Revelation 22:1-5 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 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. 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. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 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.

Water is often symbolic in the Bible. Water cleanses away dirt and purifies what it cleans. Water brings life. John sees next a beautiful scene that returns us to the Garden of Eden. It has the following characteristics:

  1. River of Life flows through it. It has its source from God and the Lamb (see Ezek 47:1-12).
  2. Tree of Life is present, 12 types of fruit, one for each month. In other words, it is always in season. One can always go there to pick its fruit (see Gen 2:9; 3:22). This symbolic imagery is in reference to the healing quality of the tree because there will be no sickness there.
  3. Citizens will see the face of God, v. 4. This is possibly the most significant statement in Revelation(see Exod 33:20, 23). People of the Lamb will stand before God and see the Lord God.
  4. God is the light. No other light is needed.
  5. God’s people will reign forever.

There are a lot of mysteries in this passage. Rather than trying to figure all of out, we should step back and let the passage speak us to emotionally. Its impact is one of the greatest hopes and dreams that we have. It is beyond anything of this world. Our eternal outcome is better than anything in this world.

We can compare Babylon and its destruction to the new Jerusalem and its beauty. The people of Babylon wanted to experience what new Jerusalem provides but they were looking in the wrong place. They looked in the pleasures of the flesh, the world, what the world offers, selfishness. The people of Jerusalem were looking to the Lamb and hope we have in Christ. There are two different outcomes. The people in the world 1) looked for the answers but 2) found them in the wrong place.

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