MAY 29 2011 ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON TREE OF LIFE ACCEPTING ABUNDANCE MINISTRY INVOCATION Almighty God, our Father: We give thanks to You for the revelation of life to us. We have received the glimpse of Your Glory and we have recommitted ourselves to continually seek Your favor. We give thanks for the blessing of eternal life. Amen. WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW AND UNDERSTAND The revelation to John was true and the prime indicator of the reward, which is coming to those who keep the faith. The Presence of God will prevent the existence of sin. There is no time frame for His Coming, but there are indicators that He will come. THE APPLIED FULL GOSPEL DISTINCTIVE NONE TEXT: Revelation 22:1 9 (NASB95) The River and the Tree of Life 1 Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, 2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; 4 they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. 5 And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever. 6 And he said to me, These words are faithful and true ; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show to His bondservants the things which must soon take place. 1
7 And behold, I am coming quickly. Blessed is he who heeds the words of the prophecy of this book. 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 But he said to me, Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book. Worship God. COMMENTARY Verse 1. In the previous section (chapter 21:9 27), the angel showed St. John the city and its walls with their gates and foundations. In this section, he showed him the river of the water of life, and the tree of life. He is the angel mentioned in ver. 9, and again referred to in verses. 10, 15, 16, 17. Most probably the pronoun he in verse. 6 does not refer to the same angel as this one. River. The source of this stream, its course or channel, and its fertile banks, are mentioned or implied in what follows; but there is no reference to any estuary or mouth: eternity is the ocean in which this river is lost. Of water of life is perhaps identical in meaning with living water, but is properly distinguished from it in translation. The two expressions are peculiar to St. John s writings in the New Testament Living water, in its simplest literalness, means such water as is pure, flowing, clear, fresh, and wholesome; not stagnant, or turbid, or salt. Hence, it is a proper term for the water of a beautiful and fertilizing river. Here, however, water of life signifies water possessing lifegiving powers, water which restores, refreshes, supports life, and is therefore to be compared with living water taken in its spiritual sense. Of this whosoever drinketh shall never thirst again; when it has been once received within the soul, it becomes a well of water springing up into everlasting life (John 4:14). Clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; clear, or transparent. The source of the river was in the Divine throne, the seat of the Triune God and the crucified Savior. All eternal life is derived from our heavenly Father by the Holy Spirit for the sake of the Redeemer. Verse 2. In the midst of the street of it. This sentence appears to belong to the preceding verse, as in the Revised Version. And on either side of the river, was there the tree of life; and on this side of the river and on that was the tree of life. The singular tree seems intended to be understood generically of the whole of that class of trees. We may see in this bountiful supply of the trees of life an image of the abundance of grace and life in store for the redeemed. Which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; rather, twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; i.e. one crop in each month. The number 2
twelve signifies completeness. This fruit is yielded twelve times as often as ordinary fruit. There is an ever-present supply. The fruit is not of twelve different kinds; the tree of life bears but one kind, And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and ea that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months ). And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations The nations are not the heathen, but the multitude of the redeemed, gathered out of every nation. It is, of course, not implied that there is, in the new Jerusalem, any disease which needs healing, but the tree of life is put forward as the means by which the perpetual health and life and general well-being of the inhabitants are sustained. Verse 3. And there shall be no more curse; and there shall be no accursed thing any more. Nothing accursed exists in that city, because there is no sin there. The narrative here passes into the future tense. But the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him; and the throne, etc. This is the consequence of there being no accursed thing. God dwells in the city because all is holy. The throne of God and of the Lamb is one God and the Lamb are one. Again, his servants, the servants of God and the Lam. They serve him, as described in chapter 19:1 7 and elsewhere. Verse 4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. Another consequence of there being no accursed thing no sin. All are pure in heart, and therefore, they see God. The same promise is made in I John 3:2. The last clause connects this chapter with chapter 3:12, and shows that these who are hers described are those who have overcome. Verse 5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light; and there shall be night no more; and they need no light of lamp, neither light of sun; for the Lord God shall shine upon them. Again an assertion of the Divinity of the Son (cf. ver. 3) And they shall reign for ever and ever. This prediction and promise ends the Revelation, as such. It is the reward placed before those who strive, in order to induce them to overcome. Verse 6. And he said unto me. Probably the angel who has exhibited the vision of the holy city. The concluding portion of the book is now entered upon; it contains a brief summary of (or rather reference to) the chief events which have been narrated, and enforces the lesson which is intended to be taught, viz. that Christians should persevere in well-doing amid ail persecutions, for their reward is certain, and that the punishment due to the wicked will surely overtake them at last. The angel asserts the veracity of what is contained in the book; the time in which to prepare is brief; 3
the prophecy is to be communicated to others; God is eternal; the just are rewarded; the wicked are punished; The prophecy is to be faithfully handed on. These sayings are faithful and true. That is, all that has been conveyed to the seer.. And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets. the things which must shortly come to pass. That spiritual part of the nature of the prophets, by which they are made to discern and to communicate God s will. Verse 7. Behold, I come quickly. The narration passes into the words of Christ himself. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. Because they are faithful and true. The command given is now supposed to have been carried out Verse 8. And I John saw these things, and heard them; literally, and I John [am] the [one] hearing and seeing these things. These things are all that have been related in the book. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things; and when I heard and saw, etc. St. John has once before fallen into the same error, viz. that of paying undue homage to the angel. The beatific vision overwhelms him with awe, and he is bowed down with his own humility. Verse 9. Then saith he unto me, See than do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God; and he saith, etc. Here we have the prophets; in the former passage we have the spirit of prophecy, in much the same sense; here, again, we have them which keep the sayings of this book, in place of that have the testimony of Jesus. In the latter case, also, there is little difference of meaning, since the sayings of this book are exhortations to a faithful bearing of the testimony of Jesus; those, therefore, who keep (that is, carry out) the sayings are those who hold the testimony of Jesus. The prophets need not be restricted in meaning to either Old or New Testament prophets, but may include both. The direct inspiration of the message, which St. John has to deliver is here asserted. In unison with the teaching of the Mosaic covenant, the angel commands to worship God alone. RELATED DISCUSSION TOPICS How can you compare the absence of light to the absence of water described earlier? Is there significance in the positioning of the tree of life? 4
CLOSING PRAYER O, God, Father of heaven and earth and all who dwell therein: We thank You for the newness in our lives and for the rewards of faithfulness that You have revealed to us in Scripture. Keep us in Your loving care until that day that we shall see Your Glory. Amen. 5