Christ Jesus opens rivers and fountains, makes the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.

Isaiah 41:17-20

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.
Click for a description of the image of the beast.

“The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” Isaiah 41:17-18

Before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, about 2026 years ago, the Holy Spirit was not given to everyone. The Spirit of God worked through specific individuals to perform His work, such as the prophets. The Holy Spirit is referred to as the Water of Life, who is given to us by Christ Jesus, “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.” John 7:37-39

Before the Holy Spirit, the Israelites were living by the laws of Judaism, they were poor and needy in the spirit as their tongues were parched with thirst for the water of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus came, He set them free from the requirements of the law to fill their spirit and soul with the Water of Life, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

The Lord heard the mourning of the soul of the multitudes of people seeking more life in the spirit, so He brought us abundant life in the Spirit, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10 Today, the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all people by belief in Christ Jesus, “And it will come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh: Joel 2:28 That prophecy was fulfilled as described in the post on Acts 2:1-13, the post on Acts 2:14-16, and the post on Acts 2:17-18 The God of Israel has not forsaken us, He sent His Son Jesus so that whoever believes in Him will receive the Holy Spirit and inherit eternal life.

We know we have the Holy Spirit when we do not speak against Jesus Christ and are able to say that He is Lord, “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:3

A river of the Water of Life has been opened in desolate places, in the valleys, and in the wilderness, “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” Matthew 4:16 While we were sinners, Christ died for us to atone for sin, “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

In a worldly sense, when Cyrus conquered the Babylonian Empire and set the Israelites free, he opened the rivers and caused water to be poured out over the valleys and into the wilderness. The Euphrates River formed a barrier for the Babylonian Empire so that an invading army was not able to pass through. However, Cyrus diverted the flow of the Euphrates River by building canals upstream of the Euphrates, causing the river to drain into valleys, wilderness, marshes, reservoirs, etc. When the “dams” were opened, that lowered the water of the Euphrates so that it was no longer creating a barrier for the Babylonians. That made it possible for Cyrus and his armies to easily cross over, by the cover of darkness, to defeat the Babylonians. That is described in the post on Isiah 45:1-7. The Lord heard the prayers of the Israelites and did not forsake them but sent Cyrus to defeat the Babylonians and to liberate the Israelites.

“I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together,” Isaiah 41:17-19

Those verses are describing the rising up of a Christian nation from people outside the Jewish culture. A wilderness was a desert, where hardly anything at all grows, and certainly not cedar and acacia trees. Cedar trees are often mentioned in the context of the forests of Lebanon. Cedars were impressively tall, durable, with a pleasant smell, that symbolized strength, longevity, and majesty, Acacia trees were known for their durable wood and used for construction of such things as the temple, Ark of the Covenant, etc. but they were not tall and majestic like the cedar trees. The myrtle trees were small evergreen trees that had a fragrant to them that symbolized peace, restoration, blessing, and hope. The olive tree brought olives used for extracting oil, which symbolizes the oil of the Holy Spirit. The cypress, pine, and box tree symbolized similar qualities as the other trees.

The above paragraph is describing who we are to God in His Son Jesus, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” 1 Peter 2:9-10

The blossoming in the spiritual wilderness of the spiritual cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, cypress, pine, and box trees is speaking of the fulfilled promised that God made to Abram/Abraham, “And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly…behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations…I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:2, 4, 6-7

After our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled all prophecy concerning Him, by giving His life on the Cross to atone for sin, was resurrected from the grave, and ascended into Heaven, the promise made to Abraham was fulfilled. Anyone, and anyone outside the Jewish culture, could now come to be part of the family of God through Jesus Christ, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:12-13

“Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed… Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ…For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:7-8, 16, 26-29

God gave Abraham the commandment of circumcision, as a sign to all generations after him, of the promise He made to multiply the descendants of Abraham, “…and you will be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you will be circumcised,” Genesis 17:11-12 That promise has been fulfilled and circumcision is no longer needed as a sign of the coming of that promise, as our Lord Jesus says, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 What a terrible tragedy it would be if anyone thought that the Old Testament was no longer necessary to read. The “scarlet cord” runs through the Old Testament which points to Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy concerning the coming of the Christ, the Son of God.

“That they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.” Isaiah 41:20

That verse explains why the Old and New Testaments go hand-in-hand. That we may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel [Christ Jesus] has created it.

---

“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1