The Revelation of
Christ –
Part 49: Eden
Restored
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
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SERMON INTRODUCTION
At this point is the great White Throne
Judgment.
All are called before the throne, heaven and
earth “pass away” Matthew 24:35
All whose name is not in the Lambs Book of Life
are cast into the Lake of Burning Sulfur with the Antichrist, false prophet,
Satan, Death (dying/time) and Sheol (place of departed spirits is no longer
needed because from this point there is no “time”, no one ages, or dies, so
there is no reason for a place for spirits that leave the body.
After this we see we have received New Bodies
(sinless), and there was created a New Earth and a New Heaven.
And now, a New Jerusalem coming down from God
to be on the New Earth
New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb.
Now that judgment has taken place, and all
evil, sin, Sheol and Death (time) have been cast into the eternal burning lake
of sulfur, where they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever, we
have witnessed our New bodies, new heaven, new earth and new Jerusalem.
With the conclusion of the existence of time,
and the completeness of the Word of God being fulfilled, Eden has now been
restored.
SERMON SERIES – The Revelation of Christ
THE
THINGS WHICH SHALL BE
TODAY’S SERMON - THE THINGS WHICH SHALL BE
SCRIPTURE
READING
Revelation 22:1-5
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 2 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. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb
will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face,
and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They
will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God
will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
I.
THE RIVER OF LIFE
a.
The angel showed John the River of
the Water of Life
i. It was as
clear as crystal
ii. Revelation 21:6 “To the
thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”
iii. This River
of the Water of Life is the Holy Spirit!
iv. John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as
the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living
water.’”
v. We receive
a portion of this when we belong to Christ.
vi. John 4:10 “Jesus answered her, “If
you knew the gift of God (Holy Spirit), and who it is that is saying
to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given
you living water.”
b.
It flowed from the Throne of God and
of the Lamb
i. Because it
IS them
ii. Notice the
“throne” is always referred to as “the Throne of God and of the Lamb”, they are
one, along with the Holy Spirit which flows from them
iii. LAMB being
used here to emphasize the Cross and what Christ accomplished
iv. This River
of the Water of Life is called so because it is the Spirit of God which will
sustain us for eternity.
v. The
Promise (Holy Spirit), the Gift of God (Holy Spirit) the breath that gave us
life in the beginning, the water that quenches our thirst for union with God,
is now ours “without cost” because all debt has been paid!
c.
It flowed own the middle of the
street of the city
i. Literally
flowing, but symbolic of the fact that whether you are on one side or the
other, you have access!
ii. No one is
restricted and the full measure can now be poured out to us!
iii. This can
ONLY happen because we are, at this point, redeemed souls in redeemed flesh,
perfect and in communion with God in a sinless existence for the first time in
our lives.
iv. This was
spoke of in Ezekiel 47:1 “Then he
brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was flowing from
below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east).
The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the
temple, south of the altar.”
II.
THE TREE OF LIFE
a.
On each side of the river stood the
Tree of Life
i. From the description
here it appears the Tree of Life has roots on both sides of the river, once
again giving the illustration that no matter where you are you have access.
ii. What IS
the Tree of Life?
1.
Genesis 2:8-9 “The Lord
God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom
He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is
pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of
life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.”
2.
Two trees in the Garden. One for the tree of
knowledge of good and evil we were to never touch, thus making us obedient to
the Lord and righteous.
3.
The Tree of Life is fed by the Holy Spirit
(grows on both sides of the River of the Water of Life), and it’s fruit
sustains us and feeds our everlasting flesh just as the River of Water of Life
sustains our everlasting Soul.
4.
Genesis 3:24 “So He
drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the
cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to
the tree of life.”
b.
Bearing 12 crops of fruit yielding
every month
i. 12 crops
1. Remember
last week’s sermon?
2. 12 is the
number of God’s perfect government
3. This
literal tree bears 12 crops meaning it symbolizes the New Kingdom!
4. Which
operates as God’s perfect governmental system.
5. In the
Literal translation, it sounds as if there are 12 different types of fruit from
this one tree.
ii. Yielding
every month?
iii. We saw
“death” and “Sheol” cast into the burning lake after judgment, because there is
no longer a need or use for “time” or a place of departed spirits, because no
one will ever die again.
iv. So, what
does “bearing fruit every month” mean if there is no more time? I believe this
statement is to acknowledge there is no longer “seasons”, and fruit will
“always” be present.
c.
The leaves of the tree are for the
healing of nations
i. No longer
will there be any curse
ii. Again, the
12 represents God’s perfect governmental system, and the leaves are also
symbolic of healing the nations (through perfect rule)
iii. It is a
symbol (the Tree of Life) of a perfect system, Eden, where all is good, and all
nations are “healed” from the effects of the curse which has been removed,
completely!
iv. In fact,
it is said plainly, there will no longer be ANY CURSE
Remember, ONLY those who
died BEFORE the 1,000-year reign receive Glorified bodies.
Revelation 20:4-6 tells us
that Millennial saints (those during the 1,000 year reign who belong to the
Lord) remain alive in their natural bodies through the end of the Millennial
Kingdom and are then resurrected at the conclusion of the Millennial Kingdom.
“Blessed and Holy” is the
one who takes part in the first resurrection because they receive a Glorified
body.
Revelation 20:6 “Blessed
and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the
second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and
will reign with Him for a thousand years.”
Those who live during the 1,000-year
reign will be alive, marry, have children, etc. THEY are the ones we are
Priests of God and Christ for and rule over with God during the 1,000 years.
Also, not all of them will
make it through the 1,000-year reign!!!
Remember when Satan is
released before his judgment, he gathers armies once more to make war against
the Lamb.
If these people who go to
war with Satan had resurrected Glorified bodies that implies, they were
obedient and saved and would not follow Satan. Also, Glorified bodies are
impervious to the second death according to Revelation 20:6!
We know from scripture that
those who join Satan’s army are cast into the lake of fire with him, therefore,
it is impossible for them to have Glorified bodies.
SO…without Glorified bodies,
they “need” the fruit from the Tree of Life to live an everlasting existence,
JUST AS ADAM AND EVE DID IN THE GARDEN!
That is why the Tree is
here.
III.
THE THRONE OF GOD AND OF THE LAMB
a.
Will be in the city and HIS servants
will serve Him
i. Pay
attention to the wording here, the Throne of God and of the Lamb, followed by HIS
servants will serve Him
ii. Making
clear the teaching of the Truth of the Trinity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are
one.
b.
They will
i. See His
face
1.
Exodus 33:20-23 “But He
said, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” Then the Lord
said, “Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand there on the rock;
and it will come about, while My glory is passing by, that I will put you in
the cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by”
2. Why can’t
man “see the face of God” and live?
3. Because we
are sinful and His glare would destroy us.
4. However, by
the time of the New Jerusalem, we are made perfect by him, with redeemed soul
and New Flesh, we will be sinless and can now gaze upon the face of God!
ii. And His
name will be on their foreheads
1. This being
symbolic of the Name of God will continuously be in our thoughts and minds.
2. Just as
described about the number of the beast on foreheads.
3. What did
God say about the world when he destroyed it with the flood?
a.
Genesis 6:5 “The LORD
saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human
heart was only evil all the time.”
b.
Matthew 24:37-39 “As it
was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
c.
Remember Revelation
7:3 God’s people are sealed on their foreheads. Moses said in Deuteronomy 6:2,8 to “bind
His commands on your hand and foreheads”
i. Hands and
foreheads are symbolic of deeds and thoughts.
4. So, this
statement is symbolic of our minds and thoughts consistently on God because we
no longer have sinful flesh battling with us for our attention.
c.
There will be no more night
i. We will
not need light from lamps, or the sun
ii. The Lord
God will give us light, His glory will shine on us, in us, and from us
iii. And we
will reign for ever and ever
CONCLUSION
–
Revelation
2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of
life which is in the Paradise of God.’”
Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who
wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may
enter by the gates into the city.”
NEXT
WEEK: The Invitation and Warning
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