The River Crossed

I was just considering the river in Ezekiel again, as it feels like this vision has spoken to me several times, each time revealing something new, and today was no different.

(Side Note Ezekiel 43:8-9

When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger. Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the funeral offerings for their kings, and I will live among them forever.

This seems like another clever use of the term "them," as this could very easily be referencing the destruction of doorposts and thresholds, especially since, after God destroys "them," God then gives parameters by which God will live among "them" forever.)

So today I pictured walking the river with Ezekiel and the man showing him around, and I began at their walk from the temple of God

Ezekiel 47:1-2

The man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

So the man took Ezekiel out of the temple and they stopped before the river/stream (because the first reference of crossing it is still upcoming). They exited the north gate, and as we see in Ezekiel 46:9

“‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.'"

this would mean that they would have entered through the south gate initially, had they entered by God's command, which seems natural to assume given the company.

Then I noticed that they crossed the river 3 times- at ankle, knee, and waist:

Ezekiel 47:2-6

He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was trickling from the south side.

As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in—a river that no one could cross. He asked me, “Son of man, do you see this?”

So they went from north to south, back south to north, then again north to south, ending on southside. This would have been the "side of the river" that Ezekiel started on, meaning he could head straight home with no more crossings, having seen where the river was too much to cross.

What came to mind here was 3, maybe 4 (maybe even 5), state changes: entering the temple of The Lord, which would be a state change all its own- The Lord searching the traveller's heart before their journey. Then by The Lord's decree they would exit north, crossing to a foreign place (dream, other different state?), which would be the second state change. Then they return to the traveler's own side (waking?), with relatives ease- another state change at only ankle deep. Then the travellers return to a foreign place (from Ezekiel's perspective that is) one more time with some difficulty, at knee deep. Finally the travelers return to the side Ezekiel began on, likely with significant difficulty, at waist deep. They journey a bit farther, until turning to the river and finding it cannot be crossed on foot, so they return home, likely changed for this journey as a whole (if so this would make the state changes number 4 to 5). 

This feels like a cadence of some kind, like a lesson learned in multiple parts. The last return trip listed, back to familiar territory, is done in waters that are about as high and rapid as one can handle, likely the most difficult of the trials in the bunch. I imagine this journey being initiated by something at the temple- a request for something, a question for information, etc., even if done on a subconscious level. One can then return home, unless an alternate solution might be found to cross the rushing rapids, which makes the dreams I have had as of late stand out. Then again it is said "no one could cross," so who knows?

I have said it before, and I might yet be jumping the gun by saying it again today, seeing how this new insight suddenly surged like the river it includes but, in answer to Ezekiel 47:6 “'Son of man, do you see this?'”

Yes.