Say: "Come!"

Now it is John's own turn to speak. Out of a heart brimming with appreciation for all that he has seen and heard, he exclaims: "And the spirit and the bride keep on saying: 'Come!' And let anyone hearing say: 'Come!' And let anyone thirsting come; let anyone that wishes take life's water free." (Revelation 22:17) The benefits of Jesus' ransom sacrifice will not be limited to the 144,000, for here is an open invitation. Jehovah's impelling spirit works through the bride class, so that the message continues to be sounded forth with all clarity: "Take life's water free." (See also Isaiah 55:1; 59:21) Anyone who is thirsting for righteousness is invited to "come" and receive of Jehovah's bounty. (Matthew 5:3, 6) How privileged are all of the prospective earthly class who respond to this invitation of the anointed John class!

Since the early 1930's, the growing number of the great crowd has been "hearing" -paying attention to the invitation . Like their anointed fellow slaves, they have attained to a clean standing before Jehovah. They long for the time when New Jerusalem will descend from heaven to channel blessings to humankind. Having heard the rousing message of Revelation, the great crowd not only say"Come!" but actively gather others to Jehovah's organization, training these also to proclaim: "Let anyone thirsting come." So the number of the great crowd continues to grow, as over 3,000,000 of them in more than 200 lands around the earth share with fewer than 9,000 of the anointed bride class in extending the invitation to "take life's water free."

Next, it is Jesus who speaks again, saying: "I am bearing witness to everyone that hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone makes an addition to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this scroll; and if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll." -Revelation 22:18, 19.

Next time: Continue with Say: "Come!"

Revelation Its Grand Climax At Hand! Watchtower Bible And Tract Society,1988