In Ezekiel 47:1-111Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. 2Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 3And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. 6And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. 7Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. 11But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. (Ezekiel 47:1‑11), we read a description of a river that will flow out from the millennial temple in Jerusalem. A wonderful stream of water flows from the altar under the threshold of the house eastward, reminding us of its heavenly counterpart, the “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Rev. 22:11And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. (Revelation 22:1)). But there is this difference; the heavenly river is purely symbolical of the stream of spiritual blessing that will flow from God and the Lamb through the church, while this earthly river is an actual river with a symbolical meaning. That it is an actual river is clear from its description. Its source is from the altar, speaking of the ground on which God alone can bless His people—the ground of the death of His well-beloved Son.
The Waters Flow
That the waters flow from under the threshold of the house eastward speaks of the glory. It was by the east gate that the glory returned, and it is from the east that the refreshing, healing waters flow. The altar thus speaks of the righteous channel of the death of Christ; the threshold eastward speaks of the glory of His person and presence. It is all connected with Christ.
The waters deepen as they go; first, ankle-deep, then up to the knees, then up to the loins, then waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. What a stream of blessing (our apprehension of it deepens as we contemplate it) it is that which flows from the death of Christ!
Whether spiritually or actually considered, the stream will be a blessing. What an outward and visible sign, carrying its own fertilizing influence, will this beautiful stream be to Israel and the nations in a day to come! Its source, its course, and its terminus will all proclaim loudly Jehovah’s bounty and presence, and all blessing depends upon Him.
By the banks of the river grow “very many trees” (Ezek. 47:77Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. (Ezekiel 47:7)), whose leaf shall not fade, nor their fruit be consumed. The fruit shall be for meat and the leaf for medicine, reminding us again of the tree of life blooming in the heavenly city. As the waters flow they carry healing virtues. Where the truth and light of God touch the soul they carry a healing and blessed result, but here, even its material effect will be life-giving and healing.
The Dead Sea
The Dead Sea, which has stood as God’s witness to His abhorrence of sin (for it is commonly believed that the guilty cities of the plain—Sodom and Gomorrah—are sunk in its depths), will be healed. At present no fish can live in its super-salted waters; no bird flies over its dreary waste. At that day, “It shall come to pass that every living thing which moveth, whithersoever the double river shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters shall come thither, and [the waters of the sea] shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that fishers shall stand upon it; from Engedi even unto Eneglaim shall be [a place] to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many” (Ezek. 47:9-109And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 10And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. (Ezekiel 47:9‑10) JND). (Note that the expression “double river” refers to the two streams that shall flow eastward and westward from the holy city.)
Living Waters From Jerusalem
This wonderful river evidently starts from the temple, and flows in increasing volume southward, through the part of the land designated for the priests. That it will flow through Jerusalem is proved by Zechariah 14:88And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. (Zechariah 14:8) — “It shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea [namely, the Dead Sea], and half of them toward the hinder sea [namely, the Mediterranean]; in summer and in winter shall it be.”
Leaving Jerusalem, the stream divides into two, traveling east into the Dead Sea (no longer the Dead Sea), and west into the Mediterranean. But even in the Millennium the land will not be left without some witness to God’s abhorrence of sin. Still speaking of the Dead Sea we read: “But its marshes and its pools shall not be healed; they shall be given up to salt” (Ezek. 47:1111But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. (Ezekiel 47:11) JND). That this is necessary, even in the millennium, is evidence that while righteousness will reign in that day, sin is not yet fully purged from this world. It will not be until the final judgments are executed that the full effect of John the Baptist’s pronouncement will be seen, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:2929The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)). Only in that eternal day will there be “a new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Pet. 3:1313Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13)).
A. J. Pollock (adapted)