The precise phrase river of life does
not appear in the Bible.
However,
Revelation 22:1–2 does refer to “the river of the water of life,
as clear as crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
The apostle John, in his vision of the New Jerusalem,
describes the river as flowing
“down the middle of the great street of the city.”
The “water of life” referred to here does not have to be
considered physical water as we know it.
Rather, the water flowing from the throne is probably
symbolic of the water of eternal life,
crystal CLEAR
to reflect the
GLORY of GOD
in a dazzling, never-ending stream.
The fact that
the stream emanates from the throne tells
us that eternal life flows
from God to His people
Water is a common symbolic representation of
eternal life in Scripture
Isaiah refers to drawing water
from the “wells of salvation”
with joy (Isaiah 12:3).
The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah rebuked the Israelites
for abandoning
God’s “spring of living water”
and digging for themselves
their own cisterns which could not hold water (Jeremiah 2:13).
The Israelites had forsaken
the living God,
who alone provides eternal life.
Jesus encouraged the Samaritan woman at the well to take from Him
the water of (eternal) life so that she would
never thirst again spiritually (John 4:13–14).
Those who believe in Him, Jesus goes on to say in John 7:38,
will have streams of living water flowing from them.
Water is an appropriate and easily understood
symbol for life.
Just as physical water is necessary to sustain physical life on earth,
living water from the Savior
is necessary to sustain eternal life with Him.
Jesus is both the Bread of Life (John 6:35)
and the source of living water,
sustaining His people forever