Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Beliefs about the Afterlife (LXV)




In this chapter we will focus on some things specially mentioned as being within the city of God, such as the river of life, the fountain of life, the tree of life, besides the dwelling places, streets of gold, jasper walls, and pearly gates. Following this we will begin to focus on the nature of the resurrection bodies of the saints and then on the pleasures of that eternal state, and then on the work of the glorified believers as they act as priests, kings, judges, and lords of that age to come. 

We should keep in mind that we are studying the afterlife and life in eternity, for both the righteous and the unrighteous. Also, in regard to the former we are focusing attention on the things that God has prepared for those who love him. Needless to say, it is far greater than we can imagine. 

The Fountain of Life

"And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." (Rev. 21: 5-6 kjv)

What is intended by "the fountain of the water of life"? Is it literal, or merely symbolic? Or, perhaps both? The latter no doubt. There is no reason to take any of the descriptions of the eternal city non literally. If they are all merely symbolic, then no one can know for sure what they signify and everyone is left to his own imagination or whim to explain their meaning. No doubt it is literal water and a literal fountain. 

Involved in the fountain or gushing spring of water is "life," refreshment, invigoration, enlivenment, etc. It is, like the tree of life, a "fountain of youth." It is a source of renewal. (See Isaiah 40: 31)

It is for the thirsty. Does that mean resurrected saints, who will be the occupants of that glorious city, will get thirsty, and hungry too? Or, does it mean that it is a delight for those who were once thirsty when they lived their lives on earth? It is true that the word "thirsty" may be used to describe the spiritual condition of a person, or used metaphorically. So Jesus spoke of those who "thirst after righteousness." (Matt. 5: 6) Notice these words of the Lord to the woman at the well of Jacob:

“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:11-15)

And notice these words spoken later in the Gospel of John by Christ:

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come to me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (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 Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7: 37-39)

The problem however is in the fact that drinking of the fountain of life in Revelation 21: 6 is not a present reality, but is what will be experienced when believers are living in the city of God. Thus, drinking of this fountain cannot be the same thing as being saved or converted while still living on earth before the coming of the city of God. Further, it is metaphorical in the two passages above from the Gospel of John, but it is clearly a literal fountain in the text about the new Jerusalem. Or, perhaps, we should say the fountain of life is both literal and symbolic. That is, though it is a literal fountain, it signifies both the physical and spiritual pleasures that come from drinking of the living waters springing up from that fountain.

Earlier in the Apocalypse we see the same futuristic aspect of the promise. Notice these words:

"For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. 7: 17 nkjv)

Here we see how drinking of the fountains of living waters is viewed as occurring, not in conversion, but in the age to come, in the time when God shall wipe away all tears, when the drinkers are citizens of the New Jerusalem. Notice also how not only will the resurrected and glorified saints drink, but they shall also be fed, that is, they shall both eat and drink. Of this we will have more to say shortly.

Notice also how in the above text we have the plural "fountains" whereas the passage in chapter twenty one is singular. Obviously, drinking fountains will be present throughout the city and in the new earth. We have already seen how saints, like Christ after his resurrection and glorification, and prior to his ascension, will eat and drink. Christ ate fish with a few of his disciples though he no longer had to eat to stay alive. (See Luke 24: 42-43) So also we read this testimony:

"Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead." (Acts 10: 40-41 kjv)

Life in eternity, even for the immortals, involves eating and drinking. They will eat "hidden manna," as we have seen, eat of the twelve kinds of fruit from the tree of life, and drink pure living water. Further, the food and drink of the ages to come will bring much more pleasure to us than the pleasures now obtained by eating and drinking. Just as some foods, like chocolate, or coffee, cause people to experience pleasure and good bodily feelings, so too will the the delicacies of heaven do so even more. Notice this passage from the old testament:

"But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes were enlightened. Then answered one of the people, and said, Thy father straitly charged the people with an oath, saying, Cursed be the man that eateth any food this day. And the people were faint. Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey." (I Sam. 14: 27-29 kjv)

Though commentators are often saying very little or nothing on the meaning of Jonathan's eyes being enlightened by eating the honey (which was forbidden by king Saul), so too will saints be stimulated and enlivened by what they eat and drink in the kingdom of God

In the old testament we also read this of the manna, or bread from heaven, that the Lord sent to the Israelites while they journeyed through the desert wilderness to the land of promise was called "angels food."

"And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full." (Psalm 78: 24-25 kjv)

The Hebrew is more literally translated as "food of the mighty," rather than "angel's food." Still, many commentators believe that the Psalmist is thinking of the angels who dwell in "heaven," the source of the manna. It is similar to the Pagan idea of "the food of the gods," which often was ambrosia or some kind of nectar. 

This heavenly bread was white like coriander seed and looked like resin (Num. 11:7-9). It tasted like wafers with honey. (Exo. 16:31)

Of course, a shepherd "feeding" his sheep includes far more than simply giving them food, but means to "tend to" or "care for," which would include more than mere feeding them. Wrote Dr. Gill in his commentary:

"...this Lamb is a Shepherd, and this great multitude are his flock; whom he will feed in this state, not by his ministers, word, and ordinances, as now; but in person, and with the rich discoveries of himself, and of his love, signified by a feast, by new wine in his Father's kingdom, and his own, and by eating and drinking at his table, in the kingdom appointed by him to his followers..."

However, I don't think the feasting, the eating and drinking, in eternity, are mere symbols, but are realities. As previously stated, the eating and drinking, and the feasting, are both literal and significant. 

In the Psalms we read these words:

"They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures." (Psa. 36: 8 nkjv)

Of that river we will focus our attention in the next chapter. But, there is no reason to think that this river is not both literal and expressive of pleasures enjoyed from those rivers, from eating and drinking. It is not a mere metaphor. Saints will indeed enjoy pleasures from eating and drinking, and from refreshments, in a far greater degree than they did while on earth before their entrance into heaven and their glorification and resurrection. 

Of this wellspring or bubbling fountain one commentator wrote:

"Significantly enough the springs of this living water are in the throne itself (Revelation 22:1). Ezekiel saw the stream issuing forth from the Temple (Ezekiel 48:1), but in the city where there is no temple we are carried to the very throne of God, to find the well-spring of every gladness." (Elliott's Commentary)

Wrote Dr. Henry Morris (See here - emphasis mine):

"The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." (Proverbs 14:27)

This beautiful phrase, "fountain of life," is used several times in the Old Testament, serving as a metaphor to illuminate a number of important aspects of spiritual faith and experience. Our text stresses "the fear of the Lord" as providing deliverance from death to life, picturing this new life as flowing from a heavenly spring.

A very similar verse is Proverbs 13:14: "The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death." Thus, the fear of the Lord is somehow tantamount to "the law of the wise." Those who are wise will fear the Lord, and thus receive living water from "the fountain of life."

King David penned the wonderful truth of Psalm 36:9: "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light." "God is light" (1 John 1:5), so "the fountain of life" becomes the source also of all true light, whether physical or spiritual. "In him was life; and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

The same word translated "fountain" is rendered as "well" in Proverbs 10:11: "The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked." Thus, when a believer has received life from the divine fountain, his testimony becomes a fountain of life to others.

The Lord Himself is the fountain of life in Jeremiah’s prophecy, but the supposed people of God have refused to drink. "For my people . . . have forsaken me the fountain of living waters" (Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13).

Nevertheless, this fountain is still there for all who will come. The very last promise in the Bible has to do with this great fountain. That fountain yields "a pure river of water of life, . . . proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. . . . And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:1, 17)."

Wrote Randy Alcorn, who we have cited already in preceding chapters (See - here emphasis mine):

"One wonderful thing about Heaven is that we’ll be able to enjoy such amazing food without having to battle sin. There will be no gluttony and eating disorders, no indigestion, no high or low blood sugars, which is good news to an insulin-dependent diabetic like me."

Agreed. This will become more clear when we focus on what the bible says about the nature of the resurrected and glorified bodies of the redeemed. 

He said further:

"However, not all Christians believe that we will eat and drink in Heaven. Some people cite Romans 14:17: “The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” But this passage isn’t about the afterlife. Paul is speaking about our walk with God and the importance of not making other people stumble over what we eat and drink."

So, who is right? Will there be eating and drinking by the resurrected saints in the ages to come? As we will further see, the saints will indeed enjoy the pleasures of eating and drinking, and pleasures from all their five senses.

Alcorn says further:

"Strangely, however, many people also believe we won’t eat or drink in the eternal Heaven, which is centered on the New Earth. They assume the biblical language about eating and drinking and banquets is figurative and that we will eat only “in a spiritual sense.” But why is there a need to look for a spiritual sense when resurrected people in actual bodies will live on a resurrected Earth? Christoplatonism lurks behind this understanding."

What Alcorn means by "Christoplatonism" is what we have referred to as the Pagan idea that heaven is a place where only departed spirits go, the idea of a physical resurrection and physical enjoyment being rejected. 

Alcorn says further:

"Other passages indicate that we’ll eat at feasts with Christ in an earthly kingdom. Jesus said to His disciples, “I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:18). On another occasion Jesus said, “Many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11)."

What about the sensation that came from Adam and Eve eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Were their eyes not opened so that they saw that they were naked and then wanted to clothe themselves? They were forbidden to eat of the tree of life when they ate the forbidden fruit, but it no doubt, like the honey eaten by Jonathan, would have enlightened the eyes and given pleasure to the body and mind, as it surely will by the saint in glory. No doubt the pleasures experienced by eating the hidden manna, the fruit from the tree of life, and from drinking the water of life from the fountain of life, will be much more enjoyable then as compared to now. 

Consider also that not only did Christ eat after his resurrection, but even God and angels did so when they dined with Abraham. (Gen. 18: 1-8) 

Many promises in the old testament, as well as in the new, speak of the pleasures of eating and drinking in the kingdom of God and heaven. Wrote Isaiah:

"And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined." (Isa. 25: 6 kjv)

As we have seen, Jesus talks about drinking new wine in the kingdom of God (Mark 14:25). He also mentions eating and drinking at the table in His kingdom (Luke 22:29-30) and reclining at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of Heaven (Matt. 8:11). 

In the next chapter we will focus on the river of life, the tree of life, and some of the many pleasures to be enjoyed by saints in the eternal state. Following this we will then begin a close examination of what the bible says about the bodies of resurrected people, both righteous and unrighteous.

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