O my soul,

Do you long for the healing of the nations?

Look around the world. What do you see? Division. Oppression. Self-interest. Poverty. War. Refugees. Godlessness. Indifference. Is there anything to be done? Isn’t it all simply overwhelming? Isn’t it all hopeless?

By no means! Or did you forget about the tree of life?

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

― Revelation 22:1-2

Do not forget the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations.

But first, be grateful that the Lord is so very aware of the great need for this healing.

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

― Isaiah 58:6-7

If you were thinking that the Lord is ignorant of or indifferent to our broken world, think again. And what is needed if not complete healing? Know that the leaves of the tree of life are sufficient for this.

John’s vision here in Revelation is remarkably foreshadowed by Ezekiel’s vision of the new temple, given more than 600 years previously during the Babylonian exile.

Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

― Ezekiel 43:1-5

What are we to make of this? The world’s leading scholars regard these few chapters in Ezekiel as among most difficult to comprehend in the whole of Scripture. And yet, let it simply transport us into the presence of God. Behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Praise his holy name! And with the prophet, fall on your face in reverant awe and wonder before the greatness of who God is and what he has done.

Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

― Ezekiel 47:1-2

What is this trickle of water issuing from below the threshold of the temple, from the place filled by the glory of the Lord? Is it not the very river of life itself?

Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?”

― Ezekiel 47:3-6

O my soul, have you seen this? Does it thrill your heart?

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea.”

― Ezekiel 47:6-8a

The river is flowing through the Arabah, the plains of Jericho, and into the Dead Sea, a place so hostile to life that nothing can live there. Is this not so like our broken world, a place so hostile to the life that God created that it seems nothing good can live in it, nothing good can flourish, none can thrive?

But what happens when the river of life flows in?

When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

― Ezekiel 47:8b-9

Everything will live where the river goes. The to us overwhelming suffering, hatred, and indifference of our broken world cannot resist the refreshing and renewing power of the river of life.

And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.

― Ezekiel 47:12

The water for them flows from the sanctuary, from the place where God dwells, from the giver of life himself. What a foreshadowing of John’s vision here in Revelation of the tree of life standing on the river of life, with its twelve kinds of fruit yielding its fruit each month. And,

The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

― Revelation 22:2b

Ezekiel saw that wherever this river flowed life flourished. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the Lord, the giver of life. O my soul, this is an outpouring of the Lord’s grace and healing power, and it is sufficient.

And the angel said to John,

“These words are trustworthy and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent his angel to show his servants what must soon take place.”

― Revelation 22:6

And Jesus himself said,

“And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

― Revelation 22:7

O my soul, do you know what it means to keep the words of the prophecy of this book? It means to not despair in the face of all the pain and sorrow and suffering and war and hatred and self-interest and indifference in the world. It means to hope in Jesus, the one whose name is Faithful and True. The one whose tree of life provides its leaves for the healing of the nations. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

O my soul, hold on to hope, and cry out to Jesus for the healing of the nations! 🙏