I. THE NEW PARADISE (22:1-5)

In this creation, God reverses all of the tragedies of the original creation. The old heaven and earth are plunged into chaos (Gen. 1:2; but now we have a new heaven and earth where there is perfection. Eden had an earthly river (Gen. 2:10-14); but here we have a wonderful heavenly river. The tree of life in Eden was guarded after man sinned (Gen. 3:24); but here the heavenly tree of life is available. The curse entered in (Gen. 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 men serve God and see God's face in perfect fellowship. When the first man and woman sinned, they became slaves and lost their kingship in Eden. Verse 5 indicates that this kingship will be regained, and we shall reign with Christ forever!

The present creation is not what God intends it to be. It is groaning and travailing under the bondage of sin. (Rom. 8:18-23). But one day, God will usher in His new creation and we will enjoy perfect liberty and fullness of life for all eternity!

II. THE FINAL MESSAGE (22:6-21)

Three times at the close of this book, Christ says "I come quickly." (7,12,20). The word "quickly" does not mean necessarily in John's day; the word suggests "swiftly" and means that when these things begin to occur, there will be no delay. We do not know when Christ will appear, and it behooves us to be ready.

In (Dan. 12:4) the prophet was told to seal up the book, but John is commanded not to seal the book because the "time is at hand." Daniel's words would not be fulfilled for many years; John's prophecy would come to pass shortly. Verse 11 is not an argument for sinners to remain unchanged; otherwise the invitation in (vs. 17) would be a mockery. Instead, (vs. 11) is warning men that continued sin defines a man's character and determines his destiny. "The wicked shall do wickedly," says (Dan. 12:10). When Christ comes, a man's true character will be revealed. Another lesson of this verse is that men make their own decisions; God does not force them to be either wicked or righteous. (Compare 22:15 with 21:8).

The final verses of this book are a plea and a prayer and a promise. In verses (7 & 12), the Lord has said, "I come quickly!" In (vs. 17), the Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" to the Lord Jesus. There is also the invitation to the lost soul 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.

Verses (18-19) are a warning against tampering with God's Word. Satan loves for men to add to the Word or take from the Word, but to do so is to court disaster. (Note Deut. 4:2 and Prov. 30:5-6). Of course, in John's day books were copied by hand, and the copyist might be tempted to "improve" the material. But even today, men add their theories and traditions to God's Word, or take from it whatever does not fit into their scheme of theology.