Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-20

Ezekiel closes his prophecy with q
vision of triumphant nation, that had
been raised from the dead and restored
to their beloved land by the power of
jehovah Twenty-Five years before he
delivered this prophecy he had been
carried into exile. Fourteen years had
passed since the nations name had been
blotted out from the roll of nations.
Filled with optimism Ezekiel thrilled the
discouraged, doWncaSt and distressed
exiles of his visions Of the life-giving
stream in his efforts to fill them with
hope and courage.
Water is symbolica of religion and
spiritual life 1t is 80 used by Joel,
Isaiah, Ezekiel and in the Psalms.
Johns version in the last chapter OF
Revelation furnishes us with an inter-
esting analogy and strong parallel to
the vision of Ezekiel. Water has three
great uses that make it an ideal symbol
of Gods grace in beStoWing spiritual
life It quenches mans thirst cleanses
and helps develop harvest. Our Mas
ter claimed that He was the water OF
life. One of the many different inter-
pretations Of Ezekiel's vision of the life
giving stream sees in it prophecy OF
the Christ. as the fountain OF life, the
source of piety, promoter OF progress,
of spiritual power.
The Streams Source.
The marvellous life-giving stream had
it's commencement within the temple
the place the more than any other
localized the presence Of God: In the
preceding chapters Ezekiel tells OF the
temple being rebuilt and the program
for the proper use of the sacred ediflce
in connection with the worship of
Jehovah. It's issuing from under the
altar Of Jehoah and its power to increase
It's volume. as it swept along through the
parched and desert sections. symbollZed
the fact that God was the one hope for
the nations revival, reconstruction ana
restoration. 1t harmonizes with Johns
revelation Of "the river Of life
and the Lamb" There Is no life apart
from God. I'm Him, we live. move and
have our being" physically and spirit
ually.
Ezekiel saw that the hope Of the
nations publication and possession Of
the homeland again was closely related
to Gods mercy. He sought to fill the
exiles with the hope that though the
temple had been destroyed, God pro-
and that from 1t the law would once
more go forth throughout the whole
world from Zion. This is the common
hope held today by ZionistS and those
Christians who are looking for the
Lords return. Both expect that the
temple will be rebuilt. The foundation
for our hope for forgiveness Of our sins
and the assurance of a future life Is
symbolized in the waters of life, that
started to flow at Calvarys cross.
Leaving the sacred temple, the waters
moved on downward through the I'M
tillable wilderness to the Dead Sea,
which waters it purified. According to
a recent news item q large corporation
has been formed and has applied for
the concession of removing all the salts
that have been deposited throughout
the centuries since the Dead Sea was
former. when through changes in the
land the waters of the Jordan Valley
were prevented from being emptied into
the Dead Sea.
The Streams Progress.
Ezekiel paints the nations progress
with the skill of a poet in the expan-
widening stream. More than once the
prophet asked the divine guide to show
him the evidence of the nations posi-
bilities after their hearts had been
changed and they sought to conform
their life and labor to Gods will. He
showed the prophet new city with
territorial dimensions that far sur
passed the boundaries of Palestine and
the new temple, according to his
vision, covered a greater area than the
ancient capital city. He saw it as the
center of the worldwide influence Of
the restored nation because 1t was ex-
clusively devoted to the promotion Of
spiritual life.
Price had pointed out how Ezekiel's
bold plan. and its comprehensiveness
had challenged the thought of the
ripest teachers of religion of later days
According to that eminent scholar,
"The temple and the civil states were
to be separated. The officials OF the
temple were independent Of the civil
authorities and carried out an exact
specified ritual. The sanctity of the
sacred courts barred the people and
the civil ruler from any intrusion
therein. This inaugurated new and
more strictly official and ritualistic