Enlightened Hope

This morning I want to share a number of verses about the Water of Life.  The first is from the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 47.  I can’t help/stop thinking of the similarities between these verses and ‘Tide is Rising’ Word for our church – see previous blog.

Ezekiel 47:1-12
47:1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.  3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits  and then

“led me through water that was ankle-deep”

4 He measured off another thousand cubits and

“led me through water that was knee-deep”

He measured off another thousand and

“led me through water that was up to the waist”

5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because

“the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in”

— a river that no one could cross. 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah,  where it enters the Sea.  When it empties into the Sea,  the water there becomes fresh. 9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds — like the fish of the Great Sea.   11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt.

“12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”

And now to the revelation of John…

Rev 22:1-2
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations”

Here are some questions and answers that come to mind from these verses…

Question: Why won’t their leaves wither and their fruit fail?  Answer: Because the water of the sanctuary flows to them.

Question: What is the sanctuary?  Answer: In Rev 22 we see that the sanctuary is the very throne of God and of the Lamb.

Question: What is the water?  Answer: The water is the Holy Spirit.

Question: How often do the trees bear fruit?  Answer: Every month the trees naturally bear fruit.  Therefore, relating this back to us, we are to consistantly and continually bear fruit, not out of a sense of duty – this would be impossible, but fruit will be a natural (supernatural) outflow of our lives connected to the Water of Life.

Question: What is fruit?  Answer: Fruit isn’t just being nice. In John 15:16 Jesus said “I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last”.  So we are to go and bear eternal fruit!  As we are connected to the Father through the Son empowered by His Holy Spirit in a life of faith and trust we will be directed to acts of love and service and good works that have eternal significance and consequences – Kingdom fruit!

Question: What is this about the “leaves being healing for the nations”?  Answer: Most importantly, we have the “words of eternal life”.  The message of healing and restoration through Jesus for the nations.  We need to bring this message to the nations.  Significantly as well, a (super)natural by-product of the presence of Kingdom Believers in a community (or nation) brings with it healing and blessing and provision and protection.

Other Verses about the Water of Life

Jer 17:7-8
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him.  8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.  It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.  It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. ”

Rev 21:6
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

Rev 22:17
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.

John 4:7-14
7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”  8(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. )
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?”
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”