How does the final chapter describe life-water and conclude the prophecy with testimony, invitations and warnings?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

John sees the river and tree of life and promises of service, light and reign; the conclusion affirms the words, invites hearers and warns against adding to or taking from this book’s prophecy.

Chapter breakdown

John is shown a river of life-water clear as crystal from God’s and the Lamb’s throne. In the street’s midst and on both sides of the river is the life tree, bearing twelve fruits and yielding monthly, with leaves for the nations’ healing. There shall be no more curse; servants shall serve, see his face and bear his name on their foreheads. Night shall be no more, and lamp and sun are unneeded because God shall enlighten them; they shall reign forever.

The words are affirmed faithful and true; God sent his angel to show what must be done shortly. A blessing concerns keeping this book’s prophecy. John falls before the angel, who forbids it, identifies himself as fellow servant with prophets and keepers of the words, and commands adoration of God. John must not seal the book because the time is at hand. The printed annotation compares time’s brevity with eternity but explicitly denies certainty about fulfillment dates or particular events. It presents views locating most predictions just before the end, much of them in pagan Rome’s destruction, or mystical representations of persecution, punishment of the wicked and faithful servants’ reward. It names Aleazar, Bossnet and P. Alleman and invokes Jerome’s mysteries in every word. These remain interpretations, not settled dating.

The hurtful, filthy, just and holy are told to continue; the annotation says the first is no license for sin, but indicates wicked progress ending quickly with proportionate punishment. The coming one bears reward according to works and identifies himself as Alpha and Omega, First and Last, Beginning and End. Robe-washers in the Lamb’s blood are blessed that they may have right to the tree and enter the gates. Outside are dogs, sorcerers, unchaste, murderers, idol servers and lovers and makers of lies.

Jesus says his angel testifies to churches and names himself David’s root and stock and the bright morning star. Spirit, bride and hearer say Come, and thirsty or willing people may take life-water freely. Adding to this book’s prophecy brings its plagues; taking away loses one’s part from life’s book, holy city and written things. The testimony closes with Surely, I come quickly; Amen, Come, Lord Jesus, and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to all. The warning concerns this book; it does not separately define the entire canon.

The story inside

Context: John sees life-water and the life tree and receives the conclusion of the prophecy. Stakes: Keepers of the words and robe-washers are blessed; adding or subtracting carries specified consequences. Action: The angel stops John’s adoration, commands adoration of God and tells him not to seal the words. The coming one bears reward according to works; Jesus testifies through his angel to the churches. Consequence: Spirit, bride and hearers say Come, the willing may take life-water freely, and the book ends with a coming testimony, prayer and grace blessing. Limits: The printed annotation explicitly rejects certain fulfillment dating or event matching, offering late-end, pagan-Rome and mystical readings. The warning applies to this book’s prophecy.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The tree bears twelve fruits and yields monthly; its leaves are for nations’ healing, without a medical treatment claim.
2
Time is at hand is annotated against eternity with no certainty about particular predictions or events.
3
The final words ask Come, Lord Jesus and wish his grace to all.

Test your recall

What solemn consequence does Apocalypse 22 pronounce upon anyone who dares to add to or take away from the words of this prophecy?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 140212–140227
22:1. And he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 22:2. In the midst of the street thereof, and on both sides of the river, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits, yielding its fruits every month: and the leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations. 22:3. And there shall be no curse any more: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And his servants shall serve him. 22:4. And they shall see his face: and his name shall be on their foreheads. 22:5. And night shall be no more. And they shall not need the light of the lamp, nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God shall enlighten them. And they shall reign for ever and ever.
Lines 140240–140275
22:9. And he said to me: See thou do it not. For I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets and of them that keep the words of the prophecy of this book. Adore God. 22:10. And he saith to me: Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book. For the time is at hand. For the time is at hand.... That is, when compared to eternity, all time and temporal things vanish, and are but of short duration. As to the time when the chief predictions should come to pass, we have no certainty, as appears by the different opinions, both of the ancient fathers and late interpreters. Many think that most things set down from the 4th chapter to the end, will not be fulfilled till a little time before the end of the world. Others are of opinion, that a great part of them, and particularly the fall of the wicked Babylon, happened at the destruction of paganism, by the destruction of heathen Rome, and its persecuting heathen emperors. Of these interpretations, see Aleazar, in his long commentary; see the learned Bossnet, bishop of Meaux, in his treatise on this Book; and P. Alleman, in his notes on the same Apocalypse, tom. 12, who in his Preface says, that this, in a great measure, may be now looked upon as the opinion followed by the learned men. In fine, others think that St. John’s design was in a mystical way, by metaphors and allegories, to represent the attempts and persecutions of the wicked against the servants of God, the punishments that should in a short time fall upon Babylon, that is, upon all the wicked in general: the eternal happiness and reward, which God had reserved for the pious inhabitants of Jerusalem, that is, for his faithful servants, after their short trials and the tribulations of this mortal life. In the mean time we meet with many profitable instructions and admonitions, which we may easily enough understand: but we have no certainty when we apply these predictions to particular events: for as St. Jerome takes notice, the Apocalypse has as many mysteries as words, or rather mysteries in every word. Apocalypsis Joannis tot habet Sacramenta quot verba—parum dixi, in verbis singulis multiplices latent intelligentiae. Ep. ad Paulin, t. 4. p. 574. Edit. Benedict.
Lines 140286–140319
22:12. Behold, I come quickly: and my reward is with me, to render to every, man according to his works. 22:13. I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 22:14. Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb: that they may have a right to the tree of life and may enter in by the gates into the city. 22:15. Without are dogs and sorcerers and unchaste and murderers and servers of idols and every one that loveth and maketh a lie. 22:16. I, Jesus, have sent my angel, to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and stock of David, the bright and morning star. 22:17. And the spirit and the bride say: Come. And he that heareth, let him say: Come. And he that thirsteth, let him come. And he that will, let him take the water of life, freely. 22:18. For I testify to every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add to these things, God shall add unto him the plagues written in this book. 22:19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book. 22:20. He that giveth testimony of these things, saith: Surely, I come quickly: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 22:21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.