If you'd open your Bibles this morning, we are concluding our series in the book of Ezekiel. And as we conclude it this morning, I thank God for leading me to this incredible book. What a book is this prophecy in Ezekiel. Today we come to chapters 47 and 48, and I want to read the very last verse, which speaks about the city of Jerusalem. It says the city, speaking of Jerusalem, shall be 18,000 cubits roundabout, and the name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is there, Jehovah Shammah. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Precious Heavenly Father, we come into your holy presence. We thank you, Lord, so much. for this series in the book of Ezekiel. We pray now that you would break the bread of life, Lord, to these people through me, your servant, as you have broken it to me this past week as I've studied. Open this book to us. Open these last two chapters, especially, Lord, these words on the Millennial River. And we give you all the praise in Jesus name we pray. Amen. As we come to this final message, this message from the prophet Ezekiel, I want to double back to Ezekiel 46 and verse 9. We read here in verse 9 of Ezekiel 46, we read, But when the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed feasts, he who enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate. And he who enters by the way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. Now no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but shall go straight out." Beloved, as we come today to the Lord's table and as we receive the elements, the memory of the broken body of our Lord and the shed blood, May we this Sunday not leave as we came, let none of us leave as we came. We must return from worship different people. Because God has met with us. Things should be different because we've been with Him. We've been in the house of the Lord. In the early church, they knew of the apostles, that they had been with Jesus. May people know today, even after we leave here, that we have met with Him who is present here by His Spirit. The same one will stand without stretched hands in His glorified body when He returns in the Millennial Temple. As we come to Ezekiel 47, I thank God that in the millennial kingdom, the non-swimmer that I am standing before you will be able to swim with no difficulties. As we study in Ezekiel 47, 1-12, it speaks of a millennial river, and it sounds so much like Revelation 22. Ezekiel deals with a millennial river flowing out from the right side of the temple from south of the altar. Revelation deals with the eternal state. still further ahead of us when John was shown a river of the water of life clear as crystal coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb. You notice in verse 1 and verse 2 that the river starts as a trickle from the top of the high mountain of God in Jerusalem. I wish I could be reminded of when I first learned to swim. When I said I'm a non-swimmer, I am. I have never. and probably in this life will never learn to swim. It's never happened for me. I can hold my breath. I can sink to the bottom of the water. It's just my body composition. I remember as a teenager down in Kentucky going to Camp Nathaniel, and I did a very stupid thing because of pride and embarrassment. I didn't want anyone to know that I couldn't swim. Normally, we were swimming in the creek when I went to Twin Rocks Bible Camp. But here at Camp Nathaniel, they had this big blue pool. And that's many, many years ago. I was a young teenager, and though I couldn't swim, I would go to the end of the diving board. And when I went to the end of the diving board, I jumped off. I jumped at an angle, tried not to belly flop, and came up where the water was shallow. I did it over and over and over again. I could have drowned. If only I could tell you that I have no fear of water and I've gone on to faith that I can float. It's never happened. I understand the routine. I understand how you're supposed to be able to swim. I had a swimming expert in Bloomington, Illinois. He taught at Illinois State University. Larry Winterholter said, I'll teach you to swim. He took me out and within less than a half an hour, he said, Pastor, you won't be able to swim. You have a body composition, as some others I've tried to teach to swim, that you cannot float. And so you won't be able to swim. Because when he told me to hold my breath and just let the water hold me up, I just sink straight to the bottom and lay on the bottom. But I know the routine. And one of these days in the Millennial River, that flows from under the altar in the Millennial Temple. I will be a swimmer without any problems in my glorified body when I come with the Lord. He brings His bride, that's you and me, every one of us who know Him, and will rule and reign with the Lord for a thousand years. This river speaks of many things to my soul, but I can only think of Jesus. As I read this passage, standing in the temple on the great day of the feast in John 7, 37 and 38. And I wonder if in the millennial temple he'll do the same and repeat his challenge. If any man is thirsty. Let me just have a drink. I want to do it again. If any man is thirsty. Let him come to me and drink. I think I'll do it again. Let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me. As the scripture says, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. You see. When Jesus comes into our heart and the Holy Spirit indwells us, our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and out of every one of us flows a river of the water of life. And John 739 goes on to say, But this Jesus spoke of the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Beloved, in the Millennial Temple, these healing waters, this life-giving stream coming from the Holy Spirit of God is beautiful. I once read a message by Pastor Brian Bell from Murrieta, California, and he spoke of something I can't forget. He spoke of the source and the course and the force of these waters. And I tell you, there's times when you hear something, there's no use trying to improve on it. There's no use trying to reinvent the wheel. I love those words, the source, the course, and the force. And I want to speak on those three aspects of this millennial river before I wrap up the rest of this amazing prophetic book on in Ezekiel 47, 13 to chapter 48, verse 35. Now, what are these three aspects of the Millennial River. First of all, look at the source of this Millennial River. In Ezekiel 47 and verse 1, I read, Then he brought me back to the door of the house. That's the temple, the Millennial Temple. And behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. Beloved, as you know today, Jerusalem has no natural river. There's no natural river flowing down from it like many ancient national capitals had. And yet here in the millennium after the mountain of God has risen up following that massive earthquake when Jesus Christ returns to earth, here is this supernatural river starting as a trickle flowing down from the altar of God from the house, from the temple of God. Beloved, Whenever God is the source of a divine river, watch out. There is healing in that stream. There is life-giving power. There is the power of the Holy Spirit. Where there is barrenness, there will now be fruit. Where there is bitterness, it will be healed. Barrenness will turn to loveliness. Where there is bitter sterility, there will be sweet productivity. As we launch into this chapter, beloved, the river starts, verse 2, as a trickle. Be certain God has some final lessons to teach us. He has some lessons to teach us about who He is and who He wants to be in us. He wants to be in us a river of the water of life flowing down from the very throne of our lives where the Holy Spirit dwells. I love that song. I've got a river of life flowing out of me. Makes the lame to walk and the blind to see. Opens prison doors, sets the captive free. I've got a river of life flowing out of me. Spring up, oh well. Within my soul, spring up, O well, and make me whole. Spring up, O well, and give to me thy life abundantly. Consider the source. Look at the source of this millennial river. It begins at the altar of God, at the throne of God. It begins where it wants to begin in us as well. It's where the Holy Spirit dwells, where Jesus will stand in the Millennial Temple. He'll stand at the altar. He'll stand there with his nail-pierced hands and feet, his wounded side. Secondly, look at the course of this Millennial River. We've looked at the source. Look at the course of this Millennial River. You'll notice in verse two, it says, and he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around by the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. Now, what direction is this millennial river going to flow? What did I hear you say? OK, you said east, you're right, you're dead right. And let me camp on the word dead. Even dead is the right word if you've traveled to Jerusalem. What is straight east of Jerusalem? I've been there with my wife, Jenny. You go down over the hill, down, down, down, down, down to the lowest place on earth. You go down to Jericho in the north end of the Dead Sea, the Dead Sea. And you'll notice in verse three, The man goes out, the guide goes out toward the east with a line in his hand and he measures a thousand cubits. Make those millennial cubits. A millennial cubit, remember, is a normal cubit of 18 inches. That goes from my elbow or your elbow up to your fingertips. And then you go above that and there's a hand branch. And you add that hand span of 8 inches, it's 24 inches or 2 feet. So 1,000 millennial cubits is 2,000 feet. You know what a mile is, 5,280 feet. So that's a third of a mile. And notice what the word says. He led, the man was led down. He led me into the water. When the man went out toward the east with a line in his hand, verse three, he measured a thousand cubits and he led me through the water. So they're out in the water, measuring water, reaching the ankles. Now, you know how deep the ankles are. That's three to four to six inches at the very most, no matter how tall you are. And again, verse 4, He measured another thousand millennial cubits, and He led me through the water. They're walking in the water, water reaching the knees at two-thirds of a mile at 4,000 feet, or 2,000 cubits. Now the water is picking up tributary streams coming down from the top of Mount Zion, and the river is flowing down into the Araba, down into the Jordan Valley. It's increasing as it runs east. Now, It goes from being three to six inches deep. Now it goes to 18 to 24 inches deep. It's knee deep. Well, go on in verse four. Again, he measured a thousand cubits and led me through the water, water reaching the loins. Now it's waist deep. I get the feeling this building river is growing and going faster and faster and is flowing faster than any river in the amount of distance from where it starts. If you go up to where the Green River starts from a glacier, to think of going only a mile, 6,000 feet, a little over a mile, and now you've got water that's waist deep. I don't think so. This is the Millennial River. Notice verse 5. Again, he measured. Another thousand cubits. That's 2000. Now we're up to 8000 feet. That's a mile and a half. And it was a river that I could not forward where the water had risen enough water to swim in. Apparently, now the two of them are swimming a river that could not be forwarded. And the guide spoke to him and he said to me, son of man, have you seen this? How could he miss it for six? Then he brought me back to the bank of the river. We're in chapter 47 and verse six. And when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river, there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. I just have to tell you, I've been to this place. I cannot conceive of any moment. When there would be big trees growing all around. A river going down from Jerusalem and down into the Dead Sea. Now notice verse 8. And he said to me, these waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arava. Then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. You need to know what sea this is. I told you earlier it's the Dead Sea. Now the Dead Sea is an interesting, interesting sea. It's also called the Salt Sea. It's the deepest place on earth. It's down at the bottom of the Jordan Plain. The Jordan flows into it. And it is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. The surface and shores of the Dead Sea are 1,388 feet below sea level. The shore of the Dead Sea is the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface on dry land. The Dead Sea, however, that's not its deepest. That's just the surface of the water where you see those little glaciers of salt just floating like icebergs. And the Dead Sea is how deep? It's 1,000. On top of that, being below sea level, 1,388 feet. It's 1,237 feet deeper. It's the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With 33.7% salinity, it is one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. Well, how does it compare with the ocean? It's 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. This salinity makes for a harsh environment. Animals cannot flourish there. Hence the name, the Dead Sea or the Salt Sea. I have seen some mountain goats on the way down to Engedi. And maybe there's a mouse or a gopher someplace, but I'll tell you, it isn't a place where animals flourish. The Dead Sea is 42 miles long. It's 11 miles wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley. Its main tributary is the Jordan River. Now, that source of the Jordan River will not be the main tributary of this sea in the millennium. You talk about transformation. Oh, beloved, follow with me now in verses eight. Through 12, it says, Then he said to me, These waters go out toward the eastern region. and go down into the Ereba, then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea, and the waters of the sea become fresh. You talk about a miracle. Talk about transformation. To imagine the Dead Sea becoming a freshwater lake or a sea. And verse 9 is striking. It says, It will come about that every living creature, which swarms in every place where the river goes, will live. And there will be very many fish. For these waters go there, and the others become fresh. So everything will live where the river goes. And verse 10 tells me that this will be like Miracle Mile on the North Platte River, only it won't just be a mile long, because the Dead Sea is 42 miles long. It'll be a fishing spa, a fishing paradise. Oh, beloved, I confess I'm getting excited about the millennium. This feature of the millennium is down my alley. These fish, listen it says, it'll come about that fishermen will stand beside it. From in Getty to in Egliam, there There will be a place for the spreading of nets. Their fish will be according to their kinds like the fish of the great sea. Very many. Talk about huge fish. Talk about many fish. I can't wait to go fishing in the Millennial River in the northern end of the Dead Sea. Now Ezekiel knew this area like the back of his hand. En Gedi is a town that's still there today. It's midway down on the western coast of the Dead Sea. In fact, back up in the caves and back on the cliffs up from En Gedi is where you remember David. That's where he was and where he completely was hidden by God's hand in the caves there from Saul. Now, from En Gedi, it says to an egg lamb, the fishermen will stand beside it. I want to tell you something about En Gedi that I remember. We went down there, and our bus never went on down to the West Bank. We never went down to Gaza, the Gaza Strip. But we stopped in En Gedi. That was as far south as we got on that trip. But I, for the first time and only time in my life probably, floated on water. It's salt water. I got salt in my eyes, it burned for hours, but I floated on water because salt water holds you up. From En Gedi back north to En Egliam, that's a place known as Ein Feshka, A-I-N and then F-E-S-H-K-A. This is a place north where there is a freshwater spring near Qumran, that's where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered back in 1947. from Ein Feschke from Egliam on down to En Gedi, it will be a fisherman's paradise. Wow. You say, you must love the Lord's ideas. I do. Interestingly, what do you like to do when you fish beside the river or beside a lake? It's nice to have fresh fish right there beside the fire, just like Jesus on a charcoal fire made fish. And it says, You won't even have to bring along the salt. It says, the swamps of the Dead Sea, verse 11, and the marshes will not become fresh. They will be left for salt. So when you fry your fish next to the Millennial River and the Dead Sea, which will now be a freshwater sea, you can just reach down to the sand beside the marsh there, the swampy areas, and grab a little salt. Chuck Smith. suggested in one message, oh, he didn't want to spend very long on this chapter. He wanted to get on to Daniel. But I tell you, he made me laugh when he said, he says, maybe we might want to put up a worm stand and set up a worm stand near the Dead Sea. All I can say is I don't want to be selling worms. I might buy some, but I want to catch fish and I want to make fried fish and use a pinch of salt from the bank of the river. Go on. Notice verse 12, it sounds like a foretaste of glory in heaven in Revelation 22 verse 2. It says, And by the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They'll bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing. Oh, beloved. O Beloved, do you see God's redeemed balance of nature? It's the picture of a Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled Christian life. I've been to the Dead Sea. To picture the area as mostly farmland is a miracle beyond belief. The source and the course of this river is like Pentecost, when God opened the floodgates of glory and sent down His Spirit. The river is God's channel. It's His channel. to transform the Dead Sea just like we as believers become God's channels. He flows by His Spirit through us as consecrated believers to sinners dead in trespasses and sins. Our job and our joy is to communicate new life and abundant life from Jesus to unbelievers who are walking in spiritual death and barrenness and unfruitfulness. So we've looked at the source and the course of this river. Thirdly, lastly, we need to look at the force of this millennial river. Look at the force of this millennial river. You'll notice back in verses three through five, you'll notice it starts as a trickle. It goes to ankle deep. It goes to knee deep, to waist deep, and then you can only swim in it. Just think about God's goodness. Think about a river coming out of the temple, coming out of the throne of God when we get to heaven. Think about it and think about it spiritually speaking for babes in Christ. When you come to Christ, there are shallows for waiting. There are shallows for children. There's that knee deep water that's plenty deep for splashing. For the Pastor Rich Carlson's like me in the Millennium, I guess there's waist-deep water that will be for us who are signing up to learn to swim in our glorified bodies. We won't have body chemistry problems that will make us drown when we sink. For well-trained swimmers, and I have to think spiritually speaking now, there's plenty of water to go swim out into the deep and let the shoreline go. And as we mature in Christ, God wants us to go from putting our toes in the water of eternal life. He wants us to go on to be puddlers, splashers, to become beginning swimmers and finally well-trained swimmers and even lifeguards for the Lord, snatching others from the burning and from the drowning. Hating even garments spotted by the flesh, the Holy Spirit wants us to grow into full Christian manhood and full Christian womanhood. He wants us to enjoy the deep waters of His Holy Spirit. You notice sometimes around here a lot of skiing goes on in the wintertime. And you see some of the young people that go up to Jackson or Pinedale and they want to go on the Black Diamond right away. They're not afraid. But you know, some young believers jump into the river of eternal life and they go right to the deep end, right away. There are other believers that spend all their lives, 60, 70, 80, 90 years waiting in the shallows rather than learning to enjoy the deep water. Fullness of joy, beloved, is downstream a bit. The deeper the water, the deeper we go into the love of Jesus as we yield to His Holy Spirit. This water and its power doesn't open up to the name it, claim it folks. No, it's for everyone. You don't have to beg God. You don't have to plead with him for more force in your life. Just go down deep into the river of the water of life. If we're in the deep water, there's no restraint of the Holy Spirit for how deep we can go into God and into his grace and love. And I see all around These waters, I see smiling faces. Oh, do you know Jesus? Do you know His love? You'll be there in the millennium. You'll be the bride of Christ. Now, starting with Ezekiel chapter 47, verses 13 through 30, through verse 23, We have here the divisions and the geographical changes in the land. You see, under the Abrahamic covenant, Israel was promised in the millennium this land in an unconditional promise. God made the promise again in Deuteronomy 30, verses 1 to 10. He will keep his promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God made the promise. And he will keep it. He's good. You can take it to the bank. The land is divided equally between the 12 tribes with Joseph receiving a double portion, verse 13, through his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. And it's given not only to the 12 tribes, but even to the aliens that come in. Those that come into the borders, they share in the inheritance. We heard Pastor Larry read this morning. Oh, beloved. And God assigns our inheritance through Himself, Jehovah Shammah, Ezekiel 48, 35. He'll keep His covenant to Abraham. He'll keep His promise and give Israel all her land without it ever being contested again as it is today. And He'll fulfill all of His promises to us, the Bride, the Bride of Christ. Now, the vital thing about this inheritance to Israel that we find in Ezekiel 48, 1 to 35 will not be the river or the borders of the river or all the fishing or swimming that goes on. But what will really be vital will be the presence, the glorious presence of Almighty God. You see, Jehovah Shammah means the Lord is there, Ezekiel 48, 35. Jehovah Shammah, the Lord is there, is one of nine special names of God in the Old Testament. There's Jehovah Jireh, the Lord will provide. He'll see to it. Remember Abraham and Isaac? When he went to sacrifice Isaac and the Lord provided a ram and the thicket? Jehovah Jireh, he called him after that, Genesis 22, 14. He is Jehovah Rophe, R-O-P-H-E, the Lord who heals. Exodus 15, 26. He is Jehovah Nissi, N-I-S-S-I. Oh beloved. He is Jehovah Nissi, who is the Lord, our banner. Exodus 17, 15. He is Jehovah Makedesh, M apostrophe K-A-D-D-E-S-H. He is the Lord who sanctifies. Leviticus 20 and verse 8. He is Jehovah Shalom, Thank God, when we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we're praying to Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace, Judges 6, 24. In our wicked world, we ought to pray for Jehovah Sidkenu to return, the Lord our righteousness, T-S-I-D-K-E-N-U, Jeremiah 23, verse 6. Pray to Jehovah Rohi, the Lord my shepherd. That's what we prayed this past week. We prayed for the Lord our shepherd. to come and take Nellie home, and he did on Wednesday. We had the funeral here on Saturday. And then there is Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of the Sabbath, the Lord of hosts, the Lord of armies, Psalm 46 and verse 7. Now you remember The same Lord goes by all these different names, but Jehovah Shammah departed from Jerusalem because of the sins of the people, because of the wickedness there. His Shekinah glory lifted off and departed. The same way he will return to the Eastern Gate when Jesus returns in his second coming. He is now back. He's back to stay. Jehovah Shama, the Lord is there. Ezekiel 48, verse 35. Now in the millennium, the Lord is back to dwell with us and with His people Israel. His blessing will be on us, His bride, but especially on Israel. Jesus will now be preeminent in all of Jerusalem. His presence will command the attention of the world. So, beloved, We come to this end of the book of Ezekiel. And as you listen to the news and as you are discouraged by all the things that are going on and you wonder, what's it going to be like in a few days, in a few months, in a few years? Lift up your heads. Look up, suffering saints. Look up, suffering believers. Rejoice in the face of your discouragement. Jesus will soon come again. He's going to restore righteousness. He's going to institute a new sold out worship of himself. Jesus is going to comfort every believer. He's going to wipe away every tear. And what will he give us in place of it? Joy, peace, courage, comfort. Love, gladness and song will be our eternal possession. Not only just for the millennium, but for all eternity. Amen and amen. Would you bow your heads? With every head bowed and with every eye closed, before we come to the table of the Lord, I ask you, do you have that river of the water of life flowing out of you? Is your body the temple of the Holy Spirit? Is Jesus dwelling in you by faith? If he doesn't, he's calling for you today. Let him come in. Let him come into your life. I'm asking you right now. You want to receive him? Would you receive him right now? Would you ask him to come into your life? And if you would, would you raise your hand and I'm going to share a prayer. And you can be saved today. You can receive him as your own personal savior. Yes, there is one hand. Let me pray a prayer and you repeat it after me. Dear Jesus. Dear God. I need you. I'm a sinner. I'm lost without you. I'm on my way to hell without you. Thank you, God, for sending your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for me. I repent of my sins. I give my life to you. Please come into my life. Make me your child. I receive you by faith. Live in me by your Holy Spirit. I won't turn back. I've decided to follow you, Lord Jesus. Help me to live the rest of my life in the fellowship of your church. I won't turn back, Lord. In Jesus' name I pray this, Father. Amen.