The Water and the Tree of Life; the Service and the Kingdom of God's Servants. Chap. 22 Revelation 22:1-5 1. _pure_ Should be omitted. _river of water of life_ See Revelation 7:17; Revelation 21:6. _clear_ BRIGHT would perhaps be more accurate. _proceeding out of the throne_&c. In Ezekiel's visio... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the midst … of the river_ The picture is, almost certainly, that the river runs along the broad high-street or piazza (see on Revelation 11:8; Revelation 21:21, and note that, if the mountain be pyramidal, the "street" is cruciform), and rows or plantations, all of the one tree, stand along the... [ Continue Reading ]
_no more curse_ The word for "curse" is rather peculiar; it is no doubt meant as a translation of that rendered "utter destruction" in Zechariah 14:11, of which this verse is a reminiscence. _the throne_&c. Implied already in Revelation 21:23 and Revelation 22:1. Interpreters compare the last words... [ Continue Reading ]
_shall see his face_ This is the _locus classicus_for what constitutes the blessedness of heaven, the "Beatific Vision." It is intimated in Job 19:26 and in Isaiah 52:8, where there may be an allusion to the privilege of Moses, Exodus 33:11; Numbers 12:8; Deuteronomy 34:10. In the last verse of Psal... [ Continue Reading ]
_there_ Read, ANY MORE. See Revelation 21:25. _they need no candle_&c. Read, THEY HAVE NO NEED OF LIGHT OF LAMP, NEITHER OF LIGHT OF SUN. _giveth them light_ Read, SHALL GIVE LIGHT UPON THEM. Here end the visions.... [ Continue Reading ]
The Confirmation of the Promise; the Error of the Seer, Revelation 22:6-11 6. _And he said unto me_ Who speaks? the angel of Revelation 21:9, or "He that sitteth upon the throne," as in Revelation 21:5-8, or Christ as in Revelation 22:16? Probably, an angel speaks in the name of Christ: and this le... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold_ Read, AND BEHOLD. _I come quickly_ Spoken no doubt in the _name_of Christ, though hardly by Him. Cf. Revelation 3:11, and Revelation 22:12_; Revelation 22:20_. _blessed_is _he that keepeth_&c. Revelation 1:3. "Sayings" should again be WORDS, as in the parallel passage.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And I John saw_&c. Lit. AND I JOHN [AM] HE THAT SAW AND HEARD (or "heard and saw") THESE THINGS. It is possible to connect these words with the immediately preceding sentence, regarding it, not as a continuation of the angel's speech, but as the beginning of St John's reflexion, "Blessed is he that... [ Continue Reading ]
_for_ should be omitted. _thy brethren the prophets_ It has been recognised in Revelation 22:6, that St John is a prophet, and shares in the special blessedness given to prophets. But at the same time "they which keep the words of this book," though not prophets, share that blessedness with them. S... [ Continue Reading ]
_he saith_ Still, probably, the same angel. He speaks still more unmistakeably in Christ's person, now that St John understands beyond mistake that he is not Christ Himself. _Seal not_&c. Pointedly contrasted with Daniel 12:4; Daniel 12:9. In Daniel's time, both the coming of Antichrist and the deli... [ Continue Reading ]
_He that is unjust_&c. The sense is generally understood to be, "The time is so short, that it is too late to change: for good or evil, you must go on as you are;" a solemn and terrible irony, like "Sleep on now, and take your rest," to the Disciples who had missed their opportunity. As that was fol... [ Continue Reading ]
The Witness of the Lord, Revelation 22:12-16 12. _I come quickly_ Of course He Who "comes" is the Lord Jesus: but we are probably not to imagine that He is personally present the angel still speaks in His name. _my reward_is _with me_ Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 62:11. _to give every man_ Better, TO REND... [ Continue Reading ]
_I am Alpha_&c. Song of Solomon 1:8 (not 11). There the Father speaks, here the Son. _the beginning_&c. The true order seems to be THE FIRST AND THE LAST, THE BEGINNING AND THE END.... [ Continue Reading ]
_that do his commandments_ Read, THAT WASH THEIR ROBES: cf. Revelation 7:14. The change from one reading to the other is in the Greek only one of a few letters; it seems uncalled for to charge the copyists who introduced the received reading with a wish to substitute justification by works for justi... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_ should be omitted. _dogs_&c. The articles should be expressed, "_the_dogs, and the sorcerers (see on Revelation 9:21; Revelation 21:8), and the fornicators, and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone that loveth &c." _maketh_ Or DOETH: the word is the same as in St John's I Eph 1:6. T... [ Continue Reading ]
_I Jesus_ Here only does our Lord reveal His Name, though from Revelation 1:13; Revelation 1:18 onwards, it has been obvious that He is the revealer; as was expressed in the title, Revelation 1:1. Whether He is _personally_present, however, is doubtful: the words are His, but it is probably still th... [ Continue Reading ]
The Spirit and the Bride, Revelation 22:17 17. _And the Spirit_&c. "The Bride" is, it is here implied, the Church on earth, imploring her Lord about to come to her. But the Bride throughout this book has been the perfect or heavenly Church; notice the identification of the Church in both states. No... [ Continue Reading ]
The final Testimony of the Seer and his Benediction, Revelation 22:18-21 18. _For I testify_ Omit "for." _If any_man _shall add_&c. Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32. The parallel of those passages proves, that the curse denounced is on those who interpolate unauthorised _doctrines_in the prophecy... [ Continue Reading ]
_out of the book of life_ Read FROM THE TREE OF LIFE. _and_from &c. "and" should be omitted, the sense being, "from the Tree of Life, out of the Holy City, in short, from all the good things written &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Surely_ The word is that rendered EVEN SO in Revelation 1:7, and in the next clause here, and which might be better rendered YEA. It should be omitted in the next clause, so that the whole will read, "He that testifieth these things saith, -Yea [in answer to the prayers of Revelation 22:17] I come... [ Continue Reading ]
_our Lord Jesus Christ_ Read only, THE LORD JESUS. _with you all_ We should read either only WITH ALL, or more probably WITH THE SAINTS. Many authorities omit "Amen" here, as after the benedictions ending many of St Paul's Epistles.... [ Continue Reading ]