Study No. 17
THE RIVER OF EZEKIEL’S VISION
EZEKIEL 47: 1-12
Introduction
This study shows that the waters that make up the mighty river of Ezekiel’s vision represent a multitude of saints endowed with healing power from the throne of God, through its source, the fountain of Zechariah 13: 1, to offer permanent healing, life eternal during the preaching of the Loud Cry.
Prayer Thought: 6T 227-228
“Wonderful is the work which God designs to accomplish through His servants, that His name may be glorified. God made Joseph a fountain of life to the Egyptian nation. Through Joseph the life of that whole people was preserved. Through Daniel God saved the life of all the wise men of Babylon. And these deliverances were as object lessons; they illustrated to the people the spiritual blessings offered them through connection with the God whom Joseph and Daniel worshiped. So through His people today God desires to bring blessings to the world. Every worker in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As he receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life. Christ came as the Great Physician to heal the wounds that sin has made in the human family; and His Spirit, working through His servants, imparts to sin-sick, suffering human beings a mighty healing power that is efficacious for the body and the soul. "In that day," says the Scriptures, "there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." Zechariah 13:1. The waters of this fountain contain medicinal properties that will heal both physical and spiritual infirmities. -Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church, volume 6, page 227 to 228.
From this fountain flows the mighty river seen in Ezekiel's vision.”
1. Ezekiel’s visionary river is a picture of the work God will do through His church
AA 13.1 “Wonderful is the work which the Lord designs to accomplish through His church, that His name may be glorified. A picture of this work is given in Ezekiel's vision of the river of healing...”
2. Where is the source of this river found?
Zechariah 13:1; CH 210.1 “From this fountain flows the mighty river seen in Ezekiel's vision…”
Thus the river is an expansion of the fountain.
3. For what purpose will this fountain be opened?
Zech. 13:1 - Note that this fountain is able to wash away two things; first sin, and second uncleanness. What is the difference between the one and the other? "Sin is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4.) And the result of sin is the decay of the body. "Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them, When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean." (Lev. 15:2.) The Biblical term for sickness is, "Uncleanness." See also 2Cor. 6:17; Eph. 5: 5-8
God is able to heal the soul and the body; but He will not heal the latter before He has healed the former -- "sin" first, then "uncleanness." "I will also save you from all your uncleanness: and I will call for corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you." (Ezek. 36:29.) The power that is able to wash away the filthiness of any man, is "opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" and is represented by the "fountain" of Zechariah's prophecy.
4. When will this fountain opened?
Zech. 12: 3
In the day the church becomes a burdensome stone (Kingdom) and the nations gather together against it.
Zech. 12: 6
In the day Jerusalem is inhabited by God’s people, in the time of the kingdom.
Zech. 12: 8
In the day he that is feeble among the members of the Kingdom be as David; and the house of David be as God.
Zech. 12: 9, 10
In the day the Lord seeks to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. He will then pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications.
Zech. 13:1
The house of David (the purified church) must come into existence before the cleansing fountain is opened
Thus the fountain will be opened in the Kingdom. It is not opened now.
5. Since this fountain is not now opened, how will we be cleansed “from sin” as a pre-requisite for entrance into the kingdom?
Rom. 4:3-5; 1SM. 367.1 – “Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it. The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner's account. Christ's righteousness is accepted in place of man's failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repentant, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son. This is how faith is accounted righteousness;…” {1SM 367.1}
We’re accounted sinless before the Kingdom by Christ’s imparted righteousness.
6. Read Ezek. 47:1
The position of the house proves that it represents a true worship, for thus God's chosen people were instructed to build their temples. Israel worshipped God with their backs toward the east to remind them that they should have no respect for sun worship and idolatry.
The waters come from the north. Therefore, it represents something which is from the throne of God. - Isa. 14:13; Ps. 48:2; Ps. 75:6
7. Read Ezek. 47: 2-12
What do the waters denote?
The waters denote the same as the waters in Rev. 17:15, "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues."
The stream from the fountain where it first starts to the east gate, represents the 144,000 and the river stands for the great multitude. – Ps. 46: 4, 5
Observe that the reason the waters are “healed” (verse 8) is because they are “brought forth into the sea.” As the mighty river represents the saints from the earth, then the sea necessarily represents the sinless world (inhabitants) in the universe of God. The river being brought forth into the sea shows that the saints will come in contact with the eternal nations who know not sin. So the saints must be “healed” before being “brought forth” to join the beings of God’s universe.
Since “everything that liveth, which moveth whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live” (verse 9). It shows that the waters which make up this mighty river represent a multitude of saints endowed with healing power from the throne of God. The healing is not temporary but permanent. – Isa. 33:24; 35; 5, 6.
What do the leaves and fruit of the trees in verses 7 and 12 represent?
Being “for medicine” as with the leaves of the tree of life are for “the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2), the significance is that “the House of David,” the Kingdom church, is endowed with power from the throne of God to offer life eternal with no taste of death to those who accept the truth, and are willing to become part of this mighty river. – Zech. 12:8
What do the fishes, fishers and the two cities in verses 9 and 10 represent?
The fishes represent those who are converted to the church, “river” and the fishers represent the Ministry. – Mark 1:17
The two cities, Engedi and Eneglain reveal that the fishes are caught in two places, The SDA church (Engedi) as it becomes “the House of David,” and Babylon, the world (Eneglain).
What indirect application can be made from the eastward direction in which the waters in verse 8 flow?
This direction of the compass shows that the message of the loud Cry is to start eastward (from California) when it is first revealed (See Sis. White’s letter to Elder E.E Andross). East being the Biblical direction of idolatry, it shows that the message is headed towards the conversion of sinners and the destruction of idolatry.
What does the angel’s measurement of 4×1000 cubits in verses 3-5 denote?
4 × 1000 (10 × 100). The number 10 is the symbol for universal and the number 4 for completeness of the earth or four points of the compass. Thus it symbolically denotes that the message is world wide; and while it starts toward the east, it spreads from pole to pole, and encircles the earth completely. – Matt. 24:14.
What do the miry places, marishes and salt in verse 11 represent?
The "marishes" and the "miry places" represent denominations and sects separate of the "mighty river," and that they shall not be saved, or healed. "Turned to salt," means eternally lost, as was Lot's wife. - Luke 17:26, 28, 32.
Conclusion
7T 171-2 “Our work has been presented to me as, in its beginning, a small, very small, rivulet. To the prophet Ezekiel was given the representation of waters issuing "from under the threshold of the house eastward," at the south side of the altar." Read Ezekiel 47. Especially mark verse 8: "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." So our work was presented to me as extending to the east and to the west, to the islands of the sea, and to all parts of the world…” {7T 171.4}