Verse 17 also says, “He who wills, let him take the water of life freely.” This is a call to the thirsty to drink freely of the water of life. If we compare this verse with verse 14, we shall see that in verse 17 we have a call and in verse 14, a promise. Thus, the book of Revelation is concluded with a promise and a call. The promise is the promise of the tree of life, and the call is the call to the water of life.
Verses 18 and 19 say, “I testify to every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.” The “I” in verse 18 should be the Lord Jesus, according to verses 16 and 20, or it could refer to John, according to 1:2. In any case, John was one in spirit with the Lord in this solemn warning.
The first aspect of this warning is not to add anything to the words of the prophecy of this book, and the second aspect is not to take away anything from the words of the prophecy. Those who add will receive the plagues that are spoken of in this book, and those who take away will have their part in the tree of life and the holy city taken away from them. The main items of the plagues unveiled in the book of Revelation are the three woes of the great tribulation and the second death, that is, the perishing of the whole man—spirit, soul, and body—in the lake of fire.
The outstanding features of the blessing revealed in the book of Revelation are the tree of life and the holy city. Whether one will suffer the plagues or share in the blessing depends upon how he deals with the prophecy of this book. We should neither add to it nor take away from it. We must receive it as it is written. Do not add your concept, your thought, your idea, your opinion, your doctrine, your teaching, or your theology to this book. Neither should you take anything away from it. If you add to the book, you will suffer woe; and if you take away from it, you will lose the blessings, mainly the blessing of the tree of life and of the holy city. This is a serious warning. If we hear this warning, we shall take the word in this book exactly as it is written.
Verse 20 says, “He who testifies these things says, Yes, I come quickly, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” The first part of this verse is the Lord’s third warning in this chapter regarding His soon coming. The last part is the apostle John’s prayer and response to the Lord’s warning. It is also the last prayer in the Bible. After reading this book, we should have such a prayer and response—“Come, Lord Jesus!” This was John’s desire expressed as a prayer. Therefore, the whole Bible is concluded with the desire for the Lord’s coming expressed as a prayer.
After this concluding prayer, the writer gives the readers a blessing, saying, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” We need this grace in order to receive this book, to keep it, and to live in it. After seeing all the visions and hearing all the prophecies of this book, we still need the Lord’s grace. Only the grace of the Lord Jesus can enable us to live and walk according to these visions and prophecies. Not only this book, but also the entire Bible, closes with this grace, the grace to experience the all-inclusive Christ and to participate in the Triune God that we may become His eternal corporate expression for the fulfillment of His eternal purpose, that He and we may enjoy absolute satisfaction and complete rest mutually for eternity.