God's Heavenly City

Revelation 21:22 - 22:5

Many people can remember back to when they were children, and due to some act of disobedience, had a favorite possession or privilege taken away for awhile.  The parent took a favorite toy away for awhile, TV privileges were taken away for a few days, or for teenagers the keys to the car were taken until they learned their lesson.  How happy they are when they got their item back or privileges restored! In our Scripture passage for today from the Book of Revelation we read about something that God had to take from man, but will be restored in heaven.  Let’s take a look and see what it is.

As our passage opens, the Apostle John continues to record his visions of heaven, and is now describing the New Jerusalem after the Millennium.  There is no need for a temple in the eternal heaven, after the Millennium, since God Himself will be the temple in which everything exists (vs. 22).  The presence of God will fill the entire new heaven and new earth. Another thing that one will notice in this heavenly city is that there is no sun or moon.  We need the sun to give us light to see during the day, and a bright full moon gives a degree of light at night. However, in heaven we will not need that as the glory of God will illuminate it.  Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the light. There was light in creation before God created the sun, moon, and stars (Genesis 1:3, 16). As John saw here, and proclaimed in one of his epistles, God is Light (I John 1:5).

As John continues to observe and describe this heavenly city he sees that although the redeemed consist of people from every nation and ethnic group (vs. 24), not everyone gets into heaven (vs. 25-27). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It is very plain here that not all are saved, as some teach. John indicates that there are some outside of this heavenly city.

John continues into the heavenly city and comes upon a river with the water of life, and then sees the tree of life (vs. 1 - 2).  The water of life symbolizes the continual flow of eternal life from God’s throne. Jesus used this image with the Samaritan woman in John 4:7 - 14.  It pictures the fullness of a life with God, and the eternal blessings we receive when we are saved.

The tree of life hearkens back to the tree that was in the center of the Garden of Eden.  If we remember, there were two trees in the center of that garden, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  God had instructed Adam not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16 - 17). However he disobeyed (Genesis 3:6) and was cast out of the garden, and God blocked the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:22 - 24).  Now we see the tree of life again. Here it is now in the heavenly city. In heaven there is no sin, and we are now permitted to eat of its fruit freely. The curse that came upon mankind and the earth because of Adam’s sin will be totally finished.  We are forgiven through the Blood of Jesus, and the tree of life is restored. Though taken from man at the dawn of time, it is now restored. The curse is over (vs. 3). Nothing accursed will be in God’s presence.

When we get to heaven all of our scars and deformities will be gone. There is Someone, though, who will have His scars remain. That is the Lord Jesus.  The scars on His hands, feet, and side will remain throughout all of eternity. He received those scars to pay our sin-penalty.  He received those when He died for us. Those are evidence of how much Jesus loves us, and that will remain for eternity.