These verses bring to a close the description of the New Jerusalem, and it is unfortunate that, in our Authorised Version, they should have been separated as they are from the parts of the same description contained in chap. 21. The verses are framed with an obvious reference to the Paradise of Gene... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:1. AND HE SHOWED ME A RIVER OF WATER OF LIFT, BRIGHT AS CRYSTAL, PROCEEDING OUT OF THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB. No scenery is complete without water; and more especially to the Jew, accustomed to a burning climate and a thirsty land, water was the constant symbol of all that was... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:2. IN THE MIDST OF THE STREET OF IT. These words are best connected with the words immediately preceding, and they thus describe the course of the river. We are again, as in chap. Revelation 21:21, to understand the word ‘street' genetically, so that the picture presented to us is that... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:3. AND THERE SHALL BE NO MORE ANYTHING ACCURSED, anything upon which the curse of the Almighty rests, and fit only to be cast out of His presence. AND THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB SHALL BE IN IT. What throne is this? The three clauses that follow appear to show that it is the th... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:4. AND THEY SHALL SEE HIS FACE. It had been said to Moses by the Almighty, ‘Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see Me, and live' (Exodus 33:20). But the blessing denied to the great leader of the hosts of Israel is granted to those who are taken up into the Mount with G... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:5. AND THERE SHALL BE NIGHT NO MORE. We have already had a similar statement in chap. Revelation 21:25, but it is now repeated in a different connection and with a different purpose. Then it was to indicate that the gates of the city shall be continually open, so that the redeemed may... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:6. AND HE SAID UNTO ME, THESE WORDS ARE FAITHFUL AND TRUE (comp. on chap. Revelation 21:5). There is no ground to think that we have here a recapitulation by St. John himself of the things that had been spoken to him. We hear rather the words of the angel who has been throughout the wh... [ Continue Reading ]
The Apocalypse began with a Prologue. As in the case of the Fourth Gospel, it now ends with a corresponding Epilogue, in which the great importance of all the revelations it had contained is again set before us, and we are urged anew to the acceptance of the blessings and an avoidance of the plagues... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:7. AND BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY. The Lord Himself is introduced as the speaker, as He at once summarises the contents of the book, and presents to His Church that theme which was her encouragement and hope amidst all her troubles. The words are not to be regarded as those of the angel. T... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:8. AND I, JOHN, AM HE THAT HEARD AND SAW THESE THINGS. Once more, as at chap. Revelation 1:1; Revelation 1:4, the Seer names himself, thus again binding together the opening and closing paragraphs of his book, a clear proof that by the words ‘these things' we are to understand the cont... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:9. The angel forbids the worship that would have been paid him, and adds, I AM A FELLOW-SERVANT WITH THEE, AND WITH THY BRETHREN THE PROPHETS, AND WITH THEM WHICH KEEP THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK: WORSHIP GOD. Before God alone must all His creatures bow. All are only His ‘servants,' and it... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:10. AND HE SAITH UNTO ME, SEAL NOT UP THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK, FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND. At chap. Revelation 1:19 St. John had been commanded to ‘write,' now he is commanded to proclaim what he had written. The Apocalypse was not to be a sealed and hidden book like that o... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:11. HE THAT IS UNRIGHTEOUS, LET HIM DO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS STILL: AND HE THAT IS FILTHY, LET HIM BE MADE FILTHY STILL: HE THAT IS RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM DO RIGHTEOUSNESS STILL: AND HE THAT IS HOLY, LET HIM BE MADE HOLY STILL. It is not possible to separate these words from the last clause of R... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:12. In conformity with the general tenor of the Apocalypse, this verse is to be regarded as addressed only to the righteous. The word _reward_ in it is not to be understood in a neutral sense, but as indicating what it naturally means. Every man whose _work_ is pleasing to the Lord sha... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:13. I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END. These words confirm the statement made in the PREVIOUS VERSE (comp. chap. Revelation 21:6). They take us back also to chap. Revelation 1:8.... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:14. BLESSED ARE THEY THAT WASH THEIR ROBES, THAT THEY MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN BY THE GATES INTO THE CITY. The thought of the blessed ‘reward' that had been spoken of fills the mind of Him who is to bestow it, and He accordingly continues in this and the... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:15. WITHOUT ARE THE DOGS, AND THE SORCERERS, AND THE FORNICATORS, AND THE MURDERERS, AND THE IDOLATERS, AND WHOSOEVER LOVETH AND MAKETH A LIE. These words appear to be added, net so much for the sake of telling us what shall be the fate of the sinful classes mentioned, as for the sake... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:16. I JESUS HAVE SENT MINE ANGEL TO TESTIFY UNTO YOU THESE THINGS FOR THE CHURCHES. The closing message of the Book begins with these words, and it comes from Him who only here, and in His words to Saul (Acts 9:5), calls Himself by the name ‘Jesus.' The word, therefore, must be underst... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:17. AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST COME. HE THAT WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY. It is not easy to determine exactly the bearing of the different clauses of this verse, and much diversity of opinion p... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:18-19. It seems best to suppose that we have the Apostle before us as the speaker in this verse. Nothing in it is stronger, or more incompatible with what we know of his meekness and humility, than are the words of chap. Revelation 1:3 to a very similar effect. Besides, we have not so... [ Continue Reading ]
Revelation 22:20. HE WHICH TESTIFIETH THESE THINGS SAITH YEA: I COME QUICKLY. AMEN: COME, LORD JESUS. The structure of this verse resembles what we have already found to be that of Revelation 22:17, an exchange of sentiment between the Lord and the believer. Jesus Himself speaks first, testifying to... [ Continue Reading ]