Revelation 22:1-5
God will supply abundant life in the city, his servants will worship him face to face, no one will be there whom God would curse, and his servants will reign forever and ever.
1 The angel showed me the river of water
that causes people who drink from it to live
forever. The water was sparkling and clear like crystal. The river was flowing out from the throne where God and the
one who is like a lamb
were sitting.
2 It flowed down through the middle of the
main street of the city. On each side of the river were trees
having fruit that causes people who eat it to live forever.
The trees bear twelve
crops (OR, twelve
kinds) of fruit;
they produce one crop each month. The
people of the nations [MTY]
use the leaves of the trees
as medicine in order that they may be strengthened.
3 There will never be
any one or anything there that God will curse. The throne of God and of the
one who is like a lamb will be in the city. And his servants will worship him there.
4 They will see him face to face, and his name will be
written {he will
write his name} on their foreheads.
5 There will never again be night.
God's servants will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine his light upon them. And they will rule forever.
Revelation 22:6-7
God verified the revelation of his message to his servants in which he showed them what must happen soon.
6 The angel said to me: “These words thatGod has revealed to you are true, and he will certainly fulfill them. The Lord God who ◄inspires the prophets/tells the prophets what to say► sent his angel to show the people who serve him the events that must happen soon.”
7
Jesus says to all his people, “Listen
to this! I am coming soon;
God will abundantly bless everyone who obeys the message that
has been written in this book.”
Revelation 22:8-11
John attested that he has himself heard and seen all these things. He was told to tell others the revelation because its fulfillment was near, and everyone should be ready.
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw
in a vision these things
that I have written down. When I had heard and seen
them, I immediately knelt down at the feet of the angel who was showing them to me, in order to worship him.
9 But he said to me, “Do not
worship me! I am
just your fellow servant! I am also the fellow servant of your fellow believers who are ◄the prophets/the ones who tell messages that come directly from God►, and I am a fellow servant of those who obey the message in this book.
Instead, worship God!”
10 He also said to me, “Do not keep secret the message about what
God has foretold in this book, because it is almost time [MTY] for him to
fulfill this message.
11
Since that time is near, if those who act in an evil manner
want to continue to act that way [IRO],
that is up to them. God will soon ◄pay them back/punish them►
for that. If those who are vile
want to continue to be vile [IRO],
that is up to them. God will soon ◄pay them back/punish them►
for that. Those who are
acting righteously should continue to act righteously. Those who are holy should continue to be holy.”
Revelation 22:12-16
Jesus announced that he had sent his angel to bear witness to the congregations about all that John had seen. He authoritatively identified himself as the Descendant of King David and as the Messianic Morning Star.
12
Jesus says to all people: “Listen! I am coming soon! And I will pay back and
punish or reward everyone according to what each one has done.
13 I
am the one who began all things [MET] and the one who will cause all things to end [MET]. I am before
all things and I am at the end
of all things [DOU].
14
God is very pleased with the people who wash their robes, making themselves spiritually clean [MET], because they will be able to
eat the fruit of [MTY] the tree
that enables people to live
forever, and because they will
be able to enter the gates into the
holy city.
15 Outside
are people who are unholy. They include people who practice sorcery, people who sin sexually, murderers, idol worshipers, and all people who enjoy telling lies and are continual liars.
They can never enter that city.”
16 “I, Jesus, sent my angel in order that he might say to you who are in the congregationsthat all these things
are true. I am the descendant of
King David
whom the prophets promised would come [MET]. I am the
one who is like the bright morning star [MET], the one
that Moses promised would come.”
Revelation 22:17
God's Spirit and the Bride invite all who desire to drink the living water to come and drink, and they invite all who hear to extend the invitation to others.
17
God's Spirit and
his people, who are like [MET] the bride
of Christ, say
to each one who desires to believe, “Come!” Whoever hears
this should also say
to each one who desires to believe, “Come!” The
spiritually thirsty people should come [MET]! Everyone who desires the water
that enables people to live
forever should take it as a free gift!
Revelation 22:18-19
Jesus warned about what would happen to anyone who adds to the message of the book or who takes away any message of its revelation.
18 “I,
Jesus, solemnly warn everyone who hears the message about what
I have foretold in this book: If any one adds anything to this message, God will cause him to experience the plagues that are {that
I have} described in this book.
19 If any one takes away any of the message about what
I have foretold in this book, God will take away that person's right
to eat fruit from [MTY] the tree
that enables people to live
forever. He
will also take away that person's right
to enter God's city.
Both these things are described {I have described
both these things} in this book.”
Revelation 22:20
Jesus declares that he is certainly coming soon.
20
Jesus, who says that
all these things are true, says, “Certainly I am coming soon!”
I, John, reply, “◄May it be so!/Amen!► Lord Jesus, come!”
Revelation 22:21
John closes with a prayer that Jesus will continue to bless all God's people.
21
I pray that our Lord Jesus
will continue to act kindly to all
of you who are God's people. ◄Amen!/May it be so!►