Read or listen The Book of Revelation, chapter 22 online (ESV, YouVersion)

New Eden 22:1-5

The first chapters of the Bible tell of the Paradise of Eden. There was the tree of life, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and a river that flowed through the paradise. The creation story is followed by a description of the fall into sin. God had forbidden man to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve broke God’s command, they were driven out of paradise, and sin took over man and began to rule the world. Verses 1-5 describe the paradise that God will one day create. It is good to keep the Old Testament creation story in mind when studying these verses.

Verse 1 tells of a river of water of life flowing through the new Jerusalem. Perhaps the river represents eternal life, which will be a reality in the new creation. John also sees the tree of life. From the leaves of the tree, it is said that the nations will receive health. So those who enter heaven will be healthy. There are troubles, shortcomings, and illnesses in this life. In heaven there will be none of these.

On the other hand, John does not say anything about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It does not exist in the new creation. So there is no possibility of a new fall into sin. The joy of heaven is endless. The fall into sin meant a curse for all mankind. We feel this every day. John tells us that in the new creation we are no longer under this curse. The Fall and its consequences (Genesis 3:17-19) are no longer in effect and therefore the troubles we now face have disappeared.

In this world, man cannot bear to look upon the face of God. Moses once desired to do so, but was told: “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." (Exodus 33:20, ESV). In the new world, this too is possible. Verse 4 promises that faith will be changed into sight: "They will see his face..." When that happens, unbelief will no longer trouble us. Jesus' promise will be fulfilled in the New Jerusalem:

"Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God."
(Matthew 5:8, ESV).

Verse 5 concludes the period that began at the beginning of the fifth chapter. John has been shown a great number of visions and finally he has seen the new creation. We have moved on from time to eternity. Now it is the turn of the closing words of the Book of Revelation. They are divided into five sections.

Trustworthy and True Words 22:6-7

John hears that the words spoken to him are true and therefore trustworthy. The reliability of the words is based on the fact that God himself guarantees them. He who is the Truth does not lie.

Verse 6 reminds us that a prophet of God does not speak on his own. The Spirit of God works in a prophet of God, and so he speaks what he has received from God. John is a prophet of God. He has received what he says from God and therefore it is trustworthy.

Verse 7 contains the sixth beatitude in Revelation. Jesus congratulates those who accept the Book of Revelation as true. Revelation tells its readers that Jesus is the King of kings who will one day come to judge this world. Whoever accepts this as true is to be congratulated.

John and the Angel 22:8-9

Now a similar incident is related to that in chapter 19 (Rev. 19:10). John throws himself before the angel who has shown him the visions described in the book of Revelation. The angel strictly forbids John to worship him. The angel knows what the first commandment says.

The heresy that exalted angels alongside God spread to many churches in the first century. We are now warning against this heresy. Angels are created by God and should not be elevated to the place of the Creator. Only God should be worshipped and prayed to.

Jesus Speaks 22:10-17

Jesus gives his last speech in the Book of Revelation. He first instructs John to spread the message of the book everywhere. The book of Daniel has the exact opposite command: Daniel was told to hide his book and release it to the public only later (Dan 8:26). The difference in the commands can be explained as follows: In Daniel's time, there was still a phase in God's salvation history when God saw fit to conceal the visions shown to Daniel. In John's time, the situation was different. The life, death and resurrection of the Son of God was already behind and the moment when he would return to earth was so close that everyone had to know what John saw and heard.

Verse 11 is not easy. In it, the wicked are urged to continue living wickedly and the saints are told to go on the path of holiness. What does the verse mean? The book of Revelation is written for Christians, not for those who do not know Jesus. The verse is not a call to remain in unbelief and live ungodly. The purpose is to address God's church specifically and say to it: "You see that the ungodly world does not care about God or his will. Do just the opposite.It is somehow natural that the ungodly world remains ungodly, lives contrary to God's word and fights against God. It should be equally natural that God's church lives a holy life, remains in the faith and fights for God's cause." We must hold on to what we have received from God. If we lose it, when Jesus returns we will be judged along with the ungodly world.

Humanity is divided into two groups. Some are unclean and some are holy. We do not see where the line is, but in God's eyes the division is clear. Holy are those who belong to Jesus and possess the holiness of Jesus. Unclean are those who reject Jesus and his holiness. There is no third group – everyone belongs either to the holy or the unclean.

In verse 13 Jesus says that he is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. Through him the world was created and he will be the Judge of the world on the last day. God has said the same thing about himself twice in the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:8 and 21:6). Jesus is the Son of God, and what can be said about the Father can also be said about the Son. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

On the final day, every person will be found guilty before God. Only those who have been forgiven of their sins will stand before God. This is what the washing of robes means in verse 14. He who has received forgiveness of sins will enter heaven. He who is without it, the gates of heaven will not be opened to him.

In verse 15, Jesus speaks of dogs not entering the holy city. The Jews could refer to those who were not part of the chosen people as dogs. The same idea is probably true here. Those who are outside the people of God – those who are baptized and believe in Jesus – will not enter the new creation. The same thing happens to them as it does to the Devil. They have served him in their lives - perhaps unknowingly. This is also what the end of the verse tells about lies. The Devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). Those who love lies love the Devil and will receive the same judgment as their master. The other acts mentioned in the list also show that those who practice them serve the enemy of God.

In verse 16, Jesus calls himself "the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star". The book of Isaiah speaks of the root of the line of David (Isa 11:1), meaning a king who will one day be born from the line of David, which has lost its power. By calling himself the Root of David, Jesus declares that he is the Messiah promised in the Old Testament. In him Isaiah's prophecy has been fulfilled, he is the awaited Son of David.
The morning star appears at the beginning of a new day. And that is exactly what Jesus is. His death and resurrection began a new day in human history. The new day will also begin when he returns to earth in glory.

In the first chapters of the Books of Revelation there were seven letters to seven churches. In verse 17 we return to the life of the churches. The church of God, which is again called the bride, awaits the return of Jesus and prays together with the Spirit of God that it will happen soon. The verse also reminds us of what God's church has to offer. The church shares the water of life to all who want it. The water of life describes eternal life, which we get as our own in God's church.

A Serious Warning 22:18-19

The verses contain a serious warning. The warning was intended especially for those who copied the Book of Revelation in the past. Before the printing press was invented, copies were made by hand. There was a real danger that copyists did not write down everything that was in the text they were copying, or that they made their own additions to the text. This is what they are warned not to do. Surely the warning can be extended to every reader and interpreter of Revelation. Nothing should be omitted from the book or supplemented with self-made additions. The book must be read and explained without shortening or supplementing it - that is, as it has been given to us.

John could hardly have imagined that the Book of Revelation would become the last book of the Bible. But it did, and I, at least, see the hand of God in this. Now the entire Bible ends with a serious warning. This is how we are told: The entire Bible is God's speech and should be treated with the respect that God's word deserves. It must not be distorted, no additions may be made to it, and nothing may be taken away from it. It must be also declared without taking anything away or adding anything. Church history tells of many instances where the warning in the Book of Revelation has proven true: Where the word of God has been proclaimed in its entirety, there has been God's blessing - where the word of God has been attempted to be corrected, there has been a curse.

Final Greeting 22:20‑21

The final salutation of the Book of Revelation has two parts. Verse 20 is evidently part of the liturgy of the early church. It includes Jesus' words - "Surely I am coming soon." - the congregation's response - "Amen" - and the congregation's prayer - "Come, Lord Jesus." Verse 21 is not only a wish but also an assurance to every reader of Revelation: The grace of Jesus is with us. Trusting in grace, we await the return of our Lord. With grace as our refuge, we have no need to worry. The grace of Jesus is with us every day, even on the day when God judges this world.