The Water of Life

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”Revelation 22:1 · 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.”Revelation 22:17 · KJV

The last chapter of the Bible has a river in it, “clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev 22:1), and the last invitation stands on its bank: “let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (22:17).

Three words carry the whole offer. Ho thelōn, “whosoever will,” the one who wants it, no other qualifier. Labetō, “let him take,” the man does the taking. Dōrean, “freely,” as a gift, the same word Paul uses for being “justified freely by his grace” (Rom 3:24). Isaiah wrote the invitation first: “every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money” (Isa 55:1), and Jesus stood up in the temple and said it aloud: “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink” (John 7:37). The condition is thirst. The price is paid. The verb is take.