Editor's Note
Depending on how long you have been reading along with us, you may or may not realize this is the last chapter of the last book that we’ve studied since beginning the BRP in March 2020! Whether you’ve been following along for four days or four years, we hope this resource has helped you follow Jesus more.
Beginning tomorrow, we are going to spend the summer reading through different types of psalms. The Book of Psalms is full of different types of literature from thanksgiving to lament and everything in between. We’ll break it down by category and read through a few of each kind as we experience the full range of the human experience together. Starting in the fall we’ll introduce some new elements as we make another journey through God’s Word together!
If you have stories of how the BRP has helped you along the way, we would love to hear them. Send them to hello@biblereadingplan.org!
Thanks for reading along!
Read Revelation 22
Eden Restored
22 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 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. 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. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 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.
John and the Angel
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.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
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 been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll,because the time is near. 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 holy person continue to be holy.”
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega,the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
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. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
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.”
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.
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. 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 lifeand in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
Go Deeper
Here we are at the very, very end of the back of the book. Revelation 21 unveiled the majestic New Jerusalem. A seamless continuation in Revelation 22:1-5 reveals visions of a river of life flowing from God’s throne and the Lamb. John beholds the (Edenic) Tree of Life, with its healing leaves for all nations. No curse remains. We, the believers, will bask in the glory of God’s face and engage in eternal worship. Darkness will never descend; our Lord will illuminate our path, and the saints (the conquerors who persevere) will reign eternally. As John grapples to articulate the ineffable, let us focus less on what we will see and do and more on whom we will see: our supreme delight.
John’s epilogue (Revelation 22:6-21) echoes many of the themes found in the prologue (Revelation 1:1-8). Jesus’ final words serve as a poignant reminder of what was, what is, and what will be, underscoring His faithfulness, imminent return, and our duty to worship God alone. All will be rewarded according to the work he prepared for each. He blesses the redeemed of New Jerusalem while the unredeemed are excluded. Jesus’ message to his bride (the church) identifies himself as David’s heir (the covenant keeper) and the morning star. All who read and hear these marriage vows are invited to rejoice, come, and drink freely of the water of life, eternal life together.
As John wraps up the book of Revelation, he leaves us with a really important reminder: Jesus promises that he’s going to return. Sometimes we can become so used to that message because we’ve grown up in church and heard it in Sunday school but…it’s true! This final chapter of the final book of the Bible is meant to remind us that all will be made right again in the end. No matter the brokenness we encounter on this side of eternity, in the end all will be reconciled back to how it was intended to be. Just as God looked at His creation all the way back in the beginning of Genesis and saw that it was good, the same will be said again some day. We can repeat the words of John each and every day: “Come, Lord Jesus.”
Questions
- Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection paid a debt we could not pay to give us a life we cannot buy. Have you repented and received his costly gift of eternal life? Are you following Him alone?
- On a scale of 1-10, if you were standing at heaven’s gate tomorrow, how confident are you that you would spend eternity with Jesus? His work alone provides 100% confidence. That confidence can be yours for the asking.
- What emotions are stirred inside of you as you read this final chapter in God’s Word? Write down any feelings you have.
A Quote
Eugene Peterson in his book Reversed Thunder says this about the importance of knowing and understand the 65 books that precede Revelation:
“The Revelation has 404 verses. In those 404 verses, there are 518 references to earlier scripture. If we are not familiar with the preceding writings, quite obviously we are not going to understand the Revelation. John has his favorite books of scripture: Ezekiel, Daniel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Isaiah, Exodus. But there is probably not a single canonical Old Testament book to which he doesn’t make at least some allusion.”
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5 thoughts on “Revelation 22”
We have a line drawn in the sand. Jesus or no Jesus. Welcome and come Lord Jesus, or fear that He is coming. We are either eager for His coming or we are living in the pleasures of this world. He is coming back, He has won the victory, Romans 8 says that “in all things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” (vs. 37). Live each day with an eternity mindset, not a 24 hour one. Worship God, love His people, speak the name of Jesus, listen for His voice, do His will for your minutes of this day with the excitment of living with Him forever.
God thank You for the blood of Jesus covering my sins so that I can, will, and do worship YOU!!! Thank You for Hesed love, neverending, abounding, amazing love. Thank You for helping me to keep You center focus, eternity minded, loving Your people, hearing Your voice, obeyinng that voice, praising You , honoring You, with my actions being for You today in all my minutes of this day in Jesus name amen.
WOOHOO!!!!
“Come, Lord Jesus!”
Feelings: gratitude, anticipation, hope
Vs 21- The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
“Come, Lord Jesus!”
Thank you for this study of The Revelation. Never an easy read, but always very impactful.
Thank you for four plus years of the Bible Reading Plan. Wow! We’ve covered a lot of ground! Let’s keep going!
The word for me for today . . .
17 “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.“
Thank you HCBC and all who contributed to he Bible Reading Plan. I’m excMited to see what comes next!