River of Life Study

Thought I'd share the notes from a recent study I did on the River of Life for my home church group. 

Back Story 

My natural family is very academically gifted. Lots of doctors, teachers, and lawyers … Although we went to church, we were very skeptical of the Bible, regarding the miracles as myths. Even though I have seen many miracles sometimes it is still hard for me to let go and believe. 

Many years ago, I was in a church service that has impacted me a lot. I don’t remember the whole sermon, but this verse is what I took out of it. 

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 

The minister was explaining that while it is true that we take on the new name of Christ, in ancient cultures when a man takes a wife, he often gives her a new name that describes what he sees in her. This, he said, is what this verse is really talking about. He brought out a lot of historical evidence and other scriptures and challenged us to seek God for our new name. 

I prayed and got the word “River”. I asked why? He said that I am always dancing around on the banks of His River, sometimes even dipping my toe in, but He wanted me to really jump in and swim in the depths. I have been praying about what I could share with you and thought it would be good to do a study on the River of Life. Both for you and to fan the flame of this revelation in me. 

The Bible begins in Genesis 2 with the River of Life. And ends in the second to last chapter of Revelations with the River of Life.

(For the past several years I have been translating the names in the Bible to English. The following passage is from that translation. If you want to check it out further this is the link for that translation: https://whatsinanamebible.blogspot.com/2010/07/genesis-1.html All other passages are from the KJV)

Genesis 2:10A river went out of Pleasure (Eden) to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became into four heads. 11The name of the first is Increase (Pison): that is it which compasses the whole land of Circle (Havilah), where there is gold; 12And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13And the name of the second river is Bursting Forth (Gihon): the same is it that goes around the whole land of Black (Ethiopia). 14And the name of the third river is Rapid (Hiddekel): that is it which goes toward the east of A Step (Assyria). And the fourth river is Fruitfulness (Euphrates). 

Rev 22:1-2 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 

Two observations: 1. Out of the River of Life in Pleasure comes Increase, Bursting Forth, Rapidly with Fruitfulness 2. The Tree of Life is in the middle and on both sides of the river. It gives food continually and its leaves are for the healing of the nations. 

John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 

This river flows through us. 

Ps 36:8 The righteous shall drink the river of God’s pleasures 

We drink from it. 

The Greek word for river is potamos also translated as flood, stream, and water.

 The main Hebrew word for river is nāhār also translated flood, streams רָהָנ nâhâr, naw-hawr'; from H5102; a stream (including the sea; expectation the Nile, Euphrates, etc.); figuratively, prosperity:flood, river. 

Yubal and mayim are also words that mean river, fountain or stream.

 We are compared to trees next to a river – Jer. 17:8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters(mayim), and that spreadeth out her roots by the river (yubal), and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 

Yubal is the same as Jubal – the Father of music in Gen 4:21.

Mayim means a fountain from the earth or from the body. 

 Yeh-ore' – also means river, but leans more toward man made canals, the word comes from Egyptian language so I didn't pay much attention to it.

The earth came out of the primordial waters (mayim) 

 Gen. 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 

It was consumed by a flood of waters (mayim). 

Gen. 6:17 And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and everything that is in the earth shall die. 

Water washes/cleanses, takes away filth and rejuvenates with fresh oxygen. Water carries life. 

Rivers are full of fish. We are to be fishers of men. 

Many preachers talk about how difficult it is to go upstream against the world’s culture. However, in studying this I saw a different vision. What if the world is God’s and the river is God’s? The world tries to swim against it with little success. Those who put their trust in Him float relaxed (My yoke is easy …). They eventually find themselves lifted into the heavens through prayer and then poured out on the earth again with power to bring life and revival. 

Ps 65:9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. 

Ezekiel has a vision of the River of Life and its effect on the earth.

Eze 47:1-12 Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. (This is the passage that came to mind when God told me my new name was River) 6 And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. (Referring to the Dead Sea) 

9 And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. 10 And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11 But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 

(Is this all bad? We are the salt of the world?) 

12 And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. 

Other observations: 

Lam2:18-19 Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street. 

Tears of repentance are like a river. 

The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance. 

 Rivers on earth bring life, set boundaries, and even defeat evil (crossing of the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was drowned)

Israel had to cross 3 rivers to attain the promised land, the Red Sea, the river Arnon (Rushing Stream), and the Jordan (Descender). 

The Red Sea frees them from slavery. (Deut. 2:24) Crossing the Arnon brings Israel her first taste of victory with the conquering of the territory east of the Jordan, and crossing the Jordon brings them into the promised land. All 3 rivers are crossed on dry land when they are too deep to cross. These correspond to our initial salvation, the working out of our salvation by learning to walk in the ways of God and our ultimate place in the Kingdom of God.

These rivers of this world gave way to the currents of God. Nothing can stop us when we walk in faith.

(Arnon parting is found in Numb. 21:14) 

Ps. 105:41 He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. God can bring rivers out of hard rock. 

Imagine how much water had to come gushing out of that rock to satisfy all of those people! Crack us open LORD! 

Jer 17:7-8 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. 

We become “trees” of life when we are planted by the River of Life and grafted into the Tree of Life (Jesus).