Healing for the Nations [Part 2]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. Everywhere you look, you see it.

The tree of life is still standing. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, The Revelation, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It's a CD album or a digital download, your choice of the body you've always wanted, audio messages on what heaven is like. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries.

As you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org. Or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. The tree of life is a picture of God's own life in you where you don't have to think about yourself because you're in relationship and thinking about God. And that's a wonderful thing.

It's a wonderful thing to be able to be set free from having to think about yourself all the time. We moved our baby girl into Washington D.C. right in the middle of town. Yes, I drove the U-Haul truck right into the middle of Washington D.C. onto 14th Street where there was no parking and just double parked out in the middle of the street and we're just waiting for the police to come and arrest us or something.

But you know, they didn't. It's a city and people do everything in the cities including parking U-Haul trucks out there. And thankfully, we hired a couple of helpers to come and carry things up the three floors where there's no elevator in her little apartment, emphasis little, with her roommate Sarah that is above a boutique and a restaurant called The Pig. So she's got some barbecue right underneath her there. And we, you know, it's a little stressful, you know, to get moved in there.

And hot day, thankfully it wasn't raining. Move all the stuff, carry it all up. Having spent the entire Saturday before last, I was just packing everything and everything she had was in a box. Everything she had was in a box. Her bed was in a box. Her mattress was in a box. Her desk chair is in a box. Her desk is in a box. Everything was in a box. And it said some assembly required. I was thankful to have our son Bennett there to help me with the desk.

He had some electronic parts on this standing desk that could move up and down. And why is it that, how hard could it be that when they have, you know, a product from another country that you have someone that understands English when they write the instructions? I don't know why.

The instructions made no sense. We spent a good whole afternoon on the desk. We were so busy getting her launched that I didn't, for two days I didn't even hardly see an email, which is very rare for me. And I came home and my body was tired.

But you know what? I had so much fun. Because I didn't even have a chance to think about myself other than my back was hurting. It is something about love, isn't there? That when you love someone and you serve them because you love them, you find a joy in that. And it is a vacation to not have to think about your own problems.

It's a vacation to think about someone else. It is like worship itself, where the entire focus of your being is on God. And God has made us to live like that. The tree of life. Just the opposite of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And so once they ate from it, God was distraught. Verse 13, the Lord God said to the woman, what is this that you've done? And the woman said, the serpent deceived me and I ate.

Can you hear the pathos in God's heart? What is this that you've done? You've brought in curse. You've brought in the poison. You've brought in the hatred. You've brought in the blaming.

You've brought in the fear. But the Lord showed mercy, and He covered their shame by making clothing for them out of animal skins. And then at verse 22, one of the most fascinating and thralling sentences in the Bible. The Lord God said, behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever.

And in the ESV, there's just a dash. Because as far as I know, it's the only place in the Bible where God begins a statement and doesn't finish his sentence. This unfinished sentence that years ago in a study of Genesis, I thought about and prayed about for so long to understand. It finally made sense to me that this is what we do when there is a thought that is too awful to speak it.

We stop ourselves and dare not say the words. That if he were to finish the sentence, he would say to eat of the tree of life and live forever in a state of condemnation. For God had put them out of the garden, not simply because of punishment, though that indeed they had brought a curse upon themselves to their disobedience. He had put them out of the garden, I am convinced, because of mercy. God was essentially saying, quickly put them away from the tree of eternity because they have fallen under curse. And if they were to eat of the timelessness of the tree, it would be made eternal for them.

And I have a different plan. And so he assigned that there would be cherubim that would brandish swords of fire. At verse 23, the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work with them. Out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man and at the east of the garden of Eden, he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

It was God's mercy, but it was tragic. And from that time forward, paradise was closed to humanity and the tree of life with all of its sweet and healing fruit was closed to human consumption. But God laid no axe to that tree of life and there was no mention of it being uprooted and it has not withered. In fact, the tree of life keeps making appearances in God's word.

In fact, the beginning of the hymn book of Israel, that's Psalm 1. We read that blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord. And he meditates on God's word day and night. And he is like a tree that is planted next to the water brook that bears its fruit and its leaves do not wither. In fact, this tree makes appearances in Psalms here and there. Like in Psalm 92, the righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar in Lebanon.

That tree is tucked away even in the rich symbolism of the song of songs. As the bride sings as an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

His banner over me was love. The tree of life shows up as wisdom in the Proverbs. Like in Proverbs 3 18, wisdom is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. And in Proverbs 11 verse 30, the fruit of righteousness is a tree of life. It's tucked away in many places amongst the prophecies of God's restoration. Jeremiah 17 verse 7, blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water that sends out its roots by the stream and does not fear when the heat comes for it leaves remain green.

It's not anxious in the year of drought for it does not cease to bear fruit. Ezekiel had a vision and it's fascinating. It's much like Revelation, an apocalyptic vision in which he sees amongst other things the temple of God in all of this rich symbolism. In Ezekiel 41 17, what he sees the temple looks very much like the garden and this tree and on the walls all around inside and outside was a measured pattern.

It was carved of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub, and every cherub had two faces, a human face towards a palm tree on one side and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. That's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. If you think heaven is a misty place where you float around on clouds and pluck angelic harps, you're in for the surprise of your life. Our special product this month is all about the hope of heaven.

It's our gift to you when you support this month. Alan's CD album invites you to discover the body you've always wanted, a spiritual resurrected body. Be assured that God isn't going to scrap you or the world. He'll make all things new. Overcome the gnawing anxiety about the end of your life.

You can have peace now. Pastor Alan Wright's hope-filled messages will lead you into more than a joyous revelation of heaven according to the scriptures. They'll lead you into a bounding hope. So please help us stay on the radio in your area by making a generous gift today and we'll be happy to send you the body you've always wanted, the CD album that is. When you make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today, we'll send you Pastor Alan's messages in an attractive CD album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Today is the final day we're offering this special product. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. Joel prophesied of it. Fear not O land, be glad and rejoice for the Lord's done great things. Fear not you beasts of the field for the pastures of the wilderness are green and the tree bears its fruit. This tree that Jesus says of the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed that grows into a beautiful tree. It just keeps coming back until we come to Revelation and chapter 21 where Pastor Chris preached last week and we see how the new heaven and the new earth is really compared to a city and to a bride and it is like a temple because there is no temple that he sees in the city and so it is like a city temple and the temple itself was just so glorious with its outer court the temple of Solomon with its outer court and with its inner courts and it was just a beautiful sight and the temple was a microcosm model for how there would be a new heaven and new earth.

That's what we're seeing in Revelation 21 and 22. Psalm 78, the psalmist says he built his sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which he founded forever. So the temple was the local limited dwelling place of the manifest presence of God on earth and Eden was like an archetype, like a shadow of the temple.

This is just fascinating, it's mind-bending. Interpreter G.K. Beale has said that the garden was like the first temple. It is suggested by the wood and stone carvings that gave the temple that Ezekiel saw a garden-like appearance. The entrance to Eden was from the east which was also the direction from which one would enter the temple of Israel and this city temple is not only related therefore to the old temple but it is indicated by the precious stones that can be traced back to the garden. All of this tying together Eden is the place where God walked and fellowshiped with God as the priest did and interestingly the words that are used in Genesis chapter 2 where God put Adam in the garden to keep it and to cultivate it those two words in Hebrew are the same words that are used of the duties of the priests in the temple as they serve God. So when Adam failed in his duty to cultivate the garden and see it grow and expand and was expelled from the garden these two cherubim took over that priestly role and they guarded the way to the tree of life and those cherubim they reappear in the middle of the holy of holies which is the innermost sanctum and the ark of the covenant where these cherubim in solid gold with their wings are overseeing what is called the mercy seat or the atonement cover of the ark of the covenant that contained the tablets of the law a golden cup of manna that had been preserved and this mysterious rod that was Aaron's that when there was a dispute about the priesthood God called upon them all to put their rod out and whichever one bloomed was the one that God had appointed and thus he legitimized the Levite priesthood and Aaron's rod bloomed with almond blossoms and almonds and that is in the ark of the covenant so the cherubim are overlooking that little tree of life but more than so they're they're looking over this mercy seat where once a year the high priest would sprinkle the blood of the sacrificed animal on behalf of the people it was the way of life and forgiveness that they were overseeing and you couldn't forget the tree of life also because in that temple's holy court was a lampstand huge lampstand that had the configuration of almond blossoms on it everywhere you look you see it the tree of life was still standing and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil has been standing too and the Pharisees ate of it and every hater has eaten and every hater has eaten of it and the racists eat of it and the rebellious eat of it and even Christians are tempted to revert to eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that God had a plan he sent a second Adam who would not fall prey to the enemy's temptations in the garden and he put Jesus into a beautiful garden at the culmination of his ministry the garden of Gethsemane is a beautiful place you could still see it today ancient gnarled olive trees that are there and in that garden the devil and really all of hell tempted Jesus to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to say I want to go my way rather than the way of the father but Jesus resisted and he said to God not my will but yours be done because he refused to eat of that tree and when he went to the cross it was there by his own choice that he had gone to what was very much like the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for it was there that all of the judgment against evil and all the weight of the sin of the world and all the shame that accompanied and all the poison in that tree all of it he he willingly took it into his being and he who knew no sin became our sin and he took the curse upon himself and he bore it there in that tree but did you notice when he rose on the third day it was in another garden and in that garden there was an angel again not guarding the way to the tree of life but pointing to him he's not here he's risen just as he said it is a story about how God has preserved the tree of life because it's a tree of joy and healing and eternity with him and there's a a new gardener and a new garden and and victory has been has been won so we come to the end of a study of revelation and we come to the end of the bible and there is a tree of life and we're told at verse 14 blessed oh how blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and they may enter the city by its gates jesus is the tree of life his sacrifice his death his resurrection his ascension his love his goodness his glory his mercy his atoning work all of this is healing for the nations and there is no other place of healing the world keeps thinking if we just eat more deeply of the tree of knowledge of good and evil somehow we're going to be able to solve our problems or get one up on the other and it doesn't work it never works in a relationship does it whether it be a marriage or a parent and a child or two good friends it never works if one says i know right and wrong and i'm keeping the record of wrong and i've done less wrong than you and so i have one on you it'll kill the relationship won't it and it'll destroy inwardly the soul the book of revelation is a story of contrast isn't it the contrast between the glory of the risen lord jesus christ and hideous beasts who defile and destroy is a story of contrast between these two trees and in the end here is your vision people of god there's a stream a river whose streams make glad the city of god there is a a beautiful river that's flowing it is life itself and there is this tree and in its leaves there's healing for the nations that's what the book of revelation is about and that's the gospel alan wright our good news message today healing for the nations in our conclusion to the series the revelation i encourage you to stay with us Pastor Alan's back here in just a moment with a parting good news thought for the day stick with us if you think heaven is a misty place where you float around on clouds and pluck angelic harps you're in for the surprise of your life our special product this month is all about the hope of heaven it's our gift to you when you support this month alan's cd album invites you to discover the body you've always wanted a spiritual resurrected body be assured that god isn't going to scrap you or the world he'll make all things new overcome the gnawing anxiety about the end of your life you can have peace now pastor alan wright's hope-filled messages will lead you into more than a joyous revelation of heaven according to the scriptures they'll lead you into a bounding hope so please help us stay on the radio in your area by making a generous gift today and we'll be happy to send you the body you've always wanted the cd album that is when you make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today we'll send you pastor alan's messages in an attractive cd album or through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership we are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries today is the final day we're offering the special product call us at 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 or come to our website pastor alan.org back now with pastor alan in the studio with our parting good news thought for the day and and i love how you take the the the image of the gardens and the trees and you and you weave that together here to remind us that the cherubim no longer has to guard the tree of life it's available to all who call jesus their lord what a beautiful image isn't it that god in his mercy really i think set adam and eve out and put cherubim brandishing flaming swords in order to prevent them from coming to the tree of eternity lest they be condemned in an eternal way because his plan was to open it all back up and so jesus has opened paradise to us jesus has opened eden to us and it is an open invitation come eat of the tree of life come and have your life filled and changed every day by the grace of god it is the only hope for the world in the for the world in the leaves of this tree is healing for the nations thanks for listening today visit us online at pastor alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free find out more about these and other resources at pastor alan.org that's pastor alan.org today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries