THE BOOK OF THE REVELATION – Chapter 22 – The River and The Tree of Life, The Final Message
Episode 24
(These Episodes are meant to not only ask and answer the questions, “When, Why, How and What?”, but also the question, ” WHAT DOES THIS MEAN TO ME”)
How many of us would love to peer into our future heavenly eternal home? John is getting a ‘virtual tour’, of that future home, and he has recorded it here, as an early homecoming gift for us to enjoy. Something to anticipate, and to long for.
This is, in my opinion, one of the most important chapters in all of the Book of the Revelation. As a result, my commentaries will be longer than usual. Please be patient. Meditate on these things. Enjoy!
The River and the Tree of Life
Revelation 22:1, Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ), verse 2, in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Verse 3. There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve and worship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion]; verse 4, they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. Verse 5. And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.
You Are Invited to be Blessed
Verse 6. Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel [as a representative] to show His bond-servants the things that must soon take place.
Verse 7. “And behold, I am coming quickly. [footnote ‘a’] Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is the one who heeds and takes to heart and remembers the words of the prophecy [that is, the predictions, consolations, and warnings] contained in this book (scroll).”
Verse 8. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Verse 9. But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who heed and remember [the truths contained in] the words of this book. Worship God.”
Verse 10. And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [of their fulfillment] is [footnote ‘b’] near. Verse 11. Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy (vile, impure), still be filthy; and the one who is righteous (just, upright), still be righteous; and the one who is holy, still be holy.”
Verse 12. “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, [footnote ‘c’] to give to each one [footnote ‘d’] according to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness). Verse 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End [the Eternal One].”
(Commentary Break: Verses 7 and 12, echo the Words, “Behold, I am coming quickly”, and verse 13 announcing “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end”, are some of the most exciting, mysterious and prophetic words of truth spoken. We are reading, and hearing with our spiritual ears and seeing with our spiritual eyes the infinite nature of God, Who exists in, and transcends time and space. This is the Omnipresence of God.
Biblically speaking, there are two perspectives, or more correctly put, two realities of time. Please let me try to explain.
There is the natural reality of time. This is the time in which we exist. It is linear, and we measure it by seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, etcetera. When an event begins in our timeline, we must experience it by traveling through it, waiting as it unfolds to its conclusion.
Time and space, to us, is like looking down a long tunnel, that has twists and turns, rises and falls. We cannot see the future of it, nor can we see the end. We must live through it, until its conclusion, then we can know.
Then there is God’s reality of time. From God’s viewpoint, time and events in time, occur as the past, the present and the future simultaneously. When God speaks, His creative Words are instantly manifest from eternity past, appear in the present and is simultaneously a future reality. It is as if God is watching His creation of time and space as a created and finished product all at once, seen from above, the entire timeline as a whole.
God does not see time and space through a tunnel. He sees time and space as a whole, from eternity past to eternity future. He simply and magnificently sees all things and He knows all things.
So, as in verses 12 and 13, when Jesus says the words, “Behold, I am coming quickly”, in the linear year A.D 95, it would appear to us that 1,929 years have passed, and to us in our linear timeline, it would appear that he has not come quickly! But to Him, as God, He is speaking from His vantage point and it is completed as He spoke those words! Jesus says “Behold, I am coming quickly”, it happened at once, in His Omnipresent time: He is coming, He has come, it is finished! This is also why He said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Finally, when Jesus announces, “and My reward is with Me, to reward each one as his work deserves”, we should be aware that our destiny has been sealed. He is presenting us with what we call ‘predestination’. (This is very important for the believer. For a complete explanation and discussion on predestination, please go to ‘GotQuestions.Org’.)
Why is this important to know? Perhaps it will help those who see the finished Works and Words of God as completed, and wonder ‘why should I even bother acting on His Words if there is nothing I can do to affect the outcome?’ Or perhaps circumstances and situations have befallen you, from which you see no escape and no relief. Perhaps you have lost all hope and are in the pit of a fatal despair. The answer to that is, “God is not finished yet, and His will, plan and purpose is to seek and to save’ and that is specifically for you! This was explained in Episode 3, which goes back to God’s Plan of Perfection: Throughout time, with the use of hardships, trials and tribulation, God is redeeming, rescuing, saving, maturing and perfecting His people into His image, ultimately to live in Perfect harmony with Him and with one another, in a New and Perfect heaven and earth.
And, “Because by a single offering He has made perfect for all time those who are being sanctified.” Hebrews 10:14.
Each and every chapter, verse and word in the Bible, when viewed within this context of God’s Eternal Plan of Perfection, begins to make perfect sense.
Secondly, as God’s Plan and Purpose unfold over the millennia we can see the purpose of the coming Day of The Lord and the End of the Age as found in Daniel 9 verse 24 through 27. Here, The scriptures give an overview or a panorama of the timing of the events leading to the Last Days.
One last reminder on this matter is when Jesus was on the cross and proclaimed, “It is finished”, (see John 19:30), He was undoubtedly saying that His mission as the sacrificial Lamb of God was now completed. The old covenant is finished, the New Covenant in His Blood is here. But, He was also saying that by this one act had sealed the fate of Satan, of evil and of sin and death to be overcome and destroyed, for all time. And this is why Jesus says it is now possible to “confess our sins, (past, present and future), and He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, (past, present and future), and purify us from all unrighteousness”. (see 1 John 1:9). This should be a source of great relief, joy and hope!
And, finally, for those of us whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, He is bringing His reward with Him. It is done! Now, we wait in anticipation of that great day! (End Commentary Break).
Verse 14. [footnote ‘e’] Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those who wash their robes [in the blood of Christ by believing and trusting in Him–the righteous who do His commandments], so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Verse 15. Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating).
The Final Invitation
Verse 16. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you and to give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiant and bright Morning Star.”
Verse 17. The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take and drink the water of life without cost.
Verse 18. I testify and warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book; verse 19, and if anyone takes away from or distorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.
Verse 20. He who testifies and affirms these things says, “Yes, I am coming quickly.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Verse 21. The grace of the Lord Jesus (the Christ, the Messiah) be with all [the saints, that is, all believers, those set apart for God]. Amen.
(Commentary Break: Here, in verse 17 we hear the message of the Gospel, one last time: “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 cost”. The time to ‘Go and proclaim the Good News’ is past. This is the time to say Come! Come in. You are home!
Finally, in verse 18 God issues a caution and an ominous warning for those who would deliberately stray from the obvious Truth of scriptures, and persist in his or her error; and would add to the words of this Book, or take away from them, and teach others the same, “God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”
Listen friends, if you have somehow or for some reason bought into The Lies of these Last Days, please reconsider and repent now. Galatians 5 verse 19 through 21 are explicitly clear. Those who continually practice such things as sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. without repentance and remorse, will not inherit the kingdom of God. Again, in Revelation 21, verse 27, God warns that nothing that defiles or profanes or is unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations and detestable, morally repugnant things, including lying, will enter the New Jerusalem, the Kingdom of Heaven.
Please understand that God is not mad at you, nor is he angry with you. But He will not and cannot allow these things in His presence. And if you have surrendered yourself to these passions of the flesh, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven because you cannot bring these ‘detestable things’ with you. God has given you His only Son as the supreme sacrifice so you can relinquish your sins. Call upon Him, repent of your sins, and although the thoughts and urges to do the things you do not want to do,, may persist, believe and know that there is no condemnation for those who repent and abide in Christ while they work out their salvation.
Your fleshly mind and soul may deceive you and have tremendous influence and pull on your thoughts and actions and cause you to do things that can lead to spiritual death. But, it need not be. God is ready, willing and able to rescue and to save you. Yours might seem like a fight to the death, unable to break free from the things that ensnare you. But, God knows your heart. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling and God is faithful to finish His work of salvation which He has started within you. Endure to the end and you will be saved.
If you find yourself caught up in a struggle for your soul and spirit, please read “Separated From God?”. Also, if you will, write me and let me talk and pray with you. (End Commentary Break).
Although I have so much yet to learn, I have learned so much and enjoyed walking through this Book with you. I pray you have benefited, as well.
I close with these final words from the Book of The Revelation:
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all. Amen.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Whitestone Fellowship 