What did Jesus mean when He said: “I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20)?

Followers of Jesus Christ eagerly anticipate His promised return (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 16:22). Although Jesus didn’t specify when He would come back, He did speak of its nearness, saying, “I am coming quickly” (Revelation 22:20, NASB). In other translations, He says, “I am coming soon” (NIV, NLT, ESV). Jesus’ words emphasize imminence—meaning He could return at any moment, since no other prophecy needs to be fulfilled before this happens.

Jesus’ imminent return is a theme of Revelation. His words in Revelation 22:20—“I am coming quickly” —mark the third time in the book’s last chapter that John records this declaration (Revelation 22:7, 12). The book opened with the same reminder: “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near” (Revelation 1:3, ESV; emphasis added). The terms “quickly,” “soon,” and “near” do not convey an exact number of hours, days, or years. Instead, they express that the next prophetic event could happen at any time.

The words “quickly” and “soon” are translations of the Greek word tachy. In the New Testament, this word can refer to something that will happen immediately (e.g., Matthew 28:7–8). Yet it can also refer to an event that will occur in the future. For example, Jesus used the word tachy when He told His followers that He would judge their enemies in the future: “I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8; emphasis added). As in Revelation 22:20, “quickly” in Luke 18:8 does not mean “immediately.” The second half of Luke 18:8 clarifies this by referring to Jesus’ future return. The apostle Paul also used tachy in reference to God’s judgment of Satan, which will not occur until the end times: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you” (Romans 16:20; emphasis added). Thus, Jesus and Paul use the same word John does in Revelation 22:20 to describe a future reality, but not necessarily an immediate one.

In contrast, elsewhere in Revelation, when John discusses events that occur immediately, he does not use the word tachy but the word oligos. For example, in Revelation 17:10, a form of oligos is translated as “a little while” (NIV, ESV, NASB). Other translations render it “brief” (NLT) and “a short time” (NKJV). Neither Jesus, John, nor Paul ever used the word oligos to describe Jesus’ return in either the Gospels or Revelation.

The term “quickly” also points to God’s prophetic timeline. The Bible sometimes groups major prophetic events together, even when they are separated by centuries or millennia. For example, the prophet Zechariah foretold Jesus’ first and second coming in consecutive verses. He spoke of His first coming, saying, “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Then he described Jesus’ return: “He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth” (Zechariah 9:10b). Although these events appear to be close together as the passage describes them, they occur thousands of years apart. In a similar way, Jesus’ second coming comes “quickly” after His first coming.

Some interpreters suggest “quickly” implies that Jesus’ return will happen rapidly once it starts, even if it is slow to arrive. Others argue that this idea reads too much into the word, beyond its straightforward meaning.

Christians must exercise patience as they wait for Jesus’ return. Peter reminds them that “with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day” and also that “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:8–9). Jesus’ return is not delayed; it is on schedule according to the Father’s timing (Matthew 24:36).

Since Jesus is coming quickly, believers must “stay awake” and “be ready,” for “the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:42–44). After Jesus states for the last time that He is coming soon in Revelation 22:20, John offers a brief comment: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (NASB). May John’s prayer in the first century be the Church’s prayer today.