Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb

— Revelation 22:1

There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

— Psalm 46:4

1a Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east…

9 And it will be that every living creature, which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the other waters are healed; so everything will live where the river goes.

— Ezekiel 48:1a; 9

37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were going to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

— John 7:37-39

Thoughts on Today’s Reading

Grace, mercy and love from Christ to you.

When Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the garden, paradise was lost, and earth has groaned under sin’s weight ever since. But God’s mercy brought Jesus to provide a remedy to sin. History’s grand finale emerges even more magnificent than its beginning. The delights of Eden’s paradise are captured as images from Genesis 1-3 and reappear here in Revelation 22 with even greater splendor.

In Revelation 22:1, the angel shows John “the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.” In Genesis, “a river watering the garden flowed from Eden,” a name that means “delight.” In Scripture, “waters” and “living waters” symbolize blessings from God’s presence. And the book of Ezekiel recorded Ezekiel saw a stream flowing from under the temple. The imagery here could also point to the life-giving Holy Spirit or the promise of immortality. God gives eternal life to all who find salvation and sustenance in Him.