Revelation 22King James Version
A pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. The tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. There shall be no night there. They need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light. Behold, I come quickly. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. The end of the Bible.
A river of life flows from the throne of God and the Lamb through the middle of the city. The tree of life bears twelve kinds of fruit and its leaves heal the nations. No more curse. The servants of God will see his face and his name will be on their foreheads. They will reign forever. The angel attests these things are faithful and true. Jesus says three times that he is coming quickly. The book is not to be sealed. The Spirit and the bride say Come. A final warning against adding or subtracting from the book. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ with all.
Revelation ends not with finality but with invitation: the river is still flowing, the tree is still bearing fruit, and the response to all that has been shown is an open Come.
20: "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The last exchange in the Bible before the benediction: a promise and an answer to it, both in the same breath.
The river flowing down the middle of the street with the tree of life on both banks is the last detailed image of the book, deliberately pastoral and Edenic after everything that preceded it. The city, for all its jasper and gold, has a river running through it. The throne and the tree are in the same place. What was separated at the beginning of the human story, the presence of God and unguarded access to life, is together again at the end.
The river of life and tree of life, which appeared at the beginning of Genesis and reappear here completing the arc; the servants of God who see his face; Jesus, speaking directly three times; the angel; John, who again tries to worship the angel and is corrected; the Spirit and the bride, issuing the final Come.
The tree of life in Genesis was guarded after humanity's expulsion. Here it is freely accessible, bearing fruit every month, its leaves for the healing of the nations. The curse of Genesis 3 is specifically reversed: there shall be no more curse. What was locked at the beginning is opened at the end. The warning not to add or remove from the prophecy mirrors Deuteronomy 4 and 12, placing Revelation in the tradition of Torah as a fixed, complete revelation.
For when you have come through everything this book contains and you need to know what to do next. The answer is simple: Come. Not a theological position, not a doctrinal statement. Just: thirsty? Come. Willing? Come. The water of life is given freely.
1And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2In 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.
3And 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:
4And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.
5And 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.
6And 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.
7Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
8And 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.
9Then 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.
10And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
11He 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.
12And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
13I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.
14Blessed 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.
15For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
16I 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.
17And 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.
18For 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:
19And 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.
20He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
21The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.