THE RESURRECTION TREE

August 18, 2002 pm


Revelation 22:1-2  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.

Ezekiel 47:5-12   Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live... And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.


Genesis begins with God sending LIGHT into the world through His Word. Revelation shows Christ as Light, also. Jesus is here shown to be the TREE OF LIFE. Rev 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.  

Jesus is seen after His resurrection in this form.

This is notable.

He spoke of His suffering and glorification the day He rode into Jerusalem in the Triumphal Entry.

John 12:23-25  And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit . He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

In speaking of His death and resurrection, He likened Himself to a seed.

And this matches the words John heard Christ speak in the vision of Rev 1. So this "Tree" that Christ calls Himself and the church, is THE RESURRECTION TREE. God came to bring LIFE back to man again. And the reason He spoke of losing your life to find it again, after noting he is a Seed that must be buried, is because we connect to His RESURRECTION LIFE by being CRUCIFIED WITH HIM. We lose our lives in His death on the cross, and gain them back again in RESURRECTION. And you will gain it back to life eternal, because YOU BECOME PART OF THE TREE OF LIFE!

Did you hear that?

Jesus referred to eating in order to gain eternal life, which connects His thoughts to the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden.

John 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.  

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 

So He is saying HE IS THE TREE OF LIFE.

This reference to eating His flesh and drinking His blood was repeated at the last supper.

John saw Jesus in the tree-shaped candlesticks, saying He was dead and is alive forevermore. What does this tell you? Its like eating of Jesus blood and body and becoming part of the BODY OF CHRIST!

And in Revelation 22 we read of the TREE OF LIFE singular in the city.

And its leaves are for healing of the nations. Ezekiel saw the same vision, but one thing was described differently in Ezekiel. However, Revelation 22 and Ezekiel 47 are really speaking of MANY TREES, both, because Revelation says the TREE WAS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER. Psalm 1:1-3  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.    

Notice the LEAVES AND FRUIT are distinguished.

Someone was a branch of the tree of life to show me the way one day. Church, you are part of the RESURRECTION TREE OF LIFE.

People will come to YOU!

Romans 11:16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.     

We are as holy as Jesus because we have HIS HOLINESS in our lives.

He also gave us HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Stay locked into this RIVER -- the Holy Ghost is the river John 7:38-39.

One more point:

Song of Solomon 4:12  A garden enclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.    

We are also THE RIVER OF LIFE.

"Oh, but Revelation 22 is about the time after the rapture!  It's the city that we are GOING TO!  It's not us now." Revelation 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.     

He did not say wait for 2000 years and then you can drink.

Isaiah 55:1  Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.