Tool Alpha
Echoes of Revelation
Revelation never quotes the Old Testament outright, yet no New Testament book refers to it more. See both texts side by side, why they don’t match, and what John does with them.
Revelation 22:17, let the thirsty come
Isaiah's call to everyone who is thirsty to come to the waters and take without money echoes in the book's last invitation.
Revelation 22:17, in every translation this tool compares.
A last line that repeats the first invitation sends the guests home with it ringing in their ears. Isaiah called out to the thirsty to come to the waters, and to buy without money. John ends his book with the same invitation. Whoever is thirsty may come, and whoever wants may take the water of life as a free gift.
The thirsty, the call to come, water, and no cost. Isaiah has hoi dipsontes, those who thirst, in Greek; John has ho dipson, the one who thirsts.
Isaiah says buy without money; John says take as a gift (dorean). Isaiah offers wine and milk; John offers the water of life from 22:1. Isaiah says go; John says come, three times. Beale thinks Isaiah's repeated calls are the model for John's.
The whole book closes with an open door. The Spirit and the bride call people to the life the vision has shown. Beale reads all the calls to come as invitations to people; Wright hears the church inviting its neighbours while there is still time.
Not a quotation of Isaiah 55. John borrows Isaiah's open call to the thirsty, to come and take water at no cost, in words of his own.
Beale says John leans on Isaiah 55:1 more plainly here than in 21:6, and that Isaiah's repeated commands to come likely shaped John's three. The Greek of Isaiah 55:1 opens hoi dipsontes, poreuesthe eph' hydor, you who thirst, go to the water, and ends aneu argyriou, without money. John has ho dipson erchestho, ho thelon labeto hydor zoes dorean. Keener cites Isaiah 55:1 and the water of 22:1. The ESV Study Bible says the water is freely given by grace, citing Isaiah 55:1, and the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible says the verse alludes to it. The grade is drawn here as probable: thirst, water and no price together point to Isaiah 55:1.
Who is told to come? Beale takes all the calls as addressed to people, and weighs the reading where the first two calls go to Jesus and the last two to people. The ESV Study Bible separates this come, an invitation to the thirsty, from the prayer of verse 20. MacArthur reads the first come as the Spirit and the church answering Christ's promise to return, and the rest as a free offer to anyone who thirsts.
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-passages\/revelation-22-6-21\/","n":"Revelation 22:6-21, I am coming soon","s":"The angel confirms that the words are trustworthy, and Jesus says he is coming soon. John is told not to seal up the prophecy, since the time is near; those who wash their robes may enter the city while dogs, sorcerers and liars stay outside. The book closes with the Spirit and the bride saying come, a warning against adding to or taking from it, and the prayer, come, Lord Jesus.","r":"Revelation 22:6-21"}
- G. K. Beale, The Book of Revelation (New International Greek Testament Commentary), comment on 22:17
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Revelation 22:17
- ESV Study Bible, note on Revelation 22:17
- NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, note on Revelation 22:17
- N. T. Wright, Revelation for Everyone, comment on Revelation 22:8-21
- Septuagint, Isaiah 55:1, Interlinear Greek-English Septuagint
- SBL Greek New Testament (MorphGNT), Revelation 22:17
- John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (ESV), note on Revelation 22:17
