Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 47

Verses 1-12

Eze 47:1-12

Ezekiel 47:1

Here is the vision of the great river flowing from beneath the Temple itself toward the east, a river expanding and broadening, ever deeper and deeper, all the way through the desert even to the sea; and whithersoever the waters of that mighty river shall come, "Everything that liveth, which moveth, shall live; and there shall be a great multitude of fish." (Ezekiel 47:9). The location and boundaries of the Holy Land into which the Twelve Tribes will be located are given.

Ezekiel 47:1-12

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 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. 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 every thing shall live whither the river cometh. 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. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. 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.

The River Out of the Temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

We have now reached the concluding two chapters of the book of Ezekiel. In commenting on the end of the book, one commentator notes:

"There are but few of the prophets of the Old Testament who have left a more valuable treasure to the Church of God than Ezekiel. It is true that he is in several places obscure; but there is a great proportion of the work that is in the highest degree edifying; and several portions that for the depth of the salvation predicted, and the accuracy and minuteness of the description, have nothing equal to them in the Old Testament Scriptures."

Chapter 47 begins with a description of a great river flowing out of the temple that was described in the preceding chapters. Ezekiel is brought to the door of the holy place in the temple and sees a stream of water that flows into the inner court area, south of the altar. The prophet is then taken out of the inner court by way of the north gate into the outer court. He is taken to the eastern outer gate and sees the water coming out of that gate at its southern side. From there the water flows down to the Dead Sea.

Flowing rivers are found elsewhere in the Scriptures:

1. In Zechariah 14:8 there are two rivers, one flowing east and the other west.

2. Joel 3:18 speaks of one river that waters the valley of Shittim, which is on the eastern bank of the Jordan.

Each of these prophecies about rivers is speaking about the same thing -- a coming blessedness for the people of God as the goodness of God pours forth from his throne. The book of Ezekiel ends with a beautiful description of the goodness of God toward his people. This river gets deeper and wider the farther Ezekiel gets from the city. The water begins as a trickle. The Hebrew word used here means "drop by drop." The water is ankle-deep a 1000 cubits farther downstream. The Hebrew is "water of ankles." So strange did this phrase appear to the translators of the Septuagint that they translated it as "water of remission," which caused many early Christian commentators to see here the water of baptism. Continuing to move along at distances of 1000 cubits, the water is up to his knees, then up to his waist, and then too deep and wide to cross. The Charismatics use these verses as support for their arguments that the power of the Spirit comes in "waves." Some argue that these waves come every 1000 years. One immediate problem with this view is that there aren’t any "waves" in Ezekiel 47.

What does this deepening depict? There are a number of theories: a) Some say that it depicts the fact that the more we know and experience the goodness and mercy of God, the more we realize its depth and width. (1) (Ephesians 3:17-19) "that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height --19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." b) Others say it depicts the blessings of God that began with the patriarchs, then went to the Israelites, and finally to the whole world -- increasing at each step. c) Others say it depicts the word, which begins as a seed in the heart of a believer and then grows into a fruitful tree.

Everywhere this river reaches, it heals. The barren areas thrive and the Dead Sea becomes a sea of life when the river of God reaches it. The Dead Sea’s stagnant waters become fresh and swarming with fish. Is any sin so bad that it cannot be cleansed by God’s healing power? God’s healing power can turn the Dead Sea into the Living Sea! Along the side of this river are trees that bring forth fruit each month of the year. The fruit of these trees is used for food, and the leaves provide healing. Why each month? Twelve is the number symbolizing God’s people! This flowing river of goodness is for the people of God. The number twelve is a symbol for the people of God. In the Old Testament, there were the 12 tribes of Israel, and in the New Testament there were the 12 apostles. In Revelation 7 when God wants to emphasize that he is speaking about ALL of his people, he uses the number 144,000, which is 12 times 12 times 1000!

Numbers in the bible often have special significance, but we must not take this too far. Numbers can be made to symbolize anything if one is willing to work hard enough. For example, I can “prove” that Hitler was the anti-Christ and that William Shakespeare wrote the Bible.

(1) Let A = 100, B = 101, C = 102, etc. and note that 107 (H) + 108 (I) + 119 (T) + 111 (L) + 104 (E) + 117 (R) = 666!

How old was William Shakespeare in 1611 when the King James version was written? 46. The 46th word in Psalms 46 is “shake.” The 46th word from the end of Psalms 46 is “spear.”

No tributaries are mentioned because they would be inconsistent with the message that these blessings all come from one true source. The swamps retain their saltiness. Why? Perhaps because of the need for salt in the priestly activities. (Ezekiel 43:24). Another commentator says that the swamps depict the "incorrigibly inpenitent who cannot be healed." (Revelation 22:11) "he who is filthy, let him be filthy still."

John uses these same symbols in Revelation 22:1-3.

"And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him."

In this chapter, a river flows from the midst of a city. John also sees trees, and twelve fruits, and healing leaves. We have to be careful to remember our rule that identity of symbol does not necessarily imply identity of subject, but I think the link between Revelation 22 and Ezekiel 47 is very clear in this instance. The two chapters follow different judgments -- but the message following each judgment is the same: God has a plan to abundantly bless His people.

Revelation 22:3 says that the throne of God will be in "it." Was is that "it"? It is the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21. What is that "New Jerusalem"? It must be Heaven, right? Because that is where the throne of God is. But, the Bible also views God as ruling from his church. (Ezekiel 43:7; Psalms 2:6) Indeed, as we have seen, God dwells with us in His church. The church fits the name of this city very well -- the New Jerusalem. The old Jerusalem was once the dwelling place for God’s people. The church is the new dwelling place for God’s people. Revelation 21:2 tells us that this New Jerusalem is the bride of the Lamb, coming down out of Heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband. And what group is pictured in the Bible as the bride of Christ? The church! (1) (Ephesians 5:25) "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her."

This city is holy. This city provides healing to the surrounding nations who are drawn to this city by the light that it casts into the world. This city is the church. (Isaiah 2:2-4) "Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore."

But the events in Revelation aren’t going to happen for a long time. Right? Well, that is not what the book of Revelation says:

(Revelation 1:1) "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants -- things which must shortly take place."

(Revelation 1:3) "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near."

(Revelation 22:6) "Then he said to me, "These words are faithful and true." And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place."

(Revelation 22:10) "And he said to me, ’Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.’"

In Daniel 8:26 Daniel was told to seal up his vision because it wouldn’t happen for a long time. John was told not to seal up his message. How long did it take for Daniel’s message to be fulfilled? About 400 years. Water in the Bible often represents God’s abundant blessings. In fact, "Blessing, fertility, and water are almost interchangeable in the Old Testament."

(Psalms 46:4) "There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High."

(Psalms 65:9) "You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it."

(Psalms 36:8) "They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. 9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."

(Habakkuk 2:14) "For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, As the waters cover the sea."

The Garden of the Lord: (Isaiah 51:3) "For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody."

(Joel 3:18) "And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Acacias."

And when were the prophecies of Joel fulfilled? Peter quotes Joel 2 in Acts 2 and said that it was being fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost when the church was established.

The Jewish Feast of the Tabernacles

The Jewish feast of the Tabernacles is described in Leviticus 23:39-43. It came on the 15th day of the seventh month, which was typically around the end of September or early October. The Feast was primarily agricultural and celebrated the gathering of the harvest. In John 7:37 it is referred to as "The Feast." The Rabbies said that "he who has not seen Jerusalem during the Feast of Tabernacles does not know what rejoicing means."

3. One of the most important rituals on this day was the pouring of water in the temple. A specially appointed priest was sent to the Pool of Siloam with a golden pitcher to bring water from the pool. This was poured by the high priest into a basin at the foot of the altar amidst the blasting of trumpets and the singing of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118). The significance of this pouring was twofold. First, it was a symbolic and ritual prayer for abundant rain. Second, it looked toward the outpouring of God’s spirit upon all nations as mentioned in Joel 2:28 ("I will pour out my spirit on all flesh") and which Peter in Acts 2 says was fulfilled during the first century.

Part of the closing words of Psalms 118 are "Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity." As with the other feasts, this feast looks forward to the coming Messiah.

It was at the end of such a celebration that Jesus announced that he was the real source of living water. (John 7:37-38) On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." Jesus stood up and said that he was the answer to their prayers! Those who were looking for the river of God’s blessings did not need to keep looking. They had found it. Jesus is the source of living water!

(Zechariah 14:8) "And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur."

(John 4:13-14) Jesus answered and said to her, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

Is this flowing river literal or figurative?

McGuiggan begins his comments on this section by saying: "It seems to me that a man will literalize all this only when he has sold himself to literalizing." Another commentator writes: "To attempt to take this literally, as some have done, is to miss completely the point which is being made. ... No amount of water divining will confirm Ezekiel 47."

First, there is no such source of water in the Temple. Indeed, when the Assyrians threatened to invade Palestine, King Hezekiah ordered workmen to dig a tunnel through nearly 2000 feet of solid rock from the Pool of Siloam to the spring outside the walls of the city to provide fresh water during the siege. The temple’s water came from the Great Bronze Sea, which was a large bronze bowl that stood in the court of Solomon’s temple. That source of water was located on the southeast side of the temple (1 Kings 7:39). (The river in Ezekiel 47 begins south of the altar.)

There is no literal source of water that could produce the river described by Ezekiel. If after reading this chapter, you are looking forward to a fishing trip to the Dead Sea, I would suggest you go back and read it again -- you have missed something important! McGuiggan: "This is worth spending time on to build up our hearts rather than to spend time figuring out how we can get such a literal river to flow in the manner this one flows."

What then does it symbolize?

Let’s review the clues:

a) The water flows from the temple. God is the source.

b) The water starts small and deepens and widens as it flows.

c) The water purifies and cleanses what it touches. It brings life.

d) The water yields a great harvest of fish.

e) The water produces trees with fruit and healing for the nations.

Each of these statements is true of the church and its proclamation of the gospel. God is the source of the church and the gospel. It is His church -- not our church. It is His word that sets men free -- not our word. The church began as a mustard seed on the day of Pentecost when God’s spirit was poured out as Joel had prophesied.

Matthew 13:31-32 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 "which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

The gospel purifies, cleanses, and brings life and the gospel yields a great harvest of fish.

Matthew 13:47-48 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, 48 "which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.

The gospel produces trees giving food and healing to the nations.

Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Finally, I think we would miss an important point if we failed to notice the great importance of water in the Scriptures. When God first began to order his creation, he moved upon the face of the waters. When mankind’s sin became too great, God cleansed the earth with water. When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, God put a wall of water between their former bondage and their promised land. God put water between the priests and the Holy Place in the temple. Before they could enter they were required to wash themselves with water. God put water between sickness and health in the case of Naaman, who was healed only after he obeyed God and washed himself in the Jordan river. Jesus put water between blindness and sight when he put clay on a blind man’s eyes and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. God put water between sin and salvation. It is at the point of baptism that our sins are washed away. (Acts 22:16)

Anyone who is surprised that God put water between spiritual death and spiritual life just hasn’t been paying attention. It would have been surprising if He had not done so!

Verses 13-23

Eze 47:13-23

Ezekiel 47:13-23

Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. 15 And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. 17 And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. 18 And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. 19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. 20 The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. 21 So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

The Land and Its Boundaries (Ezekiel 47:13-23)

These verses describe the land that is to be divided among the twelve tribes. The specific and orderly division described here and in Chapter 48 would have been very important and very meaningful to the Jewish mind. No longer would the tribes be mixed and confused, but everything would be properly ordered. This is not a prophecy that the church will be divided, but rather to the Jewish mind this orderly division meant that everything under the New Covenant would be as it should be. God will be in charge, and all of His people will be included in his new kingdom. As we will see, the tribes are not arranged randomly. (1 Corinthians 14:40) "Let all things be done decently and in order."

What were the twelve tribes?

This question is harder than it sounds. The Tribe of Levi had no portion of the land because they were provided for by the offerings and by the land surrounding the temple. (Ezekiel 44:28) And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. To keep the total number at 12, Joseph was given two portions -- one for his son Manasseh and one for his son Ephraim. Thus, we have 14 groups to choose from in obtaining 12 tribes. In Revelation 7:4-8, Levi, Joseph, and Manasseh are included, but Dan and Ephraim are left out! Why? Dan was very early connected with idolatry.

(1) Judges 18:30 And the Danites set up the graven image for themselves.

(2) 1 Kings 12:28-29 So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

(3) Genesis 49:17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a viper by the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that his rider falls backward.

Rome was full of idolatry and so was Dan. Hence, Dan was not used in the description of the church in Revelation 7. Dan was the classic example of a tribe that compromised with the world! The message to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 was not to compromise with the world!

Why was Ephraim left out? For the same reason.

(1) Hosea 4:17 Ephraim is joined to idols, let him alone.

(2) Hosea 12:1 Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a bargain with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt.

Ephraim had forsaken God and was busy trying to make deals with the world. They made a covenant with Assyria, but at the same time were making deals with Egypt. Ephraim was also guilty of compromise. Note the careful use of symbolism in Revelation 7 in the omission of Dan and Ephraim because of their compromise with the world and in the inclusion of Manasseh and Joseph to keep the total number at 12.

A question for the premillennialists: Why bother will all of this if the numbers are not symbolic? If the numbers are literal, then who cares if we have 12 tribes or 13 tribes? Why not throw them all in and have 14 tribes? And why 1000 years? Does God just like nice round numbers or is there a deeper significance?

What area of land is described here?

The Great Sea (the Mediterranean) is on the west (Ezekiel 47:20) and the river Jordan is on the east (Ezekiel 47:18). The northern border runs along a line drawn roughly from Tyre on the coast to the headwaters of the Jordan, southwest of Damascus (Ezekiel 47:15-17). The eastern boundary follows the Jordan to the Dead Sea (which is the eastern sea in Ezekiel 47:18). Tamar was probably near its southern end, and it marked the beginning of the southern boundary, which ran to the Mediterranean coastline.

It is very interesting that the boundaries given here in Ezekiel 47 match the boundaries given in Numbers 34. Premillennialists insist that the land promise was never fulfilled to Abraham’s seed -- not as to either area or duration. They point to Genesis 15:18 for the area and to Genesis 17:8 for the duration ("everlasting possession"). However, Joshua tells us that the "area" promise was completely fulfilled, and Deuteronomy tells us that the "duration" promise was forfeited when Israel broke their covenant with God. So, premillennialists must be wrong!!

According to the premillennialists, these promises will be fulfilled in the Millennium. But what does the Bible say? Israel possessed and dwelled in all the land mentioned in Numbers 34. See Joshua 21:43-45; Joshua 23:14-16. But the millennialist says that was not enough -- God owed them even more land and they have not received it even to this very day! But Ezekiel tells us here that Israel will not have enough land even in the supposed Millennium because Ezekiel here does not include all of the land mentioned in Genesis 15. Also, if the land is an everlasting possession then Israel will have to dwell there for all eternity! I don’t know about you, but I don’t want any land as an everlasting possession. I had much rather move on to that place that Jesus has prepared (John 14:2).

What about the land in Genesis 15:18? Has Israel ever possessed all of that land? If not, then is that a promise remaining to be fulfilled? First, the passages from Joshua 21, 23 listed above tell us four times that ALL of the promises to Israel were fulfilled. Example: (Joshua 21:43) And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein. But what about Genesis 15:18 and Exodus 23:28 ff, which speak of much larger tracts of land? Although that land was given to Israel, only a section of that gift was ever intended to be the promised inheritance.

The promised land was a subset of the land described in Genesis 15. How do we know this? We ask and answer a simple question -- Did Moses ever enter the promised land?

(Numbers 20:12) Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them."

(Numbers 27:12-13) Now the LORD said to Moses: "Go up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given to the children of Israel. 13 "And when you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was gathered.

If that huge section of land mentioned in Genesis 15 and Exodus 23 was the promised land, then Moses was standing in the promised land when God told him he would never enter the promised land! The promised land was located entirely to the west of the Jordan river. Deuteronomy 2:29 tells us that the people would have to "cross the Jordan to the land which the LORD our God is giving us." That is the same land that Joshua said the Israelites had possessed, and it is the same land described here by Ezekiel.

Strangers are not be mistreated, but are to be treated as the home-born. This was a common theme in the Mosaic Law, although it was never followed whole-heartedly by the Jews. It points toward the day when God would bless the entire world through Abraham.

(Leviticus 24:22) "Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God."

(Isaiah 56:6-8) "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."

This river was not just a blessing to the Jews, but was blessing to all of the people of God everywhere. God through Jesus Christ fulfilled his promise to bless the entire world through the seed of Abraham.

The Temple and the Land - Ezekiel 47:1 to Ezekiel 48:35

Open It

1. What sorts of conflicts have you seen, or would expect to see, surrounding the division of an inheritance?

2. What particular recollections, positive or negative, do you have regarding rivers?

Explore It

3. At the end of his tour of the restored temple of God, what did Ezekiel see coming out of the temple? (Ezekiel 47:1-2)

4. What happened to the stream of water as it got farther away from the temple? (Ezekiel 47:3-6)

5. What good effects did the river in Ezekiel’s vision have along its route? (Ezekiel 47:7-12)

6. What were God’s instructions for the division of the land among the tribes? (Ezekiel 47:13-21)

7. How did God instruct His people to regard aliens who had settled among them for legal purposes? (Ezekiel 47:22-23)

8. How specific were God’s instructions about which tribe was to receive which piece of land? (Ezekiel 48:1-7; Ezekiel 48:23-29)

9. For what purposes did God set aside the "special gift" of land at the center of the country? (Ezekiel 48:8-22)

10. What different groups were specifically provided for within the special sector of land? (Ezekiel 48:8-22)

11. How were the gates of the city of Jerusalem to be named? (Ezekiel 48:30-34)

12. How did the name of the city reflect its reason for being? (Ezekiel 48:35)

Get It

13. What do you think the river that flowed out of the temple in Ezekiel’s vision might represent?

14. How does this passage show us that God’s blessings are not for a single ethnic group only?

15. Why is it important for us to set aside portions of the blessings God gives to us?

16. What conclusions can we draw from the characterization of the new Israel about the fairness and holiness of God?

17. What do you think is the greatest privilege of any nation, city, or individual?

Apply It

18. How can you set aside something from the material blessings God has given you in order to honor and thank Him?

19. What source of help, inspiration, and power from God is available to prosper your daily life, and how can you take advantage of it?