In this segment, we will take a look at two very important aspects of the New Jerusalem, indeed, WITHIN the New Jerusalem: the river of the water of life and the tree of life.
Rev. 21:27-Rev. 22:2
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.
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.
2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
First, we are told about what will be restricted from entering the New Jerusalem: There will be nothing that defiles allowed in, nothing that works abomination, and nothing that makes a lie. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will be allowed in. Defiling is making something “unclean” in the words of the Torah. The Greek word there is “koinon,” stemming from “koinos,” meaning “common” or “profane,” and it has been translated as “defiled” (1x), “unwashen” (1x), “common” (7x), “unclean” (3x), and “unholy thing” (1x) in Mark 7:2, 5; Acts 2:44; 4:32; 10:14, 28; 11:8; Romans 14:14 (3x); Titus 1:4; Hebrews 10:29; Jude 3; and here in Revelation 21:27 as “defileth.”
(In fact, the word “Koinee” for the style of Greek employed in the NT comes from this word.)
The Greek word translated “abomination” is “bdelugma” and is the same word used in Matthew 24:15. It simply means a “detestation,” or “something that someone might find detestable or disgusting.” Indeed, like its Hebrew counterpart, “shiqquwts,” it also means “idolatry” or even the “idol” itself. It literally means “gut-wrenching” and as the recipient rather than the aggressor, that can refer to “nauseating.” None of that will enter into this city.
Nothing that “makes a lie” is the Greek word “pseudos.” Literally, there will not be “a lie” in the city.
Second, we are told what (or rather, who) will be permitted to enter the city: those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Third, Yochanan (John) sees “a pure river of the water of life.” This refers to an active, running river of pure water, not some “magical” water that gives life, like the Fountain of Youth.
Interestingly, however, this may have been the river’s source that
Rev. 22:2 gives us the location of this river. It flows down the middle of the street of the city, and the tree of life – again, not a “life-giving tree species” but a “life-SUSTAINING tree species” – is also in the street’s median on either side of the river. This is a description similar to our four-lane and six-lane interstate highways, separating the lanes wide enough in the median for a river to flow and a park on both sides of the river.
Now, let’s look at two things: First, there is a similar passage in the prophecy of Yechezk’el (Ezekiel):
Ezek. 47:1-12
1 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.
2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.
3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.
9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.
10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.
11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.
12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.
KJV
Although this may actually refer to the Millennium, it will probably be a similar situation in the New Earth and the New Jerusalem.
Second, let’s look at a very misunderstood word, “paradise”:
"Paradise " is a transliteration of the Greek word "paradeisos."
There are only three places in the New Testament that contain the word "paradise," and all three come from the same Greek word. Furthermore, those are the ONLY three places in the Greek New Testament where that particular word is used. Those locations are ...
Luke 23:39-43
39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
KJV
2 Cor. 12:1-4
1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
KJV
Rev. 2:1-7
1 Unto the angel of the 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
KJV
In every case, the Greek word is a form of ...
NT:3857 paradeisos (par-ad'-i-sos); of Oriental origin [compare OT:6508]; a park, i.e. (specifically) an Eden
KJV - paradise.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Although this definition from Strong's Greek Dictionary says that it is from an "Oriental origin," it still shows the associated word in the Hebrew at "OT:6508":
OT:6508 pardeec (par-dace'); of foreign origin; a park:
KJV - forest, orchard.
(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
Noticing that it was translated as either "forest" or "orchard" in the King James Version, we could look each of these words up in the Concordance to find where OT:6508 occurs, or we could use another handy tool, the Englishman's Concordance. From either source, we would arrive at the other three occurrences of the word, "pardeec":
Neh. 2:7-8
7 Moreover I said unto the king, If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till I come into Judah;8 And a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall enter into. And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
KJV
Eccl. 2:5
5 I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:KJV
Song 4:13-14
13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
KJV
Notice that there is nothing mystical or unusual about these verses. The word simply means a "park" particularly consisting of TREES!
Now, the last sentence of Revelation 2:7 says, “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
But, when we compare this verse to Revelation 22:2, we see that the tree of life is said to be “in the midst of the street of it (the New Jerusalem), and on either side of the river” which means that the “paradise of God” is either WITHIN the New Jerusalem or IS the New Jerusalem!
I believe that this is the park that is on either side of the river of the water of life in the median of the street of the New Jerusalem and therefore is WITHIN the New Jerusalem.
In the Messiah’s love,
Retrobyter
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