Revelation chapter 22

English Standard Version

1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. 

6And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.” 

7“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” 

8I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” 

10And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 

12“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 

14Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 

16“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 

17The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 

18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

20He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 

21The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

What does Revelation chapter 22 mean?

At the end of chapter 21, John described the beauty of New Jerusalem. This depiction briefly concludes here.

John sees a river of the water of life. This contrasts with the pollution and decay seen during the tribulation. It also echoes the original state of the garden of Eden. Water and life are often intertwined in Scripture, especially in the writings of John (John 4:14; 7:37–38). This city also contains a tree of life, something from which fallen man was specifically barred after the fall (Genesis 3:22–24). The reference to the leaves being used for “healing” leads some to suggest that New Jerusalem will exist somewhere above earth prior to the end of the millennium, others see this as a symbolic reference to permanent, eternal health and life. Light, as well, is a crucial metaphor in the Bible, representing truth and knowledge (John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Matthew 4:16). John also notes that all evil, darkness, and night are gone from this holy city (Revelation 22:1–5). 

Revelation then ends its description of the future and returns to more immediate commands from Jesus. The angel commends what John has seen as accurate and worthy of trust. This is followed by a statement reiterating the idea that “I am” is coming soon. This might have confused John, seeing as the words are those of Jesus, but it had been the angel speaking up to that point. Perhaps in confusion, John starts to worship the angel, but is immediately corrected (Revelation 22:6–9). 

John is then told not to “seal up” the words of Revelation. Unlike older prophets such as Daniel (Daniel 12:9), John’s visions come when there are few remaining events left between the prophecy and its fulfillment. These words are to be shared and understood, not guarded. The reference to evildoers and the righteous is not an endorsement of sin. Rather, it’s an expression that Jesus’ return is inevitable and unavoidable. This might be stated as “people can do whatever they want to, but the time is near, and Jesus is coming soon.” Likewise, we are reminded that those who demonstrate their rejection of Christ through persistent, unrepentant sin will find themselves separated from God (Revelation 22:10–15). 

John completes Revelation, and the final words of the New Testament, by including another reassurance from Christ that these are His words, and His testimony. John appeals to readers to accept the offer Christ makes for salvation, echoing other such pleas in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:2; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Peter 3:9). John also warns against those who would add to or take away from the words of Revelation. This would include a literal editing of the text, but it also implies attempts to twist, ignore, or insert meanings or interpretations. While the dire warning is technically aimed at the book of revelation itself, that general principle is found elsewhere in reference to all of God’s inspired Word (1 Corinthians 4:6; Luke 4:1–13; John 10:35). John completes his message with a final statement from Jesus proclaiming His imminent return, and a prayer for grace (Revelation 22:16–21).