The Foundations of the City.

REVELATION, XXII.

The River and Tree of Life. life-(Note, ch. 20. 12, 15.) As all the filth of the old Jerusalem was carried outside of the walls and burnt there, so nothing defiled shall enter the heavenly city but be burnt outside (cf. ch. 22, 15). It is striking that the apostle of love who shows us the glories of the heavenly city, is he also who speaks most plainly of the terrors of hell. On v. 26, 27, ALFORD writes a Note, rash in speculation, about the heathen nations, above what is written, and not at all required by the sacred text: cf. my Note, v. 26. CHAPTER XXII.

standard of God's holy requirements, and also God's accurate guardianship henceforth of even the most minute parts of His Holy city from all evil. twelve thousand furlongs-lit.." to 12,000 stadii:" one thousand furlongs being the space between the several twelve gates. BENGEL makes the length of each side of the city to be 12,000 stadii. The stupendous height, length, and breadth being exactly alike, imply its faultless symmetry, transcending in glory all our most glowing conceptions. 17, hundred...forty...four cubits-Twelve times twelve: the church-number squared. The wall is far beneath the height of the city. measure of a man, Ver. 1-21. THE RIVER OF LIFE: THE TREE OF that is, of the angel-The ordinary measure used by men LIFE: THE OTHER BLESSEDNESSES OF THE REis the measure here used by the angel, distinct from DEEMED. JOHN FORBIDDEN TO WORSHIP THE "the measure of the sanctuary." Men shall then be ANGEL. NEARNESS OF CHRIST'S COMING TO FIX equal to the angels. 18. the building-"the structure" MEN'S ETERNAL STATE. TESTIMONY OF JESUS, HIS [TREGELLES], Greek endomeesis. gold, like...clear glass SPIRIT, And the Bride, ANY ADDITION TO WHICH, -Ideal gold, transparent as no gold here is. [ALFORD.] OR SUBTRACTION FROM WHICH, SHALL BE EterExcellencies will be combined in the heavenly city NALLY PUNISHED. CLOSING BENEDICTION. 1. pure which now seem incompatible. 19. And-So Syriac.-A. B, Vulgate, and HILARY, 22, omit. water of lifeCoptic, and ANDREAS, But A, B, and Vulgate omit. infinitely superior to the typical waters in the first Cf. v. 14 with this verse; also Isaiah, 54. 11. all manner Paradise Genesis, 2. 10-14); and even superior to those of precious stones-Contrast ch. 18. 12 as to the harlot. figurative ones in the millennial Jerusalem (Ezekiel, 47. Babylon. These precious stones constituted the "foun- 1, &c., 12; Zechariah, 14. 8', as the matured fruit is dations." chalcedony - Agate from Chalcedon: semi-superior to the flower. The millennial waters repreopaque, sky-blue, with stripes of other colours, sent full gospel grace; these waters of new Jerusalem [ALFORD.] 20. sardonyx-A gem having the redness of represent gospel-glory perfected. Their continuous the cornelian, and the whiteness of the onyx. sardius flow from God, the Fountain of life, symbolizes the -(Note, ch. 4. 3.) chrysolite-Described by PLINY as uninterrupted continuance of life derived by the saints, transparent, and of a golden brightness, like our topaz: ever fresh, from Him: life in fulness of joy, as well as different from our pale green crystallized chrysolite. perpetual vitality. Like pure crystal, it is free from beryl-of a sea-green colour. topaz-PLINY, 37. 32, every taint: cf. ch. 4. 6, "before the throne a sea of makes it green and transparent, like our chrysolite. glass, like crystal" clear- Greek, "bright." 2. The chrysoprasus-somewhat pale, and having the purple harmonious unity of Scripture is herein exhibited. colour of the amethyst. [PLINY, 37. 20, 21.] jacinth- The Fathers compared it to a ring, an unbroken circle, The flashing violet brightness in the amethyst is diluted returning into itself. Between the events of Genesis in the jacinth. [PLINY, 37. 41.) 21. every several-Greek, and those at the close of the Apocalypse, at least 6000 "each one severally." 22, no temple...God... the temple- or 7000 years intervene; and between Moses the first As God now dwells in the spiritual church. His writer, and John the last, about 1500 years. How strik"temple" (Greek naos, shrine: 1 Corinthians, 3. 17; ing it is that, as in the beginning we found Adam and 6.19), so the church when perfected shall dwell in Him Eve, his bride, in innocence in Paradise, then tempted as ber "temple" (naos: the same Greek). As the by the serpent, and driven from the Tree of life, and church was "His sanctuary" so He is to be their sanc- from the pleasant waters of Eden, yet not without a tuary. Means of grace shall cease when the end of promise of a Redeemer who should crush the serpent: grace is come. Church ordinances shall give place to so at the close, the old serpent cast out for ever by the the God of ordinances. Uninterrupted, immediate, second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who appears direct, communion with Him and the Lamb (cf. John, with His Bride, the church, in a better Paradise, and 4. 23), shall supersede intervening ordinances, 23. in amidst better waters (v. 1); the tree of life also is there it-So Vulgate. But A, B, and ANDREAS read, "(shine) with all its healing properties, not guarded with a on it," or lit.. "for her." the light-Greek, the lamp" flaming sword, but open to all who overcome ch. 2. 7, (Isaiah, 60. 19, 20). The direct light of God and the Lamb and there is no more curse. street of it-e., of the shall make the saints independent of God's creatures, city. on either side of the river-ALFORD translates, the sun and moon, for light. 24. of them which are "In the midst of the street of it (the city) and of the saved...in-A, B, Vulgate, Coptic, and ANDREAS read, river, on one side and on the other" (for the second (the nations shall walk by means of her light?" | Greek enteuthen, A, B, and Syriac read, ekeithen: the omitting of them which are saved." Her brightness sense is the same; cf. Greek, John, 19. 18; thus the shall supply them with light. the kings of the earth-trees were on each side in the middle of the space bewho once had regard only to their own glory, having been converted, now in the new Jerusalem do bring their glory into it, to lay it down at the feet of their God and Lord. and honour-So B. Vulgate, and Syriac. But A omits the clause. 25. not be shut...by day-therefore shall never be shut for it shall always be day. Gates are usually shut by night: but in it shall be no night. There shall be continual free ingress into it, so as that all which is blessed and glorious may continually be brought into it. So in the millennial type. 26. All that was truly glorious and excellent in the earth and its converted nations shall be gathered into it; and whilst all shall form one Bride, there shall be various orders among the redeemed, analogous to the divisions of nations on earth constituting the one great human family, and to the various orders of angels. 27. any thing that defileth-Greek koinoun. A, B, read koinon]. "anything unclean." in the Lamb's book of

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tween the street and the river. But from Ezekiel, 47. 7, I prefer English Version. The antitype exceeds the type: in the first Paradise was only one tree of life: now there are "very many trees at the bank of the river, on the one side and on the other." To make good sense, supposing there to be but one tree, we should either, as Mede, suppose that the Greek for street is a plain washed on both sides by the river (as the first Paradise was washed on one side by the Tigris, on the other by the Euphrates), and that in the midst of the plain, which itself is in the midst of the river's branches, stood the tree; in which case we may translate, "In the midst of the street (plain) itself. and of the river (having two branches flowing) on this and on that side, was there the tree of life." Or else with DURHAM suppose, the tree was in the midst of the river. and extending its branches to both banks But cf. Ezekiel, 47. 12, the millennial type of the final

God

The Angel will not be Worshipped.

Paradise; which shows that there are several trees of, to believe that God is as good as He is. The news the one kind, all termed "the tree of life." Death seems to us, habituated as we are to the misery of reigns now because of sin: even in the millennial earth this fallen world, too good to be true. [NANGLE.] sin, and therefore death, though much limited, shall They are no dreams of a visionary, but the realities not altogether cease. But in the final and heavenly of God's sure word. holy-So ANDREAS. But A. B, city on earth, sin and death shall utterly cease. yielded Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic read, "the Lord God of her fruit every month- Greek, "according to each the) spirits (of the prophets).' The Lord God who month" each month had its own proper fruit, just as with His Spirit inspired their spirits so as to be able different seasons are now marked by their own pro- to prophesy. There is but One Spirit, but individual ductions: only that then, unlike now, there shall be prophets, according to the measure given them (1 Cono season without its fruit, and there shall be an endless rinthians, 12. 4-11], had their own spirits [BENGEL] variety, answering to twelve, the number symbolical (1 Peter, 1. 11; 2 Peter, 1. 21). be done-Greek, "come to of the world-wide church (cf. Notes, ch. 12. 1; 21. 14). pass." 7. "And" is omitted in Coptic and ANDREAS ARCHBISHOP WHATELY thinks that the tree of life with English Version, but is inserted by A, B, Vulgate was among the trees of which Adam freely ate (Genesis, and Syriac. blessed-ch. 1. 3.) 8. Both here and in 29, 16, 17), and that his continuance in immortality ch. 19. 9, 10, the apostle's falling at the feet of the angel was dependent on his continuing to eat of this tree: is preceded by a glorious promise to the church, achaving forfeited it, he became liable to death; but still companied with the assurance, that "These are the the effects of having eaten of it for a time showed true sayings of God," and that those are "blessed" themselves in the longevity of the patriarchs. who keep them. Rapturous emotion, gratitude, and could undoubtedly endue a tree with special medicinal adoration, at the prospect of the church's future glory powers. But Genesis, 3. 22, seems to imply, man had transport him out of himself, so as all but to fall into not yet taken of the tree, and that if he had, he would an unjustifiable act: contrast his opposite feeling at the have lived for ever, which in his then fallen state would prospect of the church's deep fall [AUBERLEN], ch. 17. 6. have been the greatest curse. leaves...for...healing- where cf. the Note, and on ch. 19. 9. 10. saw and heard (Ezekiel, 47. 9, 12.) The leaves shall be the health-giving |—A, B, Vulgate, and Syriac transpose these verbs. preventive securing the redeemed against, not healing Translate lit., "I John (was he) who heard and saw them of sicknesses. Whilst the fruit shall be for these things." It is observable that in ch. 19, 10, the meat." In the millennium described by Ezekiel, 47., language is, "I fell before his feet to worship him ;” and ch. 20., the church shall give the gospel tree to but here, "I fell down to worship (God?) before the feet the nations outside Israel and the church, and so shall of the angel." It seems unlikely that John, when once heal their spiritual malady: but in the final and perfect reproved, would fall into the very same error again. new Jerusalem here described, the state of all is eter- BENGEL'S view, therefore, is probable: John had first nally fixed, and no saving process goes on any longer intended to worship the angel (ch. 19. 10), but now (cf. v. 11). ALFORD utterly mistakes in speaking of only at his feet intends to worship (God). The angel "nations outside." and "dwelling on the renewed does not even permit this. 9. Lit., "See not:" the earth, organized under kings, and saved by the influ- abruptness of the phrase marking the angel's abhorences of the heavenly city." (!) Cf. v. 2, 10-27: the rence of the thought of his being worshipped however "nations" mentioned (ch. 21. 24) are those which have indirectly. Contrast the fallen angel's temptation to long before, viz., in the millennium (ch. 11. 15), become Jesus, "Fall down and worship me" (Matthew, 4. 9). the Lord's and His Christ's. 3. no more curse-of which for A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, ANDREAS, and the earnest shall be given in the millennium (Zecha- CYPRIAN omit "for," which accords with the abrupt riah, 14. 11). God can only dwell where the curse earnestness of the angel's prohibition of an act derogaand its cause, the cursed thing sin, (Joshua. 7. 12), tory to God. and of "and (the fellow-servant) of thy are removed. So there follows rightly, "But the brethren." 10. Seal not-But in Daniel, 12. 4, 9 (cf. 8. 26), throne of God and of the Lamb (who redeemed us the command is, "Seal the book," for the vision shall from the curse, Galatians, 3. 10, 13) shall be in it." Cf. be "for many days." The fulfilment of Daniel's proin the millennium, Ezekiel, 48. 35. serve him-with phecy was distant, that of John's prophecy is near. worship (ch. 7. 16). 4. see his face-revealed in divine The New Testament is the time of the end and fulfilglory, in Christ Jesus. They shall see and know Him ment. The Gentile church, for which John wrote his with intuitive knowledge of Him, even as they are Revelation, needs more to be impressed with the shortknown by Him (1 Corinthians, 13. 9-12), and face to face. ness of the period, as it is inclined, owing to its Gentile Cf. 1 Timothy, 6. 16, with John, 14. 9. God the Father origin, to conform to the world and forget the coming can only be seen in Christ. in-Greek, "on their fore- of the Lord. The Revelation points, on the one hand, heads." Not only shall they personally and in secret to Christ's coming as distant, for it shows the succes(ch. 3. 17) know their sonship, but they shall be known sion of the seven seals, trumpets, and vials; on the as sons of God to all the citizens of the new Jerusalem, other hand, it proclaims, 'Behold I come quickly.' So so that the free flow of mutual love among the mem- Christ marked many events as about to intervene bers of Christ's family will not be checked by suspicion before His coming, and yet also saith, Behold I come as here. 5. there-So ANDREAS. But A, B, Vulgate, quickly, because our right attitude is that of continual and Syriac read, "there shall be no night) any longer:" prayerful-watching for His coming (Matthew, 25. 6, 13, Greek eti for ekei. they need-A, Vulgate, and Coptic 19; Mark, 13. 32-37 | AUBERLEN]; cf. ch. 1. 3). 11. unjust read the future, "They shall not have need." B reads unrighteous:" in relation to one's fellowmen: op**(And there shall be) no need." candle-Greek, "lamp." posed to "righteous," or "just" (as the Greek may be A. Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic insert "light (of a translated) below. More literally, "he that doeth candie, or lamp)." B omits it. of the sun-So A. But unjustly, let him do unjustly still." filthy-in relation B omits it. giveth...light-"illumines." So Vulgate to one's own soul as unclean before God: opposed to and Syriac. But A reads, "shall give light." them-"holy." consecrated to God as pure. A omits the So B and ANDREAS. But A reads, "upon them." reign-with a glory probably transcending that of their reign in heaven with Christ over the millennial nations in the flesh described in ch. 20. 4, 6: that reign was but for a limited time, "a thousand years:" this final reign is "unto the ages of the ages." 6. These sayings are true-Thrice repeated (ch. 19.9; 21, 5). For we are slow

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clause "He which is filthy let him be filthy still." But B supports it. In the letter of the Vienne and Lyons Martyrs in EUSEBIUS) in the second century, the reading is. "He that is lawless (Greek anomos) let him be lawless; and he that is righteous let him be righteous (lit., be justified') still." No MS. is so old. A, B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, ANDREAS, and CYPRIAN read,

The Coming of Christ.

REVELATION, XXIL

God's Word not to be Altered, "obeyeth:" for until one has obeyed the gospel call, he cannot pray to Jesus "Come:" so "hear" is used, cb.

"let him do righteousness" (1 John, 2. 29; 3. 7). The
punishment of sin is sin, the reward of holiness is
holiness, Eternal punishment is not so much an arbi-1. 3; John, 10. 18. Let him that hears and obeys Jesus'
trary law, as a result necessarily following in the very
nature of things, as the fruit results from the bud.
No worse punishment ean God lay on ungodly men
than to give them up to themselves. The solemn lesson
derivable from this verse is. Be converted now in the
short time left v. 10, end, before I come" (v. 7, 12), or
else you must ren ain unconverted for ever: sin in the
eternal world will be left to its own natural conse-
quences: holiness in germ will there develop itself into
perfect holiness, which is happiness. 12. Aud-In none
of our MSS. But A. B. Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic, and
CYPRIAN omit it. behold, I come quickly-(cf. v. 7.) my
reward is with me--(Isaiah, 40, 10; 62. 11.) to give-Greek,
"to render." every man-Greek, "to each." shall be
So Bin MAI. But B in TISCHENDORF, and A, Syriac
read “is," 13. I am Alpha-Greek, "...the Alpha and the
Omoza." A. B, Vulgate, Syriac, ORIGEN, and CYPRIAN
transpose thus, "the First and the Last, the Beginning
and the End." ANDREAS supports English Version.
Cf. with these divine titles assumed here by the Lord
Jesus, ch. 1. 8, 17; 21. 6. At the winding up of the
whole scheine of revelation He announces Himself
as the One before whom and after whom there is no
God. 14. dɔ his commandments-So B, Syriae, Coptic,
and CYPRIAN. But A. N. and Vulgate read. Blessed
are they that) "wash their robes," viz., in the blood of
the Lamb (cf. ch. 7. 14). This reading takes away the
pretext for the notion of salvation by works. But even
English Version reading is quite compatible with sal-
vation by grace: for God's first and grand gospel
"commandment" is to believe on Jesus. Thus our
"right" to (Greek, privilege or lawful authority over)
the tree of life is due not to our doings, but to what He
has done for us. The right, or privilege, is founded,
not on our merits, but on God's grace. through
Greek,by the gates." 15. But-So Coptic. But A, B,
HIPPOLYTUS, ANDREAS, and CYPRIAN omit. dogs-
Greek, “the dogs :" the impure, filthy (v. 11; cf. Philip
pians, 3. 2). maketh-including also" whosoever prae-
tixth a lie." [W. KELLY.] 16. mine angel-for Jesus
is Lord of the angels. unto you-ministers and people
in the seven representative churches, and, through
you, to testify to Christians of all times and places.
root...cffspring of David-Appropriate title here where
assuring His church of "the sure mercies of David,"
secured to Israel first, and through Israel to the Gen-
tiles. Root of David, as being Jehovah: the offspring
of David as man. David's Lord, yet David's son
(Matthew, 22. 42-15). the morning star-that ushered in
the day of grace in the beginning of this dispensation,
and that shall usher in the everlasting day of glory at
its close. 17. Reply of the spiritual church and St.
John to Christ's words (v. 7, 12, 16). the Spirit-in the
churches, and in the prophets. the bride-Not here
called "wife," as that title applies to her only when the
full number constituting the church shall have been
completed. The invitation "Come" only holds good
whilst the church is still but an affianced Bride, and
not the actually wedded wife. However, "Come" may
rather be the prayer of the Spirit in the church and
in believers in reply to Christ's "I come quickly."
crying, Even so, "Come" (v. 7, 12); v. 20 confirms this
view. The whole question of your salvation hinges
on this, that you be able to hear with joy Christ's
announcement, "I come," and to reply. "Come."
[BENGEL] Come to fully glorify thy Bride, let him
that heareth-ie, let him that heareth the Spirit and
Bride saying to the Lord Jesus, "Come," join the
Bride as a true believer, become part of her, and so
say with her to Jesus, "Come." Or "heareth" means

voice (v. 16; ch. 1. 3) join in praying "Come." Cf. ch.
6. 1, Note, 10. In the other view, which makes "Come"
an invitation to sinners, this clause urges those who
hear savingly the invitation themselves, to address the
same to others, as did Andrew and Philip after they
had heard and obeyed Jesus' invitation, "Come,"
themselves. let him that is athirst come-as the Bride,
the church, prays to Jesus "Come," so she urges ail
whosoever thirst for participation in the full manifes-
tation of redemption-glory at His coming to us, to
COME to Him in the meantime and drink of the living
waters, which are the earnest of the water of life pure
as crystal...out of the throne of God and of the Lanib"
(v. 1) in the regenerated heaven and earth. Aud-So
Syriac. But A, B, Vulgate, and Coptic omit "and"
whosoever will-ie., is willing and desirous. There is
a descending climax: Let him that heareth effectually
and savingly Christ's voice, pray individually, as the
Bride, the church, does collectively, "Come, Lord
Jesus" (v. 20). Let him who, though not yet having
actually heard unto salvation, and so not yet able to
join in the prayer, "Lord Jesus, come." still thirsts for
it, come to Christ. Whosoever is even willing, though
his desires do not yet amount to positive thirsting, let
him take the water of life freely, ... gratuitously.
18. For-None of our MSS. has this. A, B, Vulgate,
and ANDREAS read, “I," emphatical in the Greek. "I
testify." unto these things-A, B, and ANDREAS read,
"unto them." add... add-Just retribution in kind.
19. book-None of our MSS, read this. A, B, ș. Ful-
gate, Syriac, and Coptic read, “(take away his part, i e..
portion) from the tree of life," ie., shall deprive him of
participation in the tree of life. and from the things—
So Vulgate. But A. B, N. Syriac, Coptic, and AN-
DREAS omit "and;" then "which are written in this
book" will refer to "the holy city and the tree of life."
As in the beginning of this book (ch. 1. 3) a blessing
was promised to the devout, obedient student of it.
so now at its close a curse is denounced against those
who add to, or take from, it. 20. Amen. Even so,
come - The Song of Solomon (8. 14) closes with the
same yearning prayer for Christ's coming. A, B, and

omit "Even so," Greek nai: then translate for Amen, "So be it, come. Lord Jesus:" joining the "Amen," or "So be it," not with Christ's saying (for He calls Himself the "Amen" at the beginning of sentences, rather than puts it as a confirmation at the end), but with St. John's reply. Christ's "I come." and St. John's "Come," are almost coincident in time: so truly does the believer reflect the mind of his Lord. 21. our-So Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic. But A, B, and Nomit. Christ-So B, Vulgate, Syriac, Coptic and ANDREAS. But A, N omit with you all-So none of our MSS. B has "with all the saints." A and Vulgate has "with all." N has "with the saints." This closing benediction. Paul's mark in his epistles, was after Paul's death taken up by St. John. The Old Testament ended with a "curse" in connexion with the law; the New Testament ends with a blessing in union with the Lord Jesus. Amen-So B. N. and ANDREAS. A and Vulgate Fuldensis omit it.

May the Blessed Lord who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, bless this humble effort to make Scripture expound itself, and make it an instrument towards the conversion of sinners and the edification of saints, to the glory of His great name and the hastening of His kingdom. Amen.