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Come to Understanding

They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding,

and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. — Isaiah 29:24

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense,

and caused them to understand the reading. — Nehemiah 8:8

December 14, 2008
Volume 7 Number 24

The Water of Life

One of the seven angels having the vials of the last plagues showed John visions of the heavenly Jerusalem and revealed to him the vision of the "Water of Life:"

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. -Revelation 22

The Water of Life comes from the throne, which is of God and of the Lamb. The relationship of the three subjects of the vision, God, the Lamb, and the Water of Life, requires further understanding.

First, the name of God is Yahweh:

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of Yahweh our God. -Psalms 20

Yahweh is God. He is our Father and our Redeemer:

16 Doubtless you are our father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledges us not: you, O Yahweh, are our father, our redeemer; your name is from everlasting. -Isaiah 63

Yahweh is the only God and He is the only Savior:

21 Tell you, and bring them near; yes, let them take counsel together: who has declared this from ancient time? who has told it from that time? have not I Yahweh? and there is no God else besides me; a just God and a Savior; there is none besides me. -Isaiah 45

Even when He sounds plural, He is one. For example, the "King of Israel" is Yahweh and the Redeemer, "Yahweh of hosts," is the only God:

6 Thus says Yahweh the King of Israel, and his redeemer Yahweh of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. -Isaiah 44

When Yahweh promised to give us a "sign, " He said it would be through a son, who would be called "Immanuel," the meaning of which is "God with us:"

14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. -Isaiah 7

If there is only one God and His name is Yahweh, the promised sign was that Yahweh would be with us.

When the angel appeared to Joseph, he quoted Isaiah, saying that the child to be born would be called "Immanuel," because it meant (in Hebrew) "God with us" (see Matthew 1:23). He also said that the name of the child, as is often translated into modern English, would be JESUS:

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1 (KJV)

However, the Hebrew meaning of His name is often hidden from our understanding through the Aramaic (Yeshua), Greek (Iesous), Latin (Iesus), pre-16th century English (Iesus), and post-16th century English (Jesus) traditions. His name, when understood, fulfilled the prophecy that YAH YAHWEH would become our "salvation," our Savior:

2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for Yah Yahweh is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation. -Isaiah 12

The name of God (Yahweh) and the short form of His name (Yah) are used interchangeably in the Scriptures:

3 Praise Yah; for Yahweh is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. -Psalms 135

Therefore, the English translation of the Hebrew name of "Yahweh the Savior" is also "Yah the Savior," which is translated directly into modern English as YAHSHUA!

21 And she shall bring forth a son, and you shall call his name YAHSHUA: for he shall save his people from their sins. -Matthew 1

Yahshua saves us by cleansing us from all sin by the power of His blood:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Yahshua the Messiah his Son cleanses us from all sin. -1 John 1

He came to fulfill the law, under which the blood of animals was ineffectively offered day after day as sacrifices for sins:

11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: -Hebrews 10

Yahshua, on the other hand, offered Himself as the one perfect sacrifice for sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God; -Hebrews 10

John the Baptist recognized Yahshua as being the "Lamb of God," which takes away the sin of the world:

29 The next day John saw Yahshua coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. -John 1

While John the Baptist was sent to baptize people in physical water, he knew that Yahshua would be the One who would baptize people with the Spirit of God, the Holy Ghost, which is the spiritual Water of Life:

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizes with the Holy Ghost. -John 1

Yahweh is the fountain of Living Waters:

13 O Yahweh, the hope of Israel, all that forsake you shall be ashamed, and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken Yahweh, the fountain of living waters. -Jeremiah 17

However, the Living Water is given to those who believe that Yahshua is the Lamb of God. They are cleansed from their sins and the Living Water of the Spirit of God flows through them:

38 He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Yahshua was not yet glorified.) -John 7

This Living Water is a gift of God, offered by Yahshua to those who ask Him:

10 Yahshua answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that says to you, Give me to drink; you would have asked of him, and he would have given you living water. -John 4

The source of the Spirit of God (the Living Water, the Water of Life) is God. It flows as a pure river from the throne of God and the Lamb.

Not all water, however, is pure. After Israel celebrated the way Yahweh miraculously used the water of the Red Sea to save them from the approaching Egyptian army, they came to Marah, where they found "bitter water:"

23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.

24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? -Exodus 15

Finally, Yahweh showed Moses a tree, which was able to heal the bitter water and make it sweet. Then Yahweh reminded Israel that, if they would listen to Him and obey His word, they too would be healed:

25 And he cried unto Yahweh; and Yahweh showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

26 And said, If you will diligently listen to the voice of Yahweh your God, and will do that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am Yahweh that heals you. -Exodus 15

Healing trees were also shown to Ezekiel as he saw a vision of water flowing from the presence of God (from His house). As the water flowed it became deeper and deeper until it became a river. There were trees growing on each side of the river. As the river flowed past the trees, which brought healing, everything that the water touched lived. (see Ezekiel 47:1-12).

Likewise, as the angel continued to show John the vision of the Water of Life, he also showed him the healing power of the Tree of Life, which was made of three Trees. One Tree was in the midst of the river of the Water of Life and the other two were on each side of the river. However, the three Trees were one Tree, which was for healing the nations:

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bore twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. -Revelation 22

Jeremiah prophesied of a coming "Righteous Branch," as the branch of a tree, who will reign as King and Judge, His name shall be "YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS:"

5 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, YAHWEH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. -Jeremiah 23

As the Righteous Branch of the Tree of Life, Yah Yahweh heals and saves the nations that draw the Water of Life (the Spirit of God) out of the wells of salvation by the power of His name!

3 Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.

4 And in that day shall you say, Praise Yahweh, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. -Isaiah 12

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Scriptures are taken from the Proper Name Version of the King James Bible.