Faith Baptist Church
4258 Botetourt Road
Fincastle, Virginia 24090
(540) 473-2325
Much more importantly than what this city of God will look like is that you know for sure this will be your home one day. Morality, good deeds and religious rituals and observances are not enough. I repeat what I said last week regarding the words of our Lord, “Ye must be born again.” He did not say, you should, or it would help, he said “you must be born again”. Have you trusted in the Savior? Have you at sometime in your life come empty handed with nothing but faith in his power to save you?
As we continue with this study we see this angel proceeded to show John a few more interesting characteristics of the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem.
v.1 A river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeds out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
This river depicts the source of satisfaction which all saints will experience in heaven. Thirsting for God’s salvation begins in time, and that salvation must be received in time. The soul longs for refreshment and peace, and the soul that comes to Christ in salvation is guaranteed eternal peace. This is what our Lord told the Samaritan woman at the well. “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst again, but the water that I give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” Jn.4:14
We have trials in this life, but in the next life we will have no trials or worries. The Dasanti water brand has nothing on this water. It is free and it is most refreshing. Actually the Greek reads, potamon katharon hudatos zoes. This water is pure and it depicts eternal life, not biological life. I have seen men have biological water quench their physical thirst and yet they go back to their sinning. And I have seen men drink of the eternal waters from God and it has forever changed their lives. I want you to remember also regarding the deity of Jesus Christ that he too has his throne next to the Father’s throne, Rev.3:21. Eternal life flows from this throne and only God can offer this.
v.2 In the midst of the street of it,(the city) and on either side of the river, there will be the tree of life, which will bear twelve fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
This type of tree was found in the garden of Eden as noted in Gen.2:9. After Adam and Eve sinned God drove them out of their paradise and he posted an angel to guard the tree of life so they could never come to it again, Gen.3:22. This tree represented physical immortality. This tree of the first paradise, a paradise which was lost due to sin, is now found forever in the eternal paradise. I will remind all of us here that eating will be a part of our resurrected, glorified life. Even though eating is not necessary to sustain a deathless body, eating will be enjoyed forever. Our Lord ate bread with his Emmaus disciples after his resurrection, Lk.24:30; and he ate honey and fish in Lk.24:40-43 with his better known disciples. There will be a wedding supper at the coronation of Jesus Christ as he beings his 1,000 kingdom reign. Yes, folks food will still be a part of our future. It will be a pleasure to be eternally vibrant and healthy and to eat if we want to and not have to take a pill to get over it.
What the fruits of the tree of life taste like we do not know, but we will know when we get to heaven. This tree will bear twelve kinds of fruit. Whether there is a different fruit for every twelve months, or it bears twelve kinds of fruit at a time each month no one knows.
The eternal water of life which proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb; and the fruits of the tree of life,(singular) a tree which spans across both sides of this river; along with the healing (therapeian) leaves will be a reminder that all life finds its source in God.
The leaf of the tree actually enhances enjoyment for the eternal blessings of the body, and not for correcting a breakdown in the resurrected body as this cannot happen.
These will be a reminder that all sustenance is in Christ; a reminder that healing of our souls comes from God. Though they are real, they also represent the truth that all life resides in God.
v.3 All of the curses upon man and creation will be gone in this city and they will all be gone during the eternal state. God’s justice handed down the curses on man and earth due to sin, Gen.3:14-18. God’s justice also handed down the curse of our sin upon Jesus Christ, Gal.3:13.
I find it interesting to see that we are summing up the last book and the last chapter of the Bible in the book of Revelation, by being reminded of our beginnings as human beings. There we see our complete failure, as mankind, to find happiness and joy apart from God’s finished work. The grace of God is amazing in that he looked down on mankind with pity and offered the only plan to redeem us. He sent Jesus Christ, knowing men would crucify him on the cross of Calvary. He saved you and me knowing we would sin many times before we left this earth in death. Sinning will not cease until we die. Yes, we are to obey God and submit to his word. Ps.119:11 says we are to take in God’s word consistently so that we will not practice sinning against him and his Spirit within us; following this faithful practice positions the believers for living a godly life, but we still sin from time to time. This grieves us and God, but I will be so happy when the day comes when I can look at myself and not despise the sinner that I am. The Apostle Paul had it right when he said, “Oh, wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So, then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin.” Rom.7:24-25.
Death is not to be feared by the saints of God because unless we are in the Rapture generation of believers this is the only way we are going to start enjoying our eternal blessings. “ For to me to live Christ, and to die gain.” Phil.1:21.
The throne of God and the Lamb will be in this city, and his servants will serve him.
The word here for servants is duloi. This word means bondslaves. This is the same word John used in Rev.1:1. All of the saints of God are his bondslaves. Yes, we are God’s children by faith in Jesus Christ, but we are also servants of God. We shall serve him, future active indicative verb from latreuo. This usage of the word servants relates more to a hired servant. Our service will be one where we will be honored to be a part of worshipping God. The joy of being near God will be fantastic. Our sin nature is repulsed by doing anything for anyone sometimes, but in that day we will have no sinful nature, and serving will be the highest honor and joy to which we could attain.