This week, we shall finish the study
of the book of Revelation.
22:1-5—The New Jerusalem (cont.)—As the angel continues to show John the vision of the New Jerusalem, one cannot help but see a restoration of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:
(1) The city has a “river of life”
a. What is meant by the “river of life”? (7:17; 21:6; Jn. 4:10; 7:37-38)
b. What does its crystal clear quality stand for? (4:6)
(2) The city has the tree of life
a. What does the tree of life stand for? (2:7; Gen. 2:9; 3:22) Note that “To speak of months in reference to the fruit of it is to use human terms of time for eternity of timelessness” (Lenski, 651).
b. What is the use of the leaves?
c. Why do the nations need healing since they will not be cursed anymore (by plagues?)?
(3) The city has the throne of God and of the Lamb
a. Where is the throne now?
b. “Throne” is singular in number: What does it mean that God and the Lamb have the same throne?
c. Who are the servants that will serve Him? (1:3; 1 Cor. 7:22-23)
d. What privileges will they have? (v. 4)
(4) No more night (v. 5)
a. What does night symbolize? (Rom. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:5)
b. Why will the night be over forever?
22:6—The Assurance of the Angelic Messenger
(5) Toward the end of these revelations to John, what does the angelic messenger assure John about?
(6) Is this assurance superfluous? Why or why not?
(7) How does this assurance affirm OT prophecies?
22:7-11—“Behold, I am Coming” (I)
(8) Since He is coming soon, Jesus urges us, the readers of this book of prophecies, to keep its words: What does it mean to “keep” these words of prophecies? (See also 1:3)
(9) The angelic messenger (vv. 8-11)
a. Why does John repeat the mistake he made in 19:10?
b. What does the angel then remind him to do? (v. 10) why? (see Dan. 12:4)
c. How does v. 11 prepare us in approaching the End-time?
22:12-17—“Behold, I am Coming Soon” (II)—In the first iteration of this statement in v. 7, Jesus asks us to keep the words.
(10) In this reiteration, Jesus assures us of His rewards: Can you recall all the rewards He has promised to the Seven Churches (in chapters 2-3)?
(11) Now, as if He is putting His signature to this book of Revelation, how does He address Himself? (v. 13) What is its significance? (see 1:8; 21:6)
(12) A contrast of those within and without the city (vv. 14-15)
a. Who are those who may enter the city? (also see 7:14)
b. What privileges do they (we) have?
c. Who are those outside of the Holy City? (see also 20:15)
(13) What does Jesus call Himself at the very end of this “revelation”? (v. 16)
(14) What might be their significance to the consummation of God’s plan of salvation? (Isa. 11:1, 10; Rom. 1:3; Num. 24:17)
22:17—The Invitation to “Come”
(15) Who are the ones extending this invitation?
(16) To whom is this invitation extended?
(17) What is this invitation about?
22:18-19—The Warning
(18) Why is there the need to give such a warning at this particular time?
(19) Since this is the very end of God’s Word of Revelation, do you think such a warning applies equally to all the books of the Bible? Why or why not?
(20) What might constitute adding or subtracting from God’s Word?
22:20-21—“I am Coming Soon” (III)
(21) Although these words were revealed some 2,000 years ago, and the Lord has yet to come, what does such a repetition of this statement mean?
(22) How does John respond to Jesus’ testimony?
(23) What about you? Do you genuinely look forward to His coming? Why or why not? What difference will it make to how you might live your life?
(24) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?
“On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing fruit twelve corps of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2)
“Throughout chapter 21 John has been using the imagery of a magnificent city to describe the people of God in the glorious and eternal age to come. While the first five verses of chapter 22 continue that description, they also portray the eternal state as Eden restored, thus ‘book-ending’ the Christian Bible. In Genesis we were introduced to the tree of life planted in the middle of the garden (Gen 2:9). To eat of its fruit was to live forever (Gen. 3:22); as a consequence of Adam’s sin, therefore, the first couple were banished from the garden to work the ground cursed with thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:17-18). Now in Revelation we see redeemed humanity back in the garden, able to eat the bountiful fruit of the tree of life (22:1-2). The curse has been removed (cf. 22:3 with Gen. 3:14-24), and God’s people are again privileged to ‘see His face’ (cf. 22:4 with Gen. 3:8) and serve Him. No greater good or more joyous truth could be imagined than eternal fellowship with God and the Lamb! Truly, the unimaginable blessings of Eden have been restored…
"In divine providence, our Bible ends with the ultimate restoration of the original creation. Paul teaches that although the creation is currently in bondage to decay, it nevertheless eagerly awaits the time when it will be liberated from this bondage. This will take place when the children of God are brought into the glorious future prepared for them (Rom. 8:19-21). Although sin has marred the history of the human race, God has, through the redemption wrought by his Son, set into motion a new humanity. In the present age He rules the hearts of all who have turned to Him in faith; in the age to come that reign will find its full completion. Sin will be forever removed and the design of Eden will be totally realized. The book of Revelation is the final chapter in God’s eternal plan for his children. It portrays in imagery of the most evocative kind the glorious future of all who resist the mark of the beast and turn in believing faith to the Lamb. It brings us full circle to the original desires of God in his creation of all that is.”
(NICNT, 398, 401)