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Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; Ezekiel 29:17-30:19; 2 Kings 25:27-30; Jeremiah 52:31-34<\/strong><\/span> We finish the book of Ezekiel today!\u00a0 Ezekiel chapter 47\u2019s opening verses about the River of Healing are just beautiful.\u00a0 Verses 1 through 3 tell us \u2013 \u201cThen the man brought me back to the entrance of the Temple. There I saw a stream flowing eastward from beneath the Temple threshold. This stream then passed to the right of the altar on its south side. The man brought me outside the wall through the north gateway and led me around to the eastern entrance. There I could see the stream flowing out through the south side of the east gateway. Measuring as he went, he led me along the stream for 1,750 feet and told me to go across. At that point the water was up to my ankles.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n As I was reading these verses about the River of Healing I imagined myself jumping into the river and just being refreshed and renewed and restored!\u00a0 Great stuff\u2026\u00a0 This river is very reminiscent of the river in the Garden of Eden \u2013 and the River of Life described in <\/span>Revelation chapter 22<\/span>.\u00a0 Verse 9 in ch. 47 of Ezekiel sums it all up well \u2013 \u201cEverything that touches the water of this river will live.\u00a0 Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will be healed. Wherever this water flows, everything will live.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Can you imagine this river of healing flowing from the temple?\u00a0 Can you imagine some rest & restoration & refreshment & healing through this river?<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Ezekiel chapter 48 we read about the division of land in Ezekiel\u2019s vision, which the map below details quite well (you\u2019ll need to scroll down a bit to view it all) \u2013 <\/span><\/p>\n Ezekiel chapter 48\u2019s last words \u2013 and the last words in the book of Ezekiel are simply this \u2013 \u201cAnd from that day the name of the city will be `The LORD Is There.\u2019\u201d <\/em>In Hebrew this is Yahweh Shammah.\u00a0 \u00a0The Hebrew pronunciation of Jerusalem is Yerushalayim \u2013 which some say could be a wordplay on Yahweh Shammah.\u00a0 Jerusalem = The Lord is There\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n The end of Ezekiel chapter 29 is fascinating in that God decides to allow Babylon to take plunder from Egypt in light of its war against Tyre (see yesterday\u2019s readings below).\u00a0 We continue to see that God is using King Nebuchadnezzar and the armies of Babylon for His purposes \u2013 for a time.\u00a0 We are reminded though at the end of this chapter in verse 21 \u2013 \u201cAnd the day will come when I will cause the ancient glory of Israel to revive.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 God\u2019s still got the redemption of Israel in mind\u2026\u00a0 \u00a0Below is a map of how big the Babylonian empire is around this timeframe \u2013 (a map like this one below once again proves the amazing truth & history in God\u2019s words and prophecies in the Bible\u2026)<\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video: <\/strong>Today\u2019s readings reminded me of Third Day\u2019s great song \u201cShow Me Your Glory!\u201d\u00a0 Here\u2019s a live version:<\/span><\/p>\n \n
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