Rev 22:1-5

Living water

As we explore this first verse. We would be fools to rush through it and not mine out the richness of life found within it.

We see a river of water, but it is not any water. It is “the water of life” It is seen as pure and bright as crystal. Have you ever seen water described like this? Waters so clear and clean? I have had the pleasure of travelling wide and far. I have seen fresh waters and sea waters that are so clear that they make the heart jump. It is eerie! There is a beauty to it that is hard to even to describe. Many of those waters I have seen teamed with life, but the water described here is not like those waters. Though it shares in the delight of beauty, it is a far more significant and better water. This water is one with true life within it.

In Ezekiel, we are given a great vision. In chapters 40-48, Ezekiel presents a grand vision: the idealised temple. Many are divided about how this vision will be fulfilled. I must show my cards and say that I view it as a portal to the Messianic kingdom that is now and will be seen in its fulfilment when Christ returns. This is where Revelation 21-22 comes into play, as the fulfilment language is ripe throughout.

In that vision, we see many things; some would break it down like this: chapters 40-42 Temple grounds. Chapter 43-46 Work of the Priests and Chapters 47-48 a fly-over of the promised land. In chapter 47, we see water flowing from the temple. This water gets greater in depth as they walk, and it is said to flow east, which would be the dryest of lands, the deadiest of places, a place that needs water to have life. Where this water flowers, we are told in the vision life is also there. It also says that it changes seawater to fresh water so that life may exist.

The sea was almost always seen as a place of death in the ancient world, but here, we see a change from death to life. This is like the account of the Genesis, where the river flowed out of the garden and divided into four, giving life to the desert lands.

In our text here in Revelation, this water is not just coming from the temple. It is coming from the throne of God and the Lamb. That is significant.

Jesus himself speaks of living water more than once in his earthly ministry. When we look at Jesus’s words alongside our text here today, we have a fuller picture.

John 4:10 ESV

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

In Jesus’ day, the expression “living water” referred to fresh, running water, in contrast to the stagnant water found in wells. But those familiar with the Bible will also see this as a reference to the gift of abundant life through the Holy Spirit that God promised through the Messiah. In Jeremiah 2:13, God described himself as “the fountain of living waters.” Psalm 36:9 says, “For with you is the fountain of life.” Isaiah 44:3 tells of the coming day of salvation: “For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring.” The last chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22, depicts “the river of the water of life,” flowing from the throne of God and of his Son, the Savior-Lamb (Rev. 22:1). One writer therefore describes living water as “the soul-satisfying grace of God, or that which only God can give to satisfy a soul. It is … the transforming life and power that God alone gives in and through the gospel of His Son, that leads to eternal life, and that satisfies as nothing else can.”

Richard D. Phillips, John, ed. Richard D. Phillips, Philip Graham Ryken, and Daniel M. Doriani, 1st ed., vol. 1, Reformed Expository Commentary (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014), 227.

Jesus says he gives gives something that will casue a person to never thurst it becomes a well of eternal life.

Our Lord says again in John’s gospel

John 7:37–39 ESV

On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

“Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit.” The Spirit of God in the saints is called “living water” upon three accounts. Firstly and chiefly, ’tis meant that the water had life in it. Common water is mere passive, dead matter, but this water is alive. ’Tis a living divine person; so Christ is called “a living stone” (1 Pet. 2:4). This water is not only something living, but ’tis life itself. ’Tis that Spirit that is the very life of God, and so is divine and infinitely perfect life, and act, and energy; for which cause partly the Spirit of God is called “water of life” (Rev. 22:1), because divine life is the very matter of this water.”

Jonathan Edwards, Notes on Scripture, ed. Harry S. Stout and Stephen J. Stein, vol. 15, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (London; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998), 209.

Just as it was in Ezekiel, as Jesus declared and as is writen in Revelation Life is produced by this water. It produces everlasting life in the believer. It is something that is excessable as it flows down the middle of the street of the city.

This tree also gave life to the trees that

Tree of life

The waters that come from this river fed also the “tree of Life” which is on either side of the river. A hard text to understand because the word tree here is singular but I beleive John has done this to draw the reader to the Garden of eden. They would recall that God had placed two important trees in the middle of the garden and one was the “tree of life”. Eden was small it was the place where God was with his people but here in the final state It could be said that the whole of the New Heavens and New Earth is where God is and so the garden has grown and therefore the “tree” is actually deifning a collection of “trees” . Commantators would argue over the fact that there is not artical in front of the noun to deffine the “tree” as specific or genreall. The greater point is that the waters feed the trees and the tree/trees produce fruit each of the month or 12 Gods perfect number, an number of commpliction or per. This is the “fullnes of redemptive provision” as one commentator says.

The fuit that Adam was pushed out of the garden and unable to eat is now abundant in the new and greater eden. It is a provition of God to the people as all good things in Adams day came from God. On that day when all is new God is shown again as the ultimate provider. Its his kingdom, His city, his living waters and fruit baring trees.

These trees not only produce fruit but their leaves are for the healing of the nations

This sems a confussing statement since in the new heavens and earth we are told there is no more sickness or…

“we understand that he is not implying that in the new heavens and earth there remain diseased nations, still in need of healing. Rather, drawing on the imagery of Ezekiel 47, the comment on the healing power of the tree’s leaves vividly illustrates the next exultant declaration: “There will no longer be any curse” (Rev. 22:3). The sin of Adam and Eve unleashed curse on the earth, as well as on all their children (Gen. 3:14–19). In the new heaven and earth, for the sake of the new Jerusalem bride of the Lamb, that curse will be reversed, erased forevermore. When death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, the nations who are inscribed in the Lamb’s book of life, the citizen registry of the new Jerusalem, will have experienced healing.”

Dennis E. Johnson, Triumph of the Lamb: A Commentary on Revelation (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2001), 321–322.

The People worship and reign

The Lamb his here in the city as we have been informed of already but it is stated again.

Revelation 7:15–17 ESV

“Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

This reiteration of God’s promise to his people that they will worship and rule with Him would and should give a persicuted people who are oppressed by those who rule over them, hope. There is no rebelion here against God. The people are not seeing God is not a totalitarian. We who serve Him do so becasue we understand what He has done for us. By this time we have a fuller understanding of Gods love for us and His grace. The text later states we reign with God/Lamb it seems that he is an accessible king not one who is detached from the people like we see in our lives today.

One commentator says this regarding God presence

“This sends a clear message that God’s powerful and glorious presence is the source of life in the heavenly garden city. In more colloquial terms, heaven is only heaven because God is there. But since God is there, the new creation will be a place of absolute safety, abundant provision, total unity, complete wholeness, and perfect fellowship with the Lord. In the last few verses of this section John describes what God’s people will experience in his presence.”

J. Scott Duvall, Revelation, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 300.

There is serving and worship given alongside one another.

What that worship looks like has been given to us before in the book.

Revelation 5:11–14 ESV

Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

“God’s glory draws our worship, and God’s will directs our worship. God is a jealous God, i.e. he has burning zeal for the holiness of his name. He will not share worship with another: Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God (Ex. 34:14).”

Edmund P. Clowney, The Church, ed. Gerald Bray, Contours of Christian Theology (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995), 120.

In the new heavens and new earth we will not be drawn away by any idols or make for ourselves any other gods. We will with love and adoration worship the God who saved us. We give the worship that is found in the 50th psalm by Asaph “The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”

Gregory W. Boice says this,

“True worship occurs only when that part of man, his spirit, which is akin to the divine nature (for God is spirit), actually meets with God and finds itself praising him for his love, wisdom, beauty, truth, holiness, compassion, mercy, grace, power and all his other attributes.”

You dear ones will see all of those attributes on that final day. It alone will cause there to be the greatest worship service you have ever been apart of. I don’t know about you but I am ready for that day.

We will see His face the text tells us. something that has not been able to be accoplished. When you think of what I said a week ago that Moses was not ablet to see God’s face but only his divin after-glow. Those who meet Jesus saw God but none since have seen him how we will see Him.

Job 19:25-27

Job 19:25–27 ESV

For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

In Psalm 17 David offers a prayer and it closes like this.

Psalm 17:15 ESV

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.

Those who are able to see Him are those who are marked with his name. Sons of the most high. This name is what sets us apart it proves we were adopted and made sons to share in the enheritance of the Father. There will be no one in the new heavens and new earth who does not bear this name, this is an everlasting name, one with securty, and benifit.

As we worship with God we see again there is no light. “for the Lord will be their light”

“Spurgeon says this light can be understood in three ways. First, light is the cause of joy. This is a joyous city, for light in Scripture is symbolic of joy, just as darkness is symbolic of sorrow. Christ is heaven’s joy. Believers in heaven rejoice in their golden harps, palm branches, and white robes, because these are Christ’s love gifts. However, the essence of their joy is Jesus Himself and seeing His face, as John says in Revelation 22:4. Their joy is the beatific vision come true, that now they bask in Jesus’ smile and feast in His presence. Their joy consists of this, says Spurgeon: “Jesus chose us, Jesus loved us, Jesus bought us, Jesus washed us, Jesus robed us, Jesus kept us, Jesus glorified us; here we are, entirely through the Lord Jesus—through him alone.”

Second, this light imparts beauty to this city. The Lamb is the light of heaven. All that is beautiful about heaven—including the saints themselves—flows from the Lamb. Their beautiful excellence, their beautiful triumph, and their beautiful glory are all due to the Lamb, who is the light of heaven.

Third, this light is knowledge. There is no need for light in heaven because Christ is the source of all that believers must know. Christ manifests Himself to His saints here on earth, “for God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6). “In thy light shall we see light” (Ps. 36:9).”

So God Himself will be their light and we will reign with him forever. This promise was given in Daniel 7:18

Daniel 7:18 ESV

But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.’

Paul would later write to Timothy in his second letter “If we endure