Revelation 22:1-20

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.

There is no other «water of life» except that which springs from a Sovereign God and a substitutionary sacrifice: «a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.» This sets forth the blessings of salvation that come to us through the Sovereign grace of God by the precious blood of Jesus.

Revelation 22:2. 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 fruit, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

When Adam ate of the forbidden fruit, he was cast out of Eden, lest he should also eat of the tree of life; but our new «tree of life» yields us both medicine and food. Blessed are they that eat of it; they shall find a divine variety of mercies: «twelve manner of fruits.» They shall find a constant succession of blessings: «and yielded her fruit every month.» And there shall be an ever-present power of healing: «the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.»

Revelation 22:3. 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:

Happy servants, to be permitted so to do! Here, dear friends, we are hindered in our service, but I think that it will be heaven enough for some of us to be permitted to serve the Lord for ever in glory: «His servants shall serve him.»

Revelation 22:4. And they shall see his face;

Oh, to keep up communion with the Lord while you are at work for him, to serve him and to see his face! This is a double joy; this is to be like Martha and Mary in one person: «his servants shall serve him: and they shall see his face.»

Revelation 22:4. And his name shall be in their foreheads.

They will acknowledge him, and he will acknowledge them. They are glad to wear his name in their foreheads; but who wrote it there? He himself engraved it, as the seal and token that they were his. Happy, happy people, thus to be owned of God as his peculiar people while they own him as their only Lord!

Revelation 22:5. And there shall be no night there;

Here, there are nights of ignorance, of sorrow, of sin, and of fear; but «there shall be no night there.»

Revelation 22:6. And they need no candles, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light:

He puts aside the use of means. While we are here, we need candles and suns. It seems curious, does it not, to put candles and suns in the same sentence? «They need no candle, neither light of the sun.» But, after all, compared with God, candles and suns are very much the same thing. Great lights and little lights are all limited, all less than nothing, in comparison with the boundless, infinite God, who is light, and the source of all light that exists in heaven above, or on the earth beneath.

6. And they shall reign for ever and ever.

It must be a wonderful city in which every inhabitant is a king; and not a dethroned king either, for «they shall reign.» Every redeemed one in heaven has also an everlasting kingdom; «They shall reign for ever and ever.» I hope our friends who are always cutting down the meaning of the word «everlasting» will be good enough at least to let us have an everlasting heaven; whether they do so, or not, we believe that the saints shall reign «for ever and ever.»

Revelation 22:6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly:

Or, «I am coming quickly.»

Revelation 22:7. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Our Lord is on the road; he may arrive tonight, while we are sitting here. Happy would be our communion service if, for the last time, we should be doing as he commanded us in expectation of his coming, and that he should come even while we were commemorating his death!

Revelation 22:8. And 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. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophet, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

John made a mistake; he mistook the messenger for the Master, and I am not surprised that he did so, for the heavenly beings are like their Lord when they see him as he is. John was quickly set right, and his error was soon corrected. He was bidden to pay no kind of homage to one who however bright and holy, was only his fellow servant. No worship of angels, no worship of angelic men, must be tolerated among us. «Worship God,» is the command to us as it was to John.

Revelation 22:10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

There was no need to seal the prophecy, as though it only related to those who would live in distant ages: «The time is at hand.»

Revelation 22:11. 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.

This is what will be said when Christ comes to judgment, when we get into that future state. Today the voice of Jesus says, «Repent, Repent Repent;» but once cross the narrow stream of death, and pass out of the dispensation of mercy, and then character is fixed, and fixed for ever.

Revelation 22:12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according to his work shall be.

What reward will some of you get? Christ will «give every man according as his work shall be.»

Revelation 22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may deter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs,

Men of a quarrelsome and filthy spirit.

Revelation 22:15. And sorcerers,

Such as pretend to have dealings with spirits, and who intermeddle with the mysterious things of the unknown world.

Revelation 22:15. And whoremongers,

All such as indulge their evil passions.

Revelation 22:15. And murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Whether it be a lie about things on earth or things in heaven, a falsehood spoken or a false doctrine taught.

Revelation 22:16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the rock and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 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. 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:

The Book is finished. Not another line of inspiration may any man dare to put to it, on peril that God shall add to him every plague of which the Book speaks.

Revelation 22:19. 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.

The Book is perfect. You cannot take a line from it without spoiling it if you were to cut from it a solitary text, it would be misused, and the Book should be marred. You would do this at your peril, for God threatens to take away out of the Book of life the name of anyone who takes anything from «the words of the book of this prophecy.»

Revelation 22:20. He which testifieth these thing saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Thus we sang just now,

«Come, thou, the soul of all our joys Thou, the desire of nations, come!»

Revelation 22:21. The grace of our lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

The whole inspired volume thus closes with a benediction: «The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.»