The River Of Life, Healing And Hope
After the news of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple at the hands of the Babylonian army, God’s people who were in exile began to despair. In Ezekiel 47:1–9, 12 God gives Ezekiel a vision of a restored Millennial Temple from which will flow a river that will provide life, healing and hope to everything it waters. The Temple represented God’s restoration of relationship with His people. I pray that as we look forward to Jesus second advent, that God’s word and promises continue to provide new life healing and hope to you daily. Amen
The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side. (Ezekiel 47:1–2)
Ezekiel was shown a future vision, by an unnamed guide, of the restored temple. In this vision, Ezekiel noticed that water was coming from under the threshold of the temple. At this point, he saw the water was only a trickle (a drip or leak). The direction of the water flow was toward the east. Ezekiel was then led out of the city of Jerusalem to the gate facing east.
As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?” (Ezekiel 47:3–6a)
Ezekiel’s guide then proceeded to lead him east, measuring the distance traveled away from the temple. At a thousand cubits (approximately one-third of a mile), he led Ezekiel through the water flowing from the temple. The water there was ankle deep. After traveling another thousand cubits, he again led Ezekiel through the water and it was knee deep. Following east another thousand cubits, Ezekiel found that the water was now waist deep. Finally, after traveling another thousand cubits, the water had miraculously become a river deep enough to swim in and Ezekiel could no longer walk through the water.
Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live.
Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing. ” (Ezekiel 47:6b-9, 12)
The river flowed all the way to the Dead Sea and made the waters there fresh (healed) so that fish could live there and life could thrive. The waters of the Dead Sea are many times saltier than the ocean and no marine life is able to live in it today. The life giving property of the river which will flow from the temple, nourishes everything around it. Ezekiel noticed trees growing on either side of the river because of the water flowing from the temple. Because of the water flowing from the sanctuary of the temple, the trees will produce multiple kinds of fruit every month, and their leaves will never wither! The fruit will provide food for God’s people and the leaves will be used for their healing.
Conclusion
This vision was given to the prophet Ezekiel as a means of providing hope to the exiles that God would restore Jerusalem and the temple in the future. They were to take from this vision that there would be a future for God’s people. It was meant to show Israel that God intended to give those who returned to Him, a future with life and healing beyond their present circumstance of captivity. That same hope of eternal life and healing is extended to us in the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection provide us with the hope that we hold on to for God’s grace, salvation and eternal life. It is a hope built on the firm foundation of faith in God’s word and His power. The power that flows from Jesus shed blood on Calvary to every believer, providing the strength to endure day to day. It not only gives us hope, life and healing right now….but into an eternal future!
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
