LIFE FLOWING FROM THE THRONE

Let us continue the thought about the Rod of Levi that budded, blossomed and bloomed when placed in the most holy place where the ark of the covenant was.

Last week we compared the words of Jesus about the vine and the branches in John 15, where He said we were branches and He was the vine.

• He said that the union of the branch to the vine would allow the branch to bring forth fruit.
• We spoke this morning that in order for Abraham to have a son and bless the world, he would have to see a miracle from God occur.
• And This is the same thing Jesus was speaking about.
• Can you see how all these stories in the bible point to the same message?

As much as Abraham required a miracle to father a child at his old age, the branch needs life from the vine to bear fruit.

• And the rod of Levi experienced a miracle as well when it was place din the most holy place before the ark.

In order to understand the message to us from this story even more than what we've already studied, notice some details about the ark.

The ark was what the dead rod had to be placed before in order for the miracle to occur.

• This miracle would show those whom God chose to bless and make his priests.
• God's people are likewise known by a MIRACULOUS experience that people can see.

That ark was where God's presence abode.

• But in order to have God's presence with them, each year sacrifices were made and the blood was taken into the holy place and put upon the lid of the ark.
• This sacrifice was called ATONEMENT.
• It was necessary for God to be amongst them.
• Atonement caused their sins to be taken away by sacrifice.
• Blood that was presented to the ark's mercyseat was proof that a sacrifice occurred.
• If their sin was not taken away each year by this sacrifice, then God could not remain amongst them and be in their midst in that tabernacle.

So the sacrifice and the presentation of bloods was very important for them to enjoy God's presence and blessings in their midst.

Well, this is the picture that the rod of Aaron was involved with when it was placed into the holiest place where it experienced a miracle.

And this brings us to Revelation 22.

• Revelation 22 shows the throne of God and of the Lamb.
• And from that throne flowed a River of life clear as crystal.
• All of this was in a vision God gave John.
• And this vision is a message about the same truth that the story of Levi's rod represented.

In both the story of the rod of Aaron and the River of Life in Revelation, we see a THRONE, and the idea of sacrifice associated with that throne, and LIFE given to the WOOD to see it miraculously reproduce fruit.

The throne is easy to recognize in Revelation 22.

• It simply says it was the throne of God and the lamb.
• But the throne in the picture of the rod of Aaron is found int he form of the ARK OF THE COVENANT.
• The ark was a chest which had a lid called a MERCYSEAT.

Exodus 25:17-21  And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.  (18)  And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.  (19)  And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.  (20)  And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.  (21)  And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

The reason I know this represents the throne of God is because the cherubim on the mercyseat whose wings cover the seat are perfectly positioned just like this picture:

Isa 6:1-2  In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.  (2)  Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

Isaiah saw a throne with seraphims OVER the throne with wings.

So the ark's mercyseat before which the rod was laid is showing the same idea as the throne of God and the Lamb in Revelation 22.

RIVER

And the River of Life flowing from that throne is connected to the story of the rod because that rod received some kind of supernatural life from God in order for it to break forth in buds, blossoms and almonds or fruit.

• Since God's presence was manifested above the mercyseat between the cherubims, then the LIFE to resurrect that dead branch came from God's mercyseat or THRONE.
• We see the same idea when Revelation 22 shows a river of life flow from the throne and TREES OF LIFE, like the rod of Aaron, are planted alongside the both sides of the river, feeding from the river and producing fruit.

Remember that sacrifice was associated with the mercyseat?

• The ark's mercyseat before which the rod was placed had atonement blood sprinkled on it.

Lev 16:15  Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the vail, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:

That sacrifice was necessary for God and Israel to BE AT ONE again.

• Sin separated them, and when sin was removed by sacrifice, GOD AND ISRAEL were made ONE.

The throne of Rev 22 is called the throne of GOD AND THE LAMB.

• Jesus was called the lamb of God by John the baptist.

Joh 1:29  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Joh 1:36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

Jesus was called a LAMB because he was sacrificed like a lamb from the old testament to take away Israel's sins.

• And like the high priest, He took HIS OWN blood to heaven to show payment for our sins was made.

Heb 9:12  Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

He was both sacrifice and high priest who offered the blood.

Just as the throne was of God and the Lamb in Rev 22, Jesus took proof of His sacrifice for the people's sins to the Father and we read this:

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

He sat down with the Father.

• So the sacrificed LAMB is with GOD.
• The throne of GOD and the LAMB.

Act 2:30-33  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  (31)  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  (32)  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  (33)  Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

SHED FORTH is a perfect description of the RIVER FLOWING FROM THE THRONE.

• And notice what caused the h9holy Ghost to SHED FORTH.
• It was Jesus resurrecting and going to the right hand throne of God.
• Just as the LAMB went to the throne and sat down with God, Jesus went to the throne and sat down, and SHED FORTH the Holy Ghost.

The river of life is the HOLY GHOST.

Joh 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.

Joh 7:37-39  In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  (38)  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (39)  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

When we read after the picture of the river from the throne, this is found:

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

The same thing John 7:37 says!

• So the river is the Holy Ghost.

The trees of life on either side of the river is like Aaron's rod.

THE SACRIFICE DID IT ALL!

• It allowed for God's LIFE to come into our lives again and resurrect us from a dead existence.
• We were cut off from God.
• But we are reconnected.

The holy Ghost could not be given until Jesus was glorified, because when he was glorified He went to the throne with the proof of His sacrifice.

• And like sprinkling the mercyseat with blood, He proved he paid the price, and sat down and FROM THAT THRONE CAME POWER.
• Power to give life to a dead stick.
• Power to cause that rod to bud, blossom and bloom.
• Only by UNION to Jesus can this happen.

Union to Jesus is what ATONEMENT means.

• AT-ONE.

We were created to live for God and receive LIFE as much as a branch is created to stem out from a vine.

The rod before the ark represents the BELIEVER who BELIEVES UNION to God is possible because of the sacrifice.

The lamb on the throne is what caused us to be able to be AT ONE with God and have His life.

• The blood on the mercyseat is what enabled that rod of Aaron to bud.

We bow down before the throne like the rod in recognition that WE NEED HIS POWER.

• We recognize dependence is necessary.
• That river of life is like the SAP FROM THE VINE that fills the branch.

And we read...

Rev 22 (3)  And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 

We serve Him like branches bowed down before the mercyseat.

And there is not just one rod blossoming.

• There are TREES of life all over the place, like the original tree of life in the Garden.

We can walk after the flesh or after the Spirit.

• Dependence upon God's FLOW is walking after the Spirit.