What is the river of life?

[blessed07]

The precise phrase “river of life” does not appear in the Bible. However, Revelation 22:1-2 does refer to “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The Apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem, describes the river as flowing “down the middle of the great street of the city.”

The “water of life” referred to here cannot be physical water as we know it because Revelation 21:1 tells us there is “no longer any sea.” He goes on to say that there is no need for sun or moon because the glory of God and the Lamb give it light (Revelation 21:23). This would indicate that the hydrological cycle as we know it on earth does not exist in the New Jerusalem. Therefore, the water flowing from the throne is literally the water of eternal life, crystal clear to reflect the glory of God in a dazzling, never-ending stream. The fact that the stream emanates from the throne tells us that eternal life flows from God to His people.

 

[stephen]

The noteable about Jesus is that he did not conform to the religeous programme of His day.

It was the last day of the feast, when after all the blood shedding, all the ritual and ceremony that Jesus cried out.

"If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink" "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" "This spake he of the Spirit..........."Jn7.37.

The river of life to which He reffered is the outflow of the Holy Spirit from the Christian life 'filled' with the Holy Ghost'

 

[Davy]

In a vision of New Jerusalem John is shown: "a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb." (NASB)

What is this "river of the water of life"? Literal water is a vital element for life. Without food a man can survive for a number of weeks, but without water he will die in a matter of days. Water is also a cleansing agent and vital for health. Thus, the water of life must represent something essential for the life and health of mankind. The prophet Ezekiel was also granted a vision of this "river of water of life," and in his vision, the river flowed out from the temple and down into the Dead Sea. Then, miracle of miracles! That lifeless, chemically saturated body of water was converted into freshwater teeming with fish! (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

This water brings back to life something that was previously dead, confirming that the river of water of life pictures God's provision through the ransom sacrifice, John 3:16 states: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

The water of life also involves God's Word, the Bible, in John 4:13, 14, Jesus said: "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." Jesus' words are contained in the Bible, as we read the Bible we are drinking this life giving water of truth that can impart everlasting life.

Through studying and applying Jesus' words from the Bible and exercising faith in the ransom sacrifice, we are able to now drink this river of water of life.