Hanserd Knollys – Revelation 21 – 22

Rev. 21.1:

The glory and happiness of the church of God on earth prophesied by Isa 60:1-22 I the LORD will hasten it in his time; (in Christ’s time) is here revealed to John in this vision of the new heaven and the new earth, which he saw, whereby is signified the world to come, (Heb 2:5) in contradistinction to this world. (Mt 12:32 Eph 1:21) God promised the primitive saints, that he would create new heavens, and a new earth, (Isa 65:17-18 66:22) and therefore the latter day saints do, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, (2Pe 3:13)

For the first heavens and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

So the apostle St. Peter testified, (2Pe 3:13) Nevertheless we according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. By the sea, we are to understand the gathering together of the multitude of many waters, as Ge 1:10. And by the waters, upon which the whore satteth, we may understand, people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues, (Re 17:15) called the See of Rome; so the See of Canterbury, and the See of York: Whereby is figured the rage, troubles and persecutions, stirred up by the wind of unsound and popish doctrine of the church of Rome, as Isa 57:20.

Rev. 21.2:

Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

She is the bride, the Lamb’s wife. See Re 19:7-8 Re 21:9; that is, the church in her latter day glory, (Re 21:22-27) And I saw no Temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the Temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved, shall walk in the light of it and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsover worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life. And Isa 60:1-22 Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my Glory. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee, shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee, shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The City of the LORD, the Zion of the holy one of Israel. Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw it self: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of the mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hand, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

Rev. 21.3:

And he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. These words are the substance and tenor of the new and everlasting Covenant of grace, both with converted Jews and gentiles. (Isa 55:1-3 Jer 31:32-40 Heb 8:6-10 Ro 11:24-26) Isa 19:23-25 In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt, and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: Whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel my inheritance.

Rev. 21.4:

The time of the glorious state of the church, and kingdom of Christ on earth, before the general resurrection and the eternal judgment, will be a sorrowless time and condition to the church and people of God.

For the former things are passed away; that is, all those things that occasioned sorrows and sufferings, tears and temptations, lamentations and weeping to the church and people of God are come to an end; that is, the old serpent is bound, the beast and false prophets taken and cast into the lake of fire. (See Re 19:20,21 Re 20:2-11) Now the church of God hath rest, peace and glory. Now the Lords redeemed ones are made unto God kings and priests, and shall reign on earth. (Re 5:9-10 Re 11:15 Da 2:44 7:27,28)

Rev. 21.5:

He that sat upon the throne is our Lord Jesus Christ, who made the world and all things therein, (Joh 1:1-3 Heb 1:2) Whose name is called the Word of God, (Re 19:13) I make all things new; that is, I will now restore all things to their original purity and perfection. (Ac 3:19-21)

Rev. 21.7-8:

There are four soul-enemies, that saints militant here on earth (like good soldiers of Jesus Christ) are to fight against, noted in the scripture of truth; viz. the devil, the world, sinful lusts, and the beast. Now by

he that overcometh we are to understand him or her, that by faith in Christ getteth the victory over the devil, as 1Jo 2:13 over the world, as 1Jo 5:4-5 over their sinful lusts of the flesh, as Ro 6:12 1Pe 2:11 and over the beast, Re 15:2 20:4. These victors are more than conquerors. (Ro 8:35-39) And they shall inherit all things that is, these conquerors shall be co-heirs with Christ the great conqueror, (Re 3:21-22) And I will be his God, and he shall be my son that is, his God and Father in Jesus Christ, (Joh 20:17) And they shall be his sons and daughters by faith in Christ Jesus, (Ga 3:26 2Co 6:18) But the fearful (Re 21:8) and unbelieving, etc., -shall have their part in the lake, -which is the second death that is, hell, or Gehenna; everlasting burnings, into which the beast and false prophet were cast alive, (Re 19:20) also the devil himself. (Re 20:10,14,15)

Rev. 21.14:

By the twelve foundations here, we are to understand the fundamental doctrines of Christ’s apostles, upon which the true Church of God is built, Christ being the chief corner stone, (Eph 2:19-22 Heb 6:1-4) And other foundation can no man lay, (1Co 3:11) These twelve foundations therefore have in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb that is, of Christ crucified, among whom Matthias was numbered. (Ac 1:25-26)

Rev. 21.15:

a golden reed to measure the city we are to understand the written Word of God, the holy scripture of truth, the rule of every believers faith, worship, and life. (Ga 6:15)

Rev. 22.3:

And there shall be no more curse that is, no kind of misery, sorrow, sickness, affliction, or calamity in the holy city, the new Jerusalem. But the throne of God, and of the Lamb shall be in it that is, in the holy city. And his servants that is, his saints, shall serve him that is, shall worship him in spirit and truth. (Joh 4:22-24)

Rev. 22.7:

Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. This coming of Jesus Christ, (Re 22:7,12) is his second coming, called his appearing the second time, which will be personal, (Heb 9:27-28) visible, (Ac 1:11) and all his saints with him (Mt 24:30 and Re 1:7), To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God even our father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. (1Th 3:13) Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this Book.

Rev. 22. 12-13:

And my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be Read Isa 40:10 62:11 Re 11:15-18 compared with Mt 16:27-28 Lu 22:29-30 Mt 19:20. The Lord Jesus Christ will give a reward to the wicked and ungodly, according to the merit and desert of their works; and he will also give to the righteous and godly a reward of grace according to their good works. (Ro 2:6-12) Who will render to every man according to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory, and honour, and immortality; eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath; tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the gentile. But glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the gentile. For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law, shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the Law, shall be judged by the law.

Rev. 22.14-15:

By the commandments of God, we are to understand the moral law which Christ came not to destroy, but to fulfill. Therefore the apostle told the primitive saints, that they were not without the law to God, but under the law to Christ. (1Co 9:21) This doing of the commandments of God is not in the oldness of the letter, but in the newness of the spirit. (Ro 7:6)

They have right to the tree of life not by merit, but of mercy and free grace. Secondly, an entrance through the gates into the holy city, the new Jerusalem, and the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ, (2Pe 1:10-11,15) For without are dogs, etc. That is, all sorts of ungodly and wicked men and women.

Rev. 22.21:

This was the usual salutation of the apostles in their Epistles unto the churches of saints, 2Co 1:2 13:14. All saving grace and spiritual peace, do flow from God through Jesus Christ, unto the churches and saints of God.

Amen.