Bible Commentaries
Revelation 22

Verse 1

Revelation 22:1

Revelation 22:1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

This

pure rive of water of life

alludeth to these mystical waters of the sanctuary, {Ezekiel 47:1-8; Joel 3:18} called living waters, {Zechariah 14:8-9}

clear as crystal

pure, without any mixture; whereby we may understand all spiritual blessings flowing from Jesus Christ, the fountain of the water of life freely and abundantly. See Revelation 21:6; Revelation 21:17.

Verse 2

Revelation 22:2

Revelation 22:2 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.

By

the tree of life

we are to understand the Lord Jesus Christ, from whom all our spiritual fruit is found, {Hosea 14:5-8}

which bare twelve manner of fruits

that is, all the fruits of the spirit, {Galatians 5:22-23}

and yieldeth her fruit every month

continually.

And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations

{as Malachi 4:2-3; Ezekiel 47:12; Hosea 14:4-5}

Verse 3

Revelation 22:3

Revelation 22:3 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:

And there shall be no more curse

that is, no kind of misery, sorrow, sickness, affliction, or calamity in the holy city, the new Jerusalem.

But the throne of God, and of the Lamb shall be in it

that is, in the holy city.

And his servants

that is, his saints,

shall serve him

that is, shall worship him in spirit and truth. {John 4:22-24}

Verse 4

Revelation 22:4

Revelation 22:4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And they shall see his face

By seeing his face, we are to understand such manifestations and open visions of God in Christ, as the saints have in Heaven. Read 1 Corinthians 13:12; 1 John 3:1-3.

And his name shall be in their foreheads

See Revelation 14:1

Verse 5

Revelation 22:5

Revelation 22:5 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.

And there shall be no night there

there will be no darkness in the new Jerusalem, nor will the inhabitants of that holy city need the

light of the sun, for the Lord God giveth them light.

See Revelation 21:23; Isaiah 60:19-20

And they shall reign forever and ever

Revelation 5:9-10; Daniel 7:27; Revelation 11:15.

Verse 6

Revelation 22:6

Revelation 22:6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

These sayings are faithful and true

And so are all the words of God in the holy scripture, 2 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 21:5

And the Lord God of the holy prophets,

Isaiah 44:26 who confirmeth the word of his servants, and performeth the counsel of his messengers.

Verse 7

Revelation 22:7

Revelation 22:7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This coming of Jesus Christ, {Revelation 22:7; Revelation 22:12} is his second coming, called his appearing the second time, which will be personal, {Hebrews 9:27-28} visible, {Acts 1:11} and all his saints with him (Matthew 24:30 and Revelation 1:7), To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. {1 Thessalonians 3:13}

Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this Book.

Revelation 1:3. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 1:3

Verse 8

Revelation 22:8

Revelation 22:8 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 shewed me these things.

I John saw these things and heard them

This is the disciple which testifieth these things: and we know, that his testimony is true, {John 21:24}

I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel, etc.

It is neither lawful to worship any creature instead of God, nor to fall down before any creature to worship God. {Revelation 19:10}

Verse 9

Revelation 22:9

Revelation 22:9 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.

See thou do it not

Exodus 20:4-5; Leviticus 26:1; De 5:8-9

Worship God,

For it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God; and him only shalt thou serve. {Matthew 4:10}

Verse 10

Revelation 22:10

Revelation 22:10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

God would not have the words of the prophecy of this book to be kept secret, and therefore Christ commanded his servant John to write them in a book, {Revelation 1:11-19} and forbids him to seal them,

for the time (of fulfilling these sayings) is at hand

that is, near, and shall shortly come to pass.

Verse 12

Revelation 22:12

Revelation 22:12-13 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.

This is the second appearance and coming of Jesus Christ. See Revelation 22:7.

And my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be

Read Isaiah 40:10; Isaiah 62:11; Revelation 11:15-18 compared with Matthew 16:27-28; Lu 22:29-30; Matthew 19:20. The Lord Jesus Christ will give a reward to the wicked and ungodly, according to the merit and desert of their works; and he will also give to the righteous and godly a reward of grace according to their good works. {Romans 2:6-12} Who will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the gentile. But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the gentile. For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the law. See KNOLLYS: Revelation 1:11 and See KNOLLYS: Revelation 3:14.

Verse 14

Revelation 22:14

Revelation 22:14-15 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.

By the commandments of God, we are to understand the moral law which Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill. Therefore the apostle told the primitive saints, that they were not without the law to God, but under the law to Christ. {1 Corinthians 9:21} This doing of the commandments of God is not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit. {Romans 7:6} This blessedness is two fold; first,

They have right to the tree of life

not by merit, but of mercy and free grace. Secondly, an entrance through the gates into the holy city, the new Jerusalem, and the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, {2 Peter 1:10-11; 2 Peter 1:15}

For without are dogs, etc.

That is, all sorts of ungodly and wicked men and women.

Verse 15

Revelation 22:16

Revelation 22:16 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.

I Jesus

See Revelation 1:1

the root

that is, David’s Lord,

and the offspring

that is, David’s son. {Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 22:45; Psalms 110:1} God blessed forever, {Romans 9:5} the day star. {2 Peter 1:19; Lu 1:78}

Verse 17

Revelation 22:17

Revelation 22:17 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.

By the

bride

here, we are to understand the new Jerusalem, who shall come down from heaven as a bride adorned for her husband, Revelation 19:7-8; Revelation 21:2-10 the church of God, and the holy spirit of God, and all converted persons do invite all sorts of sinners, especially, thirsty sinners, without exception against any persons, that are willing, and without any price, to take Christ freely. {Isaiah 55:1-3}

Verse 20

Revelation 22:20

Revelation 22:21. This was the usual salutation of the apostles in their Epistles unto the churches of saints, 2 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 13:14. All saving grace and spiritual peace, do flow from God through Jesus Christ, unto the churches and saints of God. Amen.

I conclude with an invitation to all the people of God to come out of BABYLON.

And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins; and that ye receive not of her plagues. {Revelation 18:4} This call is the call of God our Saviour unto all his people in mystical Babylon (Papal Rome) to come out of HER. Come out of her my people: which call of Christ was given by an audible voice, And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, etc. And this call from heaven is urged and enforced upon the people of God by two cogent arguments or reasons, 1. That ye be not partakers of HER sins. 2. That ye receive not of her plagues.

Two things in this call need explanation, 1. What this voice was? 2. What it is to come out of HER? To both these I shall speak briefly, and then proceed to speak more largely of this call.

First, this voice hath heaven’s authority, It was from heaven, to wit, the voice of Christ in the ministry of the gospel ordinarily, and by the powerful efficacy of the Holy Spirit also, For our gospel came not unto you in the word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance. {1 Thessalonians 1:5} So had the voice of the angels of God by whom Christ then spake unto his servant John, {Revelation 14:6-13} with a loud voice, {Revelation 14:7} which St. John heard from heaven. {Revelation 14:13} And so have the voice of the faithful ministers of God, by whom Christ also now speaks unto his people, He that heareth you, heareth me, etc. to wit, heavens authority. {Lu 10:16}

Secondly, to come out of HER, is to separate themselves from the church of Rome, which is now become a false church, called the great whore, and mother of harlots. {2 Corinthians 6:14-18} 2 Corinthians 6:17, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ would have his people to be separated under the gospel from the unbelieving Jews, and their false worship (which Christ called vain worship.) {Matthew 15:8-9} And St. Paul did separate the disciples from the Jewish synagogue of unbelievers. {Acts 19:8-9} And also from idolatrous gentiles, that worship images, (as the church of Rome doth) and from their idol temples, churches, and chapels; for the gentile papists, and church of Rome, their pope, cardinals, Jesuits, and all the roman priests do tread under foot the holy city. {Revelation 11:2} Jerusalem viz. the church and people of God, What agreement hath the Temple of God with idols? For ye are the Temple of the living God, as God hath said, {Leviticus 20:24-26; Leviticus 26:12} I will dwell among them, and walk among them; And I will be their God, and they shall be my people: wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separated saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing. {2 Corinthians 6:16-17, etc} The papists images, crosses, crucifixes; their consecrated wafers, holy waters, and saints pictures, the image of the Virgin Mary, and of our Saviour upon the cross, unto which images the popish priests and people fall down and worship; yea their Ave Maria, and prayers to saints deceased, all their holy bells, beads, prayer books, and candles, etc. are all as an unclean thing, and ought to be separated from, and not touched by the people of God, whom Christ calls upon with a loud voice to come out from among them.

These two particulars explained the argument which Christ urgeth to enforce this his call unto his people followeth, That ye be not partakers of HER sins, and that ye receive not of HER plagues. As if Christ had said, I do by the voice of my faithful ministers call and command you my people to come out of mystical Babylon (Papal Rome) and to separate yourselves from the church of Rome, which is fallen, is fallen from her apostolical purity in doctrine, worship, and discipline or ecclesiastical government, and is become as harlot, a false church, the great Whore, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth, the synagogue of Satan, the habitation of devils, the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. But if you my people (as if Christ had said) will not obey my voice, nor hear my call; if you will not come out from the church of Rome, and separate yourselves from the papists, and leave going to and worshipping in their popish temples, churches, chapels, and private cloisters, nunneries, priories, religious houses, meeting places, and holy roods of auricular confession, etc. then in the first place you will be partakers of their sins, that is, you will become guilty of their will worship, and spiritual fornication, {Revelation 17:2} of their impenitency added upon their iniquities. And in the next place you shall receive of her plagues, death and mourning and famine, etc. {Revelation 18:8} And these shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. {Revelation 14:9-12}