Ezekiel's River

Ezekiel’s River

 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. 

Psalm 46:4-5

 Rivers are mentioned frequently throughout the Bible. To name just a few, there is the Nile, the Jordan, the Euphrates, and the Tigris. These rivers carry life giving water from the higher elevations or mountains, through the valleys and back to the ocean. The water they carry provides nourishment for all the animals along the way. It provides for irrigation of crops, vineyards, and orchards. But probably most importantly it provides water for communities, towns, villages, and cities where people live and flourish. Life as we know it could not exist without water. So, you could say that water gives life. The very first verses in the Bible shows us that water was there at the very beginning.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 

Genesis 1:1-2

Life giving water must have been one of the first things God created. In the next several verses describing what God created; water is mentioned frequently. God then created the Garden of Eden and placed Adam and Eve in it. It was soon after this that the first river is mentioned in the second chapter of Genesis.

The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. 

Genesis 2:9-10

This river watered the Garden because up to this point there had been no rain. There in the Garden of Eden also stood the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It's possible that this river also watered these trees. An interesting thing to note is that at the end of the Bible in Revelations, there is still a river and the tree of life.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

Revelations 22:1-2

Another thing to remember is that throughout the Bible water and rivers of living water are symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. 

John 7:37-39

It seems that there is a great deal we could learn by studying rivers and how they impact the lives of people. Since there are so many rivers mentioned in the Bible, it impossible to study them all in one study. However, there is one river which clearly shows us some of the connections between rivers and life. This river is described by Ezekiel in a vision that God gave to him. It is part of a prophecy that God showed the prophet about the future of Israel. The book of Ezekiel is divided into two parts. The first part deals with prophecies concerning the end of the Kingdom of Judah, Jerusalem and several other kingdoms that were going to be punished for what they had done to Israel. The second part of the book describes a vision that God gave Ezekiel concerning the restoration of Israel. The Lord was showing Ezekiel what was going to happen to give hope to the Israelites who at that time were living in captivity in Babylon.

In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the LORD was on me and he took me there. 

Ezekiel 40:1

The Israelites had been living in Babylon for twenty-five years. This day was when preparations for the Passover were to commence. This was the day when the lamb to be sacrificed for Passover was to be selected. Even in Babylon, the Israelites remembered how God had freed them many years earlier from bondage in Egypt. God gave Ezekiel these visions to give his people hope that he would once again free his people some day in the future.

In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, "Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see." 

Ezekiel 40:2-4

In the vision, God took the prophet to the land of Israel. There he met a man who was standing in the gateway of what appeared to be a city with a measuring rod. Ezekiel would soon realize that this was a new Jerusalem and they he was standing near the temple.

Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. The glory of the LORD entered the temple through the gate facing east. 

Ezekiel 43:1-4

Ezekiel saw the glory of God coming from the east. There was the roar of rushing waters. The prophet recognized this because he had seen this once before when God had given him a vision about the destruction of Jerusalem. But this time, the glory of God entered the temple through the east gate. This gate is said to remain closed until the end times when Jesus returns and enters the city through the east gate.

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

The next thing Ezekiel saw was a trickle of water coming out of the entrance of the temple flowing east. The water then trickled out toward the east gate and then out of the city to the south of the east gate. This small trickle was the beginning of a river. Initially, it did not have much water. It was more of a small creek or brook than a river. But then the man took Ezekiel eastward and across this stream. As they went, the man measured how far they went. Every so often, they would cross the stream.

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?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 

Ezekiel 47:3-6

This is a natural process for rivers. They begin high up in the mountains as small streams. Then as they flow downhill, other streams join it. As it flows, more tributaries join it. Eventually the river grows so big that a person cannot walk across it. Another way to think of this is that the bigger it gets, the more life giving water it contains. The man made sure that Ezekiel saw what was happening. Why was this important for the prophet to see? Is it possible that this could symbolize something that would happen to Israel in the future? Think of another time when something started small and then grew into something large.

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:1-4

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples. Here was a small group of men that God had chosen to start something much bigger. They were only a small stream but would later become a river. At first, this may have seemed like a trickle within the great Roman Empire. But in a short period of time, it began to grow in numbers.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. 

Acts 2:46-47

The message of the disciples, the Gospel, was like a river of life giving water to a dry and thirsty world. The connection between life giving water and eternal life or salvation was clearly stated by Jesus when he met the Samaritan woman at the well. He explained to her about the living water that he could give her. Those that drank this water would become a spring of water leading to eternal life.

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." 

John 4:9-10

Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." 

John 4:13-14

Continuing with Ezekiel's vision, the next thing he saw was that on each side of the river there were a great number of trees.

When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 

Ezekiel 47:7

Rivers provide the necessary water so that trees can grow. In a dry land, bringing a source of water can enable more trees to grow. Think of traveling from a desert to a grassland to shrubs and then to a forest. The difference between these is really the amount of water they get. Even in a land with many trees, those planted by the river become stronger and can survive even bad storms.

but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 

Psalm 1:2-3

The trees of the LORD are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 

Psalm 104:16

Even in the Garden of Eden, the river watered the trees. It should not surprise us either that in Revelations, when the angel showed John the river of the water of life, the tree of life grew next to the river.

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 

Revelations 22:1-2

Besides bearing fruit year round that would provide nourishment, the leaves of the tree of life were for the healing of the nations. One of the things that Jesus and his disciples did was healing people. When John the Baptist's disciples asked Jesus if he were the one they were to expect, he told them.

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 

Matthew 11:2-5

Later after the day of Pentecost, the disciples continued to help people by praying and healing the people they met. So, the stream that started with the disciples was turning now into a healing river. Now the river that Ezekiel was seeing in his vision flowed toward the east and then down to the Dead Sea. When it emptied into the sea, the salty water there became fresh.

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. 

Ezekiel 47:8

This was a kind of healing. The Dead Sea is 1,296 feet below sea level, the lowest point on earth. The high mineral content of the Dead Sea is a result of the fact that it has no outlet. Water flows in through a number of sources carrying various minerals at a rate of seven million tons per day. Then the water evaporates, leaving the minerals behind. Total salinity is 26-35 percent (compared to 18 percent for the Great Salt Lake in Utah and 3.5 percent for the average ocean salinity). Nothing can grow in this water. It is really a lake of death. Now water has been flowing into this sea for generations. But now Ezekiel's river flowed into this sea and miraculously turned it into fresh water. The reason it had become this salty was that there was no outlet. There was no river out. There is a parallel here with what was happening with the Jewish people when Jesus was born. They had become closed off by all the rules and regulations that the Pharisees and religious leaders had put upon them. They knew the Messiah would come one day but that was it. God's word had been pretty much blocked up with nowhere to go. When Jesus came, one of the main things he did was proclaim the Gospel or the Good News to the poor. He appointed disciples to spread the Gospel. Jesus then told them to go and make more disciples. The Dead Sea was coming to life. The river was now flowing.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:19

The river in Ezekiel's vision was really flowing now. The Dead Sea was now full of fresh water and where ever it went there was life. This enabled something else to happen. The river provided a home for great swarms of swimming creatures. Large numbers of fish appeared.

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. 

Ezekiel 47:9

Remember, when Jesus chose his first disciples, they were fishermen. He told them that he would send them out to fish for people.

As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will send you out to fish for people." 

Matthew 4:18-19

The river and the Gospel was now flowing throughout the world. However, not everyone was noticing or listening. Someone had to go out and catch their attention. The disciples did this and later this became the responsibility of those who were new Christians. They all became fishers of people. Paul described them as Christ's ambassadors who now had the ministry of reconciliation.

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" 

Romans 10:14-15

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 

2 Corinthians 5:20

At Ezekiel's river, there were now fisherman standing all along the shore of the river spreading their nets.

Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. 

Ezekiel 47:10

En Gedi is a somewhat well-known place in the Old Testament. This is where Abraham rescued Lot from the kings who captured him and his family. This is also the place where David went to flee from King Saul and his three thousand men. Later, King Solomon had vineyards in this area. On the other hand, En Eglaim (which means fountain of two calves) is really unknown. This is the only place in the Bible where it is mentioned. So, we have no knowledge of where it was. Perhaps the best way to think of where these fisherman were found is that they were not only in well-known places but in all kinds of places. The fish they were catching were of all kinds. The fish in this new fresh water Dead Sea had many kinds of fish but there were also fish from the Mediterranean Sea. You might recognize that those fish were living in salt water. They must have been different fish from those living in the now fresh water of the Dead Sea. Perhaps these fish represented  the Gentiles or non-Jewish people from other countries in Europe, Asia and Africa. All these nations surrounding the Mediterranean Sea had never heard the Gospel. Paul and the new churches he started were now spreading the Good News around the world.  Jesus, after all, told his disciples to spread the Gospel to all nations.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 

Matthew 28:19-20

There is another interesting to notice about Ezekiel's river. When it flowed into the Dead Sea turning the salt water into fresh, it did not do away with all the salt. There were still areas, the swamps and marshes, that remained salty.

But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 

Ezekiel 47:11

Why would this be? First of all, salt is an important commodity. It is necessary for food and has been very important in preserving food before refrigeration was developed. Salt was very valuable in ancient times. In fact, Roman soldiers were often paid in salt. This where our word salary comes from. But another important fact about salty swamps and marshes is that they are very important habitats in the natural world. They are the places where baby fish and other animals can grow in a safe environment. There are many migrating birds that live in marshes and swamps. These areas are teaming with life and are very important to the environment. In today's world, these places are disappearing. Human development, pollution, and climate have all had a negative impact on these places. From all of this, the bottom line is that the world needs salt. If it weren't for the swampy, marshy places near our rivers, much of the wildlife and ultimately food we eat would not exist. One could say a similar thing about spiritual things in the world. Christians act as salt in this world. Without them, people could not find the Way to God and eternal life.

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 

Matthew 5:13-16

The river in Ezekiel's vision continues to flow. Fruit trees of all kinds grow along its banks. There will be fruit every month of every year never failing. There will be food and healing for everyone. This river will nourish the land and provide food and healing because it flows from God's sanctuary to his people.

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 47:12

The first river began flowing in the Garden of Eden. Through all the eons of time, God has been there providing water and life for his creation and his people. At the end, the river will still be flowing. There will be a new Jerusalem. The tree of life will be there also for God’s people for eternity.

down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Revelations 22:2

So, the next time you see a small stream or brook or even a river, remember God never changes. He has been there from the beginning taking care of his creation and will continue to do so. People just need to believe in Jesus and the Gospel.

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! 

Amos 5:24