"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.” (Revelation 22:17)
Let me say to start with that the Twenty-second Chapter of Revelation is worth reading in its entirety, containing as it does the final message of the Triune God to mankind. It depicts the water of life, as clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; of the tree of life; and of the removal of the curse because of sin. I depicts a place where there is no night and a place where the curse of sin has been removed. All is holy and bright with the light of God.
It is worth remembering that the whole of the Book of Revelation was given "to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass” (Rev. 1:1) and which is reiterated in Ch. 22:6. It is God’s last message to fallen humanity, and warns of unparalled judgement in a day that is shortly to come to pass culminating in the judgement of the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15) and then the New Heaven and the New Earth in Rev. 21:1. At that point the opportunity for salvation has gone and gone forever. Let us remember that "it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).
This makes it all the more important to read and learn from the Book of Revelation, bearing in mind that it is the only book concerning which there is said to be a special blessing in reading. (Rev. 1:3).
What is also remarkable that in the light of these impending judgements the word from God, who delights not in the death of any, should offer an unconditional invitation to ‘Come.’ God, the Lamb, the Spirit, the Bride, the whole company of the redeemed are involved in this invitation to those who have not yet come to do so while the opportunity remains. They are invited to "drink of the water of life freely.” We need do no more. It is God’s last word to mankind and reflects his matchless grace.
Let me conclude by quoting from John’s Gospel: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) (John 7:35-39).
Let us ask ourselves the question: have we come to Christ and believed on him. Have we truly come to him and drunk of the water of life, for only in doing so will we find salvation and life.
Let us call to mind that this offer of life is as a result of the work of the Son of God upon the Cross of Calvary: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."