Keep these words: Come, Lord Jesus
Revelation · Draft · BSB
Content revision: 0690164f8a29d482 · No editorial review date recorded
Date: Revelation 22 · reading sequence. This is the order of the book. It does not assign a calendar date to a vision or choose one scheme of fulfillment.
The closing words affirm the testimony’s trustworthiness, redirect worship to God, invite the thirsty to receive life, warn against altering the prophecy, and end with a prayer for Jesus’ coming and a blessing of grace.
The conclusion returns to the book’s opening emphasis on hearing and keeping what has been given. John again tries to worship the angel and is corrected. The invitation to drink freely is accompanied by warnings, so hope and moral seriousness remain together. The command not to seal the prophecy contrasts with Daniel’s sealing language. The repeated promise of coming soon has generated differing interpretations and must not be converted into an asserted modern date. The warnings about adding or subtracting refer explicitly here to the words of this prophetic book.
Primary Scripture
22:6 Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel to show His servants what must soon take place.”
22:7 “Behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of prophecy in this book.”
22:8 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.
22:9 But he said to me, “Do not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God!”
22:10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy in this book, because the time is near.
22:11 Let the unrighteous continue to be unrighteous, and the vile continue to be vile; let the righteous continue to practice righteousness, and the holy continue to be holy.”
22:12 “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
22:14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by its gates.
22:15 But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star.”
22:17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let the one who hears say, “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come, and the one who desires the water of life drink freely.
22:18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book.
22:19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and the holy city, which are described in this book.
22:20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
22:21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.
Related Scripture
These readings illuminate biblical language and themes. Connections do not by themselves settle the timing or every interpretation of the vision.
Moses’ warning against adding to or subtracting from the command provides a useful comparison, while each warning retains its own setting.
Daniel is told to seal his book; Revelation’s instruction not to seal highlights its announced urgency.
Isaiah’s free invitation to the thirsty helps illuminate the concluding offer of the water of life.
Reformed / PCA teaching perspective
Editorial teaching note · Draft for pastoral review · Not an official PCA publication
Christ’s promised coming calls believers to watchfulness, holiness and comfort. Scripture remains the supreme rule: Westminster’s subordinate standards summarize its teaching and cannot add revelation or override it.
Confessional basis
Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF), subordinate to Scripture.
Read with this lesson
The conclusion joins invitation, warning, prayer and grace.
Interpretive distinction
The warning concerns this prophetic book in its immediate setting. A confession is a fallible subordinate summary of Scripture, not an addition to the biblical canon or a new revelation.
Discuss
How can the prayer for Jesus’ coming shape the way we live and teach this week?
Location evidence
Visionary setting; no geographic pin or route. The background map shows the historical recipients in western Asia Minor, not the location of this vision.
No event map marker is assigned. Do not infer an exact venue from related places.
For the class
What response does the book ask from its hearers as they return to ordinary life?
Interpretation and reuse
Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.
Record source: editorial (content/authored/revelation.json)
Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.
Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.
Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm