Daily Bread - DEC/11/07

Revelation 22:1 - And he showed me a river of life of pure water radiant like crystal flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb.

The Bible refers to a river that produces life four times in scripture: the first time is in Ezekiel 47:1-12, the second is in Zechariah 14:8, then in John 7:37-39 and lastly in Revelation 22:1. The one thing that all these rivers most definitely have in common is that they are rivers of living water that produce life. These waters instantaneously impart the life of God to anything that is dead or dying, and it is healed and restored. Now we may choose to be very analytical with the description of the river and say that two of these descriptions refer to the river of God during the millennial reign of Christ (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 14:8; Joel 3:18); one is purely spiritual belonging to the flowing forth of the Holy Spirit through the New Testament saints (John 7:37-39; 4:14); and one belongs to the Eternal City, the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2). However, in doing this we must not lose sight of the existence of this river now at this present time both flowing from God and through the New Testament saints. Furthermore, we must recognize that this river is given to bring forth the life of God and that, in reality, God has only one source of life and cleansing no matter what time period we choose to evaluate. If mankind is going to be healed - whether Jew or Gentile, now or in the future - they must come to these waters. The life-giving water flows out from the throne of God in every time period to bring healing to mankind spiritually, physically, and materially. The rivers flow out to heal the waters of the earth (the environment) as well as the sociopolitical disease of the nations (Zechariah 13:1; John 4:10; 7:37-39; Revelation 7:17; Ezekiel 47:8-9,12; Revelation 22:2).

The source of this water is God the Father and the Lord Jesus who is the Lamb of God. The function of the river is to both cleanse and to renew. These waters are the life-giving and life-sustaining power of God. Its purifying and creative power is the very action of the Spirit of God upon all creation. It is the water that Jesus offered to the woman at the well (John 4:10). It is the water that Jesus offered to the masses gathered together at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:37-39). It is the water that testifies of redemption along with the Spirit and the blood in the earth today (1 John 5:6, 8). The life-giving water flows from the Fountain of Life, the Almighty God (Psalms 36:9; Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13; 1 Corinthians 10:4). This life-giving water is being offered to all humanity today. Just as Jesus offered it to all those gathered together at the Feast of Tabernacles so long ago, even today the Holy Spirit is saying come, the bride is saying come, and those who hear are saying come and drink of the water of life. The water of life is the life of God and presence of God that flows into our lives by the Holy Spirit. The life of God inside those who receive becomes a fountain springing up and a river flowing out producing the manifestation of the Holy Spirit and the abundant life that is in Christ Jesus (John 7:39; Galatians 5:22-24; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Acts 1:8).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org