Monthly Archives: August 2015

35. The Spiritual Key

"But people who aren't Christians can't understand these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means." 1 Corinthians 2:14

"But the spirit who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him." 1 Corinthians 6:17

Spirit connects with Spirit. Only your spirit connected with Mine, can truly understand the supernatural. The carnal mind cannot understand spiritual things and will never be able to do so. The carnal mind only thinks about what is best for him, what he can see, feel and hear. The carnal mind lives only for this world and all the worldly pleasures it brings. It will not yield to Me because it doesn't understand spiritual things and I am Spirit. Therefore rather praise and connect with Me in Spirit and in truth. Our Spirits are one, but you need to renew your mind so that your mind will realign with your spirit. Only then you will experience secret words unspoken, love unspeakable and joy unfathomable. When you connect with Me spiritually, I will open up the treasures of heaven and the sparkling jewel box of secrets it has to offer. My Spirit will revive you and lead you on to life everlasting. You already have eternal life pulsating through your veins, and when you dance with Me in the Spiritual realm, you will feel it manifesting in your mortal body. I came to give life and life more abundantly. Take hold of this life and let the excitement mount. I have so much to offer you, come My child, come. I am waiting for you with open arms. On the dance floor of this life, I truly hope you choose Me to dance with. Dancing with the worldly system of prestige and looks are detrimental to your soul. Dancing with Me opens up the windows of opportunities calling out your name.

(Excerpt from God Whispers by Ilze Henderson)

34. Soar above it all

"....God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes." Ephesians 1:4

"....He has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him without a single fault." Colossians 1:22

"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come." My angels continue to sing day and night. They glorify Me and give Me honour. And they sing the truth. I am Holy and so are My children, born of the Spirit. Therefore take My gift of righteousness and clothe yourself with it. It is a free gift, purchased by My precious blood. When My Father looks at you now, He sees Me, holy and set apart. Your sins are washed away by My once and for all sacrifice. Our Father will look upon your sins no more. I took the penalty for your sins, so that you never have to pay the price. The mercy seat has My blood to cover all your sins. And because it does, you have access to heaven and you can soar above it all. This cursed world is not your home anymore. Your home is with Me and when you live above it all, you are connected with Me in a very special way. You needn't wander in spiritual darkness any more. You are children of the light. Let this revelation sink into the deepest part of your soul. Allow this knowledge to consume your heart and to take over your life. When you truly realize the truth about yourself, joy and love will be your constant companion, your guide. You will be set free from the evil powers of this world hindering your progress. You have My power within, guiding and loving you. Focus your thoughts on the Truth and live for Someone greater than yourself. Live for My Kingdom and all things will be given unto you.

(Excerpt from God Whispers by Ilze Henderson)

 

33. Jesus' Bride

Yonatan looked back at the globe and as he looked intently and with concentration he could see a few lights walking like Jesus on the earth-a few people really dedicated to following Him and allowing Him to work through them. He shook his head as he realized that of the eight billion people only a very small number of lights were left. How very sad.

"Let Me show you something that will liberate you even more. Look closely at those lights." Yonatan kept looking at the faint, glittering lights. And as he did, he noticed something he hadn't seen before; their lights were going up into the atmosphere. He kept on looking and could see their lights extending beyond the stars and the galaxies until finally he saw what Father wanted him to see. They were connected with His Kingdom. Every step they took on earth, they took in His Kingdom too. Yonatan once again marveled at the goodness of God. They were literally living as part of His Kingdom now already. It was not something for just someday, but the here and now. And as they walked on earth, all benefits and privileges associated with His Kingdom was theirs too. Both worlds were connected in a unique and special way. These people were literally not part of this world anymore. They were almost like aliens roaming on a planet that wasn't their own. And because they were, the concerns of this planet didn't faze them at all. Riches and fame weren't their primary concern, stress melted away and future plans intertwined with God's. This planet literally wasn't their home anymore. All that mattered now was His Kingdom and the advancement of it. And during their lives, His Kingdom started to manifest on the earth through them and all around them. They were walking in blessings, in grace, in His love.

Then the scenery started to change. All those lights in His Kingdom started to dance and ignite. They danced in utter delight, moving in unison as one. Twirling, moving, and worshipping as one. The lights twinkled, alive and full of zest. In their movement, they started to merge, and from within them a flawless figure surfaced. The lights danced and spiraled around her; like stars they took on different shapes and colors, spiraling like galaxies in utter delight. The figure started to transform, shapes were realigned, and out of the light an exquisite beauty emerged. She was unparalleled in splendor, her grace and poise from out of this world. She was dressed in a flowing white robe, glistening in the light, cascading a kaleidoscope of colors. Her poise portrayed royalty, her smile the sun. She stood proud, not in an arrogant way, but knowing who she was. Her stamp of authority materialized, and she stepped elegantly forward. Angels gathered around her. She was gracious in her tenure, filled with respect for them. The angels were indescribable, yet they were merely an adoring crowd supporting her, clearly caring for her, ready to attend to her every need. She smiled at them and thanked them for their help. They bowed slightly before her, and she returned the gesture. She smiled kindly, but her smile broadened as she noticed Someone approaching her. Her eyes softened and clear adoration was unveiled. She clearly forgot all about the angels with her; her attention was captivated. She started walking toward Him. Light danced and glimmering flickers surrounded each step she took, all the while looking in front of her, her smile igniting as she stopped. Jesus was standing in front of her.

He had a golden crown on His head and a golden sash proclaiming that He was King of kings and Lord of lords. He was the embodiment of royalty, the Lord of authority, having the universe in His hands. He had only eyes for her. His smile ignited as He extended His hand toward her. Lovingly she took His hand and, as she did, the orchestra of all time started to play. Heavenly music danced through the expanse, encircling them in utter delight. In a moment, they were surrounded by the whole host of angels. They stood in a circle around the two and all of them stared at them in adoration. Jesus and His wife started to dance on the beat of the music. He took her affectionately in His arms, and together they moved as graceful as swans across the floor. As their feet touched the ground, light escalated, and colors exploded. Sparks were flying between them and all around them. They moved as one, deeply in love. Their eyes were locked in unison; their dedication to one another unmistakable. Everyone was mesmerized by this dance of love. It was the epitome of all that was good, all that was intended with love. The music consumed them. Their feet moved in such unison, their minds were one, and there was no one else in the world except them. Nothing else mattered, nothing else was important, only the love they had for one another. They were one, and no one was going to separate them ever again. In His arms she was safe, in His arms she was alive, in His arms she was who she was supposed to be. In His arms she could be herself, and He loved her. Forever they would be as one. They had eternity to spend together. He had eternity to show her so many things. They were smitten, eyes only for one another. It was the most beautiful sight in the world. Jesus and His wife dancing as one, transformed into one, one in thought, one in mind, one in love.

 

(Excerpt from God's Answer by Ilze Henderson)

32. God's blessings

"We want to be part of believers' lives. If they allow Us in and allow Us to transform them, they will become like Us and life and peace will flow. If not, then We will keep on working with them. The sad part is just that they will miss out on so much that could have been. Their free will is the gateway." Jesus said.

Yonatan understood that clearly now.

"And as you've probably realized, what We bless them with is not riches beyond comprehension so that they can stay warm and cozy with gold as their bedding. Mostly if we just pour overwhelming riches on them, it could cause the opposite effect and lead them away from Us. No, We bless them with more than enough, to be a blessing to others and to woo others into Our Kingdom as well. Our heart beats for a lost world. We want them all to come in, and We call out to them through believers. And therefore We want believers to be upstanding citizens in their community. Then they can be good witnesses. We want believers to want what We want, then Our blessings will be a true blessing to them. We want them to succeed and yes, some of them need to be in prominent places of influence, in order to install Our values into this world. Some of them need to be sport stars, chief executive officers, presidents, movie stars or beauty queens, to lead a lost world back to Us. And some need to be parents, ready to influence the school, the sports field and their children for Our Kingdom. Our blessings are there for believers to enjoy, but even more than that, it is there to bless the world and lead them back to Us. If Our blessings don't do that, it is not blessings at all. Then We cannot flow mightily through them and change this world to be a better place."

Yonatan nodded. Being in Jesus' presence assured him that all will be well. It assured him that he will have more than enough and that He will look after him. He realized that blessings could be so misunderstood and wrongly used. God will do what was best in each believer's lives. They simply needed to trust Him that He knows best. Sometimes the promotion now will cause them to drift further away from Him or it might cause them to be so busy at an age where their children needed them the most. Other times the exaltation of them will lead them to pride, causing a rift between God and them. Only He knows best. He knows what will happen. Therefore Yonatan knew without a shadow of a doubt that God was to be trusted. He knows what certain things in his life will do to his relationship with Him. Yonatan there and then concluded that whatever happened to him further, if it was to the furtherance of his relationship with God and His Kingdom. Then so be it.

"My grace is enough for you (2 Corinthians 12:9). Do not try and reason out everything that happens to you. You have My mind now, flow with the wisdom that emanates from that. Do what I place in your heart to do and show love wherever you go. That is My heart for this world."

 

(Excerpt from God's Answer by Ilze Henderson)

 

31. God's horses

Did you know that the Bible tells us that God has horses too? When I started contemplating this topic the following four instances came to mind where the Bible speaks of horses in connection to God. The first instance is in the life of Elijah. You all know that Elijah was an Old Testament prophet sent to Israel to proclaim God's coming judgment on them. He was sent so that Israel might repent of their sins and of following Baal and turn back to God. Elijah did many miracles in the process, and God was mightily with him. The end of his life was no less extraordinary. He never died, but while talking with Elisha, God came to fetch him:

Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven (2 Kings 2:11).

God came to fetch Elijah with horses of fire. Isn't it amazing? God's horses are horses of fire, burning to the glory of His name, connecting man with Heaven. They came and took Elijah to Heaven.

Another instance where heavenly horses are mentioned is in 2 Kings 6:17. The king of Syria was very angry with Elisha, because by the Spirit, Elisha could warn the king of Israel of where the king of Syria wanted to attack next. The king of Syria became so angry that he sent horses, chariots, and a great army to Dothan to capture Elisha. Elisha's servant was beside himself with fear when he saw this multitude coming for them. But Elisha was cool and relaxed because he knew that those who were with them were more than this great army. He then prayed and asked God to open up the eyes of his servant:

And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (2 Kings 6:17).

Once again, horses of fire are mentioned. And this time they are symbolic of God's protection, a loving God looking after His people. It is so reassuring, knowing that horses of fire are there to protect us from the onslaughts of the other four horses coming our way.

Another time horses are mentioned is in 2 Kings 7:6. Here, the king of Syria besieged Samaria. Severe famine started to infiltrate Samaria, but God was merciful to them. Look at what God did:

For the Lord had caused the army of the Syrians to hear the noise of chariots and the noise of horses-the noise of a great army; so they said to one another, "Look, the king of Israel has hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to attack us!" Therefore they arose and fled at twilight, and left the camp intact-their tents, their horses, and their donkeys-and they fled for their lives (2 Kings 7:6-7).

God fought on their behalf with His horses and freed the people of Samaria. And He will do the same for us. He will come with His horses and drive away the enemy so that they need to flee. Isn't it just wonderful? Then the final time that God's horses are mentioned is in Revelation 19. This is when Jesus and His army come to destroy the Antichrist and his army.

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire… And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. (Revelation 19:11-12, 14).

The horses of fire are finally replaced by white horses. Why? Because Jesus is coming as the Victor; He is coming to live on earth. His eyes this time were the flame of fire. In other words, the horses of fire represent Heaven. Now when Jesus comes, He represents Heaven; He is the heavenly One. The horses are not symbolic of it anymore because He is here, living amongst His people. The white horse represents now His righteousness given freely to men. But to those who didn't accept Him, the white horse will mean victory over them!

All and all, God's horses represent Heaven, our connection to Heaven. They also represent protection and victory over our enemies. We needn't fear. God's horses are ready to stall the other four horses in their tracks and to chase them away. All we need to do is to make the Kingdom of God our primary concern. Then everything else will be added unto us (Matthew 6:33).

(Excerpt from The Four Horses by Ilze Henderson)

30. The secret to the way Israel camped

God ordained that Israel camp in a specific formation in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land. The Tabernacle of God was in the middle of the camp. To the east of the Tabernacle camped Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun-in total they were 186,400 (Numbers 2:9). To the south camped Reuben, Simeon, and Gad-in total they were 151,450 (Numbers 2:16). To the west camped Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin-in total they were 108,100 (Numbers 2:24). To the north camped Dan, Asher, and Naphtali-in total they were 157,600 (Numbers 2:31). Now, what is very interesting to note is that if we were to draw these numbers according to scale, the way they camped formed a cross! Isn't it amazing! To the east were many more people than to the west, and the north and the south were almost equal, actually forming a cross with the longest ax towards the east.

So, Israel was in fact already living in the reality of Jesus being sacrificed for them, and therefore they were protected. And not only that, Jesus's heart of love for them was in the center in the form of the Tabernacle. He was encamped with them, and therefore no evil could befall them! Did you know that Israel was never attacked and beaten while they camped this way in the wilderness? It is certainly something to ponder and to learn from. While God was in the center of them as a nation, they were unbeatable.

Also, it is worthy to note that the long bar of the cross (or where Jesus's feet would be) faced east. Why? Well, the Lord wanted them to focus on where the sun was rising, symbolizing that He is the Light of the world. He was the One who would bring light in their darkness. He wanted them to renew their commitment to Him every day as the sun rose to bring in a new day. For in His light, they could see light (Psalm 36:9); in other words, they could see the path laid out for them, the way to go. It was also prophetic of what was to come. The Temple of God, later built by Solomon, also faced eastward (Ezekiel 11:1), and when God later departed from the Temple due to the nation's disobedience, He departed from the threshold, thus in an easterly direction (Ezekiel 10:18). The glory of the Lord therefore left the city on the east side (Ezekiel 11:23). But when Jesus comes back again, His feet will land on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east (Zechariah 14:4). Thus, He will come back again from the east! This is also stated in Ezekiel 43:1-5. So, Jesus's feet at the cross symbolically faced east, and when He comes back again, His feet will touch on the east side of Jerusalem. Isn't God's Word just accurate? Also interesting to note, Judah was camped at the east side, and Jesus came from the tribe of Judah.

(Excerpt from The Four Horses by Ilze Henderson)

29. Practical advice from trees

But let's get practical on how trees in the Bible apply to us today. Think of any garden; it could be your garden at home, a park close by, or even the gardens at work or school, basically any garden. Think of all the work that needs to go into it, in order to have a beautiful garden. There are a lot of things that need to be done to help the garden to grow and reach its full potential to be as scenic as you want it to be:

  1. You need to make sure that the ground is fruitful, filled with all the right minerals it needs to support the plants that you want to grow.
  2. You need to water the garden on a regular basis. Some plants need more than others, so you need to know the right amount to give.
  3. You need to take out the weeds trying to strangle and limit the growth of your plants.
  4. You need to cut back where needed and prune the plants in order to bear more fruit/to grow the way you want them to.
  5. You need to make sure the plants get the right amount of sunshine. Some plants need a lot of sunshine and others don't. You need to make sure that every plant is where it is supposed to be in order to thrive.
  6. You need to spend time in your garden, walking about, tenderly caring for each plant according to its special, unique needs.

We can apply all these same principles to us. As we've seen, we are part of God's garden today. We are the ones that He adores and loves and wishes to see us grow. But we need to be willing to allow the Gardener to look after us. We need to be willing to submit to Him, to give our lives to Him, and to surrender our will to Him. Then we can rest assured that because we are part of His garden, that He will look after us:

  1. God will provide the right ground for us to grow on. When we surrender to His will, He will make sure that we are in the right place at the right time. He will cultivate the ground and give us the opportunity to take in the right minerals. When we spend time in His presence, we will grow in the ground of the world to come. He will reveal things to us over and above all we can imagine. The world to come will become more real to us than our current world. We will take in all the nourishment from the rich soil there and be able to grow big and strong, ready to face any challenge this earth can offer us. Practically: Spend time each day meditating on the future world that already is and that will dominate the whole universe as we know it. Ask God to show you your place in this world and obtain all the nutrients by being in His presence and walking in that world, even though your feet are still on earth. After all, God's Word tells us that we should set our minds on things above and not down below (Colossians 3:1-2).
  2. God knows the right amount of water that we need. Staying close to Him, we will receive all the water that we need. In His presence, He will look after us. No famine and no economic hardship will be able to come against us. We will have more than enough to not only survive but to thrive. Practically: Read and meditate daily on His Word.
  3. The weeds, the demons in our lives (the things you are battling with), and the cares of this life will disintegrate the moment that we are faced with the ecstasy of the world to come. The more that we are focused on the things above, the more the weeds in our lives will die. They cannot survive when faced with the glory of God. They just cannot. God's love, light, and justice will sort them out. We needn't worry about them. When true life meets death and destruction, it is no match. Simply living in God's presence filled to the brim with His life sorts them out. Practically: Renew your mind to focus on God. Speak His Word out loud, and speak His will over situations and struggles in your life. You might not see changes immediately, but continue speaking the Truth and do not give up; the changes will come.
  4. God will prune your life and make sure that you become the best tree that you can be. He will cut back where necessary and lift up where needed. You can totally surrender. Yes, in those times you might be sore, and yes, it might be uncomfortable, but in the long run you will be so glad. You will be all God created you to be, and in that lies so much freedom, so much joy, so much love. You might not become the tree you expected to be, but God will make sure that you are the tree that you are supposed to be. Therein lies treasures in heaven, as well as satisfaction on earth. Practically: God's discipline might be hard. You might not be where you thought you would be in your life, you might not get the promotion you wanted, or you might not have all that you dreamed of as a child. But pray and ask Him for a new vision for your life. Ask Him to reveal to you where He sees you and what He wants you to do. And walk in that, knowing that you are being formed to be the best you can be.
  5. God will shine His light on you. He is the Light that gives life to the world. In the New Jerusalem, there won't be a sun or a moon, for God will illuminate all. You can live in that reality now already. Bask in His light, take it all in, be saturated to a point where all you can do is shine His light to all. You will become a beacon of hope, a lighthouse showing the way. Practically: Spend time alone with God every day. Also spend at least five minutes a day in nature, whether it is your garden or a park close by. But spend that time and experience nature all around you, with the sun shining on your skin, and know that God is shining on you the same way. He will speak to you through His creation. I have personally received many revelations this way, and I know you will too.
  6. You can be assured that God spends plenty of time in His garden. He walks about and cares for every single tree and plant. He tenderly knows your name, every intricate part of you, and He knows who He wants you to become, in order to fit perfectly into His flawless garden. When you allow Him to affectionately care for you and take you on a journey into His world, you will never be the same again. Euphoria will be your middle name. Practically: Take a walk with God every day, even if it is just for a few minutes, and allow His Spirit to speak to your heart in a soft and affectionate way as to the way forward for you. Give Him time to show His love for you and just bask in it, knowing that your future is safe with Him. Surrender to Him and trust Him with every detail of your life.

(Excerpt from The Tree of Life by Ilze Henderson)

28. God's Name in trees

A couple of years ago, God showed me something concerning the branches of trees that I found very interesting, and that is that the branches of almost all trees fork where it forms a new branch, so that the fork looks like a Y. Since I realized this, I see these branches everywhere. Most of the time, even when I see dead branches on the ground, I still see the Y shape. Nature is filled with this Y shape! I read a book titled Laat U Naam Geheilig Word by Este Geldenhuys about the Names of God and the different meanings of His Names, which I found very informative for our study. I will highlight just a couple of things that I learned from her book.

Interestingly enough, the most holy Name for God is YHWH, and as you can see, it starts with a Y. The Name is so holy that the Jews don't even want to pronounce it out of the deepest respect for Him. In the Hebrew language, they only have consonants and no vowels. And with this Name of God, the Jews see it almost as bad as blasphemy to pronounce this Name of God. With translations, Christians, however, put in the vowels, so through the years we have come to know the Name to be pronounced by fellow believers as Yahweh or Jehovah. You might have heard these Names spoken of. Yahweh or YHWH is the Name of God that is used the most of all the Hebrew Names of God. It is used about 7,000 times in the Old Testament.

YHWH means "the great I AM, the self-existing One." That means He is the One Who now is and always will be. He doesn't change, and therefore He is trustworthy and His promises can be claimed.

YHWH is also the covenant Name of God. YHWH made a covenant with Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. YHWH also made a covenant with the Jews at Mount Sinai that He will be with them to conquer the Promised Land, as well as with King David that his throne will stand forever. All His covenants stood the test of time. Our God can be trusted.

YHWH is also the One Who gives breath to us, not only in the flesh, but also in the spirit. Without Him, we cannot breathe and we will cease to exist.

Also, interestingly, the Name YHWH consists of four consonants in the Hebrew language, namely, Yod, Hey, Vav, and Hey. If you take "Yod, Hey," it forms Yah, and Yah means the judgment of God, or rather the character of God Who is always righteous. And "Vav, Hey" refers to the grace of God. So, when the two are combined it gives a beautiful picture of a God Who is righteous and should judge His people, but Who instead by His grace punished His Son on our behalf so that we can be righteous in His sight. A God worthy of all the praise we can give Him! And therefore, we have the word Yah in Hallelujah too!! Praising God for all His might.

So for me, it is extraordinary that we are all surrounded on a daily basis by trees that have the Y everywhere in their branches. I believe God designed it that way to remind us of Him on a daily basis. It is a reminder for us that He is the great I AM, the One Who is always there for us. He is infallible, reachable, always the same in His character, trustworthy, the One who gives breath to our lungs. He is the covenant-keeping God Who looks out for us, always and in all things.

(Excerpt from The Tree of Life by Ilze Henderson)

27. God's promises to us through trees

Interestingly enough, the Old Testament also often refers to trees when speaking of the life of true believers. There are many references, but I just chose those Scriptures that I felt best describes believers' lives in relation to trees. Here are a couple of them:

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in season, whose leaf shall not wither and whatever he does shall prosper" (Psalm 1:1-3).

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (Psalm 92:12-15).

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its root by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit" (Jeremiah 17:8).

Isn't it just wonderful how God compares the righteous, His children, to trees? I believe that one of the reasons why there are trees all around us today is to remind us of all the promises that God reveals to us through trees.

Let us have a look at the amazing promises revealed in these passages:

  • He promises that we will have water, our daily provision, no matter what comes our way.
  • He promises that we will bear fruit, filled with His life in order to be able to fulfill His will for our lives, even in old age.
  • He promises that we will not wither; thus, we will not run out of strength and we will not stop growing.
  • He promises that we will be fresh and flourishing; thus, we will be vibrant, ready for any challenge, filled with renewed life.
  • He promises that we will prosper, that we will be successful, following His will for our lives.
  • He promises to look after us, that we needn't fear drought or lack, He will always provide us with more than enough.

Aren't these promises just amazing? What more can we wish for? We can go on with our lives truly trusting God that all things will work together for our good. He will be with us, and we will be fresh and flourishing, prosperous, provided for, with enough water, bearing His fruit. We simply need to take our relationship with Him seriously and love Him with all of our hearts, souls, and bodies.

(Excerpt from The Tree of Life by Ilze Henderson)

26. The Tree of Life - Part Two

Last week we had a look at the Tree of Life in Genesis. Today we want to have a look at the Tree of Life in Revelation:

So let's continue and see what the word life in the tree of life means in Revelation.

The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Greek word for life is zoe. According to the Strong's dictionary, it means:

"life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever."4

Zoe is thus real and genuine life, active and vigorous, accessible now already, lasting forever. To me, it is thus the same life that was available in Genesis 2:9, except that there are no more fences. God is presenting it again to His beloved. He wants people close to Him, devoted to Him, adoring Him, being blessed in the process, and experiencing the wonders of the world to come.

As we shall see later in this book, the fruit of the tree of life presented in Revelation is not for all people though. It is a very interesting study, and we will have a look at it. But for now, know that the word zoe is mentioned an amazing 126 times in the New Testament according to Strong's concordance. So the principle for us here is that this zoe life is already available to us from Jesus's life until the here and now as well as forevermore.

The New Testament often mentions how we already have zoe life through His Spirit Who lives within us. I believe God mentions it often so that we can know that we are blessed and have part of this tree of life in this world already if we put our trust in Christ and if we are devoted to God. Isn't that just great news? We can experience the fullness of what Adam and Eve experienced, but in an exciting and different way. We can experience the world to come even though we are still living here on earth. We can be focused on our eternal life, already feeling it pulsating lively within. It is all possible.

The two trees thus represent the same life that we can receive from God. The fruit of both trees can transport us to be part of His future world now already. The only difference is that the tree of life in the New Testament doesn't have a fence around it. We are free to enter in.

All of this is possible because of what Jesus came to do for us.

(Excerpt from The Tree of Life by Ilze Henderson)