ODJ: the garden city
October 11, 2009
Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to . . . eat the fruit from the tree of life (v.14).
READ: Revelation 22:1-14
Singapore is a tiny tropical island of just under 640 square kilometers. Despite its soaring skyscrapers, it remains one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the world. Visitors find out quickly why Singapore is known as the Garden City of the Tropics. East Coast Parkway, the road from the airport to the city center, is sheltered by a tree canopy. Singapore has set its vision to transform itself from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden.” Singapore, my home, is a beautiful island.
On the island of Patmos, the elderly apostle John was given a vision of the heavenly garden city (Revelation 21:1-22:5). John saw “a river with the water of life” (22:1) and “on each side of the river grew a tree of life” (v.2). This heavenly garden is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8-3:24) where there is also a river (2:10) and the tree of life (v.9).
The tree of life in the Garden of Eden represented never-ending physical life (Genesis 3:22). God had not forbidden Adam and Eve to eat from any tree except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (2:16-17). So eating from the tree of life was permitted. But after they had sinned by eating from the forbidden tree, they were prevented from eating the fruit of the tree of life, for then they would have lived forever in sin (3:22,24).
But now, those who wash their robes are permitted to eat from the tree of life (Revelation 2:7,14). The curse for sin is completely removed (22:3). There will be perfection and purity (v.1), perfect service (v.3), and perfect communion with God “for they will see His face” (v.4), something that sinful man can never experience (Exodus 33:20). This is the special blessing given to those who are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb—Jesus (Revelation 7:14-17). —K.T. Sim
What does the tree of life mean for you? How has Jesus’ sacrifice blessed you now and for eternity?
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tree of life means salvation and paradise
Last night Sunday the message was on Revelation 14 and it is very exiting to be learning this section of the bible for it talks about the Day of Judgement which is also very sobering. After the message i realised how important it is to be right with God as we got to keep in mind that God’s Judegement of the world is coming and those who have not repented there is no escape from it. So i urge those who have not repented repent now for Jesus Christ is waiting for us to open our hearts to Him. Amen