John wrote in Revelation 22:1 that an angel showed him “a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb in the middle of its [New Jerusalem’s] street.”
In the New Jerusalem we see that the One sitting on the throne is the source of life. This refers to God the Father who is within the Lamb as the light and who is the source of life (John 5:26). Proceeding out of the throne is the river of water of life. John 7:38-39 indicates that the river of water of life denotes the Spirit of life. In this river grows the tree of life, which refers to the Son.*
The One on the throne as the source of life is not unique to New Jerusalem. This is the whole New Testament. “God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him” (1 John 4:9).
And the Lord Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life and may have it abundantly.”
The life God the Father sends to us today is identical to what flows from the throne in New Jerusalem. But we, the receivers of this life, are not the same as in New Jerusalem. Today we have a mind that needs renewing (Eph. 4:23) and a mortal body (Rom. 8:13). But when we are in the fullness of New Jerusalem our entire being will be saturated with the life from the throne.
* From chapter 42, Witness Lee, God’s New Testament Economy, published by Living Stream Ministry, © Witness Lee, 1986
Photo courtesy of US National Park Service
Posted by Don on September 27, 2023
Republished with permission from Blogs.crossmap.com, featuring inspiring Bible verses about The Flow of Life is Today and in New Jerusalem 42-1-1.
