When you think about “the communion of saints” (added to the Apostle’s Creed mid 5th century) there’s a perspective that I hadn’t thought about before.
The Feast of Tabernacles was a feast in ancient Israel where water was taken from the Pool of Siloam for 7 days and poured out on the altar. This served to remind the people of how God had provided water for Israel as they wandered through the dry desert on their way from Egypt to Israel. On the 8th day there was no water, only prayers for water since they were now in the Promised Land.
Let’s read on:
37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!
38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory (John 7:37-39).
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to ANYONE who thirsted -- an invitation without barriers of race, age, sex, intelligence, social class, wealth or political alliance. It was a promise to anyone with a thirst. If you recognise your need for water you will thirst. When you recognise your need for God in your life you will search unceasingly for Him.
1 As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? (Psa. 42:1-2).
So we thirst after God and He pours the Holy Spirit into us and out of us pour rivers of the Holy Spirit.
I could leave my thoughts there but I’m fascinated by another verse. John saw Jesus in His resurrected glory and look at how John described Him:
15 His feet were like polished bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves (Rev.1:15).
Jesus’ strong and majestic voice is described as being like the voice of a multitude (Dan.10:6) and like many waters (Ez.43:2).
If the followers of Jesus have rivers flowing out of them, what do you think the voice of Jesus’ bride is going to sound like?
If you said like many waters, you were right!
2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together (Rev. 14:2).
This is the sound of those who have been redeemed from the earth, the bride of Christ.
So Jesus and His bride have the same voice. The same Spirit energises them and unites them in a way I had never appreciated before. We really are in union with our fellow believers in a very deep way.
We sing the same tune. We blend together. We have the same Spirit in us as in Jesus. This is what the communion of saints is all about!
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