THE PURE RIVER OF THE WATER OF LIFE
REVELATION XXII. 1-2
From Signs of the Times May 1st 1915
"And he shewed me a
pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of
the river, was there the true of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and
yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing
of the nations."
Our views on the above text were asked
for several months ago, but we have not until now felt that we could write upon
it. Even now we do not know that what we shall write will be satisfactory to
our inquirer, but can give only such views as we have, leaving the issue with
him who works all things after the counsel of his own will.
He who shewed this river to John was one of the seven angels “which had the seven vials full of the seven last
plagues." Also, this angle had a golden reed with -which he measured the
city of God, its gates and its wall. John could only see these wonderful things
as they were shown to him. He could not of himself see these things for
himself, but was wholly dependent upon revelation. True, John was a called and
ordained apostle of the Lamb, but this fact did not make him any the less
dependent upon the Holy Spirit of God for all his instruction. In this
revelation recorded in the last chapter of the book called Revelation, John
sees the life of the holy city (the new Jerusalem) as a river pure and clear
coming forth from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Wherever this river flows
in its course, there is spiritual, eternal life; wherever it does not flow,
naught but death prevails. This living water is all that makes the difference between
life and death, fruitfulness and desolation.
Naturally speaking, all life naturally
would cease upon this earth very soon if all water was to disappear from the
earth. In the western part of the United States are vast tracts of barren
deserts where no rain ever falls, where no rivers pass nor dews descend, and where deathly silence of
desolation ever reigns. In some instances man has devised a way to get water
into these regions by means of irrigation and where this has been done green
verdure and fruitful fields abound. It is the coming of the water has wrought
the wondrous transformation. Also, it is well known that the valley of the Nile
River in Egypt, would be utterly barren were it not for the fact that the Nile
overflows its banks every year, watering the valley on either side for many
miles. Upon this yearly overflow
has depended for centuries the fertility of that region. Where the last drop of
the overflow ends, the first grain of sand of the Nubian Desert begins. The
water compels the desert sands to come only so far, and no farther. It is
wonderfully appropriate that the Spirit of divine truth throughout the Bible
frequently uses the natural element of water to signify the life of the church,
and the work of the Holy Spirit. All that makes the difference between the
saved and the unsaved, the elect and the nonelect, is water, living water, the
water of eternal and spiritual life. Where this water flows in its course as it
proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb, and unto whomsoever it is
directed by the authority of him that sits in the throne, there is to be
manifested spiritual and eternal life. Wherever this water does not go, is not
directed, there death never-ending prevails. Thus spiritual life is wholly
dependent upon the water of this living river, and upon the divine authority
that sends it forth, and which directs its course. Those reached by this river
are no better by nature than those not reached; therefore salvation is not by
works. It is a mercy that any are saved, and that not all are left in death to
perish forever. The course and direction which this living water takes depends
alone upon the enthroned power of God and of the Lamb, and not in the least
upon any merit in the creature, nor upon his will, for he is dead until this
water reaches him. It is significant that the Scripture here combines the words
"God" and "Lamb " When we think of God, we think of all that is
awe-inspiring: of great power, infinite wisdom, unerring judgment, boundless
truth, and such other great and high qualities. When we think of Lamb, we think
of the crucified, of obedience, of meekness gentleness, love, compassion and
mercy: such qualities as seem to mitigate the awful dignity of God to poor,
fallen man. Were God simply great, wise and just, he could not have any
inclination to condescend to our low estate, but because he is the Lamb as well
as God he pities our destitution and his bowels of mercy wove with compassion
toward those who have not the slightest claim upon so great and holy a Being.
Thus, when we are told that eternal life as a pure, clear river proceeds from
God and the Lamb, we know that it comes not only directed by the omnipotence
and infinite wisdom of God, but as well from his mercy, love and pity. It flows
out of the crucified One, front the riven side of Christ, out of the clefts of
the Rock of the ages.
The tree of life is "in the midst of the street
of it and on either side of the river." What is meant by "the street
of it ?" In the chapter just
before this, we have a full and minute description of the holy city of God, the
new Jerusalem, which came down " from God out of heaven, prepared as a
bride adorned for her husband," and the street of the city was pure gold,
as it were transparent glass. In the midst of this street of the city (not the
street of the river) was the tree of life. The city of God has but one street,
though the Arminian heaven is said to have golden streets, more than one
street, no telling how many. However, the now Jerusalem, which is from above, and
which is the mother of all the spiritually born, has one street, one only, and
that street is pure gold, not golden. That which is golden way be more or less
mixed with alloy. It takes very little gold to wake a thing pass as golden. But
that which is pure gold, as this one street is said to be, cannot have the
least admixture of alloy. This one street of pure gold is the one way in which
all the inhabitants of the city, the people of God walk. Here they all meet and
mingle, interchanging expressions of mutual love and fellowship, greeting one
another with the holy kiss, saluting their brethren with heavenly greetings.
This is the way all the holy prophets went, herein walked the apostles and the
primitive church, here now walk all that believe in the Lord Jesus Christ with
all their heart, and that hope in his mercy. This street is faith. "The
just shall live by his faith." "For we walk by faith, not by
sight." The faith of God's people is the same in all ages. It is pure
gold, because it is the gift of God, and not
obtainable by man by any exercise of his own. It is pure gold, too, because it
has successfully endured all the fiery trials to which God's people have ever
been subjected in all ages. In the midst of this faith (street) is the tree of
life, Jeans Christ. He was in the midst of Abel's faith, of Noah's, of
Abraham's, of the faith of the whole cloud of witnesses which ever encompasses
the child of God. Our faith finds its entire satisfaction and aim in Jesus
Christ, faith embraces him and him only his blessed character, life, work,
death, resurrection and ascension to glory, as well as his coming again, not as
a sacrifice for sin, but unto salvation.
There is nothing else in the midst of
the faith of the New Jerusalem but the fullness of the Godhead in Christ Jesus.
Also, the tree of life is on either side of the river of life. This shows the
situation, not only of Jesus, who is the tree of life, but also of the church
of Jesus, which through him lives forever. Her (lays are as the (lays of this
tree, so it is no accident that the Scripture uses the pronoun “ her “ when it says, "and yielded
her fruit every month." We used to wonder why it said “ her fruit “instead of " his
fruit," but it is because of the vital oneness of Christ and his church
that it so says "her fruit" - His fruit is her fruit. She has her
fruitfulness in Him. She bears whatever he quickens her to bear. Therefore, the
tree of life, Jesus, as well as his church, being on either side of the river,
it is nourished and sustained by the water of this living stream. This tree of
life is on both sides, on the law side as well as on the gospel side. Jesus and
his people are seen throughout the Old Testament in the times that were legal,
as well as throughout the Now Testament in the times that are gospel. This tree
is ever living, therefore is ever-fruitful, because the river along which it is
planted is ever flowing, never ceasing, never abating its volume nor the force
of its current. We are reminded of the words in first Psalms: “Blessed is the
man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of
sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law
of the Lord; and in his law doth lie meditate day and night. And he, shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in
his season ; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever lie doeth shall
prosper." This Psalm seems to us to describe the character not of David,
but of Christ.
We have frequently noticed in the summer
time, when we occasionally have long, dry spells, that the leaves on many trees
will wither with the beat, curl up and fall off but along the banks of rivers,
brooks and other streams, the trees will be more vigorous and green and show no
sign of suffering from the drought. The roots of those trees so favorably
situated are constantly fed by water from the stream, so that they are better
able to stand the season of little rain. Thus Christ is planted alongside the
river of the water of life, and the drought and and famine and pestilence,
peril and desolation and sword, affect his life and fruitfulness not at all.
When we look back and consider all the tips and downs through which this old
earth has passed since it was first created, then consider the tree of life
that has maintained its perennial bloom throughout it all, we wonder indeed at
the marvelous life sustaining property of this river of the water of life. The
world has been visited over and over again with famine, pestilence, wars,
earthquakes, tires, and various upheavals and destructions of various free,
some Scythian. His people are drawn unto him from the east, the west, the
north, and the south. Some come in through the north gates of the city, some
through the south gates, some through the east gates and some through the west
gates. But every several gate was a pearl, so no matter from whence they came,
through what diverse experiences and out of what various tribulations, they all
come through the gate of pearl, for there is, after all, but one way into the
city, and that the way of Jesus' blood and righteousness. Also, there were
twelve apostles. These were fruits of the tree of life. All of them preached
the same doctrine, but no two preached it alike. Each had his own manner of
declaring it. And we emphasize the fact that the manner of the fruit, as well
as the fruit itself, is all of Jesus Christ. We have many God-called ministers
of God among the Old Baptists today, but we will venture to say that no two of
them preach the gospel exactly alike. They all preach the same truth, but each
has his own manner of doing it, each his own gift. We should not demand that
our brethren in the ministry see things exactly as we do, that they should use
our phraseology to clothe their views. Sister Clarice Durand once said or wrote
to us that our being in the strait and narrow way did not necessarily make us
narrow minded. She meant by that that a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ
could maintain his own views of Scripture without compelling others to bow down
to those views, or without demanding that his views be accepted as the articles
of their faith. It is narrow mindedness to demand that all our brethren square
themselves by our rule and level. “Let brotherly love continue and in order to
this, charity must abound.
These various manner of fruits, all of
the same tree of life, the one Jesus, are all being yielded in their season, so
that there is fruit-bearing all the time. Even in the cold winter time, when we
feel that we are cold and indifferent to the things of the Spirit, even then
fruit is being yielded. If this were not so, why would one know that lie is
cold and barren? A dead person does not know lie is cold. Therefore, the very
fact that we sometimes get into cold states, and know it, that very
consciousness of coldness is a fruit of the living tree. So sometimes it is
prayer, sometimes praise, sometimes thanksgiving, sometimes sorrowing, some
bearing burdens, and again being delivered. But various as are the manners of these
fruits, they are all yielded by the same tree, and are yielded in all seasons
of our experience to suit the seasonal need.
The last clause of our text is: “The
leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." These leaves are
the promises made of God in Christ Jesus to his people, which lie chose in him
before the world began. Leaves on a tree show that winter is passed, that the
dormant state is ended and that the time of fruit, will soon appear. Leaves
prophesy fruit. All during the legal dispensation there were numerous types and
shadows, which all prophesied the fruitfulness of the gospel when Christ should
fulfill all those prophetic things. The leaves of the law portended the fruit
of the gospel. So the leaves of the tree of life are the promises which God has
made to his people in Christ Jesus. These heal the nations. They heal not
simply the people of Clod among the Jews, but all nations, his people scattered
abroad among all the kindreds of the earth. These leaves of the tree, or promises
in Christ Jesus, are far too numerous for us to enumerate them all, but we must
call attention to a few. Let us take the promise which God made to Abraham:
"In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Here is
veiled the, truth that Christ is the seed of Isaac, which was the seed of
Abraham, and that in Christ all nations (Gentiles as well as Jews) should be
blessed. All nations, according to this promise, are to benefit in the
salvation which is by grace through Jesus Christ.
We see how this one leaf of the tree of
life, or this one promise made to Abraham and fulfilled in Jesus Christ, heals
the nations, for according to it redemption is come among all the kindreds of
the earth. So likewise the Scriptures are filled with these leaves, or promises,
which God has made to his people in Christ Jesus. These promises are the basis
of our hope and trust in him. The very hope of eternal life which God has put
in the hearts of his spiritual heirs, this hope is itself a promise. We make a
great mistake if we think our hope is the fullness of our inheritance. It is
but the earnest of it. Some day, at his appearing, Jesus will bring the hope of his people
to a glorious fruition. Then will we know as we are known and see as we are
seen. In the meantime does not this hope save us from the wounds which sin has
made, does it not heal the nations? Paul says we are saved by hope. This hope
is a promise of better things to come, and like all other promises made to us
in Christi it is a leaf of the tree of life. Paul was greatly dismayed when the
thorn entered his flesh. He asked thrice that it be removed. It was not
removed, but God promised him, "My grace is sufficient for thee." It was this promise that
healed Paul throughout his long and faithful ministry: the sufficiency of
grace. This made him equal to all his adversities, enabled him to triumph over
all hi enemies and made him able to say at last that he had fought a good fight
and kept the faith. All these promises, or leave of the tree of life, are yea and
amen in Christ Jesus, to the glory of God by him and God is not slack
concerning his promises as some men count slackness. The thing lie has
promised, that will he do He changes not. In his promise and his oath lie has
given the heirs of glory a strong consolation through two immutable things in
which it, is impossible for God to lie.
Written at the request of sister V. A Edward, of
Burden, Kansas.
Please direct your comments to Mike Krall.