A River of Living Water

Ezekiel is shown the reconstructed temple in a vision. He sees water running from under the threshold of the temple flowing eastward. The water runs into the Dead Sea and heals the waters of the sea. The heavenly ministrant conducting this temple tour then notes:

"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" (Ezekiel 47:8-9).

Jesus Christ is the source of living water. He said to the woman at Jacob's well, "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." The Savior then added, "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).

President Howard W. Hunter once said, "Whatever Jesus lays his hands upon lives. If Jesus lays his hands upon a marriage, it lives. If he is allowed to lay his hands on the family, it lives" (Conference Report, October 1979).

Water Libation at Feast of Tabernacles

In the seventh month of Tishri on the Hebrew calendar, the major Feast of Tabernacles occurs. It is called Sukkot among Jews and is still celebrated today. One of the main events is the pouring of water on the altar. The water would run down the steps of the temple into the outer courts. It was probably this celebration that Isaiah had reference to:

"Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3).

Jesus, while teaching at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, uses this water libation as a backdrop for His living water sermon. John records,

"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

"He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

"(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" (John 7:37-39).

In the Greek it's not clear whether the "belly" is the belly of the believer, or the belly of Jesus, but it is probably the belly of Jesus. It's the same Greek word (koilia) which is translated as womb in John 3, where Jesus is teaching Nicodemus about spiritual rebirth. So the reference to "belly" in John 7 has spiritual rebirth connotations. 

You can click here to read more about the Feast of Tabernacles and the water libation.

Temple Imagery in Ezekiel

In Ezekiel 47 the water is running under the threshold of the door of the temple eastward into the desert to heal the waters of the Dead Sea. But the heavenly ministrant conducting the tour has a line in his hand to measure the waters. The scripture states,

"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" (Ezekiel 47:3-5).


How typical this is of our temple experiences. The first time I went to the temple to receive my endowment, I checked the sign on the way out to make sure I was still attending the same church. I had barely dipped my little toe in the water. But each time I went to the temple after long years of absence due to my addiction to alcohol (and other things), I began to "drink in" the doctrines a little deeper. The meaning became deeper and deeper--first to the ankles, then the knees, then the waist, and soon I was totally immersed in the glory and spirit of the temple. And I continue to learn.

Spiritual Medicine

Ezekiel also speaks of trees growing along the banks of the river of living water, which flows from the temple.

"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 47:12).

What a contrast to my days of addiction and alcoholism! The exhilarating rush of alcohol and drugs quickly faded until I basically became numb. In Twelve Step recovery we call it "numbing out." I was consumed away, eaten up, and beaten up by my drug of choice. But the spiritual food available in the temple never fades away. It doesn't diminish over time. Every temple trip is a new and sacred experience, fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This verse implies that the temple provides spiritual medicine. I'm not a doctor, but I know my wife takes different medications than I do. My son takes medicines totally different from either one of us. We can experience joy and healing in the temple. It is marvelous to me that we can sit together side by side in the temple, and each receives his or her own special medicine. 

Jesus is the perfect Healer and Physician.