22:1-2 How are we to understand the river of water of life and the tree of life here?
22:1-2 How are we to understand the river of water of life and the tree of life here?
The river of water of life is not called that because it will be the medium of eternal life, but because it will bring life to everything along its course (cp Eze 47:1-12; Zech 14:8).
The river will flow into both the Mediterranean and the Dead Seas - the former sea, and the hinder sea of Zech 14:8. It will give life to the Dead Sea, which has no fish in it. At present it cannot sustain any organic life, but at that time, it will be teeming with fish (cp Eze 47:9-10).
The river will be over two miles wide. (It measures four thousand cubits from one side to the nearest edge of the deepest part in the middle, and it will undoubtedly measure the same distance from the other side. This makes a total of eight thousand cubits, or approximately twelve thousand feet, which is in excess of two miles (cp Eze 47:3-5)).
It should be noted here that, contrary to what some Christians believe, the varying depths of the river have no spiritual significance. Clearly the river of water of life is literal, not symbolic of the blessings of God or the continual flow of eternal life from God's throne, as some teach (cp Psa 46:4).
The tree of life is also literal. It will bear twelve kinds of fruit; a different fruit for each month of the year. It will be such a prolific bearer, the fruit will never be all used up (cp Eze 47:7, 12; Rev 22:2).
The fruit will be for both the redeemed of God, who will live in New Jerusalem, and the natural people, who will live in the new earth (cp Rev 2:7; 22:2, 14).
The leaves of the tree will be for the preservation of life of the natural people. The new earth will be inhabited throughout eternity by natural people - and their future generations - who lived on the earth after the battle of Armageddon, during the millennial reign of Christ and did not rebel with Satan at the end of the thousand years (cp Psa 37:9-11, 22, 29, 34; 69:35-36; Isa 2:1-3; 65:18-25; 66:22-23; Dan 7:13-14, 27; Mic 4:1-5; Zech 14:16; Mt 25:31-46; Rev 11:15).
These scriptures are merely representative of countless scriptures which teach that there will be eternal generations of natural people in the new earth. They will marry and have children, build houses, plant crops, go to work, and live normal everyday lives. And most important of all, they will all worship God (cp Zech 14:16 with Rev 21:24-27; 22:14).