CHAPTER 47

(574 B.C.)

THE RIVER FLOWING FROM THE TEMPLE

¹Afterward 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. (The first twelve Verses portray the River of the Sanctuary, with the remainder portraying the Borders of the Land. The Door of the House speaks of the Sanctuary from which the waters will flow. As well, the Door is Christ [Jn. 14:6]. And, behold, waters issued out, signifies the Holy Spirit, Who issues forth from Christ. It is not water but waters. It literally issues from the House, with its Source being the Throne of Jehovah [Jn. 7:37-39].

From under the threshold of the House eastward, shows that the waters shall grow of themselves, and not, as in nature, by accession from side streams. The threshold speaks of the floor, and, in the Spiritual sense, denotes humility.

At the south side of the Altar, denotes the channel, or course, of the River. It is the Altar of Jehovah, i.e., Calvary.)

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 looks eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. (Then brought He me out of the way of the Gate northward, simply means that the East Inner Gate was shut, and the East Outer Gate was shut as well; therefore, the Lord led him outside of the Inner and the Outer Courts by the North Gate.

There is a Spiritual meaning in this seemingly obscure Passage. Many hunger for the Lord, but do not know exactly how to receive Him. Admittedly, the course, although direct, is not reached in a direct way. However, all will receive who persist, because all are invited to come [Rev. 22:17].)

³And when the Man Who 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. (The Man is Christ! As the waters issue out from under the threshold of the Sanctuary, and as they flow eastward, the channel begins to widen. At this first stage, it is about 1,500 feet wide, and is still very shallow, only to the ankles. The ankles represent the entrance into the River, thereby portraying Salvation.)

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. (Knees signify prayer and a total dependence on the Lord, those things being done by the Power of the Holy Spirit instead of the flesh. So, the knees also portray the Baptism with the Holy Spirit [Acts 2:4].

The implication in these Passages is that the Man with the line in His Hand be followed, as that is what He intends!

The loins represent the procreative part of man, which points to the miracle-working Power of God, which should be prevalent with all Spirit-Baptized people.)

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. (The stream has widened, until it is now a River that could not be passed over. This River represents the last progression, with itself open-ended, which symbolizes the whole Gospel for the whole man. In a sense, the River is a physical type of the Holy Spirit, and His Work within our lives.)

⁶And He said unto me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then He brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the River. (Christ will now turn the attention of Ezekiel from the Course of the River to the Force of the River. Therefore, in this scenario, one has the Source, which is the Sanctuary, the Course, which is by the Altar, and now the Force, which will portray that which the River does.)

⁷Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the River were very many trees on the one side and on the other. (Very many trees signify much fruit [Jn. 15:5]. The trees grow on both sides of the River.)

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. (The idea of the River is to bring life to the desert, as the Holy Spirit Alone through Christ can bring life to unregenerate man, who is dead in trespasses and sins. Literally, this speaks of the Dead Sea, which contains no life whatsoever. The Dead Sea will then be healed, symbolic of what the Lord can do through the Holy Spirit in a persons life [Jn. 7:37-39].)

⁹And it shall come to pass, that every thing that lives, which moves, 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 comes. (The word Rivers signifies two great Rivers. As this River flows eastward out from the Sanctuary, it will then turn south toward the Dead Sea. At some point on the southern journey, it will split, with one side continuing on to the Dead Sea, with the other going to the Mediterranean [Zech. 14:8]. As a result, and by whatever means, whereas the Dead Sea formerly contained no life, now there shall be a very great multitude of fish, signifying an abundance of life. Once again, this portrays what Christ can do in the heart and life of any individual.

And every thing shall live whither the River comes, portrays the result of the Born-Again, Spirit-filled life.)

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. (This is speaking of the Dead Sea, which is no longer dead, but teeming with life. It speaks of many different kinds of fish, exceeding many. This speaks of the harvest, in which the Holy Spirit has always engaged.)

¹¹But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. (The reason these places arent healed is because imperfection will continue to exist during the Millennium, for man will still be under trial. He will have freedom of choice. If he accepts the rule of the Messiah, he will enjoy the Blessings pictured in Verses 1 through 10 and Verse 12. But if he rejects that government, he, like Lots wife, will be turned into salt, for Grace despised involves bitterness and death. [This speaks of natural people and not Glorified Saints.]

Millennium Blessing will be powerful and abiding. It will greatly surmount and almost efface evil, but not entirely. For only in the New Heaven and New Earth will there be perfection.)

¹²And by the River upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all Trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the Sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine. (Now Ezekiel is shown the purpose of these miracle Trees which grow on either side of these Rivers. These Trees shall perpetually bring forth new fruit because they are nourished by waters issuing from the Sanctuary. The fruit will heal as well as nourish. Such is the character of a Life and Ministry based upon Calvary, and energized by the Holy Spirit.

In fact, the population of the world [which will include all, with the exception of the Glorified Saints] will continue to live perpetually by the means of the fruit and the leaf of these Trees. In other words, the aging process will be halted. [Glorified Saints will not need such.])

BORDERS OF THE LAND AND INSTRUCTIONS FOR DIVIDING IT

¹³Thus says the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby you shall inherit the land according to the twelve Tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. (In Joshua, the Land was divided from south to north. In the coming day of Restoration, it will be apportioned from north to south. Joseph shall have two portions, is because he personally received none, but instead it went to his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.)

¹⁴And you shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up My Hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. (And you shall inherit it, one as well as another, refers to each Tribe, irrespective of their size, receiving equal portions. The latter phrase proclaims the certitude of this action.)

¹⁵And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

¹⁶Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

¹⁷And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. (The Northern Border of the Promised Land, at least in that day, will begin on the Mediterranean Sea and go to the other side of Damascus, which will take in all of modern Syria.)

¹⁸And the east side you shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the Land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the East Sea. And this is the east side. (The Eastern Border of the Promised Land in that day will take in all of modern Jordan, for Gilead is that area. The East Sea probably speaks of the Persian Gulf.)

¹⁹And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. (The Southern Border will extend down into the Sinai, for this is where Kadesh is located. Actually, this does not include the whole South of the Promised Land; that will take in all the Arabian Peninsula, when Gen. 15:18-21 and Isa. 11:13-16 and 19:17-25 are fulfilled.

As well, the Eastern Border, as given in Verse 18, will extend to the Euphrates River, which means that at least a part of Iraq will be included.)

²⁰The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. (The Western Border is easily defined: the Mediterranean Sea.)

²¹So shall you divide this land unto you according to the Tribes of Israel.

²²And it shall come to pass, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers who sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the Children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the Tribes of Israel.

²³And it shall come to pass, that in what Tribe the stranger sojourns, there shall you give him his inheritance, says the Lord GOD. (The word strangers refers to Gentiles. Inheritance to the Gentiles was forbidden under Law; but, in the Millennium, it will be fully granted. Then will Gods Original Purpose be effected Israel will first be possessed, and then the greater territory promised to Abraham secured.)