1Then, he showed me the river of life, clear as crystal, gushing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2In the middle of the city, on both sides of the river, are the trees of life, producing fruit twelve times, once each month, the leaves of which are for healing the nations.
3No longer will there be a curse; the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the City, and God’s servants will live in his presence. 4They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5There will be no more night. They will not need the light of lamp, or sun, for God, himself, will be their light, and they will reign forever.
I am coming soon
6 ① Then, the angel said to me, “These words are sure and true; the LORD God who inspires the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen soon.”
7“I am coming soon! Happy are those who keep the prophetic words of this book.”
8I, John, saw and heard all this. When I had seen and heard them, I fell at the feet of the angel who had shown me everything, to worship him. 9But he said, “No, I am a fellow servant like you and your brothers, the prophets, and those who heed the words of this book. It is God you must worship.”
10He, then, said to me, “Do not keep secret the prophetic words of this book, because the time is near. 11Let the sinner continue to sin, and the defiled remain in his defilement; let the righteous continue to do what is right, and he who is holy grow holier.”
12“I am coming soon, bringing with me the recompense I will pay to each one according to his deeds. 13I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
14Happy are those who wash their robes, for they will have free access to the tree of Life and enter the city through the gates. 15Outside are the dogs, sorcerers, the immoral, murderers, idolaters and all who take pleasure in falsehood!
16“I, Jesus, sent my angel, to make known to you these revelations concerning the Churches. I am the Shoot and Offspring of David, the radiant Morning Star.”
17 ② The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come!” Whoever hears, let him say, “Come!” Whoever thirsts, let him approach, and whoever desires, let him freely take the water of life. 18As for me, I warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will pile on him, the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes away words from this book of prophecy, God will take from him his share in the tree of Life, and the holy city described in this book.
20He who has declared all this says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.
21May the grace of the LORD Jesus be with you all! –
- Rev 22,6 I, John, saw and heard all this. Thus the Bible concludes, and we can recall the parable of the workers hired for the Lord's vineyard (Mt 20). The work in which prophets and writers participated in the course of a day is over. In the first hour the visions with which Genesis begins, and which briefly present the divine vocation of people and the purpose of the world, were written. In the final hour, John, after knowing Christ, the morning sun, has just seen humanity preparing to share the glory of God. It is the final hour, the expected coming of Christ. We know, however, that the final hour may be extended and that the Groom may come late in the night: Christians are watchful, firm in their hope, even as they face the power of darkness. Rev 22,17 Whoever thirsts, let him approach. We already read in 21:6 these words taken from Isaiah 55. The child becomes an adult when he gives up his unlimited wishes and accepts the limitations of reality. God sends us back to childhood when he stirs up within us infinite desires. Let it be done to you as you have asked, that is, what you were able to desire and hope for and believe. Desire is the way God prepares us for the great things he wants to give. It is our first consciousness of his work within us. Desires which are like the seeds of the parable. Many are sown that soon vanish, or we ourselves cut off their wings: This is not for me, it is enough and safer to imitate the good common Christians. Yes, it is safer to live with limited desires, because desire can develop into thirst. Many experience thirst for God but few are those who can bear it. We call it boredom, incapacity to share social life, and the remedy that people of goodwill usually offer to us is to plunge again into activity and to come back to the onions of Egypt (Num 11:15) or, in other words, to love the world. Better keep your thirst and let it grow, and reject any satisfaction that is less than the infinite of God. The time is coming when it will be said: Let him approach.
- Rev 22,6 I, John, saw and heard all this. Thus the Bible concludes, and we can recall the parable of the workers hired for the Lord's vineyard (Mt 20). The work in which prophets and writers participated in the course of a day is over. In the first hour the visions with which Genesis begins, and which briefly present the divine vocation of people and the purpose of the world, were written. In the final hour, John, after knowing Christ, the morning sun, has just seen humanity preparing to share the glory of God. It is the final hour, the expected coming of Christ. We know, however, that the final hour may be extended and that the Groom may come late in the night: Christians are watchful, firm in their hope, even as they face the power of darkness. Rev 22,17 Whoever thirsts, let him approach. We already read in 21:6 these words taken from Isaiah 55. The child becomes an adult when he gives up his unlimited wishes and accepts the limitations of reality. God sends us back to childhood when he stirs up within us infinite desires. Let it be done to you as you have asked, that is, what you were able to desire and hope for and believe. Desire is the way God prepares us for the great things he wants to give. It is our first consciousness of his work within us. Desires which are like the seeds of the parable. Many are sown that soon vanish, or we ourselves cut off their wings: This is not for me, it is enough and safer to imitate the good common Christians. Yes, it is safer to live with limited desires, because desire can develop into thirst. Many experience thirst for God but few are those who can bear it. We call it boredom, incapacity to share social life, and the remedy that people of goodwill usually offer to us is to plunge again into activity and to come back to the onions of Egypt (Num 11:15) or, in other words, to love the world. Better keep your thirst and let it grow, and reject any satisfaction that is less than the infinite of God. The time is coming when it will be said: Let him approach.
