07950
 \\Blessed\\ (\\makarioi\\). This is the last beatitude of the book and
 "deals with the issues of the higher life" (Swete). \\They that\\
 \\wash their robes\\ (\\hoi plunontes tas stolas autn\\). Present active
 articular participle of \\plun\\. See
 # 7:14
 for this very verb with \\stolas\\, while in
 # 3:4
 the negative statement occurs. Cf.
 # 1Co 6:11
 \\That they may have the right\\ (\\hina estai h exousia autn\\).
 Purpose clause with \\hina\\ and the future middle of \\eimi\\ (a common
 construction in this book,
 # 6:4,11; 9:5,20; 13:12; 14:13
 that there may be their right." \\To come to the tree of life\\ (\\epi\\
 \\to xulon ts zs\\). "Over the tree of life." On \\exousia epi\\ =
 "power over" see
 # 6:8; 13:7; 16:9; Lu 9:1
 On "the tree of life" see
 # 2:7; 22:2
 \\May enter in\\ (\\eiselthsin\\). Purpose clause with \\hina\\ and the
 second aorist active subjunctive of \\eiserchomai\\ parallel with
 \\hina estai\\ (future). \\By the gates\\ (\\tois pulsin\\). Associative
 instrumental case of \\puln\\
 # 21:12
 "by the gate towers."

07951
 \\Without\\ (\\ex\\). Outside the holy city, with which compare
 # 21:8,27
 Dustierdieck supplies an imperative: "Out, ye dogs." \\The dogs\\
 (\\hoi kunes\\). Not literal dogs, but the morally impure
 # De 23:18; 2Ki 8:13; Ps 22:17,21; Mt 7:6; Mr 7:27; Php 3:3
 Dogs in the Oriental cities are the scavengers and excite
 unspeakable contempt. \\The sorcerers\\ (\\hoi pharmakoi\\). As in
 # 21:8
 where are listed "the fornicators and the murderers and the
 idolaters," all "outside" the holy city here as there "in the
 lake that burns with fire and brimstone, the second death." Both
 are pictures (symbolic language) of hell, the eternal absence
 from fellowship with God. Another time Jesus spoke of "the outer
 darkness" (\\eis to skotos to exteron\\,
 # Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30
 outside of lighted house, as the abode of the damned. Another
 symbol is the worm that dies not
 # Mr 9:48
 \\Every one that loveth and maketh a lie\\ (\\ps philn kai poin\\
 \\pseudos\\). An interpretation of \\psin tois pseudesin\\ (all liars)
 of
 # 21:8
 and of \\poin pseudos\\ (doing a lie) of
 # 21:27
 Satan is the father of lying
 # Joh 8:44
 and Satan's home is a congenial place for those who love and
 practise lying
 # 2Th 2:12
 See
 # 1Jo 1:6
 for not doing the truth and see also
 # Ro 1:25; Eph 4:25

07952
 \\I Jesus\\ (\\Eg Isous\\). The last and most solemn attestation to the
 book that from Jesus (the historic Jesus known to the churches),
 in harmony with
 # 1:1
 \\Have sent\\ (\\epempsa\\). First aorist active indicative of \\pemp\\,
 used here in the same sense as \\aposteilas\\ in
 # 1:1
 as his personal messenger. It is the Jesus of history here
 speaking, who is also the Christ of theology and the Lamb of God.
 \\For the churches\\ (\\epi tais ekklsiais\\). For this use of \\epi\\ see
 # 10:11; Joh 12:16
 It is not just for the seven churches
 # 1:4
 but for all the churches in the world then and now. \\I am the root\\
 \\and the offspring of David\\ (\\Eg eimi h riza kai to genos\\
 \\Daueid\\). See
 # 5:5
 for "the root of David," to which John now adds \\to genos\\ in the
 sense of "offspring"
 # Ac 17:28
 not of family or race
 # Ac 4:6; 7:13
 Cf.
 # Mt 22:42-45
 \\The bright, the morning star\\ (\\ho astr ho lampros ho prinos\\).
 The Davidic King is called a star in
 # Nu 24:17; Lu 1:78
 This "day-star" (\\phsphoros\\) is interpreted as Christ
 # 2Pe 1:19
 In
 # Re 2:28
 the phrase "the morning star" occurs in Christ's words, which is
 here interpreted. Christ is the Light that was coming into the
 world
 # Joh 1:9; 8:12

07953
 \\The Spirit and the bride\\ (\\to pneuma kai h numph\\). The Holy
 Spirit, speaking through the prophets or the Spirit of prophecy
 # 2:7; 16:4; 18:24
 joins with the bride
 # 21:2
 the people of God, in a response to the voice of Jesus just
 heard. After the picture of heaven in
 # 22:1-5
 there is intense longing
 # 19:7
 of God's people for the consummation of the marriage of the Lamb
 and the Bride. So now "the prophets and the saints" (Swete) make
 a common plea to the Lord Jesus to "come" (\\Erchou\\, present middle
 imperative of \\erchomai\\, Come on) as he has just said twice that
 he would do
 # 22:1,12
 The call for Christ is to be repeated by every hearer (\\ho akoun\\)
 as in
 # 1:3
 \\Let him come\\ (\\erchesth\\). Change of person and this verb applied
 not to Christ as just before, but to the one who wishes to greet
 Christ. The thirsty man is bidden to come himself before it is
 too late. See
 # 5:6
 for \\dipsa\\, used for spiritual thirst, and in particular
 # Joh 6:35; 7:37
 for one thirsting for the water of life
 # 21:6; 22:1
 Cf.
 # Isa 55:1
 \\He that will\\ (\\ho theln\\). Even if not yet eagerly thirsting. This
 one is welcome also. For this use of \\thel\\ see
 # Php 2:13
 \\Let him take\\ (\\labet\\). Second ingressive aorist active imperative
 of \\lamban\\. In accordance with the free promise in
 # 21:6
 "freely" (\\drean\\) here as there. This gracious and wide
 invitation is cheering after the gloomy picture of the doomed and
 the damned. The warnings against the dragon and the two beasts
 with all their dreadful consequences are meant to deter men from
 falling victims to all the devil's devices then and now. The door
 of mercy still stands wide open today, for the end has not yet
 come. The series of panoramas is over, with the consummation
 pictured as a reality. Now we drop back to the standpoint before
 we saw the visions through John's eyes. In verse
 # 17
 we hear the voice of the Spirit of God inviting all who hear and
 see to heed and to come and drink of the water of life freely
 offered by the Lamb of God.

07954
 \\I testify\\ (\\Eg martur\\). Commentators disagree keenly about the
 words in verses
 # 18,19
 Charles rejects them as an interpolation and out of harmony with
 the rest of the book. Beckwith takes them to be John's own
 warning, drawn from
 # De 4:2
 "to every man that heareth" (\\panti ti akouonti\\, dative of the
 articular present active participle of \\akou\\, which compare
 # 1:3
 Swete properly holds these verses to be from Jesus himself, still
 bearing solemn witness to this book, with warning against wilful
 perversion of its teachings. \\If any man shall add\\ (\\ean tis\\
 \\epithi\\). Condition of the third class with \\ean\\ and the second
 aorist active subjunctive of \\epitithmi\\, with \\epi\\ added with
 \\auta\\, as also in the conclusion \\epithsei ep' auton\\ (future
 active). This warning is directed against perversions of this
 book, not about the New Testament or the Bible as a whole, though
 it may be true there also. Surely no warning was more needed when
 we consider the treatment accorded the Apocalypse, so that Dr.
 Robert South said that the Apocalypse either found one crazy or
 left him so.

07955
 \\If any man shall take away\\ (\\ean tis apheli\\). Also condition of
 the third class with \\ean\\ and second aorist active subjunctive of
 \\aphaire\\, with \\apo\\ repeated both in the condition and in the
 conclusion (\\aphelei apo\\, future active indicative of \\aphaire\\ for
 the more usual \\aphairsei\\). \\Which are written in this book\\ (\\tn\\
 \\gegrammenn en ti biblii touti\\). Ablative neuter plural
 articular perfect passive participle in apposition with \\ek tou\\
 \\xulou ts zs\\ (from the tree of life) and \\ek ts poles ts\\
 \\hagias\\ (out of the holy city). Such a man is unworthy of his
 inheritance.

07956
 \\He which testifieth\\ (\\ho marturn\\). That is Jesus
 # 1:2
 who has just spoken
 # 22:18
 \\Yea: I come quickly\\ (\\Nai, erchomai tachu\\). Affirmation again of
 the promise in
 # 22:7,12
 On \\Nai\\ (Yes) see
 # 1:7
 for the Lord's assent to the call. Then John expresses his
 absolute belief in the Lord's promise: "Amen: come, Lord Jesus"
 (\\Amn, erchou, Kurie Isou\\). On \\Amn\\ see
 # 1:7
 On \\erchou\\ see
 # 22:17
 Note \\Kurie\\ with \\Isou\\. As in
 # 1Co 12:3; Php 2:11
 For Paul's confidence in the deity of Christ and the certainty of
 his second coming see
 # Tit 2:13; 2Ti 4:8
 \\Marana tha\\
 # 1Co 16:22

07957
 \\The grace of the Lord Jesus be with the saints\\ (\\h charis tou\\
 \\Kuriou Isou meta tn hagin\\). John's own benediction, an unusual
 ending for an apocalypse, but suitable for one meant to be read
 in the churches
 # 1:3
 Grace is Paul's unvarying word in conclusion of his letters, as
 is true of
 # Heb 13:25
 "The saints" or the consecrated (\\hoi hagioi\\) is John's constant
 word for believers in Christ
 # 8:3; 11:18; 13:7,10; 14:12; 16:6; 17:6; 18:20,24; 19:8; 20:9
 It is a good word for the close of this marvellous picture of
 God's gracious provision for his people in earth and heaven.
