"The River Of Life" Chapter 22 Series

REVEALING THE REVELATION

Chapter 22 – “The River of Life”

May 2, 2010

It was in August of 2009 that we began our study of this book. I had originally planned on studying and preaching only on the Churches that this book starts with – only a couple of chapters -but it’s like eating one potato chip. Once you start you can’t stop until the whole bag is gone – or is that just me? Anyway, here we are at the end of the book and it has been a fun and enlightening journey for me. I hope you have been blessed by it as well. Let’s take a look at it.

REVELATION 22:

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 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. 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. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 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. 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."

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."

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. 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!"

Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. 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."

"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

"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. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

"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."

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.

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. 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.

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.

Revelation 22

How would you like for an angel to show you around heaven? That is exactly what happened to John. It must have been overwhelming. Chapter after chapter we have been reading about an angel instructing, explaining, revealing heavenly things to John. He saw the seven headed dragon, the prostitute with vile things written on her, the woman dressed in light, Satan being cast into the pit, the Lake of Fire with the Beast and the false Prophet in it, and in the last chapter we saw heaven through John’s eyes. Streets of transparent gold, foundations of precious stones, gates of pearl and God providing the light in the city through His powerful presence. We found out that nothing impure will ever enter it – only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.