Revelation 22:2 Komentář

In this chapter we have, I. A further description of the heavenly state of the church (Rev 22:1-5). II. A confirmation of this and all the other visions of this book (Rev 22:6-19). III. The conclusion (Rev 22:20, Rev 22:21).

INTRODUCTION TO REVELATION 22 This chapter contains a further account of the above city, a confirmation of the visions of this book, and the conclusion of it. The city is further described by the river that ran by it, or through it, called a river of water of life, said to be pure and clear as crystal, and to have its rise from the throne of God and the Lamb; and by the tree of life in the midst of it, situated on each side the river, bearing twelve sorts of fruit, yielded every month, the leaves of which heal the nations, Rev 22:1 and the happiness of the inhabitants of it is set forth, by there being no curse in it; by the throne of God and the Lamb being in it; by the service of the saints in it; by the pleasure they enjoy, and the honour put upon them; by the light of the place, and the duration of the saints' reign, Rev 22:3 next follow testimonies concerning the authority of the book, and the truth of things in it; and first, the testimony of the angel that talked with John, declaring that the things in it were true and faithful; and that he was sent from the Lord God of the prophets to show to the saints things that would quickly come to pass; and that Christ himself would quickly come; and that they were happy who kept and observed the sayings and prophecies of it, Rev 22:6 then the testimony of John who saw and heard them, and was about to worship the angel that declared them, but was forbid by him, and dissuaded from it, by observing to him who he was, a fellow servant of his and of his brethren, and that God only was to be worshipped, Rev 22:8 who is ordered, as it seems by Christ, not to seal up the prophecies delivered to him, since the time of their fulfilment was at hand, when men would remain just as they were, whether ungodly and filthy, or righteous and holy, Rev 22:10 and who declares that he should quickly come to reward every man according to his works; and that he was the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last; and that they were happy that did his commandments, since it would appear they had a right to the tree of life, and to entrance through the gates into the city before described, when wicked men, whose characters are given, would be without, Rev 22:12 and still more clearly and fully Christ asserts himself to be the author of this revelation, and the sender of the angel, to testify it to the church, who is David's root and offspring, and the morning star, whose coming is to be wished for by the Spirit and bride, and every truly gracious soul, Rev 22:16 and to show the perfection and authority of this book, as well as of the whole Scripture, and to deter persons from adding to it, or taking from it, he threatens to inflict on such persons the plagues herein written, and to take the names of such out of the book of life, out of the holy city, and from the things written in this book, Rev 22:18 and then he delivers out a fresh asseveration of his speedy coming, to which John adds his hearty "Amen", and earnest request that he would come quickly; and the book is concluded with a benediction usual in the epistles, especially in those of the Apostle Paul, Rev 22:20.

In the midst of the street of it,.... That is, of the city described in the preceding chapter, which shows that this vision belongs to that, and is a continuation of it, and which street was all of pure gold, Rev 21:21 and on either side of the river was there the tree of life; not that it stood either in the midst of the street of the city, which being a pavement of gold, a tree could not well stand there; nor on both sides of the river, which is impossible, unless the tree of life is put for many trees of the same kind, as in Ezekiel's vision, to which the allusion is; and so some were on one side of the river, and some on the other, as there; see Eze 47:7 or unless it can be thought that such a solution of the difficulty is sufficient, that the root of it was on one side, and the branches grew over to the other; though the words may be better rendered, and the difficulty will be removed, and the sense be clear, "between the street of it", the city, "and the river, on this side, and on that side"; that is, the street on one side, and the river on the other, was the tree of life; compare with this Joh 19:18. So the Jews say (e), that the tree of life is in the midst of paradise, and its body covers all the garden; and that there is in it five hundred thousand different tastes; and that there is no likeness and smell like it. By the tree of life is meant not the Gospel, nor godliness, nor eternal life, nor any other of the divine Persons, but Christ, who is the author of life, natural, spiritual, and eternal; See Gill on Rev 2:7 and its situation between the street of the city, where the saints commune and converse together, and the river of God's everlasting love, which in this state will appear in its fulness and glory, shows that Christ will be seen and enjoyed by all in the most delightful and comfortable manner that can be wished for: which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; not one sort of fruit one month, and another sort another month, and so on, but twelve sorts every month; which is expressive of the fruits and spiritual blessings of grace from Christ, enjoyed by saints in the present state, and of that variety of happiness and pleasures to be had in this glorious state, and of the continuance of them; they being always ever fresh and new, and will be always sufficient for the twelve tribes of the true Israel of God, and for all that have embraced the doctrine of the twelve apostles of the Lamb; whose drink in this state will be the everlasting love of God, and whose food will be the fruit of the tree of life; both which they shall enjoy in great abundance: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations; not for the curing of diseases, or repairing of health; which in the present state of things is done by the application of the blood of Christ for the pardon of sin, which is a healing of diseases, and by the discoveries of the love of God; through the ministration of the Gospel, and the doctrines of it, which might be thought to be signified by leaves; for there will be no disease either of body or mind in this state; besides, the nations that will walk in the light of this city will be saved perfectly and completely, Rev 21:4 but these leaves will be for the preserving and continuing the health of the people of God in this state, as the tree of life in Eden's garden was for the preservation of the health and life of Adam, had he continued in a state of innocence; and it denotes that everything in Christ will contribute to the comfort, health, and happiness of the saints. The Jews interpret the passage in Eze 47:12 to which this refers, of future time, or the world to come (f); and speak of various trees and herbs of great fragrancy and medicinal virtues, which grow quite round on the sides of a laver that stands in paradise (g). (e) Yalkut Simeoni, par. 1. fol. 7. 1. (f) Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 19. 1. (g) Sepher Avodah Hakkodesh, fol. 46. 1.

The river of life sets forth that the grace of spiritual doctrine flowed through the minds of the faithful, and that manifold flourishing forms of odours germinated therein. The tree of life on either bank sets forth the Advent of Christ, according to the flesh, who satisfied the peoples wasted with famine, that received life from One by the wood of the Cross, with the announcement of God's word.

'And whose leaves never fade.' [Psalm 1:3] The leaves of this tree are by no means useless. Even if one understands Holy Writ only as history, he has something useful for his soul. We read in the Apocalypse of John (a book which, although rejected in these regions, we ought nevertheless to know, because it is accepted and held as canonical throughout the west, and in other Phoenician provinces, and in Egypt, for the ancient churchmen, including Irenaeus, Polycarp, Dionysius, and other Roman expounders of Sacred Scripture, among whom is holy Cyprian, accept and interpret it): 'Behold, I saw a throne set up, and one Lamb and a tree alongside a river, and on both sides of the river was that tree.' [Revelation 22:1-2] This means that the tree 'was both on this side and on that side of the river. 'And this tree,' he says, 'bore fruit and was yielding its twelve fruits for the year according to each month. And it had lean's, too, and the leaves for the healing of the nations.' [Revelation 22:2] 'I saw,' he says, 'a single throne set up.' We believe in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that is true, and that they are a Trinity; nevertheless the kingship is one. 'I saw a single throne set lip, and I saw a single Lamb standing in the presence of the throne.' [Revelation 5:6] This refers to the Incarnation of the Savior. Scripture says: 'Behold the lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' [John 1:29] 'And there was a fountain of water coming forth from beneath the middle of the throne' [Revelation 22:1] Notice that it is from the midst of the throne that there issues forth a river of graces. That river does not issue forth from the throne unless the Lamb is standing before it, [Revelation 7:17] for unless we believe in the Incarnation of Christ, we do not receive those graces. A tree, he says, one lofty tree had been set up. He did not say trees, but only one tree. If there is but one tree how can it be on both sides of the river? If he had said, I saw trees, it would have been possible for some trees to be on one side of the river and other trees on the other side. Actually, one tree is said to be on both sides of the river. One river comes forth from the throne of God - the grace of the Holy Spirit - and this grace of the Holy Spirit is found in the river of the Sacred Scriptures. This river, moreover, has two banks, the Old Testament and the New Testament, and the tree planted on both sides is Christ. During the year, this tree yields twelve fruits, one for each month, but we are unable to receive the fruits except through the apostles. If one approaches the tree through the apostles, he must receive the fruit; he gathers the fruit from the Sacred Scriptures; he grasps the divine meaning abiding within the words. If, therefore, one comes to this tree through the apostles, he gathers its fruit just as we have said. If, indeed, he cannot pluck the fruit, it is because he is still too weak; he is not yet a disciple, but belongs to the throng; he is an outsider, a stranger from the nations. Because he cannot pluck the fruit, he plucks only words, the leaves for the healing of the nations, for it is written: 'and the leaves are for the healing of the nations.' One who belongs to the nations, who is not a disciple, who is as yet only one of the crowd, gathers only leaves from the tree; he receives from Scripture plain words for a healing remedy. Briefly, then, the Scripture says: 'and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations'; in other words, the leaves are medicine. Why have we digressed on the Apocalypse? Simply became of that tree 'that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does, prospers.'

It is speaking of the cross of the Lord. There is no tree that bears fruit in every season except the cross that the faithful, who are made wet by the water of the church’s river, eat. And these [faithful] in turn produce eternal fruit in every season.

And of the river he says that on this side and on that side there was a tree of life bearing fruit each month. The Lord calls the tree of life, according to what is written by the Proverbs writer concerning wisdom; he says "the tree of life is for all who hold fast to it." (Prov. 3:18) But Paul handed over to us "Christ as God's power and God's wisdom." (1 Cor. 1:24) And he says that not only do the saints possess the riches of Christ's gifts, but they also have and share in him dwelling within them; which is the head of the highest blessedness. But the tree of life is continuous, Christ, and unceasingly brings to completion fruits and gifts to the saints, as if to overtake zeal with zeal and lest they ever be deprived of divine flow. And he says the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Leaves of life are the patriarchs attached to Christ and holding him, prophets, apostles, evangelists, martyrs and confessors, and those who in due times officiate at the gospel and pastors of the church, and every righteous soul; who even now heal souls, and to the saints will be an addition of good things.

By the twelve months he signifies all of time, and to be sure all of eternity. Therefore, where there is an eternal paradise, no aridity will ever be permitted to intrude. Where there is a perfect and certain well-being, absolutely no infirmity enters in. This is what the prophet promised when he said, “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.” This is the tree, as we read, which is “planted by streams of water,” and of which Jeremiah says that it “sends out its roots by the stream.” This is to say that it places its hope and trust in the Lord. We may also interpret this passage concerning the river of the water of life to refer to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is himself the fountain of life. For we read of him, “With you is the fountain of life; in your light we shall see light.” He is himself, as we read, “the image of God’s majesty, who is powerful in all things, and remaining in himself renews all things and in every generation rests in holy souls.” And so he is the Fountain who is also the River. He is the Fountain, for he remains in himself inexhaustible, and he is the River because he offers himself generously and perpetually so that the saints might receive of [his] abundance. Where he is called fountain, he is also called a rushing stream. When the psalm says, “You shall give them drink from the river of your delights,” it then continues, “for with you is the fountain of life, and in your light shall we see light.” Moreover, [it says that it flows] through the middle of the street for it is a good that is common to all the saints and that is not denied to any who are worthy, nor is it granted to any who are unworthy.… Indeed, it is in their midst as an undivided patrimony to all who see God. For that reason we read, “Jerusalem, a city whose fellowship is complete within itself.” If the fruit is understood to be the reward of a blissful immortality, then we rightly understand the leaves to be the song of perpetual praise, because for those who sing they fall in the well-being of a happy fate. For there exists the true healing of the nations, there is full redemption, there is eternal happiness.

Concerning wisdom it is said, “She proclaims outside; she raises her voice in the streets, and she cries out on the top of the walls.” And should anyone refuse to come to the marriage of the king, she commands her servants and says, “Go to the streets and byways and invite whomever you meet to the wedding, that my house might be filled.” This water of salvation and the cleansing of grace is described as flowing in the streets.… The two banks of the river are the two Testaments in which the fullness of our salvation is written down. There is the tree of life. There is told [the story] of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the tree of life: “Through him we live, move, and have our being.” The leaves are his words; they are of use for the health of all nations. The twelve months are the apostles of the Lord, because the Lord himself is the “favorable year of forgiveness.” These are the twelve months, each bringing to the many the fruit of unending preaching out of an abundance of knowledge.

This river waters the saints who are planted alongside it. They are here figuratively called the “tree of life” by virtue of their participation and imitation of him who is the Tree of Life. Moreover, they give forth “twelve fruits,” that is, they unceasingly yield the production of fruit. For there will be there no winter of sin that causes the trees of life to shed their leaves, such as we see now. Rather, the time of the production of fruit by the saints will be complete and uninterrupted, and [this time] is here said to be twelve months. It speaks in these terms equally because of the customary year among us, as well as because of the proclamation of the twelve apostles. This present passage may also be interpreted in another way. “The river” might signify the gifts of the life-giving Spirit, which flow down from the throne of the Father and of the Son, that is, from the ranks of the cherubim, among whom God is enthroned. [This river flows] into the streets of the city, that is, to the full citizenry of the saints, as coming from the first ranks into the second that are made to share in the well-ordered arrangement of the heavenly hierarchy. The “tree of life” signifies Christ, whom we know by the Holy Spirit and through the Spirit. For in him is the Spirit, and he is worshiped in Spirit, and he is the supplier of the Spirit, and through him the twelve fruits of the apostolic chorus give to us the inexhaustible fruit of the knowledge of God, through whom “the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of recompense” foretold by the prophet is proclaimed to us.

The “leaves of the tree,” namely, of Christ, are the more exalted understandings of the divine judgments, even as its “fruits” are the more perfect knowledge that is to be revealed in the age to come. The leaves will be for healing, that is, for the cleansing of the ignorance of those who have been deficient in the exercise of the virtues, for “there is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars.” Moreover, “in my Father’s house there are many rooms,” so that one is accounted worthy of less and another of more brightness according to the measure of the works of each. This present passage may also be interpreted otherwise. The “tree of life” produces twelve fruits, namely, the apostolic chorus that shares in him who is truly the Tree of Life, who through his participation in the flesh has given us to share in his deity. Their fruits are those who yield fruit a hundredfold. The leaves are those who yield sixtyfold. These carry to those who come later the illumination of the divine light that they had received from those who had yielded a hundredfold, and they bring healing to those from the nations who yield thirtyfold. For at that time there will be a difference between those who are saved as great as there is a difference between fruit and leaves. Some will be glorified to a lesser extent, some to a greater extent, as it is written. It writes of a “tree” in the singular rather than “trees” in the plural to indicate the unity and harmony of the life which the saints have together.

And on either side of the river was the tree of life. The tree of life is seen around the fountain of life. Whether you interpret it as the glory of the holy cross or the Lord Christ, it is revealed both before baptism in the Old Testament and now, with the mystery of baptism shining, it nourishes the saints with heavenly fruit. For there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts IV). The same tree, which John described as flowering in the golden Jerusalem, Moses described in paradise, and Solomon said it is a tree of life to those who embrace it. I believe that this river prefigured the Jordan, beyond which Moses gave the people instructions of salvation, and within which Jesus opened the promised land.

Bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. In the twelve months, it insinuates all the time of life, namely, that where it is said: And your years will not fail (Ps. CI). And again: From month to month and from Sabbath to Sabbath (Isa. LXVI). Where the face of the Lord is present, eternal health, eternal food of life. It can also be simply understood that through the doctrine of the twelve apostles, the cross of Christ bears fruit.

And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. If the fruit is taken as the reward of blessed immortality, rightly the leaves are understood as the perpetual song, which falls for the healing of those already singing in happy lot. For there, the true healing of the nations, complete redemption, and eternal happiness.

The river of the water of life, Rev 22:1. The tree of life, Rev 22:2. There is no curse nor darkness in the city of God, Rev 22:3-5. The angel assures John of the truth of what he has heard, and states that the time of the fulfillment is at hand, Rev 22:6, Rev 22:7. He forbids John to worship him, Rev 22:8, Rev 22:9. Again he states that the time of the fulfillment of the prophecies of this book is at hand, Rev 22:10-12. Christ is Alpha and Omega, Rev 22:13. The blessedness of those who keep his commandments; they enter through the gates into the city, Rev 22:14. All the unholy are excluded, Rev 22:15. Christ sent his angel to testify of those things in the Churches, Rev 22:16. The invitation of the Spirit and the bride, Rev 22:17. A curse denounced against those who shall either add to or take away front the prophecies of this book, Rev 22:18, Rev 22:19. Christ cometh quickly, Rev 22:20. The apostolical benediction, Rev 22:21.

In the midst of the street of it - That is, of the city which was described in the preceding chapter. The tree of life - An allusion to Gen 2:9. As this tree of life is stated to be in the streets of the city, and on each side of the river, tree must here be an enallage of the singular for the plural number, trees of life, or trees which yielded fruit by which life was preserved. The account in Ezekiel is this: "And by the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade - it shall bring forth new fruit, according to his months - and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine;" Eze 47:12. Twelve manner of fruits - Καρπους δωδεκα· Twelve fruits; that is, fruit twelve times in the year, as is immediately explained, yielded her fruit every month. As this was a great and spacious city, one fountain was not sufficient to provide water for it, therefore a river is mentioned; a great river, by which it was sufficiently watered. Some think that by this tree of life the Gospel is indicated; the twelve fruits are the twelve apostles; and the leaves are Gospel doctrines by which the nations - the Gentiles, are healed of the disease of sin. But this seems to be a fanciful interpretation.

THE RIVER OF LIFE: THE TREE OF LIFE: THE OTHER BLESSEDNESSES OF THE REDEEMED. JOHN FORBIDDEN TO WORSHIP THE ANGEL. NEARNESS OF CHRIST'S COMING TO FIX MAN'S ETERNAL STATE. TESTIMONY OF JESUS, HIS SPIRIT, AND THE BRIDE, ANY ADDITION TO WHICH, OR SUBTRACTION FROM WHICH, SHALL BE ETERNALLY PUNISHED. CLOSING BENEDICTION. (Rev. 22:1-21) pure--A, B, Vulgate, and HILARY 22, omit. water of life--infinitely superior to the typical waters in the first Paradise (Gen 2:10-14); and even superior to those figurative ones in the millennial Jerusalem (Eze 47:1, Eze 47:12; Zac 14:8), as the matured fruit is superior to the flower. The millennial waters represent full Gospel grace; these waters of new Jerusalem represent Gospel glory perfected. Their continuous flow from God, the Fountain of life, symbolizes the uninterrupted continuance of life derived by the saints, ever fresh, from Him: life in fulness of joy, as well as perpetual vitality. Like pure crystal, it is free from every taint: compare Rev 4:6, "before the throne a sea of glass, like crystal." clear--Greek, "bright."

The harmonious unity of Scripture is herein exhibited. The Fathers compared it to a ring, an unbroken circle, returning into itself. Between the events of Genesis and those at the close of the Apocalypse, at least six thousand or seven thousand years intervene; and between Moses the first writer and John the last about one thousand five hundred years. How striking it is that, as in the beginning we found Adam and Eve, his bride, in innocence m Paradise, then tempted by the serpent, and driven from the tree of life, and from the pleasant waters of Eden, yet not without a promise of a Redeemer who should crush the serpent; so at the close, the old serpent cast out for ever by the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, who appears with His Bride, the Church, in a better Paradise, and amidst better waters (Rev 22:1): the tree of life also is there with all its healing properties, not guarded with a flaming sword, but open to all who overcome (Rev 2:7), and there is no more curse. street of it--that is, of the city. on either side of the river--ALFORD translates, "In the midst of the street of it (the city) and of the river, on one side and on the other" (for the second Greek, "enteuthen," A, B, and Syriac read, ekeithen: the sense is the same; compare Greek, Joh 19:18); thus the trees were on each side in the middle of the space between the street and the river. But from Eze 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 compare Eze 47:12, the millennial type of the final Paradise; which shows that there are several trees of the one kind, all termed "the tree of life." Death reigns now because of sin; even in the millennial earth sin, and therefore death, though much limited, shall not altogether cease. But in the final and heavenly city on earth, sin and death shall utterly cease. yielded her fruit every month--Greek, "according to each month"; each month had its own proper fruit, just as different seasons are now marked by their own productions; only that then, unlike now, there shall be no season without its fruit, and there shall be an endless variety, answering to twelve, the number symbolical of the world-wide Church (compare Note, see on Rev 12:1; Rev 21:14). ARCHBISHOP WHATLEY thinks that the tree of life was among the trees of which Adam freely ate (Gen 2:9, Gen 2:16-17), and that his continuance in immortality was dependent on his continuing to eat of this tree; having forfeited it, he became liable to death; but still the effects of having eaten of it for a time showed themselves in the longevity of the patriarchs. God could undoubtedly endue a tree with special medicinal powers. But Gen 3:22 seems to imply, man had not yet taken of the tree, and that if he had, he would have lived for ever, which in his then fallen state would have been the greatest curse. leaves . . . for . . . healing-- (Eze 47:9, Eze 47:12). The leaves shall be the health-giving preventive securing the redeemed against, not healing them of, sicknesses, while "the fruit shall be for meat." In the millennium described in Eze. 47:1-23 and Rev 20:1-15, the Church shall give the Gospel-tree to the nations outside Israel and the Church, and so shall heal their spiritual malady; but in the final and perfect new Jerusalem here described, the state of all is eternally fixed, and no saving process goes on any longer (compare Rev 22:11). ALFORD utterly mistakes in speaking of "nations outside," and "dwelling on the renewed earth, organized under kings, and saved by the influences of the heavenly city" (!) Compare Rev 21:2, Rev. 21:10-27; the "nations" mentioned (Rev 21:24) are those which have long before, namely, in the millennium (Rev 11:15), become the Lord's and His Christ's.