The Way of Life. Jehovah, the Fountain of life, has revealed the way of life through his Word of truth. The Lord Jesus Christ “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2Ti 1:10) He told his disciples: “It is the spirit that is life-giving; the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” A little later Jesus asked his apostles whether they were going to leave him, as others had. Peter replied: “Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life.” (Joh 6:63, 66-68) The apostle John called Jesus “the word of life,” and said: “By means of him was life.”​—1Jo 1:1, 2; Joh 1:4.

From Jesus’ words it is evident that human efforts to prolong life indefinitely or theories that certain diets or regimens will bring life to mankind are futile. At best, they can bring improved health only temporarily. The only way of life is obedience to the good news, “the word of life.” (Php 2:16) To get life, the individual must keep his mind fixed “on the things above, not on the things upon the earth.” (Col 3:1, 2) To his hearers Jesus said: “He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.” (Joh 5:24; 6:40) They are no longer condemned sinners, in the way of death. The apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore those in union with Christ Jesus have no condemnation. For the law of that spirit which gives life in union with Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” (Ro 8:1, 2) John says that a Christian knows he has ‘passed from death to life’ if he loves his brothers.​—1Jo 3:14.

Since “there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved,” the seeker for life must follow Christ. (Ac 4:12) Jesus showed that a person must be conscious of his spiritual need; he must hunger and thirst for righteousness. (Mt 5:3, 6) Not only must he hear the good news but he must exercise faith in Jesus Christ and through him call on the name of Jehovah. (Ro 10:13-15) Following Jesus’ example, he will be baptized in water. (Mt 3:13-15; Eph 4:5) He must then keep on seeking the Kingdom and Jehovah’s righteousness.​—Mt 6:33.

The glorified Jesus Christ promises the conquering Christian that He will grant him to eat of “the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” (Re 2:7) Again, in the last verses of the book of Revelation, we read: “And if anyone takes anything away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God will take his portion away from the trees of life and out of the holy city, things which are written about in this scroll.” (Re 22:19) In the context of these two Scripture texts, Christ Jesus is speaking to those who are conquerors, who will not “be harmed by the second death” (Re 2:11), who will be given “authority over the nations” (Re 2:26), who will be made a “pillar in the temple of my God” (Re 3:12), and who will sit down with Christ in his heavenly throne. (Re 3:21) Therefore the tree or trees could not be literal, for conquerors who eat are those who are partakers of the heavenly calling (Heb 3:1), with places in heaven reserved for them. (Joh 14:2, 3; 2Pe 1:3, 4) The tree(s) would therefore be symbolic of God’s provision for sustained life, in this case, the heavenly, immortal life that the faithful ones are given as conquerors with Christ.

There is the mention of “trees of life” in a different context, at Revelation 22:1, 2. Here the nations are shown as partaking of the leaves of the trees for healing purposes. They are alongside the river flowing out from the temple-palace of God, in which is his throne. The picture appears after the scene of the establishing of the new heaven and the new earth and the statement that “the tent of God is with mankind.” (Re 21:1-3, 22, 24) Symbolically, then, these would be curative, life-sustaining provisions for humankind, for their eventual everlasting life. The source of such provisions is the royal throne of God and of the Lamb Jesus Christ.

“The Lamb’s scroll.” “The scroll of life of the Lamb” is a separate scroll, apparently containing only the names of those with whom the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shares his Kingdom rule, including those still on earth who are in line to receive heavenly life. (Re 13:8; compare Re 14:1, 4.) Those enrolled in “the Lamb’s scroll” are spoken of as entering the holy city, New Jerusalem, thus becoming part of the heavenly Messianic Kingdom. (Re 21:2, 22-27) Their names are written both in “the Lamb’s scroll” and in the other scroll, God’s “book of life.”​—Php 4:3; Re 3:5.

River of Water of Life. In John’s vision in the book of Revelation, he saw “a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the Lamb” down the middle of the broad way of the holy city, New Jerusalem. (Re 22:1, 2; 21:2) Water is essential for life. The vision begins to be fulfilled during “the Lord’s day,” soon after the establishment of God’s Kingdom. (Re 1:10) It is a time when members of the bride class are still on earth to issue the invitation personally to “anyone thirsting” to drink of life’s water free. (Re 22:17) After the destruction of the present system of things, the river continues to flow, with increasing volume, in the new world. The vision speaks of trees alongside the river producing fruit, and of leaves for the curing of the nations. The life-giving waters, then, would be the provisions for life that Jehovah has made through the Lamb, Jesus Christ, for all on earth who will receive life.