Eye Openers (Part 9 of 0)

The New Creation (3) – Part ten

In this article, we conclude our study of the new creation. In particular, we discuss the spiritual meaning of the river in the garden of Eden and the fulfillment of creation as seen in John’s vision of new Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22).

The River of Life

After forming man from the dust of the ground, “The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed…And a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Gen. 2:8,10). Throughout scripture, in both the Old and New Testaments, this river is given a spiritual meaning. It represents the spirit of eternal life that we can have through Christ.

  1. The Torah: spiritual water from the rock

Immediately upon entering the wilderness, the children of Israel complained that they were thirsty, and there was no water. They chided Moses and tempted God, asking why Moses had brought them out of Egypt only to kill them from thirst. Moses cried unto the Lord for help. “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod…Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel” (Exo. 17:5-6).

This episode is a type. The children of Israel were in the Arabian desert, an open manifestation of the effects of the curse. This was no Eden. There was no food, no water, no protection from the elements (the heat by day, the cold by night). But in the midst of this wretched place, God provided for His people. He gave them a taste of Eden, a foretaste of the land of milk and honey He had promised to give them. He gave them a preview of the Kingdom Age, when Christ will give us water that brings eternal life.

Paul identifies Christ as the source of the water, “All our fathers…did eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ” (I Cor. 10:1-4).

  1. The Psalms: the fountain of life

The Psalms celebrate the day of blessing when we can drink from the river of life: “Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life…There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High” (Psa. 36:8-9; 46:4).

  1. The Prophets: wells of salvation

Isaiah prophesies of that day, “With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation…For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses…They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them…Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters…Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David” (Isa. 12:3; 44:3-4; 49:10; 55:1,3).

Isaiah is giving us a spiritual lesson. This water is associated with salvation, the spirit, blessing, springing up of the seed (i.e., resurrection), mercy, life, and the everlasting covenant. In short, he is teaching us of a time when the curse brought by man’s failure will be reversed. We are being led back to the true (spiritual) river of life in the garden of Eden.

See also Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 14:8.

  1. Jesus: water springing up into everlasting life

Jesus further explains the type to the woman of Samaria, “If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water…Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (Jn. 4:10,13-14).

Here is the spiritual lesson of the river in the garden of Eden: the flowing water, like the tree of life, represents eternal life through Christ, even to a sinful Samaritan woman if she believes and worships in spirit and in truth.

And, “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified)” (Jn. 7:37-39).

Again, he is explaining the reality behind the shadow: note the connections to believing, to Christ being the source of the river, to the living water, and to the giving of the Spirit.

  1. Revelation: the water of life

John teaches the same spiritual truths: “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely…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…Let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 21:6; 22:1; 22:17).

New Jerusalem

John’s description of the holy city, new Jerusalem, is filled with allusions to the new creation. There are many connections to Isaiah’s new creation passages, as well as allusions directly to Genesis itself. There are also connections to the letters to the seven churches (Rev. 2-3). All we can do here is provide some brief notes.

  1. New heaven and new earth

“I saw a new heaven and new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away…the former things are passed away…Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:1,4,5). This is new creation language: “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create” (Isa. 65:17-18; see the 8/95 Tidings for the new creation allusions in Isa. 65:13-66:2).

  1. The holy city

“The holy city. new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven…[he] shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:2,10).

This echoes the earlier promise, “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God. which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God” (Rev. 3:12). Both of these passages recall Isaiah’s prophecy, “They shall call thee, The city of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 60:14).

  1. The Lamb’s bride

“Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband…Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:2,9). We discussed the spiritual lessons of marriage in last month’s article (See Gen. 2:18-25; Eph. 5:22-33; Rev. 19:7-9). John emphasizes the spiritual lessons of the bride’s white clothing and jewels. “As a bride adorneth herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:10; cp. 54:11-14). “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment” (Rev. 3:5).

  1. No more death

“There shall be no more death” (Rev. 21:4). “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death” (Rev. 2:11). “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Cor. 15:54-57; cp. Isa. 25:8; Hos. 13:14).

So the curse of death (Gen. 3:19) is overcome, fulfilling the promise (Gen. 3:15) that the seed of the woman, our Lord Jesus Christ, would bruise the head of the serpent, whose sting is sin.

  1. No more sorrow

“Neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (Rev. 21:4) summarizes a theme of Isaiah: “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isa. 35:10; cp. 51:11); “The days of thy mourning shall be ended” (Isa. 60:20; cp. 61:1-3); “I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying” (Isa. 65:19).

This blessing is an overturning of the curses that followed the fall: “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children…in sorrow shalt thou eat of [the ground] all the days of thy life” (Gen. 3:16,17).

  1. The glory of God

“Having the glory of God” (Rev. 21:11). New Jerusalem fulfills the original divine purpose of creation (Num. 21:14; Hab. 2:14; Psa. 72:18-19).

  1. A white stone

“Her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal” (Rev. 21:11). Perhaps this alludes to the white stones given to the faithful. “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone” (Rev. 2:17). This “white stone” probably refers to the “bdellium” (Gen. 2:12) found in Havilah. The only other occurrence of “bdellium” connects it to manna, “The manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium” (Num. 11:7), and we know that manna was white, “The house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey” (Ex. 16:31).

  1. Built on the foundation of the apostles

“The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Rev. 21:14). “Now therefore ye are…built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth into an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-21).

  1. The temple

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it” (Rev. 21:22). “Ye are the temple of the living God…builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (II Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:22; see also I Cor. 3:16-17).

  1. The light

“And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof…they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light” (Rev. 21:23; 22:5).

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee…The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory” (Isa. 60:1,19).

Is this a reference to the first day of creation? The sun, moon, and stars were not “made” until the fourth day, but on the first ‘day, “God said, Let there be light: and there was light” (Gen. 1:3), probably signifying the light of the Shekinah glory in the earth.

This was the same glorious light that illuminated the children of Israel in Egypt during the ninth plague, at the crossing of the Red Sea, and throughout their wilderness wanderings. It is also the glory that filled the tabernacle and Solomon’s temple. Ezekiel describes its departure from the temple through the eastern gate, and its return in the reverse path. Likewise, Jesus, “the light of the world,” in whom we “beheld the glory of the only begotten of the Father,” ascended into heaven having taken the same path. And he will come in like manner.

  1. The wealth of nations

“And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it” (Rev. 21:24-26) cites Isaiah, “And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising…because the abundance of the sea shall be turned unto thee, the wealth of the nations shall come unto thee…Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the wealth of nations, and their kings led with them may be bought” (Isa. 60:3,5,11).

  1. The tree of life

“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielding her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2; see also 22:14,19). “To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). This refers to Ezekiel’s prophecy, “And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf for healing” (Ezk. 47:12), which points back to Eden, “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden” (Gen. 2:9).

  1. No more curse

“And there shall be no more curse” (Rev. 22:3). The punishment for sin, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake” (Gen. 3:17), is at last removed.

A glorious hope

John has given us a wonderful picture of paradise restored. It is full of spiritual lessons. We all look forward to the day when it is fulfilled, when we can partake of the tree of life, and drink from the river of life, when there will be no more curse, no death, no sorrow, no crying, when the nations will bring their wealth to the holy city, when there will be no need for the sun because God’s glory gives us everlasting light. In short, when God fulfills the original purpose of creation. In response to these overwhelming thoughts, we bow our heads, “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”