“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)
Zechariah is prophesying about the Day of the Lord. That day is the day He returns to set His feet again on the earth, but this time to reign. No where is there a literal river running from Jerusalem toward the east and to the west. This is symbolic of the living life of the Gospel that will go forth out of Jerusalem. Isaiah prophesied that people from all nations will go to Jerusalem then. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
Ezekiel also prophesied about living waters coming from the temple in Jerusalem. “Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side. And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 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 every thing 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 every thing shall live whither the river cometh. And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.” (Ezekiel 47:1-12) Ezekiel’s prophecy tells us that wherever the Gospel goes, it will bring life and renewal to everything. Not only will people be healed, but the land also and everything in it will be restored to life. Where there is no Gospel light, there is death and cursing. A prime example is the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Dominican Republic is fruitful, and fishing is thriving. But across the border, the land is dry and cursed. Not even fishing in that part of the island thrives.
The never changing Gospel life will go to the eastern countries and to the western countries taking the life of God to all. The Gospel has not changed from the beginning and nothing, not winter nor summer, can hinder it from flowing and taking life to parts of the world that dry, parched and dying. Jesus spoke of this living water when speaking to the Samaritan woman. “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who it is that saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water... 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 4:10,13-14)
We always think of the people of hostile and restrictive nations to the Gospel as not wanting the Gospel. Isaiah tells us differently. The truth is that they need the Gospel life. They are parched and thirsty for the Gospel life. “When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” (Isaiah 41:17-18) False religions and idols cannot quench the thirst they have for life in the Gospel. The whole earth will be flourishing with the life of the Gospel.
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