“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him” (Revelation 22:1-2).
In this final picture of Revelation we see the picture of a beautiful city. There won’t be a Temple because God Himself and the Lamb will be there. A river flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the center of the city and the trees provide leaves that will bring healing to the nations. The description staggers the imagination. No night, no sickness and the continual presence of God!
John throws in an important ingredient, “No longer will there be any curse.” That is a reminder of the Garden of Eden when Adam’s sin brought a curse into our world. Finally, at the end of history, the curse will be removed. It is a day to which we look forward with excitement.
G. Campbell Morgan made an interesting observation. Reviewing the history of the world, he noted that man’s story began in a garden where sin marred God’s creation and will end in a garden in the midst of a city where the curse will be removed and God’s presence will be forever manifest. Now we observe brokenness all around us. We see evidence of the curse in every direction. It won’t always be this way.
Never forget where we are going. We aren’t to get so weighed down by present pressure that we forget how and where the story will end. In the purest sense of the expression, we will live happily ever after.
