What is the river of the water of life?

Revelation shows John being shown this river: "And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." This river flows directly from God's own throne, showing that life itself flows out from Him to the earth that has been made new.

The healing leaves and the fruit of the trees on either side of this river are for those who enter the age to come as natural men and women, those with terrestrial rather than glorified bodies. Some will go into the millennium and even into eternity in natural bodies, and though they will have everlasting life, they will need to partake of the trees of life planted along the river to sustain that life and be healed.

By contrast, the sons of God, those who are in Christ, are described as having no need of these healing leaves. They are said to already be the source of life and light themselves, indestructible, never to die or be sick, members of the Royal family who inherit eternal life rather than relying on the trees along the river. So the river of the water of life is the flowing provision of life from God's throne for the nations and the natural inhabitants of the restored earth, while those who are sons partake of a greater, eternal life in Christ himself.

This river appears in the vision of the new heaven and new earth, after God wipes away tears, ends death, sorrow, crying and pain, and dwells among His people, showing that this river is part of the final, complete restoration and paradise that follows the passing away of the old order.