Correspondence: Tree/River of Life; The Lord's Table

Revelation 22:1‑2  •  3 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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Answer: “The tree of life” is figurative language for the blessedness of Christ, known and enjoyed by our souls for all eternity. Its twelve manner of fruits every month, speak of its freshness and satisfying, but not satiating food for our souls. Its continual supply is the “River of Water of Life,” going out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. Source and fountain of all blessedness, where there is no decay.
(b) In both these passages we are told to rebuke or tell the brother his fault; but in Matt. we find more detail in trying to win, or gain the brother, and it might be necessary, as a last effort, to tell the case to the assembly. We need to humble ourselves first, and see that we are enjoying the love of Christ, and loving the brother with the love of Christ to him. Alas! this is where we so often fail. We fail in making his sin our own before God. We, as priests, are to eat the sin offering for our brother in the holy place. (Lev. 6:2626The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation. (Leviticus 6:26)). What we want is love in exercise. (John 13-1; Eph. 4:2, 32With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:2‑3)).
Answer: To Matt. we might add Luke 12:58, 5958When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. (Luke 12:58‑59). Both primarily indicate Israel, or the Jews’ position. It was a call to them not to reject Christ. It was the moment of their trial, but they did reject Him, and so were delivered up to the judge and to the officer, and have been cast into prison (out of their land, and among the Gentiles), out of which they can never come till the last farthing is paid, and they can never pay, but God who gave His Son to die for them, can in His own time say:
“Comfort ye My people. . . for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (Isa. 40:1, 21Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 2Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins. (Isaiah 40:1‑2)). But it is right to say that all unrepentant sinners of both Jews and Gentiles that die without Christ are eternally lost.
In Romans 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4), we see the significance of the act of the servant in baptizing; it was unto, not into, the death of Christ, and that should teach the Romans not to live in sin. We do not see the believer risen in this epistle, but Christ is, and we, in it, are taught to walk in newness of life. Baptism changes the person’s position on earth, and it gives a new responsibility, but confession is no attached to it. Acts 8:3737And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:37), according to the best translations, is not acknowledged as the Word of God. There are many scriptures to exhort believers not to walk in sin, but to walk after the pattern and example of the Lord Himself. 1 John 2:11My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1), is a good example, also Verse 6.
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