Paul wrote about the seemingly small number of Jewish disciples saying:  “I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid.  For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.  God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life.  But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal.  Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace” (Romans 11:1-5).  We may be like Elijah today, wondering if error has killed all the faithful of God.  Yet, we have to realize, there is always a remnant!

We could say of God’s people today as was said by Isaiah: “And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.  Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:8-9).  Spiritually speaking, the Zion of today is the church (Hebrews 12:22-23).  As the Jews had to look forward to, we too shall see a gathering of the remnant to stand on the old paths (Joel 2:32 and Micah 2:12).

The apostates of today laugh to scorn the remnant of God’s people.  They will say things like: “your group is small enough to meet in a phone booth”.  They will say that the circle of the faithful is drawn too tight.  To which we ought to consider, it is the many in numbers who ought to fear the size of their meeting place (Matthew 22:14 and Luke 13:23-24).  It is those who are many in number who ought to fear their circle of fellowship.  This being so, for the Lord our God draws the circle for His remnant (I John 1:3-7).

We ought never get discouraged at how few in number there are that are truly seeking to please the Lord.  The remnant of God’s people must consider what Paul wrote: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?  He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?  Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.  Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” (Romans 8:31-34).  If you are of the remaining few of God’s people, hold your head up high for our redeemer lives!  Hold your head up high for our redeemer is coming back for you (John 14:1-3 and I Corinthians 15:24-28)!

Shall we say that God has cast away His people?  God forbid.  I am a faithful child of God, of the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:26-29).  I am looking at Elijah, Paul, and those of like minds today.  In this I realize that there are may who have not bowed their knee to apostasy!  Even if there are not seven thousand, we serve God not to be of the numbers here, but to be of the number in Heaven!  - B.A.Y.

Introduction Thoughts:

John is seeing a new heaven and new earth with the former being in the past (21:1).  It is the church that John has a vision of presented by the Lord in such a glorious way (21:2; 9-10).  We saw a description of the bride of Christ showing in carnal terms the beauty of the church.  We begin this chapter with more description of the bride of Christ in a continued thought from the end of chapter twenty-one.  We conclude this great book with this chapter.

We will see that Christ is true to His word.  His word has been presented by the prophets and He will soon bring to reality those things which have been foretold.  For the churches this book is written to, they can know that Christ is coming to reward them and punish those who have persecuted them.  The beautiful bride of Christ has been preserved.  No one can change what the Lord has written and for those who try… they will pay a significant price.  We should learn from the things contained in the book of Revelation that when the church seems to be failing, the Lord will not sit back quietly and do nothing!

22:1 “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

• Jesus said this to the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob: “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:13-14).
• The church no longer has the flood waters of sin to contend with (Revelation 12:15).  The glorified church has the water of life now.  All things are great and the glory of the bride of Christ has been restored.  Like the Garden of Eden had its waters (Genesis 2:10), we have Christ giving us life.
• To contend this is Heaven one has to maintain the idea that we will have physical needs and the possibility of thirst in Heaven.

• The tree of life is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9).  We know that Jesus gives the water of life.  Consider that this tree appears on both sides of the river.  This would represent God’s people on both sides of the cross that are brought together in Christ and are part of His kingdom (Ephesians 2:11-22).  In Christ both we and those on the other side of the cross have life eternal (Romans 5:21, Galatians 3:13, and I John 5:11).
• The twelve manner of fruit may well indicate the fruit that comes from the apostles doctrine (Acts 2:42), which is seen every month of the year.
• The leaves of that tree are for the healing of the nations.  Consider what most benefits the nations (Matthew 28:19).

• As the mark of the beast was on the forehead (mind) of those who served Rome (Revelation 13:15-17), the Lord has His mark on our minds (Romans 7:25; 8:6; 12:2).
• There is no more Rome, thus the curse has ended.  God is dwelling with His people (I Timothy 3:15).
• It can easily get confusing when we start reading that we will see the face of God.  John had previously said: “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us” (I John 4:12).  However, John also said: “Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God” (III John v. 11).  Thus, seeing the face of God is being of God and following that which is good.  These saints have God on their minds and in their hearts.  The Spirit has revealed the deep things of God unto them (I Corinthians 2:9-13).  God is a spirit and they have seen spiritual things in a clear light.

• As we discussed in chapter twenty-one, God is light (Psalms 31:16 and I John 1:5).  When walking with the Lord we are not surrounded in darkness.  In the kingdom we are translated from darkness (Colossians 1:13).  The life of the faithful is everlasting.

• The prophets have spoken to the servants of the Lord and those things are faithful and true.  These things will shortly be done.  Can the Lord Jesus promise His Second Coming to be shortly done (Matthew 24:36)?  This is further evidence we are not talking of the Judgment Day and Heaven to come thereafter.
• What we do know for sure is that the word of the Lord is true and He will not lie (Psalms 119:160, Hebrews 6:18, Titus 1:2, and Revelation 21:5).

• The obedient will be blessed (Matthew 7:21-28, Romans 2:13; 6:16-18, and James 1:22).

• John sees these things and falls to the feet of the angel to worship him.  The angel rightly stops John as the angel too is a servant and only God is to be worshipped (Luke 4:8, Acts 10:25-26, and Revelation 19:10).

• Earlier John had been instructed to place a seal on what the angels revealed (Revelation 10:4).  No seal is now to be placed on the Revelation John has had, for the time is at hand.

• One might conclude wrongly that the Lord does not want man to change from what is written in these two verses.  Nothing could be further from the truth (II Peter 3:9).
• What the Lord is saying is that the sinner that is, will be judged for his works and the righteous that remained faithful will be too (Romans 2:6 and Galatians 6:7-8).

• Jesus began this book by stating His omnipresence (1:8; 11), and He concludes in a like manner (21:6).

• The obedient are added to the kingdom and they enjoy the reward of eternal life (Acts 2:47 and John 6:54; 10:27-28).

• Those outside of the kingdom are scum!  This is what the Lord has made clear throughout the New Testament (John 3:19-20, II Corinthians 6:14-18, James 4:4, and I John 2:15-17).

• Christ accepts authorship of this Revelation and signs it with markings of His identity (Isaiah 11:1 and Matthew 1:1).
• As the morning star Jesus shines in the hearts and minds of those who have awaken beyond the gloomy day of Rome (Revelation 2:28).

• An invitation is given by the Lord to come to Him.  This cannot occur if in Heaven as the fate of all would be sealed (Matthew 25:46).

• Throughout the pages of the Bible we see the warnings not to change God’s word (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32, Proverbs 30:5-6, Galatians 1:6-12, etc.).
• The reward is taken from those who remove instruction from the word of God.  Those who add to the Lord’s words will find that they have added unto themselves a great punishment.

• Again, we find the promise of the Lord to come quickly.  He will judge Rome and reward His faithful servants by glorifying the now persecuted church.

• The salutation of John is the common extension of the grace of our Lord (Romans 16:20, I Corinthians 16:23, II Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 6:18, Ephesians 6:24, Philippians 4:23, I Thessalonians 5:28, II Thessalonians 3:18, II Timothy 4:22, and Philemon v.25).