How Revelation Ends

A River, The Water, The Tree, And The Book Of Life

Revelation 22:1-21

Study of the Book of Revelation, Part 36

   Twenty years ago, I did my first (and really only, certainly, the most indepth) study on the Book of Revelation. This was my final writing on the topic from the study, which concluded in November after beginning in January. 

   The first of seven "Blessed"s or Beatitudes is found in Revelation 1:3, and the final Beatitude is found in Revelation 22:14. The Complete (7) Blessings are:

1:3  BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO READ ALOUD THE BOOK OF REVELATION.
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!

14:13 BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO DIE IN THE LORD.
Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write this: 'Blessed are the dead, those who die in the Lord from this moment on!'" "Yes," says the Spirit, "so they can rest from their hard work, because their deeds will follow them."

16:15 BLESSING FOR THOSE REMAIN VIGILENT IN GOOD WORKS.
(Look! I will come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition be seen.)

19:9 BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO COME TO THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB.
Then the angel said to me, "Write the following: Blessed are those who are invited to the banquet at the wedding celebration of the Lamb!" He also said to me, "These are the true words of God."

20:6 BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO PARTAKE OF THE FIRST RESURRECTION.
Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

22:7 BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO KEEP THE WORDS OF THE PROPHECY.
Look! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy expressed in this book.

22:14 BLESSING FOR THOSE WHO WASH THEIR ROBES TO ENTER THE HOLY CITY.
Blessed are those who wash their robes so they can have access to the tree of life and can enter into the city by the gates.

       

Chapter 22 is tied with 21, with repeated images of the water of life (21:6), and the Book of Life (20:12-15, 21:27). It is also tied with Genesis 2:9 and 3:22-24

 

¹ 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. ³ 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. ⁴ They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. ⁵ 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.

 

River of Life- In the millennial kingdom, a river will flow from the temple in Jerusalem, down to the Dead Sea and will bring healing and life back to this now salty sea[1]. However, that river will flow from the temple (King James Version and the Hebrew reads “house” in Ezek. 47:1) and in the kingdom after the 1,000 years, there will be no temple, but there will be the throne of God and of the Lamb. There will be continuity from this current earth, the new earth of the millennium and the new earth of Rev. 21-22.  This river runs down the golden street, which is like transparent glass (Rev. 21:21), of New Jerusalem. Whoever thirsts can freely drink of this water of life (Rev. 21:6)

Tree of Life - The River of Life flows onto and through the tree of life which bears 12 fruits, which are yielded every month. The leaves bring “therapeutic” healing for the nations, which could mean countries or non-Jews which come to new Jerusalem. Since there is no sickness, it is not medical healing but a constant state of spiritual health, refreshing and therapy (Greek: therapeia) that people/nations receive from the leaves of the Tree of Life. Leaves are beautiful reminders of God’s gift of eternal life and redemption from the curse. It was the Tree of Life that was the cause of the curse of man being cast out of the Garden of Eden. “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"-- 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.”(Gen. 3:22-24).

Notice that Rev. 22:3 begins with “And” signifying that verses 2 and 3-4 are related. The healing is from the curse of the separation of God and humanity. God the Father and the Lamb, the Son of God, are One, but they are not the same. At this point, we shall see God face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). Part of the blessings of the blessed beatitudes is that the pure in heart shall see God (Matt. 5:8). The text doesn’t say there won’t be a sun, but that there won’t be a need for the sun (Rev. 21:23, 22:5).

⁶ 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. ⁷ “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.” ⁸ Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. ⁹ Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” ¹⁰ And he said to me, “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand. ¹¹ He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.” ¹² “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. ¹³ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”

Jesus is called “Faithful and True” (19:11) and the words of the prophecy are just as faithful and true (21:5, 22:6). The prophecy is just as faithful and true as it was 1,900 years ago. The “things which must shortly take place” began with the end of the Apostolic Age. When John died, a new era began, beginning with the church of Ephesus, the church which John pastored. John again fell down as he did in Rev. 19:10, and again gets rebuked. But after all the elder apostle had seen, who could not but understand his actions? But just as when he, and Peter, and James had seen the transfiguration of Christ on the holy mountain, the angel calls for John to worship God alone. Verses 11 and 12 and 13 are also linked in that once Christ returns, there will be no second chance to turn from their wickedness. That time is only in the present, not after Christ returns. Our righteous deeds and holy acts will not be forgotten, and God will reward us, according to our works. Likewise, those who are unjust and filthy, they too will be recompensed according to their deeds. Who can argue with the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last?

¹⁴ Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. ¹⁵ But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” ¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. ¹⁸ For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; ¹⁹ and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Verse 14 is a disputed reading. Some manuscripts say “Blessed are those who wash their robes,” meaning those who have been forgiven by the shed blood of Christ. Both are true, because those who wash their robes receives forgiveness from all sins and will keep His commandments (John 14:21). There are only two types of people, those saved, characterized by keeping God’s commandments, and those lost, characterized by being sinners.

Jesus proclaimed that His angel, His messenger, made a true testimony. We should not add nor take away from not only this book of prophecy, but from any of the Bible.

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[1] ¹ Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. ² He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. ³ And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. ⁴ Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. ⁵ Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. ⁶ He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. ⁷ 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." (Ezek. 47:1-12)