Revelation 22:1-14 describes the city of God in heaven, the New Jerusalem, where the river of the water of life and the tree of life are seen again. The tree of life is not a small thing for imagination or for people to describe according to what their heart desires. The tree of life was already there in the Garden of Eden, in the middle of the garden, when God spoke to Adam like a father speaking to a son.
God gave Adam many trees with fruit to eat, but God forbade that one tree connected to life and obedience. God’s conversation with Adam was before Eve was there, and it was about how Adam would live before God in the garden. The word of God is therefore not a market for people to sell their own desire, even when many voices on YouTube claim to bless people. The words of Revelation are “trustful and true,” because the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.
The fall of Adam brought a great loss. The tree of life was guarded, Adam was driven out, and the garden was removed from his reach. God preserved the tree of life for the righteous, for those washed by the blood of the Lamb, for those who are being made ready for the holy city. The New Jerusalem is the place where the righteous will eat from the tree of life and drink from the water of life, and death will no longer touch them.
The blood of the Lamb is not about washing ordinary clothes. The robes are the heart and life before God. The world prepares people for its competitions, teaching them how to walk, dress, speak, smile, show beauty, and gain points before human judges. God prepares citizens of New Jerusalem in another way. The one word for that preparation is obedience to the words written in the book.
The secret for God’s people is plain: the heart must be washed in the blood of Jesus, the word of God must be received, and salvation must be held firmly by faith. Christ says, “Behold, I am coming soon.” The righteous wait for him, stand firm in what is written, and get ready to live with him forever.
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Key Takeaways
- 1. The tree belongs to the righteous [01:25:25] The tree of life is not lost forever, but preserved by God for those purified by the Lamb. Adam was forbidden after sin, but the righteous are being prepared to enter where death has no more power. God’s holiness removes the sinner, yet God’s mercy reserves life for the washed. [85:25]
- 2. Robes mean the heart before God [01:26:24] The washing of robes is not about outside clothing, but the inner person standing before the Lamb. A person may appear clean before people and still need the blood of Jesus in the hidden place. True readiness begins where human eyes cannot judge. [86:24]
- 3. The world trains for human glory [01:28:26] The world prepares people for competition, display, and applause, measuring speech, clothing, beauty, and public image. Such training may win points on a stage, but it cannot open the holy city. God’s preparation is deeper, because heaven receives obedience, repentance, and blood-washed lives. [88:26]
- 4. Obedience is heaven’s preparation [01:32:40] The preparation for New Jerusalem is gathered into one word: obeying what is written in the book. God does not ask for performance before judges, but faithfulness before his word. The life that drinks from the water of life is the life that has yielded to the revealed word of God. [92:40]
- 5. Christ is coming soon [01:36:44] The repeated word “Behold” calls the soul to wakefulness and expectation. The coming of Jesus is not an idea for later, but a present summons to stand firm. Faith waits by washing, receiving the word, and holding salvation with seriousness.
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Youtube Chapters
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [74:33] - New Jerusalem and the Water of Life
- [76:22] - Eden and the Tree of Life
- [79:54] - Warning About Marketplace Preaching
- [82:34] - Trustful and True Words
- [83:29] - Adam Driven from the Garden
- [85:25] - Tree Reserved for the Righteous
- [86:24] - Robes Washed in the Lamb’s Blood
- [88:26] - Worldly Beauty and Competition
- [92:40] - God’s Preparation for the Holy City
- [95:58] - Wash the Heart and Stand Firm
- [96:44] - Behold, Jesus Is Coming Soon
- [98:16] - Time to Pray and Wash the Robes