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The Millennium and Beyond
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Revelation 22: "Some Final Advise"
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Link to Printer Ready PDF Version of this document. |
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Chapter Highlights
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Chapter Aids
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Topical Index
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We have reached the last chapter in the Bible's final book, and questions still abound. Unfortunately, answers to many questions will not be found here. Instead, John further explains the believer's glorious eternal home, Christ's final promise, a final invitation, and a final warning. As for the unanswered questions, in his time he will reveal the answers (Daniel 12:8-10).
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Revelation 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Up to this point, the angel has been showing John the city's basic framework: foundations, walls, gates, and a street. The Holy City, however, will also contain other things such as water, trees, and fruit. Here we see that it will have a river called the river of the water of life. In other verses of Scripture, this water of life is called living water (John 7:37-39), and it is used as a symbol for the Holy Spirit.
God is using a physical substance (water) to help explain a spiritual truth. Living water flows pure, clear, and fresh. It is not murky, stagnant, or polluted. It possesses life-giving qualities (John 3:1-8) that man cannot live without. The river of the water of life is portrayed as a river that will possess life-giving powers; water that will restore and refresh, flow in abundance, and satisfy our thirst.
The source of this river will be the throne of God and of the Lamb. They will supply life-giving water and the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39) in abundance to the Holy City. The Trinity (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) will be present to meet all our needs.
Key Symbols:
- River of the Water of Life
What Others are Saying:
- Hal Lindsey: I don't think it's far-fetched to regard this crystal-clear river, from the throne of God the Father and God the Son, as the continual outpouring of God the Holy Spirit. 22-1
Remember This…
- To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life (Revelation 21:6).
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Revelation 22:2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
Picture a great street of pure gold like transparent glass. It will have mansions of gold on each side and a river of crystal-clear water flowing down the middle with rows of trees on each side. This is the magnificent scene John is trying to describe.
The tree of life takes us back to the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24). Before they sinned Adam and Eve could have eaten from it and lived forever. In the New Jerusalem, rows of the tree of life will grow. The trees will produce a different kind of fruit every month which will provide a continuous supply of food from God. This says something about the heavenly bodies. Just as Jesus ate and drank (Luke 24:30-34) after being raised from the dead, believers will eat and drink in the Holy City.
Believers will diet on manna and fruit from the tree of life. They will not eat the leaves of the tree because the leaves will be for the healing of those who dwell on the new earth. These leaves will sustain life and add to well-being.
Key Symbols:
- Fruit from Tree of Life
- fruit for our heavenly diet
- Leaves from Tree of Life
- for the healing of the nations
What Others are Saying:
- Tim LaHaye: It would be better to translate the word healing as health, not indicating that man will be sickly during the eternal order, but that the Gentiles or nations that have been inhuman to each other throughout their known history will be healed in their relationship toward each other and will thus live equitably and fairly. 22-2
Something to Ponder
- The Tree of Knowledge caused Adam and Eve to know right from wrong. It is how they learned what sin was. It caused their spiritual death (separation of their soul and spirit from God) and their physical death (separation of their soul and spirit from the body). It cost them immortality. The Tree of Life does the opposite. Eating its fruit brings immortality.
Remember This…
- I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God (Revelation 2:7).
- To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna (Revelation 2:17).
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Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.
When Adam and Eve sinned, God placed a curse upon creation (Genesis 3:14-19): Because of it, women experience pain in childbirth, both men and women suffer sickness, both must today work for a living, and physical and spiritual death came upon mankind. Sin has caused great harm in this present creation, but it will not affect the new creation. Once God has cast Satan with all his followers into hell, and raised us with new bodies to dwell in his constant presence, all of the curse will be gone.
The Holy City will be the new location of God's throne. We will not be floating on clouds with harps in our hands, but instead we will be praising and serving our God. What we will do is not said, but we have already been told that we will reign as priests and kings. We know that we will find joy and fulfillment (Luke 6:23; Revelation 12:12) in his service.
Something to Ponder
- In the New Jerusalem There Will Be No More:
- death, mourning, crying, or pain (Revelation 21:4)
- temple (Revelation 21:22)
- sun or moon (Revelation 21:23)
- night (Revelation 21:25)
- impure, shameful, or deceitful thoughts (Revelation 21:27)
- curse (Revelation 22:3)
Remember This…
- You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth (Revelation 5:10).
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Revelation 22:4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
In the Old Testament, it was Moses (Exodus 33:18-23) who wanted to see the face of God. In the New Testament, it was Philip (John 14:8, 9). God did not allow them to see his face, because if they did, they would die. However, as residents of the Holy City, we will actually see the face of our Father (1 John 3:2) and his Son. The name of God will be written on believers' foreheads to identify them as God's own.
A name stands for much or little depending upon whose it is. When God puts his name on us it is the greatest name of all. It stands for his character, honor, glory, faithfulness, and much more. It means he is staking his reputation on us.
Key Symbols:
- Name of God on Our Foreheads
- identifies the people of God
Remember This…
- I will write on him the name of my God (Revelation 3:12).
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Revelation 22:5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
This is the second time we have been told there will be no night in the Holy City. Lamps, light bulbs, and flashlights will not be needed. We will not need the sun for heat or to grow our crops. God and Jesus will light the entire creation. They will be all that is needed, and believers will have the honor and privilege of reigning with them forever.
What Others are Saying:
- J. Vernon McGee: Who knows but what (God) will give to each saint, a world or a solar system or a galactic system to operate. Remember that Adam was given dominion over the old creation on this earth. 22-3
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Revelation 22:6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
The angel reminded John of the truthfulness of these words. He is giving his assurance that this prophecy is trustworthy and will be fulfilled.
The angel also reminded John of how this message was given. The Lord Jesus sent his angel to give the prophets spiritual understanding (Colossians 1:9). In other words, Jesus is the source of this revelation, and because he is, it must be fulfilled.
The things that must soon take place have already started. In fact, the first part of this prophecy (Revelation), the Church Age, is almost over. Everything from the Rapture to the Second Coming is near at hand.
What Others are Saying:
- J. Vernon McGee: These words are faithful and true (Revelation 22:6 nkjv) means that no man is to trifle with them by spiritualizing them or reducing them to meaningless symbols. Our Lord is talking about reality. 22-4
Remember This…
- These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness (Revelation 3:14).
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Revelation 22:7 "Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."
Behold, I am coming soon can be interpreted in at least two ways: soon or shortly, or quickly or suddenly. Soon or shortly means before long. Quickly or suddenly means very fast. This is significant because people get the wrong impression when we say, "Jesus will come very soon." What we should say is, "When he comes, it will happen very fast, in the blink of an eye."
Many people wonder why prophecy is so important. It's importance does not lie in predicting the future. But rather, in the changing of our lives, by giving us a desire and concern for the lost and unsaved. The fact is, God means for prophecy to be obeyed, and those who do obey are promised a blessing.
Remember This…
- Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (Revelation 1:3).
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Revelation 22:8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.
John is repeating his claim that he is the human author of Revelation, and that he both saw and heard the things he writes about. He was so impressed with the angel that revealed these things to him, that he was overcome with awe, and fell down to worship at the angel's feet.
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Revelation 22:9 But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers the prophets and of all who keep the words of this book. Worship God!"
This is the second time an angel told John not to worship him. Angels are servants of God, the same as John and the prophets are servants of God. It is a mistake to worship angels. Only God is worthy of worship.
Remember This…
- At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God" (Revelation 19:10).
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Revelation 22:10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near.
When Daniel wrote his prophecy several hundred years before the birth of Christ, he did not understand some of the things God had shown him. He wanted an explanation, but the fulfillment of his prophecies were a long time off, so he was told to seal them up (Daniel 12:4) until the end time.
Revelation is different. John's prophecy was already unfolding, and the Church Age was taking hold. For this reason, the message was to be left unsealed. God wants people to hear these things now.
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Revelation 22:11 Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy."
The time will come when a person's final destiny will be determined and sealed forever. When the eternal day dawns, all unbelievers will be condemned and cast into the Lake of Fire. They will be without hope because their eternal condition will never change. On the other hand, all believers will be accepted and given entrance to the Holy City where they will continue to grow and improve. Hope and holiness will always be theirs.
This is a warning regarding the separation of the lost and the saved. A great chasm (Luke 16:26) will separate the Lake of Fire from the Holy City that no one can cross. The decisions people make in this life will determine their destiny and seal it forever.
Key Point
- The decisions people make in this life will determine their destiny and seal it forever!
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