Revelation

Sunday, 5 September 2021

Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place. Revelation 22:6

With the vision of New Jerusalem complete, John returns to the words of the angel who has accompanied him, saying, “Then he said to me, ‘These words are faithful and true.’” This is certainly referring to the entire received message that comprises the book of Revelation.

This seems apparent because it then follows the same pattern of the opening of Revelation where John was told to write, and what was written was directed to the churches as encouragement, admonition, and warning.

Likewise, John’s words from verse 22:6 until the end of the chapter comprise two separate parts. The first comprises verses 6-17, and which gives encouragement, admonition, and warning to the church – and by extension to any who will hear the words of Revelation. The second comprises verses 18-21, and they refer to the words of the book itself.

Concerning the words of the angel now speaking, he confirms what was stated in Revelation 3:14 which says, “These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.” What God has revealed through Christ are the very words of God. They are faithful and true, and they will come to pass. John next says, “And the Lord God of the holy prophets.”

Here, some manuscripts contain a second article, and they substitute the word “holy” with “spirits” – “The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets.” Either way, this then means that the Lord (YHVH) of the Old Testament who inspired the prophets to put forth their words is the same Lord (Jesus) who has “sent His angel to show His servants” those things of the New Testament, including the faithful and true words of the book of Revelation.

This then is fully in accord with the words of Paul and Peter –

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

“And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; ²⁰ knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ²¹ for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:19-21

Of the things the Lord God has sent His angel to show to His servants, this verse now says that these are “the things which must shortly take place.” Rather than an adverb (shortly), a noun is given, “the things that must come to pass in quickness.” It is the same noun as in Luke 18:8 where there is an obvious long delay in what is spoken of. Thus, the context of the word there is not referring to something coming soon, but coming suddenly when it comes –

“Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. ⁷ And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? ⁸ I tell you that He will avenge them speedily [lit: in quickness]. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?’” Luke 18:6-8

As such, there is no reason to assume that the exact same words, ἐν τάχει, or “in quickness,” of Revelation 1:1 and Revelation 22:6 are necessarily referring to something happening shortly after they are received by John. Rather when they occur, they will occur in quickness. Hence, the words here are not necessarily suspect. Rather, they are reliable prophetic words that will be fulfilled in their own time.

Life application: There are several verses in Revelation that lead some scholars to adamantly claim that its contents were fulfilled already, back in AD70, with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and the exile of the people of Israel. This is one of those verses and it speaks of “the things which must shortly take place.” However, this confused thinking rejects hundreds of prophecies from the Old Testament which had not taken place by that time. These were given to – and are promises for – the nation of Israel, not to the church.

In order to justify why those prophecies never came to pass, they were “spiritualized” by scholars and then applied to the church instead of Israel. This is a doctrine known as “replacement theology.” Just because the book of Revelation is coming to a close with the words “the things which must shortly take place,” it in no way means that it excludes a fulfillment in our future – two thousand years later.

There are several possibilities, both of which answer this claim. The first is that “the things which must shortly take place” began to occur after John received and penned the book. Assuming the word is rightly translated as “shortly” rather than “in quickness,” the church age was clearly described in chapters 2 & 3 and that age was already in its infancy at John’s time. Just because the things began to take place shortly after Revelation was penned doesn’t mean that they all had to occur shortly; no specific time for their completion was given. Only when the church age – which is of indeterminate time – ends, then the events of the tribulation period will begin.

Secondly, the words of Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 show that God isn’t working on our timetable. Those verses tell us that a day to the Lord is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. However long it takes to fulfill Revelation is a drop in the bucket compared to the things of eternity – which are already in the process of being described by John.

Therefore, it is a category mistake to assign Revelation’s words to a time which was close to John’s day from a human perspective. It is true that the Bible is given by God for man, and it is to be received from our perspective, but the words “How long” fill Scripture, thus indicating that what man thinks should happen quickly from his perspective is not always so.

Also, most scholars reasonably believe Revelation was written after AD70 and therefore that argument holds no water anyway. Words that are “faithful and true” will be accomplished exactly as God states, and there will be no doubt when they are fulfilled. Many of the OT passages concerning Israel and those in Revelation cannot be ascribed to any fulfillment at any time in history and therefore “faithful and true” cannot be assigned to their fulfillment yet.

Lastly, the God of the Old Testament prophets, who spoke about the future of Israel in the millennial kingdom, is also God of the apostles and prophets of the New Testament. The words of these people are joined together so that we can now see the entire panorama of biblical prophecy. Now we, as well as Israel, have a fuller knowledge of what is coming and how it will occur.

Have faith that God has a good plan for His people and that He has the future under His control. The Bible is fully reliable, and God is fully capable. Stand fast on that and hold fast to His promises without wavering. Be encouraged in the Lord always. Yes, be strengthened in JESUS.

Thank you, Lord! How wonderful it is to see past prophecies which have come true. These give us the assurance that all the other prophecies of Your wonderful, faithful, and true word will also come to pass – exactly as You have stated. Great are You, O God, and great is Your name. Hallelujah and Amen.

Saturday, 4 September 2021

There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Revelation 22:5

John has shown that those in New Jerusalem shall “see His face” meaning the Lamb, and that “His name shall be on their foreheads.” He next says, “There shall be no night there.” This was already stated in verse 21:25. As noted then, this doesn’t mean that there is no night at all. If the city is descended from heaven to sit upon the earth, and if there are points on the compass by which the city is situated (see verse 21:14), along with other reasons given then, it tells us that there will be a sun, just not in the city itself. Inside the city, which is a cubed edifice, there will never be day and night. It is the place of the eternal Day of God’s rest where the light of God will be illuminated by the Lamb, who is the lamp, for all eternity. That is stated in John’s next words, saying, “They need no lamp nor light of the sun.”

This is substantially repeated from verse 21:23, where it says, “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it.” There will be such a brilliancy within the city that all will be evident even without a lamp (implying night, or at least shadow and darkness) nor the sun (implying day). Neither will there be the need of the sun (implying day).

The word translated as “lamp” is the Greek word luchnos. It refers to a type of oil burning lamp. It is symbolic of any artificially produced light. At John’s time, there were no wax candles or electric lights of any kind. As such, he uses terminology that was understood in his day. There will be no need for such artificial lighting. Nor will there be a need for natural lighting, such as the sun or moon. It will be a place of constant light that permeates all of the city. John explains this, saying, “for the Lord God gives them light.”

This is then also a close repeat of verse 21:23 which said, “for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” The glory of God is all that is needed to illuminate the entire city. There will be no points of darkness in this giant edifice. And it will be through Christ that this glorious light will be diffused. The splendor of Jesus Christ is what is on display as God will forever reveal Himself through Him. Everything about what is conveyed speaks of the divinity of the Lord Jesus.

With that stated, John next says, “And they shall reign forever and ever.” This is unlike the promise to the tribulation martyrs of Revelation 5:10. There it said –

“And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.”

That was then fulfilled in Revelation 20:6 –

“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

What is now described for those in New Jerusalem is that of an eternal position before God. Man will serve Him, and yet he will reign with Him forever and ever. This then is the fulfillment of the promise by Christ to the seven churches in Revelation 1 –

“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, ⁶ and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Revelation 1:5, 6

God has granted man the right to rule with Him while also serving Him as priests. The words are a splendid note of the grace of God bestowed upon His creatures. With these words, the heavenly vision of Revelation is complete.

Life application: What is described by John is a completely different order and category of existence than we see in the universe today. Our universe is directed by certain laws which govern it, such as the Law of Gravity. One of the laws which it is bound to is the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

This law states that in a closed system, the amount of energy is decreasing. This is known as entropy. This is a fixed law and has no exceptions. As the universe is a closed system, if it existed eternally then we would’ve run out of energy an infinite amount of time ago. It also means that because there was a beginning, without a new order of things, at some point in the future all the energy would eventually be used up. This means that everything would eventually become absolutely dark, absolutely cold, and without any motion at all.

However, because God is the Creator of the Universe, He is before the creation and thus He is outside of time, space, and matter. He is eternal, His power is without limit, and His glory is infinite in nature. He is the Light that will eternally illuminate the New Jerusalem and which will eternally sustain those in it. There shall be no end to it because He will eternally reside there, streaming forth His glory to the redeemed of the Lord.

In this state, we shall partake of every benefit, joy, and honor of the most exalted of people who have ever lived, and then some. The reason for this is not because we have somehow merited this favor, but because of the work of the King of kings, Jesus. We shall share in His glory forever.

For those who have called on Jesus, we are considered as seated in this heavenly position already, as is noted in Ephesians 2:4-7. However, at some wonderful point in the future, this will be actualized when we are glorified and are like Him in both nature and being.

The honors bestowed upon us are not to be taken lightly. What God has prepared for those who love Him came at the highest cost of all, the death of our Lord. We need to come before God with all praise, laud, and honor for the incredible work He accomplished through Jesus on our behalf. This is a great God, a beautiful Savior, and a glorious plan He has worked out for us. Thank you, O God, for JESUS.

Lord God, it is beyond our comprehension to even imagine what lies ahead for us. You, O God, are glorious beyond compare. You are worthy of all our devotion, honor, praise, and contemplation. Forgive us for failing to pursue You as we should. May we endeavor to continually give You all of who we are as we await the glory which lies ahead. Amen.

Friday, 3 September 2021

They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. Revelation 22:4

John’s words just noted that there would be no more curse, that the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in the city, and that the people of God (His servants) will serve Him. He now says, “They shall see His face.” Of these words, the previous verse provides the explanation.

In 1 Timothy 6:16, while speaking of the brightness of the glory of God in Christ, it says –

“who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.”

It is Christ, the Lamb, who makes it possible to behold God. He is, as noted in Chapter 21, the lamp through which God’s light is seen. This is understood from verses in both the Old and New Testaments. Job had an inkling of what it would be like –

“For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

John speaks of this coming time in his first epistle –

“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2

David understood this as well –

“As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.” Psalm 17:15

These are but a few of the verses that anticipate this verse in Revelation. We shall be like Jesus in our glorified state, and we shall see the glory of God as it is revealed in Him. An entirely different order of existence shall be realized at that time. With that said, John next says, “and His name shall be on their foreheads.”

Some translations incorrectly state “in the foreheads.” The Greek means “upon” or “on.” It could be that this is referring to something symbolic, as if the name is written upon the forehead. However, because the previous verse said that “His servants shall serve Him,” it is probably referring to their priestly status before God.

In Exodus 28, a plate of gold was affixed to the turban of the high priest that stated qodesh l’Yehovah, or “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.” He was the one who directly served the Lord and the plate signified him as being set apart to the Lord. This same expression is then noted for all of the implements in Jerusalem in Zechariah 14 –

“In that day ‘HOLINESS TO THE LORD’ shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. ²¹ Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.”

This is a statement that all such implements will be dedicated to the service of the Lord at that time. In New Jerusalem, this will be the case with all who serve before the Lord. It is a note of complete sanctification and separation to the Lord. His people will be holy, and this is signified by the thought that “His name shall be on their foreheads.”

The words of this verse speak of complete familiarity (seeing His face) and of complete identification with Him (His name on their foreheads). What lies ahead for the redeemed of the Lord will be unlike anything we can yet fully grasp. It will be a marvelous and blessed state.

Life application: When I was young, there were refrigerator magnets all over the front of the fridge in our home. One of them became the first Bible verse I ever learned –

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8

What does it mean that these will “see God”? God doesn’t have parts and cannot be seen as noted in Paul’s words of 1 Timothy 6:16 (above). 1 John 4:12 confirms this, “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.”

People who speak about seeing God and then describing some type of form have made a category mistake. God has no form at all. However, speaking of Jesus, we read this in Hebrews 1:3 – “who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person.” The visible manifestation of God and the One who reveals Him to His creation is Jesus. Again, we go to Jesus’ words in John 14:9 to understand this, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.”

Now, in our sin-filled state, we cannot see the radiance of Jesus Christ in His fullness. Mortal man would be utterly consumed by the glorious display. Moses discovered this in Exodus 33:20, “But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’”

However, when we are glorified, this will no longer be the case. When we are like Him, He shall be revealed to us in His fullness. Isaiah understood this and proclaimed it to Israel –

“Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will see the land that is very far off.” Isaiah 33:17

It is Jesus Christ who will endlessly reveal the glory of God to us as, through Him, we perceive this glorious Creator. Based on Scripture, the Trinity must be true because without the Son to reveal the Father to us, we would never be able to see this glory of God. Jesus is the link between the infinite and the finite. He is the point where God’s glory is revealed.

And there is only one way to participate in this eternal revelation of who God is. That is to be like Him. We must share in the same nature and the same goodness that He has. We must be “pure in heart.” But we are defiled – both through Adam and also because of our own sins. So how do we attain freedom from defilement? It is through the work of Christ Jesus.

He lived the perfect life we couldn’t live, and then He gave His life as a sacrifice of atonement, a substitute suitable to an eternally perfect Creator. Now through faith in His work, we can be elevated from a fallen, earthly state to His perfect and heavenly state. As He said and as we can now more fully realize –

“Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.”

Because of this purity resulting in blessedness, the name of God and of the Lamb shall be on our foreheads as we serve Him. We will be identified as belonging to Him, and the stamp of approval shall be evidently displayed.

Marks have been used to identify people elsewhere in the Bible. The forehead is the spot where this mark is almost always explicitly noted. The reason is surely that it has resulted from a mental assertion concerning a particular issue. In the case of our mark, it is the result of the mental assertion that “Jesus is Lord” as is noted in Romans 10:9. When this assertion is accepted as truth in our lives, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of God, In this, we move from death to life, from condemnation to salvation, from darkness to light, and from the devil to Jesus.

And all of it comes by the grace of God alone. Thank the Lord, even now, for the glorious work of Jesus Christ that made all of this possible! Yes! Thank God for our Lord JESUS!

Oh, God! It is the most glorious thing to know that we shall behold Your glory in its fullness and search out Your wisdom, beauty, and perfection for all eternity. We know that nothing here on earth will ever compare to seeing You and living in Your glorious light as it shines through the lamp – our Lord and Savior Jesus! Hallelujah and Amen.

Thursday, 2 September 2021

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. Revelation 22:3

The words of John just noted the tree of life which will bear its fruit and of which the leaves are for “the healing of the nations.” What was lost in Eden, the tree of life, is restored in New Jerusalem. But more, John next says, “And there shall be no more curse.”

The Greek word is a noun found only here in the Bible, katanathema. It signifies “an oath-curse which ‘devotes something to destruction’” (HELPS Word Studies). Thus, by implication, it is an accursed thing. The curse was introduced into the biblical narrative in Genesis 3:14 with the cursing of the serpent. As the serpent (the devil who is Satan) has already been chucked into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:10), he is taken care of. But the earth was then cursed in Genesis 3:17 –

Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
¹⁸ Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
¹⁹ In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread
Till you return to the ground,
For out of it you were taken;
For dust you are,
And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:17-19

The humanity of Christ Jesus lived out life under this cursed ground, but He did so without sin and without ever sinning. He died on Calvary’s cross and was interred for the sins committed by His own creatures. Death came in as a result of sin, and sin was dealt with by His obedient death.

The sentence of man for his rebellion was carried out in the Person of Jesus Christ. The Lord God didn’t cause the man to receive anything that He Himself wasn’t willing to endure. Thus, He is both Just and the Justifier of everyone who calls on Him.

However, because He prevailed over the devil, He was resurrected by the power of God. The curse has been removed through Him, and now anyone who calls on Him will likewise be freed from the finality of death. The full realization of this is found here in Revelation 22.

From Genesis 3 until Revelation 22, the idea of that which is accursed has literally permeated Scripture. But now, as the Bible is ready to close out, the promise of there being no more curse is brought forth. Never again will such a thing come to mind. And the reason for this is that “the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.”

In the place where Christ reigns with all power, authority, and abundance of grace, there shall be no room for a curse. The people will receive the goodness of His presence in a state of eternal joy. The memory – meaning the contrast – of what was in their earthly life, and what now is in the heavenly existence, will be an eternal reminder of what it means to dwell without the stain of sin. And without sin, there will be no negative effects of sin, such as corruption or death.

In this wonderfully blessed state, John next says, “and His servants shall serve Him.” Of the word “serve,” Vincent’s Word Studies says –

“The word originally means to serve for hire. In the New Testament, of the worship or service of God in the use of the rites intended for His worship. It came to be used by the Jews in a very special sense, to denote the service rendered to Jehovah by the Israelites as His peculiar people. See Romans 9:4; Acts 26:7; Hebrews 9:1, Hebrews 9:6. Hence the significant application of the term to Christian service by Paul in Philippians 3:3.”

This then answers the age-old question, “What will we do in heaven?” Was man created to work the soil of the Garden of Eden? Not at all. Worshiping and serving God through Christ as noted now signifies the restoration of what was lost in Genesis 2 where man had intimate fellowship with God. First, in Genesis 2:7, it said –

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Next, it said –

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.” Genesis 2:8, 9

After creating man – only after creating him – does it say that the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. Eden means “delight” or “pleasure” and was, if man obeyed, a place not for work, but for a different purpose.

This is important to consider because in Genesis 2:5 it noted that there wasn’t yet a man to “till the ground.” This garden is something special and something intended for the man He formed. The ground which needed to be tilled was outside of the Garden, not in it.

If you stand back and look at the larger picture of the Bible, it’s clear that God knew before the fall that man would fall. And so, the garden, despite being made as a place where God would fellowship with man, didn’t fill the entire earth. Instead, the Garden was a localized place of grace, of abundance, and of provision from God above, not from the ground below.

God knew that man would fall and would be removed from the garden. But his time in the garden was not one of work, despite how most translations render it. In Genesis 2:15, it says –

“Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”

This suggests that work is being proposed for the Garden of Eden. However, in looking at the purpose of the garden, this makes no sense. As noted, the man was to till the ground. However, that was outside of the garden. Man was formed outside Eden and then placed there.

John Sailhamer states that “The man was ‘put’ into the Garden where he could ‘rest’ and be ‘safe,’ and the man was ‘put’ into the Garden ‘in God’s presence’ where he could have fellowship with God.”

The word for “put” in verse 15 is the word yanach, a completely different word than what was used in verse 8. Dr. Richard Howe notes concerning this word, yanach –

“… the sense of the verb is causative, meaning that God ‘caused Adam to rest’ in the garden.” If God “caused Adam to rest” in the garden, then why would man need to tend and keep it? Dr. Howe notes, “The problem with these translations is that the pronoun in the verse does not agree in gender with the word ‘garden.’”

The word ‘garden’ is masculine in Hebrew, and so ‘garden’ can’t be the object of the verbs. Because of this, either this verse is an exception to the rule of the Hebrew language, or the verbs aren’t referring to the garden at all and instead something else is meant.

Doctor Howe’s conclusion is that the verbs should be taken as abstract in meaning and that “The significance of ‘resting the man in the garden’ is not to demonstrate man’s relationship to the garden, but rather to provide a setting for the story to demonstrate man’s relationship and responsibility to God.”

Therefore, his translation has an abstract meaning. Instead of “tend and to keep,” he says they should be translated “worship and serve,” as both words are translated elsewhere in the Bible. It wasn’t the garden to which Adam was responsible, but to God – to worship and to serve Him. Dr. Howe notes that, “Before the fall, Adam’s attention was directed upwards toward God.” He was to serve God through keeping His commandment, and he was to worship Him through trust and obedience.

But “After the fall, Adam’s attention was directed downwards toward the ground.” Instead of looking to God for sustenance, he had to look to the ground. Instead of looking to God for eternal life, he would look to the ground as his final resting place. Understanding what occurred in the Garden of Eden and what is now promised in Revelation 22:3, it is seen that restoration of what was originally intended is promised to be seen once again. Man will serve God as was originally intended at the very beginning.

Life application: The lesson for us is that we have a choice. We can look upward to God, to worship and serve Him as He determines, or we can look to the ground and attempt to have our own works justify us. In the end, the ground is a hard master, one of bondage and pain, but the Lord is gracious and tender. As He promised to Israel –

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

The garden was lost to man, but through Jesus, it can be restored. In the Garden, there was no curse, just the chance to worship and serve the Creator. Jesus promises the same to us here on the final page of the Bible.

To worship and to serve the Lord our God
Eternal fellowship in a land of Delight
On hallowed soil our feet will trod
And the Lord shall always be in our sight

In His light, to walk and also to praise
The Lamb of God who was slain
Illuminated by His ever-glowing rays
No tears, no fear, no sorrow, no pain

Come to the waters and be restored
Drink and receive grace from the Lord

 Heaven’s door is open for all to go through
But you see it’s guarded with cherub and sword
So, to pass through the gate, this you must do
It is the gospel, “Call on the Lord”

By faith in His work and by faith alone
Access is granted past Heaven’s sword
His blood was shed for your sins to atone
Again, I beg you, call on the Lord

Again, I implore you, call on the Lord

Yes, make it today. Call out to God through His offer of peace. Call out to God through JESUS!

Lord God, as astonishing as it seems, You have done it! You have taken what we ruined by our disobedience, and through the work of Christ Jesus, You have returned all things to the way they were originally intended. You are great and You are worthy of all our praise, worship, and allegiance. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty – Hallelujah and Amen!

Wednesday, 1 September 2021

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Revelation 22:2

The previous verse noted the water issuing forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb. John next notes, “In the middle of its street.” The meaning of these words is unclear. Some take them together with the previous words, while others connect them with the following words –

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life–water as clear as crystal–pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ² flowing down the middle of the city’s main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations. (NET)

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. ² In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (NKJV)

Either way, the street is that which is referred to in verse 21:21, saying, “And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” Regardless of the translation, the next words continue the thought, saying, “and on either side of the river.” Therefore, what is to be stated next is either both in the middle of the street and on either side of the river (a median strip and verge strips), or only on the sides of the river (verge strips). If the former, then the river runs parallel to the street.

However the layout actually is, John next says, “was the tree of life.” There is a river running from the throne and through New Jerusalem. There is a great street, and certainly lesser streets going off through the entire massive city. In this setting, there is this tree of life.

Albert Barnes makes the entire thought a general statement, thus saying, “that in the street, or streets of the city, as well as on the banks of the river, the tree of life was planted. It abounded everywhere. The city had not only a river passing through it, but it was pervaded by streets, and all those streets were lined and shaded with this tree. The idea in the mind of the writer is that of Eden or Paradise; but it is not the Eden of the book of Genesis, or the Oriental or Persian Paradise: it is a picture where all is combined, that in the view of the writer would constitute beauty, or contribute to happiness.”

Regardless as to how the trees are placed, there will be access to them for all. This then is the true return to paradise that has been anticipated since man’s expulsion –

“The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. ⁹ And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Genesis 2:8, 9

&

“Then the Lord God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever’— ²³ therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. ²⁴ So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Genesis 3:22-24

Man was placed in Eden where the tree of life was, a tree that would sustain him forever. However, in his disobedience, his hand was withheld from obtaining the fruit of this tree, and he was driven out of Eden and was destined to die. Now, access to the tree is restored. Eternal life is offered to man. The way to have access to this tree has already been stated –

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7

In other words, for those who come to Christ and are saved by Him (meaning overcoming), the offer becomes reality. Man is guaranteed this upon belief (Ephesians 1:13, 14). Someday, the offer will (not maybe!) become reality. This is a promise from God who cannot lie. With this stated, John next says it is the tree of life “which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month.”

The meaning is probably not as the KJV states when it says, “twelve manner of fruits.” Rather, it is one type of fruit that comes forth monthly, as stated by the LSV, saying, “yielding its fruit according to each month.”

Bullinger notes that the number twelve signifies “perfection of government, or of governmental perfection.” It “is the product of 3 (the perfectly Divine and heavenly number) and 4 (the earthly, the number of what is material and organic).” As such, the fruit symbolizes the union between the divine and the earthly.

The symbolism tells us that what proceeds from God is united to that which is available to man. The two stand in harmony together. As God is eternal, so man is granted eternal life in this new and permanent governmental arrangement. Along with this, John then notes that “The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

The idea of the symbolism here is not that there are those outside who are to be healed, but that those inside are continuously healed. As the tree bears fruit throughout the months, it means that the tree always has leaves. The idea being conveyed is seen in the words of Revelation 21:4 –

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

Pain requires a cure to be alleviated. The symbolism of the leaves is that there is continuous healing and pain will no longer be a part of the human experience. Living in the presence of God in the New Jerusalem will be a very sweet deal.

Life application: Again, the words of this verse take the reader back to Ezekiel 47 where the comparable passage from the millennial reign of Christ is noted –

“When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. ⁸ Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. ⁹ And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. ¹⁰ It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. ¹¹ But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. ¹² Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.” Ezekiel 47:7-12

Although there are similarities between these verses and those of Revelation 22, there are several differences between what is planned for the New Jerusalem and what will exist during the millennium. The first thing to note is the mentioning of the “Great Sea.” Revelation 21:1 says that there will be “no more sea.” Refer to that commentary to get a better picture of what this may allude to.

Another point of distinction is that the waters “are healed” and that the “swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt” during the millennium. There is no indication of a need to “heal” the waters in the New Jerusalem because they are a part of the new order of things that exist without any defilement. There is also no record of waters that are unhealed.

These patterns are certainly referring to is the spiritual state of things in the world. The river of Eden went into four riverheads including one called the “Gihon.” During the times after the flood, the Gihon wasn’t mentioned again until the time of David (1 Kings 1:33) and was only noted a few times after that. The Gihon during this period was a teeny spring below Jerusalem.

This is a picture of the teeny amount of true religion which was seen on the face of the earth, whereas the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in the area of Babylon are immense, symbolizing the immense amount of false religion on the earth; Babel picturing this false religion.

In the millennium, Isaiah 11:9 notes –

“For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
As the waters cover the sea.”

In fact, according to Zechariah 14:8, the river which proceeds from Jerusalem will be so large…

“That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward the eastern sea
And half of them toward the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.”

This river then, issuing from the spring Gihon, is a picture of the spiritual state of the world during the millennium. However, sin and death will still be present during that glorious period, and thus, as Ezekiel notes, the comparable state of the waters at the end of the river – the “swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt.”

In the New Jerusalem, the waters will flow continually for eternity, and they will be perfectly pure, without the note of unhealed waters. This then is a picture of a completely pure spiritual state. There will be no unsaved, there will be no false religion, and there will only be absolute holiness and purity.

What was lost is restored. There will never be a time that the tree of life fails, just as the water which flows from the throne will never fail. As healing is realized in Jesus, there will be no need for a process of healing, but rather there will be continued and uninterrupted health – for all eternity.

All of this and more will be available to believers in Jesus Christ. Now, even at this time, those who have called on Jesus are spiritually seated in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-7) and have complete and eternal access to the Water of Life and the Tree of Life.

This positional state will be fully realized at some glorious day in the future, and it can only come about by placing one’s faith and trust in Christ Jesus alone. There is no other way to be reconciled to God. If you have never trusted Jesus for your healing and restoration, make the call today. Great things await the redeemed of the Lord! Indeed, today is the day of salvation. Call out to God for healing. Call out to Him through JESUS!

Lord God, how astonishingly wonderful it will be to live in Your presence, to see Your light, and to receive the unceasing stream of healing waters which flow from You. Great and glorious are Your promises, and we have faith that every one of them will come to pass exactly as Your word states. And Oh! How we wait for that wonderful day! Hallelujah and Amen.