Transcript

Todd Catteau tells the following: When you travel, you sometimes ask someone else who has been there. Many from here have traveled to New England and have come to me to ask where to go, what to see. Why do they ask me? Because that’s where I’m from. We trust people who have been places.

When we travel by car, I sometimes like to stop at restaurants that I’ve never been to before. This sometimes is not a good idea, because sometimes I’ve picked real losers.

So, my daughters have established rules at what restaurants we can stop at. They have three criteria and any restaurant has to meet at least two of these:

1) It is a chain, so we can trust it. 2) There are many cars in the parking lot, thus it is a place that has local appeal. 3) Someone we know and trust has been there and has recommended that restaurant.

Todd Cattuau observed: Heaven may not be a chain, and I’m not sure how many cars are in the lot, but when Jesus Christ was born into this world, we have someone who has been there. And we know Him. We trust Him. And He recommends the place.

Here in Revelation 22, we learn more about Israel’s eternal home and her place of glory on the new earth in the new Jerusalem. It also is highly recommended by the Lord Jesus Christ. In eternity He will rule and reign from the new Jerusalem over the new earth.

Revelation 22:1: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

J. Vernon McGee observed that “Up to this chapter, the New Jerusalem seems to be all mineral and no vegetable. Its appearance is as the dazzling display of a fabulous jewelry store; we wonder if there is no soft grass to sit upon, no green trees to enjoy, and no water to drink or food to eat. However, here are introduced the elements which add a rich softness to this city of elaborate beauty.”

The new Jerusalem tour guide for the Apostle John points out to him the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal.” Revelation is clear that those who do not believe will experience the “second death,” eternal DEATH in the Lake of Fire.

These verses show that believers with an earthly hope will only experience LIFE in the eternal state. Their names are written in “the book of LIFE.” The new Jerusalem has a “river of water of LIFE.” Beside that river is “the tree of LIFE.”

The earthly Kingdom saint has life, life abundant, life everlasting in the Lord Jesus Christ. We too have life in Christ and will live eternally in the heavenlies.

There will be a mighty river of pure, clear water flowing in the new Jerusalem. The river is literal and the river is also symbolic of the eternal life these saints have in Christ and through the indwelling Holy Spirit.

From history, there is the legend of the fountain of youth: a fabled wellspring, thought to give everlasting life to whoever bathed in or drank from it.

According to popular belief, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León searched for this fountain in and around Florida. He, of course, never found it and searched in vain for it.

But a real river of water of everlasting life is coming to this earth one day and will be found in the new Jerusalem.

The river in the new Jerusalem will be “clear as crystal.” Most rivers we see today are muddy and polluted, and you take your life in your hands to drink from them, even clear mountain ones. That’s not the case with the river of new Jerusalem.

Consistent with the holy nature of the entire city, the water from the river will be “pure,” unpolluted, free of all impurities, “clear as crystal,” transparent and perfect. This river will reflect and sparkle from the light of the glory of God.

As a river does, this river in new Jerusalem will have a perpetual source which is a picture of the constant stream of life from God to His people. Just like that river of water of life will never stop flowing from the throne, life in Christ will never, ever end.

In Revelation 4:6, John observed the throne in heaven and saw that “before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal.”

Here in Revelation 22, he observes a river “clear as crystal” proceeding from the throne of God in the new Jerusalem. This indicates how God’s blessings will flow continuously to the new earth.

The redeemed in the new Jerusalem will have continuous access to the pure river of water of life forever.

This river of life proceeds “out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

The picture of the water of life coming from the throne of God reminds us that life eternal proceeds from God and the Lord Jesus Christ. If we are to have eternal life it must come from God, and we must come to God in His way to receive it.

Under grace, God says to receive it by faith alone in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and rose again. By trusting what Christ has done for us personally, we have the free gift of salvation and eternal life.

The throne of God is the source of the river of the water of life. The waters are continuously sent from Him to give perpetual life and beauty to His city and its inhabitants.

The throne is further said to be the throne of God AND of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything about the new Jerusalem centers on “the Lamb” and His sacrifice. Life eternal comes from the Lamb, from His sacrifice, from His Cross and His resurrection.

Revelation 22:2: “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

In this verse, “the street of it” is the street of gold of the new Jerusalem. “The river” is, of course, the “river of water of life” that proceeds from the throne of God.

Then, I believe you find three trees in this verse. There is one tree of life in the middle of the street of gold. And there is one tree of life on one side of the river of water of life, and another tree of life on the other side of the river of water of life:

“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life.”

There will be one tree of life for each member of the Godhead. Each Person of the Godhead is the living God, Who gives the fruit of life to those who have believed.

Symbolizing the Trinity, there will be three trees, but they will be ONE tree of life, each producing the same twelve kinds of fruits monthly, each having the same leaves for the healing of the nations.

You see similarities between the beginning and the end of your Bible, between the Garden of Eden and the new Jerusalem. In the original paradise, a river watered the garden and there was the tree of life. Genesis 2:8-10 reads,

“And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there He put the man whom He had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden.”

After Adam and Eve sinned, however, Genesis 3:22-24 tells us that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden and God set up His cherubim as guards so that the couple could not access the tree of life and live forever in their fallen state.

From that point on, the tree of life disappears from Scripture, other than to be used as a reference to blessing and what is good.

God removed the tree of life from the earth though, intending to bring it back one day in the new Jerusalem.

When Adam and Eve fell, they lost their access to the tree of life. What man lost because of sin, God will restore through redemption by grace. The tree of life will be back on the earth. In the new Jerusalem, the residents and visitors will have continuous access to it.

The tree of life is literal and it is symbolic of eternal life and blessing in Christ. Both the river of water of life and the tree of life will stand as memorials to the indwelling Holy Spirit and eternal life in Christ.

And the tree of life will bear fruits. They will “bare twelve manner of fruits.” Twelve different kinds of fruit will grow from these trees, a different one each month.

The number twelve is stamped throughout the new Jerusalem, and always indicates God’s relationship with the nation Israel. The twelve different kinds of fruits will be one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.

It’s looking good that we will eat and drink in eternity. That’s a common question, and one that runs through my mind too!

Good food and refreshing drink are blessings from God. Here we see a crystal-pure river of water and fruit-bearing trees: drink and food. If we get the privilege to eat and drink in eternity, it would be out of enjoyment and not necessity. We’ll find out someday!

The tree of life will bear fruit “every month.” Most fruit trees bear fruit only a few months out of each year at most. In contrast, God’s blessing of fruitfulness all year long will typify life in the new earth. The tree of life will perpetually, rather than seasonally, be in fruit, producing a new crop of fruit every month.

The fact that there will be months is a reminder that the moon is not going anywhere, as a month is determined by the time it takes the moon to orbit around the earth.

Revelation 21:23 only says here will be no need for the moon’s light in the new Jerusalem, because the glory of God will be its light. It’s not teaching that there will be no more moon in eternity.

The fruits of the tree of life will be for the citizens of the new Jerusalem, that is, THE NATION ISRAEL, to enjoy. The leaves “were for the healing of THE NATIONS.”

Regarding the need for “healing” in the eternal state, the next verse reminds us that “there shall be no more curse.” And 21:4 tells us “neither shall there be any more pain.” Thus, we know there will be no pain or sickness, both of which are part of the curse.

In what sense, then, is healing needed in eternity? The answer is that it is not.

Within the Millennial Kingdom there will also be trees growing beside the river that proceeds from the temple. Ezekiel 47:12 prophesies that the leaves of these trees “SHALL BE for medicine.” They will be used in the Millennium for the healing of the nations, because there will still be sickness, disease, and pain during those 1000 years.

Now when we look at Revelation 22:2 we read that “the leaves of the tree WERE for the healing of the nations.”

That word “were” has been supplied by the King James translators and is not in the original Greek manuscripts, but I believe they had it right to see the healing properties of the leaves of the tree of life as past tense.

The leaves will not be used for the healing of the nations as in the Millennium, but are simply a remembrance of the healing of the nations by God’s mercy during those 1000 years.

And the leaves will also serve as a memorial of the spiritual healing and cleansing FROM SIN that the nations have received from the Cross of Christ, that Tree of Life that allowed them to have “life” and be a part of His eternal Kingdom on the new earth.

Revelation 22:3: “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.”

The Apostle John notes that there will be no more curse. The curse which was brought on by Adam and his sin and disobedience will be removed completely. It was paid for at Calvary by the obedience of Jesus Christ.

As a result of “no more curse,” there will be no more “tears and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” as 21:4 says.

With no more curse, the ground will no longer be cursed to produce thorns and thistles. Mankind will no longer have to earn their bread by sorrow and sweat. Mankind will never again “return unto the ground” in death.

To reinforce the statement about no more curse, John writes, “but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it.” Because there will be “no more curse,” the throne of God Almighty can be established eternally on the new earth in the new Jerusalem.

Where the throne of God is, there will be no more curse, and where the throne of God is, His servants will serve Him. It will be the privilege of the redeemed to serve the Lord for eternity and to be active and useful in His service.

Believers won’t be strumming harps on a cloud for eternity; there will be work to do for the Lord. There will likely be an infinite variety of tasks to perform for Him.

Israel and the nations will serve will “serve the Lord with gladness” (Psa. 100:2) on the new earth.

It is often assumed that work was a product of sin and the fall. The truth is that, before the Fall, God had created man to have dominion over the earth, which means he was to work and manage the creation over which he was given dominion.

When God placed Adam in the garden, He instructed him “to dress it and to keep it” (Gen. 2:15). The Hebrew word for “dress” denotes and refers to labor.

Idleness was not the reason for man’s happiness in the garden. Adam was to work and care for the garden. Prior to the curse, creation worked in harmony with our first parents though, and work was pleasant, without burden or care. It was a blessing.

It was not until after the Fall, when the curse was pronounced, that the character of work changed and work became toilsome, sorrowful, and exhausting.

God is never idle. The Lord Jesus said, “My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (John 5:17). God is always at work and active.

We will be like Christ in eternity, thus like Him, we will be serving, working and active in eternity. It will be a blessing to serve the One who died for us for eternity.

On the new earth, all will gladly serve Him. And in heaven, we, too, are going to be serving the Lord throughout eternity.

Revelation 22:4: “And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.”

With the throne of God and of the Lamb located in the new Jerusalem, Israel, as well as the nations, will have the blessed privilege of seeing Him face to face.

In the past, the Lord told Moses, “Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no man see me, and live” (Ex. 33:20).

But living in glorified bodies, being holy and righteous in Christ, and dwelling in God’s very presence, those in the new Jerusalem “shall see His face.”

As they serve Him, they will be able to withstand the blazing, glorious light of God’s glory and see His face without being consumed.

The Lord promised Israel in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). In the new Jerusalem, this promise will be fulfilled.

To see our Savior face to face is also the blessed and glorious hope of those who dwell in heaven for eternity, the Body of Christ.

In 1871, a short story was written, entitled “The Happiness of Heaven.” It’s a story about a kindhearted king who is hunting in the forest when he discovers a blind, poor orphan boy living there.

The king takes the blind orphan to his palace and adopts him as his own son. The king gives to his blind son the finest education and training money can buy. The blind son loves his father dearly and is grateful for everything he has done for him.

When the son turns twenty, a surgeon performs an experimental surgery on his eyes, and for the first time in his life, he is able to see.

This royal prince, who was once a starving orphan, realizes how he has been blessed with fine food, fragrant gardens, and lovely music. But when he gains his sight, he doesn’t care to look at the wealth of his kingdom or the wonders of the palace. Instead he only wants to gaze upon the face of his father, the king who saved him and loved him.

We’ll do the same thing in heaven. We were all poor, blind orphans, but when we trusted Christ as our Savior, the King of kings has made us part of His family.

And when we arrive in heaven and our faith turns to sight, we won’t first be looking at the riches and glory of heaven, we’ll want to see the One who has redeemed us! The greatest blessing about heaven is that we will see the Lord, we will “see His face.”

John adds, “and His name shall be in their foreheads.” This reminds us of the name of the Antichrist in the foreheads of those who will believe him to be the Messiah and will worship him. Revelation 13:16-17 reads,

“And he [the False Prophet] causeth all to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their FOREHEADS: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Rev. 13:16,17).

At the midpoint of the Tribulation, the False Prophet will decree that everyone worldwide must bear the mark of the Antichrist, or his name, or the number of his name, either on the right hand or the forehead, in order to buy or sell.

But Revelation 14:9-11 tells us, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his FOREHEAD, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever.”

Those who belong to the Antichrist, having his name on their foreheads, will receive the same fate he will face for eternity.

In Revelation 22:4, we find that those who belong to Christ, having His name on their foreheads, will receive the same life eternal and glory that He possesses for eternity.

Christ’s name on their foreheads indicates that Israel and the nations on the new earth belong to Him and belong to Him forever.

And this is reminiscent of when Aaron, the high priest, wore a golden name plate on his forehead as Exodus 28:36-38 teaches.

For eternity, Israel will serve the Lord on the earth as the priests of God. And like the high priest, Israel will have the name of the Lord on their foreheads.

Revelation 22:5: “And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”

An advertisement based on Revelation 21-22 reads: “Free, beautiful homes given away in a perfect city! Includes: 100% pure, free water, no electric bills, perpetual lighting, permanent pavement, nothing undesirable, everything new, perfect health, immunity from accidents, beautiful music, free transportation.” Sounds too good to be true!

John reiterates the fact that the glory of God will light the new Jerusalem, and there will never be night in that city. They won’t ever even need a candle. The sun is not needed as a source of light. The glory of God shines brightly for all to see clearly.

John’s previous mention of no night and no need of the sun’s or moon’s light (21:23,25) was from the perspective of OUTSIDE the city. The perspective of Revelation 22:5 is from INSIDE the city.

Those who are inside the city will never need a candle for inside their dwelling places or inside the buildings. Within the city, there is no need for a candle for inside lighting, and there is no need for the sun or moon for outside lighting.

It is all lit because “the Lord God giveth them light.” Darkness flees in the presence of light. And as Christ, the Light of the World, reigns in all His glory in the new Jerusalem, there will be no darkness there. There will be no dark corners and no dark alleyways.

John adds that “they shall reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 1:6 says about Israel, “And [Jesus Christ] hath made us KINGS and PRIESTS unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”

A king reigns and a priest serves. We see Israel’s service as priests in 22:3. In verse 5, we see their reign as kings.

Israel will rule and reign forever and ever on the new earth from the new Jerusalem. Kingly reigns come to an end in this world now, but not on the new earth when Israel reigns as kings.

Israel will reign in Christ forever on the earth. The Body of Christ will reign in Christ forever in the heavenlies. Christ will reign over all and everything in both heaven and earth.

The new Jerusalem is all Israel’s hope and it’s a glorious one. The new Jerusalem also causes us to think about our home of heaven and what it must be like.

I believe it will be similar in many respects to the new Jerusalem, since this city comes from heaven, and since the third heaven also contains the presence and glory of God.

God wants His church to live by faith, HOPE, and love. And the hope of heaven can give each of us powerful strength and motivation for godly living and to live for eternal things.

As the old poem and song reads, “Just think of stepping on a shore and finding it heaven, of taking hold of a hand and finding it God’s hand, of breathing new air and finding it celestial air, of feeling invigorated and finding it immortality, of passing from storm and tempest to an unbroken calm, of waking up, and finding yourself home!”