Ezekiel 47:10, commentary and pictures

The life-giving river flows out from under the sanctuary eastward toward the desert and the sea, carrying healing wherever it goes. Where its waters come the sea is made healthy and full of living things, so that fishers stand along its shores spreading their nets for fish of every kind in exceeding abundance. It means the work of God and the truth for this time, beginning as a very small stream and deepening and widening until it spreads to every field nigh and afar off and the whole earth is warned. The fishers and the exceeding many fish mean many souls reached through a large work begun in a small way, growing not by display or human devising but by the working of the Holy Spirit through the simple methods of Christ. Wherever the gospel is received its grace heals the maladies sin has produced, and everyone in whom Christ abides, every home opened to divine principles, and every healing institution wrought through by God becomes a channel from which the tide of spiritual life flows forth to bless the world.

Vision of Healing Waters

The verse belongs to a vision of a mighty river issuing from the sanctuary, from the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness, flowing from under the threshold of the house eastward at the south side of the altar toward the east country and going down into the desert and into the sea. It begins as a small, very small rivulet and deepens and widens as it goes, until it becomes a great river of life and healing. This is the river of healing that God designs to accomplish His work through His church that His name may be glorified, showing how He has wrought from the beginning through His people to bring blessing to the world.

Where the rivers come the waters are healed and made healthy, and everything that lives and moves wherever the rivers come lives. There fishers stand from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim as a place to spread forth nets, with fish according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. That abundance of fish means a large work is to be done by many who have commenced in a small way, until many souls are reached.

On both banks grow all trees for food whose leaf does not fade or wither and whose fruit is not consumed but brings forth new fruit every month, bearing new fruit according to his months and never failing. This is because their waters issue out of the sanctuary and they are watered from the sanctuary, the fruit for meat and food and the leaf for medicine.

The waters contain medicinal properties and have power to heal both physical and spiritual infirmity. Wherever the gospel is received its grace heals the maladies that sin has produced, bringing light, strength, and refreshing from the Lord, with the Sun of Righteousness arising with healing in His beams and the good fruit borne bearing witness to a work of righteousness.

Growth of God's Work

The waters are the work of God and the way the truth for this time is to go, beginning as a small, very small rivulet and deepening and widening in its course until it becomes great and living interests to be managed by human instrumentalities. The river spreading to the east and to the west and to the north, to the islands of the sea and to all parts of the world, means the work extends into all fields, nigh and afar off, onward and still onward until the whole earth shall have been warned, and then shall the end come.

The fishers standing from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim as a place to spread forth nets, and their fish according to their kinds as the fish of the great sea exceeding many, mean a large work is to be done by many who have commenced in a small way, growing until many souls are reached. The increase from that small beginning to exceeding many comes not through display and not through any devising or schemes on the part of man, but because of the working of the Holy Spirit on the hearts of the human agencies. This is the way the Saviour worked, and when His followers make His methods their methods and carry the message in this simple way in many places, His blessing attends their labors.

The gospel is to be given in its purity in clear, unmistakable language under the overruling guidance of the Holy Spirit, and as it spreads men will be called from the plow and from the more common commercial vocations and educated in connection with men of experience until they learn to labor effectively and proclaim the truth with power. Through most wonderful workings of divine providence mountains of difficulty will be removed and cast into the sea, the message that means so much to the dwellers upon the earth will be heard and understood, and men will know what is truth. The work is the Lord's and is not to be centered in any one place or centralized under one management, but each institution is to remain independent working out God's plan under His direction, with individuality and personal responsibility preserved. Burden-bearing gives strength and development, while being freed from responsibility leaves character undeveloped and powers repressed and weakened.

Channels of Living Water

The river shows the work God designs to accomplish through His church that His name may be glorified, for from the beginning He has wrought through His people to bring blessing to the world. To ancient Egypt He made Joseph a fountain of life through whose integrity the life of that whole people was preserved, and through Daniel He saved the life of all the wise men of Babylon, and these deliverances are object-lessons illustrating the spiritual blessings offered to the world through connection with the God whom Joseph and Daniel worshiped. The people of God, His chosen kingdom, are not as a stagnant pool but as a river constantly flowing, and as it advances becoming deeper and wider until its life-giving waters are spread over all the earth. Every one in whose heart Christ abides, every one who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity, and as he receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life.

The Holy Spirit unites with those in the church who with contrition of heart walk humbly with God, and to all who look to Him and walk in the footsteps of Christ He gives sanctification, comfort, and victory over the world. The Sun of Righteousness arises with healing in His beams, bringing light, strength, and refreshing from the Lord, and the good fruit borne bears witness to a work of righteousness. By God's power working through them, sanitariums are designed to be such a river of life and healing, carrying from Christ the Great Physician through His servants a mighty healing power to sin-sick and suffering humanity for body and soul, to bring blessings to the world and glorify His name.

Medical missionary work is the living waters issuing out of the sanctuary, bringing life whithersoever the rivers come. Homes opened to the divine principles of life become channels for currents of life-giving power, and from them flow streams of healing bringing life and beauty and fruitfulness where now are barrenness and dearth. This work in the short time given to pass through this world but once does not require wealth or social position or great ability, but a kindly, self-sacrificing spirit and a steadfast purpose, so that though the sphere of influence may seem narrow and ability small and opportunities few and acquirements limited, wonderful possibilities come through faithful use of the opportunities of the home, for a lamp however small if kept steadily burning may light many other lamps.