Revelation 22:1–5

The opening verse lays down a beautiful truth. At the point intended, the throne is now called the throne of God and the Lamb. It was not so before He came to reign. It will not be so when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — shall be all in all. And out of this throne, now called for the first time the throne of God and the Lamb, comes a river of life bright as crystal. It is the full, unhindered power of enjoying that eternal life which the believer has here in utter weakness and with many hindrances. Such is its source, its character, and its time.

"The throne of God" expresses eternal stability. The presence of the Lamb marks it as resting on the immediate ground of accomplished redemption. It is not God's throne in creation, nor in providence, but in redemption. When I see the Lamb, I know its connection with me as a sinner. "The throne of God," on its own, would only frighten me away. But when God reveals Himself in the Person of the Lamb, He draws the heart and quiets the conscience.

First, there is "the river of the water of life" (v. 1), a symbol of the fulness of life in the Spirit flowing from the throne. Earlier in Revelation, John was caught up to heaven. He records that lightning, thunder and voices came out of the throne — fitting symbols of the holy judgments of God that were about to come from it. Here we have passed beyond the judgment. We learn that the throne which dealt out judgment to the nations has become the source of unceasing blessing to the City. For the City, the judgments of the throne were exhausted at the Cross.

No earthly throne — not even the best of them — has proved itself to be a fountain of life. Their rule has been too harsh or too weak. Or their decisions have passed through lesser human channels and reached the people polluted. Here at last is a throne of absolute righteousness, exercised in kindness, and life is the result. What is more, nothing defiling can touch the city from which it flows out to men, so no pollution reaches it as it flows.

Any small reflection of Christ seen in one another will help to sustain the new life. But in ourselves the stream is often fouled and muddied with the things of earth, so it reflects little of the loveliness of Christ. In Christ the river of water of life is "clear as crystal."

Notice there is only one river here, and only one tree. You will remember Genesis 2. There were four rivers there, and two trees — the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life. When man sinned, he was driven out, so that he could not touch the tree of life. But when he was driven out of the earthly paradise, God opened a heavenly one to him.

In each fresh feature of the heavenly city, we have seen the same thing. What glory pictures, the Holy Spirit has already made true to faith in the Christian... The Holy Spirit has come from the glory where Jesus is, and He lives in us. In the knowledge of Him, He brings into our hearts more than all the joy of the feast of tabernacles in the coming kingdom. He makes us channels of the living waters now.

Second, we learn that in the midst of the street of the City and on either side of the river is the tree of life (v. 2). The river speaks of the Holy Spirit as the Water of Life; the Tree speaks of Christ as the Food of Life. The City will stay fresh for ever as it drinks from the River of Life and feeds on the Tree of Life. The River will never fail, the Tree will never wither and the City will never grow old.

In Eden's paradise there was no "healing" power; there was the tree of life, but only death for the disobedient. Man on the earth has his portion in the goodness of a God who is showing His kingdom openly. From the heavenly city comes provision for healing the nations.

Both trees in Paradise find their answer in Christ, and in Him they agree: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sometimes called the tree of responsibility, and the tree of life. On the cross He took up the question of man's responsibility and settled it for ever, as the claims of God's glory required. Then, risen out of death, He became the tree of life for all His people.

The words "manner of" are omitted because they misrepresent the fact stated. It is not twelve kinds of fruit. As the next clause shows, it is twelve fruits: one crop gathered every month, a picture of fruitfulness that never ends.

The fruits speak of the varied glories of Christ. It is not enough to know and feed upon Christ in one aspect. We need Christ in His fulness. The City will stay fresh for ever as His graces and excellencies unfold one after another.

For long centuries the nations have been torn by strife and violence. They will find healing when they come to appreciate the beauty of Christ, for the leaves show His outward beauty. A leaf from the Tree of Life will end strife and conflict, jealousy and distrust. Christ seen in the perfection of His way will end strife among the nations, just as knowing Christ in His graces brings healing among the Lord's people today.

The tree of life is there, on either side of the river of life. No other tree stands there to threaten death. The tree of life bears full, varied and constant fruit for those inside. It also gives gracious help to the need of those outside: its leaves are for the healing of the nations.

While we feed on the fruit of it, "the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." When the church is in glory, it will not lose the character of grace. God now gives us the bread of life to feed on. Our first delight must be in God. Then, in second place, comes the joy of love when He makes us ministers of blessing to others.

This glorious tree again bears the mark of the number twelve. Its fruit comes in twelve kinds, and it yields twelve times a year. The fruits seem to be for the heavenly city, but even its leaves bring healing to the nations. The mention of months, of nations and of healing shows that the whole scene belongs to the millennium and not to the eternal state.

When sin entered the world the serpent, its source, was cursed (Genesis 3:14), and the ground too (verse 17). Cain, who added to his father's sin and completed it, so to speak, was also cursed (Genesis 4:11). All who are under the works of the law are under the curse (Galatians 3:10). But in the heavenly Jerusalem there is no more curse with its long train of ills and miseries. Neither the curse nor its dreadful effects can ever enter the holy city of God, surrounded by His glory.

And then, there is to be no more curse — God and the Lamb shall be in it. The Lamb bore the curse. Thorns the earth was to bring forth, as the product of the curse, and thorns were pressed onto His holy head. He bore the curse that He might remove it.

Now that the curse is gone, all is unmixed blessing in the city. The throne of God and of the Lamb ensure perfect truth and righteousness, yet with perfect grace in administration (v. 3). During the thousand year reign (the Millennium) the curse of Genesis 3:17-19 is largely removed from the earth, but not completely. Isaiah 65:17-25 says so, and verse 20 in particular. Only exceptional cases will call for a curse.

Note here, the throne of God and the Lamb are now in it. That throne, which was acting in judgment to bring about blessing, was now fixed in the heavenly city; but it is not the seat of judgment now. The Lamb still holds its place in the scene, and it is the throne of the Lamb as well as of God. The reader will notice that now for the first time it is called the throne of the Lamb.

The reason given here is that "the throne of God and of the Lamb" is in it. That throne is supreme, and all own it as supreme. Its perfect government therefore secures a state according to God. God's holiness, shown in His throne, will be the eternal guarantee of the happiness of the redeemed. And His love, and the love of the Lamb, will be their eternal and satisfying portion.

They are His servants, and now no one else divides their allegiance with Him. Without reserve "they serve Him." Serve whom, it may be asked — God or the Lamb? Here, as often in his writings, John draws no distinction; he speaks of both as one. There is but one throne named, but One whom they serve, but One whom they see, but One whose name is written on their foreheads.

Ours will be a service without stopping, without weariness, without flagging energy. In joy and freedom our service then will be one of pure love, without a flaw, and without one legal thought. How varied the character of service will be! How gladly the whole being enters on an eternal life of service to Him!

They shall serve and they shall reign at the same time. They shall then be openly priests and kings. But grace has already made them so. Knowing this, they have the privilege of drawing near by faith to that glorious place where they will one day truly stand. Our best instruction is gathered by looking forward.

Then comes that glorious statement, "they shall see His face." His face and His glory go together in the revealing of Himself. The law was given, and broken. Then Moses found grace in God's sight, and this made him bold, so he said, "Please show me your glory." The answer was: "You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." Under grace the contrast is great. Now we can say, "God … has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." But what we have here goes far beyond that. Brought into favour, we shall live in the full light of the knowledge of God, perfectly revealed in Christ. The prayer of our Lord will be fulfilled: "that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory." We shall see the face of God for ever, as we behold Him.

"They shall see His face," that face once covered so shamefully with the spit of men, now radiant with the glory of God. The best wine of the kingdom is being poured out. We shall see His face.

They shall moreover see His face. We read that the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. David, on the other hand, gave orders about Absalom: "Let him return to his own house; he is not to come into my presence." So to see the Lamb's face in glory means close approach and the enjoyment of His presence. It is a place of nearness, and of honour and blessing too. This alone tells us of the saints' perfect condition, just as John writes: "We know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."

We have already seen that the name worn on the forehead first means ownership: it marks out those who have it as belonging to Christ. This says a great deal. To be His is the sum of eternal blessedness, for it brings us into everlasting association with Him, both now and in heaven itself. There is, however, another thought. In chapter 14 the Name is "written" on their foreheads; here it is only said to be there. We gather from this distinction that here the leading feature is moral conformity to the One whose name they bear. … What joy it will be to the Lord Himself, as He looks over the countless crowds of His glorified saints, to see His own likeness shining from every face!

They will see His face and He will be seen in their faces… The names we have borne on earth will have passed forever. No more will "thief" be written on the brow of the saved criminal, nor "sinner" on the woman of Luke 7:36-39, nor will "Pharisee" be seen on the face of Saul of Tarsus. These names will have passed with the lives that earned them, and the Name of Christ alone will be written on every sinless brow.

His name will be stamped on our foreheads. That is the opposite of the number of the Beast stamped on the foreheads of the ungodly (Rev. 13:15-16). This should speak to us now. It should encourage us to give the world a clear confession of His name in both our words and ways.

This is, so to speak, the summary of the blessings the heavenly saints, the Church, enjoy in the state of the thousand-year kingdom. And what a summary! All darkness gone for ever. God Himself is their blessed source of light — not now through instruments, but in His own person. He shines upon them in all His glory, and they are able to rejoice in the glory.

Not only will the light of the City never cease, it will never grow dim. Darkness is ignorance of God even as light is the knowledge of God. Today our light is often hindered by our ignorance. Our ignorance comes mostly from trying to walk in the light of our own reason, instead of walking by the light of Christ and so having His mind.

This verse repeats the fact that there is no night there. So evil gets no chance to work under cover of darkness, and there are no times of dark, dismal experience.

Man makes the "lamp," and God has made the "sun," but there is no need for either there. Everything that suits this world, and everything it needs, is past for the heavenly saints — the Bride, the Lamb's wife — and they "will reign forever and ever."

The sun stands for God's natural mercies. He is so full of tenderness and mercy that He gives us these things richly to enjoy. He did not spare His own Son, so will He not with Him freely give us all things? These natural gifts are, in a way, light to us. But suppose we lost them. What then? Suppose every natural joy, every comfort, every earthly ray of light were gone. Suppose we also lost everything we have made for ourselves, which is what the lamp pictures. Could we still say, "The Lord God gives us light — He is enough"?

There is no night there, and no need of light, for the Lord God gives it. As to their state, they reign — not for the thousand years, as they do over the earth, but for ever and ever.

The expression "to the ages of the ages," I believe, carries its strongest sense here. It does not refer only to what we call "the kingdom," though of course the reigning begins then. In 1 Corinthians 15:24 Christ delivers up a kingdom at a definite point called "the end."

These people were once sinners — slaves of Satan, and of the lusts he held them by. The priceless blood of Jesus has set them free and brought them into the communion with the Father and the Son shown here. How could words less glowing than these describe their condition? They need no lamp or light of the sun, because the Lord God gives them light; and they reign forever and ever.

We cannot forget that service matters just as much in our lives as reigning. Both will be in perfect balance in that day.