Revelation 22:1-3 - International Healing

To understand the healing promised at the end of the Bible (Revelation 22), look at the beginning of the story (Genesis). God permitted Adam and Eve to eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden, including the Tree of Life. The only prohibition was fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 

Sadly, they ate the prohibited fruit. Their disobedience corrupted the world with sickness and disharmony.

“22 Then the Lord God said, 'Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!' 23 So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden...” (Genesis 3:22–23, New Living Translation, 2015)

Graciously, God already had a plan in place to forgive people's disobedience and let them live forever. "Washing one's robes in the blood of the Lamb" is a symbolic way of describing the forgiveness accepted through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross. (Revelation 7:13-17).

Here's the ultimate result of such forgiveness:
"1 Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. 3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. *** 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes. They will be permitted to enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life." (Revelation 22:1–3, 14, NLT)

The fruit of these trees is not described, other than being fruit from the "Tree of Life"... the same one that was once withheld from Adam and Eve.

Did you know that, the leaves of one kind of willow were used like aspirin for over 2,400 years? [1] Leaves from the Tree of Life will do more than aspirin. This medicine will "heal the nations." God is interested in healing not only individuals, but relationships within nations and between nations. How? One description we have is this:

"23 And the city [heaven, the New Jerusalem] has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 ...there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city." Revelation 21:23–26 (Cp. Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:3)...that is, to honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. c

Father, We "...are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13, NLT) so that
"at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord [of the nations], to the glory of God the Father."  (Philippians 2:10–11, NLT) Amen.

[1] "A precursor to aspirin found in leaves from the willow tree (genus Salix) has been used for its health effects for at least 2,400 years." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspirin)