Revelation 22:1-21

The Vision ended. The Lord is at Hand

The inner life of the heavenly Jerusalem is described. Then the 'Revelation' closes with the repeated assurance that Christ is at hand, and with the yearnings of the Church and of St. John for the joy of. His advent.

1-5. In the New Jerusalem, the blessed life of Eden is more than restored. There is a river of life (cp. Genesis 2:10), i.e. the Holy Spirit: cp. John 4:14; John 7:37. Cp. also Ezekiel 47:1; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8, in which prophecies the waters come from the Temple: here there is no Temple, and the waters flow from the throne of God, i.e. they are the result of God's immediate presence, and of His fully accepted government (Revelation 22:1). On either side of the river as it flows in the midst of the street is a grove of trees, the tree of life: cp. Genesis 2:9; Ezekiel 47:12. The fruit is always available, for there is a fresh crop every month: cp. the manna, John 6:31. The leaves healed the sin of the 'nations' within the city, and the fruit nourishes their life. In the tree we see the cross on which Christ hung as precious fruit (Revelation 22:2). Now, too, as He became 'a curse for us' (Galatians 3:13), the curse of Eden (cp. Genesis 3:17; Genesis 3:22.) is taken away: cp. Zechariah 14:11. Over the 'sweet societies' of the Redeemed, God and the Lamb reign for ever. The Redeemed offer up worship face to face with God (the 'beatific vision') (cp. Psalms 17:15; Matthew 5:8; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:2) and receive His Name, i.e. are marked as His (see on Revelation 7:3 and Revelation 14:1), and transformed into His likeness (Revelation 22:3.). And as His glory thus shines upon and enters into them, they 'reign,' i.e. their life can develop and expand to its fullest powers, there being no evil ('curse,' Revelation 22:3) in them to be restrained, nor hindering circumstances without to restrain them (Revelation 22:5).