CHAPTER EZEKIEL 47:1 THE RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.
The first twelve verses of this chapter deal with the vision of rivers
of living water flowing from the temple, beginning as a small
streamlet and multiplying as they flowed outwards. If anything proves
that this is a heavenly temple it is this. Attem... [ Continue Reading ]
‘And he brought me back to the door of the house, and behold, waters
issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the
forefront of the house was towards the east. And the waters came out
from under, from the right side of the house, on the south of the
altar.'
The heavenly visitant... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he brought me out by the way of the north gate, and led me
round by the outside route to the outer gate, that is, by the route of
the gate that looks towards the east. And behold, there ran out waters
on the south side.'
Ezekiel was now taken by way of the north gate to the outside of the
eas... [ Continue Reading ]
‘When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he
measured a thousand cubits, and he caused me to pass through the
waters, waters that were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand,
and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the
knees. Again he measured a thousand... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he brought me and caused me to return to the bank of the
river. Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were
very many trees on the one side and on the other.'
This verse is a death thrust to a literalist interpretation. It refers
to Ezekiel being returned to the bank of the... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Then he said to me, “These waters issue forth towards the eastern
region and will go down into the Arabah, and they will go towards the
sea. Into the sea will the waters go which were made to issue forth,
and the waters will be healed.” '
The eastern region and the slopes down into the Arabah (the... [ Continue Reading ]
“And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in
every place where the two rivers come, will live, and there will be a
very great quantity of fish. For these waters are come there, and the
waters of the Sea will be healed, and everything will live wherever
the river comes. And it w... [ Continue Reading ]
“But its miry places and its marshes will not be healed. They will
be given up to salt.”
At first sight this seems to be a sign of the failure of the river.
But in fact the people would not have rejoiced at the idea of losing
valuable salt resources, and this is rather evidence of the
discriminatio... [ Continue Reading ]
“And by the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, will
grow every tree for food, whose leaf will not wither, nor will its
fruit fail. It will bring forth firstfruits every month because its
waters issue out of the sanctuary. And its fruit will be for food and
its leaf for healing.”
The... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “This shall be the border by which you
will divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve tribes of
Israel. Joseph shall have portions (i.e. two portions). And you will
inherit it, one as well as another, concerning which I lifted up my
hand to give it to your f... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND WHICH IS ALLOTTED DEFINED (EZEKIEL 47:13).... [ Continue Reading ]
CHAPTER EZEKIEL 47:13 TO EZEKIEL 48:35 THE DIVISION OF THE LAND AND
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ‘THE CITY'.
Presenting Paradise to the people of Israel at their lowest ebb could
only be by giving them a picture of the sharing of the land among
‘the twelve tribes' and the establishment of God's City under t... [ Continue Reading ]
“And this will be the border of the land. On the north side from the
Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entering in of Zedad. Hamath,
Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the
border of Hamath, Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran.
And the border from the se... [ Continue Reading ]
“And the east side between Hauran and Damascus, and Gilead and the
land of Israel, will be Jordan. From the north border to the east sea
you shall measure. This is the east side.”
The ‘east sea' is probably the Dead Sea. Hauran/Damascus and
Gilead/Israel represent the northern end of the border rep... [ Continue Reading ]
“And the south side southward shall be from Tamar as far as the
waters of Meriboth-kadesh, to the wadi of Egypt, to the Great Sea.
This is the south side southward.”
Tamar would be south of the Dead Sea, the oasis of Meriboth-kadesh is
probably Kadesh-barnea, modern ‘Ain Qadeis, and the Wadi of Egy... [ Continue Reading ]
“And the west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border as
far as opposite the entering in of Hamath (or Lebo-hamath). This is
the west side.”
The west boundary is simply the Great (Mediterranean) Sea between the
north and south boundaries. For these boundaries compare Numbers 34:3
and 1 K... [ Continue Reading ]
‘ “So shall you divide this land to you according to the tribes of
Israel. And it shall be that you will divide it by lot for an
inheritance to you, and to the strangers who live among you, who will
beget children among you. And they will be to you as the home born
among the children of Israel, they... [ Continue Reading ]