Revelation 22:20

Context

In the closing section of Revelation (22:6–21), Christ says three times, "I come quickly." In verse 17 the Spirit and the bride, that is, the church, say "Come." In verse 20, when He who testifies to all these things renews His promise, John answers on behalf of the church, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." The benediction of verse 21 then brings the whole Bible to a close. The verse thus takes the form of something like a liturgical dialogue in which promise and response are exchanged.

Interpretation

• Maranatha: In 1 Corinthians 16:22, Paul writes the Aramaic word Maranatha untranslated within a Greek letter. Divided as marana tha, the word is a prayer, "Our Lord, come"; divided as maran atha, it is a confession, "Our Lord has come (is coming)." Many scholars favor the former reading, regarding Revelation 22:20 as essentially a Greek rendering of this prayer. The word is also considered important evidence that believers addressed Jesus as "Lord" in prayer as early as the Aramaic-speaking church in Jerusalem.
• Reading it as a liturgical prayer: Because Maranatha appears in the eucharistic prayer of the Didache, an early Christian document, many interpreters hold that this prayer was offered in connection with the Lord's Supper. This also connects with 1 Corinthians 11:26, which describes the Supper as a rite that shows the Lord's death "till he come."
• The meaning of "quickly": As to how "quickly" should be understood now that two thousand years have passed, the common interpretation is that the word signifies certainty and imminence—the tension of a coming that could occur at any moment—rather than a short span of time. 2 Peter 3:8–9 is often cited alongside it.

Questions Concerning Application

This prayer expresses the hope of those who, in the midst of suffering, wait for God's justice and restoration. At the same time, some caution that a faith that awaits the Second Coming must not become an escape that neglects responsibility for this world, while others warn, conversely, that a church that has lost the hope of Christ's return grows complacent in the world.

In the Korean Church

The verse is used in Advent services, New Year's Eve watch-night services, and as a closing prayer at Communion services, and Maranatha is widely used as a name for churches, mission organizations, and praise gatherings.

Related Passages

• 1 Corinthians 16:22
• 1 Corinthians 11:26
• Revelation 22:17
• Titus 2:13