22:1 And {1} he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
(1) Here is absolved and finished the description of the celestial Church (as I showed before) see Geneva Re 21:12 by the effects in Re 22:5, and then this book is concluded in the rest of the chapter. The effects proceeding from God, who dwells in the Church, are these: the everlasting grace of God, in this verse, the eternal life of the godly, as in Re 2:7 the eternal fruits which the godly bring forth to God, themselves and others, Re 22:2, freedom and immunity from all evil, God himself taking pleasure in his servants, and they likewise in their God, Re 22:3. The beholding and sight of God, and sealing of the faithful from all eternity, Re 22:4 the light of God and an everlasting kingdom and glory, Re 22:5.
22:1 The New Jerusalem (Continued). Epilogue
SUMMARY OF REVELATION 22:
The River of the Water of Life. The Tree of Life. The Divine Light of the City. Its Heavenly Purity. The Lord's Promise to Come. The Church Says Come. The Curse Upon Those Who Add to or Take from This Book.
And he shewed me a pure river of water of life. A symbol of the eternal life flowing from the Son of God as a fountain, which has been bestowed upon all who dwell in the heavenly city.
Clear as crystal. Radiant with glory. The shining light which comes from the river shows the glory of the heavenly life.
Proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. The fountain of this life is the throne of God, and it has been bestowed by the Son.
22:1 And he showed me a river of the water of life - The ever fresh and fruitful effluence of the Holy Ghost. See Ezek 47:1 - 12; where also the trees are mentioned which bear fruit every month, that is, perpetually. Proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb - All that the Father hath, saith the Son of God, is mine; even the throne of his glory.
22:1-5 All streams of earthly comfort are muddy; but these are clear, and refreshing. They give life, and preserve life, to those who drink of them, and thus they will flow for evermore. These point to the quickening and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, as given to sinners through Christ. The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, applies this salvation to our souls by his new-creating love and power. The trees of life are fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The presence of God in heaven, is the health and happiness of the saints. This tree was an emblem of Christ, and of all the blessings of his salvation; and the leaves for the healing of the nations, mean that his favour and presence supply all good to the inhabitants of that blessed world. The devil has no power there; he cannot draw the saints from serving God, nor can he disturb them in the service of God. God and the Lamb are here spoken of as one. Service there shall be not only freedom, but honour and dominion. There will be no night; no affliction or dejection, no pause in service or enjoyment: no diversions or pleasures or man's inventing will there be wanted. How different all this from gross and merely human views of heavenly happiness, even those which refer to pleasures of the mind!
