Vs. 1, 2a Perfect physical provision
Psalm 46:4-5 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
Tree of life-This was the tree that was planted in Eden, but from which Adam and Eve disqualified themselves by sinning. In the New Jerusalem, we see it available for all.
V. 2b Healing of the nations- health giving. There won’t be sickness, but the trees will give health
Ezekiel 47:12 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
Vs. 3, 4 Perfect, sin free fellowship with God the Father and God the Son.
No more broken relationships, illnesses, death, misunderstandings, jealousies, failures, etc.
Spurgeon-“To look into the face of Christ signifies to be well acquainted with his person, his office, his character, his work. So the saints in heaven shall have more knowledge of Christ than the most advanced below. As one has said, the babe in Christ admitted to heaven discovers more of Christ in a single hour than is known by all the divines of the assemblies of the church on earth.”
V. 5 No day or night, no time as we know it, but endless communion with God and the saints.
Ezekiel 48:35 and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE.”
Vs. 6, 7 By the Spirit, John tells us that at the time of him writing these things down, that this book is a book of prophecy. It is not just a book of allegory, metaphor, or spiritual illustrations.
It is a book speaking of events that will take place.
V. 8 John affirms that he received visions from God and wrote them down.
He also humbly confesses that he got caught up with it all, worshipped an angel, and got rebuked.
V. 9 The angel was a fellow servant of John. In all the angel’s might and power, he was still a fellow servant. How easy it is for us to be inappropriately impressed with fellow servants of God. We can appreciate and admire them, but we must remember that while we may admire them, there is no place for anything that resembles worship.
V. 10 John was told to make this writing known, and to not hide it.
The unfolding of these events were and still are imminent.
V. 11 This isn’t a statement of sarcasm of defeat, but an indicator of how things will be when Jesus comes. The rapture of the church will be in the moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
The second coming of Jesus will happen suddenly.
At the occurrence of those events, there will not be time to suddenly become something that you aren’t.
The sinner will be a sinner just before, at, and just after the Rapture of the church.
There is time now to repent, and to become saved.
There will be time after that to repent, and be saved, but that will require enduring the Tribulation
Conversely, the righteous and holy will be what they are at the Rapture and at The Second Coming.
They will enjoy all the amazing blessings that come with those professions of faith.
V. 12 Rewards according to our works. Works done in faith. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)
V. 13 This is one of the titles of Jesus. Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Omega the last.
Jesus existed before the beginning of creation & will exist after this creation ends. The Eternal God.
Genesis 1:1-3 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
Isaiah 44:6 6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God.
Isaiah 48:12-13 12 “Listen to Me, O Jacob, And Israel, My called: I am He, I am the First, I am also the Last. 13 Indeed My hand has laid the foundation of the earth, And My right hand has stretched out the heavens; When I call to them, They stand up together.
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV) 26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
John 1:1-3, 14 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
V. 14 NIV- 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes…”
There are two aspects to the cleansing that the Christian walks in.
1. Justification that is granted to us by faith.
2. Sanctification that we both receive and pursue as we seek to walk in holiness.
John 6:28-29 28 Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
The greatest commandment is to believe on Jesus, who paid for our sins and grants forgiveness
1 John 1:5-9 5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
V. 15 This describes in illustrative language those who refuse to repent of their sins.
V. 16 Root and Offspring. The root holds and establishes the tree, but the offspring grows from the tree. Jesus both predated King David, and yet was born from his lineage.
Bright and Morning Star- The star seen just before the dawn which signals a new day.
The New Day that Jesus will bring will be eternal.
V. 17 Farrer- ‘The Spirit and the bride are one voice—what inspiration prompts, the body utters.’
John 7:37-39a 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive…
Vs. 18, 19 This refers to the Book of the Revelation, but the wisdom dictates that we treat the entire Bible that way.
Vs. 20, 21 Jesus promises that when He comes, He will come quickly.
Until then, we live in His grace. His undeserved favor to us, His divine friendship & companionship.
His favor which grants to us provision, comfort, companionship, guidance, internal change, etc.