“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east.” Ezekiel 47:1
Throughout the Scriptures, God uses the illustration, and reality of the illustration of water, specifically “rivers,” to speak of two things of great importance. The first has to do with LIFE, the very Life of God in Christ by the Spirit. Jesus calls this water “living water,” possessing the capacity to give life to those who receive it. The second aspect of this “living water” is the POWER in it. In the illustration that God gives us as seen in the experience of Ezekiel the prophet, we find that he is brought to the door of the temple in a vision that God gives to him. From underneath the threshold of the temple Ezekiel sees water flowing in a rather limited amount, towards the east. It must be noted that the door of the temple faces east, and the flow of this water, as small stream at that point, is also flowing towards the east. Why? Is it not that the Eternal, Almighty Christ, Savior and Lord of mankind, will one day come from the east? The King who is the Giver of eternal life, will come in His glory from the east. The Life that He now gives by the Spirit is flowing in concert with His coming, to be fully manifested in that day.
Ezekiel, in this vision, steps into the water, and notices that it comes up to his ankles. As he progresses at regular distances of one thousand five hundred feet, the stream slowly becomes a river, ever deepening. Ezekiel notices that after the first distance, the depth of the water reaches his knees, and then his waist after another distance. He progresses to the point where he can no longer walk through the river, remarking that one must now swim to cross. It is at this point that Ezekiel is instructed to take specific note of what is occurring, for there is great significance in the vision. Ezekiel is then returned to the bank of the river, there to behold many trees, much life. It is now explained to Ezekiel that as the water flows towards the East, down the valley, it eventually reaches the sea, where it heals the waters. Ezekiel’s guide then declares: “Every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live.” (Ez. 47:9) The waters cause healing, multiplication of marine life, the growth of all kinds of trees used for food, the trees not withering, nor failing to produce fruit. They bear fruit every month, “…because their water flows from the sanctuary.” (v.12) In addition, “…their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine.”
In Psalm 1, we discover part of the application of this matter of this living water. The Psalmist writes: “He shall be like a tree, planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” (v.3) In Psalm 46, we find that there is, “…a river, whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy places of the tabernacle of the Most High.” (v.4) In John’s gospel, we find Jesus standing and crying out to the people of Jerusalem on the last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believers in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart, or innermost being, shall flow RIVERS of living water.” (7:37,38) Is Jesus not speaking of the very living water of God which is His own blessed Life, revealed by the Spirit? And is He not calling mankind to not only know about this living water, but to receive it in and ever-increasing manner? His simple, and yet, profound invitation is addressed to the one who truly longs for the things of God, to come to Christ, believe in, receiving wholeheartedly from Him?
Dear Father, Give us living Water. In Jesus’ name, Amen.