Notes on the Symbolic Use of Water in Scripture

             Ezekiel 47 describes a river flowing out of the temple. (Compare Isa. 44:8; Zech. 14:8; Joel 3:18; Revelation 22:1-2; 21:22) (Note: The Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Heaven refer to God’s rule and order, not a place specifically.)

             Ezekiel saw a river flowing out of the temple—the southern end of the eastern threshold—and it healed the sea. John’s vision of the New Heaven and the New Earth reveals “the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb…” (Rev. 22:1) The leaves of the trees growing along that reiver “were for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2).

             Jesus told the Samaritan woman: “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. (John 4:14 cf. John 7:37-39; Rev. 21:6; Isa. 12:3)

             John made much of the concept of water in his Gospel and first epistle. At Jesus’s crucifixion he records:

 “But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness…” (John 19:34,35)

             And in First John 5:6-8 we read:

 “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.”

             Jesus said we must be born of “the water and the Spirit” (John 3:5). And this new birth came through the sacrifice of God’s Son (the blood) (John 3:14-16). The water, then, appears to be the life of God that is applied to the believer by the Spirit in virtue of Christ’s shed blood for the believer’s sins.

             This water of life flows from Christ—the true Temple of God (Rev. 22:1-2 cf. John 2:21)—and grows deeper and more powerful the farther it flows (Ezek. 47:3-5). The water gives life wherever it goes (Ezek. 47:9), and it nurtures the Tree of Life that heals the nations (Rev. 22:1-2).

             So water is used in a highly symbolic way in Scripture—in prophecy, in the Apocalypse, and in the writings of John in general. It pictures the life of God imparted to the believer in Christ in virtue of Christ’s atoning blood. That life of God becomes a spring of life that refreshes and revives the believer throughout his earthly life and into his eternal life in the kingdom of heaven.

GOD'S CONCERN FOR ISRAEL -- EZEKIEL 25:8-10

The Lord GOD says this: “Because Moab and Seir say, ‘Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations,’ therefore, behold, I am going to deprive the flank of Moab of its cities, of its cities which are on its frontiers, the glory of the land, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim; and I will give it as a possession along with the sons of Ammon to the people of the east, so that the sons of Ammon will not be remembered among the nations. “So I will execute judgments on Moab, and they will know that I am the LORD.”  (Ezekiel 25:8-11)

These verses demonstrate the danger of thinking that Judah, and by extension, the Jewish people, are “like all the nations,” that God has no more concern for them than He has for any other people group. The Church is not a “replacement” for ethnic Israel but the fulfillment of the New Covenant promised to “the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). At the same time, it is an error to think, as Dispensationalists do, that God has a separate plan for the nation Israel apart from the Church, which was founded by Israel’s Messiah. God’s plan is for the Jews to repent and be “grafted” back into the olive tree of blessing, since they are “the natural branches” (Romans 11:24) and are “beloved on account of the fathers” (Rom. 11:28). “The gifts and calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29). God’s reputation is at stake. He will not be seen as a failure in His purpose for Israel. Jesus’s words to the Samaritan woman are weighty: “Salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22).

DARING TO LIVE IN THE HOLY CITY

 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem. And the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to live in Jerusalem the holy city, while nine out of ten remained in the other towns. And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.” (Nehemiah 11:1-2)

It is a curious thing that they had to cast lots to determine who would live in “the holy city”! (Cf. Rev. 21:1) Ninety percent of the people preferred to live elsewhere! Some volunteered to live in Jerusalem: “And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Living in Jerusalem presented dangers from the enemies who were determined to stop the building of the wall. In a similar way, those who have come to “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22), make sacrifices and face dangers in this life. And most people prefer to live where life is more comfortable and—they think—safe.

Identifying oneself as a Christian, a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3:20) has its risks. “Indeed," Apostle Paul warned Timothy, "all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted . . .” (2 Timothy 3:12)

Nevertheless, God promises great blessings and eternal rewards for those who come to live in the “the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22), which is “the Church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15).

FLESHLY ISRAEL AND THE PROFESSING CHURCH

 Moses was a type (a picture) of Christ (Acts 3:22; cf. Deut. 18:15, 18; also Acts 7:35), and in that capacity he "delivered" (saved) Israel ("the Church in the wilderness" --τῇ ἐκκλησιìᾳ ἐν τῇ ἐρηìμῳ) from bondage in Egypt (a picture of the sinful world). But national Israel rejected their deliverer and desired to turn back to Egypt (Acts 7:39), just as many professing Christians in the visible church today desire to return to the world.

A NEW COVENANT PRAYER

 Second Chronicles 7:14 is one of the most misapplied verses in Scripture:

 “. . . if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chron. 7:14)

 There is no guarantee in this passage that God will heal "the land" of Christians who "humble themselves, and pray, and seek (God's) face, and turn from their wicked ways." The context clearly applies to Israel under the Mosaic covenant, and the prayer was to be made "in this place" (v. 15), that is, the temple in Jerusalem. The bizarre notion, introduced by the Puritans, that America is the new Promised Land persists, and the expectation of physical, material blessings is all too prevalent in modern Christendom.

 The New Covenant blessings of God, however, transcend this fallen world and cause the true Christian to rejoice in a greater hope.  The Apostle Peter helps us refocus our hope on new heavens and a new earth:

 “ But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:10-13)

 Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) That is the proper New Covenant prayer we should offer. And it will be fulfilled in the New Heaven and New Earth (Revelation 21:1-5)

 

 

WHAT ABOUT MODERN ISRAEL?

 Ever since the founding of the Church of Jesus Christ on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), the status of the Jews in God’s redemptive plan has been the subject of theological debate. The Apostle Paul discussed that matter under divine inspiration in his Epistle to the Romans, chapters 9 through 11. It seems clear from Romans 11:2-5 that God has not rejected the Jews and is saving a remnant from generation to generation.

 In spite of Paul’s assurances that God still has a special care for the Jews, one theological system maintains that the Jews have no more special place in God’s redemptive plan than do Gentiles.

On the other side of the debate is a very popular theological system that developed in the late 19^th century. That system sees God’s plan for ethic Jews as totally distinct from the Church. The modern state of Israel, this view maintains, is a fulfillment of prophecy and a preparation for “The Great Tribulation,” identified as “the day of Jacob’s trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). This will be followed by the return of Christ to reestablish the kingdom of Israel and reign on the throne of David for a thousand years (which reign they see in Rev. 20:1-4).

In this latter view, the church is taken out of the world before that Great Tribulation and are designated as God’s “heavenly people,” while restored Israel is God’s “earthly people.” Though variations of this system have developed in recent decades, the distinction between Israel and the Church, and God’s different plans for each, remains.

My studies of the Scriptures have brought me to a position that differs from either of the above systems. Other scholars, I have learned, have come to a similar understanding, yet differing in various details. The following is a synopsis of what I believe is in accord with God’s redemptive plan.

 GOD’S SPECIAL CARE FOR ETHNIC ISRAEL

God’s care for ethnic Jews is based on His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Even in their wayward, unbelieving state, God has special concern for them just as He did for apostate Israel during the divided kingdom. During the reign of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, God answered the king’s desperate plea to Yahweh for help when the Arameans oppressed the nation.

Then Jehoahaz appeased the LORD, and the LORD listened to him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, how the king of Aram oppressed them. And the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they escaped from under the hand of the Arameans; and the sons of Israel lived in their tents as previously. (2 Kings 13:4-5)

Second Kings 13:23 affirms God’s gracious compassion for Israel, even in their state of apostasy:

 But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion on them and turned to them because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and He was unwilling to eliminate them or cast them away from His presence until now. (2 Kings 13:23)

This verse demonstrates Yahweh's care for wayward Israel in spite of their state of idolatry. And the reason is given: "His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." (See also 2 Kings 14:27) He promised that He "would not destroy them from His presence until now" (that is, until the time of the writing). It would be a mistake to infer that "until now" leaves room for a future complete destruction of the Jews as a distinct people.  Jeremiah 31:35-37 declares that Israel (that is, the Jews) will never cease to be a people.  (See Jamieson, Fausset, & Brown commentary on Jer. 31:36)

God promises the preservation of Israel as a people, and He is saving a remnant in every generation, in fulfillment of His promise to the patriarchs. Believing Gentiles are also spiritual descendants of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:7, 14) in fulfillment of God's promise that Abraham would be "the father of many nations" (Gen. 17:4, 5) in a deeper spiritual sense.

All believers, Jews and Gentiles, are united as one people in the Church, which is the culmination of the New Covenant, instituted by Jesus at the Last Supper, accomplished by His sacrifice on the cross, and inaugurated by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. There is no evidence in the progressive revelation of God’s plan in the Scriptures that there are two peoples of God—earthly and heavenly. All are one in Christ for eternity. (See John 16:10; Ephesians 2:13-21; Zechariah 2:11)

MODERN STATE OF ISRAEL

So, with this understanding, what can we say about the modern state of Israel?

First, since we affirm the sovereignty of God in all the affairs of earth, we must affirm that the modern state of Israel is part of God’s plan for that people. But that plan is not to reestablish an earthly kingdom apart from the Church; rather, it is that “all Israel shall be saved” (Romans 11:26), that is, put their faith in their Messiah, Jesus, and become part of the Church, the redeemed people of God under the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31-33). This conversion of the Jews seems to occur at a particular time, as the following passage implies:

For I do not want you, brothers and sisters, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written: “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.” “THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” In relation to the gospel they are enemies on your account, but in relation to God’s choice they are beloved on account of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:25-29)

The clause, “until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in,” seems to set a time for this  removal of ungodliness from Jacob. Yet there is disagreement as to whether “all Israel” means the total number of elect Jews from the first advent of Christ to the end, or all those alive at some future point, perhaps at the return of Jesus. In any case, we know that God is not finished with the Jews, and modern Israel is part of His plan to bring them to repentance and faith in Christ.

LUKE’S FORESHADOWING

 

And all the crowds who came together for this spectacle, after watching what had happened, began to return home, beating their chests. (Luke 23:48)

 Only Luke records that the crowd who came to view a “spectacle” beat their breasts in fear and consternation when they witnessed all that occurred. In recording this, Luke foreshadows the response of the Jews and proselytes at Pentecost (Acts 2:37).

 

Luke's characteristic compositional style used foreshadowing of events and people of particular significance. Here he records the troubled hearts of the spectators who would listen anxiously to Peter's Pentecost sermon in Acts 2. Luke also singles out individuals like Stephen and Phillip (Acts 6:5) and Barnabas (Acts 4:36, 37; 11:22-25) who would soon have a special role in the progress of the gospel.

 

Luke’s gospel is the most literary of the four gospels, and its Greek is the closest to classical Greek. The vocabulary and style of Luke and Acts have similarities to the Greek of Hebrews, which has led some to suggest that Luke wrote Hebrews, perhaps in conjunction with Paul. (See The Lukan Authorship of Hebrews by David L. Allen)

THE STRUGGLE BETWEEN THE OLD MAN AND THE NEW

 Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; and David became steadily stronger, while the house of Saul became steadily weaker.(2 Samuel 3:1)

The story of David and Saul pictures the progressive sanctification of the believer. David represents the new life of the believer who “delight[s] in the law of God” (Romans 7:22) and Saul the “old man,” who, though dead (Rom. 6:6-8), still causes trouble through his descendants and followers (the habits of the flesh). As the new man grows stronger, the remnants of the old nature grow weaker.

PETER'S THREE DENIALS OF JESUS

 Luke 22:57-60 

Critics, skeptics, and cynics have asserted that there are clear contradictions between the Gospel accounts of the three denials prophesied by Jesus (Matt. 26:34; Mark 14:30; Luke 22:61; John 13:38). Luke records that Peter answered a woman and two men. Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that the first two inquiries (or accusations) came from women. John says the first was a woman, the second simply people in the crowd ("they"), and the third a relative of the man whose ear Peter had severed. 

Two observations resolve these apparent contradictions rather easily: (1) Matthew and Mark do not say that the second challenge came from the maid directly; the maid said to the crowd that Peter was with Jesus and his disciples. With accusations flying in the crowd, a man, reacting to the maid's accusation, confronted Peter, and Luke records Peter's answer: "Man, I am not." (22:58). Both Matthew and Mark simply say it was the crowd, "they," that accused Peter the third time, so it could have been anyone in the crowd to whom Peter responded. Luke says it was again a man: "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" John identifies that man as "a kinsman of him whose ear Peter cut off" (John 18:26). (2) The assumption is made that there were only three denials in total. Jesus simply said that before the cock crowed -- that is, before morning -- Peter would deny Jesus three times. In the confusion and chatter around that hearth, there were undoubtedly many accusations from different people, and Peter may have uttered several different responses. 

What is certain is that after the cock crowed and Jesus looked upon Peter, the latter remembered Jesus' words and knew that he had denied Jesus -- at least three times -- and he went out and "wept bitterly" (Luke 22:62)

As for whether the cock crowed once or twice . . . really! Jesus was speaking of the time of day, that is, “cockcrow.” That is a non-issue.

 Only those who do not want to believe find a major problem with these accounts. The variations in the four accounts actually testify to their independence and thus to their truth.

WHAT WE SEEK MAKES A DIFFERENCE

 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” (Matthew 6:31-33)

The Gentiles Jesus refers to are not simply non-Jews. There were non-Jewish believers during Jesus's ministry, like the faithful centurion (Matthew 8:5-10) and the Syro-Phoenician woman (Mark 7:21-30). The Gentiles Jesus has in mind are unbelievers who find their only existence in this present world with no thought of eternity or God's kingdom. They seek intensely (επιζητουσιν) the physical and material things of this world.  In Revelation, these people are labeled as "dwellers on the earth" (3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 11:10; 13:14; 17:2,8 et al). Jesus promises His people that our heavenly Father will provide all these things if we trust Him and focus on spiritual priorities. (See v. 33)

 In contrast to the intensive "seeking" of the Gentiles for physical necessities and comforts, Jesus urges His disciples to "seek" (ζητεῖτε) the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The Greek particle translated "but" (δε) is not the strongest word that could have been used to express contrast.  Since it is followed by the adverb "first" (πρωτον) -- "but seek first" -- Jesus is not urging his followers to shift all responsibility for their physical needs to God, nor is He diminishing the importance of diligent work and wise management of resources. 

This verse is about priorities: Godly priorities relieve anxiety. Jesus says that the greatest possession we can have is our relationship to God -- citizenship in His kingdom and righteousness, Christ-like character.  

When our spiritual priorities are in order, we need not be worried, indeed, we will not be worried about our material provisions. God cares for His own.