THE THIRD GARDEN
THE THIRD GARDEN
PASTOR CAROLYN SISSOM
March 4, 2012
Sunday Evening Service
The Pattern Son, Jesus Christ, went through two gardens to open up the third garden which is the Paradise of God.
The Hebrew word for garden is “gan”. It means to hedge about, to protect, to defend, enclosure, cover, surround.
1. John 18:1. Jesus…went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron where a garden was into which he entered with his disciples.”
Matthew 26:36-39: “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, sit here, while I go and pray yonder. “
Gethsemane means the olive press and was at the foot of the Mount of Olives near the brook Cedron.
- The garden of the Cross and the Tomb: John 19:40-41: “Then they took the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid. They laid Jesus there…”
This garden is described prophetically in Song 6:2: My Beloved has gone down into His Garden to the beds of spices to feed in the Garden and to gather lilies.” Beds here means garden terrace. Here is the revelation of the indwelling Christ and the union and communion of the Most Holy Place, the Third Garden, and Christ in us the Hope of Glory.
Man began in a garden. He sinned in a garden. Man was driven forth from the garden. Jesus came. He passed through two gardens. He opened up the Third Garden and restored Adam to the first garden.
The Third Garden is the same principle as the land of Canaan; Paradise; the City of God; New Jerusalem; the promised land; the rest of God; Mt. Zion; The Holy of Holies; the Kingdom of God; The Third Heaven; the beds of spices whereby the Bride has learned to rest in the king. It is also figurative of The Bride. The Kingdom of Heaven is at Hand; It is within our reach. The veil is rent and Paradise has been restored to man. The Lily work is the anointed word in the spirit of man. The reunion is complete; the Bride resting on His word and His changeless love.
Adam was placed in a garden, but Adam was a garden:
1. The garden within---man in a state of being.
2. The garden---man in an environment.
The word Eden comes from the root “Adam”, and is given as Eden, the region of Adam’s home. Eden means pleasure, delicate, delight, to be soft or pleasant, to live in delight, enjoyment, goodness. Eden is a pleasant land indeed. Eden’s very name reveals God nature and intent toward His creation. He desires to delight us with Himself. Genesis 2:8: “And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.”
The City of God is the Third Garden:
GARDEN OF EDEN CITY OF GOD
River flows out of Eden (Gen. 2:10) River flows from God’s throne
Gold in the land (Gen. 2:12) God in the City (Rev. 21:21)
Tree of Life in the Midst of the Garden Tree of Life throughout the City
Bdellium and the onyx stone All manner of precious stones
God walking in the garden God dwelling in the City.
In Eden there is a serpent, and through the cunning of the serpent, man was cast out of the garden.
In Eden there are three trees:
- The tree of Life------Spirit
- The trees for food---Body
- The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.----Soul
One tree was life is the Spirit of God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, (the realm of the soul) Adam ate of it and the penalty was death. Life or death, which one do you choose? We can walk in the Spirit, live and move and have our being in Christ, or live in the realm of our carnal mind which is pain and death.
" The Tree of Life was placed on the tree of death for each of us." (Kelly Varner- Prevail Handbook for the Overcomer)
In the City, there is only the Tree of Life.
The garden of Eden is man on trial. The City is man purified and perfected. Heb. 12:22: “For you have come to Mt. Zion, and to the city of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things than that of Abel.”
Eden, the Garden of God is a state of being. Isa. 51:3: “The Lord will comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places. He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord. Joy and gladness will be found therein.” God escorting his people back to their inheritance (Gen. 1: 26-28; Gal. 3: 13-14).
The Army of God moves into Eden through warfare. Joel 2:3: “A fire devours before them and behind them a flame burns; the land is as the Garden of Eden before them.”
The overcomer partakes of Eden. Rev. 2:7: “To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Paradise (Strong’s #3857) “paradasos”, “ a grand enclosure or preserve, shady and well watered. It was enclosed by a wall; garden; pleasure ground; grove, park. The upper regions of the heavens; heaven. According to the early church Fathers, the paradise in which Adam and Eve dwelt before the fall which exists neither on the earth nor in the heavens, but above and beyond the world.” (Strong’s Concordance)
The word paradise is found three times in the bible:
- Luke 23: 42-43: Jesus said to the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
- 2 Cor. 12:4: “Paul was caught up into Paradise---such as one caught up to the Third Heaven.
- Rev. 2:7: “To Him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
The Tree of Life speaks of receiving Divine Life. The River of Life which flows out of Eden is the giving forth of Divine Life. Inside the garden of Eden, the river is one---only after leaving paradise is it divided.
If you follow the river, it will lead you to the source. The Old Testament source is Eden, the garden of God. The new Testament source is the throne of God and the lamb. Both are on Mt. Zion. The River flows down from the heavenlies. The River will lead you to the Lamb upon the throne.
Only the flowing of the River can bring forth the Christ in us and others. The River of Life flows out of the belly. The four rivers describe the ministry of the sons of God.
The precious stones in the City are God’s nature of Light, Life, Love and Glory.
The garden of God is Matthew 6:10: “”Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” It is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Ghost (Rom 14:17). It is the Holy of Holies, Zion, the realm of His absolute Lordship.
Carolyn Sissom, Pastor
Eastgate Ministries, Inc.
Scripture from K.J.V.; Message preached by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom on March 24, 2002. I did not make notation of my sources and references. It appears to be my writing. If there was any research it would probably been in Principles of Present Truth by: Kelly Varner. (sources unknown)