A.T. Robertson Commentary


A.T. Robertson Commentary
"And there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall give them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever." — Revelation 22:5 (ASV)
Shall be night no more (νυξ ουκ εστα ετ). As in 21:25.
They need (εχουσιν χρειαν). Present active indicative, "They have need," though A has εξουσιν (shall have), future like εστα. Here again there is repetition of part of 21:23, but for the purpose of showing the delightsomeness of the New Jerusalem with no need of lamp or sun (change to φως with ηλιου instead of φωτος, "they have no light of sun").
Shall give them light (φωτισε). Future active of φωτιζω, while aorist εφωτισεν in 21:23.
They shall reign (βασιλευσουσιν). Future active of βασιλευω. Reign eternally in contrast with the limited millennial reign of 20:4,6. This glorious eternal reign with Christ occurs repeatedly in the book (1:6; 3:21; 5:10) as in Lu 22:30. Christ's Kingdom is spiritual (John 18:36f.). "The visions of the Apocalypse are now ended; they have reached their climax in the New Jerusalem" (Swete). Now John gives the parting utterances of some of the speakers, and it is not always clear who is speaking.