Peace Like a River

REVELATION 22:1-2

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, there was 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 (Rev. 22:1-2).

John describes a river of life in this new city; however, it's not like any river around here!

When we return with Jesus Christ to spend a thousand years on this earth in His kingdom reign, Jesus will set His foot on the Mount of Olives, splitting it in the middle. This will cause a great valley to form. A river will come out of the new temple in the earthly city of Jerusalem. This river will be divided. One portion will flow to the Dead Sea and the other portion will flow down to the Mediterranean Sea (Zechariah 14:4, 8). When the river comes down to the Dead Sea the waters of the Dead Sea will be healed, and there will be a multitude of many varieties of fish (Ezekiel 47:1-12).

The river that flows from the temple in the earthly Jerusalem is not the same river of life that proceeds out of the new heaven and new earth. However, there are definite similarities between the two rivers.

On the banks on either side of the earthly river there are trees which bear a different fruit every month. Ezekiel describes them as similar to the trees by the river of life in the New Jerusalem.

As I have mentioned before, God has designed earthly things to be similar to heavenly things, especially around Jerusalem. There are always those who claim that the river of life is figurative and not literal. But there is a danger in saying this. If God calls it a river but it's really not a river, and God says it's a tree but it's really not a tree, then how are we to believe what God says? If God didn't mean what He said, then why didn't God say what He meant?

When someone says that God didn't mean what He said, and then goes into a fancy explanation to spiritualize the text, he completely destroys the meaning. I take it to be a river of life with crystal pure water in the New Jerusalem. And I plan to take a drink from it when I get there.

REVELATION 22:3-6A

And there shall be no more curse (Rev. 22:3).

At the present time, the earth is under a curse. God said to Adam, "Cursed is the ground for thy sake... thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee" (Genesis 3:17-18). Man is also under a curse. God said, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" (Genesis 3:19). Earning your bread by the sweat of your brow is also a part of the curse. It's the result of man's sin.

In the new earth there will be no more curse. This doesn't mean that we'll be sitting around and twiddling our thumbs. It means that we'll have a whole new way of life.

But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads (Rev. 22:34).

I've tried to imagine the emotion that a person will experience when he looks into the face of Jesus Christ. It will be glorious!

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. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true (Rev. 22.5-6a).

Jesus is saying, "I know it sounds far out. I know it sounds wild. I know it's hard to grasp and conceive. It sounds like a fairy tale. But these things are faithful and true." There is nothing more sure than the prophecies of God's Word. We have "a more sure word of prophecy" (2 Peter 1:19).

REVELATION 22:6B-21

And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book (Rev. 22:6b-7).

This is a repeat of the promised blessing in chapter 1:3 for those who keep the sayings of this book.

You ask, "What does Jesus mean 'I come quickly'? John wrote that almost two thousand years ago, didn't he?" Yes. And the Bible says, "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (2 Peter 3:8). So, it's been a couple of days -almost!

"I, John, saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things" (Rev. 22:8). This is the second time that John makes the mistake of worshipping the angel.

Then said he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he said unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold [now Jesus is speaking to John], I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Rev. 22:9-12).

Jesus continues,

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie. I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

For I testify unto every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Rev. 22:13-29).

After that kind of warning, any man would be a fool to tamper with the book of Revelation. Yet men do.

He which testifies these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen (Rev. 22:20-21).

The Beginning and The End

There is a very sharp contrast between the first three chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation. Let me list some of these contrasts for you.

In Genesis we read of the beginning of this world. In Revelation we have the end of it. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1); "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth" (Rev. 21:1).

"God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas" (Gen. 1:10); "And there was no more sea" (Rev. 21:1).

"The darkness he called Night" (Gen. 1:5); "There shall be no night there" (Rev. 21:25).

"God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night" (Gen. 1:16); "The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon" (Rev. 21:23).

"In the day that thou eatest thereof [of the tree of knowledge of good and evil] thou shalt surely die" (Gen. 2:17); "There shall be no more death" (Rev. 21:4).

"I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception [pain]" (Gen. 3:16); "Neither shall there be any more pain" (Rev. 21:4).

"Cursed is the ground for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17); "There shall be no more curse" (Rev. 22:3).

Satan appears as a deceiver (Gen. 3:1); Satan disappears forever (Rev. 20:10). Man is driven from the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24); the tree of life is available for all (Rev. 22:2). Man is driven from God's presence (Gen. 3:24); "And they shall see his face" (Rev. 22:4). Man's first home was by a river (Gen. 2:10); man's eternal home is by God's river (Rev. 22:1).

The final chapter of a book is always exciting because it ties everything together. All the mysteries, the intrigue, and the questions are brought together. The answers come to us as God unfolds the beauties of His love and reveals the eternal kingdom that He has planned for those who love Him and serve Him. What a glorious and blessed time we are looking forward to!

Realizing all these things as Jesus said, "Surely I come quickly," John naturally responded, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Let's get on with that Eternal Kingdom!