In a vision my attention was drawn to a very small circular opening that was surrounded with what appeared to be living tissue. I had been seeing this opening off and on all day in my mind‘s eye, but for some reason had been ignoring it. Now as I looked closer, I saw the tissue repeatedly contracting and expanding to reveal a dark opening within (similar to an eye‘s pupil.) I asked Holy Spirit, “What is this opening?” He replied, “A Portal. You may enter.” I’m not sure how, but I moved inside. I heard the Spirit ask, “What do you see?” When I answered, “I don’t see anything,” He said to me, “Keep looking.”
I had the sense I was moving deeper and deeper into this dark place. Finally, in the distance I began to see a faint glow of light. As my eyes focused on the source of the light, I instantly drew nearer. And my senses came alive to a huge fountain of water springing up from the center of a cave which I had entered. The light emanating from the fountain had a slight green cast to it and the fragrance was like mint. I felt the mist of it on my skin and suddenly realized I was very thirsty. I looked and saw a smiling angelic being kneeling near the fountain. [She] motioned for me to drink. So I did. It was the most refreshing and delicious water I have ever tasted. I have never felt so satisfied, yet I didn’t want to stop drinking! As I drank I could feel my spirit getting fuller and fuller. Then I looked and saw that I was standing in a golden river that was quickly rising upon me. As the water rose, my body was transformed into the same golden liquid substance. Starting with my feet I slowly became one with the river and began moving with its current.
The river was full of light. Under the golden liquid I could see the steep sides of the riverbed which had been carved into the rock. They were very deep--I couldn‘t see the bottom. I heard the Spirit say, “This path has been made with great perseverance.”
The river and I floated under an archway covered with ancient symbols, also carved into the rock. I was wondering what the symbols meant when I heard the sound of many waters. In my spirit I knew that this river of which I was a part was about to break out. For a split second I had reservations. What would happen to me in the process of leaving this peaceful place? I thought of myself as being separated into a million drops of water as the river broke out through the rock. Was I willing to give my life up possibly for the river to be poured out on the valley below?
There was no time to answer. As quickly as the thoughts came they were gone. And as one, the river and I plunged out over a rocky ledge and I found myself standing in a pool of gold at the bottom of a huge water wall. From the pool flowed golden streams which watered the valley as they flowed from there to distant lands. Everywhere the streams went, the earth sprung to life with vibrant color and sound as if it was being reborn. Along the river banks grew mature trees covered with canopies of green. It was beautiful. I felt as though I had entered Paradise.
Pressing into the Rock
God, who planted His Word within us, has been preparing us through intense pressure, trials and hardship to walk in the fullness of His Spirit . For many of us the battle has been long and hard. The very things the enemy has used to try to kill us have pressed us into deeper into the Rock who is Christ Jesus. And He has become our Reason for living. He is our Hope, our Peace and Joy, our Foundation and Fountain of Life.
The Glory of the Lord Rises Upon Us
We are His temple. We are His bride. There is a place within us, a holy place, where Jesus, the King of glory dwells. The River of His Presence runs deep there. In this hidden place of intimacy with Him we drink, spirit to Spirit, and we are filled with the fullness of the full measure of God. It is in the secret place that we behold the Lord and are changed into His image from glory to glory. Here, in the secret place, in Christ, our hearts become united with the heart of God. We become one with His passions, His emotions, His desires, His thoughts, His Way. As the Spirit of Glory rises upon us to a level where flesh cannot remain our lives become aligned with intercession of Jesus or High Priest. And the Word of God is made flesh in us.
And the Whole Earth is Filled with His Glory
The glory of Christ within us is about to be seen upon us in a tangible way. As heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, we were created to display His splendor and have dominion over the earth. We who are seated in the heavenly places in Christ reign with Him as His bride. We who were chosen to birth the Glory God in the earth will shine in the day of His appearing. All of creation has been groaning for the revelation of the manifest sons of God--on the earth as it is in heaven. There is coming, and now is, a breaking out of waters that will fill the earth with glory of God. This will be a quick work.
From His Temple the River flows, and Everywhere it Goes, all that it Touches Will Live!
As we release the glory of Christ from within, His kingdom comes! And where the River flows, the earth and all who live in it will be freed from the bondage of sin and death; we will be covered with salvation. All along the river will grow trees of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the healing of the nations. As the earth is freed from its bondage, righteousness and praise will spring up before all the nations (Isaiah 61:11). As the River flows, so do we, full of the breath and life and glory of God. And Heaven comes down. Christ will be seen upon our faces here in the land of the living. And His dominion shall no end!
John 7:37-39
On the last day, that great [day] of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NKJV)
From Strong’s Greek Lexicon:
“To drink; figuratively, to receive into the soul what serves to refresh, strengthen, nourish it unto life eternal”
“The heart as the seat of thought, feeling, choice; the belly; the womb; the innermost part of a man, the soul”
“Living water, having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul; metaphor: to be in full vigor, to be fresh, strong, efficient, active, powerful, efficacious”
Glorified: “to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; to honor, to make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor, to impart glory to something, render it excellent, to make renowned, render illustrious, to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged”
Ezekiel 47:1-12
1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. 3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water [came up to my] ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water [came up to my] knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water [came up to my] waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, [and it was] a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen [this]?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. 7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, [were] very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. [When it] reaches the sea, [its] waters are healed. 9 And it shall be [that] every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be [that] fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be [places] for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all [kinds of] trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."
Isaiah 60:1-2
1 Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
Isaiah 61
Romans 8:18-25
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only [that], but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for [it] with perseverance.
Genesis 2:8-14
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life [was] also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.
The number 4: As seen in the 4 directions, represents all of creation.
11 The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one which skirts the whole land of Havilah where there is gold.
Pishon: increase
Havilah: Circle, from root meaning to travail with, bear, to cause to be born, to wait anxiously, longingly; “probably northeast corner of Asia Minor near Caspian sea”
Gold: from unused root meaning to shimmer; as precious metal, as a measure of weight, of brilliance, splendor
13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land of Cush.
Gihon: to burst forth, break forth; (used of a river breaking out of its source, of a child issuing from the womb, of a soldier rushing); also the name of a spring near Jerusalem where the anointing and proclaiming of Solomon as king took place
Cush: black; Ethiopia
14a The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes toward the east of Assyria.
Hiddekel: rapid
14b The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Euphrates: fruitfulness, fruit bearing tree, sweet water