We'll be talking about here in the book of Ezekiel new heart new spirit. This is the 43rd series and In the book of Ezekiel will be in Ezekiel chapter 47, verses 1 through 23. Take your Bible over to the 26th book of the Old Testament, the book of Ezekiel. I'm getting closer and closer to ending this entire series of A New Heart, A New Spirit. And I'm glad here in Winston the Word, we at February the 5th, 2025, the 7th of Shabbat, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar, amen. Here tonight as we get into the wonderful word of God, amen. As we look and realize that here tonight, we'll be talking about the river of life, God's healing waters, amen. And so we see that we find a powerful vision given to the prophet Ezekiel, symbolizing the restoration and the transformation of the nation of Israel and offering a profound message about spiritual renewal. And so how this chapter begins to start out as a broader vision of a new temple and a restored land in a messianic age. We're talking about the future prophecy that's coming to each and every one of us if your name's been recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life. And so, we look at the divine provision, the healing, and the outpouring of God's spirit tonight. And so, before we go any further, I want to continue remembering those where the death angels come into their homes. Remember the Greg Hightower family and Remember those ones at your church tonight that's on your prayer list that you're currently lifting up, amen. And so as we remember all of those at Bethel Crossroads tonight, we may not say all their names, but we'll be praying on behalf of all of the ones that are sick and afflicted. especially Sister Williams. It's a new added one that Pastor Keith Dempsey added to our prayer list. And so I want to remember each and every one that's sick and afflicted, those that are going through very difficult times, as tonight, as we get into our Bible study, that we want to be able to open up with a time of prayer. And so tonight, as we get into the river of life, God's healing waters tonight, let's open up with a time of prayer and ask the Lord to intervene. Pray with me tonight. Heavenly Father, Lord, I pray that you let our river flow into the dry places of our hearts. And Lord, our lives, and fill us with your spirit of God tonight. Help us to bring your life-giving presence into others. And Lord, all that we do, Lord, as we run across some of the driest parts, Christians, they could ever be in this walks of life. I pray tonight, Lord, that we'll wet some areas where the Holy Spirit's helped tonight. God, that you'll awaken some dried out Christians that's out there tonight that needs a renewing. They need something else, Lord, in their life. Because, Lord, they're about dried up and ready to blow away. And so, Lord, tonight I'm so thankful for the wonderful Holy Spirit of God and all that you do and say. Touch lives tonight, Father. May you reach out. Lord, I thank God we're here tonight, Lord. May we give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. on behalf of all of our missionaries, our pastors, our service men and women, and Lord, those across the country that are about the Great Commission. I thank you for our church at Bethel Cross Rose Baptist Church, our pastor, Keith and Amy Dempsey. Lord, I thank God, Rusty and Lynn Lanier, and Lord, for our kids for Christ that are meeting tonight. I pray and lift them up and ask that you'll just continue to build and strengthen them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Boy, thank you, Lord, for saving me by your marvelous grace. And so I'm glad as we look at the book of Ezekiel tonight, it's about for those who have grown complacent or cold in our walk with God, a new heart. And that outlines how God desires to bring us closer to him. The book of Ezekiel, he's the son of Buzii. That means God will strengthen. Born in 622 BC, during the reign of Josiah, grew up in Palestine, and he was 17 when Daniel was taken to Babylon, and Ezekiel, he was 25 when he was taken to Babylon, along with 10,000 others of Jehoiachin, that was the king at that time, called to prophecy at age 35. Wow! Oh my goodness. And so, as we look around, we see all of the different kings and during the time frame from Josiah of 640 to 609 BC that we look at tonight. I want to invite every one of you to come on behalf of our Pastor Keith Dipsy to Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church at 450 Ironheater Road, Taylesville, Georgia. Come and visit with us if you're not already engaged in the church. Come and be with us for our Sunday school at 10 a.m. morning worship at 11. And I hope and pray that tonight we want to encourage you on behalf of our ministry, in the future we'll be adding archery back into our ministry in the coming days as we begin to go and do a ministry with archery along with the ministry of Jesus Christ to reach out and through those ministries that we're presenting the gospel, but also promoting archery, which is a love of our life and which a lot of us spent at least, I know, for 12 years with my Muzzy family and the Masakia family, amen, that we loved, that one of the best jobs we've ever had. Tonight, we send this all out to Johnny and I'm gonna tell you, and Michelle and all of the family of the Masakias, we send out the love of Jesus Christ. And so, here tonight, for we preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus, Lord, in ourselves, your service for Jesus' sake, amen. And so, tonight, we call this ministry, this book study of the book of Ezekiel, based on this scripture, from Ezekiel chapter 11 verses 19 and 20 and Ezekiel chapter 36 verses 26 and 27 that I always open up because the name Ezekiel means God strengthens and so based on he said I'll give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh that they may walk in my statues and keep my ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God. And so based on Ezekiel chapter 11 verses 19 and 20 and Ezekiel chapter 36 verses 26 and 27, he said, a new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away. Sorry about that, I got anxious on the trigger. out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues, and you shall keep my judgments and do them." And so, I'm glad here tonight, as we get into the wonderful word of God, as we look at the inner court with the temple door in front of us, we're facing west, Ezekiel says. We're facing west as this stream of water is flowing out from the very temple front. It flows under the threshold of the door. past the south side of the altar into the inner court before exiting the east inner gate. And Ezekiel was saying then that he was taken by way of the outer north gate outside the outer wall. And he made his way around the outer wall to the close outer east gate. And at that point, Ezekiel found the trickle emerging from under the wall just south of the gate. Wow! And so, here tonight, as we get into the flowing of the river in verses 1-12, the fruitful trees in verses 7-12, and the boundaries of the restored land of the tribes of Israel in verses 13-23, And I'm glad that each and every one of us as we look and realize tonight. that uh... we're going to be talking about spiritual renewal just as the river brings life to the dead waters the holy spirit can bring a transformation to our hearts revitalizing us spiritually and giving us a fresh start i don't know about you but boy i don't want nothing that's dry and get dried out i want something that's flowing with the spirit of god And we see the abundant provision that God's presence brings abundance, healing, and restoration. And so, those living waters, the river flowing from the temple that speaks of the living waters that Jesus Christ offers to all who are thirsty, according to the New Testament scripture of John chapter 4, verses 10 through 14. The Spirit of God brings new life and restoration to us tonight, just as it will in the future. And so, we're gonna see some very powerful prophetic future things that will be underway tonight. The river of life, God's healing waters. The first thing that we'll be talking about tonight is the vision of life giving river in Ezekiel chapter 47 verses one through 12. And I'm glad that when we look at this, imagine being stranded in a vast desert, thirsting for water, With no relief in sight and then suddenly a small Trickle of water begins to appear and all of a sudden it grows into a stream Then a river and it brings life wherever it flows. Oh my goodness It's like going to Africa in the driest parches a desert somewheres and all of a sudden this powerful vision of Ezekiel tonight risk here in chapter 47 is is a picture of God's abundance, blessings, and restoration and healing tonight. And so, the vision of the holy waters. One of the major features of the messianic kingdom will be a new land. Right before Jesus Christ sets up God's kingdom on earth, catastrophic diseases and disasters will strike the earth one after another, bombarding it, bombarding it. And there'll be unparalleled earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, huge meteors that will fall to earth. You say, oh my goodness. Yeah, but you say, church, you'll be raptured out. But those ones that's left behind during the tribulation, as I always say, they're going to be looking for the exit sign, but they won't find it. They're going to have to go through all of that hardship because they refuse Jesus Christ as gift of salvation. These disasters will radically change the topographical and the geographical features of the earth. And so, I can give you various references through the word of God. I'm not going to go through and read them all because you can read them. But I'm going to tell you they're there. Matthew chapter 24 verse 7 says, For nation shall rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places. You go on further down in Matthew chapter 24 verse 29, Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened. and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken." Hey, you think that's New Testament? Go over in the book of Acts, Acts chapter 2, verses 19 and 20. The word of God says, and I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before that great and notable day of the Lord come. Boy, that sounds scary. Oh my goodness. Revelation chapter six, verses 12 through 14. And then on by hell, when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell upon the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind, and the heaven departed as a scroll, when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. You can continue to go on and read Revelation 8-7-12. You can continue to go on and read Revelation 16-18-21. You can continue to go on and read Joel 2-30-31. Joel 3-15-16. Yes, there's plenty of references to what's going to happen when the church is raptured out. And so, when we look at the vision of the life-giving river, from Ezekiel chapter 47 verses 1 through 12. What do we see? When we see Ezekiel's vision of the new temple and notice of the sanctuary and how that river of water of life comes right down through into the very temple itself. As you look at the chart of that temple, coming in through the main part of the outer court and to the inner court, that that river of water begins to trickle out and flow out. And follow with me, we're to see where this river goes. Because the scripture gives a very detailed description of that river. Before we read the Word of God, I'm going to lay it out for you so that as we read it, you'll follow me along. One of the very first things that we'll see is that God, when God's angelic messenger brought Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple, the prophet saw the source of the river. And so, the source began to come out. And so, And from that moment that we saw of that source that began to come out, amen, I'm glad God will change the face of the earth so that it will resemble the Garden of Eden. And after all the natural and the man-made disasters, the polluted air, the contaminated water, the tornadoes, the hurricanes, the volcanoes, the earthquakes, they cease, both the heavens and the earth will be at peace. Both will operate without disturbance or disaster during the reign of Christ. All nature, including the surface of the earth, will be radically changed. It's noted that these changes do not refer to the new heaven and earth that God will create after Christ's millennial reign. And so, these particular changes will take place right before Christ returns to earth. And the fact that the great significance of the true believers of Israel, when Christ returns and gives Israel the promised land, the land will be completely different from what it is right now. As Ezekiel closes his great book, he begins to describe the amazing fertility of the promised land of God. But keep in mind that God himself showed Ezekiel this land in a vision. The prophet is describing what the Lord actually showed him. And in addition, tonight, the Lord showed Ezekiel how the land of Israel will be divided among the 12 tribes. God will fulfill his wonderful promise to Abraham, to the Abrahamic covenant, and to all the descendants of faith that will inherit the promised land in the coming days. And it will be a brand new land. And so, This new land in the Messiah's kingdom will be a picture of a believer's inheritance and the promised land of heaven. And so we look and we see that river of life in that new land, a reminder that God is the source of all life. There will be a unique river in that new land of the Messiah's kingdom. Water is an absolutely essential to all life and human activity. Without it, there was no life. Ol' Royce Peppers that I used to go to church with over in Oakland Heights. Ol' Royce Peppers, he was a retired truck driver. That guy could make the best ice cream you ever know put in your mouth. He could make some of the best lemon ice cream. Hey, you know what? He sold his recipe Hmm-hmm to may feel and that lemon ice cream that you eat. I may feel is his recipe. Oh, yeah Uh-huh. Well, anyway, he's in the presence of the Lord now, but you know when we think back One of the things that, uh, Royce Peppers used to tell me before I made my trip out to Israel is he said, water is life. When you get to Israel, they're going to tell you water is life. And I'm telling you, God is going to bless some amazing miracles. I'm going to show you some of the promised land that what it looks like right now. And it's a desert desolate place that God is going to change the topographic, the geographic areas of every bit of it. when that time comes. And so the river has life-giving qualities that will cause all life, all activity, vegetation, commerce, businesses, economy, and recreation to flourish in the promised land. because of that time of the millennial reign. And so the prominent feature of the new land will be this river of life that is flowing, praise God, that starts right out from the very temple and comes out. And so when God's angelic messenger brought Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple, the prophet Saul, the source of that river, praise God. And so afterward, as the word of God will tell us, amen, in just a minute, that Ezekiel is led back to the temple where he sees a very, very small stream. And that small stream is flowing from underneath the threshold of the temple door. and the water represents God's presence and life-giving power. And the word for the waters is mayim, the Hebrew word mayim, M-A-Y-I-M, symbolizing the abundance and the blessings in Hebrew thought. And so, can you imagine, all of a sudden you got a small crack in a dam somewhere? that can eventually lead to a powerful flood. And that's what starts as a tiny stream from God's temple that becomes all the way flowing out to a mighty river of life, praise God. I want to share a story with you I was reading about this past week. A small town in Midwest faced some severe drought conditions, and the river that sustained the community had dwindled to almost nothing. The farmers were desperate, the town felt hopeless, And one day the mayor called for a town meeting, urging everyone to come together to pray for the rain to come down. Well, the townspeople, they all gathered in the community hall and as they prayed, one little girl stood up holding an umbrella. Her faith inspired the entire town, reminding them that even in the times of drought, God is still able to provide. Shortly after, rain began to fall and the river began to flow again, revitalizing that community. And the story is about what we're talking about tonight in the book of Ezekiel chapter 47, how faith can lead us to the rivers of life, even in barren times. When we look here in a minute, we're gonna see the source of the river. And I'm glad that Ezekiel is painting a picture of a river flowing from the temple, representing God's presence and provision. And so, It is the beginning of God's blessings for each and every one of us, amen. And so as we look at this tonight, when God's angelic messenger brought Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple, the source of the river. The prophet saw that source coming out, and we see right here, and afterward, he brought me again into the door of the house, and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward, for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under, from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar. Boy, when we look at this, we see the source of the river. Here we look and we see water flowing from the temple threshold and the river moving eastward from the house of God. Boy, if that ain't powerful because when we look and realize tonight that here He says, then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without under the other gate by the way that looketh eastward. And behold, there ran out waters on the right side. Wow. Oh, my goodness. Well, I thank God. And we see that here, that angelic guide that takes Ezekiel outside the temple, seeing the water flowing eastward, emphasizing the divine origin and movement toward the world. And so, as we look, he tells us, in the Hebrew word, he tells us that we're to go out, amen. And so I'm glad each and every one of us as we look and realize that the Word of God is talking to us and telling us, Ape Man, that here is a divine source of the river right here. And so each and every one of us as we go through life today, we can stand at the entrance of the temple as Ezekiel did. And I'm glad that, listen, this here is the temple of God, and it only dwells in a clean temple, a clean vessel. And so, I wonder how clean your temple is. And so Ezekiel saw the water trickling out from under the threshold of the temple. That small stream of water that flowed toward the east passed by the south side of the altar, and God's messenger led Ezekiel through the north gate around the outside of the east gate. so that the prophet could continue to watch the stream begin to flow. And so he saw that stream of water flowing out of that temple area by the south side of the eastern gate. As it flowed to south and southeast, the stream continued to go forward. And then we look and we see again as it flowed from the threshold and the river moving eastward from the house of God, amen, as it began to come out and go. I'm glad that source of the river, as we see the details of this description. We said a while ago in verses 1 and 2, when God's angelic messenger brought Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple, the prophet saw the source of the river. He saw what God could do, amen, that it reached the point where the river was so magnificent, so powerful, that it started out with a trickle. But secondly, in just the short distance of 6,000 feet. The small trickle of water became a torrential river, as you see a diagram of the Millennial Temple here, and how did it begin to go, and eventually will go into like three directions, a man. And so, as we look at this, when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, He measured a thousand cubits and he brought Ezekiel through the waters and the waters were to the ankles. And so as we get into the wonderful word of God, listen, he says, 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 ankles. And so the depth of the river, hallelujah. Boy, I'm glad that with God, you can get into some deep blessings of God. because God's never short when it comes to them. We see the ankle-deep waters. I'm gonna be like that old-fashioned preacher that I'm gonna repetitious on you. I'm gonna repetitious and hopefully by the time that I get done the devil won't take and steal your blessing. You'll remember something. But the ankle-deep waters is the beginning of that spiritual life. That knee-deep water progressing in faith That waist deep water, deeper trust in God. And then, a mighty river too deep to cross. That's the full surrender to God's presence. Buddy, that's when you gotta get out there, praise God in that river of life, and begin to go for it because God's got you. And so, it's that ankle deep waters that he said. He goes on, he says, and he measured a thousand and he brought me through the waters. The waters were to the knees, and again he measured a thousand, and he brought me through the waters, and they were to the loins, praise God, the depth of that river. And so, as he tells us, hear that knee deep, Boy, I didn't spell good there, did I? The waist-deep waters. You're progressing in your faith. All of a sudden, you're getting deeper trust in God. You started out, you were ankle, then you went to the knees. Boy, you're just going a little bit each time. And so we look and we see that the river deepens progressively from ankle-deep to knee-deep, then waist-deep, and finally, a mighty river that is so deep to cross that it represents the increasing blessings and influence of God's spirit, praise God. Think of a child out there learning to swim. First, they're playing in a little shallow water. They got them little balloon things under their arms out there. Then they wait a little deeper until finally they must trust the water to carry them. Likewise, faith begins to grow as we wade deeper into God's presence. And I'm glad that after the two men had walked 1,750 feet, which is 1,000 cubits, along the riverbank. The messenger took a measuring tape and he made a mark. At that mark, the river was ankle-deep. Then, after they followed the river another 1,750 feet, which is another 1,000 cubits, it was knee-deep. Then they continued to follow the flowing water. which soon became a river. And after another 1,750 feet, which is a thousand cubits, it was what? Waste deep. And then at the fourth measurement that we look, He says afterward, he measured a thousand and it was a river that I could not pass over for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. Thank God that we look and we realize here a mighty river that's too deep to cross. Because at that fourth measurement and of that 1,750 feet, The river was so deep that Ezekiel could not cross it without swimming. Boy, that's what do the backstroke. And so at last the land promised by God would have enough water to cause all life and activity to flourish, praise God. And so, as we look and realize that we see the detailed description of not only when God's angelic messenger brought Ezekiel back to the entrance of the temple and the prophet saw the source of the ripper in verses 1 and 2 in just that short distance of 6,000 feet, the small trickle of water became a torrential river in verses 3, 4, and 5, and then The purpose of the river is to transform the land. In verses 6 through 11, we begin to see. Let me back that up again. Remember how that it begins to flow out. He says, And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink. of the river. Wow! I thank God when we look and we realize that the angel asked Ezekiel to fully observe the vision and when he looks again He sees trees growing along the riverbanks, symbolizing the fruitfulness of man. And so I'm glad that those trees represent life and strength in the Bible, that it will nourish a great number. I thank God that he's telling us here, the river heals the Dead Sea. Oh my goodness, when I was in the Dead Sea, I was like a floating balloon. I turned all the way around 360, up this that way, I was buoyant. I couldn't even sink. I got out there with mud balls. Amen. Boy, I was buoyant. I could not even sink. It was water you can't sink in because of the content that is in the salt, the minerals that are in it. But the river, when it hits all the way down to the Dead Sea, it will make it fresh water, and it will clean every bit of the deadness up out of the Dead Sea, and it will become fresh water. abundant fish life where death watch rain, fruitful trees along the banks bearing fruit every month, and leaves for the healing of the nations, symbolizing God's continual provision that this is all going to be taking place, the transforming power of that river. From the east, here we see the Dead Sea, but from the west to the Mediterranean Sea. Wow! Look at this as it begins to come. My goodness, it's powerful. Look at these old desert lands. This is what we're reading about. This is what we're talking about. Oh my goodness. This is nothing but dry desert lands of that in the future when we come back with the Lord. I'm going to tell you something. This is all going to be a flourishing of grass. Everything, the topographic, everything, the geographic, everything is going to relocate and it's going to be a beautiful place that you'll see. He says in verse seven, now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the side and on the other. Wow. And so it will nourish a great number of trees, bringing life to the barren desert land of Ereba. even heal the salty water of the Dead Sea. That's amazing. And so, when we look and see that transforming power of the river, hallelujah, of the things that it's gonna do. Remember, I'm gonna bombard you. I'm gonna repetitively bombard you so that you won't forget. And so, he says in verse eight, then said he unto me, these waters issue out toward the east country and they go down into the desert. and go into the sea, those pictures I showed you of all the land that were dry, that were desert lands, which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And so we look and realize that the river flows all the way into the Dead Sea, making its lifeless water fresh and full of life, representing how God's presence can heal, how then it can restore even the most hopeless situations that are in life today. just as a fresh water can cleanse a polluted stream, God's Spirit can renew a broken life. And so we look and we realize of all the things that transforming power of the river of God, amen. And so he tells us as we see all of the Sea of Galilee, of the Hula Valley, of the Jordan River, all the way down into the Dead Sea, will see of the transforming power of God that's going to take place as everything will change. The rebuilt Jerusalem, the Millennial Temple, the name, I'll get into it next, my last chapter, they'll change the name of Jerusalem. Amen. the river of life will bring new life wherever it flows. And so, Ezekiel describes 10 effects of the river's life-giving waters. First of all, animals will multiply in verse 9. fish will go into the dead sea, and everything will be alive. Praise God. And it shall come to pass that everything that liveth which moveth, whether soever the river shall come, shall everything, and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall be healed, and everything shall live whether the river cometh. Boy, look at all the different fish. Look at all the animals. Look at everything blessed. When God touches something, it's blessed. When God touches your life, you're blessed. You're overflowing with joy. Praise God. You ought to be an example, a testimony, a witness when somebody looks at your life that you're not a dried out Christian that's brittle and broken. And so, the transforming power of the river, hallelujah. I'm glad that he does all of these things, amen. We see as we continue and describing that as in verse 9 that we talked about but let's go a little further in verse 10. Fishermen will spread their nets in every seaside community stretching from En Gedi to En Gilan because I'm glad that that'll be from the desert over where David had ran over into around over the Dead Sea all the way over. What an amazing thing that's going to transpire and what's going to happen. fish of every kind will flourish and will be caught. And so this is an amazing transformation that is going to take place. He says, and it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from in Gedi, even under Ingalem, and they shall be a place to spread forth debts. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea exceedingly many. Boy, I don't know about you, buddy, but I'm going to be a mighty fisherman. Wow, I tell you, I thank God each and every one of us as we go through life, we can look and realize that that river transforms the Dead Sea into a thriving habitat for fish and for fishermen. This represents the gospel spreading life to the world, amen, in Getty. The Hebrew word engedi means spring of the goat, a real oasis that's near the Dead Sea. What a beautiful place, I've been there. And so imagine a barren wasteland suddenly turning into a very lush, green, beautiful paradise. That's the power of God's spirit that we're talking about, transforming power of the river, amen, that we see. And so we go on as he tells us again to describe those 10 things. And we look a little further and we see in verse 11, swamps and marshes will be left untouched in order to provide salt for the people. And so he's going to take care of that that needs to be taken care of. Amen. And so I'm glad there's obviously never been a river like this on the surface of the entire earth. And so scriptures describe how the new land of the Messiah's kingdom will flow with numerous rivers. Joel chapter 3, verse 18. Zechariah chapter 13, verse 1. Zechariah chapter 14, verses 8 and 9. All of these rivers that will be powerful. The tree of life mentioned in the book of Revelation should be studied along with the tree of life that's talked about here. Because they come together. Because the river of life is a reminder that God is the source of abundant eternal life and there's no life apart from the Lord. Jesus Christ is the water who gives every one of us life, quenches our thirst, completes us in our life and every day because the river of life is God's healing water. The river of life began as a trickle flowing from the presence of God himself and became a great river with life-giving healing qualities in its flowing waters, praise God. And it paints a very clear picture of the blood of Christ, which began as a trickle of blood. that flowed from the cross to the world, and every human being in the world can be forgiven their sins and redeemed through the flowing blood of our Savior that was our sacrifice on the cross of Calvary. Thank God, hallelujah, that each and every one of us, amen, we've been justified by His blood, Paul said, and saved from the wrath through Him. So we look and we realize that here that it's not only That it says in verse 11, but the my replaces thereof the marshes there shall not be healed They shall be given to salt so that they'll have a place to get salt from those are the places that you get your salt and so I'm glad that as we look he tells us that of that transforming power of the river. Amen. He goes on and he tells us a little bit more about the 10 effects of the river's life-giving waters. We see the animals that will multiply, the fish that will abound in the Dead Sea. Everything will live in verse 9. In verse 10, fishermen will spread their nets in every seaside community stretching from En-Gedi to En-Geland. And we see that the fish of every kind will flourish and be caught. Then, verse 11, swamps and marshes will be left untouched in order to provide salt for the people. And then in verse 12, fruit trees of all kinds will grow abundantly. Leaves of the trees will never wither. Trees will bear fruit every month, and trees will produce fruit for food and leaves for the healing. And so, and by the river upon the bank thereof, and 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 its months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary, and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine." Wow. I'm glad that that new land, it will be divided. it will be divided among the 12 tribes of Israel in the Messianic kingdom. At long last, God will fulfill his wonderful promise to Abraham that goes all the way back to Genesis chapter 12, verses one through three. And when Christ returns to set up God's kingdom on earth, the Lord will establish that new covenant with Israel and all Jews who truly trust the Lord Jesus Christ will return to inherit the land God had promised them. And so when we look at that description, praise God, we see of that transforming power of the river of God. Here again that he says the river of life is a reminder that God is the source of abundant eternal life. There is no life apart from the Lord, and Jesus Christ is the water who gives us life, quenches our thirst for life, and completes our life. And so, I'm glad we see, secondly, the river of life of God's healing water, not only the vision of life-giving river, in verses 1 through 12. But lastly, in verses 13 through 23, the borders of the promised land. Because he says, Thus said the Lord God, this shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land. According to the twelve tribes of Israel, Joseph shall have two portions. And I'm glad it's divided among the 12 tribes, and we see the fulfillment of God's covenant, and each tribe receives its inheritance. He goes on, he says, And you shall inherit one as well as another concerning the which I lifted up my hand to give it unto your fathers, and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance. Amen. And so as we see, that is divided among all, even us, each and everyone, even strangers, that it shall be. And this shall be the border of the land or the north side from the great sea, the way of Hethon, as men go to Zidane." I'm glad that he tells us the northern the eastern, the southern, and the western boundaries, from verses 15 down to verse 20, that it begins to go into the mention of all of the inheritance of all the tribes of Israel, that they begin to take the fulfillment of God's covenant. Back on that day, the Lord made a covenant in Genesis chapter 15, verse 18, with Abram saying to your descendants, I've given this land. from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. And so I'm glad that when we look all the way into the wilderness and begin to realize of the boundaries that he tells us about, that he says of the fulfillment of God's covenant, Here, in Joshua chapter one, verse two, Moses, my servant, is dead. Now, therefore, arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people to the land, which I have given to them, to the sons of Israel. And the third verse, every place on which the Soviet foot treads, I've given it to you, just as I've spoken to Moses. And verse four, from the wilderness and this Lebanon, even as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and as far as the great sea, toward the setting of the sun will be your territory. the great sea, the wilderness, the Lebanon, it will be yours, Israel. And so, and the same that it goes all the way in the book of Numbers, of the inheritance, amen, that the tribe of Joseph will be two portions. one portion of each of the Joseph's two sons of Ephraim and Manasseth, according to Genesis chapter 48 verses 5 and 6 and verse 22. Although the people had lost their tribal identities after the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles, they will recover them in the Messianic kingdom. And the distribution of the land will be based upon the original tribal names, and each tribe will receive the same amount of territory that we read in verse 14. And note that God has sworn an oath that His people will inherit the Promised Land. No enemy and no spiritual or physical will be able to stop God from giving His people their wonderful inheritance. True believers will receive their inheritance just as God promised in His covenant with Abraham in Genesis chapter 12. and Genesis chapter 15, and also in Genesis chapter 17. And so, God himself giving the instructions about how to divide that land that he tells us about, the fulfillment of the covenant, as he says, Sabram, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, Hazar, Hattaqan, which is by the coast of Huran. Here we see again the boundaries of the northern, eastern, southern, western boundaries that he's given as he begins to fulfill each and every one of these places, amen, because each of these locations meaning Hamath refers to the ancient city located to the north of Israel associated with the area around the modern-day Syria. And so, Hamath was a very important city-state in the Near East, and it was situated on the Orates River that was known for being a prominent city in the region. And so, as we look and realize out of all of these areas, Ayd Man, that's described, that tells us, here we see Hamath, an ancient city in the North Historical Significance. Barothah, and a place near Hamath interpreted as a place of whales. And Sabraim, Sabra'im, a location between Hamath and Bethelroth. And then we see Hazar-hazakon, which is possibly a fortified town in the Northern Territory. And then Haran, meaning a stony, rocky region that is here in the northeast of Israel, part of modern Syria and Jordan. It's a part of the northern boundary on the restored kingdom in Ezekiel's vision that will be there. And so, here in 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and 20, that all will be regained, every bit of those areas and those borders that will come back together to fulfill God's covenant. Amen. As we look and realize of the boundaries that are laid out that will come back in to them. Amen. The fulfillment that will take place. of all the different tribes of Dan, Asher, Nefertili, Manassas, Ephraim, Reuben, Jordan, all the way down to Tamar that will continue, that will be brought back in and come back to fulfill that it talks about. And the border from the east shall be Hazaran, the border of Damascus and the north, northward, and the border of Hamath, and this is the north side. And so the boundaries of the new land will be far different from what they were when Assyria and Babylon conquered Israel and Judah, praise God. because the way that it's gonna be in the future, if you'll take your Bibles and go to Numbers chapter 34, verses one through 15, it's similar and close to those that God promised during the days of Moses, which is in the book of Numbers. Numbers chapter 34, verses one through 15. That's the borders of the land. When you read that, it'll be close to what Ezekiel's talking about and the fulfillment of it taking place and it happening. Now, this splits over in the 48th chapter, but I'm not going into the 48th chapter. I'm stopping just in the 47th chapter of Ezekiel, and I'll deal with that last chapter. If the Lord doesn't come back and take me on, I'll deal with it next time that the Lord lets me do that. And so, when we look and realize of all the tribes and from all of the ones that transpire, that takes place, of that fulfillment. He says in verse 18, And the east side ye shall measure from Haran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel, by Jordan, from the border into the east sea. And this is the east side. Amen. And so, as he designates everything out to fulfill these things. And the south side, southward from Tamar, even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, and the river of the great sea, and this is the south side, southward. He's naming off all of the borders of everything. Amen. That each time we read it, and as it continues to go all the way down to Judah, to Tamar, it picks up Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, and begins to fill in each one. In verse 20, the west side also shall be a great sea from the border till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side. Amen. And so, as he goes on, he begins to tell us and how the Mediterranean Sea Here, Issachar, Simeon, and the Judean mountains, the Dead Sea, the prince, because the prince is gonna have land, his family, which is kind of like the worship leader, as I talked about, the East River, Geba, the West River, the prince on either side, Judah, Samaritan Hills, Reuben, all as it breaks down, he tells us, In verse 21, so shall you divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. The foreigners living among Israel will receive an inheritance, that's you and I. Amen. And I'm glad a picture of God's grace extended to all nations. The inclusion of the strangers, amen. Pay attention to the word the strangers. You'll see it. And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers, you and I. that sojourn among you, which shall begot children among you, and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel, and they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel." And so all those that will be born in the country among the children of Israel, all will have an inheritance, amen. All those sojourning among them as well that he talks about. The inclusion of the strangers, no one will be left out in the time of that land of receiving an inheritance, of extending God's grace to all nations. And it shall come to pass that in what the stranger again sojourneth, there shall you give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God. Nobody will be left out when it comes to this time. None of us will be left out. All will receive a blessing. As I conclude, and as I close out, because I'm out of time, As we look at the spiritual meaning of Ezekiel 47, we see, first of all, the river symbolizing the Holy Spirit's life-giving power, according to John 7, verse 38. Secondly, wherever God's presence flows, there's healing, there's restoration, and there's abundance, according to Psalms 46, verse 4. And God's kingdom includes all people. who receive His promise. Revelation 22, verses one and two. And so each and every one of us, I'm glad that no one will be excluded from any of these things, amen. No one will be left out. And so I'm glad that when this takes place, each and every one of us will be given our part of our inheritance, amen. and the Lord will bless all each and every one of those. And so as I close out, we see the powerful image of God's river flowing from his presence, bringing life, healing, and restoration. The river represents not only the physical blessing that God provides, but also the spiritual nourishment that sustains us in our walk with him. And as we reflect on the fruitfulness of the land and the healing power of God, we need to remember that his presence is the source of our strength. And I'm glad that it is the hope, amen, of God's healing waters, that river of life, amen. As we close out tonight, I hope and pray that God will begin to use you mindfully as well in all that you do and all that you say. As I get ready to leave out tonight, I hope and pray that tonight Each and every one of you will begin to look and realize that this is the future prophecy. This is what's going to take place in the future days for each and every one of us. And so will you close out and pray with me tonight? Gracious Father. Thank you for those who are lost, that you'll save them by your marvelous grace. And Lord, may the rivers of life flow with your presence, that they may come to know you in every part of sin, and receive your healing and your transforming power. And Lord, help believers to repent daily, to walk in the right way of the life, putting on the forearm of God. Bless those tonight that receive the wonderful word of God. In Jesus Christ we pray. Amen. God bless you tonight. Thank you for tuning in with us. May God bless you.