Ezekiel 47:5

And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. When the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. Again he measured a thousand ... the waters were to the loins. Afterward ... it was a river that I could not pass over ... waters to swim in. Searching into the things of God, we find some easy to understand, as the water up to the ancles; others more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters up to the knees or loins; others beyond our reach, of which we can only adore the depth ( )....

Verse Ezekiel 47:5. Ezekiel 47:3....

The rivers in Palestine were for the most part mere watercourses, dry in summer, in winter carrying the water along the wadys to the sea. The river of the vision is to have a continuous flow. WATERS TO SWIM IN - When under Constantine the Roman empire had become Christian, the Church may be contemplated as the full river, to flow on through time until the final completion of Isaiah’s prophecy Isaiah 11:9....

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

AFTERWARD HE MEASURED A THOUSAND,.... A fourth time a thousand cubits. Some think these four measurings respect the preaching of the Gospel in the four parts of the world; but rather they refer to four remarkable seasons of the ministry of it; as in the times of John the Baptist, and the disciples of Christ before his death; in the primitive churches of the three first centuries; at the time of the Reformation; and in the latter day glory, which is the fourth and last measuring: AND IT WAS A RIVER THAT I COULD NOT PASS OVER; the prophet could not set his foot on the bottom, and wade through it, and cross over it, as he had done before: FOR THE WATERS WERE RISEN, WATERS TO SWIM IN; not to walk in: A RIVER THAT COULD NOT BE PASSED OVER; by any man, on his feet; only by swimming, and perhaps not by that, at least not without difficulty: this may signify the large spread of the Gospel in...

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.

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,

AND WHEN THE MAN—WENT FORTH— The gradual rise of the waters denotes the large effusion of the Spirit, which was very remarkable at the first publication of the gospel, and its wonderful increase from small beginnings; as well as some future and large effusion of that Spirit, when God shall be pleased to pour it forth upon the Jews for their conversion. The supplies of grace are often represented under the metaphor of a river, and streams watering a dry and thirsty soil, and cleansing and making fruitful the ground where they pass. Many of the ideas in this chapter are taken from the terrestrial paradise; see Ezekiel 47:7; Ezekiel 47:12 which ideas are also carried to the celestial paradise by St. John. Revelation 22....

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