Revelation 22

Eternity

Beasley-Murray comments, "grace will have the last word." The story of the Bible begins with a wonderful description of paradise in Eden, but then the fall of humankind as they fail to honour God rightly. Many bibles give the title "Eden restored" to this section, and it is easy to see why.

The final chapter of Revelation, the final chapter of the Christian Bible, functions as an anticipation of what is to come. The whole of the vision gives us an insight into the spiritual realities of our present circumstances, and especially offers hope to those who are suffering.

A sample of the future

Just like those supermarket stalls that offer you a tiny piece of cheese to encourage you to buy the whole block, this chapter reminds us that we have now, even at its very best, is only a foretaste of what is to come.

We have the tree and the river that are provided for our healing, and the healing of the nations. The tree of life featured in the garden of Eden, alongside the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Part of the curse that fell upon Adam and Eve and hence all humanity was the banishment from the Garden, and being no longer able to eat from the tree of life. That access is restored in the new heaven and the new earth, and will be for all the nations.

The curse is removed! The tree of life is now for all, and there will be no more toil, or pain, or sickness or dying. We will live in the light of heaven and have face to face access to the Lord God.

Our worship will be pure

The radiant glory of heaven causes John to want to worship, and he begins to direct his worship towards the angel who has showed him such beauty. The angel immediately refuses his worship and directs him to worship God.

There is a long standing feature of Jewish literature that includes an 'angelic refusal tradition', where angels

refuse worship and direct it rightly to God, as we see here. This actually highlights something else for us. Some critics will say that Jesus Christ is not honoured as divine in the New Testament, and that this is a later development. However in Revelation, worship is directed to Christ and he does not refuse it. This passage reminds us that worship is properly directed to the Creator, not to created beings. Since Christ is shown receiving worship we know that he is qualified for this, that he too is the Creator of the universe.

It also reminds us that sometimes when we see a lovely building or painting or sunset, we are impressed. We say, "Wow!" We don't always immediately thank God for his goodness, however! In the new creation our worship will be more properly focused on the Source of all.

The joy of the good news

As we draw to the end of the passage we are reminded of the importance of the good news. We are reminded that there is a division between those whose names are in the book of life, and those who are outside. Some may look at the list in verse 15 and think that there are not included: "those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood". However, it must be remembered that if we put anything in the place that is rightfully occupied by God, however good that is, we are practising idolatry. If family comes first in our lives, or a charitable cause, or our partner, or our heath and fitness, and we don't place a priority on the worship of God, and pleasing him, then we are idolaters.

This may sound tough, but there is a simple invitation at the end to "come". To all those who are thirsty. To all those who want to drink from the river of life, the call is to come. Come to Jesus, who is the Bright Morning Star, and in him find mercy, forgiveness and true meaning and fulfilment in life. This is a free gift, which is not earned by our good works, but by simply and humbly coming to Jesus with empty hands.

This is grace. In coming to Christ, we can receive what we have not earned. We receive the right to feed from the tree of life, and to enter into the gates of this wonderful city.

Grace will have the final word? Indeed it shall.