The Illuminating Presence of God.
Revelation 22:1-5NKJV
I really appreciate John Ortberg’s quote about God’s Presence: "Now let us bring God into the picture. The reality with God is that we are never speaking or acting in his absence. The psalmist said, 'Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.' However, God allows us to sometimes feel as if we are away from him, which I think he does for a reason. Do you ever drive differently when you see a squad car behind you? Why? It is not because your heart is changed. It is not because you see that squad car and think, Oh, I want to be a good driver. You don’t want to get a ticket! You don’t want that little light flashing in the rearview mirror. You see God doesn’t want forced compliance. God is so immense that if he were 'too visible,'people would give forced compliance without expressing their heart.’
‘So God makes it possible, in enormous love, for us to live as if he were not there.”
In the caption of my Bible are these words—Eden Restored. Everything Adam and Eve missed out on, because of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil has been restored.
Sustained life—The God kind of life.
Total peace, and joy—No confusion, no sorrow.
Full worship along with total glory.
Full satisfaction and completion—No lack.
Revelation 22:1-5TLB And he pointed out to me a river of pure Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb, 2 coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew Trees of Life,[a] bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month; the leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
3 There shall be nothing in the city that is evil; for the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will be their light; and they shall reign forever and ever.
Long before the first coming of Christ, Ezekiel the prophet was shown something of what would happen at the end of time. He was given a vision of a temple and a city. The book of Revelation makes clear that the visions shown to Ezekiel in, Ezekiel 47:1-12, will be fulfilled—the new heavens and new earth will transpire. God takes Ezekiel to the very throne of God, and Ezekiel the prophet sees this Water of Life.
We rarely hear much about heaven, primarily because of the cares of this world. We become numb, while hardness tries to meander its way into our hearts. In the natural, these words from Revelation, almost seem like a fairytale.
However, death has a way of waking us up to the reality of eternity, because one day you’ll say with me—“Eternity means more than I could ever imagine!”
Revelation 22:1TLB And he pointed out to me a river of pure Water of Life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and the Lamb,
Again, this water of Life flows from the very throne of God.
God in the center, Jesus on His right side.
The third member of the Trinity bringing a life-flow of living water—Touching everything it comes in contact with.
Verse 1a, Here, the river is an emblem of peace, happiness, plenty; and the essential thought in its flowing from the throne is—that all the happiness of heaven proceeds from God!
Yes, heaven is a happy place. There’s no sorrow, and no crying—God Himself will wipe away every tear from our eyes—Revelation 21:4.
Did you know that God bottles our tears?
Psalm 56:8NLT You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.
—So Remember.
God records your tears—Jesus hurts for you.
Romans 8:26, records that the Spirit himself, groans within us.
Back to Revelation 22:1, Again, This River of Life flows from the throne of God—Where God lives.
Remember what Jesus said in John 7:37-38NKJV, He spoke of this same river. 37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
Hear this word—As believers come to Jesus—Jesus responds with drink. The heart believing Saint of God, drinking from the rivers of God—Rivers of Living Water!
“There’s not a sweeter name than the name of Jesus!” P.H
Revelation 22:2TLB coursing down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew Trees of Life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month; the leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations.
“The tree of life”—used here as a collective noun, implying plurality. Trees of Life, bearing crops of fruit—A fresh crop each month.
These trees of life produce healing leaves to medicate nations.
Hear this word. Only Jesus can heal the nations—Jesus offers divine medicine, His name alone produces eternal life!
John 10:10TM, Jesus said this, 10 A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
Abundant life—Life the way God does it! Life more abundantly—Over and Above the normal.
Just speak the name of Jesus. Jesus!
Revelation 22:3NLT No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.
Notice, because of the throne being present, and of the Lamb—there will be no more curse! (A curse can’t live where Jesus is).
In the Book of Exodus, As God does something marvelous like—provide fresh Manna, The Israelites called this—Manna meaning, What is it? That’s kind of how worship is sometimes, we don’t understand it yet.
However in Revelation 22:3, When God and the Lamb are seen by His people, they will worship Creator God from the inside of this new glory, and we will understand it.
We shall worship God in a new dimension, because of His glory.
In heaven, His glory will bring a new element to our fable attempt to worship.
Paul also anticipated a greater fulfillment of our seeing the face of God: 1 Corinthians 13:12NKJV For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known.
In that day there will be nothing that obscures our vision of Jesus:
* We will see Jesus clearly because sin is done away with.
We will see Jesus clearly because all care and worry (anxiety) are gone.
We will see Jesus clearly because idols are done away with.
Revelation 22:4NLT And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.
The full glory of God has never been available to sinful man. However, for our loved ones that have crossed over—they shall experience His face—His fullness!
Verse 4b…His names will be written on their foreheads.
Jesus told the church at Philadelphia that the overcomer would have at least two names written upon him:
1. The name of God.
2. The name of the New Jerusalem.
In a similar way to which the Beast worshipers received the mark of the Beast—666, as an indication of their identity with the Beast.
Saints of God have received the mark of the Lord. Think about it, “God’s name written upon the forehead!”
Revelation 22:5NLT And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
Just imagine, “The Lord Himself shines on them.”
1 John 1:5NLT This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
Presently, the Lord is shinning upon our loved ones, they live in a place of total light. There’s nothing that compares to this light.
2 Corinthians 4:6NLT For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
Here’s the big take from this scripture. Because of this light—Jesus, shining in our hearts, we will really understand the glory of God.
Isaiah 60:1NIV "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Again Revelation 22:5b, And they shall reign forever and ever.
Leaving the temporal, for the eternal, the superficial, for Zoe life—The life God gives.
Benediction.
