Water for life

Rev. 21:5-6

5.And He, that sat upon the throne, said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

6.And He said unto me, it is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.

7. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

8. but the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremonger, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Water of life (Rev. 21:5-6)

Clearly God is the one speaking: “Behold, I make all things new” (vs.5). As the sovereign Creator, God announces that He is making everything new. “The transformation that Paul saw taking place in the lives of believers (II Cor. 3: 18; 4:16-18; 5:16-17) will have its counterpart on a cosmic scale when a totally new order will replace the old order marred by sin (Mounce).

As elsewhere (Rev. 14:13; 19:9), John was told to write down what he saw. “These words are true and faithful” (21:5), as are all words of Scripture, for they have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.

When God says, “it is done” (vs. 6) it means that from “from God’s vantage point the future is determined” (Mounce). This can be said with certainty because God is Alpha and Omega (the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet), which is a metaphorical way of saying that He is “the beginning and the end”. He is the source and origin of all things. He is the end in the sense that He constitutes their goal or aim (Mounce).

Just as Christ promised “living water” to the Samaritan women (John 4:10), so God promises the hope of drinking from “the fountain of the water of life freely” (Rev. 12:6). Only in the presence of God can anyone find eternal satisfaction.

Wrath of God (Rev. 21:7-8)

One of the themes early in Revelation is that of overcoming. In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus said that those who overcome will eat of the tree of life (2:7), not be harmed by the second death (vs. 11), be given the hidden manna (vs. 17), receive power over the nations (vs. 26), keep their names in the book of life (3:5), be a pillar in God’s

These promises are connected with the perseverance of believers in the midst of trials. We must remember that the faith of the first readers of Revelation was being severely tested. In contrast to those who overcome are those who fail to be faithful disciples of Christ. Heading the list are the “fearful” (21:8), or the cowardly. This may include those who, because of suffering, trials, or persecution, fail to bring forth preserving fruit and fall away. The “unbelieving” may include those who have never come to faith in Christ or those who profess faith but do not really possess it. Some think it refers to “believers who have denied their faith under pressure. The abominable” may include those who have been involved in various vile, pagan practices. Obviously, “murderers” are those who have taken the lives of others especially Christians. “Whoremongers” could be translated “fornicators” or “the immoral,” referring to those guilty of sexual sins. Hebrews 13:4 says, “marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”. “Sorcerers” are those who are involved in witchcraft and the occult. “Idolaters” are those who bow before pagan deities. In the context of Revelation, the worship of the Roman emperor may be in view. Since John emphasized the importance of truth in his writings, the presence of “all liars” in the lake of fire is understandable.

That this list does not include all sins should give no comfort to those guilty of other evils. All who reject Christ will suffer the fate of the “second death” (cf. 20:12-15).