Ezekiel 47, A Trickle Becomes a River

Ezekiel continues his vision of the Third Temple and a future eternal kingdom. Mackie covers this chapter and the next in session 28 of the Bible Project class on Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 47:1-2, Water from under the threshold.

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.   

Water is flowing out of the temple, from under the threshold. What a strange result! (Mackie points out that refreshing water and the Spirit of God are often linked.)

Ezekiel 47:3-5, Deepening water

As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist.  

He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in--a river that no one could cross.  

As one walks eastward, the water gets deeper and deeper. At half a kilometer, it is ankle deep; at a kilometer east is knee deep. Eventually it is waist deep and finally too deep to cross. The reader is reminded of the water flowing from Eden in Genesis 2:10-14.

Ezekiel 47:6-12, River into the Arabah

He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" 

Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, 

"This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds--like the fish of the Great Sea. But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."   

The modern Arabah region is south of the Dead Sea. It is part of the Jordan Rift Valley. This appears to describe a river flowing into the Gulf of Aqaba, east of the Sinai Peninsula. This water, flowing into the ocean, will make the water in that region fresh, not salty. This will create a vibrant ecology of fish and trees. The descriptions of the environment echoes Eden; in this final kingdom the land is healed and Eden is restored. A similar description of the river flowing into the new Eden is described in Isaiah 35:1-2, 6-7 and Joel 3:18. See also Zechariah 14:6-11. In the New Testament, this river appears in Revelation 22:1-2.

Ezekiel 47:13-20, Boundaries of the land

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph. You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.  

• "This is to be the boundary of the land: "On the north side it will run from the Great Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo  Hamath to Zedad, Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran. The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This will be the north boundary. 
• "On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and  Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the east boundary.   
• "On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi [of Egypt] to the Great Sea. This will be the south boundary.
• "On the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the west boundary.   

The future boundaries of the land are given. These are somewhat similar to those given to ancient Israel in Numbers 34:3-12. A website, templemount, offers both a description of the Third Temple and the accompanying land.

Ezekiel 47:21-23, Inheritance of the tribes

"You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.  You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children.  You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD.  

The land of Israel will be divided among the twelve tribes but will include "aliens", non Jews, who settle there also. The next chapter completes the description of the allotments to the various tribes.