When God created the first man, Adam, he placed him in the Garden of Eden. Eden was a place of innocence, abundance, life, and joy. It was Paradise on earth. But Paradise was not complete for Adam until the Lord God had given him a woman to be his bride. So the Lord caused Adam to sleep in the earth, and took a rib from his side. From Adam's wounded side Eve was made. She came from Adam. She was a part of Adam. Without Adam, Eve could never have lived. Yet, without Eve, Adam could never have been complete.
Adam and Eve had for their home the Paradise of God. There they lived in perfect harmony, holiness, and happiness. But soon the serpent beguiled Eve and persuaded here to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And Adam, when he saw what Eve had done, took the fruit of the tree in rebellion against God. Sin had entered the world. Paradise was lost. Fallen man was driven away from the presence of the Lord.
But in the fulness of time the second Adam was born. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world to seek his beloved Bride, his elect Church. He came to recover for us what we lost in Adam. By his obedience unto death, he has regained Paradise for us. And he has already entered the Paradise of God as our Representative, claiming it in the name of his people. But, as Adam without Eve was incomplete, so Christ without his beloved Bride is incomplete. The Head must have the Body. The Bridegroom must have his Bride. And Christ must have his Church. When Christ and his Church are united in heaven, in the perfection of heavenly glory, Paradise shall be fully recovered.
In out text, John is describing the Holy City, New Jerusalem. And in these verses he describes it under the symbols of Paradise - (Read vv. 1-5).
Proposition: Heaven is Paradise regained.Note: When God's saints leave this world, they enter into Paradise, not purgatory, not limbo, but Paradise! What is it like?
Divisions: In these five verses John shows us six things about Paradise:The earthly Paradise was watered by a mighty river. But it was only a river of water for the earth. The heavenly Paradise is watered by the river of the water of life. (See v. 1).
A. This River Of The Water Of Life Is The Everlasting Love Of God – (Ps. 46:4).
1. Like a river, the Love of God is ever flowing towards his elect, abundant and free (Eph. 3:18-19).
2. The streams of this river make glad the hearts of God's people - The streams of this river, like the river in Eden, run in four directions across the earth.
The streams of the river are – Eternal Election
Blood Atonement – Effectual Calling – Peace – Pardon – Justification – Eternal Live.
Note: The love of God is free from licentiousness and can never promote licentiousness.
D. The Source Of This Great River Of Love Is The Throne Of God And Of The Lamb.
God's love for us is not caused by or conditioned upon our obedience or love to him. His love for us proceeds our love for him and is the cause of our love for him (I John 4:19).
God's love for us is not caused or conditioned even upon the obedience and death of Christ as our Substitute. It was God's love for us that sent Christ to die for us and redeem us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; I John 3:16; 4:9-10).
The source and cause of God's love is his own sovereign will and pleasure (Rom. 9:11-18).
II. The Tree of Paradise.In the Garden of Eden there was a tree of life. But Adam, by sin, lost his right to eat of that tree. In the Paradise of God there is another Tree of Life. And that Tree of Life is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
A. Christ, The Tree of Life, fills heaven.He is seen in the midst of the street and on both sides of the river. The City of God is full of Christ.
B. Christ, The Tree of Life, bears Twelve manner of Fruits.He bears fruit for the twelve tribes of the Israel of God. He has fruit sufficient for the whole Israel of God, the whole body of is elect.
C. The Fruit is Abundant At All Times.D. The Leaves Of This Tree Are For The Healing Of The Nations.
Note: The leaves of this Tree are the blessed doctrines of the gospel.
1. Through the preaching of the gospel today, God sends his grace into the nations of the world for the healing of men's souls.
2. And in heaven's glory the leaves of this tree, the blessed gospel of Christ, will yet preserve all God's elect in life, as the tree of life in Eden would have preserved Adam in life.
3. In a word, everything in Christ will unceasingly contribute to and secure the everlasting life and joy of God's saints in heaven.
III. The Freedom of Paradise. – "And there shall be no more curse."
It is the presence of stability of this throne that guarantees the security of God's saints and removes all possibility of curse from us.
Note: It is the throne of God and of the Lamb, because God and the Lamb are One and God is seen, known, and revealed only in the Lamb.
Note: This throne is the source of all things, the rule of all things, and the end of all thing.
Note: This throne is a throne of free grace and sovereign dominion, the joy of all believers and the dread of all rebels.
V. The Joy of Paradise. – (vv. 4-5). A. "His servants shall serve him."
1. Our Adam (Christ) is in Paradise now.
2. From his wounded side God is forming a Bride for him.
3. Paradise will not be complete for Christ until he has his beloved Bride with him (Eph. 1:23; John 17:24).
4. Christ shall have his Bride.
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