Revelation 22:1-5 – 2026 Jan 29

As we continue our look at the eternal state of believing humanity, we begin the final chapter of the entire Bible. These are the last 21 verses of the entire Bible, and in this study, we will look at only the first five of those. This is because of the richness of Scripture and the goodness of God to show His servants what He is going to do, as He told John in the first verse of this book. It says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John…” (Rev. 1:1)

I can tell you that although this may be the end of the Bible, it is not the end of the story. It is like the end of the Book of Acts, where we will be going next. It just leaves off in the middle of the action with a kind of invitation to participate in what comes next. This chapter of Scripture contains a specific invitation, however, and we will look at it when we get there. I will say that Acts is a much larger book than we have tackled before, and we will cover what we can, but I have no intention of taking 42 Years to preach through the New Testament like Dr. MacArthur, a bit of a non-personal mentor to me, much like the Apostles Paul, Peter, and John. I’m just trying to adequately cover the material.

In these verses, John continues his angelically guided tour of the Eternal City of New Jerusalem, whether it is analogous or literal, and because he wrote it down, he is taking us with him. We have previously covered the idea, but I will remind you that there are parts of this that are analogy and parts that must be literal, but I am completely confused to say which is which. I have previously made my case for more than one level of meaning here that may allow both things to be true at once. Where this occurs, I will try to remember to make it obvious by saying something or treating it obviously one way or the other.

The last time we were here, John approached the city from the outside and wrote down what he saw for us, and we looked at what that must mean both literally and analogously. What we found was that it tells the story of a Bride. The angel said to John that he would show him the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. The first thing John sees is this absolutely massive cube coming down to rest on an exceedingly high mountain. It is about 1400 miles on each side of the cube, which we determined covers the size of the Roman Empire as a footprint, and reaches Middle Earth Obit in altitude, and probably higher since it is on a mountain (some mountain, size of the Roman Empire). We determined that the Bride was the City, and the City was the Bride, and the individual stones of which the city was constructed was probably each individual believer. There was a wall around the city that was 144 cubits high (about 72 yards), and all of these distances in the original were multiples of 12, the number of God’s government, in which we all will participate.

We discovered that each of the foundation stones displayed a name of one of Christ’s Apostles, all covered with the amazing jewels that covered the very first of all angels, Lucifer, on the day on which He was created. All of those stones conveyed immense spiritual authority and power, and they now covered those stones, suggesting that the Bride, the wife of the Lamb, is the replacement for the now-punished Lucifer, who will then be powerless in the lake of fire as a part of the second death. That directly infers that WE, the Bride, that is the Church, the Bride of Christ, will take over Lucifer’s old duties and responsibilities, and enjoy even more privilege than he ever did as the intimate consort of God Himself in God the Son in the analogy.

From that position outside, the angel takes John into the city itself, and upon entrance, He saw a city of gold so pure that it was transparent like glass. It suggested that nothing will then stand in the way of the full transmission of God’s glory, and that we will perhaps no longer simply reflect it, but transmit it, as God Himself as the full united trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, to and perhaps through the believers present as well, as our Lord Jesus prayed in John 17:20-21, which says “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” From that incredibly blessed and privileged place, we will reign with Him forever as the wife of the Lamb, the Bride of Christ, His hands and feet on Earth as the body of Christ. This evening, we continue that internal examination of what John saw in the city. We already know from last time, there is no more night and there is no temple, so we know we will live in eternal day in the presence of God. Let’s see what else John saw.

I broke the text down as follows:

KV4: We will (Finally) Belong to Him

4: “…they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”

1-2: Main Street, New Jerusalem

3: No More Curse Remains

4: No More Isolation and Separation

5: No More Darkness, Sin, and Death

I use the adverb “finally” in brackets for two reasons. The first of those is that this is a final outcome for all those who will ever believe. Although it is not the end of our story, there is finality to it, and it is very good (for a change). The second is that I’m really impatient, and I know some of you are as well. There will be a lot of tragedy, as we have been reading. Even Christ’s Millennial reign ends in a big tragedy after 1000 years of nothing but Christ, increase, blessing, and the restraint of all sin including in all people, not just believers. I guess the Devil will have his due, like it or not. Fortunately, our Lord Jesus, who is demonstrably God at this point, will deal with him easily and permanently, much to Lucifer’s eternal chagrin. Beloved, even if the rapture of the church is tonight, and I have no reason to think it is, that day of eternal bliss and being in our eternal state is more than 1000 years into the future. By the time we get there, we will all be impatient for it. The souls under the altar in Revelation 6 were. They all called out, “How long until You take vengeance on our behalf, Lord?” Or at least words to that effect. But don’t worry, that IS coming. Let’s get into this evening’s material.

KV4: We will (Finally) Belong to Him

4: “…they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.”

I know the rescue of the saints from this will happen much earlier, and the wedding supper of the Lamb will occur before our Lord Jesus returns to deal with Lucifer’s rebellion. If you were hear for those previous studies, you will even know why. For us, the prelude for this eternal state will be blissful, but will still not be permanent. We will be His, but we will be learning what we need to know for this eternal state. Perhaps we will help in the administration of Christ’s rule on Earth, there are certainly indications in the text for that, but this – this is different. This is like the day after graduation. I woke up that morning and wondered what I was going to do with the rest of my life, because I still didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. I do now; I want to be a slave of Jesus Christ and do what He tells me for the rest of eternity. Now, I know the struggles of all believers that are still in the flesh. Like Paul, I experience this body of death that weighs me down (and will probably kill me without divine intervention, which has already happened). I long to be free of the very presence of sin in me and around me. I understand what Peter meant when He talked about righteous Lot when he said, “…for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds…” (2 Pet. 2:8). I am oppressed (KJV: vexed) by these things and much grieved even if I don’t display it or sometimes laugh at it and call it names like “woke” or “moron.” THEN, I will FINALLY be His. It will be OVER! I will finally be free to follow Him wherever He goes, not just leads. As we will se later, I will finally belong to Him in the way He intended when He saved me on June 18, 1985 at the age of 18. Oh, you do the math, I don’t care. It won’t matter in 10,000 years. Let’s get into the text.

1-2: Main Street, New Jerusalem

As John enters the city, things continue to grab his attention, and he tells us as best he can what he sees. I don’t know even he understood it all, but as an Apostle of Christ, he probably looked with wonder upon the foundation stone with his own name on it, and then saw the names of all of his friends and fellow-labourers. I wonder what he would have thought, other than “I am so unworthy.” If it was anything like what I hear in my own head, it is “I am so unqualified to be here, I don’t deserve these good things,” and I know I am right. However, my Lord Jesus (and wonder of wonders, I get to call Him MY Lord, you can too) made it all happen when He died on the cross to atone for my personal sins and then expiate (clean, erase) my record of crimes to justify me before God. It is a debt that I can never repay Him, and I love Him for it. He gave me this gift for free! But it wasn’t free for Him. This is in some way reflected throughout the entire Bible, and no one can get past it. Let’s look at the text.

1: Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb,

The angel shows John a river. I once wrote a song about this. I started it with Psalm 46:4a, which reads “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God…” I think this is referring to that river. I know I was. Look at how the passage continues: “There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.” Is it not referring to this very river? This river proceeds, in this very verse, from the very throne of God and of the Lamb, I will note, joined together as Father and Son, here on the pages of Scripture as co-equal, and both divine.
That river contains the water of life. John MacArthur suggests that “This is not water as we know it, it is a symbol of the water of life (cf. Isa. 12:3, John 4:13-14, John 7:38).” (MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Revelation 12-22. Chicago, IL. Moody Press. p.286) We will look at those verses.
Though these passages do not speak necessarily of this picture, they help understand the image of the water of life. Isaiah helps us to understand that it is something to be greatly desired, and will eventually fill the believer and follower with Joy. The verse says, “Therefore you will joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” The text in John 4 tells us that (a) it is a gift from Christ, (b) it is given to us and will create a “well” within of incredible heavenly resource, (c) it is permanent, in that our Lord Jesus says we will never thirst again, and (d) it will result in eternal life, which means it is speaking of the gospel of Jesus Christ, by which we are saved by grace through faith in Him. The verse says, “Jesus answered and said to her, “‘Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.’” The John 7 passage is similar, but the surrounding context (the verses immediately following) indicates that it speaks of the Holy Spirit. The Water of Life, that is, the Holy Spirit, is a gift given by our Lord Jesus to every believer, it gives us His very nature to call upon in times of need, it continually satisfies us or otherwise meets our needs, and it is a direct result of our faith (belief, an opinion strongly held) in Him. The verse says, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”
Not to make too much of the point, but the river of life is symbolic of the Holy Spirit coming from its source, who is God Himself. Is there a real river? Why not? John saw it, there might just be a reality based on his words. Does it symbolize the Holy Spirit? It does everywhere else! Why not here? It can mean both things at once, so I’m going to let it. This infinitely superior water of life flows from God’s throne to His chosen people. It can be seen as eternal life in the Holy Spirit for the believer. Jesus used this very same analogy in John 4 with the Samaritan woman. It shows the fullness of life with God and the everlasting blessings that come from believing and obeying Him and finding their fulfillment and satisfaction in Him as they drink from this living water to slake their spiritual thirst. I like how Matthew Henry, the Puritan Commentator, puts this in his commentary on this passage: “The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, applies this salvation to our souls by his new-creating love and power. The trees of life are fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The presence of God in heaven, is the health and happiness of the saints.”
The next thing we see about that water is that it is “clear as crystal.” The Greek word used in the text is λαμπρὸν! Bright! It is also infused with the light of the glory of God! Like everything else in the City, it is transparent, so as not to hide the Glory of God, but to reveal it. Dr. MacArthur says on this verse, “Its pure, unpolluted, unobstructed flow symbolizes the constant flow of everlasting life from God’s throne to God’s people.” (MacArthur Commentary, p.286)
That river of living water is flowing out of the throne of God and of the Lamb as its single source. Just like Eden had four rivers flowing around it (Gen. 2:11-14, “The name of the first is Pishon; it flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. The gold of that land is good; the bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the whole land of Cush. The name of the third river is Tigris; it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.”), Eternity has a flowing river. And just as Genesis begins with the eternal pre-existent God in the very first verse, it closes Scripture with the presence of that same eternal, pre-existent God. And just as man was set by God in that place, we will be set by God in this place. Hallelujah! In English, “Praise the Lord.” Next verse.

2: in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

This river flows down the middle of the street, and whether you want to view this as literal or figurative, this means that EVERYONE can access it. Did you catch that? Anyone can drink it at any time! If there was ever a proof that all evil and sin has been eliminated from creation, this is it! No sinner will be here. There will be no evil of any kind to spoil anything! Anyone here has not only the permission, but I suspect the right to access enough to quench their thirst whenever they may need it! And in that place at that future time, I have real trouble imagining a circumstance where that will be necessary if there isn’t some literal component to this. And it isn’t just the river!
The Tree of life is there! And it is not just one tree anymore, it is multiple trees on both side of the river! The tree is there, with all of its healing and energizing properties, and instead of being guarded by a flaming sword, it is open to all who would come and taste its fruit, with permission, no less. It is a promise of God. Revelation 2:7 says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” Who did we say those overcomers were? Believers, Beloved! It will be us! We will get to taste that fruit that Adam and Eve were denied! I think they will finally taste it as well as believers, but that’s a longer conversation.
What is more, the text tells us that there are 12 different kinds of fruit that all come from the same tree! There is some question about the translation of the word καρπὸν, some have suggested that it isn’t just fruit, it is an entire crop of fruit, and so it should read 12 fruit-crops, but I don’t see this as a big translation issue. What it does say is that it yields up a crop of this every month. For those that say there shall be no more time, you have to deal with that, and we’ll say more in a moment. What this may instead be saying is that each fruit or crop will come in its season, and it will always come, and there will never, say, be a dry season where there is no fruit. The number 12 can be seen as symbolic as the entire church, but I’m usure of this, since the church’s work technically ends when it is rescued out of the Earth, whenever that happens. Interestingly, this tree is often compared with the tree in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:9 says, “Out of the ground the LORD God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” It is the same tree, I have no doubt, because after Adam and Eve were forbidden from eating its fruit, possibly so the human race would not be lost as hellish infernal beings. However, as the Life Application Commentary says, “…because of the forgiveness of sin through the blood of Jesus, there will be no evil or sin in the new Jerusalem. Believers will be able to eat freely from the tree of life when sin’s control is destroyed and eternity with God is secure.”
I will move on to that promised mention of “month,” the Greek μῆνα, literally means “moon,” but carries the additional connotation of “measure.” This combination became to be used as “month” very early in history, and came to mean “new moon,” the day on which the moon was hidden in the shadow of the earth. So – time will still be there, and you might not agree. I understand, and you’re in good company. Dr. MacArthur didn’t agree either, but this is one of the rare events where I kind of disagree with Dr. MacArthur. I don’t think time will not exist in some form. I think rather, we will no longer experience it, because it will no longer be relevant to us. However, the flow of the river means that there is a kind of linear time in physics. A river by definition in Hebrew is called “living water,” meaning it does not stand still. There are other words for that in Hebrew that we won’t look at (I didn’t look them up, I didn’t want to take the time). The “river” flows. Let me explain why that is significant. There are two equations that we need to look at. The first is the basic rate of flow of a fluid. This is something I learned in first-year physics. The Equation is Q = A v , where Q is volumetric flow rate, A is the cross-sectional area of flow, and v is the average velocity of the water along the river. That “velocity” is used to calculate the volume of the flow of the river. We don’t have numbers, of course, but we can still discuss the assumptions.
We can assume a constant output, and thus a constant flow rate. The Volume of flow is calculated as Q = V / t , where Q is the flow rate, V is the volume, and t is ***TIME***.
If there is a river flowing, there is time by definition. Unless, and this is entirely possible, God rewrites the Laws of Physics as He has revealed them to us. Beloved, Time is needed to make things work in the way John describes things. This is why I think time will still be there, but we will have a different kind of relationship to it, making it no longer relevant for us.
The leaves of the trees were for the healing of the nations [again, ἐθνῶν] turns out to be a poor translation. It has caused a great deal of confusion over time, causing many to suggest that there will be suffering and sickness in the eternal state. I do not think this to be the case. The Greek word is θεραπείαν, the accusative, feminine, singular noun meaning “service” in the sense of care and attention (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). It could mean healing, but since this is the very beginning of the new creation, I doubt it can mean that. Suggested meanings in the lexicons are things like “health.” Doctor MacArthur suggests (NT Commentary Revelation 12-22, p.287) that these may be like supernatural vitamins taken to promote general health rather than to treat illness. We do not know if the saints will need to eat in eternity. Maybe we will, but I suspect if we do eat, it will be for enjoyment and not out of necessity.

What we see here is that what the Apostle Paul said in 1 Cor. 2:9 is absolutely true, and with everything that is still blowing my mind in the text, it is very true that “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.” It is so good that this defies description, not to mention imagination.

3: No More Curse Remains

Our first parents incurred the anger of God and the curse that is still on creation for the most part, but this verse informs us that this new heavens and earth will be without curse of any kind. Let’s see what John saw.

3: There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him;

Think carefully about this. God will not remain where there is any curse, even one He imposed. The first look at this will be in Christ’s millennial reign, where Christ, the perfect man, will be on Earth with His earthly people. Those resurrected from death or those translated by rapture (harpazo) will live in heaven with God, their curse having been removed by Christ on the cross. (If that’s something you want, then repent of your sins and believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins personally, and God will save you from His coming wrath.) It might not be that these heavenly saints will not come to Earth, they just won’t remain there. Sin will be completely immobilized, but the decay it brings and death will still be present. At the New Creation, all of that will change. God will remake the universe without a curse anew, and everyone shall live with God and with the Lamb.
We know that, because the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in this New Jerusalem. The Lamb redeemed us from the curse. Beloved, wonder of wonders, we get to stay! But only if you will turn from your own sin (we all have it) and BE redeemed. This will require a choice to obey God’s command to repent. If you want to do this, why not do it now? The only thing gained by waiting is more of your disobedience. Turn from your sin, stop doing it, and be assured that Jesus Bar-Joseph, the Messiah Himself, paid for your sins with His own death on the cross. If you will do this, He will save you from His coming wrath upon the disobedient.
Notice that it is “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” This is a real indication of the oneness of the Father and the Son. We already know that the Holy Spirit proceeds from them, but it is possible that we may be added to that group in a loose sense. Remember John 17:20-21, which says, “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.” I think that is more than clear, but I recognize that not everyone thinks that way for a number of reasons. Personally, I think it has been God’s intention for humanity since the before the foundation of the world.
His servants will serve Him. Apparently, our service for God in eternity will involve service. Many translations say “worship” instead of “serve,” and the Greek word λατρεύσουσιν from the text is the future, active, indicative, 3rd person plural verb meaning worship or service. Our worship may involve more than mere words. In fact, our worship in the here and now should involve everything we do. As that Hymn says, “worship and work must be one,” and that is what the song is trying to say. This reference is not the first text to use it this way, either, but I’m sure you get this. If not, we can chat after or you can comment below the video or drop me an email at PastorGer@
BereanNation.com.
The word for bond-servant, probably to nobody’s surprise at all, is δοῦλοι, the plural for slave. I know “slavery” isn’t a great topic for today, but what other word really fits? Bond-servant is a compound word in English meant to demonstrate the bond between Master and servant having a thing that holds them together, and in this case, it is love. He loves us so much that He died for us, and we love Him enough in return that we will obey Him no matter what His command is; we do know that such command will never be illegal or unreasonable. Did I just say we are love-slaves of Jesus Christ? Yes, I did. For the sake of the love we have for Him, we will follow Him wherever He goes. We willingly forsake the passing pleasures of sin so that we may follow Him down a narrow and sometimes dangerous path for a better and eternal reward. Make sense? Moving on.

4: No More Isolation and Separation

This is something that I know people can struggle with, the idea of belonging or of being loved or valued. This verse tells us that everyone will be loved and valued in no uncertain terms. Let’s look.

4: they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

We will see God’s face. I do not know if this means that we will see the face of the Father, but we will see the face of Jesus, and we do know that if we have seen him, we have seen the Father. It will be enough to see the face that sits on the throne and know that it loves me. Did you know that after His resurrection, our Lord Jesus was only seen by loving eyes and touched by loving hands? Think about it. I’ve been looking for a contradiction for that statement for years and haven’t seen it. Then, this will be our estate as well. How do we know?
His name will be on all of our foreheads. In that place at that time, ALL will be believers in Christ. And He will place His name on all of us. Think back if you can to kindergarten. If your mom was like mine, she took a marker and wrote your name on your boots and raincoat to show that they belonged to you. This is what God is doing. Will it be a literal marking? I don’t know, but if it isn’t it will not be less true that we are His. It is the ultimate way of claiming your property if you think about this. Our society has even turned it into a joke. Daughter steals father’s sandwich. “Hey, that’s my sandwich!” he says. She says in return, “Is your name on it?” Dad pouts and goes off to make another sandwich. Later, Dad sits in chair daughter had vacated a few minutes ago. She comes back, and finds her chair is now occupied. Nonplussed, she blurts out, “Hey, you stole my chair!” Dad smirks a bit as he chides, “Was your name on it?” Daughter sulks and sits down in adjacent chair and they watch TV together. Putting one’s name on one’s property is an ancient way of claiming it as yours. He will put His name on our foreheads!
I have heard commentary over the years that suggests that the fact that it is on our foreheads says that it will always be in our thoughts. I don’t know if that’s a real connection, but I do like the sentiment. It does seem a bit redundant if we take that too far, so I will restrain myself.

The main point I saw is that we will ALL belong to this righteous and holy God, and none of us will ever be driven from His face again. We shall all behold His face, which is something that hasn’t happened since Adam Eve sinned and fell in the Garden.

5: No More Darkness, Sin, and Death

The emphasis in this verse is that all the stuff we struggle with and hate what it does to us WILL BE GONE! It’s said in the verse, so let’s just jump in.

5: And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.

There will no longer be any night. If ever I heard a statement that was true on multiple levels, this has to be it. Night is for darkness. Darkness, at least in the present world, covers all kinds of illegal activity, crime, and sins that aren’t covered by laws like a dark and enigmatic cloak. This clearly has a literal meaning AND a more analogous meaning. If there is no more night, then we may assume an eternal day, and I can think of nothing else that would fit our God to reign over. However, the more analogous meaning is even more joyful; there is no more crime or place to commit it. There is no more sin, or praise God, desire to do it! Where a spiritual night can give cover to the sinner to commit those things he is tempted with, now there is nothing of the spiritual darkness either! The old nature of decay and death is gone! Sin and the desire to commit it are finished, discarded by God the Son into the burning lake of fire before the new creation of the universe. In this new universe, there is no more room for sin, nor is there any remaining desire to commit these things. There is no level at which there can be a night. Personally, I long for the day. I’m tired of me as I am. I long for this mortal flesh to put on immortality.
No one will need a lamp. I think this may be a bit of the figurative as well as the literal. We already know that nothing will hide the brightness of the glory of God and of the Lamb. There will not be any need because, as we will see, we will not simply reflect God’s light, but it will be transmitted to and through us.
No one will need the sun! At least not for light. Heat? I doubt that too, but just because we do not need it does not mean it will not exist. Will it? I do not know. I have other questions that will only be answered when we all get there. The first of those is about shadow. I may have a thought about the answer already. Shadow is created when an object of some kind blocks light, at least partially. If everything is so clear and pure as to not block the transmission of the glory of God, then shadow is wiped away. He will transmit it to and through us, the trees, the buildings, whatever. How much of this is analogous, I have no idea.
Why would any of this be? It is because God will transmit His light to and through us in the new creation. The Greek word for “illumine” used in the text here is φωτίσει, and it can also mean “enlightened.” Now – is that a literal fact or analogous? Yeah, I think both also. Physically, we will not block light, and spiritually, we will be enlightened in the true sense, not the “enlightenment” religious or philosophical folk speak about today. I think that it will mean we no longer need helper applications like artificial intelligence, by the way. We have the source of all knowledge living in and with us. What would we need the help with, again? Yeah, I don’t know either.
The most controversial statement is right here: “…and they will reign forever and ever.” Many years ago, I came across a very scholarly book by the name of The Reign of the Servant Kings by Joseph C. Dillow. I don’t entirely agree with some of his conclusions, but his thoughts are well-defined and researched. It is his assertion that humanity’s final destiny is intended by God to be those who reign with Christ for eternity as servant-kings like Christ was for us. According to Dillow, this fulfills the original plan of God to have men rule over all creation and not angels in the eternal kingdom of God. Some of his definitions of “overcomer” to me are a bit strange, in that all believers will overcome and be saved, but obedience is the key to a set of levelled rewards that only some of God’s people will partake of based on their obedience to Him now. Naturally, he argues against Lordship Salvation, which we hold to here at BereanNation.com, but that’s a different discussion. He allows for continual disobedience among the saints, and I don’t think that’s what the Scriptures are talking about. It answers some questions like was King Saul saved, but at the expense of other issues like all believers being promised by God to be sanctified and then glorified at the resurrection/renewal at the end of the church age. I don’t recall if he deal with tribulation saints or millennial saints at all, but I have never read the entire book. Call it a future project. Before you start trying to buy me a copy, I have one right here [hold up book]. The point here is that all of God’s people will ultimately reign with Christ. The text says, “…and they will reign forever and ever.” With God transmitting his light to and through us, and telling us that His servant will serve Him, He is telling us HOW we will reign with Him. The nature of our ruling will be like Him, a true servant that was even willing to lay down His own life to pay off the debt we were unable to pay.
In Revelation 20, when the saints who were martyred or had otherwise died in Christ were raised from the dead, they reigned from Heaven with Him over the Earth for 1000 years. This reign will not be a limited span, but instead, will be “εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων,” or “until the ages of the ages,” in other words, forever and ever, which is what your translations probably say. I think it clear from the text that God’s intention is to redeem man to His original purpose and associate us with Himself. I am NOT saying that we will become divine, but we will carry His power and authority and know how and when to use it. If something comes up that might stump us, we have, as I stated earlier, the fountain of all knowledge living in us, and then we will be able to understand Him not only clearly, but unmistakably and instantly.

So it will be that humanity will find its eternal destiny. There are undoubtedly things that will change. What and how, we have no way of knowing, although there are hints. Marriages will conclude, and like the angels, all of humanity will do what the Lord tells us. Does that mean that we will serve alongside those to whom we are married now? I certainly hope so! My wife is the woman He gavest me, so to speak! He made me love her, and she to love me, which is the real miracle in my opinion. When we got married, she was of the opinion that she was committing to our marriage forever. I hope for that also. I know people that can’t wait until their commitments end at death, and they have publicly stated as much in front of their spouses and pastors and church leadership.

However, none of these questions will ultimately matter. We will be His for eternity. We will do as He bids us, and leave off when He forbids us. What will we do? I cannot imagine. I am a biologist by education. I cannot imagine that was for nothing. Will the new creation conform to the systems in the present creation, only perfected by our holy and righteous creator? I cannot answer that. John Milton said in a sonnet he wrote, titled “On His Blindness,” I think, as the closing line of that sonnet, “They also serve who only stand and wait.” I think he is correct. You should read his work, Paradise Lost. (Again, I have a copy, before our book guys think I need one.) It tells the story of how an angry and proud Lucifer infiltrated the Garden of God and caused humanity to disobey God and disqualify themselves from His service, and ultimately how that was won back by Christ’s death on the cross.

That death on that Roman cross is what will make this whole passage of 22:1-5 possible. Not only is it a reality and the plan of God, but those of us who have repented of our sins and believed that Jesus died on the cross in our place to pay the debt for all of us who would ever turn to Him, but we will get to SEE it firsthand, and find out if this was an analogy or a literal thing. I find it difficult not to see it as somewhat literal because of the oddly specific details. However, as C. S. Lewis wrote in his final Narnia Chronicle, The Last Battle, we will go “further up and further in,” and learn what it all meant and then will mean in that new reality.

Personally, I can hardly wait!!!

That’s what I saw in the text this time. Next time, we will look at verses 6-9. I know, only four verses. Yeah, but this was only five verses, and look what we saw!