Prophecies of God's River and Streams

“But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams; wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.” (Isaiah 33:21)

The place “there” is Jerusalem and most probably the New Jerusalem, although it’s not specific. What is specific is that the Lord will be there. And it’s the Lord Who will be a place of broad rivers and streams. There is a river in the New Jerusalem. It flows from the throne of God and of Jesus. “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” (Revelation 22:1) It is the water of life. It has life and gives life because it comes from God. Psalms 46 prophetically speaks of this river. “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” (Psalms 46:4) Zechariah also prophesies about the streams of living water that will flow out of Jerusalem. “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.” (Zechariah 14:8) Ezekiel also had a vision of this river. Everything where the waters of the river touched came to life. “Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that everything that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and everything shall live whither the river cometh.” (Ezekiel 47:5-9)

Isaiah in our Scripture of study mentions a galley with oars and a gallant ship. Unlike other cities that had rivers running through it, were susceptible to invading gally ships and gallant ships. But in this river no invading ship will come because the Lord is protecting us. “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us.” (Isaiah 33:22)

This river of living waters is those promised to us in Psalms 23. “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.” (Psalms 23:2) And anyone is able to drink of this living water. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17)

Now that we’ve explored the river in the New Jerusalem, did you get the sense that this river may not be an actual river. In talking with the Samaritan woman, Jesus talked about the water of life that only He can give. “Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:13-14) Jeremiah in his prayer to the Lord because of Judah’s sin prayed, “O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters.” (Jeremiah 17:13) This verse is controversial in ancient texts whether it was the Lord speaking to Jeremiah in the latter part of that verse. Some translations have substituted thee for me so that it’s continued as part of Jeremiah’s prayer instead of Jeremiah writing the Lord’s response. But what pertains to this lesson is what Jeremiah reveals about the Lord. He is the fountain of living waters.

Again and again, we find mysteries in God’s Word. They are allegories of what is to come. And because God’s world or realm is so different from earth, we cannot conceive what it actually means. In my limited mindset, I imagine actual water from rivers and streams, but it may not be. I think of how God’s love and salvation is often written about as a river, as in our Scripture of study, “the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams.” Isaiah prophesied, “For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.” (Isaiah 66:12) And in another verse he prophesies, “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2-3) In Ezekiel’s prophecy, Ezekiel finds himself in the River of Life up to his shoulders. There is a song we used to sing in the 1980’s about swimming in the River of Life. And we would swing our arms like we were swimming. But can you imagine God’s love and salvation so abundant that it’s like swimming in a deep river of His love and salvation. Whether it’s an actual life-giving river or a river of God’s love and salvation, it’s glorious.