Revelation 22:1-5, The Tree of Life (The Study of the Apocalypse)

Chapter 22

     1 And he showed me a bright as crystal1 river of water of life2 running down3 from the throne of God and of the lamb 2 in the middle of her main street4. And on both sides5 of the river, there was the tree of life6 producing twelve fruits7. It gave its fruit throughout each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 And every curse ceased8.9 And the throne of God and the lamb be in her, and his slaves will serve him 4 and will see his face10 and his name will be on their foreheads11. 5 And there will be no more night12 and they will have no need of lamp light or sunlight, because the Lord God will give light to them. And they will reign forever13.

     Adam and Eve attempted to hide their shame with a leaf once they saw the nakedness of disobedience, no longer clothed by the righteousness of God. The leaves of the tree of life bring healing and restoration. There is no room for darkness, for it has been cast out of this city. The light of God will be bright in every corner.

     The throne of God and the Lamb is said to be "in her", . This calls to mind that Israel is depicted as the wife of God, and the Church isdepicted as the Bride of Christ. Here we see one city referred to as "her". What God has joined together will remain.

     We are a new creation. We are now prepared to meet our maker face to face. We can enter this city because we are His and He is ours. The people in this city have a name written on their foreheads. They have the mind and Spirit of of God. God has bestowed this on each believer, beginning at the moment of coming to Christ. The believer begins a walk with God which grows in the presence of the Holy Spirit. We share the same name, and it is His name. We are slaves in the sense there is no one else we answer to or worship. We are sons and daughters of God, for our Father is Almighty God Himself. We are told that when we see Jesus we will truly see, and we will be like Him.

Praise be to God 

Hallelujah 

And Amen...

1 “Bright as crystal” may mean that the river was “sparkling” as running water does in sunlight.

2 Beale* sees the river flowing out from the throne as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. (Pg. 1104).

     This could symbolize the living waters that Jesus spoke of to the woman at the well. The source of life flows from God and will never dry up. We will not thirst because it refreshes with eternal life. We see one throne here for there is one God.

3 ἐκπορευόμενον (running down) 

Greek: “going out”.

4 In Ezekiel 47, the water flowed from the temple, here it flows from the throne of God.

     The heart of the city, the center of town, is usually its main street. It connects and facilitates the flow of traffic and commerce. Access to God and His people in view. The way is straight and there is full access to God.

5 ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἐκεῖθεν (on both sides) 

Greek: “from here and from there”.

     The river flows through the tree of life, just as life and access to the Father only come through Jesus, the Lamb of God. Just as there was one tree whose fruit would result in death, there was one tree of life.

6 ξύλον ζωῆς (the tree of life)

There is debate over if there was just one tree or many trees. The main background seems to come from two OT passages: Genesis 3:22 where the tree of life is found in the Garden of Eden, and in Ezekiel 47:12 where fruit grows on both sides of the river and gives their fruit will bear every month and the fruit and leaves are for healing. Osborne*** see multiple “trees of life” on both sides of the river. (Pgs. 771-772) as does Beale* (Pg. 1106) who says that the singular “tree” is a collective singular.

7 Due to how the Greek language was written, there are two different ways verses 1 and 2a can be translated. Remember, there was no punctuation, word separations, or verses and chapters at the time that John composed the book. Option one is how I have translated it above. Here is option two:

1 And he showed me a bright as crystal river of water of life running down from the throne of God and of the lamb. 2 In the middle of her main street and on both sides of the river, there was the tree of life producing twelve fruits.

Mounce** says if option 1 is used, then trees are lined up on both sides of the river. If option 2, then the trees are between the main street and the river. (Pg. 387).

     The twelve fruits indicate God's provision through this tree, which is full and sufficient. The fruit of the tree is watered by the Holy Spirit. Here we glimpse the mystery of the Triune God. Repeatedly God said He was the one God, and there were no other gods. When asked by Moses who he would say sent him to Israel, God identified Himself as "I AM". Jesus said the same thing, except when Jesus said it He not referring to the one Who sent Him, but He Himself.

8 οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι (ceased) 

Greek: “will not be any longer”. An echo of Zechariah 14:11.

9 “Every curse” here probably means the curse of death that came upon people as a result of the fall in the Garden of Eden.

10 Moses was not able to see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20). Here, believers will finally be able to see God, face to face.

11 Parallels with 3:12, 7:3, and 14:1.

12 or “there will not be night any longer”.

13 εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων (forever) 

Greek: “into the ages of ages”.

Abbreviations

NT = New Testament 

OT = Old Testament 

ESV = English Standard Version 

NASB = New American Standard Bible

NIV = New International Version

KJV = King James Version 

TR = Textus Receptus (A late Byzantine Greek text of the NT. A 

predecessor of the TR was used in the translation of the KJV) 

LXX = Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT)

Bibliography

The Greek New Testament with Greek-English Dictionary B. Aland (Editor), K. Aland (Editor), J. Karavidopoulos (Editor), B. M. Metzger (Editor), C. M. Martini (Editor)

(BDAG) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition Walter Bauer (Author), Frederick William Danker (Editor)

A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament Bruce M. Metzger

(Kittel) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (VOLUMES 1-10) Gerhard Kittel (Editor), Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Translator)

*The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).) G. K. Beale

**The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) Robert H. Mounce

***Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Grant R. Osborne

+Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics Daniel B. Wallace

++An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek C. F. D. Moule

+++Biblical Greek (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici) Maximilian Zerwick

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament Max Zerwick (Author), Mary Grosvenor (Author)

Revelation 21:9-27, The New Jerusalem (The Study of the Apocalypse)

     9 And one of1 the seven angels, the ones who have the seven bowls which are filled2 with the last seven plagues, came and spoke with me saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the spirit3 onto a huge4 and high mountain5. And he showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God6. 11 She7 held8 the glory of God. Her brilliance9 was similar to a precious stone like a jasper stone, clear as crystal10 . 12 She had a huge11 and high wall, having twelve gates and at the gates were twelve angels12. And there were names written on13 them which are [the names] 14of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had15 twelve foundations16 and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the lamb17.

     15 And the one speaking with me had a golden measuring rod so that he may measure the city, her gates, and her wall. 16 Now the city is laid out in a square and her length is as long as18 the width. And he measured the city with the rod and it was over twelve thousand stadia19; her length, and the width, and the height the same20. 17 And he measured the wall and it was one hundred forty-four cubits21 (a measurement used by humans, which is also used by angels)22. 18 And the construction material of her wall was jasper and the city was pure23 gold similar to clear24 glass. 19 The foundations of the city’s wall were adorned25 with every precious stone. The first foundation jasper, the second one sapphire, the third one agate, the fourth one emerald, 20 the fifth one sardonyx, the sixth one carnelian, the seventh one chrysolite, the eighth one beryl, the ninth one topaz, the tenth one chrysoprase, the eleventh one jacinth, and the twelfth one amethyst26. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls. Each one of the gates was from one pearl27 . And the main street of the city was pure gold like transparent glass.

     22 And I didn’t see a temple in her, for the Lord God, the Almighty and the lamb are her temple28. 23 And the city has no need of the sun, nor the moon, that they may shine on her, for the glory of God gave light to her, and the lamb is her lamp29. 24 And the nations will walk in30 her light31, and the kings of the earth will carry their glory into her. 25 And her gates will never be shut in the daytime, for there will be no night there32. 26 And they will carry the glory and the honor of the nations into her33. 27 And every unclean34 thing and the ones who do detestable things and lie may never go into her. Only35 the ones written in the lamb’s book of life will go in.36

1 ἐκ (of) 

Greek: “from”.

2 τῶν γεμόντων (filled with) 

Greek: “full of”.

3 The passage parallels 17:1-3. There, an angel introduces the great prostitute riding a beast. The city there was Babylon/Rome. The vision here stands in contrast to Babylon as it describes the New Jerusalem. Therefore, the words of this passage are set forth to remind readers and hearers of Babylon in Chapter 17. Instead of a prostitute (Babylon) we see Jesus’ wife (New Jerusalem). Beale* (Pgs. 1063-1064).

4 μέγα (huge)

Greek: “great”. 5 Parallels with Exodus 19 and Ezekiel 40:1-2.

6 John was told that he would be shone the bride of the lamb, but he is shone the New Jerusalem! The language is figurative as it depicts the bride of Christ as a beautiful city.

     The bride of the lamb is also the wife of the lamb. The church has been joined to Christ. The New Jerusalem, purified and transformed reflecting the new creation that began and built with each believer.

7 Both “city” and “Jerusalem” are feminine words in Greek. So, the pronouns are also feminine. I decided to translate the pronouns in the feminine which is not unusual in English.

8 ἔχουσαν (she held)

Greek: “holding” or “having”. 9 or “radiance” or “ brightness”. In other words, the city was shining.

10 The first part of the verse echoes Ezekiel 43:2. It is the glory of God that is making the City to shine. In 4:3-4, it is God whose appearance is like a Jasper stone. It is difficult to see how jasper can be transparent while being an opaque stone. It may be meant that the stone was shining. Osborne*** (Pg. 749). Mounce** says that the stone may actually be a diamond and that it is transparent. (Pg. 378).

     The brilliance can signify the light of God that fills that city. It is clear as crystal for there is no impurity or imperfection in this place.

11 μέγα (huge) 

Greek: “great”.

12 Twelve gates are an allusion to Ezekiel 48:30-37. There, the gates are on the temple. Where as in Ezekiel the gates opened for tribes of Israel, here they are open to all. The angels may represent the watchmen in Isaiah 62:6, but not as guards since there is no more evil. They may be linked to the angels of the seven churches in Chapters 2-3. Osborne*** (Pg. 750).

13 ἐπιγεγραμμένα (written on)

Greek: “having been written on”.

14 “Names” may not be original to the text, thus it is shown is brackets.

15 ἔχων (had)

Greek: “having”.

16 The foundations would have been large stones that would have been chosen for their beauty and strength. Osborne*** (Pg. 751).

17 It is interesting that the twelve apostles stand as the foundation of the City’s walls and not the tribes of Israel. Walls were necessary in the ancient world because they provided protection for the city and the city’s people. Maybe the meaning here is that the New Covenant which is based on Jesus’ teaching as well as the Apostles’ teaching provides the foundation for the protection for believers. With that said, there is no longer any need of protection as all of the evil is not destroyed. In Ephesians 2:20, the foundation of the church (God’s household) is the apostles and the prophets.

Osborne*** says it signifies that both the church and Israel are the entry point into the city. (Pgs. 751-752).

     There seems to be a mixture of symbols that refer to the wall between the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles. The gates have the tribe names, but each gate was a single pearl echoing the kingdom of heaven as a pearl of great price, a New Testament symbol. The twelve foundations of that wall have the name of an apostle, just each gate has a name of one of the tribes.

     Each stone on the breastplate of the high priest represented a tribe of Israel and served as a "signet", associated with each name, of that tribe. These stone appear in this wall. These jewels adorned the foundations of the wall.

     We see the number 144 here, The last time we saw this number was in reference to the 144,000 sealed from the tribes of Israel earlier in this book.

Beale* points out that the names of the sons of Israel and the names of the apostles add up to 24 which has already been used with the 24 elders who are around God’s throne who are introduced in Chapter 4. (Pg. 1069). He goes on to say that the apostles are the foundation as in Christ, all of Israel’s promises have been fulfilled. The apostles are the foundation of the new Israel which is the Church. (Pg. 1070).

18 ὅσον (as long as) 

Greek: “as great as”.

     We see here the final measurement for the actual city done with a rod of gold. The rod of iron is no longer needed. This rod is used to measure the city of perfection.

19 As found in 14:20, a stadia was around 600 feet. That would make the city 1364 miles long, 1364 miles wide, and 1364 miles high. The number is figurative as we have a “super complete” or a “super perfection” measurement of the city: 12x10x10x10 to the third power (3)!

20 The City is laid out in a cube. Osborne*** points out that he Holy of Holies was also laid out in a cube. (Pg. 753).

21 Whether the wall is 144 cubits (216 feet) thick or 144 cubits (216 feet) high makes no difference as the wall is eclipsed by the size of the city. The 144 is also figurative for “complete” or “perfect” (12x12).

22 The actual Greek is crude: μέτρον ἀνθρώπου, ὅ ἐστιν ἀγγέλου (a measure of man, which is of an angel). It basically means that the measurement was based on a standard measuring unit used by humans. In this case, the angels use the same measuring unit as well. It can also be seen as a reminder that what John sees here is figurative in nature.

23 καθαρὸν (pure) 

or “clean”. In this case, the gold had no impurities.

24 καθαρῷ (clear) 

or “clean”. This is the same Greek word that was used in describing the “pure gold”.

25 κεκοσμημένοι (were adorned) 

Greek: “having been adorned”.

26 There is debate over what the jewels stand for. Are they signs of the Zodiac or the jewels on the priest garment (So Beale* Pgs. 1080-1081). Perhaps the best way to see this is as Isaiah 54:11-13 portrays the restored Jerusalem; as a city built in splendor.

27 In other words, the pearls were so large that one gate could be made or carved from one pearl.

28 Osborne*** states that the city is the Holy of Holies itself. (Pg. 760). Also, see John 2:19.

     This is supported by the idea of no temple being present. The Holy of Holies is where God dwells.

29 An allusion to Isaiah 60:19.

30 διὰ (in)

Greek: “through”.

     Those that walk in the light are of the the light. The light of the world is fully revealed.

31 The TR adds τῶν σωζομένων (the ones who are saved) after “the nations”.

32 In ancient times, city gates were shut at night.

33 These two verses are allusions to Isaiah 60:3, 5, 11. The Kings of the earth will not bring riches into the city, they will bring themselves into the city to praise and worship God. Beale* (Pg. 1095). There is basically a dual picture here as the bride is the city as well as the people (being represented here as the nations). It is meant to be taken figuratively.

It is also possible that the New Jerusalem is alive and well today and that the bride has made herself ready for the bride-groom through out the church age. Since the New Jerusalem is Jesus’ bride, it is the light of the witness of the of believers (the church) who light the way for all of those who don’t believe, for it is the light of the city in which the nations walk by. In Chapter one, we see the image of lambstands and we see in 2:1-7 that Ephesus’ lampstand (witness) would be removed from its place if they didn’t fix their compromising attitude.

     The new creation is underway. God will dwell in the New Jerusalem. Today, He dwells in the heart of each believer prior to the revealing that is to come. It is the light of the Holy Spirit that binds us into the body of Christ. It is this light which shines in our hearts and lights the way. Jesus walked among the lampstands and supplied the light they gave forth. No other light is necessary, nor will be.

     We are new creatures in Christ, born from above, made spiritually alive. We await in Spirit for the One Who was raised in a perfected body. We will see Him and we will be like Him. Heaven and earth are combined. This is the promise of life and where we place our faith. It is His Spirit that confirms this and He will do it.

34 κοινὸν (unclean) 

or “common”. The represents a shift in John’s vocabulary. Up unto now, John has used ἀκάθαρτος to portray unclean things.

35 εἰ μὴ (only) 

Greek: “except”.

36 The final verse of this passage is a reminder to those who this book was written to as well as us that unbelievers can not enter the Holy City of God, nor can they be the Lamb’s bride.

Abbreviations

NT = New Testament 

OT = Old Testament 

ESV = English Standard Version 

NASB = New American Standard Bible

NIV = New International Version

KJV = King James Version 

TR = Textus Receptus (A late Byzantine Greek text of the NT. A 

predecessor of the TR was used in the translation of the KJV) 

LXX = Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT)

Bibliography

The Greek New Testament with Greek-English Dictionary B. Aland (Editor), K. Aland (Editor), J. Karavidopoulos (Editor), B. M. Metzger (Editor), C. M. Martini (Editor)

(BDAG) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition Walter Bauer (Author), Frederick William Danker (Editor)

A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament Bruce M. Metzger

(Kittel) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (VOLUMES 1-10) Gerhard Kittel (Editor), Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Translator)

*The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).) G. K. Beale

**The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) Robert H. Mounce

***Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Grant R. Osborne

+Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics Daniel B. Wallace

++An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek C. F. D. Moule

+++Biblical Greek (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici) Maximilian Zerwick

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament Max Zerwick (Author), Mary Grosvenor (Author)

Revelation 21:1-8, The New Heaven and the New Earth (The Study of the Apocalypse)

Introduction

The vision that John sees here has its roots in Isaiah 65:17-22.

Isaiah 65:17 “Behold, I will create 

          new heavens and a new earth.

     The former things will not be remembered, 

          nor will they come to mind.

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever 

          in what I will create,

     for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight 

          and its people a joy.

Isaiah 65:19 I will rejoice over Jerusalem 

          and take delight in my people;

     the sound of weeping and of crying 

          will be heard in it no more.

Isaiah 65:20 “Never again will there be in it 

          an infant who lives but a few days,

          or an old man who does not live out his years; 

     he who dies at a hundred

          will be thought a mere youth; 

     he who fails to reach a hundred

          will be considered accursed. 

Isaiah 65:21 They will build houses and dwell in them;

          they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 

Isaiah 65:22 No longer will they build houses and others live in them,

          or plant and others eat. 

     For as the days of a tree,

          so will be the days of my people; 

     my chosen ones will long enjoy

          the works of their hands. NIV

Chapter 21

     1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth have gone away1 and the sea2 is no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem3 coming down out of heaven from God prepared4 like a bride adorned5 to her husband6. 3 And I heard a loud7 voice from the throne8 saying, “Behold, the dwelling place9 of God with people! He will dwell10 with them, and they will be his people11 and God himself will be with them; [their God]12. 4 And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes13, and there will be no more death, nor will there be sorrow, nor crying, nor pain, [because] the former things14 have gone away.”15

     5 And the one sitting on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”16 And he says, “Write! [Because] these words are faithful and true.”17 6 And he said to me, “They have been done18. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end19. I will freely20 give to the thirsty water from the spring of the waters of life21. 7 The one who

conquers will inherit these things22 and I will be to him God, and he will be my son. 8 But to the cowardly, that is23 the unfaithful, the detested, the murderers, the ones who engage with prostitutes24, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and liars -- their part will be in the lake burning with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.

1 ἀπῆλθαν (have gone away) 

or “have departed”. This echoes Mark 13:31:

Μάρκον 13·31 ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρελεύσονται.

13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

John uses a different verb form of ἔρχομαι (have gone away/have departed vs. will pass away/will pass by), but the same idea is portrayed.

It is debated if the language indicates that the “old” is destroyed or if it is made new or renewed. Osborne*** favors destroyed (Pgs. 729-733). Mounce** favors renewed. (Pg. 369). Beale* says that the passage is figurative and represents the radical change of the cosmos. (Pg. 1040).

     Jesus said that we must be born anew, from above. This could be a clue. We are told the New Jerusalem descends from above.

2 The sea has been a place of evil throughout the Apocalypse. It is fitting that it is no more.

     In the creation account the land and the waters are separated. Heaven and earth have fled away. A new creation emerges. What God has joined and blessed will remain.

     Long ago we are told of God's deliverance of His people. Moses and Israel sang of their salvation from their enemy by the hand of the Lord. The Red Sea parted and Pharaoh's army was swallowed up. Satan and his followers are likewise thrown into a sea, a sea that might be red for it is a sea of fire.

3 Echoes Isaiah 52:1.

4 ἡτοιμασμένην (prepared)

Greek: “having been prepared”.

     We are prepared and clothed with the righteousness of Jesus. We are able to stand in white robes only because He has washed us.

5 κεκοσμημένην (adorned) 

Greek: “having been adorned”.

6 There is debate among scholars whether the New Jerusalem, who dressed as a bride, is a city where the saints live or if it represents the saints as the bride of Christ. Osborne*** sees the imagery as representing both. (Pg. 733). Mounce** sees the imagery as representing believers as the bride. (Pgs. 370-371). Beale* says that the New Jerusalem is probably figurative and represents the fellowship of God with his people in an actual new creation. (Pg. 1045).

     The image of the Church as the Bride of Christ may be the stronger choice here. From Genesis, to Ruth, to the parable of the virgins, we have this image portrayed as a marriage. Heaven and earth become one.

7 μεγάλης (loud) 

Greek: “great”.

8 τοῦ θρόνου (the throne)

It is not certain who speaks here. Osborne*** believers it to be one of the angels around the throne of God as God himself speaks in verse 5. (Pg. 733). Apparently, this may have come to be a problem among copyist(s) as the TR replaces τοῦ θρόνου “the throne” with τοῦ οὐρανοῦ “heaven” to correct the perceived problem. With that said, it could have just been a copyist(s)’ mistake.

     Jesus is the faithful and true one. God is our Creator, but through the Word creation found form, and the Word was God.

     He is upon the throne.

9 ἡ σκηνὴ (the dwelling place) 

Greek: “the tent” or “the tabernacle”. This reflects God dwelling in the tabernacle with his people around him in the OT.

10 σκηνώσει (he will dwell)

Greek: “he will tabernacle” or “he will pitch his tent”. In John’s Gospel, It is the Word who tabernacles among people. The same Greek verb is used.

Ἰωάννην 1·14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.

1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt (tabernacled) among us, and we beheld his glory, glory that only comes from the Father, full of favor and truth.

11 λαοὶ αὐτοῦ (his people) 

or “his peoples”. People is in the plural here. All peoples will be God’s people!

12 The line echoes Ezekiel 37:26-27.

13 Parallels 7:17 and is an allusion to Isaiah 25:8.

14 τὰ πρῶτα (former things)

or “first things”. Referring back to 20:11 where heaven (sky) and earth fled from the face of God.

15 Note how the angel’s proclamation interprets what is coming down from heaven; God’s tent (dwelling place). The New Jerusalem represents God living (or providing his presence) with his people.

     God with us - Immanuel

16 An allusion to Isaiah 42:19 and 65:17. Per Beale* (Pg. ), Paul uses the same allusion in 2 Corinthians 5:17:

Κορινθίους β 5·17 ὥστε εἴ τις ἐν Χριστῷ, καινὴ κτίσις· τὰ ἀρχαῖα παρῆλθεν, ἰδοὺ γέγονεν καινά·

5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ (the Anointed one), he is a new creation/creature: The old things have passed away, behold, they have become new things.

According to this, believers are the new creation.

17 Osborne*** sees the command to write passage as relating to the entire book of Revelation and not to the immediate context. (Pg. 737). Yet, it could be that God is referring to what the angel has just spoken which is the immediate context.

18 γέγοναν (They have been done)

Greek: “They have happened”.

19 Parallels with 1:8.

20 δωρεάν (freely)

or “without cost”. The water of life is free to the believer.

21 An allusion to Isaiah 55:1. Here, the thirsty are the ones who persevered and remained in the faith in spite of their persecutions. It is also the fulfillment of the promise given in 7:17.

22 Not only the things presented here, but all of the promises given in Chapters 2 and 3. Osborne*** agrees. (Pg. 739), and Mounce** (Pg. 374).

23 καὶ (that is)

Greek: “and”. I have translated καὶ as defining what the cowards are. It is of note that the article only appears in front of cowards (τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς/but to the cowards), which seems to back up the idea that everything after “the cowards” define what “the cowards” are.

It serves as a reminder to the ones this was written to that they have to make a choice--to be conquerers or to be cowards.

24 πόρνοις (the ones who engage with prostitutes) 

The feminine version of the word means prostitute.

Abbreviations

NT = New Testament 

OT = Old Testament 

ESV = English Standard Version 

NASB = New American Standard Bible

NIV = New International Version

KJV = King James Version 

TR = Textus Receptus (A late Byzantine Greek text of the NT. A 

predecessor of the TR was used in the translation of the KJV) 

LXX = Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT)

Bibliography

The Greek New Testament with Greek-English Dictionary B. Aland (Editor), K. Aland (Editor), J. Karavidopoulos (Editor), B. M. Metzger (Editor), C. M. Martini (Editor)

(BDAG) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition Walter Bauer (Author), Frederick William Danker (Editor)

A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament Bruce M. Metzger

(Kittel) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (VOLUMES 1-10) Gerhard Kittel (Editor), Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Translator)

*The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).) G. K. Beale

**The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) Robert H. Mounce

***Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Grant R. Osborne

+Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics Daniel B. Wallace

++An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek C. F. D. Moule

+++Biblical Greek (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici) Maximilian Zerwick

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament Max Zerwick (Author), Mary Grosvenor (Author)

Revelation 20:11-15, The Great White Throne of Judgement (The Study of the Apocalypse)

Introduction

Everyone will face the last judgement. This passage is both the 2nd resurrection and the 2nd death. It is interesting that the actual words “2nd resurrection” never occur in Revelation, but is inferred here. The order and how the people get to the final judgement depends greatly on the view held.

1.Premillennialism sees all believers resurrected in the “1st resurrection” and “the rest” resurrected (2nd resurrection) for the final judgment. The believers are judged first, followed by the unbelievers.

2.Amillennialism sees the “1st resurrection” as an “intermediate state” for believers throughout the church age and the “2nd resurrection” as the bringing to life all people, both believing and unbelieving, for the final judgement.

3.Postmillennialism sees “1st resurrection” only for the martyrs spoken of throughout the Apocalypse and the “2nd resurrection” as the rest of believers as well as the unbelieving.

Beale* (Pg. 1034) asks the question: “How can deceased believers be included in the realm ruled over by malevolent powers?” His answer is “...until the final resurrection, though their spirits are with the Lord, their physical bodies still lie under the power of death and Satan and the old world.” He points to 1 Corinthians 15:50-57:

Κορινθίους α 15·50 Τοῦτο δέ φημι, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι σὰρξ καὶ αἷμα βασιλείαν θεοῦ κληρονομῆσαι οὐ δύναται οὐδὲ ἡ φθορὰ τὴν ἀφθαρσίαν κληρονομεῖ. 51 ἰδοὺ μυστήριον ὑμῖν λέγω· πάντες οὐ κοιμηθησόμεθα, πάντες δὲ ἀλλαγησόμεθα, 52 ἐν ἀτόμῳ, ἐν ῥιπῇ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι· σαλπίσει γὰρ καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται ἄφθαρτοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀλλαγησόμεθα. 53 Δεῖ γὰρ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσασθαι ἀθανασίαν. 54 ὅταν δὲ τὸ φθαρτὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ τὸ θνητὸν τοῦτο ἐνδύσηται ἀθανασίαν, τότε γενήσεται ὁ λόγος ὁ γεγραμμένος·

κατεπόθη ὁ θάνατος εἰς νῖκος. Κορινθίους α 15·55 ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ νῖκος;

ποῦ σου, θάνατε, τὸ κέντρον; 56 τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἡ δὲ δύναμις τῆς ἁμαρτίας ὁ νόμος· 57 τῷ δὲ θεῷ χάρις τῷ διδόντι ἡμῖν τὸ νῖκος διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

     50 But I say this to you, brothers, that flesh and blood are not able to inherit the kingdom of God, neither is the perishable able to inherit the nonperishable. 51 Behold, I speak a mystery to you: All will not die, but all will be changed, 52 in a moment, in a blinking of an eye, in the last trumpet. For he will sound a trumpet and the dead will be raised nonperishable and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on nonperishable and this mortal put on immortal. 54 But whenever this perishable may put on nonperishable and this mortal may put on nonperishable, then it will become the written word:

     ‘Death was swallowed up by victory. 

55  Death, where is your victory?

     Death, where is your sting?’ 

56 But the sting of death is sin, but the power of sin is the law. 57 And favor to God who gives to us the victory through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed one.

     11 And I saw a great white throne1 and the one sitting on it, whose face2, the earth and heaven fled away from and no place was found for them3 . 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing4 before the throne. And books were opened5. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books; according to their deeds6. 13 And the sea7 gave the dead who were in it and death and the realm of the dead8 gave the dead who were in them. And they were judged, everyone according to their deeds. 14 And death and the realm of the dead were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death; the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

1 θρόνον μέγαν λευκὸν (a great white throne)

“Great” here probably means ‘huge” or “large”. “White” represents “holiness” and “purity” which are common themes throughout the Apocalypse.

     This could also be indicative of the preeminence of Who sits on the throne, as fitting for the King of Kings.

2 οὗ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου (whose face...away from)

The phrase is actually a relative pronoun οὗ “whose” plus a prepositional phrase ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου “away from the face” or “away from the presence”. I broke up the prepositional phrase to make the passage flow a little smoother.

3 This statement is looking forward to 21:1. The first heaven (sky) and earth must go away in order for the the new heaven and earth to come down. Osborne*** thinks that this means that total destruction has come to the first heaven and earth. (Pg. 721).

4 ἑστῶτας (standing)

Greek: “having stood”.

5 An allusion to Daniel 7:10.

6 Osborne*** sees verse 12 as the judgement for the righteous and the latter verses as judgement for unbelievers. (Pgs. 721-722).

     Only the dead are judged according to their deeds. Those in the book of life are judged for life.

7 The sea has been seen as an evil place throughout the Apocalypse.

8 ὁ θάνατος καὶ ὁ ᾅδης (death and the realm of the dead)

Greek: “Death and Hades”. Death and Hades have already been spoken of in 1:18 where Jesus holds the keys to Death and Hades, and in 6:8 where Death and Hades ride the pale green horse.

The throwing of Death and Hades into the lake of fire brings to mind Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 15:26:

Κορινθίους α 15·26 ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος· 

26 The last enemy to be put to an end is death.

In 1 Corinthians 15:26, the infinitive verb καταργεῖται, which I have translated “to be put to an end”, can also mean that what death produces will no longer have an effect. That idea is also here in the Apocalypse. Death and Hades no longer have an effect on believers as the two are completely separated. Interestingly enough, the unbelievers are now placed in the very place where death and hades now reside.

Abbreviations

NT = New Testament 

OT = Old Testament 

ESV = English Standard Version 

NASB = New American Standard Bible

NIV = New International Version

KJV = King James Version 

TR = Textus Receptus (A late Byzantine Greek text of the NT. A 

predecessor of the TR was used in the translation of the KJV) 

LXX = Septuagint (Greek translation of the OT)

Bibliography

The Greek New Testament with Greek-English Dictionary B. Aland (Editor), K. Aland (Editor), J. Karavidopoulos (Editor), B. M. Metzger (Editor), C. M. Martini (Editor)

(BDAG) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition Walter Bauer (Author), Frederick William Danker (Editor)

A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament Bruce M. Metzger

(Kittel) Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (VOLUMES 1-10) Gerhard Kittel (Editor), Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Translator)

*The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (New International Greek Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich.).) G. K. Beale

**The Book of Revelation (The New International Commentary on the New Testament) Robert H. Mounce

***Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Grant R. Osborne

+Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics Daniel B. Wallace

++An Idiom Book of New Testament Greek C. F. D. Moule

+++Biblical Greek (Scripta Pontificii Instituti Biblici) Maximilian Zerwick

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament Max Zerwick (Author), Mary Grosvenor (Author)