In Ezekiel 47, the vision of the temple moves now to a vision of living water flowing from the temple. The CSB Study Bible concludes that the last two chapters of Ezekiel (47-48) are probably addressing the, “consummation of all human history” and therefore can be seen as a parallel to Revelation.[1] The water begins shallow, and ends deep. It spreads out and brings healing and life to the region around it. Specifically, it will even flow to the dead sea and bring life and a variety of fish to this body of water that is unable to support life in the present (47:8-9). We had seen back in chapter 37 how God is able to raise up new life out of dry bones and therefore He could do what He wanted with Israel and restore them. Now, we see the end hope of all creation: restoration and recreation. Just as God could restore Israel, resurrect the dead, and do the impossible throughout history, the new creation will reveal once again that there is nothing too hard for our God.
In the beginning, God’s creation was good, and after God saw all that He had made it was pronounced, “very good” (Gen. 1:31). Yet, anyone who has lived on the planet for longer than five minutes has probably realized how far we’ve come from that initial creation and the peace found within the Garden of Eden. Man was at peace with God. The creation was unstained by sin. Death had not entered in. It’s the antithesis of what we often experience today. The world today is characterized by suffering, by sin, and ultimately the consequences of sin, death. This wasn’t how it began, and thankfully we know from God’s Word that it’s also not how it will end. We await, according to God’s promise, a new creation, “in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13). There is a day coming where, “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food” (Is. 65:25).
The end of the story is the consummation of a living hope for the Christian. It’s a time of rejoicing in glory with the One who redeemed us. A time of eternal life and not continual death. A time of restoration. A time that the effects of sin are no more. Every tear will be wiped away (Rev. 21:4) for God is making all things new (Rev. 21:5). As we see the beauty of passages like this one today, it should have us longing for that final day with an eager expectant hope. Come Lord Jesus!
[1] Mark F. Rooker, “Ezekiel,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1317.
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