In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The unity of Scripture is, say the Fathers, a ring, an unbroken circle, returning into itself. Between the events of Genesis and those of the Apocalypse, at least 6,000 or 7,000 years intervene; and between Moses, the first writer, and John, the last, about 1,500 years. As at the beginning, man and his wife are presented in innocence in Eden, so at the close, the second Adam, the Lord from heaven, appears with His Bride, the Church, in a better paradise, amidst better waters (Revelation 22:1).
Street of it - of the city.
On either side of the river. [For the second enteuthen (G1782), A B, Coptic, Syriac, read, ekeithen (G1564).] The sense is the same: cf. Greek, John 19:18. The tress were on each side, in the middle of the space between the street and the river. The antitype exceeds the type: in the first paradise was only one tree; now there are 'very many trees at the bank of the river, on one side and the other.' Supposing but one tree, we should either, as Mede, suppose that х plateia (G4113)] street is a plain washed on both sides by the river (as the first paradise was washed on one side by the Tigris, on the other by the Euphrates), and that in the midst of the plain, which itself is in the midst of the river's branches, stood the tree. 'In the midst of the street (plain) itself, and of the river (having two branches, flowing on this and on that side), was there the tree of life.' Or else (Durham), the tree was in the midst of the river, and extending its branches to both banks. But cf. Ezekiel 47:12, the millennial type, which shows several trees of one kind, all termed "the tree of life." Death reigns now because of sin: even in the millennial earth, sin, and therefore death, though limited, shall not altogether cease. But in the final heavenly city on earth, sin and death utterly cease.
Yielded her fruit every month - `according to each mouth:' each month had its proper fruit; as different seasons now marked have their own productions: only then, unlike now, there shall be no season without its fruit-an endless variety, answering to twelve, symbolical of the worldwide Church (notes, Revelation 12:1; Revelation 21:14). Dr. Whately thought the tree of life was among those of which Adam freely ate (Genesis 2:9; Genesis 2:16-17), and that his continuance in immortality was dependent on his continuing to eat of it: having forfeited it, he became liable to death; still, the effects of having eaten of it for a time appeared in the longevity of the patriarchs. God could undoubtedly endue a tree with medicinal powers. But Genesis 3:22 implies, man had not yet taken of the tree, and that if he had, be would have lived forever, which, in his fallen state, would have been the greatest curse.
Leaves ... for the healing - (Ezekiel 47:9; Ezekiel 47:12.) The leaves shall be health-giving, not healing, but securing them against sicknesses; while 'the fruit shall be for meat.' In the millennium (Ezekiel 47:1-23, and Revelation 20:1-15), the Church shall give the Gospel-tree to the nations outside Israel and the Church: so shall heal their spiritual malady; but in the final, perfect new Jerusalem here, the state of all is eternally fixed: no saving process goes on any longer (cf. Revelation 22:11; Revelation 22:15). The "nations" (Revelation 21:24) are those which long before-namely, in the millennium (Revelation 11:15) - became the Lord's.