WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday November 20, 2016
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LIFE AND HEALING
(We can have the privilege of serving GOD forever)
(Revelation 22:1-7)
Here in Revelation 22,
the Apostle John is given a few more details by the angel, in his vision
concerning the New Jerusalem. Here the angelic tour moves from the exterior of
the Holy City to the interior, a place where only those who believe in CHRIST
will ever be able to go. In verses 1-2, the first thing that John is shown in
the city is the vision of a “River of the waters of Life” that will flow out
from the thrones of GOD and the LAMB, CHRIST JESUS. It will be a pure river of
waters that will symbolize GOD’s OWN holiness and purity.
Here
in this passage we are presented with a scene that is reminiscent of many of the
visions of the Old Testament prophets such as Ezekiel (Ezekiel 47), and
Zechariah (Zechariah 14:8), and Joel (Joel 3:18), however, those visions were
referencing a literal river that will flow out of the Temple in the Old
Jerusalem, and are instead, visions of the coming Millennial Kingdom, the time
of CHRIST JESUS’ rule here on earth. The river, here in Revelation 22, is a
part of the “New Jerusalem” on the “New earth” that GOD will create after the
thousand-year reign of CHRIST on the “old earth”, and after the final defeat of
satan at Armageddon.
John’s
vision shows the river coursing its way down the center of the main street of
the New Jerusalem. On each side of the river will be a “tree of life” bearing “12
crops of fruit each year, a fresh crop every month. The leaves of those trees
will be used as medicine to heal all the nations of the new earth, of all
manner of sickness. Each person who enters into the Kingdom of GOD, will be
healed, because there can be no curse of illness of any kind in Heaven. Therefore,
this River of Life stands as a symbol of the abundant life GOD will provide for
all of HIS people who reside there, and it will be theirs for the taking, not
only to heal them, but also, to quench their hunger and thirst.
“The Trees of Life” that are mentioned here in
verse 2, is a concept that is already familiar to the Apostle John from his
knowledge of the Garden of Eden, and, from the writings of the prophet Ezekiel.
In the age to come, the LORD will create trees that will naturally promote life
and healing perpetually through a variety of miraculous fruit and foliage. These
fruit will not be forbidden to any of the residents of the New Jerusalem, nor
will they be restricted to only the use of the Jews, but rather, the benefits
of those trees will be available to people of all national origins who reside
in the city.
And
so, in this scene, naturally there will be no person in Heaven who doesn’t know
GOD on a personal level, and all who exists will worship the FATHER and the SON.
They will see HIS face for the very first time, and HIS name will be written on
their foreheads (thoughts of GOD will be on their minds constantly). Nights will
cease to exist, and there will be no need for the sun, the moon, or even lamps,
because the LORD HIMSELF will shine on everyone. When we are living in
eternity, ways of measuring time, such as hours, days, nights, weeks, months,
and years, become totally irrelevant and insignificant to our existence
(Vs.3-5).
After
reading this passage we should now more clearly understand what JESUS tried to
convey to us way back in the Gospel account of the Apostle John (John 6:53-58)
where HE states:
“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the “flesh”
(which can be likened to the fruit of the tree in this passage) of the SON of
MAN and drink HIS “blood” (which can be likened to the living waters of the
river in this passage), you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats MY flesh and drinks MY blood has eternal life,
and I will raise that person at the last day. For MY flesh is true food, and MY blood is true drink. Anyone who eats MY flesh and
drinks MY blood remains in ME, and I in him. I live because of the LIVING FATHER who sent ME; in the same way,
anyone who feeds on ME will live because of ME. I AM the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this
bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but
will live forever.” (NLT)
In verse 7 we find the sixth of the seven
beatitudes that are found in the book of Revelation (the others are 1:3, 14:13,
16:15, 19:9, 20:6, and 22:14), which states, “Blessed are those who obey the
prophesy written in this scroll”. The coming of CHRIST JESUS is always “soon”,
in the minds of those who believe in HIM. A special blessing is added to those
who obey and heed to the prophecies in this, the book of Revelation, as well as
the whole of Scripture itself. Indeed, we don’t really love JESUS unless we are
willing to obey HIM, and to take on HIS task that HE started in the world when
HE resided here physically. We must be willing to take up our own cross, by
moving away from sinful behavior, and into unknown righteousness where JESUS
resides right now.
A Sunday school lesson by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY D. ALEXANDER- Official
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