By The Rev. Ron Purkey
Guest Columnist

Read Revelation 22:1-21

The Rev. Ron Purkey

“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” (Revelation 22:5).

A New Paradise (Revelation 22:1-5): The present creation is not God’s final product. It is groaning and travailing under the bondage of sin (Romans 8:18-23). One day, God will usher in his new creation, and we will enjoy perfect liberty and fullness of life forever.

In this new creation, God reverses all the tragedies that sin brought to the original creation. The old heaven and earth were plunged into judgment; this new heaven and earth glisten with perfection.

Eden had an earthly river (Genesis 2:10-14); but here we have a wonderful heavenly river. The tree of life in Eden was guarded after man sinned (Genesis 3:24); but here the heavenly tree of life is available to God’s people.

The curse was pronounced in Genesis 3:14-17; but now there is no more curse. Adam and Eve were forced to leave the original paradise and labor for their daily bread; but here mankind serves God and see his face in perfect fellowship. When the first man and woman sinned, they became slaves and lost their kingship; but verse 5 indicates that this kingship will be regained, and we shall reign with Christ forever!

A Final Message (Revelation 22:6-19):Three times at the close of this book Christ says, “I am coming quickly!” (verses 7, 12, 20). The word “quickly” suggests “swiftly.” It means that when these great events start to occur, there will be no delay. We do not know when Christ will appear, and it befits us to be ready.

Revelation 22:11 is not an enticement for sinners to remain unchanged; otherwise the invitation in verse 17 would be a mockery. Instead, Revelation 22:11 is warning us that continued sin defines character and determines destiny. “The wicked shall do wickedly,” says Daniel 12:10.

When Christ comes, our true character will be revealed. Another lesson of this verse is that people make their own decisions; God does not force them to be either wicked or righteous. Compare Revelation 22:15 with 21:8.

The final verses of Revelation present a plea, a prayer, and a promise. In verses 7 and 12, the Lord has said, “I come quickly!” In verse 17, the Holy Spirit and the bride say “Come!” to the Lord Jesus.

The Spirit prays through the church for the return of the Savior. The lost soul is invited to “Come, drink of the water of life!”

The last prayer of the Bible is that of the Holy Spirit through John saying, “Even so come, Lord Jesus!” This ought to be our daily prayer too.

A Second Coming (Revelation 22:20-21): So ends the last book of the Bible, the book of the last things. We can end this study in no better way than to echo the prayer of the Holy Spirit, “Even so come, Lord Jesus!”

Read Ron Purkey’s Bible study outlines free at rcpbibleoutlines.com. Purkey has been an ordained Baptist minister for 50 years.