Rivers Of Living Water

INTRO

Today we’ve finally made it to the end of Ezekiel, with all its weird components and crazy prophecies and visions. We’ve just studied the valley of dry bones in chapter 37, and a couple of days later, we’re in chapters 47—48 and talking about new life. From where we’ve been in Ezekiel, we’ll see major changes in geography. God made a covenant with Abraham about the land, and He then made it again with Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Jacob, and then it unfolded in the lineage of Abraham. The covenant always had a condition—if the people were unfaithful to it they would be removed from the land; if they were faithful they would receive and keep the land (Deuteronomy 7:12).

Yesterday, in chapters 45—46, God stated the land belonged to Him, and in the middle of the land, would be His temple. With the new temple, the prince who oversees it, and the promise of the land, God was clearly keeping His promises. Today we will see God’s blessings. In chapter 47, we will see a shift in the land that will take place during the millennium.

Ezekiel was still in captivity in Babylon with at least ten thousand other exiles. Ezekiel’s message was they would eventually leave Babylon and return to Jerusalem, which would be somewhat restored. The temple would be rebuilt (Zerubbabel’s temple) after it was destroyed in 587 BC. In AD 70, the temple would be destroyed again. Ezekiel’s message was not about the temple that would be destroyed again but of a new temple—the third temple is of the millennium.

TEACHING

Ezekiel 47: Ezekiel was taken back to the entrance of the millennial temple and there was water flowing under the threshold going to the east (v. 1). Then Ezekiel was taken to the north gate and outside the wall and saw the water trickling from the south side (v. 2). The guiding angel then took Ezekiel another third of a mile to the east. They walked through water that came up to Ezekiel’s ankles (v. 3). Ezekiel was led another third of a mile through the water, which came to his knees. Then he was led another third of a mile and the water came to his waist (v. 4). Ezekiel was taken another third of a mile and the water was deep enough to swim in (v. 5). The angel then asked Ezekiel if he saw what had happened (v. 6).

Zechariah 14:1–9 describes how the Mount of Olives will be split in half from east to west, creating a huge valley. And on that day, living water will flow out of Jerusalem, half toward the eastern sea and half toward the western sea, and on that day, Yahweh will become King over the earth (Zechariah 14:8–9). Zechariah describes a river, not a trickle, will go to the eastern and western seas. Christ provides living water that will never run out (John 7:37–38). In the millennium we will have the living water, and we will get to see the living water in Christ.

J. Vernon McGee focuses on the spiritual lessons that can be drawn from these verses: “‘The waters were to the ankles’ (v. 3)—the walk of the believer in the Spirit. ‘To the knees’ (v. 4) speaks of prayer. ‘To the loins’ (v. 4) speaks of service (‘gird up your loins’). ‘Waters to swim in’ (v. 5) indicates fullness in the blessing in the Millennium.”¹ If we don’t walk this out, we do not experience the fullness of the Lord.

When Ezekiel returned to the riverbank, he saw trees along both sides of the river, which flows all the way to the Dead Sea. The waters of the Dead Sea become fresh from this living water (vv. 7–8). The Dead Sea has such a high salt content that no life can survive in its waters, and yet one day, it will be alive, and it will be full of fish (v. 9). Fishermen will fish there like they do in the Mediterranean Sea (v. 10). However, the swamps and marshes will be left as they are to provide salt for the temple (v. 11). The trees all bore food year-round and their leaves are for medicine. Each month the trees bore new fruit because the water comes from the sanctuary (v. 12).

In Genesis 2:10 the river came out of Eden and divided into four rivers. Revelation 22:1–2 speaks of the river of living water that flows down the middle of the city street with trees producing fruit and medicine on both sides. This sounds like Ezekiel’s river. Wiersbe explains both rivers in Ezekiel and Revelation flow from the Lord. And, while there will be a temple in Jerusalem in the millennium, there will not be a temple in the eternal state² (Revelation 21:22). The millennium is the preparation for the eternal state. After the thousand years, there is no sanctuary on earth.

Remember that our phrase for Ezekiel is New David. In Ezekiel 34, Ezekiel was portrayed as the good shepherd who was gathering his sheep to bring them back to the Lamb. When Christ returns, He will give the gathered sheep (the twelve tribes) equal portions of the land (Ezekiel 47:13–23). Specific details of each are given. All of this is during the millennium. Note in verse 22 foreigners living among them who had fathered children (which refers to non-Jews) will be given land as well.

CLOSING

The one fact to point out in Ezekiel 48 is in verses 1–2. The tribe of Dan is present in the millennium, but in Revelation 7:4–8 they are absent from those sealed in the great tribulation. That means Dan didn’t serve in the tribulation, but God allowed them to come into the millennium. There’s hope for everybody.