Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal,
coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,
and flowing in the center
of the city’s main street. On each side of the river was the tree of life,
producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of
the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 There will no longer be
any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His
servants will serve Him.
4 They will see His face, and His name will be on
their foreheads.
5 There will be no night, and they will not need lamplight or
sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light. They will reign as kings
to the ages of the ages.
[1675] 6 Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord,
the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His servants
the things which must happen soon.”
7 “Look! I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the
prophecy of this book.” 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and
saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these
things. 9 But he said to me, “Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you
and with your brothers the prophets, and with those who obey the words of
this book. Worship God.”
10 Then he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy in this
book, because the time is near. 11 The one who does evil, let him do evil still.
The one who is morally filthy, let him be filthy still. The one who is upright,
let him do right still. The one who is holy, let him be holy still.”
[1676] 12 “Look! I am coming soon, and my reward is with me, to repay each person
for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,[1677] the first
and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Excluded are the
dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who
loves and practices lying.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the
churches. I am the shoot[1678] and the offspring of David, the bright morning
star.” 17 The spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say,
“Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who wants it[1679] take the water of life as a free gift. 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy in this book: If
anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
[1680] 19 And if anyone takes away[1681] from the words of this book of prophecy,
God will take away that person’s share in the tree of life and in the holy city,
which are described in this book. 20 The one who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen! Come, lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Commentary
Revelation
[1674]
There is evidently still a process of healing and restoration even at this time period. The book
of Revelation closes the curtain, with a restorative process still ongoing. Healing leaves are not needed
for those who have been made immortal. Some are still in process of gaining immortality. There are
still nations in this time period (see Isa. 19:23-25 for
Israel, Egypt and Assyria as converted nations).
[1675]
The promise of rulership with Jesus in 5:9-10; 2:26; 3:21; Dan. 9:27 continues forever and
ever as a permanent appointment to royal office, which is the heart of the New Covenant: kingship
being covenanted to King Messiah Jesus and this is shared with his followers (see Lk. 22:28-30, where
“grant” is “covenant”).
[1676]
There is no fatalism here. The sense is echoed by Dan. 12:10: “The wicked will act wickedly,
and none of the wicked will understand.” The opportunity for repentance and true faith is always open.
[1677]
Jesus is the Alpha and Omega (=the first and the last) who died (1:17-18). God cannot die. A
title shared with God does not make Jesus God.
[1678]
The Hebrew idea of “root” of David may be misleading in English. Root and shoot are used
with the same meaning and point to David, the ancestor of the Messiah. Isa. 53:2 speaks of a shoot and a root coming up out of the ground (see the standard commentaries).
[1679]
The NT concludes with a plainly anti-Calvinist text! Each human person who desires or is
willing to come, let him come. The choice is ours. We are not robots, but responsible for our
relationship with God. Human choice is clear from John 7:17: “If anyone will do his will, he will know
whether the teaching is from God, or whether I speak from myself.”
[1680]
Jesus spoke of the canon of Hebrew Scripture in Luke 24:44 and said of Scripture that “it
cannot be broken” (Jn. 10:35).
[1681]
It is possible to take away words by twisting their meaning so badly that the prophecy is
defaced and altered. The value and energizing power of Scripture is then eliminated.
Revelation