Revelation 22 — Behold, I Come Quickly
A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life in the midst — twelve manner of fruits, leaves for the healing of the nations. No more curse. They shall see His face; His name in their foreheads; no night there; they shall reign for ever and ever. Behold, I come quickly. The Spirit and the bride say, Come. Let him that is athirst come. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
“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.”
— Revelation 22:17
- v.1-5 The river and the tree of life
- v.6-16 Behold, I come quickly
- v.17-21 The final invitation; the closing prayer
Come quickly. Christ's own announcement. The unknown hour is quickly in heaven's clock — not by human estimate but by His.
My reward is with me. He carries the rewards. He does not delegate the giving; He does it personally. Every Christian work will be weighed and rewarded by His own hand.
The Bible's last great invitation. Three callings — the Spirit and the bride, the one who hears, the thirsty. The bride passes on the invitation she received.
Whosoever will. The most expansive promise. No category is excluded by birth, ethnicity, history, or sin. The condition is willingness and thirst.
The Bible's closing dialogue. Christ — I come quickly. The church — even so, come. The whole canon ends as a prayer for His return.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. A line for the Christian to pray daily. Whatever today holds, come, Lord Jesus is the deepest petition.
Verse 17 is the church's assignment until He returns. The bride says come. If you have received the water freely, pass on the invitation to the thirsty. The Bible ends not with the doors of the kingdom closing but with them swung wide. Stand at the door and call the thirsty in.
The Bible ends as it began — with the tree of life and the face of God, but now without curse. Christ is the river's source and the bride's husband and the One who comes quickly. The book that opened with the revelation of Jesus Christ closes with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. He is the first and the last word of God's book to His people.
See his face. The deepest promise of Scripture. No prophet saw His face and lived; in the new creation, the redeemed will. The veil is gone; the vision is direct.
His name in their foreheads. They wear His ownership openly. The mark of belonging is His.