Probably the last chapters of the book of Ezekiel are less understood than any other equal portion of the Bible, and they are doubtless the most difficult part of the book. Referring to the 40th chapter, where the trying portion begins, we find that the prophet was in the visions of God brought "into the land of Israel, and set upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south." (Ezekiel 40:2)
This was in the 14th year after the destruction of the city of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Now the Lord had already said through Ezekiel (Ezekiel 21:25-27) that when Zedekiah ceased to reign, the kingdom of Israel should be no more, "until He come whose right it is." (Ezekiel 21:27)
Therefore we must conclude that the description of the city and temple which is given in the last chapters of Ezekiel is not a portrayal of something that was for the Jews in their state as one of the nations of earth, but that it refers to the new earth, and is something that will be the portion of all who are saved.
It is true that there are difficult passages in the description, which seem irreconcilable with this presentation, but we must remember that a difficulty is not an argument against the truth. In the writings of the Apostle Paul there are "some things hard to be understood," (2 Peter 3:16) but that is no fault of the writings themselves. It is our dullness and slowness of comprehension, that makes the Scriptures difficult.
The only way to understand difficult passages of the Bible is to hold fast to certain firmly-established principles. The plain facts of the Gospel are always the same, and must never be lost sight of. It must also be remembered that the whole Bible is given for the purpose of revealing God to men, and that this is done only through the cross; so that wherever we read, we may be sure that there is something that concerns the great work of salvation. Nothing is placed in the Bible merely to satisfy curiosity, or as a mere matter of history. "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." (Romans 15:4)
In this chapter of Ezekiel, therefore, we may be sure that there is something to give us hope. Holding fast to the truth that we know, we shall gradually come to an understanding of those things that are at present obscure. After reading Ezekiel 40:2 read: "Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Psalm 48:1-2)
It was to this place that God was leading the children of Israel when He took them from Egypt. "You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which You have made for yourself to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established." (Exodus 15:17)
It is this place which Ezekiel saw, and which he has described for us with so much minuteness that our minds are overwhelmed. Of the place which Ezekiel saw, God said to him: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever." (Ezekiel 43:7)
It is when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven, and there is a new heaven and a new earth, that the voice from heaven says, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Revelation 21:3)
So we may be assured that what we read of in Ezekiel pertains to the new earth state. It may be urged that in the course of this description we read of the offering of sacrifices, which is not consistent with the idea that it refers to the new earth state. That is a difficult thing to understand, it is true; but no more so than other statements. For instance, take Jeremiah 33:14-18, which undoubtedly refers to the redeemed state. There we read: "Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness. For thus says the Lord; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually." (Jeremiah 33:14-18)
It is after Christ sits as a Refiner and Purifier of silver, and purifies the sons of Levi, "that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years." (Malachi 3:3-4)
Verses 1 and 2 show that the time referred to is the last days. We must therefore rest content for the present with the fact that there are some things in this connection that we cannot understand, and not let them deprive us of the good of that which is plain, and evidently parallel to other scriptures concerning which there is no chance for a misunderstanding.
The River of Life
And now we can consider the portion of Scripture that is assigned for the lesson, which, however, after we have settled the application of the last part of Ezekiel, as already done, is so plain as to need no comment. The prophet was brought to the door of the house, where he saw the "waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; for the forefront of the house stood toward the east." (Ezekiel 47:1)
It was "eastward in Eden" (Genesis 2:8) that the Lord planted a garden, and after He had driven man out of the garden, "He placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword," (Genesis 3:24) the symbol of His presence. The tabernacle built by Moses, which was a picture of the temple in heaven, was always pitched facing the east, and the temple of Solomon faced the east. We know also that "out of the throne of God and of the Lamb [there proceeds] a pure river of water of life." (Revelation 22:1)
It is this river, therefore, that we have presented before us in this lesson.
How wide is that river? We may ask that question, because in this lesson the measurements are given, and it is always allowable to ask anything of which the Bible speaks. All we can learn, however, is that it is very wide; for we find from the measurements made by the angel who showed the house to Ezekiel, that the river deepened gradually from the shore for six thousand cubits, or more than a mile, where the water was deep enough to swim in, that is, a man could no longer wade. We may know then that the river of God is of a size commensurate with the greatness of the God from whose throne it flows. "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 [or "for healing"]." (Ezekiel 47:12)
All that is necessary in order to understand the reference here is to read: "On this side of the river and on that was the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of fruits, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." (Revelation 22:2)
The two passages of Scripture are identical. The tree mentioned by Ezekiel is the tree of life, or, rather, the trees of life, for it is many trees in one, extending along the banks of the river indefinitely. The river is the river of life, for "every thing shall live whither the river comes." (Ezekiel 47:9)
That river is a real stream, and is flowing today. It is the life of God sent out into all the universe, and wherever it comes there is life even in spite of the death that rests upon this earth.
How little we know of the infinite variety of forms which the life of God can assume. We breathe in the air, we eat it in our food, we drink it in the pure water, we are cheered and strengthened by it as it comes to us in the sunshine, and in many other ways it refreshes us. There are many things that contribute to our existence here, but they are all forms of the one life. All proceed from God, who is our life.
From that river of God, which is full even to overflowing, we drink day by day, since it is from it that the earth is refreshed and made to bring forth fruit. "You visit the earth, and water it: You greatly enrich it with the river of God, which is full of water: You prepare them corn, when You have so provided for it. You water the ridges thereof abundantly: You settle the furrows thereof: You make it soft with showers: You bless the springing thereof." (Psalm 65:9-10)
Every shower that falls upon the earth is but the overflowing of the river of life, which nevertheless never runs dry. From that river we drink, and since it is the life of God, which is righteousness, if we would but recognize God in His gifts, living by faith, we should drink in righteousness every time we quench our thirst.
Only God can supply the desires of mankind. "You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing." (Psalm 145:16)
Our hunger and thirst are but cravings for a renewal of the life which comes alone from God; and the drinking of the children of Israel from the rock in the desert, which Rock was Christ, (Exodus 17:5-6; 1 Corinthians 10:4) and the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness, are demonstrations to us that when we eat and drink we are taking from Christ himself.
So it is God that we are unconsciously longing for when we feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. He satisfies our longings by giving us himself; and if we would remember this, every meal that we eat, and every draught of water that we drink, would be to us healing both of body and soul, even as though we were standing by the throne, looking into the unveiled face of God, and eating and drinking from the tree and the water at life.--Present Truth, August 10, 1899--Ezekiel 47:1-12
E.J. Waggoner