And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
(Rev. 21:1-2)
And there came unto
me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last
plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride,
the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high
mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending
out of heaven from God,
(Rev. 21:9-10)
And I saw no temple
therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And
the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for
the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
(Rev. 21:22-23)
And he showed 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.
(Rev. 22:1-2)
The King's spouse in Song of Solomon was described as an enclosed Garden
and a sealed fountain.
- The Garden of Eden and the New Jerusalem
both are shown to have a River of life.
God's Spirit was always called a River of Life.
But whosoever drinketh
of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting
life.
(John 4:14)
In the last day, that
great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture
hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this
spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for
the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
(John 7:37-39)
The Garden is the beginning and the New Jerusalem is the end.
- They both have the greatest distinctions
in them of all the world.
- The tree of Life and the River of Life.
- But how can the city have the same
two elements that the Garden had?
- Did God transplant a tree and an entire
River of Life from the Garden into the City?
- No.
The City is the development of the Garden of Genesis.
Originally all cities began as wooded forest regions that were settled
by people.
- A homestead was settled, and as more
people came, the region was developed more.
- A village sprung up, and from that
came a town.
- Finally a city is made.
- The reason the Tree of Life and the
New City both had the tree of life and the river of life is because the place
has grown and developed from having only two occupants, Adam and Eve, into
millions upon millions.
What would have happened had not Adam and Eve sinned?
- They would have had children and remained
in the Garden, until eventually, the Garden would develop into what we read
in Revelation as the City.
- But sin came in the Garden and God
evacuated the two people from it.
- But God would never abandon His purpose
and will.
- He'd never abandon those made in His
image.
We see sinners in the world since Adam's transgression.
- His plan for them in the Garden halted.
- However, God did something about that
plan's cessation.
- Revelation is testimony to us that
God recommenced His purpose in Genesis.
Here are some examples of a difference God made.
Heaven is virtually empty in Rev. 4 compared to Rev. 7.
- Rev. 4 has God, 24 elders and 4 beasts.
- Rev 7 has a multitude no man could
number before the throne of Rev 4.
- What made the difference?
- A Lamb redeemed man in Rev 5.
Jesus was always the answer.
The Lamb comes to the throne in Rev 5 and redeems man, and in Rev 21 the
Lamb is the light and the Lamb is the temple.
Everywhere that we see a bad state of affairs, and a change towards the
better, the Lamb is involved.
In a kingdom where death treads the streets and enters homes and slays
the firstborn, Egypt also has some houses whose occupants are safe from
death and are not affected.
- The difference was made by the blood
of a lamb on the doorways between these safe Hebrews and the dying Egyptians.
Two thieves curse Christ on crosses.
- One suddenly repents and asks Christ
to remember him in His Kingdom.
- Jesus tells the man he will be with
Him in paradise.
- The other man dies cursing God.
- Between them was the lamb, Jesus, making
the difference.
The Lamb is between life and death.
- Cursed Goats of disobedience on one
side and blessed sheep of obedient souls on the other.
- Jesus is in the middle making the difference.
Lambs speak of sacrifice and atonement and redemption.
Lambs died in the place of another's death.
Our annihilation had to occur due to sin.
- However, God handled the situation
in a way that would both satisfy their needs for deliverance and also satisfy
the demand of death due to sin.
- Our old man is crucified with Christ
and we are made entirely new creatures.
- Our deaths were carried out in Christ.
The reason the lamb is the light of the city is because He is the reason
for it's development from the Garden.
- He is the reason the Garden could continue
its progress towards a City.
- Not just a lamb, though.
- But a lamb that was slain and risen
again!
Song of Solomon ties this altogether.
- The Bride is a Garden.
- Revelation says the Bride is the City.
- And both have the River and Tree of
Life.
- We have a Garden in Genesis bereft
of mankind with a river flowing.
- But in Song of Solomon, the Garden
is the Bride, but the River, though there, is not flowing out.
- The King says FLOW OUT!
- Spices and aromas from the Garden are
locked up inside it.
- The river cannot flow out.
- Its shut up and sealed since the Garden
is enclosed.
Humanity is like a woman in principle, in relationship to God.
- Male flesh issues forth life and the
female receives it and reproduces.
- She transforms it into another person.
- She is receiver and birther.
- Man is giver.
- He is vine and she is branch, bearing
fruit.
- 1 Corinthians 6:16-17 shows man united
with woman as one flesh, but God and the believer is one spirit.
Jesus is likewise the vine and the church His branches.
- But John 15:2 says the branches may
be bearing fruit, but not adequately.
- The remedy is to purge the branch so
that the fruit can grow more fully.
- The Word purges the branch.
It's the same idea with the garden.
- The Spirit is there, but it is sealed
up inside.
- The fountain is closed and the
spring shut up.
- The Church has all the treasures she
needs inside, but its not coming forth.
We have so much inside us as children of God, but it often is not coming
forth.
- God planted the Garden in Genesis 2:8.
- The Garden is His Spouse in Song of
Solomon 4:12, and the river is sealed up and not flowing out.
- In Rev 21, the CIty is His Spouse,
but the River is flowing out bountifully!
- From a Garden to the City, its all
a picture of progression of a Christian who struggles, not knowing that
all one needs is inside!
- We are complete in Christ!
- We have all the victory we need inside
us right now, since we have the Holy Ghost in us.
- But we do not know about it all, and
are spiritually immature when its there sealed up and not flowing out.
Immaturity in the spirit is being like a Garden enclosed.
- The river is inside, but not flowing.
- The spices and aromas and fruit are
all there, but not known outside.
- The wind needs to blow through and
carry out the fragrance.
- The River needs to flow out!
- Flow and Grow!
The fruit of the Spirit is inside us, but we need to let it grow forth
out of our lives!
We learn about who we are, and are thereby purged to bring forth this hidden
fruit and river of life through the WORD.
Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through
the word which I have spoken unto you.
(John 15:2-3)
Look at the potential within our lives!
From a Garden to a City !
We're the Bride, church.
- And we need to develop in spiritual
maturity.
- But the key is to understand that it's
not that we need some things we presently do not have.
- We have them all already inside us.
- THEY JUST NEED TO COME OUT.
- There is quite a bit of difference
between seeing your lack of victory and thinking you need something you
have not got, than realizing you have everything you need inside, that just
needs to come out now.
- You are complete in Christ.
- God planted a Garden when He made you!
- And its all in there in the form of
seeds and fountains and springs.
- But it needs to COME OUT!
- That implies GROWTH!
- We do not need to be GIVEN anything
else once we are saved, except for UNDERSTANDING OF WHO WE ARE.
- WHAT IS IN US.
- GOD PLANTED it all inside us.
- It only needs to GROW NOW, and growth
implies LEARNING.
But grow in grace,
and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory
both now and forever. Amen.
(2Pe 3:18)
How do we grow?
- LEARN.
- Grow in KNOWLEDGE and GRACE.
- Rely more on Jesus, too!
- Grace is DIVINE EMPOWERMENT.
And you'll flow fully and vibrantly!
From an enclosed Garden to a flowing City!
