Revelation 2:7

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

He that hath an ear. This clause precedes the promise in the first three addresses, succeeds to it in the last four. Thus, the promises are enclosed on both sides with the precept urging the deepest attention to most momentous truths. Every man "hath an ear" naturally; he alone will be able to hear spiritually to whom God has given "the hearing ear;" whose 'ear God hath wakened' and "opened" (). Compare 'faith, the ears of the soul' (Clemens Alexandrinus).

The Spirit saith - what Christ saith; so one are the Second and Third Persons.

Unto the churches - not merely to the particular, but to the universal, Church.

Give ... the tree of life. The promise corresponds to the faithfulness. They who refrain from Nicolaitane indulgences () and idol meats (Revelation 2:14) shall eat of meat infinitely superior-namely, the fruit of the tree of life, and the hidden manna ().

Overcometh - in John's gospel (Rev. 16:33 ) and first letter, (Revelation 2:13; Revelation 5:4) an object follows-namely, 'the world,' 'the wicked one.' Here, where the final issue is spoken of, the conqueror is named absolutely. Paul uses a similar image, 1 Corinthians 9:24; ; not the same as John's, except .

Will I give - as Judge. The tree of life in Paradise, lost by the fall, is restored by the Redeemer. Compare ; ; ; ; prophetically, ; ; : cf. . These introductory addresses are linked closely to the body of Revelation. Thus, the tree of life here, with ; deliverance from the second death (), with ; ; the new name (), with ; power over the nations (), with ; the morning star (), with ; the white raiment (), with ; ; the name in the book of life (), with ; ; the new Jerusalem and its citizenship (), with .

In the midst of the paradise. 'Aleph (') A B C h, Vulgate, omit "the midst of." In , appropriate; for there were other trees in the garden, but not in the midst of it. Here the tree of life is simply in the paradise; for no other tree is mentioned in it. In Rev. 29:2 , the tree of life is 'in the midst of the street of Jerusalem;' from this the clause was inserted here. Paradise (Persian), originally any garden of delight: then specially Eden: then the temporary abode of pious souls: then "the paradise of God," the third heaven, the immediate presence of God ().

Of God - () 'Aleph (') A C; but B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and Cyprian, 'MY God,' as . So Christ calls God " My God and your God" (: cf. ). God is our God, as being peculiarly Christ's God. The main bliss of Paradise is, it is the Paradise of God: God dwells there (). We lost in Adam the paradise of man; we gain in Christ the paradise of God. We were driven out of that: we 'go no more out' of this.