Scripture Reading: Ezek. 47:1-12; Psa. 36:8; 46:4; Joel 3:18b; Zech. 14:8a
The book of Ezekiel speaks of two rivers. The first river, in chapter one, is the river Chebar, which was in the place where the people of God were held in captivity. The second river, in chapter forty-seven, is the river of life in the holy land. The first river is for carrying out judgment; the second river is for supplying life. To be near the river Chebar is to be in a place of discipline, but to be near the river of living water is to be in a place to receive life. In this message we will consider the river flowing from the house.
Genesis 2 speaks of the tree of life (v. 9) and of a river that went out of Eden to water the garden (v. 10). Both the tree and the river signify that God desires to impart Himself to man as life. The tree of life indicates that God wants us to eat Him, and the river indicates that God wants us to drink Him. The tree and the river in Genesis 2 are the beginning of two lines — one concerning God as living food and another concerning God as living water — that run throughout the Bible until they consummate with the tree of life and with the river of water of life in Revelation 22. Regarding God as man’s food, the Bible speaks of the meat of the lamb, the unleavened bread, the manna, the various offerings, and all the produce, both animal and vegetable, of the good land of Canaan. In John 6 the Lord Jesus spoke clearly about this: “I am the bread of life” (v. 48); “I am the living bread which came down out of heaven” (v. 51); “My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink” (v. 55); “he who eats Me, he also shall live because of Me” (v. 57). Regarding God as water for man to drink, the Bible speaks of the spring (Exo. 15:27), the water out of the rock (17:6; Num. 20:11; 1 Cor. 10:4), the water from the well (Num. 21:16-17), and water from the ground (Judg. 15:19). Psalm 36:8b says, “Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.” Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, / the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.” Joel 3:18 says, “A fountain shall come forth of the house of the Lord.” Zechariah 14:8 says, “It shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem.” The Gospel of John speaks of the living water in 4:14 and 7:37-38. These portions of the Word reveal that God as living water has flowed out from eternity into us to satisfy our thirst.
The portion of the Word that describes the flow of the living water of God in the most detail is Ezekiel 47. It is significant that the flow of the river of life is not in chapter one. In that chapter, instead of the river of life, there was a consuming fire. In chapter thirty-seven there was a wind that became breath to us, but there was no water flowing. The flowing of the water did not begin until chapter forty-seven. The water could not come in before chapter forty-seven, because the house had not been built up.
Several crucial factors brought in the flow of the river. The first was the building up and completion of the house. Following this, the people began to have their living according to the house, according to its pattern, laws, and statutes. Their daily life and all their conduct began to be according to the form, fashion, pattern, statutes, and laws of the house (43:10-11). Next, the serving ones, the priests, were serving the Lord in a proper way. Finally, there were all the offerings: one lamb out of two hundred, one-sixtieth of the wheat and barley, and one-hundredth of the oil. There were yearly offerings, monthly offerings, daily offerings, and all the solemn feasts. We need to realize that the experience of all these matters brought in the flow of the river.
When the Lord saw all these things, He must have been very happy. He had a house — the place of His throne, a place for the soles of His feet, a place where He could dwell for His rest and satisfaction. He saw the house with its forms and statutes, and He saw the priests and the offerings. Therefore, He sent the flowing of the river, and the river began to flow out of the house.
Now we can understand why there is no mention of the flowing of the river before chapter forty-seven. The flow of the river depends on the building. Whenever and wherever a group of believers is built up in oneness as described by Ezekiel, there will be the flowing of the river out of the building. If there is the building in your locality, the flow will come forth out from the building. Suppose regarding the church in your locality the Lord can say, “This is the place of My throne, this is the place where I can put the soles of My feet, and this is the place where I can dwell, rest, and be satisfied.” If the Lord is able to say this about your place, the river will surely flow out of the building.
Today many zealous Christians pay attention to outreach and to gospel work in the mission field, yet their situation is quite poor. They go out to work for the Lord, but no flow follows them, because they neglect the source — the building up of the church. There can be no flow apart from the genuine building. If there is a strong building up in the local churches, there will be river flowing out of the building to other places. There will be the flowing, the flooding, and the impact.
How much we need the building! We need the church to be built up as the temple, the house of God. Out of such a building, the flow of God will issue. The outreach depends on the building. The preaching of the gospel depends on the building. This is the reason that in John 17:23 the Lord Jesus said that when we are perfected into one, the world will know that the Father has sent the Son. This means that when we are built up as one, the world will be convinced. The divided situation of Christianity greatly limits the impact of the gospel.
Ezekiel 47:1a 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.” In order for the water to flow forth, there must be a threshold, an opening, through which it can flow. This indicates that if we, through Christ, have more contact with God and draw closer to Him, there will be an opening which will allow the living water of God to flow out from the church.
The river issues forth from the house and flows toward the east (v. 1b). The east is the direction of the glory of the Lord (Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2). The flowing toward the east indicates that the river of God will always flow in the direction of God’s glory. The river cares for God’s glory.
Everything in the church life should be for God’s glory. For example, in our preaching of the gospel, we should seek the glory of God. If our gospel preaching is for God’s glory, there will be an outflow of living water. However, if we do not care for the glory of God, the flow will be limited. Everyone in the church should seek and care for the glory of God. Then the living water will flow out from the church.
Ezekiel 47:1c also tells us that the water flows out from the right side of the house. According to the Bible the right side signifies the highest position. The flowing of the water from the right side indicates that the flow of the Lord should have the preeminence. We need to give the Lord the highest position, and we also need to give the flow of the Lord the highest position. Then the flow will be prevailing and become the controlling factor in our living and work.
The flowing is by the side of the altar (v. 1d). This indicates that the flow is always by the cross. If we do not have the dealing of the cross, the flow will be frustrated. If we would have the flow, we must have the dealing of the cross. We need to be willing to pass through the cross so that the flow may come forth.
The main point here is the man with the measuring reed in his hand (v. 3). This man, who is the Lord Jesus Himself, has the appearance of brass (40:3). As we have pointed out, in typology brass, or copper, signifies judgment and testing. The Lord Jesus was tested and judged as a man, and because He was tested and judged, He is now testing and judging. Because He was tested, He is qualified to test, and because He was judged, He is qualified to judge. He is the One with the measuring reed in His hand, fully qualified to measure us.
We have pointed out previously that to measure means to test, to judge, and to possess. When a sister is about to buy some cloth, she first examines the cloth and then measures it. Whatever amount she measures she also possesses. This indicates that to measure is to examine, test, judge, and eventually take over and possess.
The man came with a measuring reed in his hand to measure the flowing of the river (47:3-5).
When this man first measured the river, there was only a trickle coming out from the house. Then he measured a thousand cubits, and the flow became deeper, up to the ankles (v. 3). Again he measured a thousand cubits, and the flow became deeper, up to the knees (v. 4). After this the man measured yet another thousand cubits, and the flow became even deeper, up to the loins (v. 4). When he for the fourth time measured a thousand cubits, the flow became a river which could not be passed over, and the river became waters to swim in.
In the Bible the number one thousand signifies a complete unit. For example, in Psalm 84:10 the psalmist says that a day in the Lord’s courts is better than a thousand outside. Since one thousand signifies a complete unit, to measure a thousand means to measure a complete unit; it is a complete measuring.
If we want to enjoy the flow out of the house, we need to be measured completely. If we want to enjoy a flow that is deeper, we need to be measured, that is, tested, examined, judged, and taken over by the Lord. Our motives, our intentions, our aims, our goals, our desires — all must be judged. Everything we possess and everything we are involved in must be judged. This will deepen the flow within us.
As we are judged by the Lord, we need to make a thorough confession. We need to allow the Lord to be our Judge and let Him bring us into His light and expose us. Then we should say to Him, “Lord, all that You have judged is now Yours. I ask You, Lord, to take me over, to take full possession of me.”
The Lord’s judging and testing of us are not once for all. In Ezekiel 47 the man measured not once or twice or even three times; he measured four times. In the Bible four is the number of the creature. The four measurings here indicate that as a creature we need to be thoroughly judged and tested by the Lord and then be fully taken over by Him.
To be taken over by the Lord completely is not easy to experience. We may think that we have been fully taken over by the Lord, but after a period of time we will realize that we still have some reservation. Then we will be tested and judged again, and after this we will have a further consecration to the Lord, saying, “Lord, take this and possess it.” We may think that the Lord has taken over everything, but the Lord knows that He has gained us only to a certain extent. Therefore, some time later we may again realize that we have reserved and preserved very much for ourselves. Once again we will make our confession to the Lord and experience His testing and judging. Even after a number of years, we still may have not been fully possessed by the Lord, and thus we will again need to be measured, tested, judged, and possessed by Him.
You may be wondering how we can determine how much we have been measured and possessed by the Lord. We determine this by the depth of the river. If the river is only up to our ankles, this proves that we have not been measured fully by the Lord. The depth of the river depends on how much we have been measured by the Lord. There is no need for us to argue and justify ourselves. Instead, we should simply consider the depth of our flow. How deep is your flow? Is it up to the ankles? To the knees? To the loins? Has the flow become a river that cannot be passed over? Has the flow become waters to swim in? We need to consider our personal situation in this way.
The same principle applies to the local churches. There is no need to argue concerning the church in your locality. You may say that the church in which you are is the best. Your church may be the best according to your concept, but it may not be the best according to the flow. You may claim to have a flow, but how deep is this flow? Consider the depth of the flow in the church where you are. The flow may be only up to the ankles or the knees or the loins. Perhaps the flow is a river that cannot be passed over, and thus it may be waters to swim in. The depth of the flow in every local church depends on the degree of the Lord’s measuring and possessing. Concerning this, we can fool others, but we cannot fool the Lord. He knows the depth of the flow where we are.
We all need to be measured and taken over by the Lord. For His measuring the Lord needs our cooperation. It is difficult for the Lord to measure us, judge us, possess us, and take us over without adequate cooperation on our part. May we look to the Lord for His mercy that through His measuring in all the local churches there will be a river that no one can pass over.
It is easy to walk on dry land, but the flow of the river makes it difficult to walk. When the water is up to the ankles, we can still walk, but it is not very convenient. When the water is up to the knees, it is more difficult to walk. When the water is up to the loins, it is very difficult to walk. This indicates that before we enjoy the grace of the Lord as the flow, we are able to do whatever we like. When we experience the Lord’s flow only in a shallow way, we can still walk by our own effort. But when the flow becomes deeper, reaching up to the knees, walking becomes much more difficult. We have grace, but the amount of grace we have is not sufficient, so we continue to exercise our own effort.
As the flow increases, it bothers, restricts, and frustrates us. When the flow of grace rises higher, to the loins, this is the hardest time to be a Christian. Our situation becomes quite awkward. For example, on the one hand, we may have enough grace to make it difficult for us to lose our temper; on the other hand, we may not have enough grace to overcome our temper. We have grace, but we still need to exercise our own effort. This is a dilemma. The river of grace is with us, but it is not deep enough. But once the flow of grace becomes so deep that we cannot pass over, we will praise the Lord and begin to swim in the river. As we swim, we will no longer try to stand on our feet. Instead, we will abandon our self-effort and begin to swim in the river.
The less grace we receive from the Lord, the more we need to use our own strength. But when we receive an abundance of grace, we no longer need to use our own strength. Instead, we cease from our self-effort and allow the flow of the river to carry us along. As we are carried along in this way, we can easily follow the Lord and let Him lead us wherever He wants us to go.
I am concerned that many among us have not yet given up their self-effort but are still trying to stand up on their own. They continue to struggle in their efforts to stand on their feet. This means that they are exercising their own effort to be an overcomer. Those who are in such a situation need to realize that they need more grace. They need a deeper flow so that they will give up trying to stand and instead will swim in the river. The best way for us to swim in the river is to put our trust in the flow of the river, forget our own efforts, and let the flow carry us along. When we receive the abundance of grace, this is our experience.
Although the grace is sufficient, we still need to go along with the flow of the Lord’s grace. When we are being carried along by the river, we should not try to have our own direction. We should forsake our direction and move in the direction of the flow. However, the flow may be in one direction, but our intention is to move in the opposition direction. For this reason, the Lord often has problems with us.
Where the river flows, everything shall live and be full of life (Ezek. 47:9). This river is the river of life, and only life can cause things to live. Mere teachings and gifts are not important here, because they cannot impart life. Ezekiel does not say that everything shall know or that everything shall exercise gifts; he says that where the river comes everything shall live.
In this flow the trees live and bear sweet, delicious fruit every month (v. 12). Also, the water brings forth an abundance of fish (v. 9). Cattle are implied by the names of two cities — Engedi and Eneglaim (v. 10). Engedi means “the fountain of the lamb,” and Eneglaim means “the fountain of two calves.” These fountains are for the young cattle, the lambs and the calves. From all this we see that the flow of the river produces trees, fish, and cattle.
In the proper church life there are many trees producing fruit, and thus there is no lack of fruit. If the church in your locality is living, there will be trees bearing fruit. Trees producing fruit are an indication that there is a flow in your church. The trees grow by the living water. If there is a flow in your local church, there surely will be the trees bearing an abundance of fruit.
With the flowing of the river, there is also fishing (v. 10). Fishing signifies the increase in numbers. If the number of people in your local church does not increase year after year, this means that there is no fishing, and no fishing means that there is no flow. If we would have fishing, we must have the flow. We need a place to cast out and spread our net. We need fishing in order to have an increase in numbers.
In the church life we also need some fountains of lambs and fountains of calves for feeding. Thus, we need food, we need the increase in numbers, and we need the feeding. This will bring in the mending, the building up. Oh, we need the trees, the fishing, and the fountains! All these matters depend on one thing — the flow of the river. Once again we see how much we need the flowing of the river of God.
Ezekiel 47:8 says that the river flows toward the East Sea. According to the map, the East Sea is the Salt Sea or the Dead Sea. By the flowing of the river out of the house, the salt water of the Dead Sea will be healed. This means that death will be swallowed up by life. When there is a rich and deep flow of life in a local church, much death will be swallowed up by life. However, if there is no flow in a particular church, that church will become a “dead sea” full of salt. But if there is the flow of the river, deadness is swallowed up by life, and then the “dead sea” will be made alive.
Although the Dead Sea and the dry places can be made alive and deadness can be swallowed up by life, the marshes cannot be healed (v. 11). A marsh is a place that is neither dry nor flowing with water. Consisting partly of mud and partly of water, a marsh is neither wet nor dry. A marsh signifies a situation that is full of compromise. This means that wherever there is a compromising situation, there is a marsh. We should never become involved with any situation that is a “marsh.”
The Lord Jesus rebuked the church in Laodicea for being lukewarm and neither hot nor cold. He told those in Laodicea that they should be either hot or cold but not lukewarm. He also said that if they remained lukewarm, He would spew them out of His mouth (Rev. 3:15-16). To be lukewarm is to be in a compromising situation, to be in a marsh.
Our stand concerning the church must be absolute. If you stand in a denomination, you should stand absolutely. If you stand with an independent group, you should stand with that group absolutely. If you stand on the ground of the church, you must stand absolutely. You should be either cold or hot, but you should not be lukewarm. To be lukewarm is to be in a marsh. If you give up the denominations and the independent groups yet are not absolute for the proper ground of the church, you are in a marsh. It is possible for one to be in the church life without being absolute. Such a person is a marsh.
Not even the Lord can heal a marsh. A marsh is a neutral place, a halfway place, a place of compromise. Certain saints are neither in Babylon nor in Jerusalem but in a halfway place between Babylon and Jerusalem. This means that they are in a marsh and even that they are a marsh.
We need either to be absolutely in the flow or stay on dry ground. If we remain in a marshy or “muddy” situation, the Lord cannot do anything with us. It is very easy to get into a marsh, but it is very difficult to get out of one. The church must be in a place of absoluteness. Thus, for the church life we need to be absolute.
The church should also be a place after its kind. Genesis 1:11-12 says that the grass, the trees, and the herbs brought forth each after its own kind. An apple tree cannot bring forth an apple-peach. To bring forth an apple-peach, that is, for something not to be after its kind, is to be a marsh. A man must be a man and a woman must be a woman; no one can be a man-woman. If you are in a denomination, be there after your kind. If you are in an independent group, be there after your kind. Likewise, if a group of saints in a certain locality are the church in that locality, they must be the church after its kind.
If you are in the Lord’s recovery, be in the recovery absolutely, not halfway. Come back all the way from Babylon to Jerusalem. If you stop halfway, you will become a marsh, and you will not have any flow, not even a trickle. Rather, you will have just enough water to make you “muddy.” You will be a marsh, and a marsh cannot be healed. Throughout all my years in the Lord’s recovery, I have never seen a marsh that was healed.
In Revelation 22:11 the Lord Jesus says, “Let him who does unrighteousness do unrighteousness still; and let him who is filthy be filthy still; and let him who is righteous do righteousness still; and let him who is holy be holy still.” Here we see that the Lord Jesus desires and requires absoluteness. We must learn to be absolute. By being absolute we will be in the flow, and the flow will not be a trickle but a river to swim in. Then everything shall live where the river comes.
