Revelation 22:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

NIV: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."

NASB: I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you of these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.'

CSB: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star."

NLT: 'I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne. I am the bright morning star.'

KJV: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

NKJV: “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”

Jesus had sent His angel to deliver the message of Revelation to the apostle John. He said the message of Revelation is "for the churches." Presumably, churches should be teaching and heeding the contents of this last book of the Bible. To ignore the book of Revelation is tantamount to rejecting the gift Jesus has presented to the churches.

This verse also tells us Jesus is "the root and the descendant of David" and "the bright morning star." Jesus was born as a descendant of King David (Matthew 1:1, 6–16) He is the rightful heir to the kingdom God promised to David (2 Samuel 7:12–16). The angel Gabriel prophesied that Jesus would reign over His kingdom from the throne of His father David (Luke 1:31–33). But Jesus is also "the bright morning star." Malachi 4:2 promises Israel that the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings. Revelation 22:16 identifies Jesus as "the bright morning star." Just as the morning star appears before the sun rises, so Jesus will come for the church before he returns to restore Israel to himself.

Revelation 22:14–21 concludes the epilogue begun in verse 6. It contains promises, blessing, an invitation, a warning, and a benediction. The Old Testament closed with the promise that the sun of righteousness will arise with healing in its wings (Malachi 4:2). The New Testament closes with the promise that the ''bright and morning star'' will come. Just as the morning star appears before the sun arises, so Jesus will come for the church before He returns to restore Israel to Himself.

John sees additional images of New Jerusalem. The city's depiction stands in contrast to the ruin experienced during the tribulation, and evokes comparisons to the garden of Eden from the book of Genesis. After this, John relates several commands and messages from Jesus Christ. Among these are a dire warning not to manipulate the words of this message. Revelation, along with the canon of Scripture, ends with a benediction and prayer for Jesus to return.

This passage completes the description of New Jerusalem. Earlier chapters in Revelation described the final judgments against sin and death. Genesis chapter 3 described humanity's loss of paradise; Revelation 22 describes paradise regained. Concluding remarks by Jesus begin in verse 6 and continue through verse 20. Verse 21 records the apostle John's benediction, which marks the end of the New Testament canon.

The word ''revelation'' means ''an unveiling or disclosure.'' This writing unveils future events such as the rapture, three series of judgments that will fall on the earth during the tribulation, the emergence of the Antichrist, the persecution of Israel and her amazing revival, as well as Jesus' second coming with His saints to the earth, the judgment of Satan and his followers, and finally, the eternal state. This content, combined with the original Greek term apokalypsis, is why we now refer to an end-of-the-world scenario as ''an apocalypse.''