everything shall live where the river flows; we need to be absolute for the Lord and His recovery

The Lord desires to have the flow of the divine life – the flowing Triune God out of the house of God and unto the glory of God – for the purpose of reaching out to the whole earth to bring life everywhere!

The flow of the river is not aimless, and we don’t just “want to be carried away by the flow…” as if it is an end in itself. No, Ezekiel 47 clearly shows us that in the flow there is much fish and there’s life wherever the river flows! This river heals the sea, brings life, and accomplishes God’s purpose!

Everything shall live where the river flows

The Lord’s measuring, testing, judging, examining, and possessing result in a deeper and higher flow of life – wherever this river of life flows, everything shall live and be full of life (Ezek. 47:9).

In the flow there are the trees who bear sweet fruit every month (v. 12). Also, in this river there’s abundance of fish, and there is fishing! Fishing signifies and brings about the increase in numbers; the number of the saints in our local church should increase as the river flows. If the number is the same, we need to pray for a deeper flow!

Also, in the river the cattle is implied – v. 10 mentions two cities, En-gedi (the fountain of the kid) and En-eglaim (the fountain of the two calves). There are two fountains in the river, for the young cattle…

There is so much life where the river flows! There is much fish – many new ones are brought in as the river flows, we spread the net and bring in the fish to have an increase of numbers – and there are trees with sweet and delicious fruit. Hallelujah, wherever the river flows everything shall live!

Death will be swallowed up by life

This river flows toward the eastern region to the sea, the Salt Sea / the Dead sea, and the sea will be healed (Ezek. 47:8). By the flowing of the river out of the house of God, the salt water of the Dead Sea will be healed – all death will be swallowed up by life!

In our local church, when there is a rich and deep flow of life, much death will be swallowed up by life. The way to deal with the death in the church life is to minister life and be measured by the Lord for an increased flow of life. The flowing river of life swallows up any deadness and brings in life everywhere it goes!

The marsh and the swamp cannot be healed

Verse 11 is a warning to all of us – the swamp and the marsh cannot be healed by the flow of life, even though the Dead Sea and the dry places can be healed and made alive.

A marsh signifies a place that is neither dry nor flowing with water, a place with mud and water – a situation full of compromise. The Lord hates someone who is not HOT or COLD but is lukewarm (Rev. 3:16) – He will even spew such a person out of His mouth. We should never get involved with a situation of compromise but be absolute for the Lord and His recovery.

Being absolute for the Lord’s recovery

If we see the flow, if we see God’s desire, if we see the Lord’s recovery, and if we taste of the sweet church life, yet we are not absolute for the Lord and for the Lord’s recovery, there’s a danger that we would be a swamp and a marsh.

As brother Witness Lee said,

“Our stand concerning the church must be absolute. If you stand in a denomination, you should stand absolutely….If you stand on the ground of the church, you must stand absolutely. You should be either cold or hot, but you should not be lukewarm” (life-study of Ezekiel).

If we are in the Lord’s recovery, let’s be in the Lord’s recovery absolutely and not in a halfway, with one foot in and another foot out. Come all the way out of anything of Babylon (denominations and religion) or Egypt (the world and sinful things) and into Jerusalem (the recovered church life).

In Rev. 22:11 the Lord clearly says that we should be absolute no matter what – let the unrighteous be unrighteous, the filthy be filthy, and the holy be holy! We need to be Absolute for the Lord and the Lord’s Recovery. By being absolute we will be in the flow, and the flow will become a river to swim in!

[sharing inspired from the life-study of Ezekiel msg. 26 (by brother Lee) as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, The Four Great Pillars in the Lord’s Recovery. ]

Lord, save us from being a marsh or a swamp. O, Lord, shine on us and expose anything of the compromise! Lord, we desire to be absolute for You! We take You as our absolute One – You are the burnt offering, the One absolute for God. We lay our hands on You as the Unique Nazarite, the absolutely consecrated One, to identify ourselves with You! Lord, increase the flow! May there be water flowing – and much life brought in by the flow of the river wherever it goes!