D. ’No Night There’ (21:22—22:5)
D. ’NO NIGHT THERE’ (21:22—22:5)
John now emphasizes the glories of heaven by depicting it as a place of light. There is no night there. God provides its light.
This means that dark deeds are excluded and that there is no lack of life.
22. John did not see a temple (‘sanctuary’, naos), for God is its sanctuary (and its members are all priests, 20:6). The heaping up of titles, Lord, God and Almighty is impressive. Each has been used before, but the cumulative effect adds splendour. In the last state of things it is God’s presence alone that counts, and that is not confined to any one part of the city. It is characteristic that John adds and the Lamb. The Lamb is at the centre of things throughout this book.
23. Just as there is no need of a sanctuary where God is, so there is no place for light alongside him. God’s glory is the illumination for the blessed (cf. Is. 60:20). Sun and moon are superfluous. The city does not need them. The glory of God lights it up and the Lamb is its lamp. This latter probably does not mean anything greatly different from the preceding statement, but it is in harmony with the general picture when the Lamb is put on a level with God as the source of light for the heavenly city.
24.
The nations and the kings of the earth taken together stress the universality and the pre-eminence of the city. All look to it and bring their splendour into it (cf. Is. 60). John does not envisage the salvation of a tiny handful and the destruction of the vast majority of mankind. He sees God as bringing ‘the Gentiles’ into his holy city. God’s purposes for mankind will not be frustrated.
25. Earthly cities shut their gates when darkness comes. Not this city. Indeed darkness cannot come to it for there is perpetual light within it. John makes two statements: first, the gates are not shut by day, then, there will be no night there. Thus there is no possibility of the city’s being shut.
26—27. John has described a city so wonderful that it is hard to see what the glory and honour of the nations could bring to it. He probably means, not that the nations add to its splendour, but that they render their homage. Some things cannot enter the city. Nothing impure is comprehensive, and John singles out two specifics: anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful (see note on v.8). What is shameful probably has special reference to idolatry, and lying is reprobated elsewhere in this book. It is important that people speak truth and act truly. Smith rightly points out that ‘one may be guilty of working or acting a lie without saying a single word’. Every lie is excluded from the heavenly city. By contrast, those who do enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Again there is the thought that salvation depends on what Christ has done.
22:1
The angel is probably the way to understand it (the Greek has simply ‘he’). He now shows John the river of the water of life (cf. 7:17; 21:6; 22:17; and for a river which apparently indicates no meagre supply, Ps. 46:4). A river flowed out of Eden (Gn. 2:9—10), while Zechariah saw ‘living water’ going out from Jerusalem (Zc. 14:8), and Ezekiel a river that flowed out from the Temple and went down to the Dead Sea, growing deeper as it went and bringing life everywhere (Ezk. 47). All that was foreshadowed in such visions John sees fulfilled.
Clear as crystal conveys the idea of sparkling brilliance. Life takes its origin from God, for the river flowed from the throne of God. For the third time in this section John adds and of the Lamb to his reference to God. He will not let us miss the supreme significance of the Lamb in the final state of things. But a reference to the Lamb as on the throne is unusual and Swete finds this ‘a startling expression’. Usually the Lamb is ‘in the centre of the throne’ (5:6; 7:17), but he sits with the Father on the throne also in 3:21.
2. The river appears to flow through the broad street, whereas that in Ezekiel’s vision flowed from the Temple outwards. This river does not go out of the city, for all the redeemed are there. But it flows through the city supplying their need. On both sides of the river stood the tree of life. Preston and Hanson see an allusion to the tree of life from which people were excluded in the garden of Eden (Gn. 3:22—24). ‘Now at last, almost at the end of the great drama of the Bible, man may return and legitimately enjoy the blessing which he was banished for illegitimately desiring.’ Both the river and the tree are said to be of life, but nothing is said of the relationship between them. Probably we should not inquire too closely. John insists that life comes from God. The river and the tree are useful symbols, but no more.
The tree of life bears fruit every month and it is specifically said to bear twelve crops of fruit (i.e. twelve crops in succession, not twelve kinds of fruit). As there is neither sun nor moon there is of course no ‘month’. But John’s expression is perfectly intelligible. He is using the imagery to bring out his point that there is an abundant supply. He goes on to tell us that the leaves of the tree bring healing to the nations (cf. Ezk. 47:12). This provokes the question, ‘Healing from what?’ We would naturally think of healing from sin were it not that every such thing is excluded (21:27). Walvoord takes the word to mean ‘health-giving’ and comments, ’The leaves of the tree promote the enjoyment of life in the new Jerusalem, and are not for correcting ills which do not exist.‘ For the nations see note on 21:24.
3. There is no curse (katathema, here only in the Greek Bible, means ‘accursed thing’ not ’act of cursing’). This is the fulfilment of a prophecy (Zc. 14:11, ’there shall be no more curse‘, RSV; LXX has anathema). Instead, the throne of God and of the Lamb are there (cf. v.1). We are reminded that Ezekiel ends his prophecy by telling us that the name of the city is ’THE LORD IS THERE’ (Ezk. 48:35). Where God and the Lamb rule there is no accursed thing. On the contrary, God’s servants render service. The verb latreuousin has overtones of worship, and indeed NEB translates ‘his servants shall worship him’. Glasson comments, ‘This could be linked with the name on their foreheads (verse 4); the high priest in Exod. 28:36—8 had the words “Holy to the Lord” on his forehead. Now the whole community offers priestly worship.’ Heaven is not a place of indolent leisure, but a place where service is done, centring on God (whether him means God or Christ or both).
4. To see the face of God was denied to Moses (Ex. 33:20,23), but it is the privilege of all God’s servants in the holy city. The consummation of their bliss is the vision of God. There is nothing between him and them. More, his name is on their foreheads, as in 14:1. They are whole-heartedly attached to God. They bear his name.
5. Once more we are assured that there is no more night there (21:23,25; cf. Zc. 14:7) and that God gives them light. The section culminates with the assurance that they will reign for ever and ever. It is not said that they will reign over anyone, and, indeed, it is difficult to see who their subjects could be. The term indicates a blessed and exalted state. They share in royalty.