Ezekiel 47:7

Ezekiel 47:7 says, Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Ezekiel said that when he returned to the bank, I believe, that he saw very many trees on both sides of the river.  The Living Water should bring good spiritual growth around those who have been washed clean by it.  

Verse eight adds, Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.  God said that these waters went toward the east and would join with the sea and the sea would be healed.   The Living Water can heal even the most corrupt person if they allow it to.  

Verse nine continues, And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh.  God said that these waters would be full of life, and when we are filled with the Living Water, our life should be spiritually full.  

Verse ten states, And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.  I believe this refers to all people, wherever they are from, being made alive by the Living Water.  We as Christians are to lead the lost to this Living Water so that they might become spiritually alive.

Verse eleven adds, But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.  God also said that the miry and marshy places would not be healed but would be full of salt.  Matthew Henry says this refers to lost people who do not accept the Living Water when it flows but remain mired in their sins.  We cannot be saved by simply being near the Living Water but must spiritually live in the midst of it.  

Verse thirteen continues, And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.   God said that since this water flowed from the sanctuary it would be fruitful to help meet the needs of the people.  God’s gift of salvation brings us to the Living Water and there all our spiritual needs will be met if we drink of it.

Ezekiel 47:1

Ezekiel 47:1 says, 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, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.  When Ezekiel was brought out again, he began to see water flowing from the threshold of the house toward the east.  The Living Water first flowed from the temple as God sent it to His chosen people first, just as the disciples of Jesus reached out to the Jewish people with the gospel message first. Matthew Henry says these verses referencing the water were likely mystical, or spiritual, since there has never been a time when this happened in Israel, so all he had seen was likely mystical.  I know that we as followers of Christ are called to spiritually drink of the Living Water.  

Verse two adds, Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.  Ezekiel was then brought to the gate of the north side, and water was flowing from there as well.  Living Water was plentiful for the people then and the Living Water is plentiful for Christians today.  It will be available wherever we are.  

Verse three continues, And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Ezekiel said as the man with the line in his hand went forth eastward that he measured a thousand cubits and then when Ezekiel was led through water was up to his ankles.  Though we are never limited to how deep we can get into the Living Water, when we first accept Jesus Christ, we may not immediately submerge ourselves in it. 

Verse four states, Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.  The man measured another thousand cubits, and the water was up to his knees, and then he measured another thousand and it was up to his loins.  Though the Living Water has but one source, it is more than ample for all who would accept it.  

Verse five adds, 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.  Ezekiel said the man then measured another thousand cubits, and the water was like a river that a person could not walk through but would have to swim through.  Once more, applying this to the Living Water, there will always be enough for us to submerge ourselves in, if we only will.  

Verse six continues, And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river.   The man then asked Ezekiel if he had seen this and then brought him back to the brink of the river after he asked him if he had seen it.  We can be on the brink of salvation, but until we see the reality of it, it will do us no good.  

Ezekiel 46:19

Ezekiel 46:19 says, After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.  Ezekiel was next brought into the holy chambers of the priests by the side gate.   This was an area not discussed before, and we should never be surprised to understand things that we never knew about God before as we grow in our Christian life.  

Verse twenty adds, Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people.  This we might say was like a kitchen where the priests boiled the trespass and sin offering and baked the meat offering.  This was to be done away from the people.  Matthew Henry said it was a shame that holy ground should be waste ground, which these areas could have become had God not assigned a purpose to them.  If we as followers of Christ are not actively involved in doing His work, then we become like wasted holy ground.  

Verse twenty-one says, Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.  Ezekiel was then brought to the outer court.  God will continue to show us more about what it means to be a Christian if we are faithfully looking to Him for understanding.   

Verse twenty-two states, In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure.  This verse and the next two give us the size of these courts within the larger court. 

Verse twenty-three adds, And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.  These areas were also to be boiling points for the priests to prepare the sacrifices.  This would not be glamourous work, but it was necessary work.  A lot of what we do when we serve God may not be glamourous work, but if it is what God has called us to do, then we need to do it to the best of our ability even of it is never seen by anyone else.  

Verse twenty-four continues, Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.  God repeated that these areas were for the ministers of the house to boil the sacrifices.  God will always provide us with everything we need to carry out His purpose in our life.