My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 22:2

My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 22:2

Before Jesus was crucified He told the disciples to watch and pray, something so simple, but they let their physical bodies take over and they fell back asleep. In these last hours of time you need to hear His voice. When He tells you something, it is very important, but most ignore my voice or just discuss it and go on with what they were doing. You will see many things start to happen shortly and if you do not hear and obey His voice,... it will mean death for some of you....Jesus has only your best interest in mind. Christ knows you heart, and if you are truly His you will hear His voice. He awakes many of you at 3am on the dot, but most will roll over and go back to sleep. There are a few who will get up and pray. Your day is filled with so many things and Jesus is the last thing many of you give your time to. But Christ needs to talk to you,... to fellowship with you and only when you are still and quite (3am) can you hear Him,... the rest of your day is so busy you do not have time for Him,... but you need to make time, for time is short and the Lord has instructions for you.

Revelation 22

The Food of the New Jerusalem

In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations Rev. 22:2

In the midst... This is a description of only one of the great broadways going through one of the 12 great gates (Rev. 21:21; 22:1-2).

on either side... On both sides of all the 12 great rivers flowing for 1,500 miles through the 12 great broadways there will be rows of trees of life, each row being 1,500 miles long, as described in Rev. 22:2.

healing of the... Preservation of life for the natural, earthly nations, as well as for the resurrected saints (Rev. 2:7; 22:2). There will be no sickness, so no healing from disease, but eternal health and life will come from the leaves of the trees (Rev. 21:4; 22:2-23; cp. Gen. 3:22-24).

A symbol of both eternal life and continual blessing (see Gen. 2:9). The tree bears 12 fruits, one for each month, and is symbolic of the abundant variety in heaven.

The leaves somehow enrich heavenly life, making it full and satisfying.

fruit every month... Monthly, since time exists no more, emphasizes the expression of the joyous provision of eternity using familiar terms of time.

Nations: meaning the people that are in heaven. Sickness will no longer be, so the healing doesn't imply illness. The leaves therefore will be to promote general health or another way of stating that would be: life in heaven will be fully energized, rich and exciting continuously.

The scripture also doesn't tell us if we will eat the leaves or the fruit. Angels ate food on earth with Abraham and Sarah as did Jesus after the resurrection with his disciples. Perhaps the saints in heaven will eat for enjoyment and not out of necessity.

The Tree Of Life (Rev. 22:2)

As John contemplated the heavenly city, he saw the tree of life, bearing 12 crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. Interpreters have puzzled over this expression that the tree of life is on each side of the river. Some take this is as a group of trees. Others say that the river of life is narrow and that it flows on both sides of the tree. The tree of life was referred to in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:22, 3:24), where it was represented as perpetuating physical life forever. Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat of the fruit of this tree. Earlier in Revelation (Rev. 2:7) the saints were promised the “right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”

While the literal and the symbolic seem to be combined in this tree, there is no reason why it could not be an actual tree with literal fruit. The practical effect would be to continue physical life forever. While the verse does not state that the fruit can be eaten, this is presumably the implication.

The tree’s leaves… are for the healing of the nations. Based on this statement some have referred this situation back to the millennial times when there will be sickness and healing. However, another meaning seems to be indicated. The word “healing” (therapeian) can be understood as “health-giving.” The English “therapeutic” is derived from this Greek word. Even though there is no sickness in the eternal state, the tree’s fruit and leaves seem to contribute to the physical well-being of those in the eternal state.

This passage seems to teach that in the middle of each of the twelve streets and on either side of the rivers there are trees of life. From a picture of this one street we conclude that in every one of the twelve great broadways leading from the throne to the twelve great gates at the base of the city there will be a river of living water flowing down the middle of it, with trees of life on each side. This is entirely consistent with the greatness of the city. It must be kept in mind that John is not giving us a detailed description of everything in the city, but just sufficient details to give us an understanding of the city and to show the greatness and beauty of it. The same language concerning the "street" (singular) is used concerning the "river." If there are twelve streets, then it is possible that there are twelve rivers, and surely it is logical, only one river would not harmonize with the rest of the description. The other three sides have gates and streets, and since this "river" is is inseparable from the "street" and since there are twelve streets, there must be twelve rivers. The word for "river" is translated in the plural in Rev. 8:10; 16:4. Cf. plural of "fountain" in 7:17; 14:7; 16:4. There will, no doubt, be many other streets in such a large city.

The trees of life will bear twelve manner of fruits according to the months; i.e., each month they will bear a different kind of fruit. There is not to be a mixture of twelve kinds of fruits twelve times a year. The leaves of the trees will be for the preservation of the natural life of the coming generations and not for the healing of sickness, for there will be no more sin, pain or any part of the curse at that time. Thus, we have in these trees and rivers the divine provision for the pleasures life of all peoples. The fruit of the trees will be for the pleasure of the inhabitants of the New Jerusalem as promised the overcomer (Rev. 2:7; 22:14), as well as for the pleasure of the nations. The leaves are God's provision for preserving natural life and eternal health. Besides this fruit, "hidden manna" will be given to the inhabitants of that city (Rev. 2:17), as well as other food, Lk. 22:16, 18, 30; 19:1-10; Psm. 78:25.