Rev
21:6-8 "And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of
the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things;
and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers,
and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth
with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
In the 1st
chapter of Revelation we identified that Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end. We also noted several things that Christ is the Alpha and
Omega of and the beginning and the end of. Alpha and Omega are the first and
last letters of the Greek alphabet in which the New Testament was originally
written. While Alpha and Omega, beginning and end have general applications, yet
in the context of this chapter it has reference to the passing of the old law
covenant and the establishment of the new covenant of grace as a form of
worship. With the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple around 70 AD the form
of worship given to the children of Israel at Mt. Sinai, even though they had
perverted it, came to an end. All of the genealogical records had been destroyed
except for those in Matthew chapter 1 and Luke chapter 3. Most of the Jews had
been destroyed or taken captive and dispersed abroad and through the centuries
have lost their tribal identity, making it virtually impossible to reestablish
the priesthood. The old law covenant had passed away.
As the Alpha and Omega, beginning and end, the Lord had established and
completed the new covenant of worship from which is derived the new heavens and
the new earth and new Jerusalem.
"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely." It stands to reason that only living people thirst. This is true
spiritually as well as naturally. Since this lesson of the Lord pertains to
giving those who thirst spiritually the "water of life freely," then they must
be alive spiritually before they can thirst spiritually. Only Spirit born people
can thirst spiritually. Giving of the fountain of the water of life is
restricted only to Spirit born people who thirst spiritually. Those who are not
Spirit born do not have spiritual life and thus cannot thirst spiritually.
Furthermore, the fountain of the water of life does not give spiritual life, for
one must have spiritual life in order to spiritually thirst after the water of
life. The fountain of the water of life satisfies the spiritual thirst of those
born of the Spirit and refreshes them. The fountain of the water of life
refreshes the soul of those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness.
A natural
fountain consists of water that springs up. It gives drink to thirsting
individuals. The Lord spoke of such a fountain in John 4:14 "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." When an individual thirsts for a saviour and the Lord is
revealed to his understanding as having saved him from his sins, he never
thirsts for a saviour after that for he has found the only Saviour that he will
ever need.
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things." This promise is similar to
the promises made to each of the seven churches of Asia in chapters 2 and 3. It
is a promise based on the one to whom it is made overcoming. In other words, if
you don't overcome you don't receive the promise. The word, inherit, literally
means to possess. The promise to the overcomer is that he will possess all
things. Since this is about the timely kingdom of God, then the overcomer will
possess all things that pertain to this timely church kingdom that God has
established.
In order to
possess this church kingdom there are some things that the child of God must do
in addition to those set forth in chapters 2 and 3: 1. Matt. 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness
of Judaea, 2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
2. Lk. 16:16 "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the
kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it."
3. Mk. 16:16 "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be damned."
4. Matt. 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."
5. Lk. 9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will
save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the
same shall save it."
6. Matt. 10:32 "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I
confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
7. Rom. 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt
be saved."
"I will
be his God, and he shall be my son." There is a relationship that is more
than simply being born of the Spirit of God. Certainly being born of the Spirit
makes us Spirit born children of God. To those who overcome, there is a closer
relationship as set forth in Matt. 5:43 "Ye have heard that it hath been
said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say
unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that
hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he
maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just
and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward
have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your
brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
The phrase, "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven,"
is peculiar. First, it is implied that he is already your Father, therefore,
ye must be his children already. The implication is that you may manifest your
sonship by emulating your Heavenly Father.
How often do you hear a father after that the son has done something good, own
him by saying, "That's my son." Let that same son do something bad and see how
quiet the father becomes. The "I will be his God, and he shall be my son"
is simply God owning us as His manifest sons.
"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and
whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part
in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Can the above things be said about any of our actions? Of course they can.
However, we are not classified as being those things as set forth in 1 Cor. 6:9
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be
not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor
covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the
kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye
are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the
Spirit of our God."
The question is asked in Rom. 8:33 "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of
God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It
is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Even though God's
children are sometimes guilty of doing such deeds, they are justified by the
blood of Jesus Christ.
The charge against the non-elect is still valid and they have no part in God's
kingdom of heaven here on earth or in the glory world. They have their part in
the lake of fire as set forth in chapter 20.
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