When John receives this vision of a renewed heaven and earth where God himself will live with his people, he is still a prisoner on Patmos (Revelation 1:9). Similarly, the churches that will receive John’s written copy of Jesus’ revelation still live in a broken world with many tears and afflictions (Revelation 12:14, Revelation 12:17). Understandably, John and his readers—that includes us!—long eagerly for the day when the harmony mentioned in this paragraph has become reality. In keeping with the wilderness motif of Revelation 12:14, John employs the imagery of thirst for water to describe that longing. God is calling all those who are thirsty for righteousness and life in communion with Christ (see further Isaiah 55:1–3; Matthew 5:6; Revelation 7:17; Revelation 22:1). In reply, God promises to satisfy that thirst from the spring of the water of life.
6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.