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Revelation 22:14 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

14 `Happy are those doing His commands that the authority shall be theirs unto the tree of the life, and by the gates they may enter into the city;

Cross Reference

Revelation 21:27 YLT

and there may not at all enter into it any thing defiling and doing abomination, and a lie, but -- those written in the scroll of the life of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:2 YLT

in the midst of its broad place, and of the river on this side and on that, `is' a tree of life, yielding twelve fruits, in each several month rendering its fruits, and the leaves of the tree `are' for the service of the nations;

Revelation 2:7 YLT

He who is having an ear -- let him hear what the Spirit saith to the assemblies: To him who is overcoming -- I will give to him to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Psalms 119:1-6 YLT

`Aleph.' O the happiness of those perfect in the way, They are walking in the law of Jehovah, O the happiness of those keeping His testimonies, With the whole heart they seek Him. Yea, they have not done iniquity, In His ways they have walked. Thou hast commanded us Thy precepts to keep diligently, O that my ways were prepared to keep Thy statutes, Then I am not ashamed In my looking unto all Thy commands.

Revelation 22:7 YLT

Lo, I come quickly; happy `is' he who is keeping the words of the prophecy of this scroll.'

1 John 5:3 YLT

for this is the love of God, that His commands we may keep, and His commands are not burdensome;

1 John 3:23-24 YLT

and this is His command, that we may believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and may love one another, even as He did give command to us, and he who is keeping His commands, in Him he doth remain, and He in him; and in this we know that He doth remain in us, from the Spirit that He gave us.

1 John 3:3 YLT

and every one who is having this hope on him, doth purify himself, even as he is pure.

1 Corinthians 7:19 YLT

the circumcision is nothing, and the uncircumcision is nothing -- but a keeping of the commands of God.

John 14:15 YLT

`If ye love me, my commands keep,

Daniel 12:12 YLT

O the blessedness of him who is waiting earnestly, and doth come to the days, a thousand, three hundred, thirty and five.

Galatians 5:6 YLT

for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith through love working.

Revelation 21:12 YLT

having also a wall great and high, having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve messengers, and names written thereon, which are `those' of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel,

Revelation 7:14 YLT

and I have said to him, `Sir, thou hast known;' and he said to me, `These are those who are coming out of the great tribulation, and they did wash their robes, and they made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb;

1 Corinthians 9:5 YLT

have we not authority a sister -- a wife -- to lead about, as also the other apostles, and the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

1 Corinthians 8:9 YLT

but see, lest this privilege of yours may become a stumbling-block to the infirm,

John 15:10-14 YLT

if my commandments ye may keep, ye shall remain in my love, according as I the commands of my Father have kept, and do remain in His love; these things I have spoken to you, that my joy in you may remain, and your joy may be full. `This is my command, that ye love one another, according as I did love you; greater love than this hath no one, that any one his life may lay down for his friends; ye are my friends, if ye may do whatever I command you;

John 14:21-23 YLT

he who is having my commands, and is keeping them, that one it is who is loving me, and he who is loving me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.' Judas saith to him, (not the Iscariot), `Sir, what hath come to pass, that to us thou are about to manifest thyself, and not to the world?' Jesus answered and said to him, `If any one may love me, my word he will keep, and my Father will love him, and unto him we will come, and abode with him we will make;

John 14:6 YLT

Jesus saith to him, `I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one doth come unto the Father, if not through me;

John 10:9 YLT

I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture.

John 10:7 YLT

Jesus said therefore again to them, `Verily, verily, I say to you -- I am the door of the sheep;

John 4:12 YLT

Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who did give us the well, and himself out of it did drink, and his sons, and his cattle?'

Luke 12:37-38 YLT

`Happy those servants, whom the lord, having come, shall find watching; verily I say to you, that he will gird himself, and will cause them to recline (at meat), and having come near, will minister to them; and if he may come in the second watch, and in the third watch he may come, and may find `it' so, happy are those servants.

Matthew 7:21-27 YLT

`Not every one who is saying to me Lord, lord, shall come into the reign of the heavens; but he who is doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, lord, have we not in thy name prophesied? and in thy name cast out demons? and in thy name done many mighty things? and then I will acknowledge to them, that -- I never knew you, depart from me ye who are working lawlessness. `Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock. `And every one who is hearing of me these words, and is not doing them, shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell, and its fall was great.'

Isaiah 56:1-2 YLT

Thus said Jehovah: `Keep ye judgment, and do righteousness, For near `is' My salvation to come, And My righteousness to be revealed.' O the happiness of a man who doth this, And of a son of man who keepeth hold on it, Keeping the sabbath from polluting it, And keeping his hand from doing any evil.

Psalms 106:3-5 YLT

O the happiness of those keeping judgment, Doing righteousness at all times. Remember me, O Jehovah, With the favour of Thy people, Look after me in Thy salvation. To look on the good of Thy chosen ones, To rejoice in the joy of Thy nation, To boast myself with Thine inheritance.

Psalms 112:1 YLT

Praise ye Jah! O the happiness of one fearing Jehovah, In His commands he hath delighted greatly.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Revelation 22

Commentary on Revelation 22 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 22

In this chapter we have,

  • I. A further description of the heavenly state of the church (v. 1-5).
  • II. A confirmation of this and all the other visions of this book (v. 6-19).
  • III. The conclusion (v. 20, 21).

Rev 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 satisfaction. And here observe,

  • I. The river of paradise. The earthly paradise was well watered: no place can be pleasant or fruitful that is not so. This river is described,
    • 1. By its fountain-head-the throne of God and the Lamb. All our springs of grace, comfort, and glory, are in God; and all our streams from him are through the mediation of the Lamb.
    • 2. By its quality-pure and clear as crystal. All the streams of earthly comfort are muddy; but these are clear, salutary, and refreshing, giving life, and preserving life, to those who drink of them.
  • II. The tree of life, in this paradise. Such a tree there was in the earthly paradise, Gen. 2:9. This far excels it. And now, as to this tree, observe,
    • 1. The situation of it-in the midst of the street, and on either side the river; or, as might have been better rendered, in the midst between the terrace-walk and the river. This tree of life is fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The presence and perfections of God furnish out all the glory and blessedness of heaven.
    • 2. The fruitfulness of this tree.
      • (1.) It brings forth many sorts of fruit-twelve sorts, suited to the refined taste of all the saints.
      • (2.) It brings forth fruit at all times-yields its fruit every month. This tree is never empty, never barren; there is always fruit upon it. In heaven there is not only a variety of pure and satisfying pleasures, but a continuance of them, and always fresh.
      • (3.) The fruit is not only pleasant, but wholesome. The presence of God in heaven is the health and happiness of the saints; there they find in him a remedy for all their former maladies, and are preserved by him in the most healthful and vigorous state.
  • III. The perfect freedom of this paradise from every thing that is evil (v. 3): There shall be no more curse; no accursed one-katanathema, no serpent there, as there was in the earthly paradise. Here is the great excellency of this paradise. The devil has nothing to do there; he cannot draw the saints from serving God to be subject to himself, as he did our first parents, nor can he so much as disturb them in the service of God.
  • IV. The supreme felicity of this paradisiacal state.
    • 1. There the saints shall see the face of God; there they shall enjoy the beatific vision.
    • 2. God will own them, as having his seal and name on their foreheads.
    • 3. They shall reign with him for ever; their service shall be not only freedom but honour and dominion.
    • 4. All this shall be with perfect knowledge and joy. They shall be full of wisdom and comfort, continually walking in the light of the Lord; and this not for a time, but for ever and ever.

Rev 22:6-19

We have here a solemn ratification of the contents of this book, and particularly of this last vision (though some think it may not only refer to the whole book, but to the whole New Testament, yea, to the whole Bible, completing and confirming the canon of scripture); and here,

  • 1. This is confirmed by the name and nature of that God who gave out these discoveries: he is the Lord God, faithful and true, and so are all his sayings.
  • 2. By the messengers he chose, to reveal these things to the world; the holy angels showed them to holy men of God; and God would not employ his saints and angels in deceiving the world.
  • 3. They will soon be confirmed by their accomplishment: they are things that must shortly be done; Christ will make haste, he will come quickly, and put all things out of doubt; and then those will prove the wise and happy men who have believed and kept his words.
  • 4. By the integrity of that angel who had been the apostle's guide and interpreter in these visions; this integrity was such that he not only refused to accept religious adoration from John, but once and again reproved him for it. He who was so tender of the honour of God, and so displeased with what was a wrong to God, would never come in his name to lead the people of God into mere dreams and delusions; and it is a still further confirmation of the sincerity of this apostle that he confesses his own sin and folly, into which he had now again relapsed, and he leaves this his failing on perpetual record: this shows he was a faithful and an impartial writer.
  • 5. By the order given to leave the book of the prophecy open, to be perused by all, that they might labour to understand it, that they might make their objections against it, and compare the prophecy with the events. God here deals freely and openly with all; he does not speak in secret, but calls every one to witness to the declarations here made, v. 10.
  • 6. By the effect this book, thus kept open, will have upon men; those that are filthy and unjust will take occasion thence to be more so, but it will confirm, strengthen, and further sanctify those that are upright with God; it will be a savour of life to some and of death to others, and so will appear to be from God, v. 12.
  • 7. It will be Christ's rule of judgment at the great day; he will dispense rewards and punishments to men according as their works agree or disagree with the word of God; and therefore that word itself must needs be faithful and true.
  • 8. It is the word of him who is the author, finisher, and rewarder of the faith and holiness of his people, v. 13, 14. He is the first and the last, and the same from first to last, and so is his word too; and he will by this word give to his people, who conform themselves to it, a right to the tree of life, and an entrance into heaven; and this will be a full confirmation of the truth and authority of his word, since it contains the title and evidence of that confirmed state of holiness and happiness that remains for his people in heaven.
  • 9. It is a book that condemns and excludes from heaven all wicked, unrighteous persons, and particularly those that love and make lies (v. 15), and therefore can never be itself a lie.
  • 10. It is confirmed by the testimony of Jesus, which is the Spirit of prophecy. And this Jesus, as God, is the root of David, though, as man, his offspring-a person in whom all uncreated and created excellencies meet, too great and too good to deceive his churches and the world. He is the fountain of all light, the bright and the morning star, and as such has given to his churches this morning light of prophecy, to assure them of the light of that perfect day which is approaching.
  • 11. It is confirmed by an open and general invitation to all to come and partake of the promises and privileges of the gospel, those streams of the water of life; these are tendered to all who feel in their souls a thirst which nothing in this world can quench.
  • 12. It is confirmed by the joint testimony of the Spirit of God, and that gracious Spirit that is in all the true members of the church of God; the Spirit and the bride join in testifying the truth and excellency of the gospel.
  • 13. It is confirmed by a most solemn sanction, condemning and cursing all who should dare to corrupt or change the word of God, either by adding to it or taking from it, v. 18, 19. He that adds to the word of God draws down upon himself all the plagues written in this book; and he who takes any thing away from it cuts himself off from all the promises and privileges of it. This sanction is like a flaming sword, to guard the canon of the scripture from profane hands. Such a fence as this God set about the law (Deu. 4:2), and the whole Old Testament (Mal. 4:4), and now in the most solemn manner about the whole Bible, assuring us that it is a book of the most sacred nature, divine authority, and of the last importance, and therefore the peculiar care of the great God.

Rev 22:20-21

We have now come to the conclusion of the whole, and that in three things:-

  • I. Christ's farewell to his church. He seems now, after he has been discovering these things to his people on earth, to take leave of them, and return to heaven; but he parts with them in great kindness, and assures them it shall not be long before he comes again to them: Behold, I come quickly. As when he ascended into heaven, after his resurrection, he parted with a promise of his gracious presence, so here he parts with a promise of a speedy return. If any say, "Where is the promise of his coming, when so many ages have passed since this was written?' let them know he is not slack to his people, but long-suffering to his enemies: his coming will be sooner than they are aware, sooner than they are prepared, sooner than they desire; and to his people it will be seasonable. The vision is for an appointed time, and will not tarry. He will come quickly; let this word be always sounding in our ear, and let us give all diligence that we may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.
  • II. The church's hearty echo to Christ's promise,
    • 1. Declaring her firm belief of it: Amen, so it is, so it shall be.
    • 2. Expressing her earnest desire of it: Even so, come, Lord Jesus; make hast, my beloved, and be thou like a roe, or like a young hart on the mountain of spices. Thus beats the pulse of the church, thus breathes that gracious Spirit which actuates and informs the mystical body of Christ; and we should never be satisfied till we find such a spirit breathing in us, and causing us to look for the blessed hope, and glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This is the language of the church of the first-born, and we should join with them, often putting ourselves in mind of his promise. What comes from heaven in a promise should be sent back to heaven in a prayer, "Come, Lord Jesus, put an end to this state of sin, sorrow, and temptation; gather thy people out of this present evil world, and take them up to heaven, that state of perfect purity, peace, and joy, and so finish thy great design, and fulfil all that word in which thou hast caused thy people to hope.'
  • III. The apostolical benediction, which closes the whole: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, Amen. Here observe,
    • 1. The Bible ends with a clear proof of the Godhead of Christ, since the Spirit of God teaches the apostle to bless his people in the name of Christ, and to beg from Christ a blessing for them, which is a proper act of adoration.
    • 2. Nothing should be more desired by us than that the grace of Christ may be with us in this world, to prepare us for the glory of Christ in the other world. It is by his grace that we must be kept in a joyful expectation of his glory, fitted for it, and preserved to it; and his glorious appearance will be welcome and joyful to those that are partakers of his grace and favour here; and therefore to this most comprehensive prayer we should all add our hearty Amen, most earnestly thirsting after greater measures of the gracious influences of the blessed Jesus in our souls, and his gracious presence with us, till glory has perfected all his grace towards us, for he is a sun and a shield, he gives grace and glory, and no good thing will he withhold from those that walk uprightly.