Revelation 22:5

5 There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever. 1

Revelation 22:5 Meaning and Commentary

Revelation 22:5

And there shall be no night there
This is repeated from ( Revelation 21:25 ) to express the certainty of it, and to observe, that the happiness of this state will greatly lie in the light thereof; it will be one everlasting day, (hmera aiwnov) , "day of eternity", or eternal day, as in ( 2 Peter 3:18 )

and they need no candle, nor the light of the sun;
neither artificial nor natural light; neither the dimmer light of the ceremonial law, under the legal dispensation, which was like a candle lighted up in Judea; nor the more clear light of the Gospel and its ordinances, under the present dispensation, which now will be at an end:

for the Lord God giveth them light;
immediately from himself, without the use of means and ordinances; and in his light the saints will see all things clearly; who will be always communicating it to them, and will be their everlasting light; (See Gill on Revelation 21:23).

and they shall reign for ever and ever;
they are made kings now, and in this state they shall reign with Christ for the space of a thousand years; and when they are ended, they shall not cease to reign; nor will Christ, when he delivers up the kingdom to the Father, for his and their kingdom is an everlasting one, ( Revelation 1:6 ) ( 5:10 ) ( 20:4 ) ( Daniel 7:27 ) and here ends the account of this glorious state of things; what follows is the conclusion of the whole book.

Revelation 22:5 In-Context

3 Nothing that is under God's curse will be found in the city. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him.
4 They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.
5 There shall be no more night, and they will not need lamps or sunlight, because the Lord God will be their light, and they will rule as kings forever and ever.
6 Then the angel said to me, "These words are true and can be trusted. And the Lord God, who gives his Spirit to the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must happen very soon."
7 "Listen!" says Jesus. "I am coming soon! Happy are those who obey the prophetic words in this book!"

Cross References 1

  • 1. 22.5 aIsaiah 60.19; bDaniel 7.18.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.