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7. The River of the Water of Life Proceeding out the Throne of God and of His Lamb (Revelation 22:1-2)
REVELATION 22:1-2
1 He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruits, yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
The River Clear as Crystal: John the apostle lived in the world of prophesies of the Old Testament. Often he had studied the prophecies a lot which the Lord had given in earlier times. The angel of the revelation knew the heart's desire of John to see the fulfilling of these Old Testament prophesies, and therefore he showed him these prophesies in new images which the earlier revelations confirmed and broadened. John did not repeat the Old Testament promises in his Book of Revelation word for word, but wrote exactly and faithfully what he saw and heard. Nevertheless show his words about the fulfillment of the promises deviations from older prophesies. The revelation of Christ to John is therefore the summary and advancement of the prophesies of the Old Testament about the end of this time and the proceeding of the promised world.
The new paragraph of the visions of the seer begins as follows: “The angel showed me a crystal clear river.” John confirmed with this description that he did not follow any illusion or fancy, but he saw a real river. In the Middle East there are only a few rivers: the Nile, one of the longest rivers of the earth, and the Euphrates and the Tigris Rivers. All other bodies of flowing water, including the Jordan River are only small rivers or rivulets, as their water is utilized for agriculture and drinking water from their springs on. A wide river is something very special in the Middle East and is often called flowing sea. Most of the bodies of flowing water are, however, not crystal clear and clean, but cloudy and muddy. As in the new creation there will be a crystal clear original river, you may think of the existence of water and terrestrial life there.
In addition, the river has a comforting name, it is called “water of life”. In other verses we could read of the “book of life” and the “tree of life". In both cases it is not thought of a terrestrial but of an eternal life. This divine life, which will not come to an end, does not spring from its source drop by drop but as a mighty crystal clear, clean river. “Its waters are flowing freely and mightily”. “And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” (John 1:16).
By this abundantly flowing river, which John sees in his vision, an image of the Holy Spirit is given. “God gives the Spirit without measure.” (John 3:34; 7:38-39) The Spirit of God is available for everybody since Christ on the cross has taken away the sin of the world and atoned for our chastisement. We are reconciled to God. Since this has been accomplished not any high dam is able to hold up the sea of grace any longer. Let anyone who is thirsty come and drink as much as he can and wish. (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 14:8; John 7:37).
In the Old Testament promises the water of life was flowing out of the temple, which was in terrestrial Jerusalem. However, John suddenly recognized the majestic throne of God in the midst of the market and worship place of New Jerusalem. No protecting temple was necessary any longer so as to insulate the holy, glorious God from unclean sinners and vice versa. In New Jerusalem all people were clean, holy and glorious. Therefore God's throne was standing in the midst of the city, unshielded and unveiled. God, the Father, was living among His children. They were at home with Him. There were no familiarities, but love and goodness, sovereignty and majesty, holy mercy and glorious wisdom. From this throne of grace in the midst of the city of God was flowing the river of water of life into the new world. It did not start as a little rivulet which is only rising by tributaries, but from the origin on it was immediately a wide river. The grace of God is overflowing for all who love Him.
However, God, the Father, was not sitting on the spacious throne alone, in fact, His son, the slain Lamb, was sitting there with Him. In the last chapters of the Book of Revelation the Lamb of God is mentioned nine times (19:7.9; 21:9.14.22.23.27; 22:1.3). Three times you can read in these verses the special phrase “God and the Lamb”. Both are addressed together as a single person, because they are one, even though they are two persons. They think and act in complete accord with each other.
The water of life is proceeding from the Father and the Son. This water of life is the Holy Spirit and the love of God. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of the Father and the Son. He is worshipped together with the Father and the Son. John does not designate Jesus “the Son of God” in this context but “the Lamb” which was slain for all sins. Therefore the Spirit of God is allowed to flow to all people in an unrestricted manner and abide in those who repent and love His Lamb. This breakthrough and victory of Christ took place at Golgotha and was implemented at Pentecost. Since than the river of water of life and of the power of God is flowing through all countries for everybody, not only in this time but also in eternity (Psalm 51:12-14; Ezekiel 36:26-27; Joel 3:1.5; John 3:16; Romans 5:5 and other verses).
PRAYER: We thank You, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and we joyfully worship You for the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who flows since the atoning death of Jesus, as a pure, wide river in all countries, quenching the thirst of whoever bends to Him, believes in Him, and thankfully drinks from Him. Amen.
QUESTION:
- Why was the Holy Spirit called, “the pure, wide river"?