The Revelation Revealed, Chapter 2 · Verse 7
Verſe 7. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the Churches: To him that overcometh, will I give to taſte of the Tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradice of God.
The ear is the chief inſtrument or organ by which we hear, and the Spirit ſets it here metonimically for hearing it ſelf; ſuch a hearing or right underſtanding as is mentioned in Rom. 10.17. as comes by the Word of God, by a ſagacious and diligent prepending of the mind of God in the word, ſtirred up and warmed by the influence of the ſame Spirit; and ſuch a hearing, or ſuch an ear, is here called, as competently fit for the comprehenſion of the mind of the Spirit in theſe propheſies. Hence Note,
Obſerv. That there is chiefly required a ſpiritualized and enlightned reaſon, and a well ordered judgement, for the diſcovery of the myſteries of this book of Propheſies.
Holy and good affections, without ſound knowledge, will not reach it. It is for him that hath underſtanding, that muſt count the number of the Beaſt, Rev. 13.18. God hath given diverſity of gifts to his Church, for the profit of the whole: ſome one is excellent for an interpretation of Tongues, another for Propheſie, another for exhortation, another for a Pſalm, another for gubernation and diſcipline, another is excellent about juſtification, another about the doctrines of holineſs and ſanctification, others again are for unlocking prophetical deeps and myſteries &c. So every one hath their variety of gifts and excellencies, that the body may be compleated, and made perfect, by the co-aſſiſtance and harmony of the whole. Let it not ſeem ſtrange, that this book is dark and difficult to the ſupine and lazie chriſtian, it is only for him that hath an ear, to hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the Churches.
What is meant by the Spirit that ſpeaks unto the churches, is to be enquired into.
It cannot be underſtood, neither Angel, nor the holy Spirit, perſonally conſidered; for in the next immediate verſe, the ſame Spirit is called the firſt and the laſt, which was dead, and is alive. Now this muſt be Chriſt, who appeared unto John, not in his humanity, but ſpiritually, in his Deity, under the figure and likeneſs of the Son of man. Review v. 13. of the firſt chapter, more fully to this purpoſe. And here he is called the Spirit, to denote
Obſerv. That Chriſt is one and the ſame, not only in properties and qualities with the holy Spirit, but in eſſence alſo.
He hath the incommunicable properties of the Father in the words in the next verſe, and precedent chapter, v. 4, 8, & 17. who is the firſt and the laſt: In verſ. 18. of this chapter, he is called, The Son of God; and in this verſe, he is called, The Spirit: all making up this harmonious concluſion and truth, that Chriſt is one and the ſame, everlaſting Father, Son, and Spirit, our God bleſſed for ever.
Obſerv. Another Note from theſe words are, That every wiſe and judicious chriſtian, ought to be very intent and enquiring into the mind of God, in and about all his providential dealings and diſcoveries towards his churches abroad in the world.
What God ſpeaks unto his churches, is not of a private interpretation, but of a publique concernment unto all others. If God have dealt in judgement and righteouſneſs with thoſe Aſiatique churches, and for their abounding iniquities unrepented of, hath anathematized, and utterly unchurched them all; think not that we ſhall go free, if we be found in the ſame tranſgreſſions with them. There were other churches too, as well as theſe, once famous for their faith and piety, now become the Dens of Dragons, and habitation of all unclean ſpirits: Therefore to avoid the ſtroke of divine judgement by a timely repentance, how behoveful and neceſſary it is for him that hath an ear, to hear what the Spirit ſaith unto the churches: For be ſure, if we run the ſame courſe of ſin with them, we ſhall drink the ſame cup of indignation with them alſo; if we continue obſtinate, and repent not: for God is the ſame immutable Being, juſt, and righteous, and a hater of all iniquity, today, and for ever.
But to him that overcometh, that is, holds out againſt the ſpiritual aſſaults of Satan, and ſo overcome his temptations, will I give (ſaith Chriſt) to eat of the Tree of life, which is in the midſt of the Paradice of God.
Here we have the tryumphant Chriſtian Conqueror deſcribed, together with his Crown, and Reward: To him that overcometh, that is, the Conqueror: The reward is, To eat of the Tree of life in the Paradice of God.
But if it ſhould be asked, wherein ſhould a chriſtian combatant overcome, to denominate him a true conqueror, and to overcome indeed?
I anſwer, As God hath furniſhed us with variety of ſpiritual weapons and armory from himſelf, which are mighty through God to pull down the ſtrong Holds of Satan; ſo we have divers and various ſtratagems, and wyles of his, to meet with in our chriſtian warfare here beneath: we have not only to fight with our corruptions within, but we muſt meet with divers aſſaults of Satan alſo from without; enticements and allurements to falſe Doctrines and Worſhips: and if we comply not, we may be ſure to meet his buffettings from without, in revilings, reproaches, afflictions, &c. and often, as Paul did, fight with unreaſonable and beſtial men, as he did after the manner of Beaſts at Epheſus. So that he that overcometh, to have right to the Tree of life, muſt go farther then overcome the aſſaults and temptations of Satan, as unto the breach of moral duties; but to denominate him a compleat Conquerour, he ought to have a ſpecial eye and regard unto Satan's more ſpiritual and refined deſigns and aſſaults, which lies as it were, againſt the very life of a chriſtian, which he uſhers in by falſe doctrines, and abominable hereſies; which he lays as a ſtumbling block in the ways of God's children; as wicked Balaam did ſet a ſnare of Idolatry and Adultery, to make the children of Iſrael fall, that God might be wroth againſt them, and ſo judge them in his diſpleaſure: So Satan ſets up his ſtandard under the hereſies of the Nicolaitans, anti-Trinitarians, anti-Scripturiſts, idolatrizing Antichriſtians, &c. that if poſſibly he can draw the faithful ones of Chriſt to comply with them, and to receive their marks in their hands and foreheads, then he hath the accompliſhment of his deſigne; for, be ſure deſtruction followeth ſpeedily, as the conſequence of ſuch doctrines: So that he that overcometh the aſſaults of Satan, not only reſpecting life, but in doctrine alſo, is a compleat chriſtian, and conquerour, and ſhall eat of the Tree of life, in the midſt of the Paradiſe of God. Hence ariſeth a Note.
Obſerv. To overcome, is the Chriſtians crown. Or otherwiſe, Perſeverance is a chriſtians great duty. It is not him that hath begun well, that will obtain the Palm, but holds out his courſe in faithfulneſs: Vincenti dabitur. Many have begun in the Spirit, and ended in the fleſh, and ſo loſt their reward. In a Race, he that leaves off at the firſt ſtage, have no hopes to obtain the Lawrel: But that Traveller, or way faring man, that endures patiently the hardſhips of a long journey, with all the dangers, difficulties, and extremities, that ways, weather, and other accidents may offer, will at laſt doubtleſs attain to his much complacent place and period, whiles the lazie one is deterr'd with the difficulty; and if not in the firſt days journey, yet in the mid-way, is reſty and tyred. It is not ſufficient for us to endure and repulſe a flaſh or two of Satans aſſaults, who is as a roaring Lion, night and day going about, ſeeking whom he may devour. As he is reſtleſs in his temptations, ſo we muſt be reſtleſs in our defenſive Guards and Repulſes; our life is a conſtant warfare, and one errour committed in warfare, is remedileſs, and irrecoverable: And though I am far from aſſerting with the Novatians, That the errours or ſlips of the faithful are irreparable; and though the errours of humane wars admits of no repentance, yet the errours of our chriſtian warfare may be reinforced, and redeemed, by a returning unto a more ſtrict and diligent watch upon our hearts and judgements; yet notwithſtanding this, we may loſe much of our comfort in the way, and be accounted but as daſtard ſouldiers by our Captain General, in that we have not kept cloſe unto our Colours, and diligent and conſtant in all extremities, in oppoſing the aſſaults and inrodes of the adverſaries; for to that very end, Chriſt, our Captain, hath ſet weapons into our hands, which are ſpiritual, and mighty, to oppoſe and overcome all the aſſaults, ſtratagems, and underminings of Satan: Beſides, he hath laid it on us as our duty: Strive to enter into the ſtrait gate. And, The Kingdom of heaven ſuffers violence; and 'tis the violent (not the lazie dormant one) takes it by force: So in this place, To him that overcometh, to him is given to eat of the Tree of life, (as his crown and reward) which is in the midſt of the Paradice of God.
In Rev. 22.2. There is deſcribed, as an additament of the glory of the New Jeruſalem, that new heavenly City or church eſtate, that came down from God, That in the midſt of the ſtreet thereof, and of either ſide of the River, there was the Tree of life, which had twelve manner of fruits, and yeilded her fruit every monethmonth, and the leaves of the Tree were for the healing of the Nations. Thoſe that overcome the ſpiritual aſſaults of Satan, are promiſed to eat of this Tree, which is placed in this Paradice of God. As Paradice was the bleſſed habitation of Adam in his innocent and ſinleſs condition; ſo it is put typically and figuratively both, for that bleſſed eſtate that the Saints enjoy now in heaven. This day (ſaith Chriſt unto the penitent Thief) thou ſhalt be with me in Paradice. Luke 23.43. that is, thou ſhalt be in a bleſſed ſtate and glory. Paul when he was rapt up in ſpirit into the third heaven, 2 Cor. 12.4. he ſays how that he was caught up into Paradice, that is, into an incomparable glory. So that Paradice may very fitly ſignifie and repreſent figuratively unto us any ſtate of glory, either in the ſupernal heavens, or that that is reſerved for all God's faithful ones, after the re-union and reſurrection of their ſouls and bodies at the laſt day: for God does make things known unto us by ſuch things as we partly already know and underſtand. Now we know Paradice was preſented unto Adam full of all delicacy and ornaments that the heart of man or his curioſity could wiſh for, and how it was repleniſhed with all goodly fruits, not only pleaſant to the eye, but very ſavoury unto the taſte alſo; by ſenſible things God makes known his hidden myſteries, and ſpiritual delicacy, as unto the children of men: But here lies the difference between the firſt and ſecond Paradice; The firſt Paradice had not only the Tree of life in it, as a reward, and a confirming Sacrament of Adam's eternal felicity, if he had continued obedient to the command of God, but it had alſo the Tree of knowledge of good and evil; a Tree, that when he ſhould taſte thereof, and make a breach of his obedience towards his God and his Creator, he ſhould ſadly experience, for himſelf and whole poſterity, the bitterneſs of the fruits thereof; and ſo ſhould come to know, by the ſad event, what was good, and what was evil; how he had wronged by diſobedience, the chiefeſt good; and as his due reward and merit, is become liable and obnoxious to mortality, death, and all miſeries that an infinite divine Juſtice can inflict upon him for his diſobedience. Now in this ſecond or laſt Paradice, there is no fear of eating the bitter fruits of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil; for there is no ſuch Tree therein; this laſt is guarded with a ſurer Angel then that that guarded with a flaming ſword at the entrance of the Garden of Eden: The Lamb (in this laſt) is the light and the glory thereof: The firſt Adam, the poſſeſſor of the firſt Paradice, was of the earth, earthly; but the ſecond Adam is the poſſeſſor of this, whoſe Throne is in the midſt thereof, and is of heaven, heavenly; Here are no conditions of life and death put upon eating, or not eating; here is only the Tree of life, which is prepared for the faithful conquerour in Chriſt's name, for the confirmation of their eternal happineſs.
But it may be queried, what is meant by this Tree of life?
I anſwer, Some of the Ancients, as Auguſtine, and others, makes it to be Chriſt, whoſe leaves, that is (ſay they) his merits, is for the healing of the Nations. But ſaving due reverence to antiquity, I rather adhere to thoſe that underſtand it a true and real Tree of life, as that in the garden of Eden was, for theſe reaſons. For Chriſt being perſonally in this heavenly city, or new Jeruſalem; for where ſhould he be but with his Spouſe, the Bride, the Lamb's wife, at that great and ſolemn day of tryumph? And it is ſaid, That the Lamb is the Temple, and the light of this City, cap. 21, 22, 23. and therefore evidently convincing, that he is not perſonally abſent from her; and being with her, and preſent, I cannot ſee how congruous to reaſon it is to ſay or aſſert, that the glorified Saints ſhall eat of that Tree of Chriſt Sacramentally: For when we have the enjoyment of viſion, faith ceaſeth; nor is then any need of ſigns, figures, or Sacraments (the only way that we can eat Chriſt ſpiritually and myſtically) in this heavenly Paradice; for being himſelf then and there preſent with his Saints, that Scripture will be fulfilled, whoſe authority is yet of force, and not at all as yet elapſed (as ſome would have it) to wit, Matth. 28. And lo, I am with you unto the end of the world, or, of this generation: that is, Chriſt promiſes his preſence of grace, efficacy, comfort, and ſupport, unto the faithful diſpenſing of his Ordinances of the Word and Sacraments unto the end of this world, which conſiſteth in ſeveral ſeries or courſes of generations that ſhall ſucceed one the other, until the day Star ſhall ariſe, and radiate with a more incomparable glory, and ſet a period to all thoſe preſent Ordinances we now enjoy, which are fitted to our preſent weakneſs and capacities, and reſtore us into the liberty of the Sons of God, and give us Ordinances of a more ſpiritual and higher key, fit for that new and glorious City, the Bride, the Lamb's wife, that comes down from heaven. And why may I not think that in this heavenly Paradice, this Eden of God and Chriſt, this New Jeruſalem, or New Heavens, and New Earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſs, according to 2 Pet. 3.13. ſhall have the Tree of life placed by God in the midſt thereof, whoſe fruits ſhall ſhine as Sacraments of confirmation unto the bleſſed Saints, of the continuation of their glorious ſtate and bleſſedneſs for ever; ſo that whether Chriſt be taken to be this Tree of life, or whether God ſhall ſet up in his celeſtial Paradice a real Tree of life, as formerly he did to Adam in Eden, yet both and either do evince this.
Obſerv. That God hath ſecured the everlaſting bleſſed eſtate of the faithful, by moſt evident Sacraments, and clear ſigns of his preſence.
Sin cannot then hurt them, the divel is chained up in the bottomleſs pit, their adverſaries have their portion alſo with him; ſo that there is none found to hurt in all the holy mountain. What greater ſecurity, when all fear of miſcarriage is quite done away? No enemies appear from within, nor any from without; all are vanquiſhed and brought under the footſtool of the Lamb, that ſitteth upon the Throne: Then it may be ſaid, O death! Where is thy ſtirg? O grave! Where is thy victory? And as if the treading under all enemies were not enough to ſecure this bleſſed eſtate, and make it compleatly happy, there is added the Tree of life, to eat thereof; not as if there were fear of death, but ſymbolically, ſacramentally, hieroglyphically, or emblematically, to manifeſt and confirm the perpetuity and continuation of that moſt glorious and bleſſed ſtate for ever.
But it may be objected, Is not Paradice taken in Scripture for the ſupernal heaven? and is it here to be taken thus? That he that overcometh ſhall eat of the Tree of life, in the midſt of the Paradice of God; that is, ſhall be tranſlated to the heavenly manſions above, where the Angels, and ſouls of the bleſſed remain in glory, and t…ere ſhall eat of the Tree of life; that is, ſhall participate of Chriſt in his glory and eternal life, in the ſupernal heavens.
I anſwer, firſt Negatively, This Paradice that is given to the chriſtian conquerors, cannot be in this place, nor that of cap. 22. v. 28. whereunto this hath relation, and correſpond both in ſenſe and reaſon, be underſtood of the ſupernal heavens, for many reaſons. Firſt, Becauſe in this Paradice it is ſaid, There is the Tree of life, whoſe leaves are for the healing of the Nations: Now in the heavens above, there is no healing or converſion, that muſt be done here beneath, or not at all
Secondly, In the ſupernal heavens, there are neither Streets, nor Rivers, Gates, nor Foundations; as this Paradice is circumſtantially deſcribed in chap. 21, and 22.
Thirdly, This Paradice is meaſured to a certain proportion, cap. 21. 15, 16, 17, &c. And how ſhort that meaſure, being according to the cubits of a man, is to ſpanior fathom the ſupernal heavens, let him that hath the leaſt grain of reaſon judge.
Fourthly, It cannot be intended of the higheſt heavens, becauſe this Paradice or New Jeruſalem is ſaid to deſcend, or come down out of heaven from God, and that the Tabernacle of God is with men, and that he will dwell with them, and they ſhall be his people: Now how improper and diſſonant from right reaſon is it to ſay, that the ſupernal heavens do deſcend and come down unto the children of men? And how needleſs is it for God to promiſe that he will be the God of his people in the higheſt heavens, and that he will dwell with them there? All know it is the place of his habitation, where his glorious preſence is moſt eminent and reſplendent.
Laſtly, I anſwer poſitively, That this Paradice which is here promiſed to the faithful conquerors in Chriſt, is a Terreſtrial Paradice: It is a heaven on earth, though not an earthly one: It is a holy City, a New Jeruſalem, a New Heaven, and a New Earth, that comes down from God, cap. 21. 1, 2, &c. And if it be not on earth, what need is there of the mention of a New Earth? In the ſupernal heavens there is no place for the performance of ſuch a promiſe, 2 Pet. 3. which place hath relation to that of Iſa. 65.17. where God promiſeth the Jews New Heavens, and a New Earth; and withal there mentions, the enjoyment of Houſes and Vineyards: and how theſe things can be attributed or conſiſt in the ſupernal heaven, or how things there may be ſaid to be meliorated, made new, or better then they are, paſſeth my reaſon to comprehend? Though withal I grant, That the ſupernal heaven may be repreſented by Paradice, as in that of Luke 23.43. But more properly, The firſt Paradice may ſerve to typifie or repreſent the ſecond Paradice, or new Church-ſtate, or heaven, which Chriſt will reſtore unto his faithful ones, before the ultimate day, and end of all. See more on the 21, and 22 chapters.