Revelation Study 27 Chapter 22
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Who is the Bride described in chapter 21? It is Jerusalem, not the Church, and described in a contrast of the prostitute which was who or what? Rome/Babylon
Babylon has fallen so the New Jerusalem can take her place, this is the true city, this is our real home, this is where we’ve always belonged.
The prostitute had her wealth, but no city is adorned like the New Jerusalem, the streets of gold, gates made from pearls, gems all over the place etc.
Is there a temple in The New Jerusalem? No, it is a temple city, the dwelling place of God, therefore there is no temple.
The city has the glory of God, His radiant presence
No need for a sun, because the Son is there
This city is described and the dimensions given huge, covering most of the known world, plenty of room for the people of God.
The faithful are there, the conquerers, and they will be holy, walking completely in the “light”
They will no longer have a sinful nature or sinful desires
Of course, the wicked will not be there as well.
All of the nations of the world will be represented
God will be with man in this temple city
Ok, now let’s look at Revelation 22, verses 1-5
English Standard Version Chapter 22
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
This is the same angel that had one of the bowls of wrath, continuing to give John his tour
What is the first thing John is shown? The river of the water of life.
Would we find a river in a temple? No
Where would we find a river? (Think Bible and what’s happening here) This is a return to the Garden, this is a return to Eden.
We are looking at a Garden City now, John has taken the story of the Bible full circle, what began in a garden will end in a garden.
Where does this river come from and what does it look like? Bright as crystal flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
The river flows from the throne of God and the Lamb, their gift, their provision, and their promise, all because of the finished work of Jesus is this possible, life comes by His death, the Lamb
On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter.
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.”
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
English Standard Version Chapter 4
6 and before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal.
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
It is flowing through the middle of the street of the city, maybe flowing through the middle of the city makes sense, but the middle of the street?? What does this mean?
v2
English Standard Version Chapter 22
also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The tree of life is back, how it’s on either side of the river??
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’
It yields a different fruit each month
Not only is this fruit for nourishment, but its leaves are for the healing of the nations. Healing from all that would cause discomfort, wounding, tension, etc.
English Standard Version Chapter 22
3 No longer will there be anything accursed
The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
cursed are you above all livestock
and above all beasts of the field;
on your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
The words “cursed be anyone” appears around 100 times (my estimate) in Deuteronomy, Moses retelling of the Laws of God, to anyone who doesn’t love God and people and obey His commands.
This won’t exist in The New Jerusalem, why?
English Standard Version Chapter 22
the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Because the throne of God and the Lamb are there, and we, their servants will be worshipping Him.
1 throne, God and the Lamb, worship “Him”, see “His” face, His name will be on us. 2 persons of the Trinity mentioned and yet referred to singularly
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
3 persons, 1 name, the Lord God
We will see His face, both the face of Jesus, and also the face of God, whatever that will look like.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
What was once unseeable, is now seeable.
His name will be on our foreheads,
The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
We will return to Paradise, once lost because of sin, now regained because of Jesus, the Lamb. It is for those who conquer, to live life fully in the presence of God.
We will “reign” with Him, but not in the sense of over people, but over creation, caring for it once again, enjoying it completely once again.
We will serve Him v4, caretakers of the Garden
And he said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”
In case John doubted the angel reminds him that these words, from God through His angel can be trusted and they are true, they will come to pass, therefore take courage, have hope, persevere until the end.
“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
These are red letters so they are the words of Jesus
He has promised His return and now it is soon.
What a relative word, soon in compared to what? This was written almost 2K years ago, but is soon to God and is soon in light of eternity.
For us, it is much sooner than when it was written, and we should live as such.
Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Now you’ve heard them, so keep them.
Blessed is the one who keeps the words, the blessed one will keep these words, you will keep these words because you are blessed, in right standing with God, in right relationship, with God.
Not happy, but right with God because of Jesus.
You know a tree by its fruit, those who love Jesus will obey, etc.
English Standard Version Chapter 22
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, 9 but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
John confirms his identity once again
He also confirms his mistaken and misplaced worship of a fellow servant once again.
Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Worship God, that’s it, worship God in His 3 persons, worship Him for who He is and what He’s done, worship Him because we now know the plan and its end. Worship Him because we will soon be with Him forever in His new paradise.
Worship God, not Caesar, not Rome, not pagan gods, not wealth, comfort, health, none of these are worthy.
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
Once this revelation was to be kept hidden
The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”
But now it is to be known, first for its immediate readers, and also for us.
What are we to make of 22:11?
Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
This is in regard to the audience hearing this word from the Lord. This is not in the New Jerusalem but in empire of Rome.
Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.
Evangelical Commentary on the Bible XV. The Promise of Jesus’ Return (22:7–21)
John recognizes a certain constancy to some things. Some people have made the decision to practice wrong and have done it repeatedly. They have chosen to put themselves out of God’s reach. On the positive side, other people have chosen to practice righteousness and holiness, and in the face of every pressure to do the opposite, they continue to do what is right, even if it means losing their lives.
But those choices will not go without consequence
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Not only is Jesus coming back, with He will balance the scales.
The wicked, the citizens of the kingdom of this world, will get what has been prepared for them, to be put outside, the kingdom, outside the temple city, outside the garden city, outside the light and presence of God
while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
And the righteous, the blessed, will get what has been prepared for them, to be inside
English Standard Version Chapter 22
14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
This ties in with the “righteous do right” and the “holy still be holy” idea.
We also saw a similar list in 21:8
These are the ones who have washed their robes, have been granted, not earned but granted access to the tree of life and can come and go through the gates.
Insiders and outsiders, we see this here and throughout the Bible, some are inside God’s kingdom, and all are welcome, but some refuse to enter, and stay outside.
But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him,
The parable of the prodigal son, the older brother, because of his self righteous attitude, refused to go in, just as wicked.
Rejecting God because of the love, mercy, and grace given to those who “don’t deserve” it.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”
We have talked of these “titles” already, back in Rev. 1:8 & 17, 2:8, 3:7, 21:6
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Now the end
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
The Sprit and the Bride, the New Jerusalem, say come. It’s time, enjoy what has been prepared for you.
He who hears, or as Jesus would say, he who has ears to hear. This phrase not only means to hear but indicates action in response to what was heard. An understanding to what was heard.
In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.
But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
“Come, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and he who has no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Or is it the Bride, the Church saying, “Come Lord Jesus”??
Yes, The people say come, based on their understanding
So far the Bride has been the city, but we should be equally crying Come back Jesus, I want to be with You.
English Standard Version Chapter 22
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.
Some have applied these verses to the whole Bible, which was assembled at the writing of this letter.
Even though the Word of God must not be altered, changed, added to or anything taken away, this verse applies to this book of prophecy, of the Words from God.
If you do such a thing, you will have no place in The New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God.
He is coming soon!!
Come Lord Jesus, come quickly
Do we mean it when we say this?
Are we ready?
What is causing hesitation?
How much more do we need to “come out” of Babylon?
What worldly attachments could ever be greater than being with Jesus?
What do we need to confess, talk to Jesus about?
How do we need to prepare our hearts, our lives, our families, etc. for the soon coming of our Lord Jesus??