Transcript - Christian Growth Center

One Artist’s Rendition of the Tree of Life
and the River of Life
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Texts
• Rev. 21:10-11 (NIV):
–“And he carried me away in the
Spirit to a mountain great and high,
and showed me the Holy City,
Jerusalem, coming down out of
heaven from God. 11 It shone with the
glory of God, and its brilliance was
like that of a very precious jewel, like
a jasper, clear as crystal.”
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• Rev. 22:1-2 (NIV):
–“Then the angel showed me the river
of the water of life, as clear as
crystal, flowing from the throne of
God and of the Lamb 2 down the
middle of the great street of the city.
On each side of the river stood the
tree of life, bearing twelve crops of
fruit, yielding its fruit every month.
And the leaves of the tree are for the
healing of the nations. “
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Introduction
• We have been looking recently at
the New Jerusalem.
–We have learned that it will be the
capital city of the Earth.
–A city of this size, placed in the
middle of the U.S., would stretch
from Canada to Mexico and from
the Appalachian Mountains to the
California border.
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• The New Jerusalem will be huge.
–As I have told you, I envision it as
being like a pyramid-shaped
mountain, the apex of which will
be 1,500 miles high!
–Dwelling places and all the other
buildings would be built on the
slopes of this glorious mountainshaped city.
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• We need not worry that Heaven
(which will be on the New Earth)
will be crowded.
–The base area of the New
Jerusalem alone will be nearly
two million square miles.
–This is forty times bigger than the
country of England.
–It is ten times bigger than France.
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–It is larger than the country of
India.
–And remember, that is just the
base area, or “ground level”.
• If the city is not pyramid shaped,
but rather a perfect cube, and it
contained floors 12 feet high, the
city of New Jerusalem would have
well over 600,000 stories!
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The Gates to the City
• What is the significance of the
gates?
–The city has a great high wall,
close to 300 feet high, with twelve
gates each made of a single
pearl, and twelve angels – one at
each gate.
–On each gate is written one of the
names of the 12 tribes of Israel.
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• There are three gates on the
East, three on the North, three on
the South and three on the West
(Rev. 21:12-13).
–Historically, a city’s gates were an
important defense mechanism.
–Typically, the gates of a city were
closed at night to keep out
enemies and danger.
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• However, Rev.21:25 (NIV) tells
us:
–“On no day will its [the New
Jerusalem’s] gates ever be shut,
for there will be no night there.”
• First of all, the gates can remain
open because they are attended
by 12 angels, one at each gate.
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• Second, there will be no enemies
outside the New Jerusalem.
–The entire New Earth will be filled
with the power knowledge of God
(Habakkuk 2:14).
• Citizens from outside the gates
(i.e., the natural peoples of the
Earth) will go in and out of the city
through these gates. (Rev. 21:24-26).
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• All enemies of God and His
kingdom will be forever cast into
the Lake of Fire.
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How Extravagant Will the City Be?
• Presumably, many other cities will
be on the New Earth, such as
those Jesus mentioned in the
stewardship parables (Luke 19:17-19).
–The kings of nations who will
bring their treasures to the New
Jerusalem will come and go from
their own cities and capitols.
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• Heaven’s capital city will be
astoundingly magnificent.
–We have already discussed the
precious stones and gold used as
building materials.
–Two of the most prominent
fixtures of the New Jerusalem will
be the River of Life and the Tree
of Life.
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What Is the River of Life?
• John describes it thus in Rev.
22:1-2a:
–“Then the angel showed me the
river of the water of life, as clear as
crystal, flowing from the throne of
God and of the Lamb 2 down the
middle of the great street of the
city. . .’
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• Why is water important in
Heaven?
–Because the city will be the center
of (resurrected) human life, and
water is essential to life.
–Ghosts wouldn’t need water, but
resurrected humans evidently will.
• Note that the source of this river
of life is God’s throne, occupied
by the Lamb (Jesus Christ).
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• He is the source of all natural
beauties and wonders.
–They derive their beauties from
the Artist.
–We won’t have to leave the New
Jerusalem to find natural beauty.
–It will be incorporated into the city,
and the River of Life will be one of
those beautiful things.
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• The River flows down the middle
of the main street.
–I imagine it will have many
tributaries as well, which will flow
throughout the city.
–I picture us enjoying the physical
beauty of these waters; swimming
in them, perhaps fishing in them,
and also drinking their pure,
crystal clear water.
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• This fully accessible natural
wonder, may perhaps serve as a
divider down the middle of the
main thoroughfare of Heaven
(much like the berm separates the
divided interstate highways).
–The fact that the water flows
down from God’s throne suggests
the throne’s high elevation and a
descending mountain slope.
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• Off of this main “broadway”, it
would seem reasonable that the
city would have many other
avenues and streets.
–One need only follow the River to
its source to arrive at the city’s
centerpiece, the Lamb’s throne.
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What Is the Tree of Life?
• After John described the River of
Life, he spoke of another striking
feature of the New Jerusalem:
–“. . .On each side of the river stood
the tree of life, bearing twelve
crops of fruit, yielding its fruit
every month. And the leaves of the
tree are for the healing of the
nations.” (Rev. 22:2b, NIV).
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• The Tree of Life is mentioned
three times in Genesis 2, in Eden,
and again four times in
Revelation.
–Three of the mentions in
Revelation are in the final chapter.
–The Revelation references refer
to the same Tree in the garden of
Eden.
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• We are told that the Tree of Life is
presently in Paradise, or the
Intermediate (Present) Heaven
(Rev. 2:7).
–The New Jerusalem itself, also in
the present Heaven, will be
brought down to the New Earth –
Tree of Life and all (Rev. 21:2).
–In Eden the Tree seems to have
been a source of on-going
physical life.
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• The presence of the Tree of Life
suggests a supernatural provision
of life as Adam and Eve ate the
fruit.
–Adam and Eve were designed to
live forever, but to do so they
likely needed to eat from the Tree
of Life.
–Once they sinned they were
banned from the Tree and the
Garden.
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• They then became subject to
physical death, just as they had
experienced spiritual death.
–Since Eden, death has reigned
throughout human history.
–But in Heaven, our access to the
Tree of Life will be restored
forever.
–In Heaven, there is no mention of
the tree of knowledge of good and
evil to test us.
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• The redeemed will already have
known sin and will desire it no
more.
–In the New Earth, we will eat
freely of the fruit of the same Tree
that nourished Adam and Eve.
–“. . . To him who overcomes, I will
give the right to eat from the tree
of life, which is in the paradise of
God” (Rev. 22:7b).
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• The tree will produce, not one
crop, but twelve different ones.
–A different fruit each month.
–The fruit is not to be admired only,
but to be eaten.
• The description of the Tree of Life
in Rev. 22 mirrors precisely what
was prophesied in the Old
Testament in Ezek. 47:12 (NIV):
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–“Fruit trees of all kinds will grow
on both banks of the river. Their
leaves will not wither, nor will their
fruit fail. Every month they will
bear, because the water from the
sanctuary flows to them. Their
fruit will serve for food and their
leaves for healing.”
• Many Bible scholars believe the
Tree of Life is a collective term.
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• Similarly, the River of Life, and
Avenue are also believed to be
collective terms.
–The idea is that there is not just
one central tree, but whole rows
of trees alongside the River of
Life, between the river and the
great broadway and this pattern
will repeat itself in the city’s many
avenues and streets.
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• Thus, the City would be full of
parks with streams and, as
already mentioned, fountains of
waters.
–This broader view of the Tree of
Life would account for the fact
that the Tree grows on both sides
of the great River of Life at once
and yields 12 different kinds of
fruit.
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• The Bible also tells us that the
leaves of the Tree are for the
healing of the nations (Rev. 22:2).
–This is the third time that the
natural inhabitants of the New
Earth are referred to as “nations”.
–Nations will not be eliminated, but
healed.
–The leaves will evidently have lifesustaining, healing properties.
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• These will help maintain physical
life and health.
–On the New Earth we will still
partake of food and the life-giving
properties of the River of Life and
the fruit and leaves of the Tree of
Life.
–It appears our resurrected bodies
will still have needs, but they will
all be met.
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• The organic nature of edible fruit
and medicinal leaves emphasizes
the tie of mankind to Earth.
–It also suggests that eternal life
on the New Earth won’t be as
different from life in Eden as is
often assumed.
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Other Natural Wonders
• What the Bible tells us about the
River of Life and the Tree of Life
is indicative of other natural
wonders that will be part of the
New Earth.
–Since it will be the New Earth, we
can expect geographical
properties of present earth, like
mountains, waterfalls, etc.
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• In describing the New Earth, John
viewed the New Jerusalem from
“a mountain great and high” (Rev.
21:10).
–Note that John calls it “a”
mountain, not “the” mountain.
–We know the New Earth will have
at least one “great and high”
mountain, and can assume it will
have many more.
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• Just as our resurrection bodies
will be far better than our current
ones, I believe the New Earth’s
natural wonders will be far more
spectacular than any on this
present Earth.
–I expect more magnificent and
more awesome mountains, lakes,
flowers, etc., than are on our
present Earth.
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• To imagine the New Earth to have
less natural beauty than this one
would be regression.
–I believe there is every reason to
expect progression.
–The use of precious metals and
gem stones and vast architecture
is lavish beyond our current ability
to grasp, for there is nothing to
compare it to.
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• The New Earth’s waterfalls may
dwarf Niagara – or the New
Niagara may dwarf the one we
know now.
–There will probably be new rock
formations more spectacular than
Yosemite’s; mountain peaks,
higher than the Himalayas;
forests deeper than any in our
Pacific Northwest.
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• On the present Earth, God shows
his power and magnificence
through natural wonders and
weather (cf. Job 8:5-7; 38:34-35).
–Since the present Earth is the
prototype of the New Earth, there
is every reason to believe He will
show His greatness and beauty
the same way in the New Earth.
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Will There Be Seasons
& Varying Weather?
• In a passage that promises
rescue, security, and no more
famine or fear for His people, God
stated:
–“I will bless them and the places
surrounding my hill. I will send
down showers in season; . . .
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–“there will be showers of blessing.
27 The trees of the field will yield
their fruit and the ground will yield
its crops; the people will be secure
in their land. They will know that I
am the LORD, when I break the
bars of their yoke and rescue them
from the hands of those who
enslaved them.”
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• Rain is not a bad thing, it is
necessary and good.
–Presumably, the trees and crops
on the New Earth will require rain
to sustain them.
–Will rain turn to snow in colder
weather? Why not?
–If there is snow, will people play in
it like we do now? Why not?
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• Just as resurrected people will
have eyes, ears and hands, so
will the resurrected Earth have
rain, snow and wind.
• In Gen. 8:22, God says:
–“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and
heat, summer and winter, day and
night will never cease.”
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• Lightning, thunder, rain and snow
all declare God’s greatness (Job
37:3-6).
–I can think of no reason why we
would believe such things will not
be part of the New Earth.
–They won’t harm us; no one will
perish in a flood or be killed by
lightning.
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• Just think, we could go hiking in a
snowstorm without fear of trauma
or death!
• We could stand in an open field in
a thunderstorm and experience
the majesty of God’s power
without fear of injury or death.
–How awesome would that be?
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• Must the New Earth be tamed,
stripped of high peaks, deserts,
waterfalls, and thunderstorms
because they cause pain or death
in this present world? No.
–Nature, including variations in
climate, will be a source of joy
and pleasure, not a source of
destruction.
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• Certainly there will be seasons in
the New Earth.
–God is depicted as the creator
and sustainer of the seasons in
Gen. 8:22:
–“As long as the earth endures,
seedtime and harvest, cold and
heat, summer and winter, day and
night will never cease.”
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In Closing
• Earth’s “upgrade” will be vastly
superior to the present Earth.
–Sin, the Curse, death, sorrow and
suffering will be gone.
–In every way the New Earth will
be better than this present one.
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• God’s original plan for Earth and
mankind will be fulfilled.
–We will experience all that God
intends for us.
–It will be glorious beyond our
wildest ability to imagine.
• Heaven on the New Earth will
exceed anything we can conceive
of now.
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