"Come, Lord Jesus"

Today's Reading

Read Revelation 22:6-21: The closing of the book — and the closing of the Bible. Angel testimony, warnings, promises, and the great invitation: "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

Then read Revelation 22:17 again, slowly and carefully.

Reflection

We have reached the end — not only of Revelation but of the entire biblical canon. And the Bible's final words are not what many people expect. There is no grand theological summary. No systematic creed. No timetable of the last days. Instead, there is an invitation.

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.'"

Three invitations are woven together in this single verse. First, the Spirit and the Bride (the church) invite Christ to return — "Come, Lord Jesus." This is the ancient prayer Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22), the cry of a people who love their Lord and long for His appearing.

Second, anyone who hears is invited to add their voice: "Let the one who hears say, 'Come.'" The invitation is not reserved for clergy or theologians. Every believer joins the cry.

Third — and this is breathtaking — the invitation turns outward: "Let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price." Even at the very end of the Bible, the door is open. Grace is extended. The water of life is free.

N.T. Wright captures the openness of this ending:

"The closing of Revelation is an open door, not a closed one. It ends with an invitation: 'Come.' The Spirit and the Bride say it. Anyone who hears may say it. 'Come, Lord Jesus.' The Bible ends not with a conclusion but with an invitation."

The very last verse of the Bible reads: "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." Grace. That is the final word. Not wrath, not judgment, not destruction — grace. The book that has depicted the fall of empires and the overthrow of evil ends with a benediction of grace.

"Revelation is not a book of fear. It is a book of worship. It begins and ends with blessing. Its final word is grace."

Going Deeper

Over fourteen days, we have walked through Revelation from the risen Christ standing among His churches to the new Jerusalem descending from heaven. The book that many Christians avoid out of fear turns out to be one of the most hope-saturated texts in all of Scripture.

Here is what Revelation has taught us: The Lamb is on the throne. The dragon is defeated. The empires that defy God will fall. God's people are called to faithful witness, even at great cost. And the end of the story is not destruction but renewal — a new heaven and new earth, God dwelling with His people, every tear wiped away, and the water of life flowing freely.

Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.