HolyStudy
Bible IndexRead BibleNotesChurchesMissionPrivacyTermsContact
© 2026 HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurchesSign in
HolyStudy
HomeRead BibleBible NotesChurches
Sign in

Revelation 22

1

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.

2

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.

1
3

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:

4

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

1
5

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.

1
6

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.

7

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

8

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.

9

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.

1
10

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

11

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.

12

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

3
13

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

14

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.

1
15

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

16

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.

17

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.

18

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:

1
19

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.

20

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

21

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

← Previous Chapter

Revelation 22

The river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flows from the throne of God and the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city, sustaining the cosmic renewal and providing eternal life to all who drink. The tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations—Genesis 2-3 restored and perfected, the curse upon creation reversed and nature itself participating in restoration. The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads—the ultimate beatific vision, the direct unmediated encounter with God that Adam lost at the Fall now restored eternally. I am coming soon, the risen Christ declares, establishing the imminence of the parousia and the urgency of readiness and faithfulness; I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end—the eternality of Christ encompassing all history. The Spirit and the Bride say Come, and let everyone who hears say Come, and let everyone who is thirsty come, let everyone who desires take the water of life as a gift—the open, universal, free offer of salvation to all humanity through the blood of the Lamb. Surely I am coming soon, the risen Christ declares finally, and the church responds Amen, come Lord Jesus (Marana tha), expressing the eschatological longing and expectation that characterizes Christian hope and awaits the consummation of all things.

Revelation 22:15

'Outside the city are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood' - those excluded from the city are characterized by persistent wickedness and deception. Like dogs (an ancient term of contempt), they remain outside God's presence.

Revelation 22:1

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb - the river of life flows from the throne, the seat of divine authority and the Lamb's glory. The crystal-clear water signifies purity and life-giving power.

Revelation 22:2

down the middle of the great street of the city; on each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations - the tree of life (from Genesis 2-3, lost in the Fall) is restored, growing on both sides of the river. Its fruit (twelve crops) and leaves (for healing) serve the perpetual nourishment and restoration of the nations in God's city.

Revelation 22:3

'No longer will there be any curse; the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him' - the curse imposed at the Fall (Genesis 3) is lifted; creation is restored to its intended state of blessing. God and the Lamb's throne is permanently established in the city; eternal worship and service replace estrangement.

Revelation 22:4

'They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads' - the redeemed enjoy the beatific vision, seeing God face-to-face (the highest privilege, promised to the pure in heart in Matthew 5:8). God's name on their foreheads marks them as his forever, redeemed and sealed.

Revelation 22:5

'There will be no more night; they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light; and they will reign for ever and ever' - perpetual day, the light of God's presence, eliminates all darkness and fear. The redeemed reign eternally with God, their dominion established and endless.

Revelation 22:6

The angel said to me, 'These words are trustworthy and true; the Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place' - the angel validates the visions as trustworthy truth, sent by the God of the prophets to his servants. The disclosure is not fictional but revelation of coming reality.

Revelation 22:7

'Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy in this scroll' - Jesus himself speaks, announcing his imminent return. A beatitude blesses those who read, hear, and keep the words of Revelation, emphasizing the importance of faithful obedience to its message.

Revelation 22:8

I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things; and when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me - John, the recipient of the visions, again attempts to worship the angel, an act of human weakness in response to overwhelming glory.

Revelation 22:9

But he said to me, 'Do not do this! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll; worship God!' - the angel again redirects worship to God alone, emphasizing that all believers, prophets and others, are fellow servants who share the calling to obedience.

Revelation 22:10

'Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near' - unlike Daniel (Dan 12:4), who was instructed to seal his prophecy, John is told to leave Revelation open and available. The nearness of the fulfillment makes the message urgent and accessible.

Revelation 22:11

'Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the one who is holy continue to be holy' - the statement reflects the principle of hardening: the trajectory of each person's choices is set; the wicked persist in wickedness, the righteous in righteousness. By judgment, God ratifies what each has chosen.

Revelation 22:12

'Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done' - Jesus reiterates his imminent return and the principle of divine recompense. Each receives according to their deeds; judgment is both individual and just.

Revelation 22:13

'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End' - Jesus declares his ultimate nature: he encompasses all time and existence, from alpha to omega. He is both the origin and the consummation of all things.

Revelation 22:14

'Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city' - a beatitude promises blessing to those who wash their robes in Christ's blood (Revelation 7:14), gaining access to the tree of life and the eternal city. Spiritual cleansing is the requirement for eternal life.

Revelation 22:16

'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches; I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star' - Jesus identifies himself as the source of the prophecy, the messianic fulfillment ('Root and Offspring of David,' from Isa 11:1), and the harbinger of the new day ('bright Morning Star'). The churches are his intended audience.

Revelation 22:17

'The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let the one who hears say, 'Come!' Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life' - the Spirit (God's active presence), the bride (the church), all who hear, and all who thirst are invited to cry out, 'Come,' summoning Jesus's return. Salvation is freely offered to all who thirst for God.

Revelation 22:18

'I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: if anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll' - the warning against adding to Revelation's words invokes the curses of the prophecy itself. The text is treated as sacred scripture; alteration brings judgment.

Revelation 22:19

'And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, described in this scroll' - the corresponding warning against subtraction invokes the loss of salvation itself; those who diminish God's word lose access to eternal life. The integrity of the revelation is divinely guarded.

Revelation 22:20

He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.' Amen; come, Lord Jesus! - Jesus reiterates his coming; the churches respond with the ancient Aramaic cry 'Marana tha' (Come, O Lord), expressing longing for his return. The prayer 'Come, Lord Jesus' is the believer's deepest hope.

Revelation 22:21

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all God's people. Amen. - the final blessing, invoking Christ's grace upon all believers, concludes the prophecy with the benediction. Grace, the unmerited favor of God in Christ, is the final word, extending mercy to all who call upon his name.