CHAPTER SIXTEEN

GOD’S ULTIMATE INTENTION REALIZED

Scripture Reading: Rev. 21:2-3a, 10-14, 18-23; 22:1-5; 2:7; 7:14-17; 21:6; 22:17

We have seen that God presented Himself to us as the tree of life for our enjoyment in the form of food that we may eat of Him. Throughout the whole Bible God’s unique intention is that we would take Him into us and enjoy Him within as our life and everything. Eventually, He will be mingled with us. The best way for something to be mingled with us is for us to eat that thing. Whatever we eat will be digested by us and will be mingled with us to be a part of us. This is the central thought of the Bible. My burden is to point out this central thought that we all might be impressed with it. This impression will revolutionize our whole Christian walk.

GOD’S INTENTION WITH THE TREE OF LIFE

In the beginning of the Bible, in Genesis 2 there is a picture showing us a tree, which is called the tree of life, and in front of the tree is a man of clay (vv. 8-9). Clay is the dust of the earth. With clay there is nothing precious. Beside the tree of life there is a river of water flowing and dividing into four branches, going to the four directions of the earth (v. 10). The issue of this flow is gold, bdellium, and onyx stone (v. 12). Onyx is a precious stone. Gold, bdellium, and onyx are three precious materials. There is no comparison between them and the clay.

We all must realize that God created a corporate man in Genesis 2, which included billions of persons. That man of clay was Adam, and we all are his descendants. Because we all came out of Adam, the Bible says that we are earthen vessels (2 Cor. 4:7), vessels of clay. In Genesis 2 this man of clay had nothing to do with the tree of life. He was not the gold, bdellium, or onyx. But God’s intention was that this man of clay would take in the tree of life, that is, that this man would eat the tree of life. The tree of life is something living. When [212] it gets into man, this living tree becomes a flow within, and this flow of life will transform this man of clay into precious materials (gold, bdellium, and onyx) for God’s building. This is God’s intention. The whole Bible of sixty-six books simply tells us this one thing—that we were made of clay but were intended by God to take Him as the tree of life. Then God who is so living will come into us as our life, and this living One who is God Himself as life to us will become a flow within us.

Right away after we were saved, after we received Christ as our life, we did have the sense that within us there was something flowing. This inner flow will carry away many things from within us and will bring many things into us. Within our body we have the circulation of blood. Negatively, this circulation of the blood as the flow within the body carries away all the negative things, and positively, this flow of blood carries into us all the necessary nourishment and vitamins. In our physical body we have a flow, and our physical body exists by this flow.

After we received the Lord, He Himself as our life became the flow within our spirit. Now we have another flow within us besides the one in our physical body. This flow is the spiritual flow of life in our spirit, which is Christ Himself. On the negative side, this flow will carry away our bad temper, our hatred, our impatience, and our pride. On the positive side, this flow will gradually day by day bring more and more of Christ into us to nourish us, and this flowing will do a transforming work to change us, not only in position but also in nature, in disposition.

GOD’S INTENTION IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Before considering the final picture in the Bible in Revelation, we should see God’s intention with life in the Gospel of John. John 1:1 and 4 say, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Verse 14 goes on to say, “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us.” The Word was God, and in this One there was life. He became flesh, walking upon this earth. At the beginning of His ministry He was recommended as the Lamb of God (v. 29). Due to the fall of man the One who was life came as the Lamb of God. In Genesis 2 there was the tree of life, but afterward, [213] in Genesis 3 there was the fall of man. Immediately after the fall of man there was a lamb (v. 21).

God’s intention is that He Himself would be life to man, but because man became fallen, God had to change in form from the tree of life to the Lamb. God as life came in the form of the Lamb to take away the sin of the world. According to the record of the passover in Exodus 12, the lamb was not only good for redeeming but also good for nourishing. The blood of the lamb was for redeeming, and the meat of the lamb was for nourishing. Nourishing is something of life. Therefore, in John 1 there is the Lamb, but in chapter 6 there is the food, the bread of life (vv. 22-71).

Then in chapter 4 and chapter 7 is the living water, the water of life, to drink (4:14; 7:37-38). Eventually, in John 17 there is the oneness (vv. 11, 20-23). Oneness is the building. The Gospel of John starts with God Himself. God’s intention is that He would be life to us. But because we became fallen, He changed in form. He became the Lamb to us to redeem us and to be food for us to eat. He is also the living water that we may drink of Him. After we eat of Him and drink of Him, eventually there is the oneness, the building.

THE TREE OF LIFE AND THE RIVER OF LIFE 
IN REVELATION FOR THE TRANSFORMATION IN LIFE 
AND THE BUILDING IN LIFE

In the last picture of the Bible there is a city foursquare with three gates on every side (Rev. 21:16, 12-13). Each of the twelve gates is a pearl (v. 21), and upon them are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. This gives us a picture, telling us that all these gates are persons. They are pearls, but they all have personal names. Verse 14 speaks of the twelve foundations. The twelve foundations are precious stones, and on them are the names of the twelve apostles. All the foundations are persons. Peter is a foundation, and John is a foundation. Furthermore, the wall of the city is built with precious stones (v. 18). We are not the foundations, but we are the precious stones.

In the midst of the city is a throne (22:1). Do not think that the city of New Jerusalem is flat. It is a mountain. The height of the wall is one hundred forty-four cubits, but the height of the city itself is twelve thousand stadia (21:16). The city itself is much higher than the wall. This proves that the city must be a mountain. At the foot of the mountain the wall is built, and on the top of the mountain there [214] is the throne of God and of the Lamb. There are not two thrones but one throne for God and the Lamb. Upon the throne is the Lamb, the Lamb is the lamp, and God is the light within the lamp (v. 23). One throne for both God and the Lamb signifies that God and the Lamb are one. The Lamb is the lamp, and God is the light within Him. From this throne flows out the river of water of life winding as a spiral down the mountain. Eventually, it passes through all the twelve gates. On either side of the river grows the tree of life (22:2). Genesis 2 tells us that the tree of life is good for food (v. 9), and Revelation 7:17; 21:6; and 22:17 tell us that the water of life is good for drink. Within the city are the water of life to drink and the tree of life to eat.