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.
Revelation 22:1 KJV

The heavenly and perfect vision starts as the Bible in Genesis also began describing the strategic location of Eden being at the cross roads of 4 major rivers.

The River is a concept which describes and defines the way God establishes His Activity in creation.

Jesus describes the rivers that flow out of our being as we live in Him. So we ourselves are immersed in this river. Ezekiel 47 describes the journey of the river which flowed out from the Temple and from the Altar. The lifegiving and transforming power of this river.

What we need to notice first is the Source.

In Ezekiel 47 in contrast to Revelation 22 describes the Temple and Altar, and in Revelation the Throne of God and the Lamb. They complement each other as the Temple of Ezekiel 47 has become the Throne of God in Revelation. The Altar has become the Lamb.

This complementary aspect means that as God has become our Temple and we become a Temple in Him. The virtues of this must pass through the eternal altar, which the Lamb being Christ, the Messiah was sacrificed.

This means that this becomes a source where the River starts to flow down, in our being, in our families, in our work and ministry, and to society itself.

The first manifestation of this river is fruit for life and leaves for healing .

When God’s river begins to flow it is to bear fruit. John 15 mirrors this intention. The fruit besides being a constant are described as being both attributes of the Holy Spirit activated in every day life.

It is the acts of love and patience, understanding that brings communities together. And today where divisions and prejudices are rife we need the fruit to work. It is not enough for the “righteous” to judge who they see as unrighteous because we all were enemies of God..and God treats us all as equals. The ability of so called believers to judge and apply the plumb line when their own lives depend on the same Grace is not acceptable. And maybe from a position of so called righteousness will produce people prepared not for heaven but hell.

Whilst sin is sin, Jesus always pointed to the roots and deal with them which always resulted in the transformation of those who allowed themselves to deal with their sin in its exposure.

The fruit we live in and exercise will determine the capacity for the leaves to be healing. This river will produce these trees and their leaves will heal the nations.

God has a specific purpose for all nations. They will become immersed into the Kingdom of God. The attempt by men to unify is the same motivation as the Tower of Babel. Unification can only happen when the River flow from the Throne and through the Altar of the Lamb. No other has the Destiny of union with Christ and Oneness with God.

This unification also for denominations cannot be man inspired in an attempt to reconcile points of doctrine when the attempts should be to reconcile over the Person of Christ. All unity starts and completes in Him.

And there shall no more be curse

The “curse” is a “malignant river” that flows contrarily to the River of God. Whilst the River flows for love and peace and healing, the curse brings war, injustice and disease. This shall be no more. This is our eternal hope.

Our life right now each day is a challenge. We are being moulded to meditate day and night in these promises and given insights into the visions that men and women of God had in the Bible. Joshua was exhorted by God in Joshua 1 to meditate and to consider the Word day and night. The reason being is that what our senses see and feel do not always correspond to what the Word tells us.

The news each day, the conversations on the streets, in the cafes is of injustice and negative. But this reality is transitory because Jesus is coming to establish His Kingdom visibly.

Psalm 46:1 tell us about the streams that make glad the City of God. In John 7:38 tells us that faith in Jesus brings the rivers and streams flowing in the River that comes from the Throne and the Lamb! These streams are lives that live in the faith of Jesus.

“HE THAT BELIEVES ON ME” is the condition. It means that we must have faith in Him, live our lives based on Him, make decisions through Him, and live always for Him. This is believing.

It’s having nothing but Him, and having all in Him.

So in this sense the River becomes part of us and we become part of it too.

They shall see His Face; and His Name shall be in their foreheads

The River and this landscape of perfection will cause us to see Him and this seeing is knowing. His Name being in the forehead means we belong to Him as citizens of His Kingdom.

There shall be no night there

No darkness, no ignorance, no insecurity. All shall be the same light that God announced in Genesis 1:3.

All this panorama of perfection brings us the full description of our faith, love and hope. We must ask God to saturate us with this vision. There are aspects which are for a future reality,but there are symbols and images which unify themselves in Jesus’ teaching. Teaching throughout the Bible. As believers corporately and individually we must learn from the base of intimacy and maturity to discern what is prophetic for the future and what is application for today. This discovery and walk is most enriching. I invite you to embark on this today.

Shalom.