I really appreciated the detailed look Pastor David Legge gave in his sermon about the milennial temple, the milennial worship and the milennial Holy Land. Some fascinating stuff in there. I especially liked the first of those sermons about the temple as it gave some background about the different interpretations of this passage. I agree with his conclusion that it seems like a literal temple, a literal prophecy, likely to be fulfilled during the milennial reign of Christ on earth.
There were two verses that jumped out at me.
He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the 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." Ezekiel 47:8-9
From my Life Application study Bible...
The Arabah is the geological depression in which the Dead Sea lies. The sea that will become fresh refers to the Dead Sea, a body of water so salty that nothing can live in it. The river will freshen the Dead Sea's water so it can support life. This is another picture of the life-giving nature of the water that flows from God's temple. God's power can transform us no matter how lifeless or corrupt we may be. Even when we feel messed up and beyond hope, his power can heal us. (emphasis mine)
Think of it - the Dead Sea, a body of water so flawed that nothing can live in it, will one day be transformed into a life-giving body of water - it's amazing! I think that is such an incredibe, important, hope-filled truth. It is not us, it's not about us, it's about God and with God the impossible is made possible, death becomes life, salt water becomes fresh, and flawed human beings can become a new creation.
Reminds me of the song "What Faith can do" by Kutlass
Everybody falls sometimes
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
Gotta find the strength to rise
From the ashes and make a new beginning
Anyone can feel the ache
You think its more than you can take
But you are stronger, stronger than you know
Don't you give up now
The sun will soon be shining
You gotta face the clouds
To find the silver lining
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
It doesn't matter what you've heard
Impossible is not a word
It's just a reason for someone not to try
Everybody's scared to death
When they decide to take that step
Out on the water
It'll be alright
Life is so much more
Than what your eyes are seeing
You will find your way
If you keep believing
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
Overcome the odds
You don't have a chance
(That's what faith can do)
When the world says you can't
It'll tell you that you can!
I've seen dreams that move the mountains
Hope that doesn't ever end
Even when the sky is falling
And I've seen miracles just happen
Silent prayers get answered
Broken hearts become brand new
That's what faith can do
That's what faith can do!
Even if you fall sometimes
You will have the strength to rise
This river also reminds me of the NT encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well where He speaks to her about the living water...
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13 The gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, is this life-giving water!
I love how the book of Ezekiel ends...
"And the name of the city from that time on will be: THE LORD IS THERE." Ezekiel 48:35b
And truly, that sums it up. The Lord is there. And I want to be where He is.
Tomorrow's passage: Daniel 7, 8, 5
3 comments:
I love the ending, too ~ what an incredible thing to look forward to!! I like the look at the river flowing from the city to the Dead Sea and how it parallels God's work in the human life. Very true.
I know that it's no "salty-dead-sea to "life-giving-water" miracle but that song reminds me of the miracle of my job position this year. I was feeling pretty discouraged one day on my drive home from school and that song came on the radio and for the first time I just listened to the words and they just spoke deeply to me. It was a concrete reminder that God CAN do the impossible and we just have to have the FAITH that He will. I just couldn't imagine how God would accomplish the impossible task of allowing me to stay at my school and yet He did. God CAN and WILL do the impossible. Amazing!
I also enjoyed the fact that this water would make the fruit produce every month and the leaves to give healing. God's power there causing things that parallel what he can do in our lives.
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