The addition of the word “water” in relation to a “river” strikes us as superfluous, for obviously a river contains “water.” But the point is that this river contains life-giving water (in contrast to minimal or seasonal water); think of the tree of life in Revelation 22:2 with its monthly fruit. It should be borne in mind that the Promised Land to which the Lord brought his Old Testament people enjoyed the benefits of rain from heaven to water the land (Deuteronomy 11:11), but this life-giving rain found its way into “brooks of water” and “fountains and springs, flowing out of valleys and hills” (Deuteronomy 8:7). The consequence of the resulting abundance is that the people of Israel would “eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you” (Deuteronomy 8:10), which depended on obedience (Deuteronomy 28:23–24). The New Jerusalem will be better by far than that land of promise flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 11:9).