Ezekiel 47:1-12
New International Version (NIV)
The River From the Temple
47 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. 2 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.
3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 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. 9 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. 10 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. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 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
As I read this, the song "Let the river flow" began playing in my mind. You can listen to the whole thing here.
What a beautiful picture. After all the prophecy of destruction, how wonderful to think of a river that turns salt water fresh, that causes fruit trees to blossom and bear fruit every month, trees that can feed and heal all who come to the river.
How amazing to think that this is where we are. All who come to Jesus, come to this river. And we become fishers of men. Strengthened by this river, we can bring even more to Christ.
1 comment:
A beautiful picture of perfection.
I liked this bit by Rayburn...
what God himself is after in the renewal of his church is the salvation of the world. His people will be the means of his grace to the world. That is what is depicted here. That is the great burden of this magnificent picture of this beautiful river.....you be sure that among all the other things you are doing with your life you are also fishing, up and about the great work our Savior is doing in the world and has called upon us to share. It is to the fishermen that he came to show himself. Interestingly, the only people in Ezekiel’s vision are the fishermen on the shore. In John 21 it is to those who are fishing – a picture of seeking the lost, of sharing the gospel, of trying to save men as agents of Christ himself – that the Lord revealed his great power and to whom he gave the time of refreshment with himself that morning by the lake.
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