Revelation 22:2 says, “On this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month, and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” The one tree of life growing on the two sides of the river signifies that the tree of life is a vine, spreading and proceeding along the flow of the water of life for God’s people to receive and enjoy.
The tree of life is Christ as our life supply. First, Christ was the Lamb of God for our redemption (John 1:29) and then the tree of life for our life supply (John 6:35). Christ’s redemption is for imparting Himself into us as the life supply. He is not only the Lamb of God but also the tree of life.
The tree of life grows in the river of life, and the river of life reaches every part of the city. This indicates that the flow of the Triune God waters the whole city. Every part of the city receives the life supply because the tree of life grows in the river and the river reaches every part of the city. The tree of life, as a vine, grows on both sides of the river, following the flow of the river. Wherever the river flows, the tree of life grows. Hence, the supply of life is in the flow of life. This is a picture of God’s dispensing. Christ as the tree of life is the life supply available along the flow of the Spirit as the water of life. Where the Spirit flows, there the life supply of Christ is found. The entire city of the New Jerusalem, which will be constituted of all the redeemed people of God, will be watered by the river of the water of life and nourished by the tree of life. This is the dispensing of the Triune God in full for eternity.
In the ultimate consummation of the dispensing of the divine Trinity, we shall enjoy the light of life, the spring of the water of life, the river of the water of life, and the tree of life. These four things are for the divine dispensing. The light of life shines. The spring of the water of life and the river of the water of life are for the flow of the divine life. The tree of life is for nourishing God’s redeemed. The shining, the flowing, and the nourishing are three aspects of the divine dispensing. This is the triune dispensing of the divine Trinity to be our supply. In eternity we shall enjoy this supply and thereby have the fullest enjoyment of the divine life.
In the New Jerusalem for eternity the believers will reign as kings over the nations forever and ever (Rev. 22:5b). In the enjoyment of the divine life we shall reign as kings over the nations.
The fact that the believers will reign as kings over the nations indicates that even in eternity future there will be people who are not regenerated believers. These people, the nations, will simply be the natural man created by God, fallen, and restored to the natural condition of God’s creation. They are a different category from the believers. The believers, the first category of people belonging to God, are God’s sons born of Him, regenerated of God with His nature and life. The nations, however, will simply be a restored people in God’s creation. It is important that we differentiate the believers from the nations.
Because in eternity there will be both the believers and the nations, the tree of life has two functions. The first function is of the fruit of the tree of life, and the other function is of its leaves. The fruit of the tree of life will be a supply to the sons of God, to those born of God. But “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2b). Hence, the leaves of the tree of life will not supply the nations but will heal them, keeping them alive for eternity. The leaves of the tree of life symbolize the deeds of Christ. The regenerated believers will eat the fruit of the tree of life, receiving Christ as their life and life supply inwardly, that they may enjoy the divine life for eternity.
The restored nations will be healed by the leaves of the tree of life, taking the deeds of Christ as their guide and regulation outwardly, that they may live the human life forever. When the nations look at the way the Lord Jesus does things and behaves, His deeds will become a source of healing to them, and this healing will maintain their human life forever.
Whereas the believers will be in the New Jerusalem, the nations will be the people around the New Jerusalem. Furthermore, the believers will be members of God’s royal family, reigning as kings over the nations. Therefore, in the consummation of the dispensing of the divine Trinity, the believers will be the ruling ones and the nations will be the ruled ones. The nations will be the common people, but the believers will be the royal family. We thank the Lord that, in His mercy, He has first made us vessels of mercy unto honor and then unto glory. In eternity we shall be in glory, full of honor, reigning as kings over the nations.
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