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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Revelation 22:1-5

The heavenly state which was before described as a city, and called the new Jerusalem, is here described as a paradise, alluding to the earthly paradise which was lost by the sin of the first Adam; here is another paradise restored by the second Adam. A paradise in a city, or a whole city in a paradise! In the first paradise there were only two persons to behold the beauty and taste the pleasures of it; but in this second paradise whole cities and nations shall find abundant delight and... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 22:1-2

22:1-2 And he showed me the river of the water of life, shining like crystal, coming out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the midst of the city street. And on either side of the river was the tree of life, which produced twelve kinds of fruit, rendering its fruit according to each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. So far the description has been of the exterior of the holy city; now the scene moves inside. First, there is the river of the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Revelation 22:1-2

In this passage there is an ambiguity of punctuation. In the midst of the city street may be taken, not as the end of the first sentence, but as the beginning of the second. It will then be not the river which is in the midst of the street but the tree of life. Taking the phrase with the first sentence seems to give the better picture. John takes his picture of the tree of life from two sources--from the tree in the Garden of Eden ( Genesis 3:6 ); and even more from Ezekiel. "And on the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Revelation 22:1

And he showed me a pure river of water of life ,.... Not baptism, which used to be administered in rivers and pools of water; and which engaged to purity of life; and, the power and authority of administering which was from God and Christ; but in this Jerusalem state there will be no use nor need of ordinances; for Revelation 22:1 belongs to the preceding chapter, and is a continuation of the same account, this being not a new vision, but a part of the former, which the same angel, as in ... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Revelation 22:1

Pure river of water of life - This is evidently a reference to the garden of paradise, and the river by which it was watered; and there is also a reference to the account, Ezekiel 47:7-12 . Water of life, as we have seen before, generally signifies spring or running water; here it may signify incessant communications of happiness proceeding from God. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 22:1

And he showed me a pure river. Omit "pure." "And" connects this part of the vision with what precedes ( Revelation 21:9-27 ). It would have been better, perhaps, if the twenty-first chapter had included the first five verses of the twenty-second, so as to take in the whole of the description of the heavenly Jerusalem. But there is a break at this point, as is indicated by the repetition of "And he showed me," which points to a new phase or section of the vision. In the previous section... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 22:1

Christianity a transcendental system. "And he showed me," etc. Philosophers have their transcendental theories, but Christianity transcends their highest speculations. Taking these words as a symbolic representation of it, we make two remarks. I. IT IS TRANSCENDENTAL IN ITS VALUE . It is "water." What on earth, what throughout the whole material universe, so far as we know, is of such worth as water? So impressed were some of the greatest sages of antiquity with its value,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 22:1

Divine love a river "He showed me a river." "There is a river," says the psalmist, "the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God." Divine love is indeed a river. I. EXHAUSTLESS . It rises from the infinitude of the Divine nature—a source unfathomed and unfathomable. II. UNIVERSAL . This river rolls everywhere. It rolls under the universe, and all things float on its waves. It refreshes and beautifies all. The ancient sages considered water ἡ ἀρχή . We scarcely... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Revelation 22:1

Subjective Christianity: 1. A river. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear [bright] as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb." All along this book of gorgeous imagery and symbol we have been looking at Christianity as a subjective reality. Objective Christianity is simply a speculation; a thing of criticism, imagination, and logic; a thing for men to quarrel about, and even to fight about at times. It is a creed—nothing more. But subjective ... read more

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