Revelation 22:1-5

June 13, 2021

Lord’s Day Worship

Sean Higgins

The sermon starts around 15:10 in the audio file.

Revelation 22:1-5

Series: Centers and Circumferences #62

Introduction

Have you ever wondered what in the world God wants you to do? Have you questioned what He made you to do, or what He wants with you? These are great things to think about, ground-floor, gut-level existence things. And it turns out the answers are in the Bible, on the very first page and onto the very last.

In the first chapter of Scripture God spoke the universe into being and, according to the details in chapter two, into that cosmos He formed man from the dust of the earth and planted man in a garden for him to work. Through that garden flowed a river, and in that garden was a tree called the “tree of life.” Genesis 1-2 are the only two chapters in God’s Word without sin tainting the story. In chapter three Adam fell, he and Eve and the serpent were judged and the ground was cursed. Adam and Eve lost “paradise,” the Greek word for Eden, and were prohibited from eating the fruit of the tree of life.

In the last chapter of Scripture God gives John a final angelic tour that finishes what began in chapter 21. Sin has been dealt with, either through the death and resurrection of the Lamb or in the lake of fire. Now sin is gone, and Paradise is back and better than Eden. The City-Bride, the New Jerusalem, has “tree(s) of life” lining the main street. The curse is lifted. Eden isn’t just regained, Eden has been reformed. She is new and improved. And in this Garden-City men will reign forever. Let us not grow weary of conquering, for in due season we will rule if we do not give up (compare Galatians 6:9).

Again, this is the last vision of Revelation, the last vision in the prophetic Word, the furthest vision of what eternal life will be like. It is inspired and inspiring, and, interestingly enough, in key ways it is more like the life we already seek to live than it’s not.

There are three parts to the vision.

Inexhaustible Provision (verses 1-2)

The first chapter of God’s Word is about His good and gracious gifts (He kept creating good things and then presented them to His image-bearers), and the final chapter of God’s Word shows that His lavish and gracious provision is still inexhaustible.

> 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 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. (Revelation 22:1–2)

The two main features are a river and a tree, both concerning life. The river of the water of life flows from the throne of God and flows down the main street in the city. It is bright, or better, clear as crystal, so pure and unpolluted. It isn’t bottled at the source, but it runs bountifully. That it comes from the throne means that its source is the Almighty Himself. Imagine an unending stream with no filth that only refreshes (quite a contrast to our figuratively unending social media streams).

There was a river flowing out of Eden to water the garden that divided four other rivers (Genesis 2:20), but this river is different. A similar picture in Ezekiel 47:12, with trees “on the banks, on both sides of the river,” always bearing fruit for food and with healing power in their leaves.

> And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezekiel 47:12)

The river does have an analogy in the Holy Spirit, who Jesus said was like a spring of living water (John 7:37-39).[...]