#14 - Ezek. 47:1-12: The Miraculous Stream Already Fulfilled

Ezekiel's Miraculous Stream

For those that have studied their Bibles, Ezekiel's mention of a miraculous stream is famous among ancient prophetic utterances and it is found in Ezekiel 47:1-12. Students have come to identify two major miracles to be taking place in Ezekiel's vision here: (1) that what began as only a trickle from the temple in verse 2 uncommonly becomes a "river that could not be forded" in verse 5, and (2) that this river from the temple flows into the Dead Sea, the saltiest body of water on earth, and turns it into fresh water. 

Those who hold to a future view of Ezekiel's temple vision find these two miracles to be proof that the temple in Ezekiel is yet future due to the belief that these two miracles have yet to take place in past temple scenarios. They imply that these two miracles would have been mentioned in history if they had indeed taken place, to this I would agree if this is what Ezekiel is stating. Still, is this what Ezekiel is actually presenting as his picture in the text? I believe not.

Miracle #1 - Mulitplying Waters

Beginning with only a trickle (v. 2), this stream is explained as miraculously multiplying into a stream that Ezekiel says "cannot be forded" (v. 5). This is seen as very similar to Jesus' miracle of multiplying the loaves and fish to feed crowds of people (Matt. 14:13-21, Mar 6:30–44; Luk 9:10–17; Jhn 6:1–14). Keil and Delitzsch posit that this is not something that has taken place at any point in history,

"A natural river could not increase to such an extent within such short distances, unless, indeed, other streams emptied themselves into it on all sides, which was not the case here." (Keil & Delitzsch on Ezek. 47:5)

Yet, Thomas Coke contradicts this point with some further insight on the history of the rivers surrounding Jerusalem stating, 

"There is much water conveyed in pipes to the temple for washing the place and the sacrifices and the priests, as Aristeus affirms, whose book must have been written whilst the temple stood, and Lightfoot from the Rabbins, and the nature of the things shews. And if I understand Lowth right, they ran out at the east end of the temple, and these several pipes uniting their streams with one another, and with the water of Siloam, and Kidron, and other springs, which were formerly more plentiful around Jerusalem, than in later times, and with waters from cisterns might in a short space grow deep and considerable, and might also have trees on their banks." (Coke's Commentary on Ezekiel's Stream)

Coke's view clearly identifies the cause of this multiplying water as due to the fact that multiple springs of water all contributed to this river's high levels of water. It should be noted that there were many springs surrounding the temple that would have fed this river as mentioned in Psalm 87:7 "all my springs (plural) are in you (i.e. Jerusalem)". As the Gemara states, "Said Samuel, 'A river increases in volume from the springs in its bed.'" (b. Nedarim 40a) The Letter of Aristeas is explicit and clear as to how this small trickle from the temple became a mighty rushing river,

The Temple looks towards the east, and its back is turned westwards. The whole floor is paved with stones and slopes down to the appropriate places, so as to admit of its being flushed with water to wash away the blood from the sacrifices ; for many thousand beasts are offered on the feast days. The water-supply is inexhaustible. An abundant natural spring bubbles up within the temple area. There are, moreover, wonderful underground reservoirs passing description, at a distance, as they pointed out to me, of five furlongs all round the site of the temple, each with innumerable pipes, so that the various channels converge. It was explained, too, how all these cisterns had their bases and sides overlaid with lead, and over them is laid a great mass of plaster, so that everything is made secure; and how there are numerous outlets at the base of the altar, which are invisible to all except the actual ministrants, so that all the vast accumulation of sacrificial blood is swept away in the twinkling of an eye. Such is my belief as to the nature of the reservoirs, and I will explain how it was confirmed. They led me more than four furlongs out of the city, and at a certain place bade me stoop down and listen to the rushing noise of the meeting of the waters; thus was the magnitude of the receptacles made evident to me, as I have described them. (Aristeas 88-91, 3rd or early 2nd cent. BC)

It is my belief that this perfectly depicts Ezekiel's vision of the small trickle becoming a river so deep that it cannot be forded. What could make the fulfillment of Ezekiel's "trickling from within the temple" more explicit and clear from an historical perspective? It would seem that Ezekiel's miraculous stream has less to do with miraculously multiplied waters and more to do with God's promised blessing of returning rain waters (Ezek. 34:26-27) seeing that there was a drought in the Jerusalem at the time of Ezekiel (Jer. 3:3, 5:24-25, 14:1, Ezek. 4:16-17, 5:16-17, 12:18-20, 22:24).

This stream can be further depicted from another historical source, the Talmud. It pictures a channel that surrounded the base of the altar of sacrifices and washed away the blood of those sacrifices and carried it down into the river Kidron. We read,

"But then there is the matter of blood, of which the All-Merciful has said, “No soul of you shall eat blood” (Lev. 17:12), and yet we have learned in the Mishnah: [He tossed the blood on the top of the altar seven times. Then did he pour out the residue of the blood onto the western base of the outer altar. And that [the residue of the blood sprinkled on] the outer altar he poured out on the southern base.] The two streams of blood then mingled together in the [flow of the] surrounding channel and flowed down into the Qidron brook." (b. Pesach. 22a)

What is notable here is the fact that the Qidron valley, which remains dry as a bone today, is seen here as having water flowing. If this is true, then one may have to question whether abundant waters did flow from the temple in times past. We can also find within the Talmud that this river flowing out of the temple does in fact become a swiftly moving river and is directly connected to the prophecy in Ezekiel 47 regarding the river. Here is what the compilers of the Talmud saw, 

"Said R. Phineas in the name of R. Huna of Sepphoris, “The spring that flows from the Holy of Holies at the outset looks like the antennae of locusts; when it reaches the entrance of the sanctuary it becomes like the thread of the warp, when it reaches the hall, it becomes like the thread of woof, when it reaches the entry to the courtyard, it becomes as large as the mouth of a small flask.” That is in line with what we have learned in the Mishnah: R. Eliezer b. Jacob says, “And through it the waters trickled forth [Ezek. 47:2] and in the future will issue out from under the threshold of the house [Ezek. 47:1]”. “From that point onward, it continually gains forth until it reaches the entrance to the house of David. When it reaches the entrance to the house of David, it turns into a swiftly running brook, so that male-Zabs and female-Zabs, menstruating women, and women after parturition, may immerse for cultic purification, in line with the verse, ‘On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness’ (Zech. 13:1).” (b. Yoma 77b-78a)

What may be a stumbling block for some is the phrase, "and in the future will issue out from under the threshold of the house". While this stands as an opinion within the text, the surrounding context of this passage tells us that this is, at very least, what was seen in the past even if it may have other future fulfillments. It may also be noted that what is described as seen here by these Rabbis does not seem to include the additions of water which flowed out of one of the largest springs in Jerusalem, the Gihon spring. This would have added additional flow to this ever increasing river which Ezekiel saw as one that "cannot be forded" (Ezek. 47:5). 

The Roman historian, Tacitus, identifies this same stream that flowed from a spring within the temple, stating, 

"The temple resembled a citadel, and had its own walls, which were more laboriuously constructed than the others. Even the colonnades with which it was surrounded formed an admirable work. It contained an inexhaustible spring; there were subterranean excavations in the hill, and tanks and cisterns for holding rain water." (Tacitus Histories, Book 5 Paragraph 12)

By contrast today, these cisterns and tanks which held immense amounts of water and were, in the past, filled by regular rainy seasons are entirely dry today. Josephus concurs with this evidence, when he writes,

"There were moreover several groves of trees, and long walks through them, with deep canals, and cisterns..." (Jos. Wars 5.4.4)

Jewish sages also note that these deep cisterns had once been filled with water and even make up stories about such a feature in the temple and even under the altar,

"‘When David dug the pits [under the altar, which, in fact, had not been made in the six days of creation as others claim,] the waters of the deep welled up and were going to flood the world. E. “ ‘David said the fifteen Songs of Ascent and brought the water back down.’ ” (b. Sukkah 53a)

It is difficult for one to understand a past fulfillment of Ezekiel's vision of this stream flowing out of the temple today simply because there is almost no water visible today. Yet, the voices of the past which speak of the existence of large amounts of water spewing from and surrounding the temple make it clear that Ezekiel's prophecy of water flowing like a rushing water out of the temple might be entirely possible and even very likely. Additionally, the huge empty caverns discovered underground and which surround the temple location is clear evidence that Ezekiel's temple river was a spectacle for past viewers. 

Further Evidence of a Past Fulfillment - Abundant Water Flowing Around the Temple

It is true that the spring of Siloam continues to trickle water today but not in abundance as it once did in fulfillment of Ezekiel's temple vision. Josephus records that the spring of Siloam was flowing so vigorously that even the attacking Romans had enough to water gardens while they slaughtered the Jews within the temple confines, he writes,

"As for Titus, those springs that were formerly almost dried up when they were under your power (i.e. under the power of the Jews), since he is come, run more plentifully than they did before; accordingly, you know that Siloam, as well as all the other springs that were without the city, did so far fail, that water was sold by distinct measures; whereas they now have such a great quantity of water for your enemies, as is sufficient not only for drink both for themselves and their cattle, but for watering their gardens also. The same wonderful sign you had also experience of formerly, when the fore-mentioned king of Babylon made war against us...Wherefore I cannot but suppose that God is fled out of his sanctuary, and stands on the side of those against whom you fight." (Wars 5.9.4)

He also writes,

"Siloam; for that is the name of a fountain which hath sweet waters in it, and this in great plenty also." (Wars 5.4.1) 

Sirach 50:1-3 also defines a time in which these waters flowed with abundance, during the days of Simon the son of Onias II, around 190 BC. It states,

"Simon the high priest, the son of Onias, who in his life propped up the house, and in his days fortified the temple. By him also the height of the temple was founded, the double building and the high walls of the temple. In his days the wells of water flowed out, and they were filled as the sea above measure."  

This outpouring of water from springs that contributed to such a huge waterflow in and around the temple give us a very different picture than that which we might see if we visited Jerusalem and the temple site today, yet, this was the norm for those who lived in past eras and who perceived these waters to be the divine blessing that God had promised through Ezekiel.

If what has been stated here already does not give credence to the fact that an abundant river once flowed from the temple, we can examine this divine blessing occurring at another point in time even prior to Ezekiel--a demonstration of how God blesses the land of Israel at certain times but withholds at others. Prior to Ezekiel's day, a day which saw famine, we are told that an abundant river did flow from the temple in Jerusalem just like the one described as occurring in the 2nd century BC and up to the first century AD. According to 2 Chronicles 32:4, the abundant waters found in and around Jerusalem were needing to be stopped up in order to give Sennacherib king of Assyria the impression that water was scarce in the city of Jerusalem and in the surrounding region. Apparently the opposite was true during most of the rest of the year and an abundant stream flowed from Jerusalem "throughout the region" and required "many people" to stop up all the springs that contributed to it, we read, 

"So many people assembled and stopped up all the springs and the stream which flowed throughout the region, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find abundant water?” (2 Chron. 32:4) 

The reason for pointing out this stream prior to Ezekiel's prophecy is to contrast that rain waters were a sign of God's blessing on the people at various times in history and drought was seen as a curse from God and a clear indicator that the people had become unfaithful to the One true God. Rainy periodical seasons were a sign that God had bestowed His divine blessing upon them. At the time of Hezekiah and at the time of Aristeas and Josephus we are told that an abundant river flowed out of Jerusalem and even aided with the sacrificial blood that needed to be cleansed from the temple grounds by this water. By comparison, today there is no abundant river that flows out of Jerusalem at all and we have the tendency to view Ezekiel's magnanimous river as future because it is entirely lacking today. This is poor prophecy interpretation. Still, there is another miracle that many suppose as a greater proof that Ezekiel's temple is future - it is believed that this river would flow into the Dead Sea and turn it into fresh water. But before I get into that discussion I would like to take time to focus on the timeline of God's blessing, curse, sabbath land rest and how this affects the timeline of the fulfillment of Ezekiel's temple and this miraculous river. 

The Blessing, The Curse, and The Sabbaths of Land Rest - A Timeline

Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel says, “R. Joshua testified, ‘From the day on which the Temple was destroyed, there is no day on which there is no curse, and dew has not come down as a blessing. The good taste of produce is gone.’ ” (b. Sotah 9:12 E)

It is difficult for us to imagine these abundant waters today simply because there are few springs of water and no stream of water running from Jerusalem today. This is why many are searching for a future fulfillment of Ezekiel's temple, but is this what the original audience had in view? God promised that withholding rain would be a sign of cursing which would come upon the land and the giving of rain to be God's divine blessing. Leviticus 26:3-4 gives the sign of blessing as rain, 

"If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Alternately, Leviticus 26:18-20 gives the sign of cursing as the withholding of rain,

"And if you will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron (i.e. no rain), and your earth as brass (i.e. no crops): And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits."

The blessing is followed by a curse but the curse is told to us that it would not remain forever but would be given a designated period of time, sabbaths. In the same chapter that describes the blessings and curses, Leviticus 26:34 says "The land will enjoy its sabbaths all the days of the desolation (the curse), while you are in your enemies' land; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths." This is important for our understanding of Ezekiel's vision because the Israelites that were taken into Babylon were in the land of their enemies for a certain number of sabbaths. Ezekiel and Jeremiah had prophesied that the curse had already covered over Israel's blessing and they were now living in enemy land and drought had replaced the normal rainy seasons (cf. Ezek. 4;16-17, Jer. 14:1-7). The length of time for this curse was prophesied by Jeremiah to be 70 years "so that the land may enjoy its sabbaths" (2 Chron. 36:21) - a direct prediction which correlates the time of the curse found in Leviticus 26:34,43 and promises a return of the blessing following those 70 years. Jeremiah says "For thus says the Lord, 'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place." Ezekiel promises that rain would return as a sign that this blessing had been accomplished, 

"And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing. Also the tree of the field will yield its fruit, and the earth will yield its increase, and they will be secure on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them (the Babylonians)." (Ezek. 34:26-27)

So then, both Ezekiel and Jeremiah connect the return of God's blessing of rain to the time of the return of the exiles from Babylon. This would have been what the original audience of Ezekiel and Jeremiah would have been anticipating when they heard Ezekiel's words concerning waters flowing from the temple. 

The Dead Sea Turns into Fresh Water

Now, let's address another pressing matter to most - the river from the temple turning the Dead Sea into fresh water. It is this supposed second miracle from this river that has drawn the most attention and has aided the first miracle to be understood as yet to happen. The second miracle regarding this stream is said to present a truly odd and unnatural miracle, the waters of this stream pour into the Dead Sea, the saltiest waters in the world, and make them fresh water. As Dr. Randall Price states, 

"In Ezekiel 47:1-12, we are told that a river of water will flow from beneath the threshold of the Millennial Temple facing east...The extent of this restorative work includes even the salty waters of the Dead Sea becoming fresh and hosting life." (The Coming Last Days Temple, pg. 148)

As we look at the landscape of Israel today, it is clear that there is no water trickling forth from the temple to become a flowing river and the Dead Sea is still the saltiest place on earth. Considering Price is correct in his interpretation of this passage, one would conclude that these events and the entirety of Ezekiel's temple vision have yet to take place. Yet, this is not what the text states at all!

Misinterpreted Text (Ezek. 47:8)

The future view gains its credit from verse 8 which reads,

"Then he said to me, 'These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah; then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh.'"

The confusion is that the word "sea" should actually be translated as "west" and therefore does not indicate that the river flowing out of the temple is ever to meet up with the Dead Sea whatsoever. The closeness of these two words ('sea' and 'west') in Hebrew makes it clear that this could be an easily made translation mistake. First, the word typically translated as "sea" is the Hebrew word ים (yam) and the second Hebrew word typically translated as "west" is the Hebrew word ימה (yamah). So, the mistake can be understood between the words yam and yamah which sound similar. Yet, Ezekiel uses the word yamah 23 times in his writings and every time it is translated as "west" except in this verse twice (translated as "sea"). Thus it should be translated as "west" and the verse should read more accurately as follows:

"And he said to me, 'These waters outlet into the eastern region, and go down to the Arabah (desert or wilderness), and they come westward to the western outlets; they are healing waters."

While this seems to be trivial to some, it actually nullifies the interpretation of a river flowing out of the temple into the Dead Sea at all and rather speaks of multiple rivers coming from the temple both to the east and to the Wwst. This is the same picture is found elsewhere in Scripture, in Zech. 14:8 we read "living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them to the latter sea (i.e. western sea)." So then, in the entire rest of the passage of Ezekiel's miraculous stream we can find no mention or allusion to the Dead Sea becoming fresh water. 

The Truth of the Text

In addition, the conclusion of this text eliminates the idea that a river that runs from the temple is meant to turn the Dead Sea into fresh water. Our English translations of 47:11 have,

"But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt."

"Swamps and marshes" is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew. The Hebrew בצאתו (b'tzia'toe) does not have any vowel markings and denotes a dubious translation. English translators have unanimously taken this word from a variant Hebrew root בצה (bitzah) meaning, swamp or mire. Yet, the Greek version of Ezekiel has a better grasp on the Hebrew and translates בצאתו from the simpler Hebrew root יצא (yatzah) and should translate בצאתו (b'tzia'toe) as "at its outlets". Therefore, this verse should more literally and accurately be translated,

"But at its outlets and overflows it will not become healed; they will be left for salt."

We should note that even if the Dead Sea were one of the "outlets" from this river flowing out of the temple, it should still remain salty. Not to mention the fact that in order for a river to flow from the temple in Jerusalem all the way to the Dead Sea, it would at many points, have to travel uphill - a reverse waterfall if you will. This river would also have to pointlessly be restrained from following into all other known watercourses, cisterns, or caves that it naturally had traveled through in the days past such as that of Hezekiah and Aristeas (mentioned above) lest much of the entire land of Israel be plagued with flooding. This upheaval of the natural order is clearly not what Ezekiel has in view, in fact he states in his vision that there are multiple "rivers" (plural) in view. In 47:9 we read,

"And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the rivers go, will live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and will heal; so everything will live where the rivers go."

The reason for me pointing this out is to give a more exact picture, that Ezekiel is not focused on the turning of the Dead Sea into fresh water, but rather that the blessing of God had returned to the land of Israel, that all rivers were flowing in the land and thus bringing forth fruit and vegetation for the people to eat and for medicine. This becomes clear in Ezekiel's statements in 47:12,

"And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

 

Conclusion

In the end, the proper interpretation of Ezekiel's miraculous stream should be found within the time frame that both Ezekiel and Jeremiah give, 70 years of sabbath rests. This prophecy should also not be concluded as having an unnatural multiplying of water nor the unnatural change of the Dead Sea into fresh water. A correct understanding of this passage is to understand the context of Scriptural passages dealing with God's signifying of either blessings of rainy seasons or curses of drought and famine. God spoke to the people in some ways through the weather. Lastly, the historical references to Hezekiah's time and Aristeas time observing these blessings of rainy seasons tells us of the spiritual condition of the people of Israel at their respective times. Therefore, we most assuredly can conclude that the fulfillment of Ezekiel's temple stream vision was fulfilled at some point in the past and, in line with my other posts, this was most likely fulfilled during the days of the construction and establishment of the 2nd temple. 

Understanding this prophecy of Ezekiel's temple as already having a fulfillment in the past eliminates the notion that there will be future sacrifices, a Levitical priesthood, and a number of other commandments found in the Law of Moses (Torah). It is the only blueprint of a temple that is being applied by many as a future temple. Without Ezekiel's temple in the future, as I am seeking to demonstrate, there can be no blueprint and therefore no rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Many such groups are rising up in these days declaring that we should return to the entirety of the Law of Moses and yet have not considered the stumbling over temple laws and ordinances as prerequisite to many other laws. They consume themselves with details about a law and look down on Christians that are simply seeking to imitate the person, character, and nature of our Lord Jesus. Much obnoxious commotion has sprouted up from such groups and a religious pretension entraps its adherents. We should be seeking to live according to the Spirit of the Law, not the letter.  

If you have any comments or questions, please comment on this blog and I will seek to clarify on anything touched upon within the subject matter. For additional research on Ezekiel's temple you can view my YouTube channel Temple Truth. Thank you and God bless!