Revelation 22:14 says, “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.” This verse may be considered a promise of the enjoyment of the tree of life, which is Christ with all the riches of life. The tree of life is nothing less than Christ, the Son of God, the redeeming Lamb, as our life supply. This tree is rich, fresh, and refreshing. We have been redeemed so that we may have the right to come to the tree of life.
After his creation, man was put before the tree of life (Gen. 2:8-9), indicating that he was privileged to partake of that tree. But due to the fall of man, the tree of life was closed to man by God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness (Gen. 3:24). Through Christ’s redemption, which has fulfilled all the requirements of God’s glory, holiness, and righteousness, the way to the tree of life is opened again to the believers (Heb. 10:19-20). Hence, the believers who wash their robes in the redeeming blood of Christ, that is, keep their conduct clean through the washing of the blood of the Lamb, have the right to enjoy the tree of life as their eternal portion.
Revelation 22:2 says that the tree of life grows on the two sides of the river. This indicates that the tree of life is a vine, spreading and proceeding along the flow of the water of life. In the millennial kingdom the overcoming believers will enjoy Christ as the tree of life as their reward (Rev. 2:7). In the New Jerusalem all the believers will enjoy Christ as the tree of life as their eternal portion.
The water of life and the tree of life both signify that the Triune God will be dispensed into us continuously as our life supply for eternity. The water of life signifies the Spirit who is the ultimate consummation of the Triune God, and the tree of life signifies Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God. The fact that the tree of life grows on the two sides of the river of the water of life indicates that the embodiment of the Triune God, who is Christ, is always along with the all-inclusive Spirit, who is the consummation of the Triune God, to be our life supply dispensed into us. In this way the believers will enjoy the eternal life to the fullest extent. The flowing of the water of life with the tree of life is the dispensing of the Triune God into His chosen people as their life and life supply in fullness for eternity.
In the ultimate consummation of the dispensing of the divine Trinity, the believers, together with the Old Testament saints, will be the components of the holy city, New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2a). The names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel are inscribed on the gates of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12b). This indicates that the Old Testament saints are components of the New Jerusalem. The names of the twelve apostles are on the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:14). This indicates that the New Testament believers also are components of the New Jerusalem. Therefore, the New Jerusalem is a living composition of all the redeemed and perfected saints in both the Old and New Testaments throughout the generations.
The fact that the New Jerusalem is a living composition of the believers and the Old Testament saints proves that the holy city is not a physical entity. On the contrary, the New Jerusalem is a corporate person, the aggregate and totality of all of God’s redeemed people. This corporate person, this aggregate of the Old Testament saints and the New Testament believers, is the ultimate enlargement and consummation of the Father’s house in John 14.
In Revelation 21:2a John says, “I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.” The New Jerusalem will come down to the new earth. After all God’s redeemed saints have been raptured to the heavens, they will be the New Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from God. This indicates that our dwelling place for eternity will not be heaven, but will be the New Jerusalem on the new earth.
Many believers want to go to heaven, but God wants to come down from heaven. We may love heaven, but God loves the earth. Eventually, the New Jerusalem, which is something heavenly, will come down out of heaven from God.
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