Ezekiel chapter 47 is one of the most wonderful chapters in the Bible. It's all about the changes that will take place on the earth on the day that Jesus returns.
It begins with the new Temple that will be in Jerusalem. In another book of the Bible, Zechariah tell us that when Jesus returns, as his foot touches the Mount of Olives there will be a huge earthquake. The results will be a total rearrangement of the topography of Jerusalem.
This is where Ezekiel picks up the story, giving a lot of detail about the new Temple and the changes that will take place.
There will be a river that will flow out from under the new Temple. It will flow west to the Mediterranean, and southeast down to the Dead Sea. It will be a huge river, as Ezekiel describes the graduation of its depth - first to the ankles, then to the knees, then to the waist, and then only swimable.
One of the most fascinating parts of this story is that this river will "heal" the waters of the Dead Sea. I've been to the Dead Sea, and it's quite an experience to try to swim in it. The mineral content is so dense that absolutely nothing can live in the Sea, not even bacteria and you can't be submerged in it because that density makes it impossible, the air in your body will make it so you can only float. Also, when you come out of that water, your skin is covered in these minerals and it feels like you're covered with oil. Having been there, I can appreciate this Scripture passage that tell us that the waters from the new river flowing from the Temple Mount will turn the Dead Sea into a fresh-water lake. It says men will fish from En Gedi, which is on the shores of the Dead Sea. Right now, that's totally impossible and it's really hard to imagine men fishing from En Gedi.
Where does this density of salts and minerals come from? If you look at the map, you'll see that Sodom and Gomorrha were on the Dead Sea. The great judgment that fell upon Sodom and Gomorrha were so catastrophic that they destroyed all life in the entire area and turned the Dead Sea area into nothing but salt and minerals. Indeed, from En Gedi to Sodom, it's all salt flats. Empty salt flats for as far as you can see. Having seen that, you can appreciate the immenseness and awesomeness of the river that will be able to turn that area into life again.
A historical note about that whole area. When God brought Abraham to the area, his nephew Lot had come along and they settled there in the land now called Israel. After awhile, their herds had increased so much that there was conflict between Abraham's herdsmen and Lot's herdsmen. So when Lot asked Abraham what to do about it, Abraham told Lot to choose which land he wanted for himself, and that he would go the other way. Lot looked around and saw that the land in the area of the Dead Sea was LUSH GREEN with vegetation and fields for the animals, so he decided he'd go that way. And so they separated. Later, this land that was destroyed by the fire and brimstone of God's judgment upon Sodom and Gomorrha and a few other cities in the area, this land today is desolate salt flats, but it will one day become the lush gardens and fields that it once was.
But that's not all. Along the sides of the great river that will flow from the Temple Mount, there will be trees - all kinds of trees, and they will produce fruit perpetually. They won't go bare in the wintertime but will bear their fruit every month without fail. And Ezekiel tells us an astonishing thing about these trees. It is written that the leaves of the trees will be "for medicine." The Lord gives us more information about these leaves in Revelation chapter 22. There it says that the leaves of the trees will be for "the healing of the nations." So I got to thinking on that, why the nations would need healing, and I believe the answer is obvious: if you read the descriptions of the last parts of the period called the "Tribulation," the battle of Armageddon, etc, it becomes obvious from some of the descriptions that that last period of time will involve nuclear destruction. And in events like Chernoble, we've learned the awful physical results of exposure to radiation. So the Lord, when He comes, will provide the remedy in the leaves that will be on those trees lining the great river flowing from the Temple Mount.
Isn't this awesome!
