The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-08-17
THE RIVER OF SALVATION.
for August 10. isSt,-Text. Ese ekieI,
47,1-12-Memory Verse, ~.

Especially Adapted from Peloubet's otes.l
GOLDEN TEXT.-Whosoever will, let
him take the wa sr of life freely. = Rev.
22G7.
LIGHT FROM OTHER SCRIPTURES.
The Temple eymbol.-Rev. 81; 1 Cor. 8:l6,
II; 6:19; Q Cor. SIG; Eph. 2:21; 2 Thes. 2A
Rev 3:12. The River of Life.-Zech 1881;
l4:S, 9; John 4:10-15; 2: 37-39; Rev. 22:1, Q:
Gen. 2:10; Psa 1:3.
TIMELThis prophecy was written in b.
c. 572 (Ezek. 4O:D. the twenty-ffth year Of
Ezekiel's captivity. 597, and fourteenth aft
er the destruction of Jerusalem In 5S6 1t
was about the middle of the seventy years
captivity
Te-abib on the river Chebar, near Babylon.
EXPLANATORY.
1. The Source of the River of Life.--
VS.. 1, 2. vi. "Afterward:" After the
angel had shown him the temple and
all it's details. "Wnters issued out from
under the threshold of the house east
ward:" The natural fact on which this
conception rests is this, that there was
a fountain connected with the temple
hill, the waters of which fell into the
valley east of the city, and made their
way towards the sea."-Prof. Davidson.
"At the south side of the altar" The
stream flowed not only from the tenn
pie, but apparently from the Holy of
Holes, and flowed close by the altar of
sacrifice. The truth represented is
that the presence of God is the source
from which the influences flow forth
that renew and purify human exist
ence'' (Prof. Skinner).
II. 1t Broadens as 1t Flows.-Vs. 3-5.
v. 3. "A thousand cubits:" There is no
special significance to this exact dis
tance. V. 5. Waters to swim in, river
that could not be passed over:" broad
and deep. "'rhe word rendered river is
the usual one for brook or wady, viz,
stream with its valley or gorge" The
picture of a broadening stream symbol
lied that while the renewal of the king
dom of Israel, on the return from exile,
would have small and insignificant
beginning. both in numbers and in
prosperity, the spirit that would make
II great kingdom would increase on
and on to the end. the outward bless
ings would become more abundant, the
true life of the naticn would deepen as
well as broaden. This picture has been
realized IN history.
III. The Trees upon Its Banks.-Vs.
6, z. We "Son of man, hast thou seen
this?" Do you understand what you
have seen so far? Then let us go
farther. V. Z. "At the bank Of the river
were very many trees on the one side
and on the other" Compare Rev. 22:l.
2. "There was always vision of better
~; ;ncs poec;blo opd in tba In St do vs fha
prophets cherished the expectation that
that vision would be realized. When all
causes of offense are removed from Is
rael and Jehovah smiles on His people,
the land will blossom into supernatural
fertility, the plowman overtaking the
reaper, the treader of grapes him that
soweth seed, the mountains dropping
new wine and the hills melting" (Amos
9:13).-Prof. Skinner. Compare Psa.
1:3.
w. 1t Causes the Desert to Blossom
as the Rose.-Vs. s-12. v. 8. "And go
down into the desert:" The Arabah,
the valley of the Jordan and the Dead
sea extending south to the Red sea.
The county between Jerusalem and
the Dead sea is the most desolate and
inhospitable tract in the whole coun-
try. go into the sea-" The Dead
sea, the waters of which are so inn
pregnated with various salts that no
fish or animal can live in them. 'The
waters shall be healed:" Restored to
their proper condition, made healthful.
v. 9. Everything that liveth:" ALI
forms of animal life. "Whithersoever
the rivers shall come, shall lives" The
river of life shall bring life in abun-
dance wherever it flows. v. 10. "The
fishers shall stand upon it from En-
gedi:" Fountain of the kid" situ-
ated about the middle of the west shore
of the Dead sea. "Even unto En-
eglaim:" Fountain of the two calves"
not identified, but probably near the
mouth of the Jordan. The meaning is
that there shall be fishing all around
the lake, because the fish are 90 abun-
dant, "as the fish of the great sea-"
the Mediterranean. v. II. "But the miry
places" The marshes around the sea
shall not be sweetened, but left as beds
for digging salt. Probably the excep-
ton, which reserves for sterility places,
to which the living water does not
reach, indicates that the life and health
are solely due to the stream which
proceeds from beneath the throne Of
God. Compare lisa. $3.50, 21.)-Bible
Com. v. 12. This verse enlarges on the
marvellous fertility and richness of the
redeemed desert, which "shal rejoice
and blossom as the rose. 1t shall BIOS
som abundantly, and rejoice even with
Joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon
shall be given unto it, the. excellency
of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see
the glory of the Lord, and the excel
lency of our God" lisa. 1851, -. This
vision of the transformed desert and
Dead sea pictured the change which
God would work for the land then des-
olated as the wilderness Of Judea, and
| for the circumstances and hopes of the