Commentari biblici

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

A pure river — Not muddy as Nile, but clear as Calirrho. The allusion seems to be to that earthly paradise so well watered, Genesis 2:8-14 , or else to Ezekiel 47:1-12 . This river is Christ, John 4:14 , and so is that tree of life, Revelation 22:2 . The second Adam is a quickening spirit. Apollonius telleth us (lib. 3, Argonaut.) that in the court of Aeta, king of Colchis, were three fountains, which flowed, one with milk, another with wine, and a third with honey. In heaven there is all this and more.

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In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

In the midst of the street of it — In medio foro eius, where all may easily come by it; not kept with a strong guard, as the apples of Alcinous, Hesperides, …

Twelve manner of fruits — Heaven’s happinesses are so many that they cannot be numbered, so great that they cannot be measured, so copious that they cannot be defined, so precious that they cannot be valued.

Every month — Like the lemon tree, which ever and anon sendeth forth new lemons as soon as the former are fallen down with ripeness.

And the leaves — No want of anything either for food or medicine. Ita balbutit nobiscum Deus. So God speaks obscurely with us.

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And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

And there shall be no more curse — No casting out by excommunication; no cause of any such thing.

Of God and of the Lamb — He and the Father are one, John 10:30 . See Trapp on " John 10:30 "

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And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

And they shall see his face — How we shall see God, whether with our minds only, or with bodily eyes we shall behold his invisible Majesty in the glorious face of Jesus Christ, there can be nothing determined.

And his name shall be — As servants of old had their master’s name branded in their foreheads.

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And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

And there shall be no night — See the note on Revelation 21:25 .

For the Lord God — He that is Αυτοφως , light essential.

And they shall reign — Reign together with Christ, a part of whose joy it is that we shall be where he is, John 17:20: he will not be long without us.

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

And he said unto me — This is the conclusion of the whole prophecy; and it is very august and majestical.

These sayings are faithful and true — Thus (among other evidences of its divinity) the Scripture testifies of itself; and we know that its testimony is true. Vapiscus saith of the ancient historians that there is none of them that hath not told many lies. Tertullian saith of Tacitus, that he was mendaciorum loquacissimus, a very loud and lewd liar. Baronius doth not compose annals, but coin them, saith one. But none of all this can be said of God’s word of truth, void of all insincerity or falsehood.

The Lord God of the holy prophets — Some copies have it, The Lord God of the spirits of the prophets. He is the God of the spirits of all flesh, but of the spirits of prophets in a special manner; for those holy men spake no otherwise than as they were acted or imbreathed by the Holy Ghost,2 Peter 1:21; 2 Peter 1:21 . See Trapp on " 2 Peter 1:21 "

Sent his angel — As Revelation 1:1 . The authority therefore of this book is unquestionable, whatever some have surmised from Revelation 20:4 , that it was the work of Cerinthus or some other millenary.

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

Blessed is he that keepeth — In memory and manners, Revelation 1:3 . Those were pronounced happy that read and hear, but so as they retain in mind and practise the contents of this book.

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And I John saw these things, and heard them . And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

Saw these things and heard them — So that there is no colour of cause why any one should doubt or distrust such a witness.

I fell down to worship — This is the second time. It is hard to say how often a saint may fall into the same sin; howbeit they sin of incogitancy; put them in mind, and they mend all. They sin of passion, and passions last not long. There is no way of wickedness in them, they make not a trade of it,Psalms 139:24; Psalms 139:24 .

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