelation 1:17).”

Revelation 22:14
BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO DO (obey) HIS (God’s) COMMANDMENTS, (so) THAT THEY MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO (eat the fruit from) THE TREE OF LIFE (and, therefore, to live forever), AND (they) MAY ENTER IN BY THE GATES INTO THE CITY (where the “Bride” of Christ lives).

Revelation 22:15
OUTSIDE (of the city – excluded from the true Church of Christ) ARE THE DOGS (people who aren’t members of the “family” of God – see Jesus’ use of this expression in Matthew 7:6, Mark 7:27 and Matthew 15:26, and Paul’s use of it in Philippians 3:2), THE SORCERERS (literally, as we saw in Revelation 21:8, the Greek word translated “sorcerers” means “those who abuse drugs”), THE SEXUALLY IMMORAL, THE MURDERERS, THE IDOLATERS, AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES AND PRACTICES FALSEHOOD (a generic way of describing all unrepentant sinners, who choose to practice sin as a lifestyle rather than believing in and following Jesus).

Revelation 22:16
“I, JESUS, HAVE SENT MY ANGEL TO TESTIFY (to the truth of) THESE THINGS (all the things that are recorded in the Book of Revelation) TO YOU (John) FOR THE ASSEMBLIES (in particular, the seven assemblies that are mentioned in Revelation 1-3, but also all Christian assemblies throughout the world and throughout the Church Age). I (Jesus) AM THE ROOT AND THE OFFSPRING OF DAVID (this expression identifies Jesus as the Messiah, God’s anointed King); THE BRIGHT AND MORNING STAR (in biblical symbolism, the ‘bright and morning star’ – literally, the planet Venus, when it rises in the morning, just before the sun rises – represents the coming Messiah, just as the ‘sun’ represents God Himself).”

Revelation 22:17
THE (Holy) SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE (of Christ) SAY (to the unsaved world), “COME (and become a part of God’s Kingdom)!” HE (anyone) WHO HEARS (that message and responds appropriately to it, by becoming a Christian), LET HIM (join with them to) SAY (to the unsaved people that he encounters), “COME (and become a part of God’s Kingdom)!” It is the responsibility of each individual Christian to preach the Gospel to each unsaved person that he (or she) comes in contact with, just as it is the responsibility of the Church as a whole to preach the Gospel to the entire unsaved world. HE (any unsaved person) WHO IS THIRSTY (for the things of God), LET HIM COME (and become a part of God’s Kingdom). HE (anyone) WHO DESIRES (to live forever), LET HIM (receive Christ as his Savior and thus) TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY. In the long run, it will have to be said that no one who truly wanted to be saved will be lost, and no one who truly wanted to be lost will be saved. We demonstrate our true desires by acting on them, even when we deceive ourselves into thinking that we don’t.

Revelation 22:18
I (John) TESTIFY TO EVERYONE WHO HEARS THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK (the Book of Revelation, in particular – and the entire Bible, in general), IF ANYONE ADDS (anything) TO THEM, MAY GOD ADD TO HIM THE PLAGUES WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK.

Revelation 22:19
IF ANYONE TAKES AWAY (anything) FROM THE WORDS OF THE BOOK OF THIS PROPHECY (the Book of Revelation, in particular – and the entire Bible, in general), MAY GOD TAKE AWAY HIS PART FROM THE TREE OF LIFE, AND OUT OF THE HOLY CITY, WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN THIS BOOK. At the simplest level (and this is probably what John meant by writing these words), this is a stern warning to any future copyist, who might be making a copy of the Book, not to alter its text. On a deeper level, it is a firm reminder of the importance of inspired Scripture (the entire Bible, not just the Book of Revelation): God has given us exactly the Word that He wants us to have, and we have no right to add to it, take away from it or change it in any way. Of course, that doesn’t mean that we can’t translate it into other languages – indeed, we need to, if people are to be able to understand it – but we can’t tamper with its meaning in the process of doing so.

Revelation 22:20
HE (Jesus) WHO TESTIFIES (to the truth of) THESE THINGS (all the things that are recorded in the Book of Revelation) SAYS, “YES, I (Jesus) AM COMING QUICKLY (very soon after the completion of the fulfillment of all the other prophecies in this Book and elsewhere in the Bible).” John’s response to Jesus’ statement was, “AMEN (‘So be it!’)! YES, COME, LORD JESUS!”

Revelation 22:21
(May) THE GRACE (undeserved favor – generosity – kindness) OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH ALL THE SAINTS (believers)! AMEN (“So be it!).”