Ezekiel 47:12

_ 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. _ By the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat. INSTEAD OF THE "VINE OF SODOM AND GRAPES OF GOMORRAH" ( Deuteronomy 32:32), nauseous and unwholesome, trees of life-giving and life-restoring virtue shall bloom, similar in properties to, and exceeding in number, the tree of life in Eden ( Revelation 2:7 ;...

Verse Ezekiel 47:12. _SHALL GROW ALL TREES FOR MEAT, WHOSE LEAF SHALL NOT_ _FADE_] A description that suits the righteous, who are still producing - 1. The _fruits_ of _faith_. 2. The _fruits_ of the _Spirit._ 3. The _fruits_ of _love_ to God, obedience to his holy will, and love to all men. Benevolence, mercy, charity, kindness, c. _THE LEAF THEREOF FOR MEDICINE._] See Revelation 22:1. Even the _leaves_, the holy _profession_ of the righteous, is a spiritual medicine. Righteousness is thus encouraged in the world. The _profession_ points out the salvation, as it shows the nature and sufficiency of that salvation for a just creed contains all the articles of the Christian fait

EXPOSITION As the first part of Ezekiel's vision (Ezekiel 40-43.) dealt with the temple, or "house," and the second (Ezekiel 44-47.) with the ritual, or "worship," so the third, which beans with the present chapter (Ezekiel 47:1; Ezekiel 48:1.), treats of the land, or "inheritance" setting forth first its relation to the temple (verses 1-12) and to outlying countries (verses 13-21), and secondly its division among the tribes, inclusive of the priests, Levites, sanctuary, prince, and city (Ezekiel 48:1), with a statement of the dimensions and gates of the last (verses 24-35). The opening section of the present chapter (verses 1-12) is by Kliefoth and others connected with the second part as a conclusio

AND BY THE RIVER ON THE BANKS THEREOF, ON THIS SIDE AND ON THAT SIDE,.... On each side of the river, on the banks of it: SHALL GROW ALL TREES FOR MEAT; such as bear fruit, that may be eaten, and is good for food: by these "trees" are meant truly gracious souls, converted persons, real Christians, true believers in Christ; who like trees have a root, are rooted in the love of God, in the person and grace of Christ, and have the root of the matter in them, the grace of the blessed Spirit; and who also is their sap, of which they are full, and so grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ; grow up in him, and grow upwards and heavenwards in their affections and desires, and in the exercise of faith and hope: they are the trees of the Lord, trees of righteousness, good trees, that bring forth good fruit; and are often in Scripture compared to trees the most excellent, as palm trees, ceda...

III. THE VISION CONCERNING THE LAND (47-48) CHAPTER 4 7 _ 1. The waters of healing from the temple (Ezekiel 47:1) _ 2. Borders of the land (Ezekiel 47:13) 3. Concerning the stranger in the land (Ezekiel 47:22)...

EZEKIEL 47, 48. THE HOLY LAND, ITS BEAUTY, BOUNDARIES, AND DIVISIONS. Now that the Temple and its worship, which are indispensable to the welfare of the land, have been described, Ezekiel directs his parting glance to the land itself, introducing his description with a beautiful and suggestive picture, particularly refreshing after the long stretch of minute ceremonial detail, of the life-giving stream that flowed from the heart of the sanctuary. The clearness and keenness with which the prophet's imagination is working, comes out in the frequent repetition of the word Behold. EZEKIEL 47:1. THE RIVER OF LIFE. From under the threshold of the Temple the prophet, led by his supernatural guide, is startled to see water trickling out and flowing past the altar eastwards, growing deeper and stronger as it flows, in the direction of the Dead Sea, into which it finally falls.

TREES FOR MEAT. Hebrew "trees of meat". Genitive of Relation. App-17. Compare Genesis 2:9. CONSUMED. fail. NEW. ripe. MEDICINE. healing. The Divine provision for preserving and restoring health in that future day, when this prophecy shall be literally fulfilled. Compare Revelation 22:2....

The river issuing from the temple. The prophet saw a stream issuing from beneath the threshold of the house, which pursued its way eastward, passing the altar on the south side and emerging into the open on the right hand of the outer east gate. A thousand cubits from the gate the waters were ankle deep, but speedily they became a river so deep that it could be crossed only by swimming (Ezekiel 47:3). A luxuriant nature attended the course of the stream; trees grew on every side, ever green and with unfailing fruit, the leaves of which possessed a healing virtue (Ezekiel 47:7_; Ezekiel 47:12_). The desert place to the east became transformed, and the bitter waters of the Dead Sea into which the river flowed were made sweet,

WHOSE LEAF SHALL NOT FADE— Flourishing like the trees of paradise; a very proper emblem of the righteous and faithful; _still bringing forth fruit unto holiness, and whose end is everlasting life._ See the description of the new Jerusalem, Revelation 22:1....

III. THE FUTURE LAND 47:1-48:35 In his last vision Ezekiel observes the blessing which the people of God would enjoy in the new Temple age. In that blessed land the tribes of Israel would have eternal possession. Here he discusses (1) the transformation of the promised land (Ezekiel 47:1-12); (2) the boundaries of the promised land (Ezekiel 47:13-21); (3) the place of aliens in the land (Ezekiel 47:22-23); (4) the apportionment of the land among the tribes (Ezekiel 48:1-35). THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE PROMISED LAND 47:1-12 TRANSLATION (1) And he brought me back unto