Revelation 2:7--"The Paradise of God" (Grammatical-Exegetical Notes)

Greek (WH): Ὁ ἔχων οὖς ἀκουσάτω τί τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις. Τῷ νικῶντι δώσω αὐτῷ φαγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς, ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ.

The risen Christ addresses these words to the Ephesian Christians in first-century Asia Minor. John might use the aorist imperative ἀκουσάτω "to express an urgent command" in this missive. See Buist M. Fanning, Revelation, page 120.

While directed to the Ephesians, the words are not limited to them, but Christ speaks through the spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα λέγει), ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις.

Fanning thinks that Τῷ νικῶντι (an articular present participle) bears a generic sense such that it's not "progressive, repetitive, or customary" (page 121).

δώσω-future active indicative 1st person singular of δίδωμι ("I give, grant").

αὐτῷ-personal pronoun dative singular masculine of αὐτός

φαγεῖν-aorist active infinitive of ἐσθίω ("to eat")

Meyer's NT: "The δώσω αὐτῳ with the inf. φαγεὶν has a somewhat different meaning from when (as, e.g., Revelation 2:17; Revelation 2:28) a definite object follows: it means, 'I will grant him to eat;' not, 'I will give him to eat.' ”

τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς-"the tree of life."

Daniel K.K. Wong posits that the tree of life is not symbolic but literal, just like there was a physical tree in Eden. He believes that all the features of New Jerusalem are equally literal (gates, river, light, street), so he asks why shouldn't the tree of life be literal. Nevertheless, it is questionable whether New Jerusalem or her features should be construed literally: the inspired seer likely intended for these things to be taken as signs (Revelation 1:1) just like the "hidden manna" in Rev. 2:17 (Compare Revelation 11:19).

See Wong, Daniel K.K. “The Tree of Life in Revelation 2:7.” Bibliotheca Sac 155 (1998): 211–226.

ὅ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ θεοῦ-"which is in the Paradise of God" (ESV). See Genesis 3:22; Revelation 22:1-2, 14, 19. Most interpreters regard the words as future, not having already been fulfilled. Given the context, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that "paradise" here (see Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:2-4) refers to God's heavenly dwelling (see Revelation 4:1-3). Moses Stuart states with a high degree of certainty that the passage refers to a celestial paradise. However, as with all matters, some scholars dissent and this seems to include G.K. Beale.

John certainly draws upon the LXX terminology and usage of "paradise of God," especially given the tree of life imagery (Ezekiel 28:13; 31:8-9). παράδεισος likely has Persian roots--see Genesis 2:8; Nehemiah 2:8.