Lord’s Day, Vol. 7 No. 48

Whithersoever the River Shall Come

Ezekiel 47:9 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.

The river is a lifeline for the land. The water nourishes everything that lives and moves. Our text tells us that the river also shall yield a very great multitude of fish, a picture of abundance. Plenty of supply of fresh fish for the people who will harvest them. From the river is brought forth water that heals and nourishes. This river has a head source that is neither polluted nor corrupted with impurity but is pure and conducive to the propagation of life. It is said here that everything shall live that comes into contact with the nourishing lifeline of this river. This river flows during the time of the Millennium what Christ rules upon earth for a thousand years. 

The psalmist describes this river well in Psalm 46:4 Thereis a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

The Promised Land shall be transformed. The prophet Zechariah gave a description of the climate and geographical transformation that took place when Christ returns to rule upon earth.

Zechariah 14:6-9. 6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Daniel likewise described this coming blessed time on earth in  Daniel 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

The presence of God and His care for His people is well attested in this physical description of the river that nourishes the City of God in Ezekiel’s vision of the Millennial Temple.

Meditating upon this verse of the nourishing river brings the wonderful thought of the abundance that comes from God’s Word that cleanses, bringing healing and nourishing to our souls as the Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5:25b-27 – 25… Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. The people of God must needs spend time dwelling in His Word, that the fountain of His Word may prosper the soul – Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Likewise, the restored nation of Israel will be nourished of the Lord in the Millennium – Zechariah 13:1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

The pollutions that come from man’s abuse of the river that consequently pollutes it will be a thing of the past. In the Millennium, the fountain of pure water ceases not to flow and therefore there is constant renewal. 

When we repent of our sins and receive Christ into our lives, there is a constant supply of spiritual nourishment through the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit that indwells the believer. As Jesus promised the woman at the well in Samaria in John 4:14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The believer in every age has no lack as he draws nigh to God through Christ as the woman in Samaria testified in John 4:25 …I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.Also, in John 4:29Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? Certainly, this was the record of the workings of the Son of God in His first advent. Jesus tarried two days at the behest of the Samaritans to the spiritual strengthening of these who received Him as Saviour.

John 4:39-42 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.

May the Lord help us to dwell in His Word through prayer that the Holy Spirit may teach us all things for God’s glory as His beloved witnesses. Amen.

Yours lovingly,

Pastor Lek Aik Wee