Of the new heavens and earth, and
the inhabitants of them
John Gill
We have seen the world laid in
ashes; and now we shall take a view of it as rising out of them. The eastern
people had a tale, or fable, concerning a bird, called the "phoenix";
which many writers, both Heathen, Jewish, and Christian, have taken notice of
{1}; concerning which they say, there is but one of them in the world at a
time; that it is very long lived, according to some it lives a thousand years;
and when its end draws near, it makes itself a bed of spices, and seats itself
on it, and by some means or other fire takes it, and it is burnt to ashes in
it; from whence springs a worm, or egg, and from thence
another "phoenix": this some take to be an emblem of the
resurrection; but it rather seems to be a fable, devised by the Indians, or
Arabians, to transmit to posterity their traditional doctrine of the
conflagration, and renovation of the world. The heathens had some notion of
good men dwelling in pure and beautiful habitations on earth; so Plato says
{2}, it was the opinion of the Stoics {3}, that at a certain
determined time the whole world would be burnt; so that it would immediately be
beautified and adorned again, and exist as it was before, perfectly beautiful.
This is more clearly revealed in the sacred scriptures; and as the apostle
Peter fully expresses the former, as we have seen, so he strongly asserts the
latter, and his faith, hope, and expectation of it: nevertheless, though the
heavens and the earth shall be burnt up, we believers, we
Christians, favoured with a divine revelation, "look for", believe
and expect, "new heavens and a new earth", in the room of the former,
consumed by fire, "wherein dwelleth righteousness", righteous
persons, and they only, #2Pe 3:13. The promise of this referred to, is in #Isa
65:17 which is introduced with a "Behold", as being something
extraordinary and wonderful, and worthy of attention;
"For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth", &c. which
being obscure in itself, is explained by the apostle: and what makes prophesies
respecting the last times, so difficult of interpretation, is, their being
mixed; some things in the context belonging to the spiritual, and others to the
personal reign of Christ, which is the case here: however, the passage itself
{4}, most certainly belongs to a perfect state, in which
righteousness will dwell, as Peter says; and entirely agrees with John's
account of the inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth; who represents
the new Jerusalem as coming down from heaven, to dwell on the new earth, where
the tabernacle of God will be with men; and he will show himself to be their
God, and them to be his people; and so it will be a time of great
joy and gladness; and in Isaiah it is said, "Behold, I create Jerusalem a
rejoicing, and her people a joy!" John says, in this state "there
shall be no more sorrow nor crying": which entirely agrees with the
prophet, who says, "The voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her,
nor the voice of crying!" which cannot be said of any state of the church
in the present earth; and is only true of its perfect state
in the new heavens and the new earth. The things to be enquired into are, what
these new heavens and earth be, and who the inhabitants of them.
1. What are meant by the new
heavens and the new earth in the above passages? these are to be understood not
in a figurative, but in a literal sense.
1a. First, not in a figurative
sense;
1a1. Not of
the gospel church state, or the gospel dispensation,
in which
indeed old things passed away, and all things
became
new; the former covenant waxed old and vanished away;
the old
Jewish church state was abolished, and a new
church state
set up; the ordinances of the former dispensation
were removed,
and new ones appointed: but then, as observed
in the
preceding chapter, this state had taken place before
the
apostle Peter wrote his epistle; and therefore he could
never speak
of the new heavens and new earth in this sense as
future; nor
say, that he and others were looking for them
when they
were already in being; and so likewise before the
apostle John
had his vision of them. John the Baptist and
Christ
began their ministry with saying, "the kingdom of
heaven"
was "at hand", the gospel dispensation was just
ushering in;
yea our Lord afterwards says, the kingdom of God
was among the
Jews, though it came not with observation, and
was weak and
obscure; but after his death and resurrection,
when
he gave his disciples a commission to preach the gospel
to all the
world, and furnished them with gifts and abilities
for it, and they
accordingly preached it everywhere with
success; then
it plainly appeared that the gospel church
state had
commenced: besides, the gospel church state, even
in
the first and purest ages of it, was not so perfect as the
state of
things will be in the new heavens and new earth, in
which none
but righteous persons, and such as are perfectly
righteous,
will dwell; for into the new Jerusalem, the seat
of which will
be the new heavens and new earth, none shall
enter
that defiles or makes an abomination or a lie; whereas
in the gospel
church state, there always was, is, and will
be, a mixture
of true believers and carnal professors; look
into the
first churches at Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia,
Corinth,
&c. and you will find persons either of bad
principles
or of bad practices complained of. Moreover, in
the new
Jerusalem state, which will have its seat in the new
heavens and
new earth, there will be no temple, no worship,
in the manner
that now is in the gospel church state; no
ministry of
the word, nor administration of ordinances; the
Lamb
will be the temple and the light thereof; to which may
be added,
that in that state there will be no more death,
sorrow, and
crying: but death did not cease when the gospel
church state
took place, it has continued ever since, and is
the last
enemy that shall be destroyed; the putting men to
death
for the sake of Christ and his gospel began very early,
in the first
times of the gospel, both in Judea and in the
Gentile
world; and continued under Rome pagan and papal, and
more or less
to this day. Other things might be observed
which show
that the new heavens and the new earth cannot be
understood
of this state; and for the same reasons they
cannot be
understood of the times of Constantine and
following
ones, at least for some of the above reasons.
1a2. Nor of
the state of the Jews at the time of their conversion;
for
though there will be a new face of things then with
respect to
them; they will quit their old notions of the
Messiah, and
relinquish their old laws, customs, and modes of
worship; and
embrace the gospel, and submit to the ordinances
of it, and
join themselves to gospel churches, or be formed
upon
the same plan with them; and be called by a new name,
which the
mouth of the Lord shall name. But then this will be
before the
new heavens and the new earth are formed; the
conversion of
the Jews is designed in #Re 19:7,8 and is what
will
introduce, or be a part of the spiritual reign; but the
vision
of the new heavens and the new earth is in #Re 21:1-27
which
respects a more glorious state of the church, and the
personal
reign of Christ in it.
1a3. Nor of
the spiritual reign of Christ, which will be in the
present
earth and not in the new one; and in which will be
the ministry
of the word and ordinances; the everlasting
gospel will
be preached to all nations, by means of which
the earth
will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and
gospel
churches be planted everywhere, and gospel worship be
carried
on as now, only with greater purity; but in the new
Jerusalem
state, the seat of which will be the new heavens
and the new
earth, there will be nothing of this kind, as
before
observed; and though there will be then a great
degree of spirituality
and holiness, yet it will not be so
perfect
a state as that will be in the new heavens and the
new earth; in
which there will be only righteous persons,
nothing that
defileth, only the holy city, having the glory
of God upon
her, will dwell in them. But in the spiritual
reign, the
church will not be quite clear of hypocrites and
nominal
professors, and will sink into lukewarmness and
indifference,
into spiritual pride and carnality, even into
a Laodicean
state.
1a4. Nor of
the heavenly state, or the ultimate glory; for these
new
heavens and earth are distinct from the third heaven,
the seat of
that. The new Jerusalem, the inhabitants of it,
are said to
come down out of heaven to reside upon the new
earth; where
the tabernacle of God will be with them, which
denotes a
moveable state, as a tabernacle is a moveable
thing,
and so distinct from the fixed state of the saints in
the ultimate
glory. The camp of the saints, and the holy and
beloved city,
are represented as on earth, even at the end
of the
thousand years. #Re 20:9. But,
1b.
Secondly, the new heavens and new earth are to be understood in a literal sense
of the natural heavens and earth. It is a rule to be observed, that a literal
sense is not to be departed from without necessity. Now there is no necessity,
nothing that obliges to depart from such a sense here; it does not contradict
any other passage of scripture; it is not contrary to the perfections of God,
his wisdom, power, and goodness, yea these are displayed
therein; nor is it to the disadvantage but to the advantage of his people, to
have such new heavens and earth made for them to dwell in in their raised
state; and as there is no necessity to depart from the literal sense, there
seems to be a necessity to abide by it; since the phrase, "heaven and
earth", are used by the apostle Peter in #2Pe 3:1-18 frequently, and
always literally of the sublunary world, the natural
heavens and earth; as when he says, the heavens and the earth that were of old,
that were created in the beginning, are that world that was overflowed with a
flood and perished; and that the same heavens and earth are reserved to fire
against the day of judgment, when the one will pass away and be dissolved, and
the other be burnt up; now as these can be understood in no other than in a literal sense, so the new heavens and the earth he
speaks of in the room of these, can be meant of no other, to keep up the sense
of the apostle uniform and of a piece; only these renewed, not as to their
substance, or made entirely new, but as to their qualities.
1b1.
First then, the "new heavens" must be interpreted of the
airy heavens,
and of a new air in them: we have seen that
the heavens
that shall be set on fire, and be liquified and
dissolved by it,
are not the starry heavens, but the airy
heavens only;
which will be purged, purified, and refined by
fire,
and become a new air; and Aben Ezra interprets the new
heavens in
#Isa 65:17 of a good air, an healthful and
salubrious
one; and such will the new heavens be when purged
by fire; they
will be clear of all noxious vapours and
exhalations,
be free from all unhealthful fogs, mists and
meteors,
watery and fiery, such as are enumerated in
#Ps 148:8.
God has his treasures of hail, snow, &c. in the
air, #Job
38:22,23 but the new heavens will be clear of all
these; no
storms of hail, no stores of snow, no blustering
storms and
tempests, no corruscations and flashes of
lightning,
nor peals of thunder; nothing of this kind will
be heard or
seen, but a pure, serene, and tranquil air,
quite suited
to the bodies of raised saints {5}; for none
else will
inhabit the new earth, whose bodies will be
incorruptible
and spiritual. Moreover the air will
now be
cleared
of devils, which have their residence in it: the
devil is
called "the prince of the power of the air", of the
posse of
devils which dwell in the air; and he and his
principalities
and powers are "spiritual wickednesses in
high or
heavenly places" in the air above us, #Eph 2:2
#Eph
6:12 and it has been the sentiment both of Jews and
heathens,
that the air is full of demons; and which is not
at all
improbable; for when they were cast out of the third
heaven, their
first habitation, they fell into the air; where
they are, at
least at times, until their full torment; and
here
they are hovering over our heads, watching all
opportunities
to tempt, disturb, and distress the sons of
men: but when
Christ shall come in the clouds, and be met by
his saints in
the air, he will clear the air of all the
devils in it;
he will lay hold of Satan, the prince of them,
and
of the whole body of them under him, and bind them, and
cast them
into the abyss, the bottomless pit; so that they
shall not be
able to stir, nor give the least molestation to
the saints
for the space of a thousand years; and then,
instead of
being over their heads, they will be bruised under
1b2.
Secondly, The "new earth" will be an earth refined and
renewed, and
restored to its paradisiacal estate; or as it
was before
the fall, free from the curse which came upon it
on
that account. But now the curse will be removed, and it
shall no more
bring forth thorns and thistles, nor require
labour and
pains to cultivate it; nor will there be any
difficulty
about a livelihood from it, which will not be
wanted; it
shall be as before the fall, when the whole of it
was
a paradise, and one part of it more especially so: and
hence in that
state, of which the new heavens and new earth
will be the
seat, figures are taken from thence to describe
that; as a
river of water of life proceeding from the throne
of God and
the Lamb; and a tree of life in the midst of the
new
Jerusalem, bearing all manner of fruit every month, and
its leaves for
the healing of the nations, #Re 22:1,2 and
as the earth,
before the fall, was subject to the first man,
and all
things in it, #Ps 8:6-8 so this new earth will be to
the second
Adam; at his first coming, though Lord of all,
yet
in the present earth he had not where to lay his head;
and now he is
crowned with glory and honour, yet we see not
all things
put under him; but "the world to come", or "the
habitable
earth", which is future, and is not put in
subjection to
angels, will be put in subjection to him; so
that
where he was once in the form of a servant, and
suffered
much, he will now reign, as a King, and a
triumphant
Conqueror. And it must be but reasonable, that
since he hath
redeemed his people from the curse of the law,
being made a
curse for them, that every degree of that curse
should
be removed, which, as yet is not, from the earth: and
particularly,
it is but reasonable, that when the second
Adam, and his
seed, come to enjoy the earth alone, that it
should be
free from the curse, the redemption from which he
is the author
of, and that for them; and accordingly so it
will
be in that state; there shall be no more curse,
#Re 22:3.
2. The inhabitants of the new
heavens and the new earth are next to be considered. When God had made the
first earth, and which was made by him to be inhabited, there
were at first but "two" whom he created to dwell upon it; and when it
was destroyed by the flood, and recovered from that deluge, there were but
"eight" persons preserved in the ark to repeople it. But when the new
heavens and new earth are formed there will be enough to stock them at once. It
may be asked from whence will they be had, since the air will be cleared of
devils, and all wicked men will be burnt up with the earth;
so that there will not be a devil in the air, nor a wicked man upon the earth;
and who shall then inhabit them? Let it be observed, that Christ will bring
with him the souls of all his saints, of all the chosen people that have been
from the beginning of the world, whose bodies he will then raise, and reunite
them to their souls; and the living saints that will be found on earth when he shall come, will be changed, and caught up with the raised
ones, to meet the Lord in the air, where they will abide till the earth is fit
for them; and then they will be let down, millions and millions of them, even
the whole general assembly and church of the firstborn, whose names are written
in heaven, and will fill the earth at once. And these are described,
2a. First, by the name of
"righteousness" itself; "wherein", in the new heavens and
earth, "dwelleth righteousness", #2Pe 3:13 that is, righteous
persons, the abstract for the concrete; a like phrase see in #Isa 1:21 and
designs such to whom Christ is made righteousness, and they are made the
righteousness of God in him; as Christ, the husband of the
church, is called, "the Lord our Righteousness"; so she, by virtue of
a marriage union to him, is called by the same name, #Jer 23:6 33:16 and this
denotes such persons as are truly righteous; not in appearance only, but
really; and not in the sight of men, but in the sight of God; and who are
thoroughly righteous in every sense; who have the righteousness of Christ
imputed to them, and are created in righteousness and true
holiness; are inherently holy and righteous, and that perfectly: and it designs
such only; not a sinner, not a wicked man, nor an hypocrite, will be among
them; and this is confirmed by other scriptures; particularly #Isa 60:21.
"Thy people shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for
ever"; and though the former part of this prophecy respects the spiritual reign of Christ in the present earth; yet the latter part of
it belongs to the perfect state of the church, the new Jerusalem state, in the
new earth; as appears by comparing #Isa 60:19 with #Re 21:23. Again in #Ps
37:29. "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for
ever"; not the present earth which the saints have not by inheritance, and
much less for ever; and it is but a small part of it they enjoy
in any sense. Besides, this respects something future; it is not said they
"do", but "shall" inherit it. There are other characters in
the same Psalm, descriptive of the inhabitants of the new heavens and the new
earth, as in #Ps 37:9. "Those that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the
earth", when the wicked will be cut off, as they will be at the general
conflagration; and those who wait on the Lord, are the same with
the apostle Peter, and others, who looked for new heavens and a new earth, and
waited on the Lord for the fulfilment of his promise; and in #Ps 37:11.
"The meek shall inherit the earth": the same is asserted by Christ,
#Mt 5:5 these are opposed to proud and haughty sinners, and design the followers
of the meek and lowly Jesus, who have but a very small share in the present
earth: it is your proud, bold, blustering sort of men who
share the earth among them; as for the meek spirited saints, it is as much as
they can do to get a livelihood in it; but they shall inherit the new heavens
and the new earth.
2b. Secondly, the inhabitants
of which are the palm bearing company in #Re 7:9 for this
vision is synchronal, or contemporary, with that of the new heavens and the new
earth, the seat of the new Jerusalem, the church of God, consisting of all the
elect, and respects the same time and things; as appears by comparing #Re 7:15
of that chapter with #Re 21:3 22:3 22:16,17 with #Re 21:4 the same persons are
described by their number, #Re 21:9 "which no man could number"; who,
though but a few, in comparison of others, are a great
number considered by themselves; and though numbered by God and Christ, cannot
be numbered by men: and by their origin and descent, being "of all
nations, kindreds, people, and tongues"; chosen, redeemed, and called out
of all; and will be collected together at the coming of Christ: and by their
position, standing "before the throne, and before the Lamb"; the throne of the Lamb, placed in the new Jerusalem, before
which they will stand without fault, behold his glory, and enjoy his presence:
and by their habit and gesture, "clothed with white robes, and palms in
their hands"; appearing now as kings and priests; who, as such, shall
reign with Christ on the new earth, being now not only clothed with the robe of
his righteousness, but with the shining robes of immortality
and bliss: and the "palms" in their hands is not so much expressive
of their past uprightness and integrity, and of their having bore up under all
their pressures and afflictions; but chiefly of their now victory over all
their enemies: also they are described by their ascription of salvation to God
and the Lamb, even their temporal salvation, and especially their spiritual and
eternal salvation; to God, as the contriver of it, and to
Christ the Lamb, as the procuring cause and author of it; in which they will be
joined by all the angels around them, as guardians of them, ministering spirits
to them, and fellow worshippers with them; who will then ascribe a sevenfold
praise to God, #Re 7:10-12. And some discourse passing between one of the
elders about the throne and John, occasioned a further description of the same persons, #Re 7:13,14 by their being "come out of great
tribulation"; which may signify, not only the afflictions of every
individual of this great number; but more especially the public troubles of the
saints, as a body, in the various periods of time; both of the Old Testament
saints, and particularly of the New Testament saints, under Rome pagan and
papal, to the end of the reign of antichrist; and may have special
respect to the last struggle of the beast, and the slaying of the witnesses.
But now all will be at an end, and their "robes washed, and made white in
the blood of the Lamb", and so pure, without spot or blemish: and they are
further described, by their constant service of God, "day and night",
that is continually; for there will be no night in this state; and their
service will lie, not in an attendance on the word and ordinances;
but in praising God, adoring his perfections, admiring his works of providence
and grace, and ascribing the glory of salvation to him: "And he that
sitteth upon the throne shall dwell among them", the tabernacle of God
being now with men on earth; "and they shall hunger no more, neither
thirst any more"; neither in a literal sense, which is sometimes the case
now; nor in a mystical sense, after the word and
ordinances, they will have no need of; nor have any uneasy desires after
spiritual things, which will now be enjoyed in plenty; "nor shall the sun
light on them, nor any heat"; neither the sun of persecution, nor the heat
of Satan's fiery darts, nor of any fiery affliction: the reason of all this
happiness is, "the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed
them"; not by his ministers, word, and ordinances, as
now; but with the discoveries of his love, will feast them at his table, and
cause them to drink new wine in his kingdom; "and shall lead them to
living fountains of water", to the river of the water of life, the
everlasting love of the three Persons; "and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes"; and there shall be no more tears on account of
indwelling sin, Satan's temptations, divine desertions, and any
trouble and affliction; but being come to the new Jerusalem, everlasting joy
shall be upon them, sorrow and sighing shall flee away. These are the persons,
and this will be the happy case of the inhabitants of the new heavens and the
new earth.
2c. Thirdly, a further account
is given of those inhabitants in #Re 21:1,2 &c. after John
had a vision of the new heavens and the new earth, the former being passed
away; he had a sight of those that were to dwell in them; and by the account,
they appear to be persons not in a mortal and sinful state, but in an immortal
and perfect one. They are called "the holy city, and new Jerusalem",
by which the church is meant; but not as in any state on this present earth,
and in the present circumstances of things; a state so
glorious, pure, and holy, as this is represented, can never be expected here.
Mortal men, dwelling in houses of clay, would never be able to bear such a
glory as the church is said to have on her, #Re 21:11 and following; nor be so
pure and holy as this new Jerusalem, so as to have nothing defiling, nor that
commits iniquity in it, #Re 21:27 and yet it cannot be meant of it as in heaven; since it is said to descend from thence, #Re
21:2,10 nor can the kings of the earth, in any sense, be said to bring their
honour and glory, and that of the nations, into heaven, #Re 21:24,26. But it
designs a state in the new earth, and under the new heavens, where the
tabernacle of God will be, #Re 21:1-3 and we find the camp of the saints, the
beloved city, the same with the holy city here upon the earth, that
is, the new earth, #Re 20:9 even after the first resurrection, and even after
the millennium. Now this church, called the holy city, is no other than the
church of the firstborn, the whole body of the elect, and the same with the
palm bearing company, and the church consisting of them.
The
inhabitants of the new heavens and the new earth are here described under the
names of "the holy city" and "new Jerusalem"; a
"city", as consisting of the whole family of God, who are fellow citizens
with the saints, and of the household of God; a "holy" one, as made
up of persons perfectly holy, in spirit, soul, and body, and entirely free from
sin; called Jerusalem, though in a state superior to the church under the gospel dispensation, called by that name; and even
to it in the Philadelphian state, in the spiritual reign; since it is promised
to the overcomer in that state, as something greater, and yet to come, that he
should be a pillar, and have the name of the new Jerusalem written on him, #Re
3:12 which signifies the vision of peace, and fitly expresses that state, in
which peace of every kind, in its utmost perfection, shall
be enjoyed, the Prince of peace, Christ, being with his people; and called new,
because the seat of this church will be the new heavens and new earth; all
which shows, that the inhabitants will be in a perfect state of holiness and
peace. And they are further described by their "descent from heaven";
which designs, not their original, as regenerate persons; but their local
descent with Christ; when he comes, the souls of all his
saints will come with him; their bodies will be raised and united to them; anti
with the living saints, be caught up to meet him in the air, from whence they
will descend with him on the new earth, and dwell on it with him, their head
and husband; hence said to be "the bride, the Lamb's wife"; which
intend not individuals, nor particular churches of Jews or Gentiles; but the whole body of the elect, given to Christ, and espoused
by him; who will now be "prepared and adorned for her husband", being
all gathered in, and their number completed; and adorned, not only with the
grace of God, and righteousness of Christ, but with the glorious robes of
immortality and bliss; and so fit for Christ their head. And it will be the
church and her members, thus prepared and ornamented, who
will, with Christ, inhabit the new earth; for now "the tabernacle of God
will be with men" on the new earth; which being for a determinate time, a
thousand years, his being with them is signified by a tabernacle, which is
moveable; which is further explained; "he will dwell with them, in
person", for the space of time mentioned. "God himself shall be with
them; Immanuel", God with us, God in our nature;
"and they shall be his people", owned by him as such; and he "be
their God": which covenant interest may be claimed, as being out of all
question. The inhabitants of the new earth are moreover described by their
freedom from all evils, #Re 3:4. "God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes"; which is said of the palm bearing company, #Re 7:17 which show them
to be the same with those; the words are taken from #Isa
25:8 and refer to the resurrection state, when "death shall be swallowed
up in victory; and there shall be no more death", not even corporal death;
for this is said of risen saints; "neither sorrow nor crying", on
account of disorders and diseases of body, loss of friends, &c. which will
all be at an end; "neither shall there be any more pain; of body", or
mind; "for the former things are past away"; the
old world, its lusts, temptations, and snares; all troubles from within and
from without; from persecutors and false friends; which shows that those
inhabitants will not be in a sinful and mortal state: yea, they are described,
as "having the glory of God upon them", #Re 21:11 upon their bodies
being raised, and fashioned like to the glorious body of Christ, and upon their
souls being perfect in grace, righteousness, and holiness;
and the light, glory, lustre, and splendour of this church and her members, the
inhabitants of the new earth, are expressed in such language in the following
part of the chapter, that no adequate ideas can be formed thereof; and describe
such a state as can never be imagined will be in the present world: and those
inhabitants are again described by their holiness and purity,
#Re 21:27 in such a manner, as show them to be in a sinless state. To which may
be added, the provision to regale those inhabitants, suitable to their state,
is described in #Re 22:1,2 as in the earthly paradise, particularly in that
spot of it, the garden of Eden, there was a river for delight and use, and a
tree of life in the midst of it, for the preservation of health, and the
continuance of life; so in this city, in the new earth,
will be a river and tree of life, and, for ought I see to the contrary, in a
literal sense; only, they will be emblematic, as the other might be in Eden;
for here will be no need of corporal food, only of entertainment for the mind.
Here will be a river, an emblem of the everlasting love of God, clear and free
from all motives and conditions in men, arising purely from the sovereignty of
God; which, for its abundance, will be a river to swim in,
and not to be passed over; and will yield inexpressible pleasure to this city
and its inhabitants: and there will be a tree of life in the midst of the
street of this city, bearing monthly all kind of fruit, and its leaves of an
healing nature; an emblem of Christ, the tree of life, #Pr 3:18 #Re 2:7 and of all
spiritual blessings to be continually enjoyed from him, in great variety, and
with great pleasure. And though there will be no diseases
of body and mind in that state; yet as the tree of life in Eden was for the
preservation of the life and health of Adam, had he continued in his state of
innocence; so the healing leaves of this tree may denote that everything in
Christ will contribute to the comfort, health, and happiness of the saints.
Moreover, the happiness of those inhabitants is expressed by a
variety, which shows it to be an accumulated happiness, a perfect one;
"there shall be no more curse"; node upon the new earth, and its
inhabitants; nor any accursed person or thing in it; "but the throne of
God and the Lamb shall be in it", the seat of his glorious majesty, who
will reign as King here; "and his servants shall serve him"; both the
ministering angels and his saints, especially the latter; "and his name shall be in their foreheads"; by which it will
appear they are his people and servants, as if his name was written there;
"and there shall be no more night"; either in a literal sense, or
rather figurative, meaning no night of ignorance and error, of darkness and
desertion, and of affliction of any kind; "and they need no candle, neither
light of the sun"; neither artificial nor natural light; "for the
Lord God giveth them light", what vastly exceeds
either; "and they shall reign for ever and ever"; first with Christ
on the new earth, for a thousand years, next to be considered, and then in
heaven to all eternity.
{1} Vid. Texelii Phoenix.
{3} Aristot. apud Euseb.
Evangel. Praepar. l. 15. c. 14. Numenius in ibid. c. 18. Philo, "quod
mundus sit incorrupt.", p. 940.
{4} Aben Ezra observes, that
it respects the world to come, and is not in connection with the context, and
is a truth that is alone by itself.
{5}
"Atque ipsa substantia (mundi) eas qualitates habebit, quae corporibus
immortalibus mirabili mutatione conveniant, ut scilicet mundus in melius
innovatus aperte accommodetur hominibus etiam carne in melius innovatis",
Aug. de Civ. Dei, l. 20. c. 16.