¶ _Was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone._ In ch. xix. 20, it
is said of the beast and the false prophet that they were “cast alive
into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.” Satan, on the other hand,
instead of being doomed at once to that final ruin, was confined for a
season in a dark abyss, ch. xx. 1‒3. As the final punishment, however,
he is appropriately represented as consigned to the same doom as the
beast and the false prophet, that those great enemies of God, that had
been associated and combined in deceiving the nations, might share the
same appropriate punishment in the end. Comp. ch. xvi. 13, 14. ¶ _Where
the beast and the false prophet |are|._ Notes on ch. xix. 20. ¶ _And
shall be tormented day and night for ever._ Comp. Notes on ch. xiv. 11.
All the great enemies of the church are destroyed, and henceforward
there is to be no array of hostile forces; no combination of malignant
powers against the kingdom of God. The gospel triumphs; the way is
prepared for the final consummation.
§ d.――_Condition of things in the period
referred to in ver. 9, 10._
(1) There will be, after the release of Satan, and of course at the
close of the millennial period properly so called, a state of things
which may be well represented by the invasion of a country by hostile,
formidable forces. This, as shown in the exposition, need not be
supposed to be literal; but it is implied that there will be decided
hostility against the true religion. It may be an organization and
consolidation, so to speak, of infidel principles, or a decided worldly
spirit, or some prevalent form of error, or some new form of depravity
that shall be developed by the circumstances of that age. What it will
be it is impossible now to determine; but, as shown above (§ c, (4)),
it is by no means improbable that this will occur even at the close of
the millennium.
(2) There will be a decided defeat of these forces thus combined, _as
if_ fire should come down from heaven to destroy an invading army. The
_mode_ in which this will be done is not indeed stated, for there is
no necessity of understanding the statement in ver. 9 _literally_, any
more than the other parts of the chapter. The fair inference, however,
is that it will be by a manifest divine agency; that it will be sudden,
and that the destruction will be entire. We have no reason, therefore,
to suppose that the outbreak will be of long continuance, or that it
will _very_ materially disturb the settled order of human affairs on
the earth――any more than a formidable invasion of a country does, when
the invading army is suddenly cut off by some terrible judgment from
heaven.
(3) _This_ overthrow of the enemies of God and of the church will be
_final_. Satan will be “cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, to
be tormented day and night for ever.” The beast and the false prophet
are already there (ch. xix. 20); that is, they will have ceased long
since, even before the beginning of the millennial period (ch. xix. 20,
compared with ch. xx. 1‒3), to have opposed the progress of truth in
the world, and their power will have been brought to an end. Satan now,
the last enemy, will be doomed to the same hopeless woe; and _all_ the
enemies that have ever opposed the church――in all forms of Paganism,
Mahometanism, Popery, and delusion――will be destroyed for ever. The
world then will have peace; the church will have rest; the great
triumph will have been achieved.
(4) For reasons stated in the Analysis of the Chapter, V. (c), it is
possible that there will be a long period of continued prosperity and
peace between the events stated in ver. 9, 10, and the final judgment,
as described in ver. 11‒15. If so, however, the purpose of the book
did not require that that should be described at length, and it must
be admitted that the most _obvious_ interpretation of the New Testament
would not be favourable to such a supposition. Comp. Lu. xvii. 26‒30;
xviii. 8; 1 Th. v. 2, 3; 2 Pe. iii. 3, 4. The great glory of the world
will be the millennial period; when religion shall have the ascendency
and the race shall have reached its highest point of progress on earth,
and the blessings of liberty, intelligence, peace, and piety, shall
have during that period been spread over the globe. In {438} that
long duration, who can estimate the numbers that shall be redeemed
and saved? That period passed, the great purpose contemplated by the
creation of the earth――the glory of God in the redemption of a fallen
race, and in setting up a kingdom of righteousness in a world of
apostasy――will have been accomplished, and there will be no reason
why the final judgment should not then occur. “The work of redemption
will now be finished. The end for which the means of grace have been
instituted shall be obtained. All the effect which was intended to be
accomplished by them shall now be accomplished. All the great wheels of
Providence have gone round――all things are ripe for Christ’s coming to
judgment” (President Edwards’ _History of Redemption_).
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it,
from whose face the [626]earth and the heaven fled away; and
there was found no place for them.
11. _And I saw a great white throne._ This verse commences the
description of the final judgment, which embraces the remainder of
the chapter. The first thing seen in the vision is the burning throne
of the Judge. The things that are specified in regard to it are,
that it was _great_, and that it was _white_. The former expression
means that it was high or elevated. Comp. Is. vi. 1. The latter
expression――_white_――means that it was _splendid_ or _shining_. Comp.
1 Ki. x. 18‒20. The throne here is the same which is referred to in
Mat. xxv. 31, and called there “the throne _of his glory_.” ¶ _And him
that sat on it._ The reference here undoubtedly is to the Lord Jesus
Christ, the final Judge of mankind (comp. Mat. xxv. 31), and the scene
described is that which will occur at his second advent. ¶ _From whose
face._ Or, from whose presence; though the word _may_ be used here
to denote more strictly his _face_――as illuminated, and shining like
the sun. See ch. i. 16, “And his countenance was as the sun shineth in
his strength.” ¶ _The earth and the heaven fled away._ That is, as the
stars, at the rising of the sun, seem to flee to more remote regions,
and vanish from human view, so when the Son of God shall descend in
his glory to judge the world, the earth and all other worlds shall seem
to vanish. Every one must admire the sublimity of this image; no one
can contemplate it without being awed by the majesty and glory of the
final Judge of mankind. Similar expressions, where the natural creation
shrinks back with awe at the presence of God, frequently occur in the
Bible. Comp. Ps. xviii. 7‒15; lxxvii. 16‒19; cxiv. 3‒5; Hab. iii. 6,
10, 11. ¶ _And there was found no place for them._ They seemed to flee
_entirely_ away, as if there was _no_ place where they could find a
safe retreat, or which would receive and shelter them in their flight.
The image expresses, in the most emphatic manner, the idea that they
entirely disappeared, and _no_ language could more sublimely represent
the majesty of the Judge.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
the [627]books were opened: and [628]another book was opened,
which is _the book_ of life: and the dead were judged out of
those things which were written in the books, [629]according
to their works.
12. _And I saw the dead, small and great._ _All_ the dead――for this
language would express that――the whole race being composed of the
“small and great.” Thus, in other language, the same idea might be
expressed by saying, the young and old; the rich and poor; the bond
and free; the sick and well; the happy and the unhappy; the righteous
and the wicked; for all the human family might, in these respects, be
considered as thus divided. The fair meaning in this place therefore is,
that _all_ the dead would be there, and of course this would preclude
the idea of a _previous_ resurrection of any part of the dead, as of
the saints, at the beginning of the millennium. There is no intimation
here that it is the _wicked_ dead that are referred to in this
description of the final judgment. It is the judgment of _all_ the dead.
¶ _Stand before God._ That is, they appear thus to be judged. The word
“God” here must naturally refer to the final Judge on the throne, and
there can be no doubt (see Mat. xxv. 31) that this is the Lord Jesus.
Comp. 2 Co. v. 10. None can judge the secrets of the heart; none can
pronounce on the moral character of all mankind, of all countries and
ages, and determine their everlasting allotment, but he who is Divine.
{439} _And the books were opened._ That is, the books containing the
record of human deeds. The representation is, that all that men have
done is recorded, and that it will be exhibited on the final trial, and
will constitute the basis of the last judgment. The imagery seems to be
derived from the accusations made against such as are arraigned before
human courts of justice. ¶ _And another book was opened, which is the
|book| of life._ The book containing the record of the names of all
who shall enter into life, or into heaven. See Notes on ch. iii. 5.
The meaning here is, that John saw not only the general books opened
containing the records of the deeds of men, but that he had a distinct
view of the list or roll of those who were the followers of the Lamb.
It would seem that in regard to the multitudes of the impenitent and
the wicked, the judgment will proceed _on their deeds_ in general; in
regard to the righteous, it will turn on the fact that their names had
been enrolled in the book of life. That will be sufficient to determine
the nature of the sentence that is to be passed on them. He will be
safe whose name is found in the book of life; no one will be safe
who is to have his eternal destiny determined by his own deeds. This
passage proves _particularly_ that the righteous dead are referred to
here as being present at the final judgment; and is thus an additional
argument against the supposition of a resurrection of the righteous,
and a judgment on them, at the beginning of the millennium. ¶ _And the
dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books._
The records which had been made of their deeds. The final judgment will
proceed on the record that has been made. It will not be arbitrary, and
will not be determined by rank, condition, or profession, but it will
be according to the record. ¶ _According to their works._ See Notes
on 2 Co. v. 10. The fact that the name of anyone was found in the book
of life would seem, as above remarked, to determine the _certainty_
of salvation; but the amount of reward would be in proportion to the
service rendered to the Redeemer, and the attainments made in piety.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death
and [630]hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and
they were judged every man according to their works.
13. _And the sea gave up the dead which were in it._ All that had
been buried in the depths of ocean. This number in the aggregate will
be great. If we include all who were swept off by the flood, and all
who have perished by shipwreck, and all who have been killed in naval
battles and buried in the sea, and all who have been swept away by
inundations of the ocean, and all who have peacefully died at sea, as
sailors, or in the pursuits of commerce or benevolence, the number in
the aggregate will be immense――a number so vast that it was proper to
notice them particularly in the account of the general resurrection and
the last judgment. ¶ _And death and hell delivered up the dead which
were in them._ That is, _all_ the dead came, from all regions where
they were scattered――on the land and in the ocean――in this world and
in the invisible world. “Death and hell” are here personified, and are
represented as having dominion over the dead, and as now _delivering_
up, or _surrendering_ those who were held under them. On the meaning of
the words here used, see Notes on ch. i. 18; vi. 8. Comp. Notes on Mat.
x. 23; Job x. 21, 22; Is. xiv. 9. This whole representation is entirely
inconsistent with the supposition that a large part of the dead had
been already raised up at the beginning of the millennial period, and
had been permitted, in their glorified bodies, to reign with Christ.
¶ _And they were judged_, &c. All these were judged――the righteous
and the wicked; those buried at sea, and those buried on the land; the
small and the great; the dead, in whatever world they may have been.
14 And [631]death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.
This is the second death.
14. _And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire._ Death and
Hades (_hell_) are here personified, as they are in the previous verse.
The declaration is equivalent to the statement in 1 Co. xv. 26: “The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is _death_.” See Notes on that
passage. The idea is, that death, considered as the separation of soul
and body, with {440} all the attendant woes, will exist no more. The
righteous will live for ever, and the wicked will linger on in a state
never to be terminated by death. The reign of Death and Hades, as such,
would come to an end, and a new order of things would commence where
_this_ would be unknown. There might be that which would be properly
called death, but it would not be death in this form; the soul would
live for ever, but it would not be in that condition represented by
the word ᾅδης――_hades_. There would be _death_ still, but a “second
death differs from the first, in the fact that it is not a separation
of the soul and body, but a state of _continual agony_ like that which
the first death inflicts――like that in intensity, but not in kind”
(Professor Stuart). ¶ _This is the second death._ That is, this
whole process here described――the condemnation, and the final death
and ruin of those whose names are “not found written in the book of
life”――properly constitutes the second death. This proves that when
it is said that “death and hell were cast into the lake of fire,” it
cannot be meant that all punishment will cease for ever, and that all
will be saved, for the writer goes on to describe what he calls “the
second death” as still existing. See ver. 15. John describes this as
the second death, not because it in all respects resembles the first
death, but because it has so many points of resemblance that it may be
properly called _death_. Death, in any form, is the penalty of law;
it is attended with pain; it cuts off from hope, from friends, from
enjoyment; it subjects him who dies to a much-dreaded condition, and
in all these respects it was proper to call the final condition of the
wicked _death_――though it would still be true that the soul would live.
There is no evidence that John meant to affirm that the second death
would imply an extinction of _existence_. Death never does that; the
word does not naturally and properly convey that idea.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
[632]cast into the lake of fire.
15. _And whosoever._ All persons, of all ranks, ages, and conditions.
No word could be more comprehensive than this. The single condition
here stated, as being that which would save _any_ from being cast into
the lake of fire, is, that they are “found written in the book of life.”
All besides these, princes, kings, nobles, philosophers, statesmen,
conquerors; rich men and poor men; the bond and the free; the young
and the aged; the gay, the vain, the proud, and the sober; the modest
and the humble, will be doomed to the lake of fire. Unlike in all
other things, they will be alike in the only thing on which their
eternal destiny will depend――that they have not _so_ lived that their
names have become recorded in the book of life. As they will also be
destitute of true religion, there will be a propriety that they shall
share the same doom in the future world. ¶ _Written in the book of
life._ See Notes on ch. iii. 5. ¶ _Was cast into the lake of fire._
See Notes on Mat. xxv. 41. That is, they will be doomed to a punishment
which will be well represented by their lingering in a sea of fire for
ever. This is the termination of the judgment――the winding up of the
affairs of men. The vision of John here rests for a moment on the doom
of the wicked, and then turns to a more full contemplation of the happy
lot of the righteous, as detailed in the two closing chapters of the
book.
§ e.――_Condition of things referred to in ver. 11‒15._
(1) There will be a general resurrection of the dead――of the righteous
and the wicked. This is implied by the statement that the “dead, small
and great,” were seen to stand before God; that “the sea gave up the
dead which were in it;” that “Death and Hades gave up their dead.” All
were there whose names were or were not written in the book of life.
(2) There will be a solemn and impartial judgment. How long a time this
will occupy is not said, and is not necessary to be known――for time is
of no consequence where there is an eternity of devotion――but it _is_
said that they will be all judged “according to their works”――that is,
strictly according to their character. They will receive no arbitrary
doom; they will have no sentence which will not be just. See Mat. xxv.
31‒46.
(3) This will be the _final_ judgment. After this, the affairs of the
race will be put on a different footing. This will be the end of the
present arrangements; {441} the end of the present dispensations; the
end of human probation. The great question to be determined in regard
to our world will have been settled; what the plan of redemption was
intended to accomplish on the earth will have been accomplished; the
agency of the Divine Spirit in converting sinners will have come to an
end; and the means of grace, as such, will be employed no more. There
is not here or elsewhere an intimation that beyond this period any of
these things will exist, or that the work of redemption, as such, will
extend into the world beyond the judgment. As there is no intimation
that the condition of the righteous will be changed, so there is none
that the condition of the wicked will be; as there is no hint that
the righteous will ever be exposed to temptation, or to the danger
of falling into sin, so there is none that the offers of salvation
will ever again be made to the wicked. On the contrary, the whole
representation is, that all beyond this will be fixed and unchangeable
for ever. See Notes on ch. xxii. 11.
(4) The wicked will be destroyed, in what may be properly called the
_second_ death. As remarked in the Notes, this does not mean that this
death will in all respects resemble the first death, but there will be
so many points of resemblance that it will be proper to call it _death_.
It does not mean that they will be _annihilated_, for _death_ never
implies that. The meaning is, that this will be a cutting off from what
is properly called _life_, from hope, from happiness, and from peace,
and a subjection to pain and agony, which it will be proper to call
_death_――death in the most fearful form; death that will continue for
ever. No statements in the Bible are more clear than those which are
made on this point; no affirmation of the eternal punishment of the
wicked _could be_ more explicit than those which occur in the sacred
Scriptures. See Notes on Mat. xxv. 46, and 2 Th. i. 9.
(5) This will be the end of the woes and calamities produced in the
kingdom of God by sin. The reign of Satan and of Death, so far as the
Redeemer’s kingdom is concerned, will be at an end, and henceforward
the church will be safe from all the arts and efforts of its foes.
Religion will be triumphant, and the affairs of the universe be reduced
to permanent order.
(6) The preparation is thus made for the final triumph of the
righteous――the state to which all things tend. The writer of this
book has conducted the prospective history through all the times of
persecution which awaited the church, and stated the principal forms of
error which would prevail, and foretold the conflicts through which the
church would pass, and described its eventful history to the millennial
period, and to the final triumph of truth and righteousness; and now
nothing remains to complete the plan of the work but to give a rapid
sketch of the final condition of the redeemed. This is done in the two
following chapters, and with this the work is ended.
CHAPTER XXI.
ANALYSIS OF CHAP. XXI., XXII. 1‒5.
The whole of ch. xxi., and the first five verses of ch. xxii.,
relate to scenes beyond the judgment, and are descriptive of the happy
and triumphant state of the redeemed church, when all its conflicts
shall have ceased, and all its enemies shall have been destroyed. That
happy state is depicted under the image of a beautiful city, of which
Jerusalem was the emblem, and it was disclosed to John by a vision of
that city――the New Jerusalem――descending from heaven. Jerusalem was
regarded as the peculiar dwelling-place of God, and to the Hebrews it
became thus the natural emblem or symbol of the heavenly world. The
conception having occurred of describing the future condition of the
righteous under the image of a beautiful city, all that follows is in
_keeping_ with that, and is merely a carrying out of the image. It is
a city with beautiful walls and gates; a city that has no temple――for
it is all a temple; a city that needs no light――for God is its light;
a city into which nothing impure ever enters; a city filled with trees,
and streams, and fountains, and fruits――the _Paradise Regained_.
The description of that blessed state comprises the following parts:――
I. A vision of a new heaven and a new earth, as the final abode of the
blessed, ver. 1. The first heaven and the first earth passed away at
the judgment (ch. xx. 11‒15), to be succeeded by a new heaven and earth
fitted to be the abode of the blessed.
II. A vision of the holy city――the New Jerusalem――descending from
heaven, as the abode of the redeemed, prepared as a bride adorned for
her {442} husband――representing the fact that God would truly abide
with men, ver. 2‒4. Now all the effects of the apostasy will cease; all
tears will be wiped away, and in that blessed state there will be no
more death, or sorrow, or pain. This contains the _general_ statement
of what will be the condition of the redeemed in the future world. God
will be there; and all sorrow will cease.
III. A command to make a record of these things, ver. 5.
IV. A general description of those who should dwell in that future
world of blessedness, ver. 6‒8. It is for all who are athirst; for all
who desire it, and long for it; for all who “overcome” their spiritual
enemies, who maintain a steady conflict with sin, and gain a victory
over it. But all who are fearful and unbelieving――all the abominable,
and murderers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and liars――shall have
their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. That is,
that world will be pure and holy.
V. A minute description of the city, representing the happy abode of
the redeemed, ver. 9‒26. This description embraces many particulars:――
(1) Its general appearance, ver. 11, 18, 21. It is bright and
splendid――like a precious jasper-stone, clear as crystal, and composed
of pure gold.
(2) Its walls, ver. 12, 18. The walls are represented as “great and
high,” and as composed of “jasper.”
(3) Its gates, ver. 12, 13, 21. The gates are twelve in number, three
on each side; and are each composed of a single pearl.
(4) Its foundations, ver. 14, 18‒20. There are twelve foundations,
corresponding to the number of the apostles of the Lamb. They are all
composed of precious stones――jasper, sapphire, chalcedony, emerald,
sardonyx, sardius, chrysolite, beryl, topaz, chrysoprasus, jacinth, and
amethyst.
(5) Its size, ver. 15‒17. It is square――the length being as great as
the breadth, and its height the same. The extent of each dimension is
twelve thousand furlongs――a length on each side and in height of three
hundred and seventy-five miles. It would seem, however, that though
the _city_ was of that height, the _wall_ was only an hundred and
forty-four cubits, or about two hundred and sixteen feet high. The idea
seems to be that the city――the dwellings within it――towered high above
the wall that was thrown around it for protection. This is not uncommon
in cities that are surrounded by walls.
(6) Its light, ver. 23, 24; ch. xxii. 5. It has no need of the sun, or
of the moon, or of a lamp (ch. xxii. 5) to lighten it; and yet there is
no night there (ch. xxii. 5), for the glory of God gives light to it.
(7) It is a city without a temple, ver. 22. There is no one place
in it that is peculiarly sacred, or where the worship of God will be
exclusively celebrated. It will be all a temple, and the worship of God
will be celebrated in all parts of it.
(8) It is always open, ver. 25. There will be no need of closing it as
walled cities on earth are closed to keep enemies out, and it will not
be shut to prevent those who dwell there from going out and coming in
when they please. The inhabitants will not be prisoners, nor will they
be in danger, or be alarmed by the prospect of an attack from an enemy.
(9) Its inhabitants will all be pure and holy, ver. 27. There will in
no wise enter there anything that defiles, or that works abomination,
or that is false. They only shall dwell there whose names are written
in the Lamb’s book of life.
(10) Its inclosures and environs, ch. xxii. 1, 2. A stream of water,
pure as crystal, proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb. That
stream flows through the city, and on its banks is the tree of life
constantly bearing fruit――fruit to be partaken of freely. It is
Paradise regained――a holy and beautiful abode, of which the garden of
Eden was only an imperfect emblem, where there is no prohibition, as
there was there, of anything that grows, and where there is no danger
of falling into sin.
(11) It is a place free, consequently, from the curse that was
pronounced on man when he forfeited the blessings of the first Eden,
and when he was driven out from the happy abodes where God had placed
him.
(12) It is a place where the righteous shall reign for ever, ch.
xxii. 5. Death shall never enter there, and the presence and glory of
God shall fill all with peace and joy.
Such is an outline of the figurative and glowing description of
the future blessedness of the redeemed; the eternal abode of those
who shall be saved. {443} It is poetic and emblematical; but it is
elevating, and constitutes a beautiful and appropriate close, not only
of this single book, but of the whole sacred volume――for to this the
saints are everywhere directed to look forward; this is the glorious
termination of all the struggles and conflicts of the church; this is
the result of the work of redemption in repairing the evils of the fall,
and in bringing man to more than the bliss which he lost in Eden. The
mind rests with delight on this glorious prospect; the Bible closes,
as a revelation from heaven should, in a manner that calms down every
anxious feeling; that fills the soul with peace, and that leads the
child of God to look forward with bright anticipations, and to say, as
John did, “Come, Lord Jesus,” ch. xxii. 20.
CHAPTER XXI.
AND I saw a [633]new heaven and a new earth: for the first
heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no
more sea.
1. _And I saw a new heaven and a new earth._ Such a heaven and earth
that they might properly be called _new_; such transformations, and
such changes in their appearance, that they seemed to be just created.
He does not say that they _were_ created now, or anew; that the old
heavens and earth were annihilated;――but all that he says is, that
there were such changes that they _seemed_ to be new. If the earth is
to be renovated by fire, such a renovation will give an appearance to
the globe as if it were created anew, and might be attended with such
an apparent change in the heavens that they might be said to be _new_.
The description here (ver. 1) relates to scenes _after_ the general
resurrection and the judgment――for those events are detailed in the
close of the previous chapter. In regard to the meaning of the language
here, see Notes on 2 Pe. iii. 13. Compare, also, _The Religion of
Geology and its Connected Sciences_, by Edward Hitchcock, D.D., LL.D.,
pp. 370‒408. ¶ _For the first heaven and the first earth were passed
away._ They had passed away by being changed, and a renovated universe
had taken their place. See Notes on 2 Pe. iii. 10. ¶ _And there was
no more sea._ This change struck John more forcibly, it would appear,
than anything else. Now, the seas and oceans occupy about three-fourths
of the surface of the globe, and, of course, to that extent prevent
the world from being occupied by men――except by the comparatively small
number that are mariners. There, the idea of John seems to be, the
whole world will be inhabitable, and no part will be given up to the
wastes of oceans. In the present state of things, these vast oceans
are necessary to render the world a fit abode for human beings, as well
as to give life and happiness to the numberless tribes of animals that
find their homes in the waters. In the future state, it would seem,
the present arrangement will be unnecessary; and if man dwells upon
the earth at all, or if he visits it as a temporary abode (see Notes
on 2 Pe. iii. 13), these vast wastes of water will be needless. It
should be remembered that the earth, in its changes, according to
the teachings of geology, has undergone many revolutions quite as
remarkable as it would be if all the lakes, and seas, and oceans of the
earth should disappear. Still, it is not certain that it was intended
that this language should be understood literally as applied to the
material globe. The object is to describe the future blessedness of the
righteous; and the idea is, that that will be a world where there will
be no such wastes as those produced by oceans.
2 And I John saw the [634]holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down from God, out of heaven, prepared as [635]a bride
[636]adorned for her husband.
2. _And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God
out of heaven._ See the Analysis of the chapter. On the phrase “new
Jerusalem,” see Notes on Ga. iv. 26, and He. xii. 22. Here it refers to
the residence of the redeemed, the heavenly world, of which Jerusalem
was the type and symbol. It is here represented as “coming down from
God out of heaven.” This, of course, does not mean that this great
city was _literally_ to descend upon the _earth_, and to occupy any
one part of the renovated world; but it is a symbolical or figurative
representation, designed to show that the abode of the righteous will
be splendid and glorious. The idea of a city literally descending
from heaven, and being set upon the earth with such proportions――three
hundred {444} and seventy miles high (ver. 16), made of gold, and
with single pearls for gates, and single gems for the foundations――is
absurd. No man can suppose that this is literally true, and hence this
must be regarded as a figurative or emblematic description. It is a
representation of the heavenly state under the image of a beautiful
city, of which Jerusalem was, in many respects, a natural and striking
emblem. ¶ _Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband._ See Notes
on Is. xlix. 18; lxi. 10. The purpose here is, to represent it as
exceedingly beautiful. The comparison of the church with a bride, or a
wife, is common in the Scriptures. See Notes on ch. xix. 7, 8, and on
Is. i. 21. It is also common in the Scriptures to compare a city with
a beautiful woman, and these images here seem to be combined. It is a
beautiful city that seems to descend, and this city is itself compared
with a richly-attired bride prepared for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the
[637]tabernacle of God _is_ with men, and he will dwell with
them, and they shall be [638]his people, and God himself shall
be with them, _and be_ their God.
3. _And I heard a great voice out of heaven._ As if uttered by God
himself, or the voice of angels. ¶ _Behold the tabernacle of God |is|
with men._ The _tabernacle_, as that word is commonly used in the
Scriptures, referring to the sacred _tent_ erected in the wilderness,
was regarded as the peculiar dwelling-place of God among his people――as
the temple was afterwards, which was also called a _tabernacle_. See
Notes on He. ix. 2. The meaning here is, that God would now dwell with
the redeemed, _as if_ in a tabernacle, or in a house specially prepared
for his residence among them. It is not said that this would be _on
the earth_, although that _may_ be; for it is possible that the earth,
as well as other worlds, may yet become the abode of the redeemed.
See Notes on 2 Pe. iii. 13. ¶ _And he will dwell with them._ As in a
tent, or tabernacle――σκηνώσει. This is a common idea in the Scriptures.
¶ _And they shall be his people._ He will acknowledge them in this
public way as his own, and will dwell with them as such. ¶ _And God
himself shall be with them._ Shall be permanently with them; shall
never leave them. ¶ _|And be| their God._ Shall manifest himself as
such, in such a manner that there shall be no doubt.
4 And God shall [639]wipe away all tears from their eyes; and
there shall be [640]no more death, neither [641]sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away.
4. _And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes._ This will
be one of the characteristics of that blessed state, that not a tear
shall ever be shed there. How different will that be from the condition
here――for who is there here who has not learned to weep? See Notes on
ch. vii. 17. Comp. Notes on Is. xxv. 8. ¶ _And there shall be no more
death._. In all that future world of glory, not one shall ever die; not
a grave shall ever be dug! What a view do we begin to get of heaven,
when we are told there shall be no _death_ there! How different from
earth, where death is so common; where it spares no one; where our
best friends die; where the wise, the good, the useful, the lovely
die; where fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, sons, daughters, all
die; where we habitually feel that we must die. Assuredly we have here
a view of heaven most glorious and animating to those who dwell in a
world like this, and to whom nothing is more common than death. In all
their endless and glorious career, the redeemed will never see death
again; they will never themselves die. They will never follow a friend
to the tomb, nor fear that an absent friend is dead. The slow funeral
procession will never be witnessed there; nor will the soil ever open
its bosom to furnish a grave. See Notes on 1 Co. xv. 55. ¶ _Neither
sorrow._ The word _sorrow_ here――πένθος――denotes sorrow or _grief_
of any kind; sorrow for the loss of property or friends; sorrow for
disappointment, persecution, or care; sorrow over our sins, or sorrow
that we love God so little, and serve him so unfaithfully; sorrow that
we are sick, or that we must die. How innumerable are the sources of
sorrow here; how constant is it on the earth! Since the fall of man
there has not been a day, an hour, a moment, in which this has not
been a sorrowful world; there has not been a nation, a tribe――a city
or a village――nay, not a family, where there has {445} not been grief.
There has been no individual who has been always perfectly happy. No
one rises in the morning with any certainty that he may not end the
day in grief; no one lies down at night with any assurance that it may
not be a night of sorrow. How different would this world be if it were
announced that henceforward there would be no sorrow! How different,
therefore, will heaven be when we shall have the assurance that
henceforward grief shall be at an end! ¶ _Nor crying_――κραυγὴ. This
word properly denotes a cry, an outcry, as in giving a public notice;
a cry in a tumult――a clamour, Ac. xxiii. 9; and then a cry of sorrow,
or wailing. This is evidently its meaning here, and it refers to all
the outbursts of grief arising from affliction, from oppression, from
violence. The sense is, that as none of these _causes_ of wailing will
be known in the future state, all such wailing will cease. This, too,
will make the future state vastly different from our condition here;
for what a change would it produce on the earth if the cry of grief
were never to be heard again! ¶ _Neither shall there be any more pain._
There will be no sickness, and no calamity; and there will be no mental
sorrow arising from remorse, from disappointment, or from the evil
conduct of friends. And what a change would _this_ produce――for how
full of _pain_ is the world now! How many lie on beds of languishing;
how many are suffering under incurable diseases; how many are
undergoing severe surgical operations; how many are pained by the
loss of property or friends, or subjected to acuter anguish by the
misconduct of those who are loved! How different would this world be,
if all _pain_ were to cease for ever; how different, therefore, must
the blessed state of the future be from the present! ¶ _For the former
things are passed away._ The world as it was before the judgment.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all
things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are
true and faithful.
5. _And he that sat upon the throne said._ Probably the Messiah, the
dispenser of the rewards of heaven. See Notes on ch. xx. 11. ¶ _Behold,
I make all things new._ A new heaven and new earth (ver. 1), and an
order of things to correspond with that new creation. The former state
of things when sin and death reigned will be changed, and the change
consequent on this must extend to everything. ¶ _And he said unto me,
Write._ Make a _record_ of these things, for they are founded in truth,
and they are adapted to bless a suffering world. Comp. Notes on ch. xiv.
13. See also ch. i. 19. ¶ _For these words are true and faithful._ They
are founded in truth, and they are worthy to be believed. See Notes on
ch. xix. 9. Comp. also Notes on Da. xii. 4.
6 And he said unto me, [642]It is done. I[643] am Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end. I[644] will give unto him
that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
6. _And he said unto me._ That is, he that sat on the throne――the
Messiah. ¶ _It is done._ It is finished, complete; or, still more
expressively, _it is_――γέγονε. An expression remarkably similar to
this occurs in John xix. 30, when the Saviour on the cross said,
“It is finished.” The meaning in the passage before us evidently is,
“The great work is accomplished; the arrangement of human affairs is
complete. The redeemed are gathered in; the wicked are cut off; truth
is triumphant, and all is now complete――prepared for the eternal state
of things.” ¶ _I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end._ This
language makes it morally certain that the speaker here is the Lord
Jesus, for it is the very language which he uses of himself in ch.
i. 11. See its meaning explained in the Notes on ch. i. 8. If it _is_
applied to him here, it proves that he is divine, for in the following
verse (7) the speaker says that he would be a _God_ to him who should
“overcome.” The meaning of the language as here used, regarded as
spoken by the Redeemer at the consummation of all things, and as his
people are about entering into the abodes of blessedness, is, “I am
now _indeed_ the Alpha and the Omega――the first and the last. The
attributes implied in this language which I claimed for myself are now
verified in me, and it is seen that these properly belong to me. The
scheme for setting up a kingdom in the lost world began in me, and it
ends in me――the glorious {446} and triumphant king.” ¶ _I will give
unto him that is athirst._ See Notes on Mat. v. 6; Jn. iv. 14; vii. 37.
¶ _Of the fountain of the water of life._ An image often used in the
Scriptures to represent salvation. It is compared with a fountain that
flows in abundance, where all may freely slake their thirst. ¶ _Freely._
Without money and without price (Notes on Is. lv. 1; Jn. vii. 37);
the common representation in the Scriptures. The meaning here is, not
that he would do this _in the future_, but that he had shown that this
was his character, as he had claimed, in the same way as he had shown
that he was the Alpha and the Omega. The freeness and the fulness of
salvation will be one of the most striking things made manifest when
the immense hosts of the redeemed shall be welcomed to their eternal
abodes.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit [645]all things; and I will
be his God, and he shall be my son.
7. _He that overcometh._ See Notes on ch. ii. 7. ¶ _Shall inherit all
things._ Be an heir of God in all things. See Notes on Ro. viii. 17.
Comp. Re. ii. 7, 11, 17, 26; iii. 5, 12, 21. ¶ _And I will be his God._
That is, _for ever_. He would be to them all that is properly implied
in the name of _God_; he would bestow upon them all the blessings
which it was appropriate for God to bestow. See Notes on 2 Co. vi. 18;
He. viii. 10. ¶ _And he shall be my son._ He shall sustain to me the
relation of a son, and shall be treated as such. He would ever onward
sustain this relation, and be honoured as a child of God.
8 But the [646]fearful, and [647]unbelieving, and the
[648]abominable, and murderers,[649] and [650]whoremongers,
and [651]sorcerers, and [652]idolaters, and all [653]liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and
brimstone: which is the second death.
8. _But the fearful._ Having stated, in general terms, who they were
who would be admitted into that blessed world, he now states explicitly
who would _not_. The _fearful_ denote those who had not firmness boldly
to maintain their professed principles, or who were afraid to avow
themselves as the friends of God in a wicked world. They stand in
contrast with those who “_overcome_,” ver. 7. ¶ _And unbelieving._
Those who have not true faith; avowed infidels; infidels at heart;
and all who have not the sincere faith of the gospel. See Notes on
Mar. xvi. 16. ¶ _And the abominable._ The verb from which this word is
derived means to excite disgust; to feel disgust at; to abominate or
abhor; and hence the participle――“the abominable”――refers to all who
are detestable, to wit, on account of their sins; all whose conduct is
offensive to God. Thus it would include those who live in open sin; who
practise detestable vices; whose conduct is fitted to excite disgust
and abhorrence. These must all, of course, be excluded from a pure and
holy world; and this description, alas! would embrace a lamentably
large portion of the world as it has hitherto been. See Notes on Ro. i.
26, seq. ¶ _And murderers._ See Notes on Ro. i. 29; Ga. v. 21. ¶ _And
whoremongers._ See Notes on Ga. v. 19. ¶ _And sorcerers._ See the word
here used――φαρμακεῦσι――explained in the Notes on Ga. v. 19, under the
word _witchcraft_. ¶ _And idolaters._ 1 Co. vi. 9; Ga. v. 19. ¶ _And
all liars._ All who are false in their statements, their promises,
their contracts. The word would embrace all who are false towards God
(Ac. v. 1‒3), and false towards men. See Ro. i. 31. ¶ _Shall have their
part in the lake which burneth_, &c. Notes on ch. xx. 14. That is, they
will be excluded from heaven, and punished for ever. See Notes on 1 Co.
vi. 9, 10; Ga. v. 19‒21.
9 And there came unto me one of the [654]seven angels which
had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked
with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the [655]bride,
the Lamb’s wife.
9. _And there came unto me one of the seven angels_, &c. See Notes
on ch. xvi. 6, 7. Why one of these angels was employed to make this
communication is not stated. It may be that as they had been engaged
in bringing destruction on the enemies of the church, and securing
its final triumph, there was a propriety that that triumph should be
announced by one of their number. ¶ _And talked with me._ That is, in
regard to what he was about to show me. {447} ¶ _I will show thee the
bride, the Lamb’s wife._ I will show you what represents the redeemed
church now to be received into permanent union with its Lord――as a
bride about to be united to her husband. See Notes on ver. 2. Comp.
ch. xix. 7, 8.
10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and
high mountain, and showed me [656]that great city, the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,
10. _And he carried me away in the spirit._ Gave him a _vision_ of the
city; seemed to place him where he could have a clear view of it as it
came down from heaven. See Notes on ch. i. 10. ¶ _To a great and high
mountain._ The elevation, and the unobstructed range of view, gave him
an opportunity to behold it in its glory. ¶ _And showed me that great
city_, &c. As it descended from heaven. Notes on ver. 2.
11 Having the [657]glory of God: and her light _was_ like
unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear
as crystal;
11. _Having the glory of God._ A glory or splendour such as became
the dwelling place of God. The nature of that splendour is described
in the following verses. ¶ _And her light._ In ver. 23 it is said that
“the glory of God did lighten it.” That is, it was made light by the
visible symbol of the Deity――the _Shekinah_. See Notes on Lu. ii. 9;
Ac. ix. 3. The word here rendered _light_――φωστὴρ――occurs nowhere else
in the New Testament except in Phi. ii. 15. It means, properly, a light,
a light-giver, and, in profane writers, means commonly _a window_. It
is used here to denote the brightness or shining of the divine glory,
as supplying the place of the sun, or of a window. ¶ _Like unto a stone
most precious._ A stone of the richest or most costly nature. ¶ _Even
like a jasper stone._ On the _jasper_, see Notes on ch. iv. 3. It is
used there for the same purpose as here, to illustrate the majesty
and glory of God. ¶ _Clear as crystal._ Pellucid or resplendent like
crystal. There are various kinds of jasper――as red, yellow, and brown,
brownish yellow, &c. The stone is essentially a quartz, and the word
_crystal_ here is used to show that the form of it referred to by John
was clear and bright.
12 And had a wall great and high, _and_ had [658]twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon,
which are _the names_ of the twelve tribes of the children of
Israel:
12. _And had a wall great and high._ Ancient cities were always
surrounded with walls for protection, and John represents this as
inclosed in the usual manner. The word _great_ means that it was thick
and strong. Its height also is particularly noticed, for it was unusual.
See ver. 16. ¶ _|And| had twelve gates._ Three on each side. The number
of the gates correspond to the number of the tribes of the children
of Israel, and to the number of the apostles. The idea seems to be
that there would be ample opportunity of access and egress. ¶ _And
at the gates twelve angels._ Stationed there as guards to the New
Jerusalem. Their business seems to have been to watch the gates that
nothing improper should enter; that the great enemy should not make
an insidious approach to this city as he did to the earthly paradise.
¶ _And names written thereon._ On the gates. ¶ _Which are |the names|
of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel._ So in the city which
Ezekiel saw in vision, which John seems also to have had in his eye.
See Eze. xlviii. 31. The inscription in Ezekiel denoted that that was
the residence of the people of God; and the same idea is denoted here.
The New Jerusalem is the eternal residence of the children of God, and
this is indicated at every gate. None can enter who do not belong to
that people; all who are within are understood to be of their number.
13 On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the
south three gates; and on the west three gates.
13. _On the east three gates_, &c. The city was square (ver. 16),
and the same number of gates is assigned to each quarter. There does
not appear to be any special significancy in this fact, unless it be
to denote that there is access to this city from all quarters of the
world, and that they who dwell there will have come from each of the
{448} great divisions of the earth――that is, from every land.
14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and
[659]in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
14. _And the wall of the city had twelve foundations._ It is not said
whether these foundations were twelve rows of stones placed one above
another under the city, and extending round it, or whether they were
twelve stones placed at intervals. The former would seem to be the
most probable, as the latter would indicate comparative feebleness and
liability to fall. Compare Notes on ver. 19. ¶ _And in them._ In the
foundation of stones. That is, the names of the apostles were cut or
carved in them so as to be conspicuous. ¶ _The names of the twelve
apostles of the Lamb._ Of the Lamb of God; the Messiah. For an
illustration of this passage, see Notes on Ep. ii. 20.
15 And he that talked with me had a golden [660]reed to
measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.
15. _And he that talked with me._ The angel, ver. 9. ¶ _Had a
golden reed to measure the city._ See Notes on ch. xi. 1. The reed, or
measuring rod, here, is of gold, because all about the city is of the
most rich and costly materials. The rod is thus suited to the personage
who uses it, and to the occasion. Compare a similar description in Eze.
xl. 3‒5; xliii. 16. The object of this measuring is to show that the
city has proper architectural proportions. ¶ _And the gates thereof_,
&c. To measure every part of the city, and to ascertain its exact
dimensions.
16 And the city lieth four-square, and the length is as large
as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve
thousand furlongs. The length, and the breadth, and the height
of it are equal.
16. _And the city lieth four-square._ It was an exact square. That
is, there was nothing irregular about it; there were no crooked walls;
there was no jutting out, and no indentation in the walls, as if the
city had been built at different times without a plan, and had been
accommodated to circumstances. Most cities have been determined in
their outline by the character of the ground――by hills, streams, or
ravines; or have grown up by accretions, where one part has been joined
to another, so that there is no regularity, and so that the original
plan, if there was any, has been lost sight of. The New Jerusalem,
on the contrary, had been built according to a plan of the utmost
regularity, which had not been modified by the circumstances, or varied
as the city grew. The idea here may be, that the church, as it will
appear in its state of glory, will be in accordance with an eternal
plan, and that the great original design will have been fully carried
out. ¶ _And the length, is as large as the breadth._ The height also
of the city was the same――so that it was an exact square. ¶ _And he
measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs._ As eight
furlongs make a mile, the extent of the walls, therefore, must have
been three hundred and seventy-five miles. Of course, this must
preclude all idea of there being such a city literally in Palestine.
This is clearly a figurative or symbolical representation; and the
idea is, that the city was on the most magnificent scale, and with
the largest proportions, and the description here is adopted merely to
indicate this vastness, without any idea that it would be understood
_literally_. ¶ _The length, and the breadth, and the height of it are
equal._ According to this representation, the height of the _city_, not
of the _walls_ (comp. ver. 17), would be three hundred and seventy-five
miles. Of course, this _cannot_ be understood literally, and the very
idea of a literal fulfilment of this shows the absurdity of that method
of interpretation. The idea intended to be conveyed by this immense
height would seem to be that it would contain countless numbers of
inhabitants. It is true that such a structure has not existed, and that
a city of such a height may seem to be out of all proportion; but we
are to remember (a) that this is a _symbol_; and (b) that, considered
as one mass or pile of buildings, it may not seem to be out of
proportion. It is no uncommon thing that a house should be as high as
it is long or broad. The idea of _vastness_ and of _capacity_ is the
main idea designed to be represented. The image before the mind is,
that the numbers of the redeemed will be immense.
17 And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred _and_ forty
_and_ four cubits, _according to_ the measure of a man, that
is, of the angel.
{449} 17. _And he measured the wall thereof._ In respect to its
_height_. Of course, its _length_ corresponded with the extent of
the city. ¶ _An hundred |and| forty |and| four cubits._ This would be,
reckoning the cubit at eighteen inches, two hundred and sixteen feet.
This is less than the height of the walls of Babylon, which Herodotus
says were three hundred and fifty feet high. See Introduction to
ch. xiii. of Isaiah. As the walls of a city are designed to protect
it from external foes, the height mentioned here gives all proper
ideas of security; and we are to conceive of the city itself as
towering immensely _above_ the walls. Its glory, therefore, would
not be obscured by the wall that was thrown around it for defence.
¶ _|According to| the measure of a man._ The measure usually employed
by men. This seems to be added in order to prevent any mistake as to
the size of the city. It is an _angel_ who makes the measurement, and
without this explanation it might perhaps be supposed that he used some
measure not in common use among men, so that, after all, it would be
impossible to form any definite idea of the size of the city. ¶ _That
is, of the angel._ That is, “which is the measure employed by the
angel.” It was, indeed, an angel who measured the city, but the measure
which he employed was that in common use among men.
18 And the building of the wall of it was _of_ jasper; and the
city _was_ pure gold, like unto clear glass.
18. _And the building of the wall of it._ The material of which the
wall was composed. This means the wall _above_ the foundation, for
that was composed of twelve rows of precious stones, ver. 14, 19, 20.
The height of the foundation is not stated, but the entire wall above
was composed of jasper. ¶ _Was of jasper._ See Notes on ch. iv. 3. Of
course, this cannot be taken _literally_; and an attempt to explain
all this literally would show that that method of interpreting the
Apocalypse is impracticable. ¶ _And the city |was| pure gold._ The
material of which the edifices were composed. ¶ _Like unto clear
glass_. The word rendered _glass_ in this place――ὕαλος――occurs in the
New Testament only here and in ver. 21 of this chapter. It means,
properly, “anything transparent like water;” as, for example, any
transparent stone or gem, or as rock-salt, crystal, glass (Rob. _Lex._).
Here the meaning is, that the golden city would be so bright and
burnished that it would seem to be glass reflecting the sunbeams. Would
the appearance of a city, as the sun is setting, when the reflection
of its beams from thousands of panes of glass gives it the appearance
of burnished gold, represent the idea here? If we were to suppose a
city made entirely of glass, and the setting sunbeams falling on it, it
might convey the idea represented here. It is certain that, as nothing
could be more magnificent, so nothing could more beautifully combine
the two ideas referred to here――that of _gold_ and _glass_. Perhaps
the reflection of the sunbeams from the “Crystal Palace,” erected for
the late “industrial exhibition” in London, would convey a better idea
of what is intended to be represented here than anything which our
world has furnished. The following description from one who was an
eye-witness, drawn up by him at the time, and without any reference
to this passage, and furnished at my request, will supply a better
illustration of the passage before us than any description which I
could give:――“Seen as the morning vapours rolled around its base――its
far-stretching roofs rising one above another, and its great transept,
majestically arched, soaring out of the envelope of clouds――its pillars,
window-bars, and pinnacles, looked literally like a castle in the
air; like some palace, such as one reads of in idle tales of Arabian
enchantment, having about it all the ethereal softness of a dream.
Looked at from a distance at noon, when the sunbeams came pouring upon
the terraced and vaulted roof, it resembles a regal palace of silver,
built for some Eastern prince; _when the sun at eventide sheds on its
sides his parting rays, the edifice is transformed into a temple of
gold and rubies_; and in the calm hours of night, when the moon walketh
in her brightness, the immense surface of glass which the building
presents looks like a sea, or like throwing back, in flickering smile,
the radiant glances of the queen of heaven.”
19 And the [661]foundations of the wall of the city _were_
garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first
foundation _was_ jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a
chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald;
{450} 19. _And the foundations of the wall of the city._ Notes on
ver. 14. ¶ Were _garnished_. Were adorned, or decorated. That is, the
foundations were _composed_ of precious stones, giving them this highly
ornamented and brilliant appearance. ¶ _The first foundation._ The
first _row_, _layer_, or _course_. Notes on ver. 14. ¶ _|Was| jasper._
See Notes on ch. iv. 3. ¶ _The second, sapphire._ This stone is not
elsewhere mentioned in the New Testament. It is a precious stone, next
in hardness to the diamond, usually of an azure or sky-blue colour,
but of various shades. ¶ _The third, a chalcedony._ This word occurs
nowhere else in the New Testament. The stone referred to is an
uncrystallized translucent variety of quartz, having a whitish colour,
and of a lustre nearly like wax. It is found covering the sides of
cavities, and is a deposit from nitrated silicious waters. When it is
arranged in _stripes_, it constitutes _agate_; and if the stripes are
horizontal, it is the _onyx_. The modern _carnelian_ is a variety of
this. The carnelian is of a deep flesh red, or reddish-white colour.
The _name_ chalcedony is from _Chalcedon_, a town in Asia Minor,
opposite to Byzantium, or Constantinople, where this stone was probably
first known (Webster’s _Dict._). ¶ _The fourth, an emerald._ See Notes
on Re. iv. 3. The emerald is green.
20 The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh,
chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth,
a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an
amethyst.
20. _The fifth, sardonyx._ This word does not occur elsewhere in the
New Testament. The _name_ is derived from _Sardis_, a city in Asia
Minor (Notes on ch. iii. 1), and ὄνυξ, _a nail_――so named, according
to Pliny, from the resemblance of its colour to the flesh and the nail.
It is a silicious stone or gem, nearly allied to the onyx. The colour
is a reddish yellow, nearly orange (Webster, _Dict._). ¶ _The sixth,
sardius._ This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament. It
is also derived from _Sardis_, and the name was probably given to the
gem because it was found there. It is a stone of a blood-red or flesh
colour, and is commonly known as a _carnelian_. It is the same as the
_sardine_ stone mentioned in Re. iv. 3. See Notes on that place. ¶ _The
seventh, chrysolite._ This word does not elsewhere occur in the New
Testament. It is derived from χρυσὸς, _gold_, and λίθος, _stone_, and
means _golden stone_, and was applied by the ancients to all gems of
a golden or yellow colour, probably designating particularly the topaz
of the moderns (Rob. _Lex._). But in Webster’s _Dict._ it is said that
its prevalent colour is green. It is sometimes transparent. This is the
_modern_ chrysolite. The ancients undoubtedly understood by the name
a _yellow_ gem. ¶ _The eighth, beryl._ This word occurs nowhere else
in the New Testament. The beryl is a mineral of great hardness, and
is of a green or bluish-green colour. It is identical with the emerald,
except in the colour, the emerald having a purer and richer green
colour, proceeding from a trace of oxide of chrome. Prisms of beryl
are sometimes found nearly two feet in diameter in the state of New
Hampshire (Webster). ¶ _The ninth, a topaz._ This word does not
elsewhere occur in the New Testament. The topaz is a well-known mineral,
said to be so called from _Topazos_, a small island in the Arabian
Gulf. It is generally of a yellowish colour, and pellucid, but it is
also found of greenish, bluish, or brownish shades. ¶ _The tenth, a
chrysoprasus._ This word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament.
It is derived from χρυσὸς, _gold_, and πράσον, _a leek_, and denotes
a precious stone of greenish golden colour, like a leek; that is,
“apple-green passing into a grass-green” (Rob. _Lex._). “It is a
variety of quartz. It is commonly apple-green, and often extremely
beautiful. It is translucent, or sometimes semi-transparent; its
hardness little inferior to flint” (Webster, _Dict._). ¶ _The eleventh,
a jacinth._ The word does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament.
It is the same word as _hyacinth_――ὑάκινθος――and denotes properly the
well-known flower of that name, usually of a deep purple or reddish
blue. Here it denotes a gem of this colour. It is a {451} red variety
of _zircon_. See Webster’s _Dict._ under the word _hyacinth_. ¶ _The
twelfth, an amethyst._ This word, also, is found only in this place in
the New Testament. It denotes a gem of a deep purple or violet colour.
The _word_ is derived from α, priv., and μεθύω, to be intoxicated,
became this gem was supposed to be an antidote against drunkenness.
It is a species of quartz, and is used in jewelry.
21 And the twelve gates _were_ twelve pearls; every several
gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city _was_ pure
gold, as it were transparent glass.
21. _And the twelve gates._ Ver. 12. ¶ Were _twelve pearls._ See Notes
on ch. xvii. 4; Mat. xiii. 46. ¶ _Every several gate was of one pearl._
Each gate. Of course, this is not to be understood literally. The idea
is that of ornament and beauty, and nothing could give a more striking
view of the magnificence of the future abode of the saints. ¶ _And the
street of the city was pure gold._ Was paved with gold; that is, all
the vacant space that was not occupied with buildings was of pure gold.
See Notes on ver. 18.
22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it.
22. _And I saw no temple therein._ No structure reared expressly for
the worship of God; no particular place where he was adored. It was
_all_ temple――nothing but a temple. It was not like Jerusalem, where
there was but one house reared expressly for divine worship, and to
which the inhabitants repaired to praise God; it was all one great
temple reared in honour of his name, and where worship ascended from
every part of it. With this explanation, this passage harmonises with
what is said in ch. ii. 12: vii. 15. ¶ _For the Lord God Almighty and
the Lamb are the temple of it._ They are present in all parts of it
in their glory; they fill it with light; and the splendour of their
presence may be said _to be_ the temple. The idea here is, that it
would be a holy world――_all_ holy. No particular portion would be set
apart for purposes of public worship, but in all places God would be
adored, and every portion of it devoted to the purposes of religion.
23 And the city [662]had no need of the sun, neither of the
moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and
[663]the Lamb _is_ the light thereof.
23. _And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine
in it._ This imagery seems to be derived from Is. lx. 19, 20. See Notes
on those verses. No language could give a more striking or beautiful
representation of the heavenly state than that which is here employed.
¶ _For the glory of God did lighten it._ By the visible splendour of
his glory. See Notes on ver. 11. That supplied the place of the sun and
the moon. ¶ _And the Lamb is the light thereof._ The Son of God; the
Messiah. See Notes on ch. v. 6; Is. lx. 19.
24 And the [664]nations of them which are saved shall walk in
the light of it: and the [665]kings of the earth do bring
their glory and honour into it.
24. _And the nations of them which are saved._ All the nations that
are saved; or all the saved considered _as_ nations. This imagery is
doubtless derived from that in Isaiah, particularly ch. lx. 8‒9. See
Notes on that passage. ¶ _Shall walk in the light of it._ Shall enjoy
its splendour, and be continually in its light. ¶ _And the kings of the
earth do bring their glory and honour into it._ All that they consider
as constituting their glory, treasures, crowns, sceptres, robes. The
idea is, that all these will be devoted to God in the future days of
the church in its glory, and will be, as it were, brought and laid
down at the feet of the Saviour in heaven. The language is derived,
doubtless, from the description in Is. lx. 3‒14. Comp. Is. xlix. 28.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for
[666]there shall be no night there.
25. _And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day._ It shall
be constantly open, allowing free ingress and egress to all who reside
there. The language is derived from Is. lx. 11. See Notes on that place.
Applied to the future state of the blessed, it would seem to mean, that
while this will be their permanent {452} abode, yet that the dwellers
there will not be _prisoners_. The universe will be open to them. They
will be permitted to go forth and visit every world, and survey the
works of God in all parts of his dominions. ¶ _For there shall be
no night there._ It shall be all day; all unclouded splendour. When,
therefore, it is said that the gates should not be “shut _by day_,” it
means that they would _never_ be shut. When it is said that there would
be no _night_ there, it is, undoubtedly, to be taken as meaning that
there would be no _literal_ darkness, and nothing of which night is the
emblem: no calamity, no sorrow, no bereavement, no darkened windows on
account of the loss of friends and kindred. Comp. Notes on ver. 4.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations
into it.
26. _And they shall bring_, &c. See Notes on ver. 24. That blessed
world shall be made up of all that was truly valuable and pure on the
earth.
27 And[667] there shall in no wise enter into it any thing
that defileth, neither _whatsoever_ worketh abomination, or
_maketh_ a lie: but they which are written in the [668]Lamb’s
book of life.
27. _And there shall in no wise._ On no account; by no means.
This strong language denotes the absolute exclusion of all that is
specified in the verse. ¶ _Anything that defileth._ Literally, anything
“_common_.” See Notes on Ac. x. 14. It means here that nothing will be
found in that blessed abode which is unholy or sinful. It will be a
pure world, 2 Pe. iii. 13. ¶ _Neither |whatsoever| worketh abomination,
or |maketh| a lie._ See Notes on ver. 8. ¶ _But they which are written
in the Lamb’s book of life._ Whose names are there recorded. See Notes
on ch. iii. 5. Comp. Notes on ver. 8.
CHAPTER XXII.
For the analysis of the first five verses of this chapter, see the
Analysis of ch. xxi. The chapter comprises the remainder of the
description of the “New Jerusalem”――the blessed abode of the saints
(ver. 1‒5), and then (ver. 6‒21) the conclusion or epilogue of the
whole book. It is difficult to conceive what induced the author of the
division of the New Testament into chapters, to separate the first five
verses of this chapter from the preceding chapter. A new chapter should
have commenced at ver. 6 of ch. xxii.; for the remainder properly
comprises the conclusion of the whole book. Comp. Intro. to Notes on
the Gospels, vol. i. pp. vii., viii.
CHAPTER XXII.
AND he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as
crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
1. _And he showed me a pure river of water of life._ In the New
Jerusalem; the happy abode of the redeemed. The phrase “water of
life,” means _living_ or _running_ water, like a spring or fountain, as
contrasted with a stagnant pool. See Notes on John iv. 14. The allusion
here is doubtless to the first Eden, where a river watered the garden
(Gen. ii. 10, seq.), and as this is a description of Eden recovered, or
Paradise regained, it was natural to introduce a river of water also,
yet in such a way as to accord with the general description of that
future abode of the redeemed. It does not spring up, therefore, from
the ground, but flows from the throne of God and the Lamb. Perhaps,
also, the writer had in his eye the description in Eze. xlvii. 1‒12,
where a stream issues from under the temple, and is parted in different
directions. ¶ _Clear as crystal._ See Notes on ch. iv. 6. ¶ _Proceeding
out of the throne of God and of the Lamb._ Flowing from the foot
of the throne. Comp. ch. iv. 6. This idea is strictly in accordance
with Oriental imagery. In the East, fountains and running streams
constituted an essential part of the image of enjoyment and prosperity
(see Notes on Is. xxxv. 6), and such fountains were common in the
courts of Oriental houses. Here, the river is an emblem of peace,
happiness, plenty; and the essential thought in its flowing from the
throne is, that all the happiness of heaven proceeds from God.
2 In[669] the midst of [670]the street of it, and on either
side of the river, _was there_ [671]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.
2. _In the midst of the street of it._ Professor Stuart renders this,
“between the street thereof and the river;” and says that “the writer
conceives of the river as running through the whole city; {453} then
of streets parallel to it on either side; and then, on the banks of
the river, between the water and the street, the whole stream is lined
on either side with two rows of the tree of life.” The more common
interpretation, however, is doubtless admissible, and would give a more
beautiful image; that in the street, or streets of the city, as well
as on the banks of the river, the tree of life was planted. It abounded
everywhere. The city had not only a river passing through it, but it
was pervaded by streets, and all those streets were lined and shaded
with this tree. The idea in the mind of the writer is that of _Eden_
or _Paradise_; but it is not the Eden of the book of Genesis, or the
Oriental or Persian Paradise: it is a picture where all is combined,
that in the view of the writer would constitute beauty, or contribute
to happiness. ¶ _And on either side of the river._ As well as in all
the streets. The writer undoubtedly conceives of a single river running
through the city――probably as meandering along――and that river lined
on both sides with the tree of life. This gives great beauty to the
imagery. ¶ _|Was there| the tree of life._ Not a single tree, but it
abounded everywhere――on the banks of the river, and in all the streets.
It was the _common_ tree in this blessed Paradise――of which all might
partake, and which was everywhere the emblem of immortality. In this
respect, this new Paradise stands in strong contrast with that in
which Adam was placed at his creation, where there seems to have been
a single tree that was designated as the tree of life, Ge. iii. 22, 23.
In the future state of the blessed, that tree will abound, and all may
freely partake of it; the emblem, the pledge of immortal life, will be
constantly before the eyes, whatever part of the future abode may be
traversed, and the inhabitants of that blessed world may constantly
partake of it. ¶ _Which bare twelve |manner of| fruits._ “Producing
twelve fruit-harvests; not (as our version) twelve manner of fruits”
(Professor Stuart). The idea is not that there are twelve kinds of
fruit on the same tree, for that is not implied in the language used
by John. The literal rendering is, “producing twelve _fruits_”――ποιοῦν
καρποὺς δώδεκα. The word “_manner_” has been introduced by the
translators without authority. The idea is, that the tree bore every
month in the year, so that there were twelve fruit-harvests. It was
not like a tree that bears but once a year, or in one season only, but
it _constantly_ bore fruit――it bore every month. The idea is that of
_abundance_, not _variety_. The supply never fails; the tree is never
barren. As there is but a single class of trees referred to, it might
have been supposed, perhaps, that, according to the common method in
which fruit is produced, there would be sometimes plenty and sometimes
want; but the writer says that, though there _is_ but one kind, yet
the supply is ample. The tree is everywhere; it is constantly producing
fruit. ¶ _|And| yielded her fruit every month._ The word “_and_” is
also supplied by the translators, and introduces an idea which is not
in the original, as if there was not only a _succession_ of harvests,
which _is_ in the text, but that each one differed from the former,
which is _not_ in the text. The proper translation is, “producing
twelve fruits, yielding or rendering its fruit in each month.” Thus
there is, indeed, a succession of fruit-crops, but it is the same
kind of fruit. We are not to infer, however, that there will not
be _variety_ in the occupations and the joys of the heavenly state,
for there can be no doubt that there will be ample diversity in the
employments, and in the sources of happiness, in heaven; but the single
thought expressed here is, that the means of life _will be abundant_:
the trees of life will be everywhere, and they will be constantly
yielding fruit. ¶ _And the leaves of the tree._ Not only the _fruit_
will contribute to give life, but even the _leaves_ will be salutary.
Everything about it will contribute to sustain life. ¶ _|Were| for
the healing._ That is, they contribute to impart life and health to
those who had been diseased. We are not to suppose that there will be
sickness, and a healing process in heaven, for that idea is expressly
excluded in ch. xxi. 4; but the meaning is, that the life and health of
that blessed world will have been imparted by partaking of that tree;
and the writer says that, in fact, it was owing to it that they who
dwell there had been healed of their spiritual maladies, and had been
made to live for ever. ¶ _Of the nations._ Of all the nations assembled
there, ch. xxi. 24. {454} There is a close resemblance between the
language here used by John and that used by Ezekiel (xlvii. 12), and
it is not improbable that both these writers refer to the same thing.
Comp. also in the Apocrypha, 2 Esdras ii. 12; viii. 52‒54.
3 And [672]there shall be no more curse: but the [673]throne
of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his [674]servants
shall serve him:
3. _And there shall be no more curse._ This is doubtless designed to
be in strong contrast with our present abode; and it is affirmed that
what now properly comes under the name of a _curse_, or whatever is
part of the curse pronounced on man by the fall, will be there unknown.
The earth will be no more cursed, and will produce no more thorns and
thistles; man will be no more compelled to earn his bread by the sweat
of his brow; woman will be no more doomed to bear the sufferings which
she does now; and the abodes of the blessed will be no more cursed by
sickness, sorrow, tears, and death. ¶ _But the throne of God and of the
Lamb shall be in it._ God will reign there for ever; the principles of
purity and love which the Lamb of God came to establish, will pervade
that blessed abode to all eternity. ¶ _And his servants shall serve
him._ All his servants that are there; that is, all the inhabitants of
that blessed world. For the meaning of this passage, see Notes on ch.
vii. 15.
4 And[675] they shall see his face; and [676]his name _shall
be_ in their foreheads.
4. _And they shall see his face._ See Notes on Mat. xviii. 10. They
would be constantly in his presence, and be permitted continually to
behold his glory. ¶ _And his name |shall be| in their foreheads._ They
shall be designated as his. See Notes on ch. iii. 12; vii. 3; xiii. 16.
5 And[677] there shall be no night there: and they need no
candle, neither light of the sun; for [678]the Lord God giveth
them light: and [679]they shall reign for ever and ever.
5. _And there shall be no night there._ Notes on ch. xxi. 25. ¶ _And
they need no candle._ No lamp; no artificial light, as in a world where
there is night and darkness. ¶ _Neither light of the sun; for the Lord
God_, &c. Notes on ch. xxi. 23. ¶ _And they shall reign for ever and
ever._ That is, with God; they shall be as kings. See Notes on ch. v.
10; xx. 6. Comp. Notes on Ro. viii. 16; 2 Ti. ii. 11, 12.
REMARKS ON CHAP. XXI., XXII. 1‒5.
This portion of the Apocalypse contains the most full and complete
continuous description of the state of the righteous, in the world of
blessedness, that is to be found in the Bible. It seems to be proper,
therefore, to pause on it for a moment, and to state in a summary
manner what will be the principal features of that blessedness. All
can see that, as a description, it occupies an appropriate place,
not only in regard to this book, but to the volume of revealed truth.
In reference to this particular book, it is the appropriate close
of the account of the conflicts, the trials, and the persecutions of
the church; in reference to the whole volume of revealed truth, it is
appropriate because it occurs in the last of the inspired books that
was written. It was proper that a volume of revealed truth given to
mankind, and designed to describe a great work of redeeming mercy,
_should_ close with a description of the state of the righteous after
death.
The principal features in the description are the following:――
(1) There will be a new heaven and a new earth: a new order of things,
and a world adapted to the condition of the righteous. There will be
such changes produced in the earth, and such abodes fitted up for the
redeemed, that it will be proper to say that they are _new_, ch. xxi. 1.
(2) The _locality_ of that abode is not determined. No particular
_place_ is revealed as constituting heaven; nor is it intimated that
there would be such a _place_. For anything that appears, the universe
at large will be heaven――the earth and all worlds; and we are left
free to suppose that the redeemed will yet occupy any position of the
universe, and be permitted to behold the peculiar glories of the divine
character that are manifested in each of the worlds that he has made.
Comp. Notes on 1 Pe. i. 12. That there may be some one place in the
universe that will be their permanent home, and that will be more
properly called _heaven_, where the glory of their God and Saviour will
be peculiarly manifested, is not improbable; but still there is nothing
to prevent the hope and the belief that in the infinite duration that
awaits them they will be permitted to {455} visit all the worlds that
God has made, and to learn in each, and from each; all that he has
peculiarly manifested of his own character and glory there.
(3) That future state will be entirely and for ever free from all the
consequences of the apostasy as now seen on the earth. There will be
neither tears, nor sorrow, nor death, nor crying, nor pain, nor curse,
ch. xxi. 4; xxii. 3. It will, therefore, be a perfectly happy abode.
(4) It will be pure and holy. Nothing will ever enter there that shall
contaminate and defile, ch. xxi. 8, 27. On this account, also, it will
be a happy world, for (a) all real happiness has its foundation in
holiness; and (b) the source of all the misery that the universe has
experienced is sin. Let that be removed, and the earth would be happy;
let it be extinguished from any world, and its happiness will be secure.
(5) It will be a world of perfect light, ch. xxi. 22‒25; xxii. 5.
There will be (a) literally no night there; (b) spiritually and morally
there will be no darkness――no error, no sin. Light will be cast on a
thousand subjects now obscure; and on numerous points pertaining to the
divine government and dealings which now perplex the mind there will be
poured the splendour of perfect day. All the darkness that exists here
will be dissipated there; all that is now obscure will be made light.
And in view of this fact, we may well submit for a little time to
the mysteries which hang over the divine dealings here. The Christian
is destined to live for ever and ever. He is capable of an eternal
progression in knowledge. He is soon to be ushered into the splendours
of that eternal abode where there is no need of the light of the sun
or the moon, and where there is no night. In a little time――a few weeks
or days――by removal to that higher state of being, he will have made a
degree of progress in true knowledge compared with which all that can
be learned here is a nameless trifle. In that future abode he will
be permitted to know all that is to be known in those worlds that
shine upon his path by day or by night; all that is to be known in the
character of their Maker, and the principles of his government; all
that is to be known of the glorious plan of redemption; all that is
to be known of the reasons why sin and woe were permitted to enter
this beautiful world. There, too, he will be permitted to enjoy all
that there is to be enjoyed in a world without a cloud and without a
tear; all that is beatific in the friendship of God the Father, of the
Ascended Redeemer, of the Sacred Spirit; all that is blessed in the
goodly fellowship of the angels, of the apostles, of the prophets; all
that is rapturous in reunion with those that were loved on the earth.
Well, then, may he bear with the darkness and endure the trials of this
state a little longer.
(6) It will be a world of surpassing splendour. This is manifest by the
description of it in ch. xx., as a gorgeous city, with ample dimensions,
with most brilliant colours, set with gems, and composed of pure gold.
The writer, in the description of that abode, has accumulated all that
is gorgeous and magnificent, and doubtless felt that even _this_ was a
very imperfect representation of that glorious world.
(7) That future world will be an abode of the highest conceivable
happiness. This is manifest, not only from the fact stated that there
will be no pain or sorrow here, but from the positive description in
ch. xxii. 1, 2. It was, undoubtedly, the design of the writer, under
the image of a _Paradise_, to describe the future abode of the redeemed
as one of the highest happiness――where there would be an ample and a
constant supply of every want, and where the highest ideas of enjoyment
would be realized. And,
(8) All this will be eternal. The universe, so vast and so wonderful,
seems to have been made to be fitted to the eternal contemplation of
created minds, and _in_ this universe there is an adaptation for the
employment of mind for ever and ever.
If it be asked now why John, in the account which he has given
of the heavenly state, adopted this figurative and emblematic mode
of representation, and why it did not please God to reveal _any
more_ respecting the nature of the employments and enjoyments of the
heavenly world, it may be replied, (a) That this method is eminently
in accordance {456} with the general character of the book, as a book
of symbols and emblems. (b) He has stated _enough_ to give us a general
and a most attractive view of that blessed state. (c) It is not certain
that we would have appreciated it, or could have comprehended it, if a
more minute and literal description had been given. That state may be
so unlike this that it is doubtful whether we could have comprehended
_any_ literal description that could have been given. How little of
the future and the unseen can ever be known by a mere description; how
faint and imperfect a view can we ever obtain of anything by the mere
use of words, and especially of objects which have no resemblance to
anything which we have seen! Who ever obtained any adequate idea of
Niagara by a mere description? To what Greek or Roman mind, however
cultivated, could there have been conveyed the idea of a printing-press,
of a locomotive engine, of the magnetic telegraph, by mere description?
Who can convey to one born blind an idea of the prismatic colours; or
to the deaf an idea of sounds? If we may imagine the world of insect
tribes to be endowed with the power of language and thought, how could
the gay and gilded butterfly that to-day plays in the sunbeam impart
to its companions of yesterday――low and grovelling worms――any adequate
idea of that new condition of being into which it had emerged? And how
do we know that _we_ could comprehend _any_ description of that world
where the righteous dwell, or of employments and enjoyments so unlike
our own?
* * * * *
I cannot more appropriately close this brief notice of the
revelations of the heavenly state than by introducing an ancient poem,
which seems to be founded on this portion of the Apocalypse, and which
is the original of one of the most touching and beautiful hymns now
used in Protestant places of worship――the well-known hymn which begins,
“Jerusalem! my happy home!” This hymn is deservedly a great favourite,
and is an eminently beautiful composition. It is, however, of Roman
Catholic origin. It is found in a small volume of miscellaneous poetry,
sold at Mr. Bright’s sale of manuscripts in 1844, which has been placed
in the British Museum, and now forms the additional MS. 15,225. It is
referred, by the lettering on the book, to the age of Elizabeth, but it
is supposed to belong to the subsequent reign. The volume seems to have
been formed by or for some Roman Catholic, and contains many devotional
songs or hymns, interspersed with others of a more general character.
See Littell’s _Living Age_, vol. xxviii. pp. 333‒336. The hymn is as
follows:――
A SONG MADE BY F. B. P.
_To the tune of “Diana.”_
Jerusalem! my happy home!
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my sorrows have an end――
Thy joys when shall I see?
O happy harbour of the saints――
O sweet and pleasant soil!
In thee no sorrow may be found,
No grief, no care, no toil.
In thee no sickness may be seen,
No hurt, no ache, no sore;
There is no death, no ugly deil,[680]
There’s life for evermore.
No dampish mist is seen in thee,
No cold nor darksome night;
There every soul shines as the sun,
There God himself gives light.
There lust and lucre cannot dwell,
There envy bears no sway;
There is no hunger, heat, nor cold,
But pleasure every way.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!
God grant I once may see
Thy endless joys, and of the same
Partaker aye to be.
Thy walls are made of precious stones,
Thy bulwarks diamonds square;
Thy gates are of right orient pearl,
Exceeding rich and rare.
Thy turrets and thy pinnacles
With carbuncles to shine;
Thy very streets are paved with gold,
Surpassing clear and fine.
Thy houses are of ivory,
Thy windows crystal clear;
Thy tiles are made of beaten gold――
O God, that I were there!
Within thy gates no thing doth come
That is not passing clean;
No spider’s web, no dirt, no dust,
No filth may there be seen.
Ah, my sweet home, Jerusalem!
Would God I were in thee;
Would God my woes were at an end,
Thy joys that I might see!
Thy saints are crown’d with glory great,
They see God face to face;
They triumph still, they still rejoice――
Most happy is their case.
We that are here in banishment
Continually do moan;
We sigh and sob, we weep and wail,
Perpetually we groan.
{457}
Our sweet is mixed with bitter gall,
Our pleasure is but pain;
Our joys scarce last the looking on,
Our sorrows still remain.
But there they live in such delight,
Such pleasure, and such play,
As that to them a thousand years
Doth seem as yesterday.
Thy vineyards and thy orchards are
Most beautiful and fair;
Full furnished with trees and fruits,
Most wonderful and rare.
Thy gardens and thy gallant walks
Continually are green;
There grow such sweet and pleasant flowers
As nowhere else are seen.
There’s nectar and ambrosia made,
There’s musk and civet sweet;
There many a fair and dainty drug
Are trodden under feet.
There cinnamon, there sugar grows,
There nard and balm abound;
What tongue can tell, or heart conceive,
The joys that there are found?
Quite through the streets, with silver sound,
The flood of life doth flow;
Upon whose banks, on every side,
The wood of life doth grow.
There trees for evermore bear fruit,
And evermore do spring;
There evermore the angels sit,
And evermore do sing.
There David stands with harp in hand,
As master of the quire;
Ten thousand times that man were blest
That might this music[681] hear.
Our Lady sings _Magnificat_,
With tune surpassing sweet;
And all the virgins bear their parts,
Sitting above her feet.
_Te Deum_ doth Saint Ambrose sing,
Saint Austin doth the like;
Old Simeon and Zachary
Have not their song to seek.
There Magdalene hath left her moan,
And cheerfully doth sing
With blessed saints, whose harmony
In every street doth ring.
Jerusalem, my happy home!
Would God I were in thee;
Would God my woes were at an end,
Thy joys that I might see!
ANALYSIS OF CHAPTER XXII. 6‒20.
This portion of the book of Revelation is properly the epilogue,
or conclusion. The main purposes of the vision are accomplished;
the enemies of the church are quelled; the church is triumphant; the
affairs of the world are wound up; the redeemed are received to their
blissful, eternal abode; the wicked are cut off; the earth is purified,
and the affairs of the universe are fixed on their permanent foundation.
A few miscellaneous matters, therefore, close the book.
(1) A solemn affirmation on the part of him who had made these
revelations, that they are true, and that they will be speedily
accomplished, and that he will be blessed or happy who shall keep
the sayings of the book, ver. 6, 7.
(2) The effect of all these things on John himself, leading him, as
in a former case (ch. xix. 10), to a disposition to worship him who
had been the medium in making to him such extraordinary communications,
ver. 8, 9.
(3) A command not to seal up what had been revealed, since the time was
near. These things would soon have their fulfilment, and it was proper
that the prophecies should be unsealed, or open, both that the events
might be compared with the predictions, and that a persecuted church
might be able to see what would be the _result_ of all these things,
and to find consolation in the assurance of the final triumph of the
Son of God, ver. 10.
(4) The fixed and unchangeable state of the righteous and the wicked,
ver. 11‒13.
(5) The blessedness of those who keep the commandments of God, and who
enter into the New Jerusalem, ver. 14, 15.
(6) Jesus, the root and the offspring of David, and the bright
and morning star, proclaims himself to be the Author of all these
revelations by the instrumentality of an angel, ver. 16.
(7) The universal invitation of the gospel――the language of Jesus
himself――giving utterance to his strong desire for the salvation of men,
ver. 17.
(8) A solemn command not to change anything that had been revealed in
this book, either by adding to it or taking from it, ver. 18, 19.
(9) The assurance that he who had made these revelations would come
quickly, and the joyous assent of John to this, and prayer that his
advent might soon occur, ver. 20.
(10) Tho benediction, ver. 21.
6 And he said unto me, These sayings _are_ faithful and true:
and the Lord God of the holy prophets [682]sent his angel to
show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.
6. _And he said unto me._ The angel-interpreter, who had showed John
the vision of the New Jerusalem, ch. xxi. 9, 10. As these visions are
now at an {458} end, the angel comes to John directly, and assures him
that all these things are true――that there has been no deception of the
senses in these visions, but that they were really divine disclosures
of what would soon and certainly occur. ¶ _These sayings |are| faithful
and true._ These communications――all that has been disclosed to you
by symbols, or in direct language. See Notes on ch. xxi. 5. ¶ _And the
Lord God of the holy prophets._ The same God who inspired the ancient
prophets. ¶ _Sent his angel._ See Notes on ch. i. 1. ¶ _To show unto
his servants._ To all his servants――that is, to all his people, by the
instrumentality of John. The revelation was made to him, and he was to
record it for the good of the whole church. ¶ _The things which must
shortly be done._ The beginning of which must soon occur――though the
series of events extended into distant ages, and even into eternity.
See Notes on ch. i. 1‒3.
7 Behold, [683]I come quickly: blessed _is_ he that keepeth
the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
7. _Behold, I come quickly._ See Notes on ch. i. 3. The words here used
are undoubtedly the words of the Redeemer, although they are apparently
repeated by the angel. The meaning is, that they were used by the angel
as the words of the Redeemer. See ver. 12, 20. ¶ _Blessed is he that
keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book._ That receives them
as a divine communication; that makes use of them to comfort himself in
the days of darkness, persecution, and trial; and that is obedient to
the precepts here enjoined. See Notes on ch. i. 3.
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.
8. _And I John saw these things, and heard |them|._ That is, I
_saw_the parts that were disclosed by pictures, visions, and symbols;
I _heard_ the parts that were communicated by direct revelation.
¶ _And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the
feet of the angel_, &c. As he had done on a former occasion. See Notes
on ch. xix. 10. John appears to have been entirely overcome by the
extraordinary nature of the revelations made to him, and not improbably
entertained some suspicion that it was the Redeemer himself who had
manifested himself to him in this remarkable manner.
9 Then saith he unto me, See _thou do it_ not: for I am thy
fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them
which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
9. _Then saith he unto me, See |thou do it| not._ See Notes on ch.
xix. 10. ¶ _For I am thy fellow-servant._ Notes on ch. xix. 10. ¶ _And
of thy brethren the prophets._ In ch. xix. 10, it is “of thy brethren
that have the testimony of Jesus.” Here the angel says that, in the
capacity in which he appeared to John, he belonged to the general rank
of the prophets, and was no more entitled to worship than any of the
prophets had been. Like them, he had merely been employed to disclose
important truths in regard to the future; but as the prophets, even
the most eminent of them, were not regarded as entitled to worship
on account of the communications which they had made, no more was
he. ¶ _And of them which keep the sayings of this book._ “I am a mere
creature of God. I, like men, am under law, and am bound to observe the
law of God.” The “sayings of this book” which he says he kept, must be
understood to mean those great principles of religion which it enjoined,
and which are of equal obligation on men and angels. ¶ _Worship God._
Worship God only. Notes on ch. xix. 10.
10 And he saith unto me, [684]Seal not the sayings of the
prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.
10. _And he saith unto me._ The angel. ¶ _Seal not the sayings of the
prophecy of this book._ That is, seal not the book itself, for it may
be regarded altogether as a prophetic book. On the sealing of a book,
see Notes on ch. v. 1. Isaiah (viii. 16; xxx. 8) and Daniel (viii. 26;
xii. 4, 9) were commanded to seal up their prophecies. Their prophecies
related to far-distant times, and the idea in their being commanded
to seal them was, that they should make the record {459} sure and
unchangeable; that they should finish it, and lay it up for future ages;
so that, in far-distant times, the events might be compared with the
prophecy, and it might be seen that there was an exact correspondence
between the prophecy and the fulfilment. Their prophecies would not
be immediately demanded for the use of persecuted saints, but would
pertain to future ages. On the other hand, the events which John had
predicted, though in their ultimate development they were to extend to
the end of the world, and even into eternity, were about to _begin_ to
be fulfilled, and were to be of immediate use in consoling a persecuted
church. John, therefore, was directed _not_ to seal up his predictions;
not to lay them away, to be opened, as it were, in distant ages; but
to leave them _open_, so that a persecuted church might pave access to
them, and might, in times of persecution and trial, have the assurance
that the principles of their religion would finally triumph. See Notes
on ch. x. 2. ¶ _For the time is at hand._ That is, they are soon to
_commence_. It is not implied that they would be soon _completed_. The
idea is, that as the scenes of persecution were soon to open upon the
church, it was important that the church should have access to these
prophecies of the final triumph of religion, to sustain it in its
trials. Comp. Notes on ch. i. 1, 3.
11 He[685]that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he
which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and [686]he that is
righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.
11. _He that is unjust, let him be unjust still._ This must refer to
the scenes beyond the judgment, and must be intended to affirm an
important truth in regard to the condition of men in the future state.
It cannot refer to the condition of men on this side the grave, for
there is no fixed and unchangeable condition in this world. At the
close of this book, and at the close of the whole volume of revealed
truth, it was proper to declare, in the most solemn manner, that
when these events were consummated, everything would be fixed and
unchanging; that all who were then found to be righteous would remain
so for ever; and that none who were impenitent, impure, and wicked,
would ever change their character or condition. That this is the
meaning here seems to me to be plain; and this sentiment accords with
all that is said in the Bible of the final condition of the righteous
and the wicked. See Mat. xxv. 46; Ro. ii. 6‒9; 1 Th. i. 7‒10; Da.
xii. 2; Ec. xi. 3. Every assurance is held out in the Bible that the
righteous will be secure in holiness and happiness, and that there will
be no danger――no possibility――that they will fall into sin, and sink to
woe; and by the same kind of arguments by which it is proved that their
condition will be unchanging, is it demonstrated that the condition
of the wicked will be unchanging also. The argument for the eternal
punishment of the wicked is as strong as that for the eternal happiness
of the righteous; and if the one is open to doubt, there is no security
for the permanence of the other. The word _unjust_ here is a general
term for an unrighteous or wicked man. The meaning is, that he to whom
that character properly belongs, or of whom it is properly descriptive,
will remain so for ever. The design of this seems to be, to let the
ungodly and the wicked know that there is no change beyond the grave,
and by this solemn consideration to warn them _now_ to flee from the
wrath to come. And assuredly no more solemn consideration can ever be
presented to the human mind than this. ¶ _And he which is filthy, let
him be filthy still._ The word _filthy_ here is, of course, used with
reference to _moral_ defilement or pollution. It refers to the sensual,
the corrupt, the profane; and the meaning is, that their condition will
be fixed, and that they will remain in this state of pollution for ever.
There is nothing more awful than the idea that a polluted soul will be
always polluted; that a heart corrupt will be always corrupt; that the
defiled will be put for ever beyond the possibility of being cleansed
from sin. ¶ _And he that is righteous, let him be righteous still._ The
just, the upright man――in contradistinction from the _unjust_ mentioned
in the first part of the verse. ¶ _And he that is holy, let him be
holy still._ He that is pure, in contradistinction from the _filthy_
mentioned in the former part of the verse. The righteous and the holy
will be confirmed in their character and condition, as well as the
wicked. The affirmation {460} that their condition will be fixed is as
strong as that that of the wicked will be――and no stronger; the entire
representation is, that all beyond the judgment will be unchanging for
ever. Could any more solemn thought be brought before the mind of man?
12 And behold, [687]I come quickly; and my reward _is_ with me,
[688]to give every man according as his work shall be.
12. _And behold, I come quickly._ See Notes on ch. i. 1, 3. These
are undoubtedly the words of the Redeemer; and the meaning is, that
the period when the unchanging sentence would be passed on each
individual――on the unjust, the filthy, the righteous, and the
holy――would not be remote. The _design_ of this seems to be to impress
on the mind the solemnity of the truth that the condition hereafter
will soon be fixed, and to lead men to prepare for it. In reference to
each individual, the period is near when it is to be determined whether
he will be holy or sinful to all eternity. What thought could there be
more adapted to impress on the mind the importance of giving immediate
attention to the concerns of the soul? ¶ _And my reward |is| with me._
I bring it with me to give to every man: either life or death; heaven
or hell; the crown or the curse. He will be prepared immediately to
execute the sentence. Compare Mat. xxv. 31‒46. ¶ _To give every man
according as his work shall be._ See Notes on Mat. xvi. 27; Ro. ii. 6;
2 Co. v. 10.
13 I[689] am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the
first and the last.
13. _I am Alpha and Omega_, &c. See Notes on ch. i. 8, 11. The idea
here is, that he will thus show that he is the first and the last――the
beginning and the end. He originated the whole plan of salvation, and
he will determine its close; he formed the world, and he will wind up
its affairs. In the beginning, the continuance, and the end, he will be
recognized as the same being presiding over and controlling all.
14 Blessed[690] _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.
14. _Blessed are they that do his commandments._ See Notes on ch. i. 3;
xxii. 7. ¶ _That they may have right._ That they may be entitled to
approach the tree of life; that this privilege may be granted to them.
It is not a _right_ in the sense that they have _merited_ it, but in
the sense that the privilege is conferred on them as one of the rewards
of God, and that, in virtue of the divine arrangements, they will be
entitled to this honour. So the word here used――ἐξουσία――means in Jn.
i. 12, rendered _power_. The _reason_ why this right or privilege is
conferred is not implied in the use of the word. In this case it is
by _grace_, and all the _right_ which they have to the tree of life is
founded on the fact that God has been pleased graciously to confer it
on them. ¶ _To the tree of life._ See Notes on ver. 2. They would not
be forbidden to approach the tree as Adam was, but would be permitted
always to partake of it, and would live for ever. ¶ _And may enter in
through the gates into the city._ The New Jerusalem, ch. xxi. 2. They
would have free access there; they would be permitted to abide there
for ever.
15 For [691]without _are_ [692]dogs, and sorcerers, and
whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever
loveth and maketh a lie.
15. _For without |are| dogs._ The wicked, the depraved, the vile: for
of such characters the dogs, an unclean animal among the Jews, was
regarded as a symbol, De. xxiii. 18. On the meaning of the expression,
see Notes on Phi. iii. 2. The word “without” means that they would not
be admitted into the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, ch. xxi. 8, 27.
¶ _And sorcerers_, &c. All these characters are specified in ch. xxi. 8,
as excluded from heaven. See Notes on that verse. The only change is,
that those who “love and make a lie” are added to the list; that is,
who delight in lies, or that which is false.