And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb (verse 1).

     The water is symbolic of the Holy Spirit of the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father (Matthew 10:20), which is also Jesus’ Spirit (Romans 8:9, Galatians 4:6, Philippians 1:19). The water flows from one throne. Jesus and the Father are one (John 10:30), and Jesus resides in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18).
     The Holy Spirit renews, restores and gives life through faith in Jesus. The water is the Spirit, and the Spirit is life. It is only through Jesus that we can partake of this life. The Messiah is symbolized by the rock that Moses smote to provide water for God’s people in the wilderness (Exodus 17:6). The striking of the rock in that instance, represents the wounds that Jesus bore that released the Holy Spirit enabling us to have eternal life.
     The Apostle John witnesses that life becoming a river pouring out from God’s throne. In the middle of the river, he sees a tree.

     In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations (verse 2).

     What John is seeing is a massive tree that is growing in the middle, the “street” of the river that is so large it overspreads to reach beyond the water’s banks to hang over “either side.”
     The river, which is the Holy Spirit, is the source of life of this tree. This one tree bears twelve different fruits. The number twelve is used in the Scriptures to signify the chosen. This tree of life bears fruit that is food for God’s chosen ones. The tree itself is symbolic of the life giving tree in Eden that was the source of longevity for Adam and Eve. That symbolism tells us that their lives could be sustained only by a provision from God. Likewise, this tree of Life in Revelation, symbolizes the eternal life that has been restored to us through Jesus’ sacrifice. He is our tree of life. The amazing symbolism we are seeing here is an affirmation that those who believe have been restored to the original state of perfection that God intended for His people.
     The leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. There will be no more sickness in this realm of God’s Holy Presence.

     And there shall be no more curse: …

     When Adam and Eve sinned, the ground was cursed. Since then the earth was subject to earthquakes, drought, storms and other natural disasters that were the result of man’s refusal to obey God. The old earth, with its cursed ground has been removed and in this new world there will be no storms to endure or any other challenge to our survival. The Tree of life has been restored and there can never be anymore death.

     …but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it; …

     God has been restored to His rightful place as the center of man’s existence. This shows us that this divine positioning of our Creator as the center and focus of everything, assures our peace, safety, security and our eternal life.

     …and His servants shall serve Him: (verse 3).

     We shall joyfully revolve around the center of our being where God has promised that at His right hand there will be pleasures forevermore. These are not carnal pleasures, but spiritual ones that will immerse us in total fulfillment and never ending joy.

     And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads (verse 4).

     This is a celebration of intimacy symbolized by the ability to see God’s face for the first time. The glory of God that is so intense that it could not be seen by anyone in the previous earth life, is now made visible to those whom God has chosen to share in His glory. These ones who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, have now been glorified themselves by God and share in His holiness, allowing them to remain in His presence without shame. They can behold His holiness in its fullness for they have been made holy and one with Him.
     His name is in their foreheads symbolizing this intimacy that is made possible by our union with His Son. God sees Jesus in every soul who has been redeemed by His blood. There are no longer any barriers between God and man. The intimacy that God had always desired to have with His creation is fulfilled. The “religious spirits” that had kept this relationship bound in ritual and man’s traditions in the earth life, can no longer exist in this new dimension that is saturated with God’s sweet presence.
     Blessed are those who have tasted of God’s presence in their earth lives and have not quenched His Holy Spirit in their midst, escaping the poisons of dead religiosity.

     And there shall be no night there…

     This is a new realm that is not based on any science now known to man.

     …and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God gives them light: …

     God is the center of this new universe of the Spirit and we revolve around Him alone. He is the only light we need.

     And they shall reign forever and ever (verse 5).

     This is a further affirmation of our gift of eternal life and the high positions we have been given as sons and daughters of God. We shall reign with Him forever, inseparable, bathed in His love and acceptance.
     With this glorious assurance, Revelation’s visions are completed. From verses six through twenty-one, John is given some further instructions to relay to God’s people who will be the recipients of the Lord’s Revelation through the Apostle.

     And He said to me, “These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly be done” (verse 6).

     John is now being addressed by the angel who had appeared to him at the very beginning of his instructions. I assume that John has been returned to his island prison. He can hear the lapping of the ocean that surrounds him and the sound of sea birds perhaps, calling in the distance. But his attention remains riveted upon this heavenly messenger who has been sent by God to the astonished apostle.

     We are assured here with John, that what we have witnessed and heard in Revelation’s testimony is the truth. These messages are delivered to God’s servants. Those who embrace the things of this world as truth, will never receive the holy prophecies contained in these visions. Whenever there is an abundance of falsehood, the truth will always be divisive. Likewise the intrusion of Revelation’s witness into the world’s illusions will be ridiculed and rejected.
     Revelation is a gift to God’s people; those who can hear and see the things of the Spirit, for truly the natural man cannot perceive the things of God.
     These prophecies “must shortly be done.” -

     “Behold, I come quickly:”…

     Time in heaven moves at a different pace. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (I Peter 3:8).

     The Lord Jesus is speaking here to John through the angel that is representing Him. -

     …blessed is he that keeps the sayings of the prophecy of this book (verse 7).

     We were told that those who read this prophecy are blessed and now here we are assured that those who “keep” it are blessed. Revelation is an important book. It is designed to be a manual of spiritual refreshment and reinforcement during difficult times.
     In Revelation’s pages we have been assured that whatever happens to us in this imperfect, sin infected world, we have a purpose and a future that cannot be removed. We are in the process of being transported into a grand and glorious destination. We are meant to hold onto the visions in Revelation and use them to encourage us on our journey to the fulfillment of our faith.

     And I John, saw these things, and heard them….

     John again wants to assure us that the words recorded on his ancient papyrus are the testimony of an eyewitness.

     And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me those things (verse 8).

     The enormity of what John has just witnessed, has propelled him into worship at the feet of the angel. For this he is swiftly corrected.

     Then he said to me, “See you do it not: for I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the saying of this book: worship God (verse 9).

     In this verse the being that is addressing John is referred to specifically as an angel. Yet, his description of himself matches that of the glorified one John attempted to worship in chapter nineteen, verse ten. While John many have been speaking to an angel in that instance as well, we can see here the close identification angels have with those they have been created to serve. It appears they see themselves as one with the prophets and the faithful ones who value God’s word and “keep the sayings of this book.”

     And he said to me, “Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand (verse 10).

     These are extremely valuable instructions. The messages contained within Revelation are important. We are not to “seal it” or keep it hidden, but spread its message and share it.
     The prophet Daniel was told to seal what had been revealed to him; that is, he was being told that the visions he had received would take a long earth time before they were fulfilled. Those seals were opened by the Lord in the first century, because the “time is at hand,” meaning that the prophecies in Revelation’s pages would begin to be fulfilled from John’s day to the present. We are inhabiting a generation that is expanding to include a designated number of years that are only known to our God.
     In view of this, we must make the most of the time remaining and make evangelism, discipling and serving others our priority as servants of the Lord. We must fight to retain the doctrine as it was first delivered to our founding apostles and keep our guard up in order to resist the beast’s attempts to subvert and destroy our faith.

     He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy let him be holy still (verse 11).

     To me, this angel seems to be reciting a psalm, a poem contrasting darkness with light, and death with those who have the Lord’s righteous life. These contrasts between the dark ones and the children of light will grow sharper as the days pass. Evil will be exposed, and those who choose to wallow in injustice and filth will reap the fruit of their own choices. So here we see that the Lord truly knows those who are His (II Timothy 2:19). We will be known by our fruits (Matthew 7:16-20).

     And behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according to his work shall be (verse 12).

     The Lord is speaking through the angel again. No one who is the Lord’s wants to lose his reward or see it diminished. The Lord is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). To those who are genuinely seeking Him, our greatest reward is to find Him and be joined to Him in intimacy.
     The Lord continues to speak through His emissary. –

     I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (verse 13).

     Jesus’ voice and the Father’s voice are one.
     The angel resumes John’s instructions.

     Blessed are they that do His commandments, …

     For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous (I John 5:3).

     Jesus said, “If you love Me keep My commandments (John 14:15). These things I command you, that you love one another” (John 15:17).

     If we are abiding in Jesus (John 15), and following the leading of His Holy Spirit, then we will naturally do the things that please Him. We know that obedience to God’s word is essential. Obedience always results in blessings. God’s holy word is the guide we follow for our wellbeing. It is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit tool that the Lord uses to conform us into the selfless image of His Son.
     Obedience to God’s word gives us the right to eternal life. –

     …that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city (verse 14).

     Our first act of obedience is to believe the Gospel. We are saved by grace alone, and that grace in turn works in us. – For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

     We are not saved by our works, our works are the evidence that we are saved.
     The grace that we receive when we obey the gospel, works within the believer to develop within him the fruit of a holy character. Therefore the grace works, the believer rests in that grace and yields to the Spirit working through him in conjunction with God’s written word.
     A believer then grows in grace becoming a new creation, following God’s word as an expression of his relationship with God through Jesus.
     God is not interested in legalism, He desires transformation, an inward holiness that is expressed outwardly.
     Those who have genuinely obeyed God’s commandment to receive His Son, will have the right to the tree of life as promised, no matter how far they have managed to grow in their walk with Him.

     In Jesus’ parable of the laborers (Matthew 20:1-16) we are shown that His salvation is imparted equally to those who were able to labor or grow just a little because of the length of time they are granted to live after receiving the Lord. They are just as saved as those who were serving the Lord for a longer period of time.
     No one who is genuinely saved will deliberately continue in sin, as the Apostle John taught. – Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for His seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (I John 3:9). In the original Greek the phrase “does not commit sin” means a continuous action. That is; a believer cannot continuously practice sin. He can fail through human weakness and be restored through repentance, but sin is not something a true believer wants to do on a continuing basis. The seed of God’s word has been planted in His heart and that in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, produces the desire for a changed life.
     In the next verse we are shown the contrast between those who have right to the tree of life, and those who do not. –

     For without are dogs…

     This does not mean that there are no animals in God’s new world. The reference to dogs here refers to people who serve their own bellies (Philippians 3:2, Romans 16:18). These are self-serving ones who are always out for their own gain at the expense of others. They are self-indulgent and incapable of putting others first.

     …and sorcerers,…

     This is a reference to those who practice witchcraft with the resulting enslavements, including various addictions to sex and drugs.

     …and whoremongers, …

     The sexually impure, fornicators, adulterers.

     …and idolators, … The covetous (Ephesians 5:5), people who worship the things of this world.

     …and whoever loves and makes a lie (verse 15).

     God desires truth on every level. All liars have their part in the lake of fire as we have seen. Let us not be partakers of anything that is displeasing to the God we claim to love.
     Again, no one who is genuinely saved and loves the Lord, willfully, deliberately, and continuously practices these things. – And such were some of you: but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God (I Corinthians 6:11).
     No one is perfect by any means. If we fail because of the weakness of our flesh, we are immediately restored by repentance and God gives us a fresh start. A believer can struggle to overcome sin in his life and this is why we are counseled to “come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Jesus understands how weak the flesh is though His own identification with those He came to save (Matthew 26:41).
     In this next verse, Jesus again speaks through the angel that is representing Him to the Apostle John.

     “I Jesus have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches…

     Here again we are shown that the book of Revelation is God’s Word to His church. It is a spiritual survival manual for the persecuted, which will be all of us at one time or another. Therefore it is vitally important that this book of prophecies be kept in the forefront, especially as we continue on our journey through these latter days.

     …I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star” (verse 16).

     Jesus affirms His authority as the Messiah, the prophesied descendent of David, and the One who bears the title Son of God, the morning star.

     And the Spirit and the bride say “Come” …

     It is here we many assume that the narrative is given back to the Apostle John who breaks forth into this segment of Spirit led prose. He initiates an invitation to all that the new world we have just seen described in these final chapters of Revelation’s pages are available to everyone who chooses to “come.” It is an invitation that is being offered by God’s Holy Spirit and His church. Among His gates are all those who can “hear,” who have understood and received the gospel. –

     …and let him that hears say, “come”…

     If you have heard, share the gospel with others.

     …And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely (verse 17).

     If you have heard this call to “come,” the fountain of eternal life is yours to take and drink of freely. Are you thirsty?
     In these last few sweeps of the Apostle’s pen, John finishes this epic journey into a future that just may be tomorrow, with another affirmation of the book’s legitimacy and several very stern words of warning.

     For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add to these things, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book: (verse 18).

     This command is similar to God’s admonishments to His people when He gave His law to Moses (Deuteronomy. 4:2). This word is not to be added to or diminished. John is affirming to us that this prophecy is the word of God and is not to be tampered with or adjusted to suit the reader’s preferences.

     And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (verse 19).

     Here we are startled to see that removing any of the words in this prophecy can cost someone their salvation. This is a particular warning to those in the future that the Lord knows would be transcribing this document. The scribes are being duly warned of the consequences if they attempt to add or remove something they may not understand. There is a very good reason for this warning. Prophecies like those images in Revelation are like dreams. There are visual clues that are implanted in these visions that are vital keys to their interpretations. If any of these keys are changed or removed, the entire meaning of the vision will be misinterpreted. Therefore, it is extremely important that the original wording remain intact for this purpose.
     For example, the word candlestick is revealed to be interpreted as a church (Rev. 1:20). This word is included in the description of the two witnesses in Revelation’s chapter eleven (11:4). While the word candlesticks was not removed from the actual text, it has been excluded from consideration by many when deciphering the identity of the two witnesses. Therefore because of this omission, the two witnesses are rarely seen as churches, even though this important scriptural key is included in the text. So by this we can see the importance of acknowledging these prophetic interpretation clues.
     In conclusion, the Lord adds the final words to His prophecy.

     He that testifies of these things says, “Surely I come quickly. …”

     As I have mentioned before, time in heaven moves at a different pace than here on earth. There are things in this realm that must transpire before the Lord returns. Centuries have passed and it seems the wait for our Lord’s return is endless; but to Him it is only a very short while and He is coming quickly.
     I visualize John emitting an awe inspired sigh as he watches the angel smile and disappear into the blue shining background of sea and sky. Then he raises his pen once more to write the last prayer of the Bible.

     …Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus (verse 20).

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (verse 21).

Copyright 2018 by H.D. Shively

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