Tyndale Open Study NotesEzekiel 47

Once the temple was restored to its central place among God’s people, its life-giving influence would flow outward.

Ezekiel pictures this influence as a river. As the river moves away from the temple, it brings change. It turns places of death into places of life.

• The stream's source was inside the temple.

• from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar: In Solomon's Temple, this spot held the Sea, a large bronze pool for cleansing water (1 Kings 7:23, 39). The Sea also had symbolic meaning. In the ancient world, the sea often represented chaos (disorder and danger). By placing the Sea in the temple, it showed that God had power over chaos within his ordered world.

  In Ezekiel’s vision, the Sea is no longer a still pool. Instead, it becomes a flowing river that gives life. This image recalls the river in Eden (see Genesis 2:10–14; Psalm 46).

At first, the stream was only a small trickle flowing from the temple gate. As it moved farther away, it grew deeper and deeper. Soon it became too deep to walk through.

The exiles needed this reminder. God often begins his work in small and quiet ways. Over time, what seems small can grow into something full and powerful by God’s action.

As the river flowed, it became deeper and wider. It brought life wherever it went. Even the salty waters of the Dead Sea became fresh and full of life.

From En-gedi on the west side of the Dead Sea to En-eglaim on the east side, the Dead Sea would change from death to life.

The Dead Sea is filled with salt and other minerals. Because of this, nothing can live in it. In Ezekiel’s vision, the river would make its waters fresh. The sea would be filled with many kinds of fish. There would be enough fish to support a large fishing industry.

The valuable salt deposits from the Dead Sea area would remain intact. The marshes and swamps would still contain salt.

Along both sides of this river of life, fruit trees of every kind will grow. Like the righteous person described in Psalm 1, their leaves will not wither. They will produce fruit at the right time.

These trees will be so full of life that they will bear a new crop every month. Their leaves will have healing power. The river will bring real and visible blessings to all of God’s people.

Wherever this river flows, life will appear.

The final section of the book of Ezekiel describes the boundaries of the land and how it will be divided among the tribes.

In this section, theology (teaching about God) is shown through geography (the arrangement of the land). The way the land is organized has meaning. Matters such as space, access, and position in relation to the temple are very important.

Where a tribe lives, and how close it is to the temple, shows something about order and holiness among God’s people.

The new promised land's boundaries were similar to those in Numbers 34:1–12. The boundaries stretched from Lebo-hamath in the north to the Brook of Egypt in the south, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Jordan River in the east.

The people would now fully possess this promised land, which they had never done before. Transjordan, the area east of the Jordan River, was not included. This area was the historic home of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh. It was outside the boundaries promised to Moses and was not part of the original promise. But many Israelites had lived there in the past.

The land within these borders was to be divided among the tribes of Israel.

In the past, before the exile, the nation was divided into two kingdoms. In the future, there would be one united kingdom. The twelve tribes would live together as one people.

This new arrangement would also include resident foreigners. If these foreigners had joined Israel as converts (people who had turned to worship the Lord), they were to receive a share of the land. They would receive an allotment just like native-born Israelites. They could also pass this land on to their children.

For Ezekiel, the land had deep meaning. It was a sign of God’s promise and blessing. Because of this, receiving a share of the land was a great privilege.