GOD'S HEALING PRESENCE

1.  God’s Presence Returns (Ezekiel 43:1-9) 

     A. The Vision of God’s Glory (Ezekiel 43:1-5) 

     B. The Message of God’s Holiness (Ezekiel 43:6-9) 

2.  Supernatural River From the Temple (Ezekiel 47:1-6) 

     A. Source of the River (Ezekiel 47:1-2) 

     B. Depth of the River (Ezekiel 47:3-6) 

3.  Life-Giving Waters (Ezekiel 47:7-12) 

     A. The Dead Sea Comes Alive (Ezekiel 47:7-8) 

     B. The River Brings Healing (Ezekiel 47:9-12) 

Central Truth:  Followers of Christ can be certain that one day they will know complete healing and restoration. 

Focus:  Affirm and anticipate the day when all of God’s people will experience His healing presence. 

Evangelism Emphasis:  God’s healing presence can be known by all who come to Christ by faith. 

Text:  “In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). 

INTRODUCTION 

Relationships require presence. It is impossible to maintain a close relationship with someone if we are never with that person. The same is true of our relationship with God. If we hope to enjoy a full relationship with the Lord, we must spend time in His presence. The psalmist David is a model for seeking after the presence of God. He prayed, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; to see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Ps. 63:1-2). 

David knew the presence of God brings healing, salvation, hope, and strength; and so did the prophet Ezekiel. The life-giving presence of God is a major theme in the Book of Ezekiel. For example, Ezekiel was in Babylon, far away from the temple in Jerusalem, but he was visited by God’s presence. The Israelites took great pride in their temple, and they rested in the assurance that God was present therein. As the first step in Israel’s judgment, however, the glory of the Lord departed from the Temple (Ezek. 10:18; 11:23). Subsequently, God’s punishment of Israel became more tangible as the Babylonians invaded Judah and ultimately destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. However, while in Babylon, Ezekiel continued to see visions of God’s glory—visions that manifested God’s desire to dwell among His people forever. 

 In this final lesson from the Book of Ezekiel, the prophet sees a vision of the glory of the Lord returning to Jerusalem and filling the new temple. God’s presence once again dwells in the midst of Israel. In this book’s final verse (which is perhaps a prediction of the New Jerusalem in Rev. 21:2-3), we learn the name of Jerusalem will be changed to Jehovah-Shammah, which means “The Lord is there” (Ezek. 48:35). 

1. GOD’S PRESENCE RETURNS 

A. The Vision of God’s Glory (Ezekiel 43:1-5) 

1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 4 And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house. 

In Ezekiel’s final vision, he is guided by a man “whose appearance was like the appearance of brass” (40:3). With the help of this heavenly guide, Ezekiel is given a tour of the new temple that is not built by hands (40:5–42:20), he sees the return of God’s glory to the temple (43:1-12), and he hears an elaborate description of Israel’s renewed worship (43:13–46:24). Then he sees a breathtaking view of the life-giving, healing river (47:1-12), and he takes a journey through the land and its tribal divisions (47:13–48:14, 21-29). 

Ezekiel’s vision of a new temple recalls the Lord’s earlier promise: “I will . . . set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore” (37:26). After he sees all the details of the temple, he witnesses the return of God’s presence to the sanctuary. Ezekiel is led by the angelic guide to the gate facing east (43:1). The glory of God approaches from the east, where it had been stationed from the time it departed Jerusalem (v. 2). Ezekiel had reported the departure, saying, “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (11:23). In this final vision, the appearance of God’s glory is the same as it had been in the earlier visions. When Ezekiel speaks of “the glory of the Lord,” he is describing the entire scene, which includes the cherubim, the throne of God, God himself, and the radiance that is emitted by God’s presence. The most detailed description of the glory is found in chapters 1 and 2, where Ezekiel relates his first vision. 

Ezekiel not only sees the vision; he also hears the sound of God’s arrival. God’s “voice was like a noise of many waters” (43:2; see 1:24), and His glory was so bright that the “earth shined with his glory.” The vision is so awesome that Ezekiel falls on his face. However, the Spirit lifts him up and brings him into the temple, where he sees the glory of the Lord filling the house (v. 5). 

 Imagery regarding Israel’s temple is prominent not only in the Old Testament but also in the New Testament. Jesus is referring to the Temple when He tells the Samaritan woman at the well, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father” (John 4:21 NKJV). Jesus emphasizes the worship of God can take place anywhere because God is present everywhere. In the Old Testament, God’s special presence dwelt first in the tabernacle and later in the Temple. In the New Testament, however, we learn that God’s special presence is manifested anywhere “two or three are gathered together” in Jesus’ name (Matt. 18:20). When Jesus died on the cross, the veil of the Temple was torn in half, signifying God’s glory would no longer be confined or limited to a given location. Therefore, all believers have access “unto the Father” (Eph. 2:18). 

The dwelling place of God has become the Church, the body of Christ. Paul told the Corinthian church, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?” (1 Cor. 3:16 NIV). He went further and said the body of each believer can properly be called God’s temple: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (6:19 NKJV; see also 2 Cor. 6:16). Peter said believers are “lively stones” that are being built into a “spiritual house” in the Lord (1 Peter 2:5). Paul echoed the language of building when he wrote, “You are . . . members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Eph. 2:19-22 NKJV). 

King Solomon foresaw the day when God would dwell in the hearts of people. After completing the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon said to the Lord, “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!” (1 Kings 8:27 NKJV). 

• How can we experience the glory of the Lord in our churches and our personal lives? 

B. The Message of God’s Holiness (Ezekiel 43:6-9) 

6 And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me. 7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. 8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. 

After the Lord enters the sanctuary, He speaks to Ezekiel (v. 6). God refers to Jerusalem’s temple as the place of His “throne” and the place where He sets down His feet (Ezek. 43:7; see Ps. 132:7). The implication is clear: God is Israel’s King, and He will “dwell among the Israelites forever” (Ezek. 43:7 CSB). Although the Lord will dwell within the new temple, the structure itself takes a back seat. The important point is that God dwells in the midst of His people. The Lord will no longer allow Israel to “defile” the house of the Lord or the “holy name” of the Lord (v. 7). 

 In the past, the Israelites and their kings had defiled the Lord’s holy name by their idolatry and detestable practices (“abominations,” v. 8). The word whoredom signifies the worship of other gods, and the reference to “carcases” on “their high places” (v. 7) refers to the worship of relics from dead kings. It is unlikely they would have carried a dead king’s carcass to the high place, but they would have set up memorial altars and shrines in honor of dead kings. The essential point is they had worshiped ancestors rather than God. The statement regarding the “thresholds” and “posts” (v. 8) is in reference to the kings who built their private palaces too close to the Lord’s temple, thereby defiling it. 

Because of their idolatrous actions, the Lord had punished them in His anger. Now, however, He calls on Israel to abandon their idolatry and their ancestor worship so He can come and dwell in their midst (v. 9). God will not remain among His people if they persist in disobedience (see Rev. 2:5). 

What Lies Beneath 

Idolatry isn’t just one of many sins; rather it’s the one great sin that all others come from. So, if you start scratching at whatever struggle you’re dealing with, eventually you’ll find that underneath it is a false god. Until that god is dethroned, and the Lord God takes His rightful place, you will not have victory.

—Kyle Idleman 

2. SUPERNATURAL RIVER FROM THE TEMPLE 

A. Source of the River (Ezekiel 47:1-2) 

1 Afterward he brought me again unto 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. 2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. 

Ezekiel’s vision of the river bears many similarities to John’s vision in Revelation. In both cases, the prophets are seeing heavenly realities that impact and influence events on the earth. Steven Tuell writes: “Ezekiel’s original vision was a depiction of heavenly reality, which also became a promise of God’s presence with the exiles. Despite the collapse of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, the true Zion yet stands and is accessible to God’s people wherever they find themselves. John’s vision, on the other hand, is a vision of the new heaven and new earth, beyond the destruction of this world” (Ezekiel). 

The angelic guide brings Ezekiel to the door of the temple, where water is flowing eastward out “from under the threshold” (v. 1). The prophet Joel said, “And it shall come to pass . . . a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord” (Joel 3:18); and Zechariah declared, “And it shall be . . . living waters shall go out from Jerusalem” (Zech. 14:8). In the Revelation, John saw “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (22:1). 

Inasmuch as the water is flowing directly from the Lord’s temple, we can surmise that God himself is its source. Therefore, we can neither produce the river nor manufacture it. Jeremiah rebuked Israel because they had forsaken the Lord, “the fountain of living waters, and hewd themselves out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). Jeremiah made an important point: we must not create substitutes for the power of God. We must have the living water that flows from the throne of God. The river represents the life-giving power of God, which moves out and came into the world by means of the Holy Spirit. The glory returns to the Lord’s temple, but it is not confined there; it flows out to the world. 

Are You Thirsty? 

The importance of water to human life makes it a fitting symbol for the Holy Spirit. Our bodies are approximately 86 percent water, so it is normal to experience feelings of thirst. Likewise, it is normal that our spiritual being thirsts for God. If we attempt to quench our spiritual thirst with things like alcohol, drugs, pleasure, money, and entertainment, we will be unsatisfied. Jesus, however, tells us how we should respond when we are thirsty. He says, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink” (John 7:37 NIV). Are you thirsty? 

B. Depth of the River (Ezekiel 47:3-6) 

3 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. 

5 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. 

 As Ezekiel moves into the river, the waters become deeper and deeper. At first, the water comes to his ankles (v. 3). Then, it rises to his knees, then to his waist (v. 4). Eventually, it becomes “deep enough to swim in, but too deep to walk through” (v. 5 NLT). 

The deepening of the waters shows the continual deepening of the Spirit's influence as He moves out into the world, or as we yield to Him in our lives. Confined to the temple courts, the water is very shallow; but as it flows outward it deepens. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit began to flow. If the disciples had stayed in the Upper Room and isolated themselves, the waters would have remained shallow; but the disciples went immediately out into the streets, and the water grew deeper and deeper. The river of the Spirit soon flowed through “all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). 

• What will happen if we try to keep the river of God inside the church instead of letting it flow to the outside? 

Everyday Missionaries 

 Because of the presence and power of the Spirit, ministry to the unreached has emerged out of prayer meetings, Spirit-anointed preaching, revivals, and renewal movements. Out of the blessings of God, along with the spiritual experience of believers, the local church becomes its own missionary society. Much of the missionary initiative in this missionary society/fellowship comes from ordinary men and women who are led by the Holy Spirit.—French L. Arrington 

3. LIFE-GIVING WATERS 

A. The Dead Sea Comes Alive (Ezekiel 47:7-8) 

 7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. 

Ezekiel is brought back to the riverbank, where he observes the powerful effects of the river. He sees “many trees growing on both sides of the river” (v. 7 NLT). Trees represent fruitfulness and prosperity. Moreover, these trees appear to be the same as the ones John describes in his vision of the New Jerusalem. John saw “a pure river of water of life,” and he saw trees “on both sides of the river.” Each tree was a “tree of life,” and its leaves were “for the healing of the nations” (Rev. 22:2 NKJV). John’s reference to the “tree of life” suggests the trees beside Ezekiel’s river also represent the tree from the Garden of Eden. Like the trees in John’s vision, the leaves of the trees in Ezekiel’s vision bring healing (47:12). Therefore, both the river and the trees have life-giving properties. 

The life-giving and healing river is a direct result of God’s glory and holiness—an essential outcome of the restoration of the people and the land. The river will flow east, “down into the desert, and go into the sea” (v. 8). The sea referred to here is the Dead Sea. As the life-giving waters enter the Dead Sea, it will “be healed.” This healing is accomplished by changing the salt content of the water. Victor Matthews wrote: 

The seawater in the Dead Sea becoming fresh is a miraculous transformation. The Dead Sea is 1,296 feet below sea level, the lowest point on earth. The high mineral content of the Dead Sea is a result of the fact that it has no outlet. Waters flow in through a number of sources carrying their various minerals at a rate of seven million tons per day. Then the water evaporates, leaving the minerals behind. Total salinity is 26-35 percent (compared to 18% for the Great Salt Lake in Utah and 3.5% for the average ocean salinity) (The IVP Bible Background Commentary). 

Healing Now and in Eternity 

God’s Word has much to say about every aspect of your life, including your health. It reveals God’s plan to heal your spiritual wounds through His Son, Jesus. It points the way to emotional health as God fills you with His peace and joy. The Bible even predicts that day when there will be no more sickness or dying.

—Woodrow Kroll 

B. The River Brings Healing (Ezekiel 47:9-12) 

 9 And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.  

 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. 

 As the river emerges from under the door of the temple, it flows eastward, which is the direction  the temple faces (so the rising sun will shine through the front doors). The river goes toward the desert that lies to the east and southeast of Jerusalem (vv. 1-2). The waters flowing out of the sanctuary transform the dead, bring dry desert to life, and bring healing wherever its waters flow (v. 9). The repetition of the word every highlights the comprehensive and far-reaching healing power of the river: “every living thing . . . wherever the rivers go . . . . everything will live” (v. 9 NKJV). 

The Dead Sea will be healed because everything will live where the river flows. As soon as the Dead Sea is healed, it produces multitudes of fish, which are then available for fishers to scoop up in their nets (v. 10). Ezekiel’s river, therefore, creates abundant resources that support the life of God’s people. 

 The Dead Sea, twenty-four miles to the southeast of Jerusalem, became uninhabitable because it had no outlet. The Jordan River flowed into it for centuries, but the water collected in the Dead Sea and remained there. Ezekiel sees a river, not a sea; and the river flows continuously. A side note states the “swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt” (v. 11 NKJV). The marshes and swamps are not healed because they are not in the direct path of the river. They are not in the river; they are only near the river. Nearness to the river does not produce healing. Only the waters that are touched by the river will be healed. We might ask ourselves, “Are we in the river, or only near the river?” The river’s significance is seen in verse 12: The river will produce healing, life, fruitfulness, and food. 

• List the amazing qualities of the trees along the everlasting riverside (v. 12). 

LET THE RIVER FLOW 

This last section of Ezekiel (chs. 43-47) brings together three major themes of the book: the glory of God, the holiness of God, and the Spirit of God. The glory of the Lord is the main thread that weaves together the entire book. Furthermore, the holiness of God is revealed in the majestic, awesome splendor of God’s glory. Not only is the Lord majestic and sovereign; He is also holy. The holiness of God and the glory of God are revealed to us by the Spirit of God. It is no coincidence that the Holy Spirit is mentioned fifty-two times in Ezekiel—more than any other prophetic book. 

The river represents the work of the Holy Spirit, which is available to everyone who needs healing, life, and salvation. The river reminds us that the return of the glory of the Lord was not for the benefit of Israel alone. The preparation of the new temple with its healing river allows God’s gifts of healing, life, and salvation to flow out into the earth, giving the entire world immediate access to the Holy Spirit. 

Daily Devotions 

M. Elisha Raises the Widow’s Son (1 Kings 17:17-24) 

T. Naaman Healed of Leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14) 

W. Nebuchadnezzar Healed of Zoanthropy (Daniel 4:28-37) 

T. Jesus Heals a Disabled Woman (Luke 13:10-17) 

F. Jesus Heals an Official’s Son (John 4:46-54) 

S. Paul Restores Eutychus to Life (Acts 20:7-12) 

Adopted from the Evangelical Sunday School Lesson Commentary 2021-2022.