REVELATION - CHAPTER 22: 1-4 - WHICH BARE TWELVE MANNER OF FRUITS
“Which Bare Twelve Manner of Fruits”
(Rev. 22:1-2)
Taught by: Carolyn Sissom
January 21, 2013, the Year of Our Lord
The opening verses of chapter 22 depict the new creation as Paradise restored, with the serpent banished, the curse abolished, and access to the tree of life continually open to all.
Rev. 22:1: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.
This is the same life-giving river seen by Ezekiel (47:1) which rises beneath the eastern threshold of the temple and flows down from the Kidron valley and sweetens the water of the Dead Sea.
Zech. 14:8: “It shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the hinder sea; in summer and in winter shall it be. The Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name One.”
The river of water of life and the tree of life are both symbols of the eternal life brought near in the gospel.
Ps. 46:4: “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. God is in the midst of her…”
God’s own presence will always be there.
There is one river, but many streams. So it is in the Kingdom of God. We are many streams of God’s presence and Divine purpose flowing into the river of the water of life appropriating Divine Line. As the church matures, where the different streams come together, there will no longer be turbulence.
Rev. 12:2: 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 yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
We know and have been taught the nine fruits of the Spirit. However, this tree of life will bare twelve manner of fruits. So, I asked the Lord, “What are the other three fruits in the twelve?” I studied several opinions. There are plenty to choose from. I drew up a list which is no more conclusive than anyone else’s list: However, until the Lord speaks to me, this list suits me for now:
(1) Love, (2) Joy, (3) Peace, (4) Longsuffering, (5) Gentleness, (6) Goodness (7) Faith, (8) Meekness, (9) Temperance, (10) Wisdom, (11) Grace, and (12) Mercy.
I believe the twelve fruits for twelve months would be twelve times twelve or 144,000. This is exponential of the Fullness of the Glory of the Lord.
“Fruit is the reproduction of Jesus Christ’s own character and nature in the hearts of His people.” (George H. Warnock)
Psalm 1:1-3: “Blessed is the man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that BRINGS FORTH ITS FRUIT IN ITS SEASON: Its leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.”
“This Psalm is the whole program of God! The “Blessed Man is the New man, Jesus the head and we His body. This Psalm is a panorama that consummates in Revelation 22 and the Tree of Life is a symbol of appropriating Divine Life and the River of Life is a symbol of releasing Divine Life. The ungodly man is the man of sin and the son of perdition. (II Thess.2) The new man is alive forever more and the old man is dead… This is the Psalm of two ways and reveals the two men seen all through the word: Godly seed and serpent seed.” (P.P.T. Kelly Varner)
Ezekiel 47:12: “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 shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.”
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Rev. 2: 1-7: “to the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says He that holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks… He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches; to him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which in the midst of the paradise of God.”
“The heavenly state is here described as a paradise: a paradise in a city or a whole city in a paradise. In the first paradise there were only two persons to behold the beauty of it; but in this second paradise whole cities and nations shall find abundant delight and satisfaction.”
The river of paradise: Its fountain-head—the throne of God and the Lamb. All of our springs of grace, comfort and glory are in God; and all our streams from him are through the Lamb. Its quality is pure and clear as crystal. All the streams of earthly comfort are muddy; but these are clear, giving life, to those who drink of them.
The tree of life in this paradise: There was such a tree in the first paradise. This far excels it. It is situated in the midst of the street, and on either side of the river. This would indicate there is more than one tree. This tree of life is fed by the pure waters of the river that comes from the throne of God. The fruitfulness of this tree: it brings forth many sorts of fruit –twelve sorts. It brings forth fruit at all times—yields it fruit every month. There is always fruit upon it. The fruit is not only pleasant, but wholesome. The presence of God in heaven is the health and happiness of the saints.
In this place with the Lord, the saints shall see the face of God. They shall reign with him for ever. All this shall be with perfect knowledge and joy, walking in the light of the Lord; and this not for a time, but for ever and ever.” (Matthew Henry)
‘In the lifelong process of seeking to walk with God there is of necessity a going back to first principles where we have let them slip away. God remembers our “first love” and he always seeks to bring us back to that…He wants to bring us to a place where we ‘delight ourselves in the Lord’ and nothing else…
“Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them…” But we had better learn more about the Good Tree and the Good Fruit as we see it in Jesus, or we will never know the good fruit from the bad… We will never know what is Spirit and what is flesh…We will never know what is Truth and what is error… We will never know what is “figs and grapes”, and what is “thorns and thistles”.
We must learn from Him or the church will never be able to heal the nations. It was bad fruit when they wanted to call fire down from heaven upon those wicked Samaritans who rejected Jesus. He told them they were motivated by a wrong spirit, to suggest things like that. (Lk.9:55)
It was a sign of “bad fruit: when they sent the mothers and their children away, while they were so busy “managing” the crusade of the great prophet of God. (Mk. 10:14, 16)
They were slow to comprehend that the Son, who was fully approved of the Father, must confront the people with the Truth and the Light of the gospel...and then die on a Cross, as their true Passover Lamb. And that out from these acts of obedience, much good fruit would come forth.
God said to His people of old, “Israel is an empty vine; he brings forth fruit unto himself” (Hos. 10:1) The Gardener looks down from heaven and sees the fruits of human achievement, where men are glorifying themselves rather than the Lord. Israel went his own way, doing his own thing, bringing forth fruit for his own glory. And “according to the multitude of his fruit he has increased the (idolatrous) altars” (Hos. 10:1)” (gleaned but not quoted from George H. Warnock)
Genesis 2:17: “But of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.”
Knowledge puffs up. “If one’s knowledge and discernment does not spring forth from a love relationship with God, unless we have this love relationship like Jesus had with the Father, we will not eat of the “Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” Before Jesus did any mighty works, there came a voice from heaven saying: “This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” All the wonderful works Jesus performed were not the cause of the Father’s approval but the result of it.
The Lord is calling His Church to a higher realm of Love. The Apostle Paul prayed for the Philippians that they would pursue a higher realm of judgment: “that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment (or discernment)’ (Phil. 1:9) He is talking about “the fruit” of discernment, a knowledge and discernment that springs from one’s love relationship with God. Unless we have this love relationship, we will not eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
I want your love to increase more and more, so that out of a heart of love…love for God and for God’s people…your knowledge and discernment will be pure, and will spring from a pure heart. “That you may approve those things that are excellent” in His sight, then we will be enlightened to walk as the Blessed man. We cannot discern the evil, except we know what is good. We do not walk in the light by searching out the realms of darkness.
Then as we abide in Love, and know what pleases the heart of God…”good fruit” is the end result. We will become those trees of righteousness planted by the River of Life bearing all manner of fruits. God is looking for fruits of righteousness. When we understand that Christ alone is our righteousness”, then more and more must we confine ourselves to Him.”
(I entered into the labors of George H. Warnock, Beauty for Ashes, The Garden of God; Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner; F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary; Matthew Henry’s Commentary)
“No More Night”
(Rev. 22: 3-4)
“Preached by: Carolyn Sissom
Rev. 22:3-5: “and there shall be no more curses: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it: and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. AND THERE SHALL BE NO NIGHT THERE; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun: for the Lord God gives them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.”
It was one evening in May 1994, the Lord woke me in the middle of night, set me up in bed and spoke to me, “Teach on the song, ‘No More Night’”.
“The Bible begins with a garden and ends with a city. It starts with a morning followed by a night and ends with a day that shall know no more night. It breaks the silence with, “In the beginning” and it hushes the universe to sleep with, “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.’”
Glen Campbell wrote and sung a song using these verses of scripture”
‘NO MORE NIGHT”
By: Glen Campbell
The endless theme earth and heaven will pass away
It’s not a dream. God will make all things new that day.
Gone is the place from I stumbled and fell,
Evil is banished to eternal hell.
CHORUS;
No more nights, no more pain
No more tears never crying again
And praises to the Great I Am
We live in the light of the Risen Lamb
(words revised in chorus by: Carolyn Sissom)
Verse 2:
See all of life, now the nations bow down to sing,
The only sound is the praises to Christ our King
Slowly the names from the book are read
I know the King has no need to dread.\
REPEAT CHORUS
Verse 3:
See over there, there’s a mansion prepared for me.
Where we live with my Savior eternally.
This is a description of Heaven and the state of the uncompromising Saints who suffered for Christ’s and will not worship the beast (the spirit and kingdom of the anti-christ) or his image. These martyred Saints will take part in the first resurrection. (Rev. 20: 4-6)”And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.”
For Christians, our Messiah has already come, and with his exaltation to God’s right hands, His reign has already begun over the Kingdom of God on earth. The Kingdom of God is Joy, Peace, and Righteousness in the Holy Spirit and is the extension of God’s rule or dominion in the earth and the universe.
The Father has delegated all authority in the kingdom to the Son, Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the Head and Lord of all. True ministry will always emphasize the preeminence, Lordship and centrality of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom age is now dawning upon the earth. Prophets have always been given a glimpse of the in-breaking of the Kingdom of Glory. Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God. The writer of Hebrews describes it as “those who have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the age to come.” There is a place with God through walking and living in the Spirit that we can experience the principles, benefits, and responsibilities of the life of the Kingdom. There is a place with God on this side of death which I call the pain free zone. It is a place of NO MORE NIGHT, NO MORE PAIN, NEVER CRYING AGAIN…….”
Kelly Varner said it well, “Do I believe that the rapture is spiritual? YES! Do I believe that the rapture is literal? YES!” (End of quote) I believe it is spiritual because I have been raptured through prophetic ecstasy and vision into the Kingdom of Heaven. I believe it is literal because both Enoch and Elijah were caught away, “caught up with Jesus”. I believe in many visitations of the Lord, and I also believe in that day when "He will be glorified in His Saints". (1 Th. 1:10) I believe in Day of the Lord and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 3:5-12)
(1 Co. 15: 22-28): “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits: afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming, then comes the end, when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, until he has put all enemies under his feet, the last enemy to be destroyed is death. He put everything under His feet.”
Jesus triumphed over death when He was raised from the dead. Death came through a man, Adam. The resurrection of the dead must also come through a man. When he comes, those who belong to him will be made alive.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. for the Christian, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, receive the atonement of His blood, his robe of righteousness, and the Holy Spirit with His work of sanctification, then we enter the
Kingdom of God, the eternal church, in the Heavenlies, now on earth as it is in Heaven and throughout eternity. “They shall reign for ever and ever.”
It is training time for reigning time. We are now in the transition of two ages. What a time to be alive! We are kings and priests now, but we are also being “made” kings and priests. This formation of the new creation man will continue until the fullness of a king-priest ministry will be seen in the Overcomers as they do press beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies (the realm of No More Night-no limitations) and then roar out of Zion of God to deliver the creation.
Rev. 21:7: “He that overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.”
Am I saying we will have a trouble free life? NO! If we follow Jesus and serve him we will suffer persecution, rejection and being mis-understood. Some will be imprisoned, others crucified. We have assurance that Stephen was in that pain free zone when he was stoned and the Lord of Glory stood up to receive him into the Kingdom of Glory. Paul received a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from being puffed-up from his visions of the third Heaven. We have tasted and see that it is good: “tasted this gospel to which we are called (2 Th.2:14) for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
“Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” All that we experience in life is for the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Th. 1:10) through us.
When the Lord calls us, He will grace us to fulfill our calling with great joy. I count it all joy.
As we die daily, pick up our cross and follow him, we will go from Faith to Faith and from Glory to Glory. We shall enter more and more into this spiritual paradise of “No More Night”.
Revelation is the book of the triumph of Jesus Christ. It was by no material weapons, physical prowess, or wealth, but by the power of the gospel and the King of the Kingdom walking on earth that Christ conquered the Cross. “His disciples put the battle of history on high boil. Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And send them he did to ports, courtyards, on boats, synagogues, prisons and palaces. They went everywhere. The message of the Nazarene dominoed across the civilized world. They were an infectious fever. They were a moving river. They refused to be stopped. Armed with nothing but the fire and presence of a living Savior they conquered the pagan Roman Empire. By that same power, He has continued to conquer in history, and will conquer to the end.” (C.S. Lovett)
In the final struggle of good and evil, I do not believe that Christ will change his weapons. In Rev. 20: 1-7, the subordinate powers of evil will have been destroyed. Only Satan, Death, and Hell (Rev. 20: 10; 14) remain to be dealt with at the end of the thousand years.
Those who worship the image of the beast (system and kingdom ruled by the spirit of anti-christ) have no place in the first resurrection.
“O may we stand before the Lamb and hear the judge pronounce our name with blessings on our head.”
No longer will there be any curse. The sentence of Genesis 3:17 is cancelled; the curse cannot survive in the presence of God. At the Cross Jesus became a curse for us. Through Faith, Jesus’ Blood and the Holy Spirit, all curses are broken as we live in the light of the risen Lamb and appropriate the power of Jesus’ resurrected life over the curse.
“A Lamb company has been chosen. They are the Overcomers. They have gone beyond gift and ministry as such, and now they minister out from their relationship with the Lamb. In union with Christ, they can do anything He wants them to do, simply because in themselves they can do nothing. They are utterly dependent upon the Lord, even as He was utterly dependent upon the Father when he walked the earth.” (George Warnock)
(Rev. 21:22) “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are its temple. (The old order of the temple system has passed away.) The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the Glory of God gives it light, and the lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the king’s of the earth will bring their splendor to it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and the honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written on the Lamb’s Book of Life.”
God and the Lamb are the city’s holiness and it is itself, God’s dwelling place on earth. The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your Glory. The election of some does not mean the damnation of others. Because of the torch of the elect, nations will walk by its light. Those who are sanctified will always find the gates open.
There will be no more night! No intermission of the Glory of God’s presence. The elect live in his presence. “We are no longer children of the darkness, but children of the light.” However, sin will separate us from this glorious state. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. However sin will keep us out of the Glory of God on earth as it is in heaven.
Rev. 22:4: “They shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads…”
In the words of 1 John 3:2, they are “like him”, because they “see him as he is”. Here and now the sanctification of believers consists in their being progressively conformed to the likeness of God by the power of the Spirit, as they reflect the divine glory revealed to them in the face of Christ.
Rev. 3:12b “Him that overcomes…I will write upon him the name of My God..; and I will write upon him My new name.”
Isaiah 60: “Arise and shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See darkness covers the earth and thick darkness over the people, but the Lord rises upon you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
He is the fountain of all light, the bright and morning star, and has given to His churches this morning light of prophecy.
NEXT WEEK WE WILL COMPLETE OUR STUDY ON REVELATION WITH MARANATHA
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from K.J.V.
I entered into the labors of C. S. Lovett’s Lights on Revelation; Matthew Henry’s Commentary, George H. Warnock, Beauty for Ashes; F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary; Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner; No More Night by: Glen Campbell – If there are others, I have long ago forgotten. The Lord spoke to me to teach on No More Night in 1994 – I have preached and taught this many times since then. Carolyn Sissom