The River of God
“Afterward 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” Ezek 47:5
Now let’s go to the Book of Ezekiel and read the 43rd chapter where the Spirit of the Lord took Ezekiel to the gate of the new House of God (Ezek 43). It was from this gate, the eastern gate, that the Glory of God departed from the old temple as written in the earlier chapters of the book of Ezekiel. And later Ezekiel saw the Glory returning to this new Temple “by the way of the east”
His voice was “like the noise of many waters”, and the “earth shined with His glory”.
This time Ezekiel saw the whole earth shining with the glory of God because this new Temple covers the whole earth, wherever His people are.
The house referred to here, is the new Tabernacle of the Most High which Ezekiel saw in his vision. Some refer to this as the Temple of Ezekiel, or the Temple of Ezekiel’s vision. We are never told in Scriptures that this Temple was built or to be built; but we understand from the revelation of the Spirit that this is indicative of the end-time Tabernacle of God, the Tabernacle not made with Hands, the Tent which the Lord pitched and not man.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord brought Ezekiel unto the outside of this House of God, and led him to the forefront of the House towards the front door that faced the east. As Ezekiel looked, he saw waters springing forth from under the right side of the house at the south side of the altar.
Ezekiel had been brought to this House of God before in the earlier visions, but this time is different. Now he was brought to this house by the Spirit of God to unveil something special to him, something out of the ordinary. He had not seen this before, for God reveals his mind and will to his people, not all at once, but by degrees. He reveals His will to us precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little there a little, lest we become overwhelmed. This should help us understand why God did not tell the children of Israel what was ahead of them on the way to Canaan when they were leaving Egypt otherwise they would have been discouraged and many could have refused to leave. He led them a step at a time. Blessed be our God.
We do not know how many times before this one Ezekiel had been brought into the house of God prior to receiving this revelation, but we read that this time, the Spirit of God opened his eyes to see something he had never seen before.
“Dear Lord, please open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in your House.
Reveal to me, unveil before my eyes those wonderful things which “eyes hath not seen, nor ears heard”, things which You have prepared for those in your House.
Lead me Dear Lord as you led Ezekiel into Your revelation and unveil before my eyes the things that you want me to discern concerning Your House and reveal to me the wondrous things that you have prepared for them that love you.” Amen
“Afterward 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” (Ezek 47:1).
The front door of the house which Ezekiel saw, like the east gate of the Tabernacle of Witness” faces the east. The Spirit is clearly telling us that God has not only built a new Tabernacle, but that this is indeed the beginning of a new day. The east is symbolic of the dawning of a new day, the rising of the sun, and in this case; it the rising of the Sun of Righteousness in His Temple; the completed glorious Temple which the Lord “pitched”. This is a new day and God Almighty is doing a new work in His house and is revealing it to His servants the prophets.
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Isa 43:19).
As Ezekiel was led outside around the house and, he was probably standing in front of the house and facing east just like the front of the house itself was facing the east. Therefore the water springing out from under the house, flowing from the Sanctuary of God, was towards his right side. This living water that Ezekiel saw originated from the right side of the Altar (the south side) and flowed eastwards away from the house of God.
What does this tell us? First and foremost, this tells us that this stream of waters originates from the throne of God Almighty. Secondly, it is from the right side of the throne. The Scriptures tells us that when our Lord Jesus rose from the dead, he ascended past the heavens and is seated at the right hand of the glory of God in the heaven of heavens. David, in the Spirit, heard this discuss in the throne and wrote it in Psalms 110 saying:
“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.
Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth“
The right hand speaks of power, of authority, of dominion, and of the position of our Lord in the throne of God. This water that Ezekiel saw is not only flowing from God but also has the life of God in it. The streams and tributaries created by these waters therefore carry provision, life, power, and deliverance with them wherever they flow to; for their spring originated from the right side of the throne of the Living God and from the Lamb.
These waters flow outwards through the Temple of God from under the threshold of the house at the east gate. We know that the Lord Jesus Christ and specifically the Body of Christ–that complete, perfect Body; without spot and without wrinkle–is the eternal Tabernacle of the Most High God. The Door at the east gate that Ezekiel saw is also symbolic of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Door to the sheepfold.
He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one can enter into the House of God to see the Father except through Him. Ezekiel saw living waters springing forth from under the Door of the House. Christ is therefore the source of these living waters.
Hear Him tell the “woman at the well” in John Chapter 4:
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:10-14).
However, the revelation does not end here. The Scriptures tell us that the saints of God, the family of all born-again believers, form the spiritual Body of Christ. This body that God is maturing to bring to the full stature of Christ the Head, is the Temple of God. She constitutes the Body of Christ. She may not at the present be where the Head is in maturity, but God is not through with her. He is working on her. She, called the Church or the ekklesia, indeed is the Body of Christ; she is the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
The Lord Jesus in the passage of Scripture above said to the woman at the well that whosoever drinks of these living waters that He gives shall never thirst again; and that this living water will become a well of living waters in the individual. He restated this in another place saying: “Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water”. The individual spirit-filled believer therefore becomes a “Temple of God” in a microscopic measure compared to the Body of Christ; but out of this miniature replica, as the prophet saw in the vision and as Christ declared in the gospels, shall flow rivers of living water.
I see multitudes of Spirit-filled saints cover the earth
I see Living Water flowing from the throne of God and from the Lamb
I see these filling the hearts of the called-out Ones
I see streams of water of life flowing out from their bellies
I see it now,
Through these ones the waters of life
Will reach the ends of the earth
And He said to me:
“It’s the River of God,
Just as revealed to Ezekiel long ago”
I see, as I looked again I see the showers,
It’s the rain bringing more water
As the Wind began to blow
I see a River brought forth out these waters,
And tributaries began to grow
I see the sick healed, the lame walk
The oppressed delivered wherever they flow
I see their living waters giving life to the death in their path as they flow
I see prison doors flung wide open and captives leaping out into the flow
I see the blind eyes opened, and the depressed alighted with a glow
I see the defiled wash in the waters, and they come out white as snow
And He said to me:
“It’s the River of God,
Just as revealed to Ezekiel long ago.”
Let’s remind ourselves again and again that this river of Living water originates from the throne of Almighty God and it flows through the City of God. It begins its course through the House of God meeting the needs of the people of God. It is a river of provision that brings life-giving supply from the Throne of God. It is through this River, as David sang in the opening verse, that God visits the earth and enriches it. It is through this River that He causes the earth to bring forth fruit in abundance. It is the River the streams of which shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.
Dear Citizen of the City of God, this precious message is for you. Can you hear what the Spirit is saying here about the River of God? Are you in any need right now? Is it financial need, or health, or peace, or in need of direction in your life? Are you weary and fainting and in need of a revival? Dive into the River of God and the Living water will bring you refreshing and your every need will be met.
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev 22:17).