Revelation 122 - Bible Commentary

Revelation 22

Revelation 22:2:
In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

We are told of the Tree of Life, Jesus Christ, whose leaves were “for the healing (or, the health) of the nations.” The parallels are many. Christ, the true vine, produces us, His branches, to bear fruit. Christ, the Tree of Life, bears leaves, His people, for the health of the nations. The nations all need health and healing, beginning with ours. the Christmas tree is Christian in character. It is an emblem of Jesus Christ, our tree of life. The tree of life is described as an everbearing fruit, and ever-green. Hence the use of evergreen trees.

Herman Bavinck Files

“For it is not we who call God by these names. We do not invent them. On the contrary, if it depended on us, we would be silent about him, try to forget him, and disown all his names. We take no delight in the knowledge of his ways. We tend continually to oppose his names: his independence, sovereignty, righteousness, and love, and resist him in all his perfections. But it is God himself who reveals all his perfections and puts his names on our lips. It is he who gives himself these names and who, despite our opposition, maintains them. It is of little use to us to deny his righteousness: every day he demonstrates this quality in history. And so it is with all his attributes. He brings them out despite us. The final goal of all his ways is that his name will shine out in all his works and be written on everyone’s forehead (Rev. 22:4). For that reason we have no choice but to name him with the many names his revelation furnishes us.” ― Herman Bavinck

Revelation 22:5:
5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Isaiah 60:19-20 KJV – “The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.”

Zec 14:6-7 – “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.”
1 John 1:5-7 KJV – “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

In this passage we also see light symbolizing both holiness and the truths of God’s word. These both apply to this verse:

light symbolizing holiness

Christ is the true source of holiness, His own, the holiness of His people, and the holiness of the new creation. There will be no need for any other source of holiness in our new world…. He, alone, is the true origin of all the holiness we will experience.

light symbolizing the truths of His Word that are to be applied to our lives

There will be no need for any other source of truth in eternity. No need for preachers, no need for missionaries, etc. He will be the supreme, and only, source of all truth that will be presented to us throughout eternity. (This is the same reason why there will be no need of a tabernacle or temple.) --Settled In Heaven

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

Man's life is short, and at his death he must give an account to God. All time is short, if compared with eternity.

Revelation 22:12:
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.

There is coming a time when we will be judged on the basis of what we have done as Christians. This is known as the “Judgment Seat of Christ” which occurs during the seven-year tribulation on earth.
2 Corinthians 5:8-10 summarizes our evaluation before Christ:
“Whether good or bad. “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body”

Revelation 22:13:
"I am the Alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last."

History imposes restraints on humanity. History compels us to recognize that man cannot escape creaturehood. God has been in
charge of history from beginning to end. God created physical laws that ordinarily cannot be violated. Men cannot reverse aging or gravity--they can deescalate the former and temporarily escape the latter, but they can reverse neither. God imposes political, social, and moral restraints. The Pax Romana and third Reich are always overthrown. Socialism always fails. The wages of sin is always death.

Richard Baxter

“Nothing can be rightly known, if God be not known; nor is any study well managed, nor to any great purpose, if God is not studied. We know little of the creature, till we know it as it stands related to the Creator: single letters, and syllables uncomposed, are no better than nonsense. He who overlooketh him who is the 'Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending,' and seeth not him in all who is the All of all, doth see nothing at all. All creatures, as such, are broken syllables; they signify nothing as separated from God. Were they separated actually, they would cease to be, and the separation would be annhiliation; and when we separate them in our fancies, we make nothing of them to ourselves. It is one thing to know the creatures as Aristotle, and another thing to know them as a Christian. None but a Christian can read one line of his Physics so as to understand it rightly. It is a high and excellent study, and of greater use than many apprehend; but it is the smallest part of it that Aristotle can teach us.”
― Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor (The Practical Works of Richard Baxter, Vol. 4)

Revelation 22:14-19:
14 Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.”
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book

Revelation 22:20-21:
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith, and receive the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give us on that day
(II Timothy 4:6-8). He Who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly,” Revelation 22:20 NKJV.