NT Text: Revelation 22:2b
OT Source(s):
Source: Beale & Carson (eds.), Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament (2007); Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): Promise-Fulfillment + Typology (Direct Type, Forward-Looking)
Anchor Text: Ezek 47 — River from the Temple
Significance: Ezekiel 47:12 describes the trees lining the temple river: "Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit." Revelation 22:2 echoes this precisely: "On either side of the river stood a tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit and yielding a fresh crop for each month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations." The verbal parallels are extensive: trees on both banks, monthly fruit, and leaves for healing (therapeian / terufah). John synthesizes Ezekiel's temple river vision with the tree of life from Genesis 2-3, creating a composite image. The escalation is from Ezekiel's restored temple environs to the center of the New Jerusalem, and from physical healing to the healing of the nations — cosmic restoration.