Revelation 22:17; And the Spirit and the Bride Say, Come (2)

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Revelation 22:17 (KJV)  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 

After the picture of the heavenly city in revelation 22:1-5, the prophets and the people of God to whom these two entities correspond (cf. Revelation 16:6; 18:24) long for the consummation of the marriage of the Lamb to His bride. Until this point, “the bride” has applied only to the triumphant people of God in the future, but with relevant oracles she awaits her redemption (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:31-32) (Moffatt).

The view that the invitation addresses an unbelieving world to invite them to wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb rests principally on the last invitation of the verse which clearly has an evangelistic purpose. However, this understanding fails to notice that the audience of the book is the church, not the unbelieving world.

To see “Come” as a petition addressed to Christ, inviting His return makes the best sense in a context that focuses on that event (Revelation 22:7, 12, 20; cf: 22:6, 10).

Revelation 22:7 (KJV)  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Revelation 22:12 (KJV)  And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Revelation 22:20 (KJV)  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 

Revelation 22:6 (KJV)  And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 

Revelation 22:10 (KJV)  And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. 

This approach also agrees with the dominant use of “come” throughout the book (cf. Revelation 1:7 in particular).

Revelation 1:7 (KJV)  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. 

[Robert L. Thomas, Revelation 8-22 – An Exegetical Commentary, Moody, 1995, 509]