Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 22: 1-5 The New Paradise
Sep 12th, 2012
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Prophecy;The Church;Book Study

In chapter 21 we are introduced to heaven with its splendor and glory. We come away with the realization that heaven is an amazing, wonderful, joyous, marvellous and happy place. Now in chapter 22 we learn even more about our eternal home that has been prepared for our enjoyment.

We can never even begin to grasp all that is given to us about heaven. Here in chapter 22 see five facts in the first five verses about this New Jerusalem.

“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” (Revelation 22:1).

Fact 1 -  A Mighty River

This river is proceeding out of the centre of the city; actually it is flowing out of the very throne of God. When we talk about life we must first of all understand that God is the very source of life. Those who do not have a relationship with God do not have life. They know nothing of the meaning and purpose of life. They know nothing of joy and peace and satisfaction. That is the reason unregenerate men and women are desperately searching in every possible place and with every possible means to find something to satisfy their souls. Men and women spend their whole lives on this quest until they slip into despair and finally into an eternity without ever here and now or in the future tasting of the purpose for which God created them. Until a man or a woman enters into a relationship with God they can never know or experience life, because God is the source and the only source of life.

“...clear as crystal...”  Clear as crystal emphasizes that this water is pure. God is absolutely holy, entirely separated from sin. The source of life is separate from sin. It is sin that robs man of everything that is good and desirable. It is sin that takes away from man joy and peace and happiness and meaning and purpose. Even one very little sin (as in our eyes) will rob us of fellowship with God. Christ came to cleanse us from sin. Yet while we live on this earth we still have a sin nature and the presence and possibility of sin. Until that great coming day we will never, even as believers fully experience what real life is about. Not until sin is finally and fully done away with in that coming eternal day.

The pure water of life will flow out of the very presence of God, out of the throne, to the whole city and to the whole earth. There will be no more sea; God will be and is the only source of life. Life is found in God and in God alone.

The fact is that although we even now possess eternal life, that life is not found within our own resource. We have this life as a result of the indwelling Spirit of God, as a result of being in Christ. Life comes from God. That life will continue to flow to us from God throughout all of eternity.

In the beginning of creation we see a river flowing in the garden, in God’s presence. Now the scriptures close with a river flowing in God’s presence. There is a way back into God’s presence; a presence that sin has removed from us, that way is through the blood of Christ that flowed from Calvary to wash away sin.

Have you been to Calvary?

Fact 2 –  A Tree of Life

“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” (Verse 2).

The river flows down the main street of heaven. Notice, on either side of the river, “the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits.” Notice the parallel in Genesis 2:9, “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.” We see the same tree of life in Eden.

In Eden God gave man the choice of two trees to eat from. One was forbidden; the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was forbidden. God said if you eat of it you will die! Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

The other tree(s) was not forbidden. Genesis 2:16, “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat.”

Man was faced with a divinely appointed choice. When man chose to disobey God the TREE of LIFE was closed to him.

The answer as to why God closed the tree of life to fallen man is given in Genesis 3:22, “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever.” The greatest possible disaster would be for man to live forever with a fallen nature. Adam would have been beyond the possibility of redemption. Adam would have been consigned to live in his natural body without the quality of life God intends man to have.

Illustration

Observe the cows in the field. What quality of life do they have? They can’t talk or communicate. They never gain any knowledge. They do not comprehend experiences. They have no satisfaction of achievement. They can’t play baseball, they can’t paint a picture. They can`t drive a car. There is so much they are totally unaware of. They just exist; they are living a life at such a low level that you cannot really call it life. Their quality of life is so much below ours.

I believe that when we finally partake of the tree of life a new quality of life will be opened to us. A new dimension of life will be ours. Today, as believers we have but a foretaste of the life God has created for us to enjoy.

Now I would like to reveal to you all about that new life to come. I would like to describe it to you in detail. The problem is that I can`t do that. Why?

“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Illustration

Let us imagine that a tiny ant crawled accidently onto a 747 Jumbo jet in Toronto just prior to a takeoff for London England. As the plane lands at Heathrow there is a reporter on hand to interview the ant as he crawls off the plane.  

The interviewer asks questions something like this. Were you impressed by the size of Jumbo jet? What did you think of the speed of the plane, just six hours to London? Were you nervous about flying at the altitude of 35,000 feet and were you impressed by the size of the Atlantic Ocean?

You say that is a no brainer, the ant has no capacity to comprehend such world. Just so, a life awaits the believer in heaven that is beyond his present comprehension. The Lord has given us some insights into heaven and we are limited to them for now, but we are grateful for those insights we find here in God’s Word.

Then we read, “…the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.” What does that mean? Could it be that the nations (those who are not a part of Israel or the Church – see earlier section) will still be in their natural bodies and still procreating?

Actually the word, “healing” = Therapy or Health. Its purpose therefore would be to yield continuous health to occupants of the earth who would still be in their natural bodies.

Fact – 3  No More Curse

“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” (verse 3).

It is hard to fully comprehend the significance of that statement. This thing called the curse is that which has robbed man of all that the human heart and human life was created to enjoy. It has destroyed man’s relationship with God and man’s relationship with his fellowman. Every good thing God prepared for man to enjoy has been swept away by the curse. It has brought war between men and nations; it has robbed marriage of the ecstasy it was designed to bring. It is the source of fear, sorrow, discontentment, envy, hatred and everything that grieves the heart and life of man.

When we read the words ‘no more curse’ we realize that now men and women can enter into all blessing and goodness God designed and intended man to enjoy. I repeat that we cannot even begin to imagine the blessing that will result from the removal of the curse. What a glorious life awaits the child of God when that wonderful day arrives.

“And His servants shall serve Him.” The song says,” There is joy in serving Jesus.” In that day we will have a new and greater capacity for serving and pleasing God. With the curse gone, we will serve the Lord in fullness of Joy with a service that will be infinetly more pleasing to God. One of the joys of the eternal age will be the pure service we will be enabled to render unto our Lord and Master.

Fact – 4  We shall see His Face

“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads” (verse 4).

His is the fulfilment of 1 John 3:2, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

There are two incredible things here. We shall see him face to face and we shall be like Him. What an hour awaits those who are in Christ. Again we cannot even imagine in our wildest imaginations the glory and wonder and joy of that hour.

"...and His name shall be in their foreheads." The sovereign Lord of the universe will be pleased to declare that we are His. He will declare this to the Father, to Israel, to the nations and to the angels.

The example is the bride with a ring on her finger, declaring to the world that she belongs to her loving husband.

Fact – 5  The Lord will be our Light

“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 forever and ever” (verse 5).

Light and life are closely associated. It is the light of Christ that lights our souls, as that light is shed upon our souls in eternity, the life of Christ will be our life in a fuller and deeper way. I suggest that if you give that thought serious consideration you will be overwhelmed with glory that awaits you as a child of God.

“….and they shall reign forever and ever.” The message gets more astounding as it progresses. We shall reign with Christ, what love He has for us and what great things He wants share with us. To sit with Him in His throne, imagine with the sovereign Lord of the universe. If you can meditate on these things without your heart overflowing with love and gratitude and praise and adoration, I can’t understand you, unless you are not truly saved?

With this verse the story of man is concluded. The remaining verses of the chapter have to do with the final invitation to enter the kingdom.