Chuck Swindoll said that worry, stress, and fear are the thieves that rob us of our joy. I have personally been robbed many times by these 3 bandits. I struggle with all 3. The Holy Spirit tries to counsel me with scripture. 1 Peter 5:7:“Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.” Hebrews 13:5b-6:“…for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear what man can do to me.'” 2 Timothy 1:7:“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.” Philippians 4:6-7:“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Spirit of God is everywhere, so I try to feel His presence and hear His gentle voice counseling me to get rid of my worry, stress, and fear, but often that doesn’t help me. Why not? Probably b/c of my lack of faith and my shallow relationship with God and with the Spirit of God.

So what will help me? I know that when I am stressed out over something, I will go to my wife and she will say, “don’t even think about that; everything is going to be fine; quit worrying about that”. She might even give me a reason that I should not be worried. That helps me even if I’m not sure about her reason! I trust her emotions and faith more than I do my own.

Why can’t I turn to Jesus and listen to him telling me not to worry or stress out or be afraid? We read what Jesus said about these 3 things, but we tend to forget that he always gave counseling on these things as he was talking to his followers. They were having a panic attack in the middle of a storm at sea. Jesus asked the apostles, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”. They were afraid as the time for his crucifixion was about to happen. Jesus told them, John 14:27:“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” He was addressing the multitude but also this disciples in Matthew 6:²⁵ “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? ²⁷ And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span? ²⁸ And why are you worried about clothing? Notice how the lilies of the field grow; they do not labor nor do they spin thread for cloth, ²⁹ yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! ³¹ Do not worry then, saying, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear for clothing?’ ³² For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you. ³⁴ “So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

If Jesus were sitting right in front of me on my couch right now, I think his words would, at least temporarily, remove all my worry, stress, and fear; just as my wife’s words help me. So the secret is to have such a relationship with Him that I can feel him sitting with me, talking to me, counseling me. That requires faith, b/c we walk by faith and not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When I panic, he is probably asking me the same question that the asked the apostles during the storm at sea, “”Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”. The secret is to feel His presence! As long as I can hear him say, “everything is going to be good; don’t worry; don’t be afraid”, then that’s all I need to hear. But it takes faith and a personal relationship with Him to sense him looking at me and saying thsee things to me.

Can you relate to any of this? I wrote this article for me. I get tired of all he worry, stress, and fear that I carry with me all the time. Those 3 things rob me of the joy and peace that Jesus brings to me. Christians should be the happiest people of earth. Isaiah 35: 10 “And the redeemed of the Lord will return
and come to Zion with joyful shouting; and everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” This verse is describing those redeemed by the Messiah when he came. It is talking about the redeemed here on earth. They might cry and be sad, but inside they spiritual everlasting joy and peace. Or at least they should. Pew Research Center says that actively religious people are more likely than their less-religious peers to describe themselves as “very happy”. That’s good. But then it adds, “36% of the actively religious describe themselves as “very happy,” compared with 25% of the inactively religious.” So only a little over a third of active Christians describe themselves as “very happy”. A little better 11% better than the inactive religious people, but still only 1 out of every 3 active Christians (i.e. those who go to church, who profess a sincere faith in Jesus) are very happy. What about the other 2/3????? They are active religiously. They probably go to church regularly. They listen to sermons and attend Bible classes, but the other 2/3 are not “very happy”. Yet we have been blessed with so many material blessings in this country. Most of us have money, nice homes, medical insurance, plenty of food, cars, income, etc. But not “very happy”. You take a short mission trip overseas as one of our student groups just did to Ghana, Africa. They have very little but they are happy in the Lord. Their joy is obvious. They are not stressed out and worried about material things. They have that everlasting joy that many of us Christians do not have.

Let’s work on it, what do you say? Jesus, talk to me! Holy Spirit, move me! Father, comfort me!

One of my former Bible students came by school and made a comment that we don’t have to follow the teachings and commands of Paul. The student said that we only have to follow the “red letters”, i.e. the teachings and commands of Jesus. I knew where he was going with that comment. He said that Jesus did not condemn homosexuality. He said that Paul was just homophobic and that Paul’s opinions were just his personal opinions and not binding on us today.

Galatians becomes a critical letter for us today as we face the LGBQT issues that seem to be splitting churches right and left. The Judaizers in Galatia were trying to undermine Paul’s authority as an apostle. Their issue in Galatia was not LGBQT but instead was Judaizer forcing Gentile converts to be circumcised as was required of Jews under the Law of Moses. No doubt they pointed out that Paul was not one of the original 12 apostles, which was true. Even Paul admitted that he was the last of the apostles. 1 Corinthians 15:⁸ and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. ⁹ For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus about 6 years after the death of Jesus, thus qualifying him to be an apostle. But in the 2nd Corinthian letter, he made it clear that he was not inferior to any of he other original 12 apostles in authority. 2 Corinthians 11:⁵ For I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles.” 12:Actually I should have been commended by you, since I was in no respect inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. ¹² The distinguishing marks of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs, wonders, and miracles.”

In the letter to the Galatians he defends his apostleship vigorously. In chapter 1 he argued that he received his gospel message (in which he did not make Gentile converts be circumcised) directly from Jesus and not from the other apostles. He makes it clear that he only went to Jerusalem 3 years after his conversion and only stayed 15 days, not nearly enough time to get a school of preaching training from the other apostles! Maybe some Judaizers were claiming that Paul got his teachings from the apostles but didn’t get some teachings on circumcision of Gentile converts correctly. But Paul is adamant that he did not get his gospel from the other apostles in any way. In chapter 2 he then stated that he did not go to Jerusalem again util 14 years later when he attended the Jerusalem Council in 50 AD to discuss the issue of Gentile converts being circumcised. He boldly states that Peter, James (the Lord’s brother), and John were the pillars of the Jerusalem. church but that he did not yield to them on the issue even for an hour. He said that their reputation as the apostles and leaders of the church meant nothing to him. He added that he even opposed the apostle Peter to his face when Peter was influenced by a group of men coming from James in Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria telling the Jewish Christians in Antioch to not eat with the Gentile Christians. BTW that’s pretty strange, if Peter was the first pope, that Paul would be rebuking the pope! It is obvious that Paul is claiming to have the same authority as the other apostles.

If Paul was a true apostle, which he was, then his teachings were inspired by the Spirit and infallible (without error). He is not just giving his uninspired opinions on issues. He was giving teachings inspired b by the Spirit. The apostle Peter even called Paul’s writings “Scripture”, giving them equal authority to the inspired writings of the Old Testament. 2 Peter 3:¹⁵ and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Surely no one would question the apostleship of Peter, and yet Peter claims that Paul’s writings were inspired Scripture.

Back to the critical LGBQT issue. Paul clearly says that homosexuality is a sin. Romans 1:²⁶ For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that which is contrary to nature, ²⁷ and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.” 1 Corinthians 6:⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” The Greek word for homosexuals is arsenokoites: Homosexual, sodomite. The same word is used in 1 Timothy 1: ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, homosexuals, slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.” I once talked with a minister of a church that accepted homosexual members and marriages. He argued that the Greek word for homosexual in these passages did not mean homosexual. Every Greek lexicon confirms that it does mean homosexual. If that isn’t enough, Romans 1 makes it even clearer without relying on Greek words.

The authority of Paul as an apostle is a critical issue today and we must defend his apostleship just as he did 2,000 years ago in the Galatian and Corinthian letters. The LGBQT issue should be easily resolved if we accept the inspiration of Paul’s writings. Those who reject Paul’s apostleship and authority do so without any proof or reasonable argument. They do so simply b/c they don’t like what he said about homosexuality.

One last point. One of the qualifications of an apostles was that one had to see the resurrected Jesus. Acts 1:²² beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” Paul was not with Jesus for the 3 years like the other apostles, but he argues that he did indeed see the resurrected Jesus. 1 Corinthians 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.” The resurrected Jesus appearing to Saul on the road to Damascus is one of the biggest proofs of the resurrection of Jesus. There is nothing else that could have changed Saul from persecuting, even killing, Jewish Christians except that he saw the resurrected Jesus. Jewish Christians were terrified of Saul and would not have dared to try to convert him. Seeing the resurrected Jesus qualified him to be an apostle even though he was not with Jesus the 3 years that the other apostles were with Him.

The church should be the “pillar and ground of the truth”. Paul said in 1 Timothy 3:¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” It is not surprising for atheists and agnostics to argue that Paul was not an apostle, but it is shocking for churches like some of the Methodist churches (and other denominations before that) arguing that his writings against homosexuality are not inspired. If even believers reject Paul’s writings, what hope is there to convert the unbelieving world who question the authority of the Bible as the word of God? I shudder to think what Jesus must feel about the direction some of the churches are going in. I also wonder how many millions of dollars are collected to support the staff and buildings of churches that reject Paul’s teaching on homosexuality. I believe Jesus would be turning some tables over if he were to make an appearance to the churches in the U.S.

 

The “tabernacle of David” was the tent wherein the ark of the covenant was housed during the latter days of David’s reign. The ark and the tabernacle had been kept from the time of Joshua 18:1 at Shiloh for 369 years according to Jewish tradition. The ark was captured by the Philistines and returned 7 months later and ended up in the house of Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1) for 20 years after the men at Bethshamesh looked into the ark and were killed. The tabernacle appears to be at Nob for some time b/c David got the forbidden bread from the holy place there but during most of Saul and David’s reign the tabernacle was kept at Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39; 21:29). The ark was brought from the house of Abinadad but they carry it on a cart and Uzzah is killed for touching the ark so the ark stayed at the house of Obed-edom for 3 monhts. David has it brought from the house of Obed-edom to his capital, Jerusalem and placed on Mt Zion. It was not brought to the tabernacle which was at Gibeon.. Instead it was brought to Jerusalem, the city of David, and placed on Mt Zion. 2 Samuel 6:¹⁷ Now they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent which David had pitched for it.” David made a special tent to place the ark in. There was much joy and praising God on this occasion. David offered sacrifices, apparently using Levite since the priests would have been at the tabernacle in Gibeon. Obviously this is not where the ark was supposed to be kept, which was in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle of Moses, but there is no recorded condemnation of David putting the ark in a special tent that he made instead of in the tabernacle Holy of Holies. Solomon is crowned king at the tabernacle in Gibeon, but the ark remained in the tent David built for it in Jerusalem for 40 years until Solomon finished building the temple, at which time (2 Chronicles 5)the ark was placed in the Holy of Holies in the temple. 2 Chronicles 1:³ Then Solomon and all the assembly with him went to the high place which was at Gibeon, because God’s tent of meeting was there which Moses, the servant of the Lord had made in the wilderness. ⁴ However, David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath-jearim to the place he had prepared for it, for he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.” We don’t know what happened to the tent that David built and housed the ark in after the ark was moved into the temple.

In the days of the divided kingdom Amos the prophet condemns the sins of the northern kingdom of Irael and wicked king Jereboam II. In the last chapter of the book of Amos, he makes a prediction that will be fulfilled in the days of the Messiah.

Amos 9:11 “On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter of David,
And wall up its gaps;
I will also raise up its ruins
And rebuild it as in the days of old;
¹² So that they may possess the remnant of Edom
And all the nations who are called by My name,”
Declares the Lord who does this.

¹³ “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When the plowman will overtake the reaper,
And the one who treads grapes will overtake him who sows the seed;
When the mountains will drip grape juice,
And all the hills will come apart.
¹⁴ I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel,
And they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them;
They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine,
And make gardens and eat their fruit.
¹⁵ I will also plant them on their land,
And they will not be uprooted again from their land
Which I have given them,”
Says the Lord your God.”

A lot of figurative language (mountains dripping grape juice, etc) but obviously a Messianic prediction. Fast forward to the 1st century. The conference of apostles, elders, and Paul and Barnabas are meeting in Jerusalem to settle the issue of whether Gentile converts have to be circumcised or not. Peter speaks first, reminding everyone how God accepted the Gentile Cornelius wihtout insisting on him being circumcised. Paul and Barnabas cite the miracles God was doing by them among the Gentile as confirmation that God accepted their Gentile converts without circumcision. But the final argument comes from James the Lord’s brother who was a pillar in the church at Jerusalem (Galatians 2). He says that the prophets, like Amos, agree with Peter’s point that the Gentile converts should be accepted without being circumcision. He then quotes Amos 9:11-12 as proof. The main part of his argument is Amos 9:12 that “the nations” would be allowed in the restored tabernacle of David, but James replaces the word nations with “Gentiles” (which is the correct meaning). For that argument to have any value, the tabernacle of David would have had to be restored at the time that he made the argument. James is saying that the tabernacle of David was being restored at the time he spoke, thus allowing the Gentiles to be admitted into it. His point then is that the Gentiles should be admitted into the church without having to keep the Law of Moses and circumcision. BTW that would also mean that the rest of Amos 9:11-15 was also being fulfilled at the time James spoke. Included in that would be mountains dripping grape juice and Israel being restored to their land. Obviously that refers to spiritual blessings (using figurative language) but only for the Jewish remnant who accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Also being restored to their land is figurative language and not the believing remnant actually getting the land in the first century (certainly it doesn’t refer to Israel getting Palestine in 1948). But that’s another subject. This appears to be a final, convincing argument to everyone that the Gentile converts did not have to be circumcised or keep the Law. It is interesting that this final argument comes from James, who in Galatians 2 is forbidding Jewish Christians from eating with Gentile Christians in the churches of Galatia, even convincing Peter to quit eating with them. So if James thinks Gentile converts don’t need to be circumcised, that is pretty convincing. He does add a few restrictions like not eating blood that the Gentile converts should observe in order not to offend their Jewish brethren.

Why would he quote Amos 9? Why does he quote a prediction about restoring a tent that David built to house the ark for 40 years? There were several passages from Isaiah (Isaiah 56) that predicted that the Gentiles would be allowed into the new covenant along with believing Jews. I just read a chapter in Philip Mauro’s book, The Hope of Israel (1971) where he quotes some from George Smith’s Harmony of the Divine (1856). Smith says that James chose Amos 9 b/c of the circumstances surrounding the ark being in the tabernacle of David. He says that the fact that the ark was allowed to be placed in David’s special tent in Jerusalem instead of in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle at Gibeon is important. Apparently during the 40 years the ark was in David’s tabernacle or tent, the high priest would not go in every year on the day of Atonement and perform the rituals. In other words, some of he requirements concerning the ark were not insisted on by God during that 40 years. Smith concludes that meant that the rituals of the Law would not be insisted on being required by Gentile converts. Perhaps that was the parallel that James saw from Amos 9 that applied to the issue at hand in the Jerusalem conference. I had never heard that logic but it made sense to Mauro (and to me). Of course, a lot of speculation there but there is good, logical speculation and then there is wild, unfounded speculation. I hope that is good speculation.

That’s a little deep, huh? But imagine yourself being at that conference. Imagine listening to the arguments from Peter, Paul, and James and trying to decide on the issue of circumcision of Gentile converts. It should be noted that they had Holy Spirit help. Acts 15:²⁸ For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: ²⁹ that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from acts of sexual immorality; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” So the Spirit in some way confirmed that their decision was correct.

Imagine that you are at a conference where the Methodist churches are trying to decide on the LGBQT issue. But their leaders don’t have inspired apostles to guide their decision. They don’t have miraculously inspired positions like the pope to make an infallible decision (which is not really infallible). They must rely on the words of the apostles just as the council in Jerusalem relied on the testimony of Paul, Peter and James. The only difference is that those words are written instead of being spoken. We have their words in the New Testament. So Paul speaks in Romans 1 and tells us that homosexuality is a sin. That alone should be enough to settle the issue and to condemn homosexuality and homosexual marriages. Unfortunately that was not enough for many, and their denomination split over the issue. Conferences like that aren’t of much value if they don’t rely on the word of God to guide them!

I am sending this b/c I forgot to mention one of the most important passages on living water taken from Revelation 22.

As usual, AI said it well: “In prophetic literature, “living water” symbolizes God’s provision and sustenance, often referring to the Holy Spirit or the spiritual renewal offered by God. It contrasts with the emptiness of human-made cisterns, representing reliance on earthly things instead of God. Prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel use the imagery of living water to depict God’s abundant blessings and the restoration of his people.” Symbol of God’s Provision:In the arid landscapes of the ancient Near East, water was a precious and life-sustaining resource. “Living water” (Hebrew: mayim chayim) represents the reliable source of life and abundance that comes from God. Contrast with Broken Cisterns: Prophets often criticize their people for forsaking God, the “fountain of living waters,” and turning to unreliable, human-made cisterns that cannot sustain life.” This concept is expressed beautifully in Hebrew: “mayim chaim” —living water. To be a living water means constantly being in a state of refreshing, replenishing, and refilling.”

Let’s look at some of those prophecies about living water.

Jeremiah 2:13 “For My people have committed two evils:
They have abandoned Me,
The fountain of living waters,
To carve out for themselves cisterns,
Broken cisterns
That do not hold water.”

Broken cisterns: “The cisterns symbolize human-made systems, beliefs, or practices that are ultimately inadequate and fail to satisfy. This verse serves as a warning to all people to avoid placing their trust in worldly things, fleeting pleasures, or self-made solutions. True fulfillment comes from seeking God and trusting in his promises.” A cistern is not a well. A cistern is a container or tank that stores water, often rainwater, while a well is a hole dug or drilled into the ground to access groundwater. A cistern that is “broken” or cracked will not hold water and be worthless.

Of course, rainwater could be drained into the cistern. The cistern could be quite large. Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, which was a large storage pit, by King Zedekiah’s officials. The cistern was empty and filled with mud, and Jeremiah sank into it. Judah was trusting in foreign powers and foreign gods to deliver them from the Babylonians instead of God. That was a broken cistern that would not provide relief.

Isaiah 44:3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring,
And My blessing on your descendants;
⁴ And they will spring up among the grass
Like poplars by streams of water.’

This Messianic prediction was fulfilled in the book of Acts when God poured out HIs Spirit of those who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, who became Christians. The water is the Spirit, which we will see Jesus say that the living water was the Spirit (John 7).

Jeremiah 17:13 Lord, the hope of Israel,
All who abandon You will be put to shame.
Those who turn away on earth will be written down,
Because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, that is the Lord.”

Zechariah 13:1 “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for defilement.” I assume that would be a fountain of living water for the remnant of the Jewish nation who would accept Jesus as the Messiah. The song, “There’s a fountain free, tis for you and me,,,” would fit here.

Zechariah 14 has been debated often. The context is the gathering of the nations in battle against Jerusalem. I think this is the Romans destroying Jerusalem in 70 AD but many think this chapter is yet to be fulfilled. There is a lot of figurative language in this chapter, such as the Mount of Olives being split into. One thing for sure is that living waters will be provided when it is fulfilled. 14:⁸ And on that day living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter.”


Ezekiel 40-48. Ezekiel gives a long, detailed description of a temple to be built in his future. The temple rebuilt by Zerubbabel in the first return from Babylon in 536 BC does not fit this decription. Herod’s temple was magnificent but does not fit. So is it an actual temple yet to be built? I think it is a spiritual temple, the church, that was established in the first century in the book of Acts. Zechariah 6:12 “Behold, there is a Man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the Lord. ¹³ Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ 1 Corinthians 3:¹⁶ Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.

One thing is sure though. In chapter 47 water flows from this Messianic temple. “The water initially trickles, then grows deeper as it moves eastward, becoming ankle-deep, then knee-deep, then waist-deep, and finally, a river too deep to walk in, requiring swimming. The water reaches the Dead Sea, transforming its salty waters into fresh water, and supporting an abundance of fish and other living creatures. The river and its effects symbolize God’s power to restore and heal, bringing life and abundance to a previously barren and desolate landscape.” This is “living water”, water that provided spiritual life and renewal.  

******************** Here is the added material to the previous article that I sent out. It is perhaps the most important part of the article!!!!! **************************************************************

Revelation 22:1 And he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, ² in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. ³ There will no longer be any curse; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serve Him; ⁴ they will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. ⁵ And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illuminate them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

Revelation 22:1-5 is the fulfillment of Ezekiel 47. In Revelation 21:1-3 the new Jerusalem, which is the bride of Christ, which is the church, comes down out of heaven to earth. The destruction of the old Jerusalem in 70 AD is the context of the predictions of Revelation. After the city and the temple is destroyed in 70 AD the new Jerusalem takes its place, a spiritual Jerusalem. It is described in figurative language with jewels and streets of gold (sorry, the song about the streets of gold in heaven is not accurate). There is no physical temple in the city. Revelation 21:²² I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. ²⁵ In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; ²⁶ and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it.” The church is where God dwells spiritually, not physically. The church is God’s new temple in the new covenant. Ezekiel 47 predicts this spiritual temple, the church, but in that spiritual temple there is no physical temple.

But notice that living water flows from the throne of God in the middle of that street of gold. The living water is for the healing of the nations and to provide water for the trees to bear fruit year round. That is Ezekiel 47 (go back and read the chapter). The nations refers to the Gentiles who will be brought into the church. Christians are the fruuit bearing trees. Revelation 21-22 is the perfect ending of the new testament. Everything lost in the fall in the garden of Eden is restored spiritually in the church. The living water of the Spirit and eternal life is available to Jew and Gentile believers. Everything predicted in Revelation was to be soon, near, and the book was written around 63-65 AD. The destruction of the temple in 70 AD was indeed near when the book was written.

I think these prophecies are predicting the living water that Jesus offered the woman at the well. John 4:⁷ A woman of Samaria *came to draw water. Jesus *said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸ For His disciples had gone away to the city to buy food. ⁹ So the Samaritan woman *said to Him, “How is it that You, though You are a Jew, are asking me for a drink, though I am a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) ¹⁰ Jesus replied to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who is saying to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” ¹¹ She *said to Him, “Sir, You have no bucket and the well is deep; where then do You get this living water? ¹² You are not greater than our father Jacob, are You, who gave us the well and drank of it himself, and his sons and his cattle?” ¹³ Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again; ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.”

John would later say that the living water was the Spirit. John 7:³⁷ Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” After Jesus ascended, the apostles promised the gift of the Spirit to those who repented and were baptized (Acts 2:38). This was the same thing as “receiving the Spirit” (Acts 8,10). Believers were given the indwelling of the Spirit. The Spirit gives spiritual life to the spiritual dead. The Holy Spirit provides eternal life, quenches spiritual thirst, and brings a sense of lasting refreshment and renewal. John 6:⁶³ It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh provides no benefit; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit, and are life.” 2 Corinthians 3:⁶ who (God) also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter (the old covenant) kills, but the Spirit gives life.“

Surely we are not waiting on these old testament predictions of the providing of living water to be fulfilled. That living water was provided in the first century to believers and would be available to believers from then on. This makes me think that Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah were predicting a spiritual temple, the church, and spiritual living water, the Spirit Himself, that would be provided in the first century. If not, then we don’t have that living water today but I believe that we do. Don’t you?

If you are a Christian, then it is the Spirit that keeps you alive spiritually (even when you sin) and gives you eternal life. 1 John 5:¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Sometimes we think that we don’t get eternal life until we die, but John says that we have it while we are living. When you are baptized, you get a spiritual body that will live forever even after you die. I do believe that you can fall from grace and lose that eternal life, so that eternal life is conditional based on active faith in Jesus.

The Spirit gives us spiritual life that refreshes us constantly. The Spirit keeps us focused on spiritual things instead of carnal worldly things. The Spirit keeps us positive in the midst of earthly pain and problems as we anticipate eternal life with God after death. The Spirit keeps us rejoicing inside while we weep on the outside over sickness, tragedy, and death of loved ones. The Spirit gives hope when things seem hopeless.

But to really enjoy the full benefits of the Spirit and living water, we must have a thirst for living water. If we are always thirsty for the water from broken cisterns, then we will not be thirsty for living water. It will be available but we will end up drinking water that will not provide life. We will drink that impure water and never be filled. Someone stranded for days in a small boat in the ocean without fresh water will drink the salt water, but it just makes him more thirsty. But that will eventually kill him from drinking the salt water.

Isaiah 12:3 Therefore you will joyously draw water
From the springs of salvation.”

Lord, I don’t think that I am joyously drawing living water from the springs of salvation. Christians should be the happiest, most positive people on earth. Lord, help me to be more thirsty for that living water, for your Spirit.

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I am copying Alex Polyak’s latest article that he sends out free of charge regularly. I don’t think he would mind since I am recommending that you subscribe to receive his articles, even buy his book (shown at the end of the article). This article is typical of his very good articles. You can go to thebiblefulfilled.com and find all his articles and great 30 minute videos. Mostly on eschatology. This article is a little longer than usual since he deals with 3 objections to what he is stating in the article. He does that in his book a lot, which makes it a lot more detailed and longer, but it is good to hear all the possible objections dealt with .I mean, when someone presents their views, I always want to ask, “but what objections would someone make to refute that?”. So here is the article in full.

False Signs and WondersBy Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled, 5/25/25  Many Christians believe that Satan can do supernatural “signs and wonders.” In fact, they believe Satan will one day have a representative on earth—the Man of Sin/Antichrist—who will use supernatural signs and wonders to woo people to himself. Although this Antichrist will eventually be killed, Satan will infuse him with power from on low…and raise him from the dead three days later, mimicking Jesus’ resurrection. This view is based on Revelation 13:12-13, which describes a “beast, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱. He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do.”  Another passage used to support this view is 2 Thessalonians 2:9-10, which describes “the coming of the lawless one [Man of Sin] is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish.” At first glance, these passages do seem to teach that Satan can perform supernatural signs and wonders. But further study shows otherwise.  𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁, whatever these passages are describing happened long ago. Regarding the Revelation passage, John began and ended his book by saying: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲…Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿” (Rev. 1:1–3, 22:6–10). Therefore, whatever this passage refers to had to have happened soon after Revelation was written. Regarding the Thessalonians passage, this Man of Sin was alive when Paul wrote Thessalonians in around AD 52. We can be sure of this because Paul said the Man of Sin was “already at work” and “being restrained” (2 Thess. 2:6–7). In fact, Paul said the Thessalonians knew what was restraining him. The Man of Sin is also described as “sitting in the temple” (2 Thess. 2:3–4). This is the temple that was standing in Paul’s day, the temple that Jesus had said in approximately AD 30 would be destroyed within a generation (Matt. 24:2–3, 34), and the temple that was in fact destroyed in AD 70. Therefore, unless there is 2000-year-old Man of Sin still roaming the earth, he must have died long ago. For information about the identity of the Man of Sin and the Restrainer, see my article called “The Man of Sin.” The contexts of these passages show that these events happened in the first century. And since there is no historical evidence of a satanic being doing supernatural signs and wonders in that time period, then we can safely assume these descriptions are symbolic (see more about this below).  𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, the satanic signs and wonders described in Revelation 13 and 2 Thessalonians 2 are called deception. John said the beast “deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs” (Rev. 13:13); and Paul called it “deception” and “lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9–10). So these were fake signs and wonders, not real ones. They were cheap parlor tricks, similar to what a talented magician could do today. Only God and his representatives can do real supernatural signs and wonders. If Satan and his minions could do them, than all the signs and wonders described throughout the Bible would be nothing more than interesting side shows; they would prove nothing. God parted the Red Sea? Big deal. So could Satan. Jesus healed people? Big deal. So could Satan. Jesus rose from the dead? Big deal. So could Satan’s minions. Yet the biblical prophets and apostles clearly believed these supernatural signs and wonders proved that God was on their side—precisely because Satan cannot do them. When Elijah challenged the 450 false prophets of Baal, he proved God was on his side by calling down supernatural fire from heaven, which the false prophets could not do (1 Kings 18). Jesus and the apostles, too, taught that supernatural signs and wonders confirmed/proved they were of God. • “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀 by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗶𝗳𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁, according to His own will (Heb. 2:4). • “If I [Jesus] do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲, and I in Him” (John 10:38). • “Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins—He [Jesus] said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱, 𝘀𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴, ‘𝗪𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀!’” (Mark 2:10). Supernatural signs and wonders proved/confirmed that Jesus and the apostles were who they claimed to be. For example, Jesus proved he could forgive sins by healing a paralytic (Mark 2:5-11). And Jesus proved he was the light of the world by healing a blind man (John 9:5-7). And Jesus proved he was “the resurrection and the life” by raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:25, 42) and then raising himself (John 20:30-31, Matt. 12:38-40). If Satan could do such things, then these signs and wonders would prove nothing. Yet Jesus and the apostles clearly believed these signs and wonders confirmed they were sent by God.  Third, men of sin (false prophets) were common in Paul’s day. However, as stated above, these false messiahs used deception, not real supernatural acts. For example, the book of Acts says Simon the sorcerer “claimed to be great.” In other words, he really wasn’t. In fact, Simon converted to Christianity after witnessing real miracles (Acts 8:9-13). The book of Acts also mentions “the slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination…who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling”—yet she too recognized the real prophets (Acts 16:16-17). In other words, she was pretending; but the real prophets were doing real supernatural signs and wonders. There was also Elymas the sorcerer, whom Paul said was full of all deceit and all fraud, the son of the devil, and the enemy of all righteousness (Acts 13:8-10). In other words, this sorcerer was using deceit and fraud to trick people. The first-century historian Josephus confirms there were many false messiahs in Paul’s day who “deceived and deluded the people under pretense of Divine inspiration, but were for procuring innovations and changes of the government; and these prevailed with the multitude to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness, 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆” (Josephus, Wars of the Jews, Book 2, Chapter 13, Paragraph 4–5). While there were many men of sin (false messiahs) in the first century, none of them could do real signs and wonders like Jesus and the apostles. Only God’s true representatives can do real miracles.  Possible Objections  Objection #1: Exodus describes magicians in Moses’ day throwing down their wooden rods, which turned into snakes (Ex. 7:12). Response: While this may at first glance appear to be supernatural, it was likely nothing more than a sleight-of-hand magician’s trick. While the passage does not specifically say this, it certainly seems to suggest it and even gives clues pointing in that direction. For example, the text calls these snake handlers “magicians”—not miracle workers—and these magicians are described as doing things “in the manner with their enchantments” (Ex. 7:11). This description does not sound very supernatural to me. In fact, it sounds more like these magicians used deception and sleight-of-hand—along with a dash of illusion—to convince their spectators, much like modern-day magicians would do at a magic show. Only, the magicians of Moses’ day had evil intent. Furthermore, ancient Egyptians often used snakes in their religious and ceremonial rituals, and they were very adept at making them do amazing things (much like the “snake charmers” of India). Snakes were associated with the gods of ancient Egypt. Many Egyptian murals, carvings, paintings and writings depict snakes in connection with snake charmers, snake handlers, magicians, and even pharaohs. Because of their affinity and close association with snakes, the ancient Egyptians became quite adept at capturing, handling, charming, and displaying snakes. They could even “turn them into rods,” just as depicted in the above Exodus passage: “The magicians of Egypt in modern times have long been celebrated adepts in charming serpents; and particularly by pressing the nape of the neck they throw them into a kind of catalepsy, which renders them stiff and immoveable, thus seeming to change them into a rod. They conceal the serpent about their person, and by acts of legerdemain produce it from their dress, stiff and straight as a rod” (Kyle Butt, “Egyptian Magicians, Snakes, and Rods,” 10/23/05, Apologetics Press). This description fits nicely with the account in Exodus. The magicians described in Exodus likely did nothing more than perform a magic trick. On the other hand, when Aaron’s snake ate up the magicians’ snakes…this was truly miraculous (Ex. 7:12)! This could not be faked.  Objection #2: The beast calls fire down from heaven (Rev. 13:13). Response: First, whatever this refers to, it must have happened in the first century because John said it would happen “soon…for the time is near” (see Rev. 1:1–3, 22:6–10). And since we have no historical record of a beast literally calling down fire from heaven, it must have been symbolic. By the way, a beast is literally an animal (a horse, hippopotamus, whale, etc.). So are we to think that an animal will one day call down fire from heaven? Of course not! This is clearly symbolic language. Second, this event is described as “deception” (Rev. 13:13), which suggests sleight-of-hand (think David Copperfield) as opposed to a supernatural event. Third, Revelation also describes God’s ministers—the famed “two witnesses” (Rev. 11:3–5)—breathing fire. But this, too, is clearly symbolic. How can we be sure of this? Because elsewhere in Scripture, this same kind of “fire-breathing” language is used figuratively, such as when God calls his ministers “a flame of fire” (Ps. 104:4, Heb. 1:7). This is not meant literally. We need to remember that Revelation is the most symbolic book in the New Testament. It describes a beast with seven heads (Rev. 13:1). It also describes a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet (Rev. 12:1). And it also describes Jesus as a lamb with seven eyes (Rev. 5:6). These passages were not meant to be taken literally—and either was the passage about the beast calling down fire from heaven.  Objection #3: What about Revelation 13:15, which describes one beast giving breath to the image of a second beast, “so that the image of the [second] beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the [first] beast to be killed.” Response: Making statues “speak” using ventriloquism was common in the ancient world: “The ancient pagan priests had for centuries practiced deceiving superstitious worshipers into believing images made of stone, metal and wood could talk. Many of them used drugs or self-hypnosis to induce a trance in which they claimed to be speaking oracles from the gods or images. One such was the ‘oracle at Delphi,’ a Greek temple inhabited by priestesses and from which Alexander the Great demanded a revelation. Ventriloquism was a highly skilled and widely practiced art in heathen idolatry. Eurycles of Athens was the most celebrated of Greek ventriloquists. They were called engastrimanteis, or ‘belly prophets’ because the ancients believed the voices came from the bellies of the oracles. Priests of ancient pagan religions were masters of this art and to ventriloquism may be ascribed the alleged miracles of the ‘speaking statues’ of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans…Modern archeologists have found devices used for secretly piping the human voice beneath altars bearing the statues of pagan gods” (Gary DeMar, End Times Fiction, A Biblical Consideration of the Left Behind Theology, pg. 169). This fits well with what is described in Revelation 13:13. The talking statue described in Revelation was not more real that talking statue in Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas! Conclusion: Satan cannot do supernatural signs and wonders. Only God’s true representatives could (during certain times in history) do real miracles. And the reason for these supernatural signs and wonders was to confirm/prove God’s true representatives.  For more information about the topics discussed in this article, please see my book The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies Were Fulfilled, available NOW on Amazon!    The Already and Not Yet This video examines “the already and not yet,” a theological concept that is vitally important for properly understanding the New Testament.     Available Now!  The End Is Here: How the New Testament’s Prophecies were Fulfilled…by Alex Polyak, Director of The Bible Fulfilled. The world of Christianity is vast, deep-rooted, and surrounded by centuries of interpretations and beliefs. Yet, many of its teachings, especially concerning End Times prophecies, remain clouded in layers of speculation and traditional narratives. What if the answers to Christianity’s most intriguing questions lay not in awaiting signs but understanding that they have already occurred? This compelling read is a beacon for both devout Christians passionate about theology, eschatology, and Church history, as well as for skeptics questioning Jesus’ authenticity as a prophet. Taking you on an enlightening journey, the book skillfully intertwines Scripture with Scripture, sifting away speculative interpretations and rediscovering the true essence of biblical prophecies. By diving deep into subjects like the the Last Days, the Second Coming, and the New Heaven and Earth, the book offers a fresh perspective, suggesting that many New Testament prophecies have been fulfilled. Far from a generic overview, this exploration digs into the core of long-held beliefs, prompting readers to question and re-evaluate their faith, based on evidence rather than mere tradition. While the journey is enlightening, it is not without its challenges. Be prepared to confront doctrines you thought were set in stone and beliefs that have been passed down generations. This book promises to be a paradigm shift for many, bridging the gap between age-old teachings and a renewed understanding of the Bible’s messages. Ideal for believers keen to expand their knowledge and skeptics searching for truth, this is more than a book. It’s an invitation to reflect, rethink, and rejuvenate one’s faith, grounded in sound biblical foundations and unswayed by modern-day speculations. Purchase The End Is Here on Amazon. May God richly bless you as you study his Word! Alex Alex PolyakDirector of The Bible FulfilledAlex@TheBibleFulfilled.com

Alex Polyak
Alex@TheBibleFulfilled.com

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