The Tree of Life and the Crystal River

Old Testament

And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden.

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul.

My soul thirsts for the living God.

I will pour water on him who is thirsty…

He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither,
And whatever he does shall prosper.

There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved.

With joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.

The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought…
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

“Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves
for medicine.”

The New Testament

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

“[W]hoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirst, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

“[T]he Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.

Let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirst come. And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done as in heaven so also upon the earth.

The Heavenly Doctrines

The Tree of Life

By “the tree of life” is meant the Lord as to the Divine love.

Happy are they that do His commandments, that their power may be in the tree of life, and they may enter in through the gates into the city, means that they have eternal felicity who live according to the Lord’s commandments.

“Fruits” symbolize the goods which a person does from love or charity.

Yielding its fruit every month,” means that the Lord produces goods with a person according to every state of truth with him.

The Water of Life

By “living waters” or “waters of life” are meant Divine truths from the Lord.

And he showed me a pure river of water of life bright as crystal, going forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb, means Revelation now opened and explained as to its spiritual sense, where Divine truths in abundance are revealed by the Lord for those who will be in His New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.

The Lord’s Second Coming

The Lord’s second coming, is not in person, but in the Word, which is from Him and which He.

The New Christian Church is not being established through miracles such as the Lord’s birth on earth, but through revelation of the spiritual sense of the Word and teachings about life after death, and these surpass all miracles.

[T]he church consists of those only who from the heart acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and who learn truths from the Lord by the Word and do them.

The New Church “is to worship one visible God in whom is the invisible like the soul in the body.”

This New Church, truly Christian, which at this day is being established by the Lord, will endure to eternity.

In this New Church there will be spiritual peace, glory, and internal blessedness of life.