The Tree of Life

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but ethe throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:1-5 ESV).

 

One of the oldest trees on the campus of Texas A&M is the Century Tree (pictured here). There are many traditions that have developed around this tree. It may not be the oldest tree on campus though there is photographic proof that it is at least 135 years old. We were given a sampling some years ago grown from one of the acorns of this tree. I must say it has great genetics. During the winter of 2021 we had an unusually cold and snowy spell that lasted more than a week. Our tree was planted just the year before and we were concerned that it would not survive the ice and snow, with temperatures below freezing for over a week. Spring came and sure enough it looked dead above the ground. However, within a few weeks we witnessed shoots sprouting from the ground. Now it measures nearly seven feet tall! It is a wonderful example of the life God brings through His creation.

 

When Adam sinned against God by eating from the forbidden tree (cf. Genesis 3:6), the Lord punished him, sending him and Eve into exile from the garden and the tree of life (vv. 22–24). At that moment, Adam and all of those in him lost eternal life in a good land. However, this curse was not pronounced without any hint of blessing. God promised that the seed of the woman would defeat the serpent (v. 15), providing hope that paradise would one day be regained. The rest of Scripture simply narrates how the Lord restores Eden. John’s apocalyptic vision as recorded in the book of Revelation offers a glimpse of the consummation of our salvation. As described in our reading, the final destiny of all those in Christ is not merely an ethereal existence in heaven; rather, the people of God will dwell forever in a new heaven and a new earth (cf. Isaiah 65:17–25). There will be a cosmic renewal of the physical universe, and we will live in a new Jerusalem that will descend from heaven to earth after the final judgment.

 

Today’s passage tells us this new Jerusalem will be like Eden, only much better. No unclean thing will ever enter the city, telling us there will be no temptation or desire for evil (vv. 22–27). Trees of life will also be present, and we will have free access to them (v. 2). The abundance of both trees and fruit indicates life in the restored creation will be far more bountiful than what Adam enjoyed in Eden. Finally, the river of life will flow from the throne of the Father and the Son (v. 1). John here alludes to Ezekiel 47:1–12 where the river flows from the eschatological, or final, temple. This is another guarantee of the eternal nature of our life in Christ. This is the wonder of the grace of God!