Water Of Life, Tree Of Life, Throne Of God And The Lamb Series

Tom Lowe

2/5/18

Book of Revelation Commentary

Lesson: V.D.3: The Water of Life, Tree of Life, Throne of God and the Lamb (22:1-5)

Scripture (Rev. 22:1-5, KJV)

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,

2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;

4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

Introduction

This section describes what could be called the “New Eden.” What the first Garden of Eden was supposed to be is fulfilled here. What Adam and Eve would have had if they had not fallen is what is given to God’s people. Adam and Eve lost paradise; here, God has remade it.

Commentary

1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,

In concluding this wonderful chronicle of our eternal home, John gives four final impressions. He mentions the life of that city. He says, “Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Most of the earth’s cities are built along the banks of important rivers which soon become polluted by the city’s to which they give rise. Here, however, is a river whose streams “make glad” the city of God. This is no muddy, filthy stream, but a pure and crystal clear “river of water of life”; containing the very essence of life itself. It flows from “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” But that throne, which is a source of terror to evildoers, is the source of life to those who know and love the Lord. The Lord Jesus likened the Holy Spirit to a river (John 7:38), and no doubt He is the reality behind the symbol. The “throne” is prominent in the concluding vision John saw. The river is pure . . . no germs, no disease, and no pollution.

This river is part of a city, a heavenly city to be occupied by a heavenly people. Therefore its waters are literal waters, of a nature corresponding to that of the city of which it is a part. This could well be the city of the psalmist’s song: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells” (Psalm 46:4). The life which this water symbolizes and sustains is divine life, and it is for the people of God. Someone has asked whether or not we will need water in eternity. I don’t know! But we will have access to it. Did Jesus need food after His resurrection? I don’t know! But He ate it. I find no reason to spiritualize and symbolize this river.

The river of life has been identified with the Spirit. In the fourth Gospel, Jesus says: “He who believes in me, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.” John goes on to explain: “this he said about the Spirit which those who believed in him were to receive (John 7:38, 39).

But it may well be that there is something simpler here. Those who live in a civilization in which the turn of a tap will bring cold, clear water in any quantity can scarcely understand how precious water was in the East. In the hot lands, water was, and is, literally life. And the river of life may well stand for the abundant life God provides for His people which is there for the taking.

In numerous ways, the earthly Jerusalem corresponds to the heavenly Jerusalem during the millennium. Both cities are seats of governments, both have a river flowing from them, and both have trees full of fruit. In the earthly Jerusalem the river will flow from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12); and in the heavenly Jerusalem, the river flows from the throne.

A river is used in Scripture to symbolize both pleasure (Psalms 36:8) and prosperity (Psalm 1:3). These two great magnets are used by Satan at present to draw all men away from God and into many foolish and harmful lusts. It is only by the authority of the throne of God and the Lamb that true pleasure can be enjoyed.