“Then the angel showed me a river, as pure and clear as crystal, and it went out from the throne of God, and of the Lamb, and on each side of the river, in the middle of the city thereof, was a Tree of Life, whose leaves were for the healing of the nations.” (Rev. 22:2).
In reading the above text, we may notice that there is not one, but two trees, one on either side of the river. While both have leaves, symbolizing spiritual food “for the healing of the nations,” they can also be said to represent two separate covenants, the Noahic for the Gentile nations, and the Judaic for God’s chosen people, Israel. Even so, the river that flows through the midst of the city could be said to represent “a better and lasting covenant,” one which is parcel to both Christian and Jewish dispensations, but superior, as it is founded upon faith, apart from any religious conveyance. And as the prophet said: “Wherever the river flows there is life.” (Ezk. 47: 1-23)
Yet, its been written that “…faith without works is dead!” (Js. 2:20) To clarify, the author then adds: “Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith through works.” (Js. 2: 19) Although Jame’s exposition can be seen as countering Gentile Christian criticism that Jewish Christians were “works-driven,” James argues that in both cases, while the issue of faith is central to the equation, it is our response to faith that is in question, as one is productive, while the other is not. For further illustration, the river that issues forth from the throne of God and flows through the city serves not only as a good analogy for the respective covenants in question, but the issue of faith itself. Put another way, the river of life is also symbolic as a habitat for fish, which either sink or swim, and like salmon returning upriver to spawn, they either swim against the current, or give up and float downstream like any dead fish.
CoupStick Chaplain 