Jonah 2
KingCommentsJonah 2:1
Inheritance of the Prince
After the LORD has spoken of the offerings to be brought by the prince, He speaks of the prince’s possession. He gives clear instructions on how the prince is to handle his possessions (Ezekiel 46:16). If he gives one of his sons any of his possessions as a gift, from that moment on it is his son’s possession. His son is then the hereditary possessor of it.
If we see in the prince a picture of the Lord Jesus, we see in the sons a picture of New Testament believers. They are “the children whom God has given” Him (Hebrews 2:13). This does not mean that believers are ‘children of the Lord Jesus’. They are not called that anywhere in Scripture. They are children of God and as such given by God to His Son (cf. John 17:6). Together with the Son they may possess the inheritance. He gives each of them his own inheritance, to which the Father has qualified them (Colossians 1:12).
The prince is also free to give something from his inheritance as a gift to one of his servants (Ezekiel 46:17). That gift remains his inheritance. The servant may enjoy it “until the year of liberty”, reminiscent of the year of jubilee (cf. Leviticus 27:24; Leviticus 25:10-13). Then he must return the property to the prince. Everything that belongs to the prince as inheritance remains in his family. The inheritance is all meant for his sons.
We, believers of the church, are not only sons of God but also servants of the Lord Jesus. As servants, the Lord Jesus has also given us earthly possessions. With these we may work for Him (Luke 16:8-12). We may enjoy them as we use them for Him (1 Timothy 6:17-19). But what He gives us to use for Him remains His. When the year of jubilee, the realm of peace, comes, we will return to Him what He has entrusted to us and He will reward what we have earned with His goods (Matthew 25:20-23; 2 Corinthians 5:10). However, the emphasis is on what we have received as sons. We have received all spiritual blessings as sons (Ephesians 1:3-5). These are our property and remain our property forever.
The LORD also destines that the prince must not expand his property by thrusting peoples out of their possessions (Ezekiel 46:18; cf. Ezekiel 45:8). Past princes often shamelessly looted property from their subjects, as Ahab looted Naboth’s inheritance (1 Kings 21:1-3; 11-16). This will not be allowed to happen in the new Israel. Here we see that despite the perfect reign of the Lord Jesus, the heart of man has not changed. The desire for more remains. The LORD warns the prince to respect the rights of others and not to abuse his position of power. Incidentally, this verse shows once again that the prince is not the Messiah, the Lord Jesus. It is impossible that God should say anything like that to Him.
The prince has his own inheritance and from that possession he may give his sons inheritance whatever he wishes. If he adheres to this and does not infringe on the property of others, the people whom the LORD calls “My people” will remain in the enjoyment of their own property.
Just as the prince may not reduce his own property by giving part of it to servants, so he may not forcibly remove someone from his property to give it to his sons, for example. He may only give his sons an inheritance of his own property. When he displaces the people from their own property to take possession of it, he drives them away from it and scatters them. Such a course of action is completely contrary to what God has realized in the realm of peace: each will live in safety, every man under his vine and his fig tree (1 Kings 4:25).
Jonah 2:2
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:3
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:4
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:5
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:6
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:7
The Boiling Places of the Temple
The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Ezekiel 46:19; Ezekiel 42:1; 7; 8; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Ezekiel 46:20).
The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Luke 1:1-4).
Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Ezekiel 42:13; Ezekiel 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.
The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Ezekiel 44:19; Leviticus 6:11; 18; 27).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Ezekiel 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Ezekiel 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Ezekiel 46:23).
Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Ezekiel 46:24; cf. 1 Samuel 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Leviticus 3:1; 6; 12; Leviticus 7:19b; 30-34).
Jonah 2:9
Introduction
Several Old Testament prophets speak in their prophecy of the coming age of the realm of peace and the far-reaching changes in nature, especially in the promised land itself. The first part of this chapter deals with one of those changes: the change brought about in the water (Ezekiel 47:1-12). The second part of the chapter deals with the changed boundaries of the land (Ezekiel 47:13-23).
The Water From the New Temple
The Man brings Ezekiel back to the entrance of the house, which is the inner east gate (Ezekiel 47:1). There Ezekiel sees that water is flowing from the sanctuary. The water is coming from under the threshold of the house. As seen from the sanctuary, the water flows eastward down the right side of the house and on the south side of the altar. The water comes from “under the threshold of the house” because the house and the altar are higher than the outer court.
The house, that is, the sanctuary, and the altar are connected to the origin of the flow of water. For us, the application is that every blessing God gives is found only in the church of God (the house) and in connection with Christ and His work on the cross (the altar).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out through the outer north gate – the outer east gate is shut as we know – and goes ahead of Ezekiel to the east, the direction of the stream (Ezekiel 47:2). It is also important for us to go with the flow of water of the Spirit and of the Word – this flow of water is a picture of both.
When the Man goes east, He has a line in His hand (Ezekiel 47:3). He has had it with Him all along (Ezekiel 40:3), but He is going to use it now. The line is also a picture of the Word of God, and it is as the measure that God uses to pass on His teaching to us (cf. Isaiah 28:17a). God measures for us what we can understand from His Word. We are limited in our knowing, but can grow in understanding. Both the preacher and the hearer must realize this in passing on God’s Word and listening to it.
With the line, the Man measures the first thousand cubits of the flow of water. He makes Ezekiel go through the water, with the water reaching Ezekiel’s ankles. The Man measures the next thousand cubits and makes Ezekiel go through the water (Ezekiel 47:4). Then the water is reaching his knees. Then the third thousand cubits is measured by the Man. The water then reaches his loins. By the fourth thousand cubits that the Man measures, the water has become a river and has reached a depth where Ezekiel cannot ford (Ezekiel 47:5). There he has to swim, so high the water has become.
The book of Joel mentions a spring that goes out from the temple. It must be this same brook (Joel 3:18). In Zechariah 14 it is a different one, for that living water comes from the city (Zechariah 14:8). Also, we should not confuse this river with the brook or river in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2).
The measuring is done in stages of a thousand cubits each. In a spiritual application we see that the Word must be “measured” and that there is interruption in the teaching. This is related to the fact that there are stages in the spiritual development of a believer (Philippians 3:15-16; 1 John 2:12-14). The Lord takes that into account in His teaching.
As we grow spiritually, in all our study of God’s Word, we will experience more and more that we come to an ocean where we cannot stand. We no longer have any ground under our feet, we can no longer grasp it, but we can enjoy it intensely. We are surrounded by the blessing of the Lord; we swim, as it were, in all that He has given us.
We can also apply it to discovering the Word of God itself. Some truths in it are simple. They are easy to understand, they come down to the ankles. Other truths in it are hidden a little deeper. To know those, we have to dig deeper. They are like the water that reaches the knees or the loins.
There are also truths that we will never get to know in their fullness, that we will never understand to the bottom. There we do want very much to “dive in”, knowing that they are beyond our knowledge, as it says: “To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). When we engage in this, we swim in it and enjoy it to the fullest. We do understand that God looks upon this with great joy.
Spiritual growth is worked by the Spirit of God, Who is compared to water. It is possible that the Lord Jesus is referring to this section in the book of Ezekiel when He says: ““If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37b-39; Isaiah 44:3). When we get into the flow of water, when we surrender our lives to God and His Word, the Holy Spirit will work to make us full of Christ and bear fruit for God.
This application brings us to yet another application. We can think of the water coming to the ankles as the cleansing effect of God’s Word applied by the Spirit to the believer’s walk. The knees are a symbol of prayer (Ephesians 3:14). The water reaching the knees indicates that God’s Word and God’s Spirit bring us to our knees to pray that we may understand what our blessings are. The water reaching the loins speaks of girding the loins with the truth (Ephesians 6:14; cf. 1 Peter 1:13) and also of service (Luke 12:35-37). Swimming in the water is a picture of living fully in the sphere of the Word and the Spirit.
The Man asks Ezekiel if he has seen this (Ezekiel 47:6). He asks about his involvement (cf. 1 Kings 21:29; Jeremiah 3:6; Ezekiel 8:12; 15; 17). In the same way, the Lord sometimes asks us if we have seen correctly what He has said or shown in His Word. We can be busy with His Word and grow in it, as in the picture Ezekiel is busy in it and grows in the knowledge of it. Yet the real meaning may still elude us.
The Man takes Ezekiel with Him for further teaching. He leads him back to the bank of the river for that teaching. With an exclamation of surprise (“behold”), Ezekiel sees “very many trees” standing on both banks of the river (Ezekiel 47:7). It strikes him so much that it seems that these trees have not been there before and that both banks have been bare. The water communicates to its entire environment unprecedented fertility.
When the Lord takes us back to a place we have been before, it is more than just a reminder of a past experience. He wants to show us what has changed in our lives since that past experience, what has grown. We become aware of our spiritual growth. As we grow older, we may notice this. Through our dealings with the Lord and the work of God’s Spirit in our lives, more abundant fruit will become apparent. We can notice this, for example, in our reaction to certain events or statements. We used to be upset by some things, whereas now we see more how all things are in the hand of the Lord.
It is an encouragement to the exiles that a time is coming when the LORD will dwell again in the midst of His people. Associated with that time is a great activity of the Holy Spirit. When the Messiah reigns, God’s Word through the Spirit will awaken new life and produce growth and an abundance of fruit everywhere. This is also true now spiritually, wherever believers place their lives under the full rule of the Lord Jesus and God’s Spirit.
The Man speaks of the healthy effect of the water (Ezekiel 47:8). He points out the course of the waters. The temple river flows into the eastern area, the area between Jerusalem and Jericho. Then it enters the Arabah, the plain below, which is the Jordan plain, and then flows into the Dead Sea. When the water enters the Dead Sea, the water of the Dead Sea becomes healthy. The consequence of the healthy water is that this sea, in which no life is possible now because of the high salinity, will swarm of living beings (Ezekiel 47:9). It recalls the waters swarming of living beings on the fifth day of creation (Genesis 1:20-21).
It speaks literally of “where the two rivers go”, yet – at least here in Ezekiel – it speaks of only one river from the temple which in a short time becomes a deep river. The suggestion is made that there is talk of “two rivers”, to indicate that the river flows with the force of two rivers.
“Every place” where the river comes, life arises, and “everything” that comes into contact with the river becomes alive and healthy. For us, this means that wherever the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He works life and spiritual health. This concerns our prayer life, our family life, our church life, our daily life, our witnessing. All of this, in turn, will also result in blessing for those around us.
The abundance of fish will attract an abundance of fishermen (Ezekiel 47:10). There will be drying places for drag nets (cf. Ezekiel 26:5; 14). This shows the abundance of fish. The fishermen will not use a fishing rod because only a single fish can be caught with it. There is also a great variety of fish. The fish in the river are not inferior in number and species to the fish in the Great Sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea.
Just as the waters create new life in the Dead Sea, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in those days will create new life in Israel and the nations. Wherever the Holy Spirit comes, new and abundant life will arise. It is also a symbolic representation of the life that will be awakened in dead Israel and of the swallowing up of death in victory (Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
There are places, however, that are excluded from the life that the river brings (Ezekiel 47:11). These are the swamps and marshes that are separate from the Dead Sea. The application for us is that where the Spirit is denied access, His life-giving work cannot take place. We can think of people about whom the apostle Peter writes in his second letter (2 Peter 2:1; Jude 1:12-13). Such places are given up to the salt, that is, to the judgment that never ends (cf. Mark 9:49). It also shows that in the realm of peace everything is not perfect, as it will be when there will be a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-7).
The trees of Eze 47:7 turn out to be fruit trees (Ezekiel 47:12). Because of the life-bringing water, the leaves always remain fresh and there will be fruit constantly, all year long (cf. Revelation 22:2). Its secret and power lie in the fact that the water flows “out of the sanctuary”. The fruit, therefore, is for food and the leaves have a healing effect, all through this water from the sanctuary.
The evergreen and ever-fruiting trees with their nutritious fruit and healing leaves are a picture of believers living in fellowship with Christ. The believer is compared to a tree several times in the Old Testament (Psalms 1:3; Jeremiah 17:7-8). The believer brings forth fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, and is a healing blessing to others through his testimony, of which the leaves speak.
Jonah 2:10
Introduction
Several Old Testament prophets speak in their prophecy of the coming age of the realm of peace and the far-reaching changes in nature, especially in the promised land itself. The first part of this chapter deals with one of those changes: the change brought about in the water (Ezekiel 47:1-12). The second part of the chapter deals with the changed boundaries of the land (Ezekiel 47:13-23).
The Water From the New Temple
The Man brings Ezekiel back to the entrance of the house, which is the inner east gate (Ezekiel 47:1). There Ezekiel sees that water is flowing from the sanctuary. The water is coming from under the threshold of the house. As seen from the sanctuary, the water flows eastward down the right side of the house and on the south side of the altar. The water comes from “under the threshold of the house” because the house and the altar are higher than the outer court.
The house, that is, the sanctuary, and the altar are connected to the origin of the flow of water. For us, the application is that every blessing God gives is found only in the church of God (the house) and in connection with Christ and His work on the cross (the altar).
Then the Man brings Ezekiel out through the outer north gate – the outer east gate is shut as we know – and goes ahead of Ezekiel to the east, the direction of the stream (Ezekiel 47:2). It is also important for us to go with the flow of water of the Spirit and of the Word – this flow of water is a picture of both.
When the Man goes east, He has a line in His hand (Ezekiel 47:3). He has had it with Him all along (Ezekiel 40:3), but He is going to use it now. The line is also a picture of the Word of God, and it is as the measure that God uses to pass on His teaching to us (cf. Isaiah 28:17a). God measures for us what we can understand from His Word. We are limited in our knowing, but can grow in understanding. Both the preacher and the hearer must realize this in passing on God’s Word and listening to it.
With the line, the Man measures the first thousand cubits of the flow of water. He makes Ezekiel go through the water, with the water reaching Ezekiel’s ankles. The Man measures the next thousand cubits and makes Ezekiel go through the water (Ezekiel 47:4). Then the water is reaching his knees. Then the third thousand cubits is measured by the Man. The water then reaches his loins. By the fourth thousand cubits that the Man measures, the water has become a river and has reached a depth where Ezekiel cannot ford (Ezekiel 47:5). There he has to swim, so high the water has become.
The book of Joel mentions a spring that goes out from the temple. It must be this same brook (Joel 3:18). In Zechariah 14 it is a different one, for that living water comes from the city (Zechariah 14:8). Also, we should not confuse this river with the brook or river in the new Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-2).
The measuring is done in stages of a thousand cubits each. In a spiritual application we see that the Word must be “measured” and that there is interruption in the teaching. This is related to the fact that there are stages in the spiritual development of a believer (Philippians 3:15-16; 1 John 2:12-14). The Lord takes that into account in His teaching.
As we grow spiritually, in all our study of God’s Word, we will experience more and more that we come to an ocean where we cannot stand. We no longer have any ground under our feet, we can no longer grasp it, but we can enjoy it intensely. We are surrounded by the blessing of the Lord; we swim, as it were, in all that He has given us.
We can also apply it to discovering the Word of God itself. Some truths in it are simple. They are easy to understand, they come down to the ankles. Other truths in it are hidden a little deeper. To know those, we have to dig deeper. They are like the water that reaches the knees or the loins.
There are also truths that we will never get to know in their fullness, that we will never understand to the bottom. There we do want very much to “dive in”, knowing that they are beyond our knowledge, as it says: “To know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). When we engage in this, we swim in it and enjoy it to the fullest. We do understand that God looks upon this with great joy.
Spiritual growth is worked by the Spirit of God, Who is compared to water. It is possible that the Lord Jesus is referring to this section in the book of Ezekiel when He says: ““If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet [given], because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37b-39; Isaiah 44:3). When we get into the flow of water, when we surrender our lives to God and His Word, the Holy Spirit will work to make us full of Christ and bear fruit for God.
This application brings us to yet another application. We can think of the water coming to the ankles as the cleansing effect of God’s Word applied by the Spirit to the believer’s walk. The knees are a symbol of prayer (Ephesians 3:14). The water reaching the knees indicates that God’s Word and God’s Spirit bring us to our knees to pray that we may understand what our blessings are. The water reaching the loins speaks of girding the loins with the truth (Ephesians 6:14; cf. 1 Peter 1:13) and also of service (Luke 12:35-37). Swimming in the water is a picture of living fully in the sphere of the Word and the Spirit.
The Man asks Ezekiel if he has seen this (Ezekiel 47:6). He asks about his involvement (cf. 1 Kings 21:29; Jeremiah 3:6; Ezekiel 8:12; 15; 17). In the same way, the Lord sometimes asks us if we have seen correctly what He has said or shown in His Word. We can be busy with His Word and grow in it, as in the picture Ezekiel is busy in it and grows in the knowledge of it. Yet the real meaning may still elude us.
The Man takes Ezekiel with Him for further teaching. He leads him back to the bank of the river for that teaching. With an exclamation of surprise (“behold”), Ezekiel sees “very many trees” standing on both banks of the river (Ezekiel 47:7). It strikes him so much that it seems that these trees have not been there before and that both banks have been bare. The water communicates to its entire environment unprecedented fertility.
When the Lord takes us back to a place we have been before, it is more than just a reminder of a past experience. He wants to show us what has changed in our lives since that past experience, what has grown. We become aware of our spiritual growth. As we grow older, we may notice this. Through our dealings with the Lord and the work of God’s Spirit in our lives, more abundant fruit will become apparent. We can notice this, for example, in our reaction to certain events or statements. We used to be upset by some things, whereas now we see more how all things are in the hand of the Lord.
It is an encouragement to the exiles that a time is coming when the LORD will dwell again in the midst of His people. Associated with that time is a great activity of the Holy Spirit. When the Messiah reigns, God’s Word through the Spirit will awaken new life and produce growth and an abundance of fruit everywhere. This is also true now spiritually, wherever believers place their lives under the full rule of the Lord Jesus and God’s Spirit.
The Man speaks of the healthy effect of the water (Ezekiel 47:8). He points out the course of the waters. The temple river flows into the eastern area, the area between Jerusalem and Jericho. Then it enters the Arabah, the plain below, which is the Jordan plain, and then flows into the Dead Sea. When the water enters the Dead Sea, the water of the Dead Sea becomes healthy. The consequence of the healthy water is that this sea, in which no life is possible now because of the high salinity, will swarm of living beings (Ezekiel 47:9). It recalls the waters swarming of living beings on the fifth day of creation (Genesis 1:20-21).
It speaks literally of “where the two rivers go”, yet – at least here in Ezekiel – it speaks of only one river from the temple which in a short time becomes a deep river. The suggestion is made that there is talk of “two rivers”, to indicate that the river flows with the force of two rivers.
“Every place” where the river comes, life arises, and “everything” that comes into contact with the river becomes alive and healthy. For us, this means that wherever the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, He works life and spiritual health. This concerns our prayer life, our family life, our church life, our daily life, our witnessing. All of this, in turn, will also result in blessing for those around us.
The abundance of fish will attract an abundance of fishermen (Ezekiel 47:10). There will be drying places for drag nets (cf. Ezekiel 26:5; 14). This shows the abundance of fish. The fishermen will not use a fishing rod because only a single fish can be caught with it. There is also a great variety of fish. The fish in the river are not inferior in number and species to the fish in the Great Sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea.
Just as the waters create new life in the Dead Sea, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in those days will create new life in Israel and the nations. Wherever the Holy Spirit comes, new and abundant life will arise. It is also a symbolic representation of the life that will be awakened in dead Israel and of the swallowing up of death in victory (Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-55).
There are places, however, that are excluded from the life that the river brings (Ezekiel 47:11). These are the swamps and marshes that are separate from the Dead Sea. The application for us is that where the Spirit is denied access, His life-giving work cannot take place. We can think of people about whom the apostle Peter writes in his second letter (2 Peter 2:1; Jude 1:12-13). Such places are given up to the salt, that is, to the judgment that never ends (cf. Mark 9:49). It also shows that in the realm of peace everything is not perfect, as it will be when there will be a new heaven and a new earth (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-7).
The trees of Eze 47:7 turn out to be fruit trees (Ezekiel 47:12). Because of the life-bringing water, the leaves always remain fresh and there will be fruit constantly, all year long (cf. Revelation 22:2). Its secret and power lie in the fact that the water flows “out of the sanctuary”. The fruit, therefore, is for food and the leaves have a healing effect, all through this water from the sanctuary.
The evergreen and ever-fruiting trees with their nutritious fruit and healing leaves are a picture of believers living in fellowship with Christ. The believer is compared to a tree several times in the Old Testament (Psalms 1:3; Jeremiah 17:7-8). The believer brings forth fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, and is a healing blessing to others through his testimony, of which the leaves speak.