Tree of Life

 

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.”

 

            When John turned to “see the voice” in Revelation 1:12, he saw the northern constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.  He thereby “saw” the rich analogy through which God was speaking to him.  Among other titles, Ursa Minor was known as the Tree of Life and Ursa Major was known as the flaming sword that kept the way of the Tree of Life, (see Genesis 3:24).  According to this symbolic myth, there was a drawing power in this constellation.  Science has since explained this part of the myth as the magnetism that is related to the North Pole, but magnetism not being understood as a physical force in that day, it was discerned spiritually as related to the longing in Mankind for a return to the Tree of Life.  Therefore, John clearly “saw the voice” as revealing Jesus Christ as that “Tree of Life” from which Mankind had been driven away, but Who was now again made available to those who do His commandments: “that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city,” (22:14).

            The practical message for the Church was: Jesus Christ is now the Center of the universe and has all power in heaven and in earth.[1]

 

We Shall See His Face

 

Revelation 22:4:  “And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

 

            This verse is the climax of the entire Bible and brings us full circle back to the beginning when God walked and talked with Adam.  After sin entered the human race, God put a veil between His holiness and sinful man. (See Commentary at 1:1 “Revelation Definition, Greek”.)  However, through the ages, some individuals were privileged to enjoy great intimacy with God.  Enoch walked with God. (Gen. 5:24).  Moses, Aaron, Nadab and Abihu with seventy elders “saw the God of Israel; ….and he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.”  (Exod. 24:9-11).  But they apparently did not see His face.

            The Lord also appeared to Moses regularly at the tent of meeting, but He was veiled by the Shekinah glory.  “Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend….”  (Exod. 33:11).  When God promised to go with Moses as he led Israel into the promised land, Moses requested: “Show me thy glory,” (33:18).  God agreed to do this:

‘But’, he said, ‘you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live….While my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.’  (Exod. 33:20-23 RSV).

 

            Humankind was endowed, however, with the yearning to see God’s face as in the original creation.  Throughout the Bible, men were only allowed – and that by very special revelation – to behold His glory, the light of His countenance.  The priesthood, Aaron and his sons, were commanded to bless the people by saying:

‘The Lord bless you and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace’.  So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.  (Num. 6:24-27 RSV).

 

            The light of His countenance, impressed upon the people His Name; as if it were engraved or imprinted upon them.  They were marked as His devotees or bond-slaves of love by the light of His countenance.  And here in Revelation 22:4 we see those bearing His Name in their foreheads at last were allowed the ultimate joy of seeing His face.  The saints here enjoy the fulfillment of the priestly blessing.  This blessing was to set apart or consecrate the most holy things, indicating that the saints receiving this blessing were “the most holy things…”  (1 Chronicles 23:13).

 

Dogs

 

Rev. 22:15: “For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”

            The reference to ‘dogs’ may refer to the Greek philosophers called ‘Cynics’, literally meaning ‘doglike.’  The earlier school of Greek philosophers taught that virtue is the only good and that its essence lies in self control and independence.  In the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, however, faultfinding, and contemptuous mistrust of human nature and motives characterized them.

            It was a Cynic, Crescens, who plotted the martyrdom of Justin, the Christian historian, not long after the final Jewish War of AD 135 Justin wrote that the leader of the Jewish revolt, Bar Cochba, had martyred Christians (4.8.5).  The account of the martyrdom of Polycarp in Smyrna says that of those Cynics building the pyre for Polycarp’s burning “the Jews as usual joining in with more enthusiasm than anyone” (ibid., 4.15.23).  It is clear from this that the Cynics included or at least abetted the Jewish persecution of Christians.

 

Testimony  IS To The Churches

 

Revelation 22:16: I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches. I AM the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”

 

            The entire message of the Book of Revelation was for the Churches on the earth, both contemporary and future, not a Church that was already in heaven.  It was to give them warning as well as assurance and hope.  It was for the Churches who had come out of Judaism as a New Israel of God.  There was no hope nor assurance for the fleshly nation except in Christ, Who is the successor to the throne of David, the legitimate “Lucifer”, the morning star.

 

Do Not Add or Take Away

 

Revelation 22:18-19 RSV:  “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if any one takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”

            Josephus in Against Apion, 1.1.8, (as quoted by Eusebius 3.10.1):[2]

 

From Artaxerxes to the present day the whole story, [i.e., the history of the Jews], has been written down, but does not command the same belief as the earlier narrative because there was not an unbroken succession of prophets.  It is evident from our actions what is our attitude to our own Scriptures; for though so many centuries have gone by, no one has presumed to add, take away, or alter anything in them,[3] but it is innate in every Jew from the day of his birth to regard them as the ordinances of God, to abide in them, and if need be to die for them gladly.