And he showed me a pure river
of water of life, dear as crystal,
proceeding out of the throne
of God and of the Lamb.
2. In the midst of the street of
it, and on either side of the river, was there
the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits,
and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves
of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3. And there shall be
no more curse: but the throne of God and
of the Lamb shall be in it;
and his servants shall serve him:
4. And they shall see
his face; and his name shall be in their
foreheads.
5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light
of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever
and eVer
The description of the New Jerusalem
continues in the first five verses of this chapter.
By the “river of the water of life” is
doubtless meant full salvation, which as a mighty
flowing stream issues “out of the throne of
God and of the Lamb.” To this fountain of
living waters an invitation is now given to all to
come and partake to their satisfaction. “The
Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And whosoever will, let him
take the water of life freely.” Verse 17.
As a defense to God’s people in this world salvation
is represented as a great wall surrounding them (Isa
26:12); but as a source of joy, holiness and happiness,
it is a living stream whereof all may partake.
While this symbol meets an appropriate fulfilment in
the present dispensation, yet salvation will also
be the eternal possession of the saints in the world
to come, when “they shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them,
nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst
thereof, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto
living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes.” Chap 7:16,
17.
In a most appropriate place, upon
the banks of the river, grew “the tree of life,
which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her
fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree
were for the healing of the nations.” The
tree of life in the garden of Eden was a symbol of
man’s immortality or incorruption, or rather
the means of it; for after his fall it was
securely guarded and he driven from the garden, “lest
he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of
life, and eat, and live forever” (Gen 3:22)
and thus frustrate the decree of God just uttered that
he should return unto dust and corruption. In
the New Jerusalem, however, that tree of life blooms
again and bears fruit abundantly, yea continuously,
as symbolized by “every month,” and no
cherubim with flaming sword are placed to guard all
approach to it. The privilege is open; for it
is added immediately, “There shall be no more
curse.” This, then, symbolizes the
removal of spiritual death and the impartation of
everlasting life in this world and immortality in the
next. The tree of life grew on both sides of the
riVer On this side of the line of mortality
we have access to it in one important sense, while
those in the future world are preserved also by its
healing benefits.
The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit abide
in this city. God reveals himself, not to a few
chosen priests only through the Shekinah of his presence,
but to all his servants “they all
see his face.” As in the ancient tabernacle
he manifested himself by “the glory of the Lord,”
or the Shekinah, which was represented as “seeing
his face”; so, also, the “glory of the
Lord” abides in the New Jerusalem, filling the
entire city with the holy manifestation of the divine
presence. His people are “sealed with that
Holy Spirit of promise,” by which they possess
the name of their Father not the name of
the beast nor of his image, but the name of the
Father.
“And there shall be no night
there; and they need no candle, neither light of the
sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they
shall reign forever and eVer” This city
has no need of natural or artificial light, “for
the Lamb is the light thereof.” Chap 21:23.
The light of the sun stands connected with the light
of a candle and both are represented as unnecessary,
which denotes that “there shall be no night
there,” but one clear eternal day.
6. And he said unto me,
These sayings are faithful and true: and
the Lord God of the holy prophets
sent his angel to show unto
his servants the things which
must shortly be done.
7. Behold, I come quickly:
blessed is he that keepeth the
sayings of the prophecy of
this book.
The language of symbols is discontinued.
With the description of the New Jerusalem closes the
grand panoramic scene of this book. Wondrous indeed
have been the events of earth prophetically outlined,
but we have the assurance that “these things
are faithful and true.” A continuous political
and ecclesiastical history of that portion of the earth
made the subject of Apocalyptic vision, from the dawn
of Christianity until the last day, was here written
down in advance. After the permanent division
of the empire, which occurred under Valens and Valentinian
in A.D 364, it was necessary that the political and
the ecclesiastical history of the empire should be
divided in the prophecy. This inspiration has
done. The downfall of the Western empire is clearly
predicted in the symbols under the first four trumpets;
but the eclipse is afterwards lifted, and the same
Western empire again appears in Imperial form under
the control of the Papacy. After giving their
power and strength unto the beast during the Dark
Ages, the horns afterward turn against the Papacy
and rob her of all her temporal authority and power,
thus pointing us clearly to the history of modern Europe,
in which the prophecy has been actually fulfilled.
They themselves end at the judgment of the last day.
Thus, the political history of the Western empire
is carried through to the end. The Eastern division
of the empire is also made a subject of prophecy,
and its overthrow is described under the sixth trumPet
This was effected by the second woe, or the rise of
the Ottoman power, and that woe is represented as continuing
until after the death and the resurrection of the
two witnesses and terminating shortly before the end
of time. Therefore the political history of the
Eastern empire, which has been under the power of the
Turks for centuries, is outlined until the end.
The ecclesiastical history of the Eastern empire is
also given, its most prominent feature being the rise
and the development of that pest of Mohammedanism,
which rests like a dark cloud over that fair country
until this day. In the Western division the rise
of the Papacy, its continuation, the rise of Protestantism
and its duration, are all clearly outlined, reaching
down to these last days. Then the scene is suddenly
enlarged and is carried beyond the limits of the earth the
Apocalyptic earth into “the whole
world,” when the powers of wickedness are combined
in spirit to antagonize the reformation of holiness
and truth which God is using to gather his faithful
ones together in preparation for the coming of the
Son of God to judgment. In view of these wonderful
events of the last days, how comforting the words
of the text before us “Behold, I
come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings
of the prophecy of this book”!
8. And I John saw these
things, and heard them. And when I had
heard and seen, I fell down
to worship before the feet of the
angel which showed me these
things.
9. Then saith he unto
me, See thou do it not: for I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy
brethren the prophets, and of them
which keep the sayings of
this book: worship God.
The mind of the apostle was so enraptured
with the visions he beheld that he could not but adore
and worship; but the angel that had been the chosen
instrument to reveal these prophecies refused his act
of homage and instructed him to “worship God.”
Created intelligences are not worthy of such respect;
to God alone all honor and praise belongs. Jesus
Christ our Redeemer is God God over all,
blessed foreVer As such he is worthy of the
homage supreme of all our hearts, the praises of all
our lips.
10. And he saith unto
me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy
of this book: for the
time is at hand.
11. He that is unjust, let him
be unjust still: and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still: and he that is
holy, let him be holy still.
12. And, behold, I come
quickly; and my reward is with me, to
give every man according as
his work shall be.
13. I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the end, the first
and the last.
14. Blessed are they
that do his commandments, that they may
have right to the tree of
life, and may enter in through the
gates into the city.
15. For without are dogs,
and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters,
and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
The popular opinion is that this book
of the Revelation is sealed; but John received the
direct command, “Seal not the sayings
of the prophecy of this book.” The majority
of the teachers of Babylon to-day are fulfilling Isaiah
29:9-11, and that is the reason why it has become
to them a sealed book. God makes known the blessed
truths of the prophecies of this book to his own beloved
children, who walk before him in sincerity and truth.
A blessing is pronounced upon us if we keep them.
His coming is near at hand, and his reward is with
him to render unto every man according as his work
shall be. No offers of salvation will be extended
when Christ appears to give us access to the tree of
immortal life and an abundant entrance into the eternal
city beyond; but it will then be said, “He that
is unjust, let him be unjust still: and
he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and
he that is righteous, let him be righteous still:
and he that is holy, let him be holy still.”
“Dogs” are left without. This term
as applied to a person is one of great reproach.
It is so among us, and much more so among the Jews,
by whom that animal was regarded as unclean.
It signifies evil workers. Evil characters of
every class will have no part in the heavenly realm,
but will be cast into the lake of fire. It will
be the perfection of misery to be banished forever
from the presence of God and the companionship of
all that is good and holy. “Blessed are
they that do his commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of Life, and may enter in through
the gates into the city.”
16. I Jesus have sent
mine angel to testify unto you these
things in the churches.
I am the root and the offspring of
David, and the bright and
morning star.
17. And the Spirit and
the bride say, Come. And let him that
heareth say, Come. And
let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take
the water of life freely.
The statements of these verses have
been considered heretofore, hence there is no necessity
of further comment on them in this connection.
18. For I testify unto every man
that heareth the words of the prophecy of this
book, If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
this book:
19. And if any man shall take away
from the words of the book of this prophecy, God
shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which
are written in this book.
Here is the most solemn warning against
any one who should presume to corrupt the prophecies
of the Revelation by adding to or taking away from
them. Nor was such a warning needless. This
book contains the long history of God’s church,
and also the history of all her persecutors, painted
in colors of deepest infamy, and the final doom that
awaits them. These enemies were to ride in triumph
over the earth during a long career of centuries,
when the children of God should be trodden down beneath
their feet, as it were, while they boasted themselves
as being the true church, the anointed of heaven.
These Revelations were to be handed down to succeeding
generations through these very persecutors. The
great whore of Babylon had her likeness taken and then
committed to her for preservation. Would she
not falsify them? Nearly all the early records
of the church have been corrupted by the church of
Rome. For ages it has been a doctrine of that
institution that pious fraud was consistent and even
commendable when practised to further the influence
of that church. Yea, she has proclaimed openly
and unblushingly that if her cause could be promoted
by deception and lies they were perfectly justifiable;
and her practise has been consistent with her teachings.
In view of the fact that God’s Word was to pass
through the depths of this “mystery of iniquity,”
it is not surprising that we find annexed to this
concluding portion of Holy Writ the awful anathema:
“If any man shall add unto these things, God
shall add unto him the plagues that are written in
this book: and if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall
take away his part out of the book of life, and out
of the holy city, and from the things which are written
in this book.”
20. He which testifieth
these things saith, Surely I come
quickly. Amen. Even
so, come, Lord Jesus.
21. The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
What importance is attached to the
second coming of Christ! Over and over again
it is stated distinctly. It is the grand climax
unto which all the series of events in this book leads.
“Are you ready, waiting for the
Lord?
See, the signs proclaim him
near;
In the awful thunders of his Word,
Now his coming steps we hear.
“Now are many running to and fro,
Spreading holiness around;
And the evening light begins to glow,
Soon we’ll hear the
trumpet’s sound.
“Hark! the solemn warning unto all,
Judgment’s coming, oh,
how soon!
Flee, O man, at Mercy’s final call,
Heaven trembles at your doom.
“Christ is coming, oh, the heavenly
sight!
Our Beloved can’t delay,
For his bride is robed in snowy white,
Ready for the marriage-day.”
Amen. “Even so come, Lord
Jesus.” Then will appear the great “Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the ending.”
In the beginning he “created the heaven and
the earth.” In the end, John said, “I
saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there
was no more sea.” In the beginning Satan
entered the domain of God’s people to deceive
and destroy. In the end he is cast out, and will
deceive the nations no more. In the beginning
sickness, pain, sorrow, and wretchedness found entrance
to the world. In the end “God shall wipe
away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be
no more sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.” In the beginning the people of earth
were placed under the iron hand of death, who has
claimed his teeming millions. In the end, “I
saw the dead, small and great, stand before God....
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and
death and hell delivered up the dead which were in
them ... and death and hell were cast into the lake
of fire.” In the beginning was a blooming
garden containing the tree of immortal life.
In the end we find the tree of life again “in
the midst of the Paradise of God.” In the
beginning a curse was placed upon this earth.
In the world to come “there shall be no more
curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb
shall be in it.” In the beginning the first
Adam lost his universal dominion over the earth.
In the end we find Jesus Christ, the second Adam,
crowned King of kings and Lord of lords, and reigning
in triumph and glory foreVer In the beginning
man was barred from the tree of life and driven from
the garden of Eden. In the end, “Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have
right to the tree of life, and may enter in through
the gates into the city.”