St John on Patmos, Hieronymus Bosch, circa 1489, Berlin. The angel speaks to John as he writes the Book of Revelation (notice the tree).
The Tree of Life and the Book of Revelation,
by James W. Jackson - May, 2011
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"The angel showed me 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. On each side of the river stood
the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit
every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the
nations."
Revelation. 22: 1-2 |
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St John on Patmos, Hieronymus Bosch, circa 1489, Berlin. The angel speaks to John as he writes the Book of Revelation (notice the tree). |
Most of the interpretations fall into one or more of the following categories: Preterist, in which Revelation mostly refers to the events of the Apostolic period (1st century); Historicist, which sees in Revelation a broad view of history; Futurist, which believes that Revelation describes future events; and Symbolic, which holds that Revelation does not refer to actual people or events, but is an allegory of the spiritual path and the ongoing struggle between the forces of good and evil. These approaches are not mutually exclusive, and are often used in combination to form a more complete and coherent interpretation. |