Essentially what John saw next was Paradise regained (cf. 2:7; Gen. 2; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 12:2). Having viewed the splendor of the New Jerusalem he now saw what will nourish and enrich the lives of God's people there.
"Up to this chapter, the New Jerusalem seems to be all mineral and no vegetable. Its appearance is as the dazzling display of a fabulous jewelry store; we wonder if there is no soft grass to sit upon, no green trees to enjoy, and no water to drink or food to eat. However, here are introduced the elements which add a rich softness to this city of elaborate beauty."766
22:1 "And he showed me"signals new aspects of the city that John's angel-guide proceeded to point out. The pure river seems to be symbolic of the refreshment and sustenance that God provides (cf. Jer. 2:13; 17:13; Ps. 36:9; Prov. 10:11; 13:14; 14:27; 16:22; Zech. 14:8), though it, like the city itself, is probably also a literal river (cf. Gen. 2:10, 14). We should not confuse this river with the one flowing from the Jerusalem temple during the Millennium (Ezek. 47:1, 9, 12; Zech. 14:8). John described the river he saw as bright or clear as a crystal; it was a shimmering, sparkling stream of unpolluted water.767This river proceeded from the throne that belongs to God and the Lamb (cf. v. 3; 3:21; Ezek. 47:1; Zech. 14:8; Heb. 1:3). This throne evidently stood at the head of the main street of the city so that looking down this street the throne appeared to be in its middle.768
"This is a symbolic way of describing the reign of eternal life in the age to come [and God as its source]. The symbolism of a river of life is a common one in biblical thought [cf. Ps. 46:4; Ezek. 47:1-12; Zech. 14:8; John 4:10, 14]."769
"The point of the passage is to teach that in the eternal state God's people will live at the source of the life-giving stream, the very presence of God Himself . . ."770
22:2 John also saw the tree of life.771When Adam and Eve fell, they lost their access to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (cf. Gen. 2:9; 3:22-24). In the eternal city the residents will have access to the tree of life there.
The description of this tree's location is debatable, but perhaps John saw the river dividing and flowing on both sides of it. A tree surrounded by water is the epitome of a fruitful tree (cf. Ps. 1:3; Jer. 17:8; Ezek. 19:10). This tree was perpetually rather than seasonally in fruit; it produced a new crop of fruit each month of the year. Evidently the new creation will not have a lunar calendar, since there will be no moon (21:23), but another type of calendar will define months. Most fruit trees in the old creation bear fruit only a few months each year at most. In contrast, God's blessing of fruitfulness will mark life in the new earth. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden could perpetuate life forever (Gen. 3:22, 24). Evidently that will be the function of this tree in the new earth as well, to sustain immortality. "Healing"really means "health-giving"(Gr. therapeian). Since there will be no death in the new earth these leaves will evidently promote well-being.772They will provide healing from the conditions of the old creation as the wiping away of tears removed the sorrows of the old creation (cf. 21:4; Ezek. 47:12). The nations are groups of people in the new creation viewed according to their old creation divisions (cf. 21:24).
"It seems possible therefore to understand participation in the tree of life as a regular experience of fellowshipping with God, i.e., eating of this monthly fruit."773
22:3 There will no longer be a curse because the tree of life will heal the nations. The curse in view is probably the curse that God pronounced on the old creation at the Fall (cf. Zech. 14:11; Mal. 4:6). God will have intimate fellowship with His people because this curse has now been lifted. Evidently believers (His bond-servants in the new creation; cf. 1:1) will occupy themselves serving God and the Lamb in the new earth. The Greek word for "serve"(latreuo) suggests priestly service in view of its other uses in this book (cf. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6). "His"and "Him"present God and the Lamb as essentially one being.
22:4 God's bond-servants will see God's face; we will enjoy personal, intimate fellowship with Him. We will be able to do this because we will be pure in heart, righteous, and holy then (cf. Ps. 11:7; 17:15; Matt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13:12; Heb. 12:14). Adam and Eve's sin broke their fellowship with God, and they hid from Him (Gen. 3:8; cf. Exod. 33:20, 23). Our ability to view God's glory is limited now (cf. Job 19:25-27; 2 Cor. 3:18; Heb. 9:7), but then it will be unhindered (1 John 3:2). Scripture does not reveal whether we will see one, two, or three persons of the Godhead.
Moreover we will bear God's name on our foreheads. Having His name on our foreheads means that we will be His and will reflect His divine glory in our persons. Having a name on one's forehead appeared three times earlier in this book (3:12; 7:3; 14:1). In each case it was a great privilege indicating ownership and protection as well as identification.
22:5 The final point John stressed was the great glory of God that will illuminate the whole new earth (21:23-25; cf. Zech. 14:6-7). Previously he mentioned this to show how glorious the city will be, but now he did so to emphasize what delight this will result in for the city-dwellers (cf. Num. 6:22-27). He added that His bond-servants will reign with Him forever, not just in the millennial kingdom (20:4, 6). This is the fulfillment of God's desire and command that man should rule over His creation (Gen. 1:26).774Evidently faithful believers will have more authority in the new creation than unfaithful believers, as will be true during the Millennium (cf. Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:11-27). However, we should not think of a type of rule in which some people become the objects of oppression.
"Our faithfulness in life prepares us for higher service in heaven."775
"Who knows but what He 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."776
Thus the prophecy of things that shall take place after present things (1:19), which began in 4:1, closes with a picture of God's servants worshipping around His throne and ruling under His authority.
"As seen in the Book of Revelation, worship today should involve adoration of God's being, declaration of the Lamb's worthiness, a celebration of God's presence, submission to His authority, and fearing and serving Him."777
Many commentators believe that the New Jerusalem is the place to which Jesus referred when He told His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them (John 14:2). I think this is correct since it will be the final abode of Christians. However, I think He probably meant that His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension constituted His preparatory work rather than His special creation of the new heavens and earth.
Sometimes people speak of the new heavens and earth as the eternal state. This terminology has led some to conclude that time as we know it, which marks events in sequence, will end when God destroys the present heavens and earth. This view was popular with some pagan Greek philosophers, and Origen held it. Some non-Christian eastern religions teach this view, and some Christians hold it today. There is no indication in the text, however, that the new creation will introduce a timeless form of existence. In fact the term "forever and ever"(20:10; 21:5) implies the continuation of time without end. Furthermore the reference to months (v. 2) implies the sequence of events. The references to distances picture a creation in which there is not only time but space (cf. 21:2, 3, 8, 10, 13-17, 24-27; 22:1-2).
"Eternity' to Old Testament people was not timelessness or absenceof time. They knew no such realm. It was, rather, extensionof time--as far back and as far forward as one could imagine--'time in its wholeness' (JB), sense of time past and future' (NEB)."778
"We do well to return again and again to Revelation 21 and 22, for it is the end of the pilgrim path. The more distinct the vision to the pilgrim of the beauty and glory of the city to which he journeys, the less the immediate environments of his journey attract him."779
