The River of Life

August 21, 2022 Background Scripture: Revelation 22:1 - 7 Lesson Passage: Revelation 22:1 - 7 Water is an essential element for sustaining life. Water has been in every place where life has been found. I still recall the large headlines in the local paper the day after a space rover detected some water crystals on Mars. Part of the article boldly stated that we who live on Earth have neighbors. Of course, since that time, no life has been discovered on Mars—or any other planet than Earth. So why was that article written? Because of the discovery of water crystals. Water is essential for life, and therefore the conclusion was that life exists wherever water is found. This is a fundamental teaching of the biological sciences that has been around for thousands of years. We believe the Bible teaches that human life began in a single location on Earth and spread across the globe. People migrated but did not settle down at a location unless water was found there. Every major population site today is located by a major water source. As we turn our attention to today's Background Scripture, John wrote about various aspects of the vision he was given of the new creation. The focus of today's lesson is the River of Life. I believe it is fair to ask: Is water essential for the glorified body we will receive in the resurrection? John's vision needed to be relatable for him to be able to describe it for others. In other words, John needed to relate to the vision himself before he could share it with others. Sometimes it is difficult to describe something new without a point of reference for comparison. When we hear about something new, we expect to be told how it compares to the old. John was shown some things that were familiar to him to help him accept those things which were unfamiliar. This made the vision relatable. In the first century a source of water would make sense for a location supporting a population of people. But it can't just be a common water source in anew creation. It was different. John described its clarity, origin, and benefit. John described the river as pure and clear as crystal. For anyone who has seen a river, the water may appear clearer on one day versus another, but crystal clear would not be a description of it. Rivers typically flow, and in doing so, they pick up mud and other debris. Water from rivers is filtered and purified prior to being used. The river John saw and described would not need to be purified prior to being used or consumed. It was naturally pure. The river did not flow from some melting ice cap on a mountain as is the case for many rivers today. John saw a river flowing from the throne of God. Certainly, its origin would be the reason for its purity. As it flowed out from the throne, the tree of life was on each bank. The tree benefited from the water's presence and produced fruit and leaves. The fruit was always in season and the leaves had medicinal qualities. Again, one could question why medicine would be needed in the new creation. There will be no more sickness and death. (Remember the vision needed to be relatable.) It was not for John to interpret or understand the vision. God charged John with writing the vision for others to receive. God assured John that His words were faithful and true. God also gave the assurance that the new creation would happen, and it will appear to happen suddenly. As with all unfulfilled prophecy, there are many things which are not very clear to us today. Despite that, we can be grateful for a prophecy of a glorious future for the children of God. Because John saw things he could relate to, we can also relate to what John wrote about the vision. Robert C. Hudson August 5, 2022