Ch 22: The river of life
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The river of life (22:1)
22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. 6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
In the garden of Eden man became like God knowing good and evil, but he was cut off from the tree of life. He became his own God and his source of life was within himself rather than coming from God resulting in futility and emptiness. As a result of this emptiness people fill their lives with things, pleasures and idols. Here in Rev 22 we now find God and the Lamb as the source of life for man, man is no longer cut off from the life of God as Adam and Eve were. Man could eat from the tree of life and live for ever because God lives forever. Jesus said that 'this is eternal life to know God and Jesus whom he has sent' (John 17:3). To know God is to know him intimately as Adam knew Eve. To the wicked Jesus said 'depart from me I never knew you' (Mat 7:23).
v1 - Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb - The provisions and nourishment of the citizens of the new Jerusalem are now described. This verse reminds us of the river watering the garden of Eden, Gen 2:10. The picture comes from Ezekiel's vision (Ezek 47:1 ff.). The river of the water of life symbolises eternal life, the spring of the water of life has already been mentioned in Rev 21:6, it has now become a river and the free gift of the water of life occurs again in Rev 22:17, the emphasis being that eternal life is a free gift. The water of life flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb who are the source of all life (John 5:26). In Psa 46:4 'There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells'. The water of life is Christ himself, he is the source of the water producing eternal life (John 4:14). There could be a connection with the sea of glass, clear as crystal before the throne in 4:6. The expression 'clear as crystal' is also used of the new Jerusalem in 21:11.
v2 - down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. - This city has a great street, the great city where the two witnesses were killed also had a street, 11:8, only this one is paved with gold, like transparent glass, 21:21, the martyrs will walk on this street for all eternity. In Isa 35:8 it is called a highway, 'it will be called the Way of Holiness, the unclean will not go on it but only the redeemed'. 'They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away', Isa 35:10. The river of life, whose source is Christ, waters the tree of life which gives eternal life to everyone who eats of its fruit (Gen 3:22). This brings us full circle back to Genesis: Jesus the tree of life in Genesis is now the tree of life in Revelation, he is the beginning and the end.
Again we go to our pre-fall state, thanks to our representative, the Lamb who was slain. Man is no longer barred from the tree of life as he was in the garden after he sinned (Gen 3:22), he may eat of the tree and live for ever, for the fruit of the tree conveys eternal life. The twelve crops of fruit yielding its fruit every month indicates an abundance, the number twelve could correspond to the twelve tribes or twelve apostles but it is more likely to be a regular supply. The tree get its water from the river of the water of life, and so therefore it is the tree of life, Ezek 47:12. In the letter to the church at Ephesus God promises that to him who overcomes He will give 'the right to the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God', 2:7, thus the new Jerusalem is also the paradise of God. It is a new garden of Eden. In 22:14 those who wash their robes also have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. In 22:19 if anyone takes away words from this book of prophecy 'God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city'. The leaves are for the healing of the nations, who are within the New Jerusalem, Rev 21:24, probably John has a poultice in mind here, again he is referring to Ezek 47:12 'Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing'.
v3 - No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. - There will be no Adamic curse which involved mankind in painful toil and death, it also banished mankind from the Garden of Eden and from the tree of life which would enable him to live forever (Gen 3:17-24). The curse is now revoked so that mankind can take hold of the fruit of the tree of life and live forever. The throne of God and of the Lamb is not remote in heaven but on earth in the New Jerusalem, God's dwelling place is with man, heaven has moved to the earth. Instead of painful toil His servants will serve him as they also served him on the former earth, 1:6, 5:10, 7:15. Compare with 5:13 'To Him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb'. There will be plenty to do in heaven, 'his servants will serve him'.
v4 - They will see his face, his name will be on their foreheads - To see God's face was denied Moses Exo 33:20. To see God's face is to enjoy his favour (Job 33:26, Psa 17:15, 67:1) it is the reward of the pure in heart (Mat 5:8). To see God's face is to be like Him, the saints will be transformed into his likeness, 2 Cor 3:18, 1 John 3:2. His name on their foreheads is once again a reference to the seal and the 144,000 who represent all the redeemed (Rev 3:12, Rev 14:1), the seal indicating ownership and intimacy.
v5 - There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever. - A reiteration of Rev 21:23-25 the continuous presence of the Lord will be their light and so there will be no more night. Night is abolished because it is associated with evil, light is associated with that which is good. Jesus was betrayed at night, night is when sin is committed Rom 13:12, 1 Thess 5:5-8. The saints are sons of the light (1 Thess 5:5). God himself dwells in unapproachable light, 1 Tim 1:16. Compare those who reign for ever and ever with the fate of those who follow the beast and who are tormented day and night for ever. Just as when the seventh trumpet sounded it was announced that Christ will reign for ever and ever, 11:15, so the saints who serve him will also reign with Him for ever and ever, 1 Thess 4:17. Those who remain faithful will reign with him, 2 Tim 2:12, compare to the reward to those who overcome in Laodicea, they will sit with Jesus on his throne (3:21). Because He reigns for ever and ever so will the saints, see John 14:9 "Because I live, you also will live", see also Dan 7:18.
v6 - The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place." - The angel stresses the fact that these marvellous words are trustworthy and true just as God had in Rev 21:5. This repeats Rev 1:1, God has sent his angel to show his servants 'what must soon take place', this is again one of the keys to Revelation. Soon means in the biblical sense of 'I am coming soon'. A true prophet prophecies according to the Holy Spirit rather than what their own spirit is saying (2 Pet 1:21). This picture of heaven is true, it can be trusted, it is worth dying for. This is a picture of heaven which 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him' 1 Cor 2:9. It is the place prepared for us by Jesus John 14:2-3.
I am coming soon (22:7)
Rev 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" 10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
Rev 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Rev 22:16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
v7 - Behold, I am coming soon! - Jesus is coming soon. Amen. This is repeated twice more, just as Revelation started with a reference to the second coming so it concludes with three more references. In the first reference, 1:7, there is mourning for the peoples of the world, but in the final verses there is the blessed hope of heaven for the church.
v7 - Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. - The sixth of the seven blessings associated with the book. This one is similar to the first blessing in 1:3 in which the reader is encouraged to take to heart what is written in it. The book is primarily pastoral to encourage the church through its ordeal, therefore it is a practical rather than a theoretical work about the future. Those who keep the word's of the prophecy in this book will inherit what has just been described. Compare with the blessings of the beatitudes.
v8 - I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. - John uses the phrase 'I John' also at the start of the book, 1:9. John once again emphasises the fact that he heard and saw these things, he did not make them up. The first time John fell at the angels feet to worship him was after the scene of the great multitude singing Hallelujah to God, and blessing on those invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb and the angels confirmation that these are the true words of God (19:1-10). Again John sees stunning visions of heaven and again the angel confirms that these words are trustworthy and true, Jesus announces that he is coming soon and John is so overwhelmed by these visions that he attempts to worship the angel who brought the visions to him.
v9 - But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!" - This is the second time that John worships an angel, the first time was when the angel also confirmed that these are the true words of God, 19:9. On both occasions he is rebuked because the angel is a fellow servant and John is told to worship God. The angels command to John, as it had been to mankind (14:7), is to worship God, this is a theme of the book, most of mankind prefer to worship the beast and in doing so they choose the lake of fire. Here we can see that John is considered to be a prophet by the angel, prophets are given prominence over apostles in this book, probably because the book is a prophecy (1,3, 22:7, 10, 18-19). The servants of God are those who keep the words of this book and inherit its blessings.
v10 - Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. - The words of this prophecy are not to be sealed because the things prophesied about will soon occur, this is also emphasised in Rev 1:1 and 22:6. Compare with Daniel who is told to seal up the words of the scroll because the time is distant, Dan 12:4. We are meant to know and understand the message of Revelation even though parts of it are obscure.
v11 - Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy." - The time for repentance is past. Mankind has made its decision on earth, whether for good or for evil, this is now cast in stone for eternity. See also Dan 12:10 and Ezek 3:27.
v12 - "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. - Once again Jesus Himself emphasises His second coming, bringing His rewards with Him (Isa 40:10, 62:11-12). The rewards are to those who overcome in the letters to the seven churches and also see Mat 5:12 which deals with rewards for those who are persecuted, and Mat 16:27 in which He will reward each person according to what he has done at His return, this again emphasises personal responsibility, see also Psa 62:11, Prov 19:17, 24:12, Rom 2:6, Rev 20:13. The book is not just a prophecy, it is also an epistle emphasising godly living, faithfulness and endurance, together with the rewards for those who live in this manner. His reward has just been described in the preceding sections.
v13 - I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. - A repetition of Rev 1:8, 21:6 only this time emphasised three times, in the earlier renditions it is emphasised once and twice respectively. Alpha and the Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, meaning the beginning and end of history (and everything in between). He applies this to Himself, it is a divine attribute.
v14 - Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. - This is the last of seven blessings in the book and this reminds us of Rev 7:14 where they wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. i.e. receive forgiveness of their sins through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. To have a right to the tree of life is to have eternal life. They may only enter the city through the gate to get to the tree of life, the gate is Jesus (John 10:7-11) who is the pearl of great price (Mat 13:45), the city is the new Jerusalem in heaven. The only answer to man's sin is to find forgiveness through the blood, that is through the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross. Each person who wants to enter the city must enter through the gate (Jesus) and have eternal life must first wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb (7:14).
v15 - Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. - Nothing unclean is allowed in the city, (1 Cor 6:9-10, Gal 5:19-21, Col 3:5-6, Isa 35:8, 52:1), because it is a holy city, the city of God, but only those written in the Lamb's book of life, see Rev 20:15, 21:8, 27. The Greek word for falsehood is pseudos, i.e. a lie or lying. The phrase loves and practises falsehood, typifies the mark of the beast, i.e. on the forehead (loves falsehood) and on the hand (practises falsehood). The table below compares the various lists of sins in Revelation.
| Rev 9:20 |
Rev 21:8 |
Rev 22:15 |
|---|---|---|
| Idolatry |
Idolaters |
Idolaters |
| Murder |
Murderers |
Murderers |
| Magic Arts |
Practise magic arts |
Practise magic arts |
| Sexual immorality |
Sexually immoral |
Sexually immoral |
| Theft |
||
| Cowardly |
||
| Unbelieving |
||
| Vile |
||
| Liars |
Falsehood (lie) |
v16 - "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. - This testimony has come from Jesus via his angel and is for the churches, i.e. the churches of Jesus Christ, the community of the saints (cf. 1:1, 10:1).
v16 - I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star." - He is the beginning and the fulfilment of prophecy. For the Root and Offspring of David see Isa 11:1. The morning star is referred to in 2 Pet 1:19 and as a reward to those who overcome Thyatira, 2:28.
v17 - The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. - Both the Spirit and the church are involved in the gospel invitation, the Church speaks and the Spirit makes it effective. This is a final offer of salvation. The salvation of God is the free gift of God, Rom 5:15-17, 6:23, and is offered to those who are thirsty, Isa 55:1, John 7:37-38. This is a welcome reminder of the gospel in a book so full of judgement, it is also apt for the finish of the last book in the bible. It makes it clear that God in not unwilling that people obtain eternal life, see 1 Tim 2:1-6, John 3:16. Jesus says that no one who comes to him will he drive away (John 6:37).
Warning (22:18):
22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
v18-19 - Here we have a solemn warning not to tamper with the words of this prophecy. This book is the Word of God and should not be tampered with, in 1:1 we see that the author is God. This is a reminder of Deu 4:2 in which Moses while giving the law to the Israelites commands them not add or to subtract from the commandments, see also Deu 12:32, 29:20, Prov 30:6, Jer 26:2.
Final benediction (22:20)
Rev 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
v20 - He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus - Jesus himself testifies to the truth of this prophecy. Once again, yes, Jesus is coming soon. 'Amen. Come, Lord Jesus', refrains John. Equivalent to the Aramaic maranatha (Our Lord Come) of 1 Cor 16:22. The second coming of Jesus has been one of the great themes of the book and occurs in the first chapter (1:7) as well as the last. This is a reminder that the time is near and we should be prepared, see the blessing on the one who keeps the words of this prophecy in 22:7. The word soon in Greek, tachu, can mean coming without delay or suddenly or quickly. Both the KJV and NASB translate soon as quickly (see also 2:5, 2:16, 3:11, 11:14, 22:7, 22:12 and comments on 1:1 and compare to 1:3). There is the sense of the imminence of His arrival and its unexpected suddenness.
v21 - The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen. - This is a final benediction to God's people, it compliments the greeting in 1:4 in which grace and peace come from the Lord and the Spirit to the seven churches. Once more a reminder that salvation is by grace and grace alone, Amen.
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