I just read Ezekiel and in chapter 47, it is quite clear that Ezekiel was shown the River of Life, described exactly (even with the trees, leaves, and their functions) as it is in Revelation 22:1-2. But after reading Ezekiel, I’m a little confused. Ezekiel’s vision of the river pertained to the geographic region of Israel and the Dead Sea, but in Revelation 22, John saw it in the New Jerusalem flowing down the street of the great city (and not on the earth). Are there going to be two Rivers of Life?… one on earth and one in the New Jerusalem?
This one’s easy to miss, but if you think about it for a minute you’ll see there’s neither need nor purpose for a river of life in the New Jerusalem, it being the exclusive home of the redeemed Church. There will be no more sickness or death there, so we won’t need healing, and there won’t be anyone from the nations there either (Rev. 21:27). That, plus the similarity of wording, confirms that in Rev. 22 John was describing the River of Life on Earth, just like Ezekiel had done in Ezekiel 47.