What do the leaves represent in Revelation 22:2?
To get a proper understanding of what is going on, and when it occurs, let’s read Revelation 21:1-2, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” This speaks of the eternal state where there is a new heaven and a new earth and a New Jerusalem. Verse 4 shows that this is the eternal state. It says, “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” It is in the presence of Christ that crying shall cease forever, there is no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain.
Now, let’s read Revelation 22:1-5, “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. 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. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
In verses 1-2, we read of the RIVER OF LIFE and of the TREE OF LIFE. Certainly this RIVER OF LIFE is infinitely superior to the waters that ran out of the Garden of Eden. (Read Genesis 2:10-14). This RIVER OF LIFE represents the Gospel glory in perfection. The continuous flow of this water from God, who is the Fountain of life, symbolizes the never-ending continuance of life that is possessed by those who have Christ as their savior. It is indeed life in “fulness of joy” (Psalm 16:11).
Here, in a better paradise than the one found in the book of Genesis, the TREE OF LIFE is present with all its healing properties (Genesis 3:22), not guarded with a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24), but open to all who overcome, and there is no more curse. We read in Revelation 2:7, “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.”
We read prophetically of this TREE OF LIFE in Ezekiel 47:12, “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.”
This tree bears fruit each month. Not only does it bear fruit, but it bears ‘twelve manner of fruit’. Not only that, but it bears “new fruit” each month. The Hebrew word for ‘new fruit’ is BAKAR which literally means firstling or first-fruit. It is as if this TREE OF LIFE is yielding her first-fruit each month.
We see that this tree has leaves that do not fade or wilt. This is given in a figurative sense to say that there will be perpetual health for all the Lord’s people. This is evidenced in the fact that “there shall be no more curse.” The curse, of course, brought sickness and death. So as we read in Ezekiel 47:12, “the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”
We lastly read of the TREE OF LIFE in Revelation 22:14, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” What are these commandments that bring eternal life? We read in Revelation 7:14 of those who, “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” This is simply speaking of those who have been washed clean in the blood of the savior by believing on Him for their salvation. Have you been made “clean every whit” (John 13:10) by the blood of Jesus Christ. Have you trusted Him as your savior? Romans 10:9 makes it so clear, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (349.2)