A River Without Water Properties

By Author: Terry Dashner
Total Articles: 105
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There is a River

Terry DashnerFaith Fellowship Church PO Box 1586 Broken Arrow, OK 74013

Ezekiel sees a river that has unusual properties. In Chapter 47 of Ezekiel, a body of water is seen as a stream that develops into a river that cannot be forded. What is unusual about this stream is that it enlarges into a great flowing river without any tributaries adding to it. The water has life-generating properties that cause it to increase without additional sources. You might say that it has a life of its own.

Does the Bible say more about this river of living water? Yes, it does. The beginning pages of the Bible speak about a river flowing from the Garden of Eden. The closing chapters of the Bible end the story of man on earth and open a door to the world beyond by describing, in detail, the river flowing from the Throne of God, throughout the Eternal City.

Is there anything worth noting about this river? I think so. I want to share some of the more important properties about the river of God. To do this, I want to seek answers to four questions about the river. First, I want to identify ...
... the river. Second, I want to locate its origin. Third, I want list its various properties. And, finally, I want to state its relationship to us, the Church. So, here I go.

What is the river in question? Revelation 22: 1-2 says, Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. (NIV) The river is the river of life. It's a river that has the properties of life. Its properties of life sustain the tree of life, producing a crop of fruit every month and yielding leaves that heal nations. There is a river of life.

Revelation 21:6 says, To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. (NIV) The river is also called a spring. Ezekiel saw it as a spring that developed into a river without tributaries. The Bible says that anyone may drink from the spring, but only to the thirsty will the water be given. Are you thirsty for the river of life? Jesus said that He is the water of Life. If you are thirsty, come to Jesus. He, only He alone, can quench your thirst for life.

Where does the river originate? Revelation 22: 1-2 gives the source of its life giving flow. The water comes from the Throne of God and the Lamb. If it comes from the Father and the Son of God, it must be the Spirit of God. In other words, the Holy Spirit gives the water its properties of eternal life. The Spirit of God is often likened to water. In John 7: 37 it says, On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. (39) By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive (NIV) Interesting, is it not? Those who come to Jesus to drink Him in, they are given the Holy Spirit to not only quench their thirst, but to give forth to others to drink. Wow, believers have the river of life flowing through them.

Is the river of life water only? No. It has several properties. Just as light has properties of particles and waves, which boggle the minds of scientists today, the river of life is water, fire, and life. Daniel 7:10 says, A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him (NIV) Acts 2:3-4 says, They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV) What's interesting to me is that the Spirit of God is likened to fire that separates at will and comes to rest on the early disciples, gathered in the upper room. Here again, the elements used to describe the working or manifestation of the Holy Spirit are given life-generating properties. One might conclude that the Holy Spirit was in the river flowing from the Throne and in the fire that lighted on the heads of the early disciple in the upper room. The Holy Spirit gives life-generating properties to every thing it touches. Touch me Holy Spirit!

What is its relationship to us—the Body of Christ? Psalm 36: 8-9 says, They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (NIV) The river of life is delightful to us. After all the joy of the Lord is my strength. In other words, the river of life gives me delight and strengthens my soul to live in victory. Isaiah 55: 10-11 says, As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (NIV) The rain comes to the earth one way and returns to the heavens another way. Yet it does not return without accomplishing God's purpose.

The river of life flows to us from the Throne of God one way, flows through us in purpose, and returns to God in thanksgiving, worship, and praise. I thank God for the river of life. In worshipping the Lord, I'm releasing the river of life back to Him as a tribute of praise. The water comes to me, through me, and back to God. I'm connected! How about you?

Four questions with Bible answers stand before you. What say you? Do you know that God made you with desires? If you had no desire for joy, you would never seek out joy. God has made you with a hole in your heart. That's right. It's a hole that can be patched only with God Himself. You are made to thirst. The thirstier you are, the more He satisfies your thirst. Won't you come to Jesus? He is the water of Eternal Life. He is moving to you by His Holy Spirit. Reach out, and take a drink. It's free, and you may have all you want.

Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is coming soon.

Stay in the water.

Pastor T.




About the Author Pastors a small church in Broken Arrow, OK.