All posts tagged drink the Spirit

To drink the Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) is to take the Spirit as our life supply.

The River of Life Reaching Men

This series of posts looks at God, man, the tree of life, and the river of life in the garden of Eden and in New Jerusalem. Genesis 2:10 tells us that “a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches.”

This one river was parted and became four heads (Gen. 2:10-14). What does this mean? This means that the river flows out of God as the source and the center to reach men in every direction. In the Bible the number one is the number of God, the Creator, for He is unique. The number four signifies man, the creature. Because men live in each of the four directions, the one river flows out of God in every direction to reach them.

The name of the first head is Pison, which means “flowing free” (cf. Isa. 55:1; Rev. 22:17). This river flows without price; it is free. It flows to the land of Havilah which means “to cause to grow.” This branch of the river flows freely to cause everything of life to grow (cf. Ezek. 47:9, 12).*

river of water of lifeThe river flows to reach men in all directions just like New Jerusalem has gates open on each of its four sides (Revelation 21:13) to face men in all directions. This wonderful availability is also seen in the “whoever” and “everyone” verses throughout the New Testament. Here are some:

• But whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall by no means thirst forever; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water gushing up into eternal life. (John 4:14)
• To this One all the prophets testify that through His name everyone who believes into Him will receive forgiveness of sins. (Acts 10:43)
• The same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him (Romans 10:12)
• Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God. (1 John 5:1a)

The river of water of life flows in four directions and the gates of New Jerusalem face four directions. In response to this supply and openness, we should receive. As seen in the verses above, everyone can drink of the river today by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus. O Lord Jesus, I want to drink of this river; refresh me now.

Related posts:
Gates of Pearl
Three Gates on Each of Four Sides

* Witness Lee, Life-Study of Genesis, chapter 11, section 6. This is published and © by Living Stream Ministry and available for online reading here.

2 Comments
by Don on May 17, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Old Testament pictures, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on May 17, 2013

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The River of Life in the Garden and the City

river of water of lifeThe prior posts look at God, man, and the tree of life in the garden of Eden and in New Jerusalem. There is also a river in the garden and in the city. Genesis 2:10 says, “And a river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided and became four branches.”

In Revelation 22:1, the angel showed John “a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its [the city’s] street.” Like the tree of life, the river of life indicates God’s desire to be life to man.

The function of the river in Eden was “to water the garden.” Watering is for maintaining the life of the plants in the garden. Today the Spirit is the reality of the river (John 7:37-39) and God’s cultivated land/God’s field/God’s farmland (1 Corinthians 3:9) is the reality of the garden. We are all plants on God’s farm being watered by the Spirit so that we may grow in Christ.

The Lord’s cry in John 7:37-39 to those who thirst is to come and drink. Today we come by exercising our human spirit to drink the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Isaiah 12:3-4 relates spiritual drinking to our thanksgiving and audible calling. These verses say

Therefore you will draw water with rejoicing from the springs of salvation, and you will say in that day, Give thanks to Jehovah; call upon His name!

In these days we can drink the living water by thanking our Lord for so much that He is and has done, and by calling aloud, O Lord Jesus, as the early Christians did (Acts 7:59; 9:14). In eternity we will continue drinking of the river of water of life which flows through New Jerusalem.

Photo courtesy of U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

Related post: The Spirit, The Bountiful Supply, The River of Water of Life

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by Don on May 15, 2013  •  Permalink
Posted in Old Testament pictures, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on May 15, 2013

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/the-river-of-life-in-the-garden-and-the-city/

The Triune God Flowing to Us

Triune God flows to manIn Revelation 22:1-2a John says, “he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. And on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life, producing twelve fruits, yielding its fruit each month.” Here the Triune God is flowing as the supply of eternal life to man.

God the Father is the source, the Son is the embodiment of all that God is (Colossians 2:9), and the Spirit comes to dwell in man with the reality of all that God in Christ is and has accomplished (John 14:17). The Triune God flowing to man, seen in Revelation 22, is also in 2 Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”

The note* on this verse in the Recovery Version begins,

The grace of the Lord is the Lord Himself as life to us for our enjoyment (John 1:17 and note 1; 1 Cor. 15:10 and note 1), the love of God is God Himself (1 John 4:8, 16) as the source of the grace of the Lord, and the fellowship of the Spirit is the Spirit Himself as the transmission of the grace of the Lord with the love of God for our participation. These are not three separate matters but three aspects of one thing, just as the Lord, God, and the Holy Spirit are not three separate Gods but three “hypostases … of the one same undivided and indivisible” God (Philip Schaff).

The note continues:

The love of God is the source, since God is the origin; the grace of the Lord is the course of the love of God, since the Lord is the expression of God; and the fellowship of the Spirit is the impartation of the grace of the Lord with the love of God, since the Spirit is the transmission of the Lord with God, for our experience and enjoyment of the Triune God — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, with Their divine virtues.

After reviewing the revelation in multiple books of the Bible, the note concludes:

Thus, it is evident that the divine revelation of the trinity of the Godhead in the holy Word, from Genesis through Revelation, is not for theological study but for the apprehending of how God in His mysterious and marvelous trinity dispenses Himself into His chosen people, that we as His chosen and redeemed people may, as indicated in the apostle’s blessing to the Corinthian believers, participate in, experience, enjoy, and possess the processed Triune God now and for eternity.

Abundant thanks and praise to our Triune God for flowing to us for our experience and enjoyment both now and eternally in New Jerusalem.

* Read the entire note in The NT Recovery Version Online, © 1997-2012 by LSM

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by Don on December 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on December 15, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/12/15/the-triune-god-flowing-to-us/

The Throne of God and the Lamb

The Throne of God is in New JerusalemRevelation 22:3, speaking of New Jerusalem, says, “the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it.” Here is one throne for both God and the Lamb. This reflects the fact that the Three of the Godhead are distinct but not separate. The Lord said in John 14:10-11, “I am in the Father and the Father is in Me.” God and the Lamb coinhere and have one throne.

No other throne will be in New Jerusalem. Although Satan wanted to exalt his throne (Isaiah 14:13), his end is not exaltation but the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10).  In our daily living our self is too often on its own throne but our Christian life can be one of learning to deny ourself and to follow the Lord in daily details (Luke 9:23).

I do not think it a coincidence that “no longer be a curse” is immediately followed by “the throne of God and of the Lamb.” The curse and the throne are opposites. Where one is, the other is absent. The curse came in because Satan seduced man to come out from under God’s rule. In New Jerusalem man is fully under God’s rule and there is no curse.

God’s rule in New Jerusalem is not enforced by a rod or by punishments but rather by the flow of life. Revelation 22:1 says that there is “a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” God’s rule is accomplished by flowing the Spirit as the water of life to nourish us and to energize us to live in His kingdom. This is the blessing in New Jerusalem and is also available for our current Christian life. May our God and the Lamb keep us in the flow of living water every day.

Related Posts:

The River from the Throne
The Triune God Flowing to Man

 
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by Don on December 7, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on December 7, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/the-throne-of-god-and-the-lamb/

Christ is our Tree of Life

In Revelation 22:1-2 John tells us that in New Jerusalem he saw “a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street. And on this side and on that side of the river was the tree of life.” Although the term “tree of life” appears only in Genesis and Revelation, throughout the New Testament Christ is the reality of life. Life is in Him (John 1:4), He came to give life (6:33), He came that we may have life abundantly (10:10), and He is the life (14:6). “Our Savior Christ Jesus nullified death and brought life and incorruption to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). “The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). In Colossians 3:4 Christ is our life and in Galatians 2:20 Christ lives in us.

John’s gospel emphasizes life. In this gospel the Lord declared, “I am the true vine” (15:1). Jesus Christ as both life and the true vine is the reality of the tree of life. He is the vine tree which is able to be “on this side and on that side of the river” simultaneously. He is with us wherever we are. Whenever we come to the river to drink the Spirit, we find Christ as tree supplying us with life. This is our present, on-going experience. This is the spiritual reality of the tree of life in Revelation 22.

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by Don on March 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Life and New Jerusalem, New Jerusalem is Spiritual, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on March 15, 2012

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The Golden Street of New Jerusalem is the Divine Nature

Revelation 22:1 tells us that the river of water of life flows in the middle of the street of New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:21b tells us that the street of the city was pure gold. This street of gold is the divine nature as the pathway of our entire Christian life.

Second Peter 1:4 says, “He has granted to us precious and exceedingly great promises that through these you might become partakers of the divine nature…” Through the precious and exceedingly great promises contained in the Bible we can partake of the divine nature and thereby walk on the golden street. There are many specific promises in the Bible. Further, in Romans 1:1-2 the whole gospel is a promise. In the broadest sense the whole Bible is a promise; “all Scripture is God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and man lives on “every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Therefore, when we combine Bible reading with prayer, thanksgiving, and praising to breathe in what God has breathed out and to take the word as our spiritual bread, we are partaking of the divine nature. In the same way, when we combine our remembering of and musing on the Bible with prayer, thanksgiving, and praising, we are partaking. This partaking of the divine nature is our walking on the golden street. This walking enables us to drink the Spirit, who is the river of water of life. Such walking and drinking are for today and will be much fuller in New Jerusalem.

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by Don on February 29, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Life and New Jerusalem, New Jerusalem is Spiritual
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Posted by Don on February 29, 2012

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A River of Water of Life in the Middle of the Golden Street of New Jerusalem

Revelation 22:1 says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.” This river of life is the Spirit who gives life (2 Corinthians 3:6). The Spirit flows in the middle of the street of New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:21b says, “And the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.” New Jerusalem is spiritual. The street is not a physical street paved with gold. For many Bible expositors, gold symbolizes the divine nature. When we are walking on the street, that is, walking in (or according to) the divine nature, the Spirit flows. Conversely, when we are drinking the water of life, the Spirit, we are supplied to walk in the divine nature.

What does it mean to “walk in the divine nature”? Romans 6:4 says that we “walk in newness of life”, the divine life, and Romans 8:4 says we “do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.” Galatians 5:16 and 25 exhort us to “walk by the Spirit.” Putting these verses together, to walk in the divine nature is to walk according to the Spirit of life who is in our human spirit (a prior post and the two following). This is in contrast to walking according to the flesh. The question is not what we are doing, nor whether we are doing good or bad. Romans 8 and Galatians 5 are not about right and wrong but about spirit versus flesh.

The Spirit is the river to supply us. Our walking on the street, our walking in the divine nature, is our cooperation with the Spirit and by the Spirit. Romans 8:13 tells us, “if you live according to the flesh, you must die [spiritually], but if by the Spirit you put to death the practices [habits, whether good or bad] of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13b matches New Jerusalem; it is our walking on the street of gold to receive the river of life.

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by Don on February 27, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on February 27, 2012

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Enjoying New Jerusalem Today

Here are two posts about the present Christian experience that will be consummated in New Jerusalem.

Today We Experience a Foretaste of New Jerusalem

We as believers are living the life of the New Jerusalem today! What we see in Revelation about New Jerusalem is our experience today—only on a smaller scale! In that day when we arrive at the ultimate consummation of the divine revelation, we will not be surprised because today we are experiencing the same thing! What will be in the New Jerusalem is an intensification and a consummation of our present experience!

The Triune God is Flowing to be Life to Us 

Throughout the whole Bible there is a line of the river of water of life, which typifies the flowing Triune God! It starts in Genesis and consummates in the river of water of life in the New Jerusalem, where the river of life flows from the throne and supplies the entire city of God! In this post are multiple verses where we can see the Triune God flowing as the river of water of life.

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by Don on February 25, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on February 25, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/02/25/enjoying-new-jerusalem-today/

The Spirit, The Bountiful Supply, The River of Water of Life

In New Jerusalem, the river of water of life proceeds out of the throne of God the Father and Christ the Redeeming Lamb (Revelation 22:1). Two of the Trinity are clearly named; the Third, the Spirit, is the river (John 7:38-39) flowing to us for us to drink (1 Cor. 12:13).

In Colossians 2:19 a rich supply flows out from the Head, Christ, for our growth resulting in the building up of His Body. “Rich supply” comes from the Greek verb επιχορηγέω (epichoregeo); it and the related noun mean an abundant, bountiful, or liberal supply (Marvin Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament). This word appears in Philippians 1:19,  “…the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” and Galatians 3:5,  “He therefore who bountifully supplies to you the Spirit…” In these verses, the rich supply, the bountiful supply is the Spirit Himself coming to us.

Our present bountiful supply of the Spirit in Galatians, Philippians, and Colossians is portrayed in New Jerusalem by the river of water of life in Revelation 22:1. This river of water of life, the Spirit, is now, not something to be passively hoped for and awaited. The phrase “river of water of life, bright as crystal” is only in Revelation 22 but the reality is available to us today.

 
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by Don on February 23, 2012  •  Permalink
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Posted by Don on February 23, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/the-spirit-the-bountiful-supply-the-river-of-water-of-life/

The River from the Throne

Revelation 22:1 says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.” The source of the river is the throne. The river is life and the throne is authority; the two are closely related.

John’s gospel emphasizes life. In this gospel life is in Jesus Christ (1:4), He came to give life to the world (6:33), He came that we may have life abundantly (10:10), He is the life (14:6), and in resurrection we live because of Him (14:19). In Acts Jesus Christ is the Lord (1:6, 21), the Sovereign Master (4:24), the Leader/Prince (5:31), and the Judge (10:42). These titles relate to His authority. In Colossians 1:18 Christ is the Head of the Body and the Preeminent One, the one with first place in all things; these point to His authority. In Colossians 3:4 Christ is our life. These verses are examples showing that He is both the life we receive and the one to whom we submit.

Life and authority intertwine both now and in New Jerusalem. The more we are under the Lord’s headship, the more we have the flow of life. On the other hand, the more we receive Him as our daily life supply, the more we are able to submit to His headship. Lord, grant us more experience of You as both our Life and our Head.

 

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by Don on February 17, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Characteristics of New Jerusalem, Life and New Jerusalem
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Posted by Don on February 17, 2012

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Glorious Brightness and Crystalline Transparency

Revelation 22:1 says, “And he showed me a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its street.” The river of water of life is bright, shining. The Lord uses the same Greek word in 22:16 to describe Himself, “I am…the bright morning star.” The brightness of the river is “as crystal” indicating the transparency of the flow of life. This flow has no opaqueness and no dullness.

In Revelation 21:11, New Jerusalem is described as “Having the glory of God. Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, as clear as crystal.” The glorious brightness and crystalline transparency of the city have their source in the Triune God. The river conveys these attributes to the entire city. As a result, the entire city shines with the glory of God and is clear as crystal.

We should not passively wait for New Jerusalem. Today we should drink the river of life to receive all that the Lord is. Lord, in Your mercy cause me to experience You as my brightness and transparency day by day.

Bible verses quoted in these posts are from The Holy Bible, Recovery Version, published and copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003. The New Testament of this Bible, with its outlines, footnotes, and cross-references, may be viewed at online.recoveryversion.org; this too is copyrighted by Living Stream Ministry.


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by Don on February 15, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on February 15, 2012

http://newjerusalem12.wordpress.com/2012/02/15/glorious-brightness-and-crystalline-transparency/

The River of Water of Life is Flowing Today

Revelation 22:1 says, “And he showed me a river of water of life…” John saw the river of life flowing. This river is the Spirit flowing for us to drink (John 7:38-39; 1 Cor. 12:13). In John 7 the Spirit was not yet flowing because Jesus was not yet glorified, but in resurrection He was glorified (compare Luke 24:26 & 24:46). As an outcome of Christ’s resurrection the river, the Spirit, is flowing today. Since in one Spirit we were all baptized into the one Body we are now positioned to drink of this Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).

We should not look at Revelation 22 and think that the river of water of life will only be present in the far future. No. John 7 and 1 Corinthians 12 show that water for drinking is a picture of the Spirit. In Romans 8:2 is “the Spirit of life,” in 1 Corinthians 15:45 is the “life-giving Spirit,” and in 2 Corinthians 3:6, “the Spirit gives life.” This life-giving Spirit is the river of water of life flowing today.

Some of the many ways for us to drink the Spirit are:
•    believe into the Lord (John 7:38-39)
•    ask the Lord, “give me the living water” (John 4:10)
•    declare to the Lord, “I am thirsty” (Revelation 21:6)
•    rejoice in the Lord (Isaiah 12:3); praise Him!
•    turn from broken cisterns that hold no water to the Lord (Jeremiah 2:13)

Don’t wait for the future. The river of water of life is here today. Today we can have a foretaste of the New Jerusalem. Lord, give me a drink of living water now and more drinks throughout today.

2 Comments
by Don on February 10, 2012  •  Permalink
Posted in Life and New Jerusalem, River of Life and Tree of Life
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Posted by Don on February 10, 2012

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