A Daily Devotional

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The Old New Age


“Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us” (Ecclesiastes 1:10).

People today are often like the first-century Athenian philosophers. “For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing” (Acts 17:21). But nothing is really new. “The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Every new philosophy and new religion and new immorality are merely recycled and updated versions of old pagan idolatries and ancient sins.

In recent years, many people have been taken in by a remarkable complex of systems mis-called the “New Age Movement.” This combination of ancient pantheism and modern pseudo-science, a melange of eastern mysticism, astrology, holistic health, and environmental movements, modern systems theory, one-worldism, prosperity cults, and even so-called anthropic cosmology, consists of a veneer of scientific intellectualism with socialistic and Marxist political theory, and even occult communications with the “soul of the cosmos,” achieved through mystical meditation, seances, or hallucinogenic drugs.

Every aspect of this “New Age Movement” is based on evolutionism, and the movement, as a whole, is pure pantheism. Despite the intellectualistic pretensions of its promoters, evolution is not modern science and pantheism is not a new faith. Both have characterized unbelief since the dawn of history, and history is now repeating itself with a vengeance, as the coming of Christ draws near. “That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15).

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The Living God


“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26).

This is the first time this wonderful description of God is used in the Bible. He is the living God! He is not the far-off god of the deist or theistic evolutionist, nor is He the impersonal force of the pantheist, but He is the God who lives and cares.

It is noteworthy that God is called “the living God” exactly 15 times in the Old Testament and 15 in the New. The two central occurrences-the last occurrence in the Old Testament and the first in the New-both speak of those who are “sons of the living God.” In the first case, it is concerning those among God’s chosen people who will receive His life as they turn to Christ when He comes again: “It shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God” (Hosea 1:10). In the second, it is Peter’s testimony concerning Christ, Himself: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

The first occurrence of this great title, as recorded in our text for the day, refers to “the voice of the living God,” speaking to His servants out of the awful fires on the holy mountain. The last occurrence, in Revelation 7:2, speaks of “the seal of the living God,” protecting His servants through the awful persecutions of the great tribulation. “The LORD is the true God, He is the living God, and an everlasting king: at His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation” (Jeremiah 10:10). For the unbeliever, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31), but for the Christian, it is a wonder and a comfort, when “we trust in the living God” (I Timothy 4:10) as our Savior and Lord.

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Imputed Sin


“Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life” (Romans 5:18).

This powerful verse comes within an important doctrinal passage, contrasting the work and the effect of the first man, Adam, with those of the last Adam, Christ Jesus. In some way known fully only to God, each of us participated in Adam’s first sin, and bear the marks of the resultant curse. Likewise, we who have believed share in Christ’s sinlessness and have received His righteousness.

The contrasts between Adam and Christ are many, in this passage. For some reason, many evangelicals who have adopted “theistic evolution” (or in some cases, “progressive creation”) overlook the obvious teaching of Romans 5 that Adam was a real man and that his real actions had real effects. The carefully worded argument in this passage is worthless, if Adam was not a real person.

That God overruled the sin of Adam and His own curse through the work of Christ was “the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ” (v.15). But it was more than grace, it was abundance of grace. “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (v.17). And, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (v.20).

Trapped under the imputed effects of Adam’s sin, unable to fulfill the law which made our sin clearly seen, and unable to bridle our insatiable appetite for sin, we were doomed. But, “as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (v.21). Our plight under Adam was desperate, indeed, but God’s grace was even greater.

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Who Is A Christian?

“Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf” (I Peter 4:16).

The term “Christian” has become so nebulous today as to mean almost anyone except a Jew, or Moslem, or atheist. When it was first used, however, its meaning was quite specific: “The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

Thus, a Christian was a disciple (i.e., a “learner” or “follower”) of Christ. The term is transliterated directly from the Greek, “Christ” being Christos in the Greek, and “Christian” being Christianos. It was probably used in mild derision by the unbelievers of early New Testament time.

This name is used only two other times in the New Testament. When Paul gave his testimony to King Agrippa, the king retorted: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (Acts 26:28), the sense of the reply (according to Greek scholars) being something like: “With this little bit of persuasion, are you trying to turn me into a Christian?”

What was perhaps mild sarcasm, on the part of the citizens of Antioch and King Agrippa, soon turned into open persecution, and it became quite dangerous, in many places, to be called a Christian. A term of ridicule became a term of scorn and condemnation. The Christians to whom Peter wrote his first epistle were being “reproached for the name of Christ” (I Peter 4:14), and this persecution would soon become a “fiery trial” (v.12). Therefore, Peter sought to encourage them, by reminding them that they would thereby be fellowshipping in “Christ’s sufferings” (v.13).

Then, in the final use of the word in the Bible, he reminds us, even today, that suffering “as a Christian” (v.16) is not a cause for compromise or complaint, but for rejoicing and praising God! We can even “glorify God on this behalf.”

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As Far As East From West

“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11,12).

Critics of the Bible often claim that it pictures a four-cornered, flat earth, with a solid “firmament” high above, on which the stars traverse regular pathways, along with the sun and moon. But nothing could be further from the truth, as evident from our text.

The heavens extend as high above the earth as the infinite mercy of God, which provides free salvation for lost sinners. This surely fits the modern scientific belief in an infinite universe. “Behold the height of the stars, how high they are!” (Job 22:12). The same concept is implied in Isaiah 55:9: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Consider also the implication of the second verse in our text. Our transgressions have been removed from us as far as the east is from the west. And how far is that? One can start traveling east and continue forever without coming to the end of “east.” The same is true if he tries to find the end of “west.” The only way this could be true is for the earth to be round. The Bible no more teaches a flat earth than a finite universe. “It is (God) that sitteth upon the circle (or ‘roundness’) of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22).

But such great scientific truths, revealed in Scripture long before their confirmation in modern science, are given primarily to illustrate the character of our loving Creator and Savior. His mercy is as infinite as the universe, and His forgiveness never ends. We can never judge His infinite thoughts or analyze His inscrutable ways with our finite understanding. But we can always rejoice in His mercy and praise Him for our great and eternal salvation.

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All The People Of The Earth

“That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else” (I Kings 8:60).

This is the final and climactic petition in Solomon’s great prayer at the dedication of the beautiful temple of God in Jerusalem (I Kings 8:22–61). The temple was not merely a place of worship for the people of Israel, but a testimony to all the people of the earth. “The LORD is God!” That is, Jehovah is Elohim, the God who created the heaven and the earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1).

For this one time in history, the most magnificent building on earth had been erected by the greatest king of the earth as a testimony to all the people of the earth that Jehovah, the covenant God of Israel, was really the one God who had created all the earth. The testimony was thrilling while it lasted, but soon the great king fell into deep sin, the magnificent temple was eventually destroyed, and the chosen people were scattered through all the earth.

Still, “there is none else,” for Israel’s Lord is, indeed, the God of creation, whether or not He is accepted by either Jew or Gentile. It is still His purpose, as expressed by divine inspiration in this concluding petition of the prayer, “that all the people of the earth” may acknowledge Him as God and Creator (Revelation 4:11), and then as personal Redeemer (Revelation 5:9,12). Since there can be only one Creator, it is only He who can be the Savior, and it does make a difference-an eternal difference-whether one accepts Him or not. “If ye believe not that I am,” said Jesus (the “He” of the King James is not in the original), “ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). There is no other Creator and there is no other Savior than the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal word made flesh, who “tabernacled” among us (John 1:14), the One who was modeled in the great temple, and whom all people on the earth need to know.

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Secrets


“Shall not God search this out? for He knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21).

Secrets are held by both God and man. God has secret things that belong only to Him. “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us” (Deuteronomy 29:29). Man can hold secrets from other men, but never from God. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 23:24). Note the following secret things:

   1. The sinful secrets of the unsaved will be made manifest by the light: “It is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light” (Ephesians 5:11–13). All secret things will one day be judged by Christ, “in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16). “Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance” (Psalm 90:.
   2. The sinful secrets of the saved need immediate cleansing: “Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins” (Psalm 19:12,13). Trying to hide sin from God is futile! Confess and forsake it!
   3. The saved enjoy special secret places with God.These are for our daily protection: “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues” (Psalm 31:20). “For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me” (Psalm 27:5). “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty” (Psalm 91:1).
   4. The saved are in God’s secret service: “That thine alms may be in secret . . . Pray to thy Father which is in secret; . . . Appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret” (Matthew 6:4,6,18).

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A More Excellent Sacrifice

“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of His gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh” (Hebrews 11:4).

Adam's second son, Abel, offered an appropriate sacrifice to God. Our text tells us that it was by faith that he understood what would please God. Three aspects of Abel's proper offering should be studied: First, "he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof" (Genesis 4:4). Cain sacrificed first, but it was of the "fruit of the ground" (v.3). From the beginning of sacrifice for sin (Genesis 3:21), the example was an animal killed to provide a covering. Abel somehow knew that it would take the shedding of blood to cover or atone for sin. Thus, from the flock came the suitable sacrifice.

Second, Abel also wisely gave God of the best-from the firstlings of the flock. Primacy and dedication seem to be associated with the first born. More than that, the first product of one's labor is most precious to the laborer. It is, indeed, hard to give up that first evidence of personal merit, humanly speaking. But Abel knew that his gain was due to God, not himself. Under these circumstances, just as with Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac, it is not as difficult to give up the first fruits. God will provide.

The last in this array pertains to "the fat thereof." The deposits of pure fat covering the intestines and overlying the kidneys are implied. Why should the fat be singled out as important to God? The Hebrew word for fat means the richest, or best. Pure fat, as a meal, is virtually indigestible to us, and flavorless, but to God, it represents purity.

Thus, every aspect of the sacrifice-the blood, the firstborn, and the purity-foreshadowed the perfect Sacrifice, Jesus Christ.

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Terrorism And Journeying Mercies


“The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (Psalm 121:.

This promise can be a great comfort and blessing to the one who must travel frequently. If his travels are "in the Lord," and his journeying mission and behavior honor the Lord, then he may surely pray in faith for God's "journeying mercies," confident that God will, indeed, "preserve (his) going out and (his) coming (home)."

In recent years, the fear of international terrorism has become a real concern. The “terrorists” have, indeed, generated “terror” among travelers everywhere.

The Christian believer, however, still has God's wonderful promises to recite, as he prays to the Lord for protection in his travels: "I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in Him will I trust. . . . Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; . . . For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:2,5,11).

Peter also says: “Be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” (I Peter 3:14). Long ago, God promised His people: “Fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, He it is that doth go with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” (Deuteronomy 31:6). The psalmist also expressed his confidence: “The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (Psalm 118:6). Jesus said: “Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul” (Matthew 10:28).

Even for the obedient Christian, of course, there must come a time (the Lord’s time, not man’s) when he must “go out” from this present world, and “come in” to God’s eternal home, prepared for him by the Lord Himself. Our text will then be realized in its greatest fullness. “The LORD shall preserve . . . thy coming in . . . even for evermore.”

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Great Promises To Those Who Pray


“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33:3).

The Bible contains many wonderful promises of answered prayer, and our text is one of the most thrilling. It has been a blessing to the many who have claimed it. The preceding verse identifies the One who can make such a promise: “the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD that formed it, to establish it; the LORD is His name” (v.2).

Since God created all things, He controls all things and can certainly keep all His promises. Here are some of the greatest of these, quoted without comment:

    “Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).

    “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

    “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7).

    “(He) is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us” (Ephesians 3:20).

    “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him” (I John 5:14,15).

    “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22).

    “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

With such tremendous resources available, we are without excuse if we become discouraged. God can still accomplish great and mighty things on our behalf, as we meet His conditions, believe His promises, and call unto Him.

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Precious To The Lord

"Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints" (Psalm 116:15).

Ever since Eden, death has been mankind's greatest enemy-an enemy that has never been conquered. We do all we can to prevent it, or at least to put it off, spending billions of dollars annually on health care and research. And yet the normal life span continues to be 70-80 years, just as it was in the days of Moses, 3,500 years ago (Psalm 90:10).

The reason for the universal experience of death, of course, is the universal experience of sin, "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death" (James 1:15). However, Christ died for our sins, "that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:14,15).

Therefore, although death is still the great enemy, those who have been redeemed and forgiven, through faith in Christ, no longer need to fear its “sting,” for “the sting of death is sin,” and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (I Corinthians 15:56; Romans 5:.

Furthermore, those of us who are left behind at the death of a loved one no longer need to be overwhelmed with grief, for we “sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13). We know that “to depart, and to be with Christ . . . is far better” (Philippians 1:23), and that them “which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” when He comes again (I Thessalonians 4:14).

In the meantime, we can rejoice that, when a true Christian dies, it is the Lord, Himself, who has called him home, and that the death of one of His saints is precious in the sight of the Lord, like recovering a lost gem. “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels” (Malachi 3:17).

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I Will Versus I Will

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (Isaiah14:12).

“Lucifer” means light-bearer. The name occurs here, only, but there is no doubt as to who is in view. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Why was he cast out? “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13,14).

The ability to say I will or I will not is one of the prerogatives that God has instilled into His creatures. Obviously, Lucifer’s I will is in direct opposition to God’s will. Consider Ezekiel 38:23: “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

The first time God said I will in the Bible was when He promised Adam a help meet for him: “I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). The second time He used the phrase, He spoke directly to the serpent: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The two I wills are joined in conflict, and have been, until this day.

There is another exercise of the will, however, that involves the destiny of the individual when he responds to the invitation to salvation and says, I will. The awful alternative is for him to say, I will not. Even though “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6), the sinner would then have nothing to look forward to but “the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Peter 3:7). ADE

“Lucifer” means light-bearer. The name occurs here, only, but there is no doubt as to who is in view. “And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9). Why was he cast out? “For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High” (Isaiah 14:13,14).

The ability to say I will or I will not is one of the prerogatives that God has instilled into His creatures. Obviously, Lucifer’s I will is in direct opposition to God’s will. Consider Ezekiel 38:23: “Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD.”

The first time God said I will in the Bible was when He promised Adam a help meet for him: “I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2:18). The second time He used the phrase, He spoke directly to the serpent: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15). The two I wills are joined in conflict, and have been, until this day.

There is another exercise of the will, however, that involves the destiny of the individual when he responds to the invitation to salvation and says, I will. The awful alternative is for him to say, I will not. Even though “Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6), the sinner would then have nothing to look forward to but “the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men” (II Peter 3:7).

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Things New And Old

“Then said He unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old” (Matthew 13:52).

In New Testament times, the scribe was responsible for the careful recopying of the Holy Scriptures. He was recognized as an expert interpreter of Scripture and was also called a lawyer, in the sense that he applied the “laws of Moses” to the lives of the people. Unfortunately, most of the scribes in Jesus’ day had become proud and self-righteous, claiming for their own, interpretations and traditions on a status equal to that of the Scriptures themselves, and the Lord frequently had to rebuke them (e.g., Matthew 15:1–3; 23:1–28).

Nevertheless, they were students of Scripture, and at least some of them loved and used God’s word reverently and accurately. It was these scribes whom the Lord commended in Matthew 13:3–50, comparing them to the head of a great house, with treasures in the house, who could bring them out from time to time for the instruction and delight of all.

“Things new and old!” In the treasury of God’s word, one who is “instructed” in the old truths can always find new truths in its inexhaustible stores. “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law,” cried the psalmist. Yet he also acknowledged: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:18,89). No exciting “new” truth in Scripture is ever really new, for it was there all along, even before the world began. Nor can a new truth ever contradict an old truth, for “I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right” (Psalm 119:128). Both the old, well-known and loved doctrines of Scripture, and stirring new insights which further illuminate and apply them are there waiting in the word. If we love the Lord, we will love His word and find endless delight in its study.

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How To Save Your Life

“Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32).

In this short verse, Jesus is commanding us to remember someone whose name we never knew! Nothing she ever said or did (with one exception) is recorded in Scripture, and yet the Lord wants us to remember her. When God tried to save Lot and his family from the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, “his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

This strange miracle-whether it was an instantaneous chemical transmutation, or a sudden burial by erupting bodies of salt, or a gradual petrifaction process as her body was buried and later transformed in a fall of volcanic ash-really happened, and the Lord Jesus thus confirmed it as He did the destruction of Sodom, itself (Luke 17:28,29). The reason why He commands us to remember it and profit by its lesson is given in the next verse: “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it” (Luke 17:33).

Therefore, one should “remember Lot’s wife” whenever he or she is tempted to hang on to a comfortable life style in a wicked world. Lot, himself, was a rather worldly-minded believer, but when he consented to flee, his wife lagged “behind him,” and kept “looking back,” perhaps grieving over the imminent loss of her material comforts and high social position among her ungodly neighbors. Finally, the Lord’s long-suffering patience was ended, and her carnal desire to save her old life caused her to lose her whole life. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul [same Greek word as ‘life’]?” (Matthew 16:26).

The instruction is clear and pointed: “They which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again” (II Corinthians 5:15).

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In The Midst


“And it came to pass, that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46).

There is a fascinating progression to be observed in the mention of those groups of people “in the midst” of whom Jesus was found at different times of His ministry. First of all, as a young boy He was found “in the midst” of the Jewish intellectuals and scholars of the day already possessing great wisdom.

It was not long before these same Jews became His bitter enemies, even seeking to slay Him, but He passed “through the midst” of them safely in Nazareth (Luke 4:30) and also in the temple (John 8:59), since His time had not yet come.

But then, His hour did finally come, and He was condemned and executed as a criminal on Golgotha, “where they crucified Him,” and two others, with Jesus “in the midst” (John 19:18). After His crucifixion and resurrection, however, He was never again in the midst of the ungodly. Conversely, three times He is said to have appeared to His assembled disciples, suddenly standing “in the midst of them” (Luke 24:36; see also John 20:19,26).

Still later, He is seen prophetically and spiritually “in the midst of the church” (Hebrews 2:12), where He is leading in its praise to God. In fact, He had promised His disciples of the coming time when He would be with them through His Holy Spirit. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).

Finally, He is seen prophetically in glory! “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man” (Revelation 1:13). He is symbolized also by the Tree of Life, which in Eden was “in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9), and in the New Jerusalem is “in the midst of the street of it” (Revelation 22:2).