Wednesday, December 31, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

Revelation 22

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

The River of Life

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. 

(Revelation 22:1–5, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• After John recounts the light of the city and the streets of gold in the New Jerusalem, his attention turns to the river of life and the trees of life.
• The narrator moves from the previous features of the city to a discussion of some particular features in the city that are closely related, a river and trees. The river is pure, flowing with water of life that is completely clear, like a crystal. Everything described in the New Jerusalem is of the best quality, the utmost purity, the highest level of perfection, including the water in this river. Some scholars see the river of life as being a sign of God’s blessing. There is a connection to the river described in Eden, and is also an allusion to the river of living water described in Ezekiel 47. The river in Ezekiel is one that also initiates from the throne of God and provides great fruitfulness and fertility. The river that runs from Eden brings life to its basin as well. Water for hydration is one of the primary needs of plant life in order to thrive and bear fruit. This river of life proceeds from the throne of God and the Lamb, signifying yet again that God is the source of all things good in the New Jerusalem.
• A further look at the river shows it running parallel with the main street of the New Jerusalem. On either side of the river was the tree of life. Although this wording signifies a singular tree, the wording in the original language hints that this could be a collective term describing numerous trees along the river banks. These trees are described as producing twelve types of fruit, and then the wording alludes to “each tree,” suggesting that this was a line of trees going down each side of the street. If so, this was a veritable orchard of trees bearing fruit and producing each and every month of the year. While time will not be measured in heaven as it is on earth, the implication is that the producing of fruit will be perpetual. The hopeful statement of the healing power of the leaves of the tree is a bit unclear. “Healing of the nations” is somewhat nebulous, not making it clear who the “nations” are. Perhaps it refers to the nations saved by the Lamb and now in a perfect place with no sickness. Perhaps it refers to Gentiles who were formerly not part of the blessed nation of Israel. Either way, there will be no more sickness or death in this New Jerusalem.
• Another great benefit of living in the New Jerusalem is the fact that the curse shall be broken. The Adamic curse (or covenant) stated that Adam would work by the sweat of his brow and that Eve would long for her husband all her days and have great pain in childbirth. They also would eventually die. However, Jesus’ death and resurrection brought life, and eventual freedom from the curse of death. The throne of the Lamb will be in the New Jerusalem, and all His servants will serve Him. They shall see His face, signifying the fact that in their new bodies they can stand in the presence of God, and His name will be found on their foreheads, in contrast to the mark of the beast on the damned of the Tribulation period. Again, John records the fact that there will be no night, and the sun nor any lamp will be necessary, for the Lord God gives the city light. They all shall reign with the Lamb forever, He as king and them as His grateful servants. Be on the right side!

The Time is Near

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.” 

(Revelation 22:6–11, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• After fully describing heaven, the New Jerusalem, the narrator of the Revelation of Jesus Christ moves to a reminder that every believer should be looking for the coming of Christ. He speaks of the timing of the vision’s release, and the importance of worshipping God alone.
• In this passage, the words spoken to John are declared to be faithful and true. The one who called and commissioned the holy prophets, the Lord God, sent His angel to show His servants all that will come to pass soon. The angel declared that the Lord is “coming quickly” and therefore it is imperative that believers keep the words of the prophecy of the book. There is no time to waste and no time to ignore the truth of God’s word. We must be ready when He comes! When John saw and heard these things, He fell down at the feet of the angel as if to worship him.
• The angel scolded, or at least corrected, John, identifying himself as a fellow servant of John’s, and a friend of the prophets, and of anyone who keeps the words of the book. He then inserts a very brief sentence with a command, “Worship God!” The angel then gives John instructions to not seal the words of the prophecy, for the time for them to be revealed is now. If one is unjust, let him continue to be unjust. The same is true of those who are filthy. If they are not willing to be clean, let them be filthy. But the same holds true for the righteous and the holy, that is, let them continue in their righteousness and holiness. They are to carry on. The prophecy, once revealed, will have its effect, and those who choose not to respond will be left out of the blessings of the prophecy, but will face its curses. Be sure you are on the right side when the time comes!

Jesus Testifies to the Churches

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.”

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. 

(Revelation 22:12–17, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• After the angel declares the validity of the prophecy, and a brief reference to God’s soon and imminent return, the scene shifts a bit and Jesus begins to speak directly to John again. In this passage, there are several warnings and instructions for the reader in preparation for the coming of the Lord.
• It is stated here again that the Lord is coming quickly. Here, though, His reward is guaranteed to come with Him. His reward is to be given to everyone on the basis of their works. He reiterates His self-identification as Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, First and the Last. God is before and after, never not existing in eternity past or future. God is always and forever. He also repeats His instructions that those who do His commandments have the right to enter the gates into the city, and will have the right to the tree of life. This hearkens back to the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They had access to the tree of life and to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They chose to eat of the knowledge tree, and then were made aware of their sinfulness. At that point, they were banished from Eden and kept from the tree of life. Here, though, the proper time and conditions lend themselves to the Edenic conditions being restored, as they have entered the time of reward for being in relationship with Christ. Therefore, eternal life is warranted and available. Those who did not enter into relationship with Christ, however, are outside the city, unable to eat of the tree. They are characterized as dogs, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and liars. This is a doomed lot, unable to enter the city.
• Jesus finishes up this section by endorses the testimony of these things, and then reveals His own person even more fully as the “Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” These names declare Him as the rightful King of the righteous, and as the light to all who would seek Him. He is the answer to all the questions that plague mankind. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” This invitation is in advance of the Tribulation, in advance of the torment and judgment upon the world, in advance of Armageddon and the Great White Throne and the lake of fire. This call is to anyone who reads this prophecy, and is a call to come to Christ and call others to come to this fountain of living water. If you thirst, come to this living water and drink freely. Life eternal and holy, wondrous and awesome, can be yours!

A Warning

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. 

(Revelation 22:18–19, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• A warning is added to the discussion here: do not later the words of this prophecy. While this may be concerning the Revelation, it could very well apply to the entire Bible. Do not add or subtract from the Word of the Lord. Do not alter it to suit your purposes. The very plagues measured out to Egypt, and to the Tribulation-era world, will be measured out to the one who adulterates the Word of the Lord. Do not forfeit your place in the Book of Life, the holy city, and the rewards that accompany residence there. Be true to God’s Word, preach it with anointing, and live by it wholly. When you sin, repent and start fresh. Do not try to improve on God’s teaching, for He is God and we are frail, temporal humanity.

I Am Coming Quickly

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. 

(Revelation 22:20–21, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Finally, Jesus reminds us that He is surely coming quickly. With this He concludes this Revelation with the word, “Amen,” which is translated, “so be it.” This seals the message and concludes the book. Jesus had stamped His seal of approval on this message. John embraces this message and speaks a phrase to hasten the coming of the Lord, the glorious event of final rest, by saying “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Let us echo his message of anticipation, and live in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ until His coming. This ends the message of the Word of God for mankind.

__________________________________________________________________________

All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.