Promises to Overcomers
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Revelation 22 Outline: I. The River of life (verses 1-5) II. Jesus is coming, promise of the imminent return of Jesus (verses 6-9) III. Prohibition of sealing the book, promise that Jesus is coming soon and promise of blessing (verses 10-15) IV. Transmission of the revelation (verses 16-17) V. Prohibition of altering the book, promise that Jesus is coming soon, and final pronouncement of blessing (verses 18-21) Important facts about Jesus in this chapter: FACTS ABOUT THE CHRIST (22:6–7, 12–13, 16, 20) A. His description of himself (22:13, 16): Jesus refers to himself as follows: 1. The Alpha and the Omega (22:13a) 2. The First and Last (22:13b) 3. The Beginning and the End (22:13c) 4. The root and offspring of David (22:16a) 5. The bright morning star (22:16b) B. His provision for his saints (22:6–7, 12, 20) 1. He will come for us (22:6–7, 12a, 20). 2. He will reward us (22:12b).1 I. The River of life (verses 1-5) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. Promise to Overcomers from the ESV Study Bible: Promises to Overcomers 1 H. L. Willmington, The Outline Bible (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1999), Re 22:6– 12. 1 The following images depict ways in which God will be God to those who conquer (cf. Rev. 21:7). Promise What Will Happen Fulfillment 2:7 will eat from the tree of life 22:2 2:11 will not be hurt by the 20:6; 21:7–8 second death 2:17 will be given a white stone 21:11, 18–21 2:26–27; will reign with Christ on his 20:4 3:21 throne 2:28 will be given the morning 21:23; 22:5, 16 star 3:5 will be clothed in bright 19:7–8; 21:2, garments 9–10 3:5 name will be in the book of 21:27 life 3:12 will be made a pillar in God’s 21:22–23 temple 3:12 will participate in the new 21:10 Jerusalem 3:12 will have God’s name written 22:4 on them Dr. Mulholland: The vision of Revelation 22:1–2 remarkably reflects Ezekiel’s vision: “river with the water of life” (cf. Ezek 47:1, 8–9) “flowing from the throne” (cf. Ezek 47:1) “on each side … a tree of life” (cf. Ezek 47:12) “twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month” (cf. Ezek 47:12) “leaves … to heal the nations” (cf. Ezek 47:12) Since John had seen there is no temple in New Jerusalem but God and the Lamb are the temple (21:22), the river of life flows from their throne rather than the temple as in Ezekiel. The tree of life is a common fixture in the Jewish expectation of the restoration of the kingdom, and the vision modulates Ezekiel’s “trees of all kinds” to this image. In 2 Esdras 8:52, the tree of life is coupled with the age to come and a city built, and in 2 Esdras 2:12, it is coupled with the kingdom prepared for the faithful. In 1 Enoch 25:4–5, it is associated with the consummation of all things and will be given to the righteous and holy ones for food. In the Apocalypse of Moses, the throne of God is located where the tree of life is (Apocalypse of Moses 22:4; the same image is found in 2 Enoch 8:3). And Adam is promised the tree of life when the resurrection comes (Apocalypse of Moses 28:4). The most striking modulation of Ezekiel’s vision is that in John’s vision the leaves of the tree of life are to heal the nations (i.e., the Gentile believers, cf. 5:9; 7:9; cf. Beale 1999:1107). In 2 Ezekiel, it is presumed that the healing is for ethnic Israel, but in John’s vision those who follow the Lamb constitute Israel. Once again the vision subverts the Jewish expectation by including the Gentiles in the restoration.2 a. John is continuing his description of the New Jerusalem. b. He sees the river of the water of life. c. Think about how important water is for the world. The world is mostly water, yet many die for lack of good water around the world. Still, in the United States we can create cities in deserts. Water is so important and so is clean water. Here, we see water. d. This water is described as bright as crystal. e. Moody: Water is sometimes used figuratively for God, who brings peace from chaos (Is 8:6; 33:21-24), but that is not likely here. More to the point is a continuing parallel with Eden (Gn 2:10-17; 3:22-24). Paradise will be regained. It may be that the river will flow under a dual throne that straddles it. The presence of a healing tree (v. 2) has led some to place this paragraph back in the millennium, but this would ruin the clear sequence of the text. Better is the view that it symbolizes God’s work in maintaining the invulnerable state of the redeemed. Verses 3-5 reveal some of heaven’s wonderful blessings: absence of death through the removal of the Edenic curse (v. 3; see Gn 3:1-24), opportunity to serve God, and the privilege of ruling as had been intended originally (v. 5; see Gn 1:28). Believers in the new Jerusalem would be servant-kings, ever praising and serving God, yet reigning themselves for eternity.3 f. Notice where this water is flowing from: the throne of God and of the Lamb. g. The ESV Study Bible: The river of the water of life and the tree of life recall Eden before the fall into sin (Gen. 2:8–10) and Ezekiel’s vision of a future glorious temple (Ezek. 47:1–12; see Zech. 14:8). Refreshment and life flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb, carried by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus promised (John 4:10–14; 7:38– 39; see also Isa. 44:3; Ezek. 36:25–27). Living believers and martyrs taste this life- giving water even now in this present age (Rev. 7:17; 22:17), but its fullness awaits the new heaven and earth. This ever-flowing river gives a picture of an unending stream of abundant blessings and joy. The tree of life, once banned to guilty humanity (Gen. 3:22–24), will satisfy the city’s residents year-round (Rev. 2:7). The healing of the nations will have been completed in the destruction of death (20:14; see Ezek. 47:12). h. This water is also flowing from the middle of the street of the city. i. Verse 2 further tells about the tree of life on both sides of the river. j. The tree of life has 12 kinds of fruit and it gives fruit each month. There will no longer be harvest seasons, etc, at least for this tree. 2 M. Robert Mulholland Jr., “Revelation,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 597. 3 The Moody Bible Commentary (Kindle Locations 83453-83457). Moody Publishers. Kindle Edition. 3 k. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. l. This could have to do with healing from the sin problem. The nations can be gentiles, or in this case all people gain life and healing from this tree. m. It gives fruit year round so that we can always take from the tree and have immortality. n. Dr. Constable: John also saw the tree of life.771 When Adam and Eve fell, they lost their access to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (cf. Gen. 2:9; 3:22–24). In the eternal city the residents will have access to the tree of life there.4 The description of this tree’s location is debatable, but perhaps John saw the river dividing and flowing on both sides of it. A tree surrounded by water is the epitome of a fruitful tree (cf. Ps. 1:3; Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 19:10). This tree was perpetually rather than seasonally in fruit; it produced a new crop of fruit each month of the year. Evidently the new creation will not have a lunar calendar, since there will be no moon (21:23), but another type of calendar will define months. Most fruit trees in the old creation bear fruit only a few months each year at most.