Scripture Reading: Gen. 2:10-14; Psa. 36:8-9; 46:4; Rev. 22:1; Ezek. 47:1-12
Ⅰ
In the Scriptures the concept of the unique flow of life, the divine stream, is crucial—Gen. 2:10-14; Psa. 46:4a; John 7:37-39; Rev. 22:1:
A
The Bible reveals the flowing Triune God—the Father as the fountain of life, the Son as the spring of life, and the Spirit as the river of life—John 4:14b; 7:37-39; Psa. 36:8-9; 46:4; Rev. 22:1.
B
The Bible tells us the story of God's flowing; the source of the flow is the throne of God and of the Lamb—v. 1.
C
In the Scriptures there is only one flow, only one divine stream; the divine stream, which has been flowing throughout the generations, is uniquely one—Gen. 2:10-14; Rev. 22:1.
D
The book of Acts reveals that there is only one stream of the move of the Lord and that we need to keep ourselves in this one stream—15:35-41.
E
The issue of our experience of the flowing Triune God is that we become God's ultimate building, the New Jerusalem—Rev. 21:2.
F
The destination of the flowing Triune God is the New Jerusalem—John 4:14; Rev. 21:10-11; 22:1.
Ⅱ
The Bible describes the experience of the water of life both before and after the building of the house and city of God:
A
Before the building of the house of God, the Bible speaks of the springs of water (Exo. 15:22-27), the water out of the cleft rock (17:6; Num. 20:11; 1 Cor. 10:4), and the water from the well (Num. 21:16-17).
B
After the building of the house of God, the Bible speaks of the river of God's pleasures (Psa. 36:8b), the river whose streams gladden the city of God (46:4), a fountain going forth from the house of Jehovah (Joel 3:18), and living waters going forth from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:8).
C
On the one hand, the flow of life produces precious materials for God's building (Gen. 2:9-12, 22); on the other hand, the flow of life depends on God's building (Ezek. 47:1a).
D
Wherever a group of believers are built up in oneness as described by Ezekiel, there will be the flowing of the river, the one divine stream of the Lord's move, out of the building—cf. Acts 1:14.
Ⅲ
The flow of life is for God's building—Gen. 2:10-14:
A
God's building comes out of the flow of life—vv. 10-14:
１
The river in verse 10 signifies the river of water of life, along which the tree of life grows—Rev. 22:1-2.
２
The flow of the river issues in three precious materials–gold, bdellium, and onyx; these materials typify the Triune God as the basic elements of the structure of God's eternal building—21:18-21.
B
The flowing of the water of life is the only way that builds up the church of God—John 7:37-39; Matt. 16:18:
１
The building of the church depends on whether or not we will allow the water of life to flow through us and into others—John 4:10.
２
In order for the church to be built up, our spirits must be released and blended into one, because the building of God is carried out through our being blended into one in the flow of the Spirit, which is the flow of the water of life—Rom. 8:16; Eph. 2:21.
Ⅳ
The flow of life is in God's building—Psa. 36:8-9; 46:4:
A
The water of life is related to God's house and God's city—36:8-9; 46:4:
１
The river of the divine pleasures refers to the Spirit as the river of water of life—36:8; John 7:37-39; Rev. 22:1.
２
The river that gladdens the city of God signifies the flowing of the Triune God in Christ through the Spirit as life to His people—Psa. 46:4; Rev. 22:1.
B
In God's building the living water flows not instantly and occasionally but constantly and eternally—Num. 20:11; Rev. 22:1.
Ⅴ
The flow of life comes out from God's building—Ezek. 47:1-12:
A
We need to experience the flowing of the living water out of the house of God—vv. 1-5:
１
For the increase of the flow of life, we need to be measured by the Lord as the man of bronze—40:3; 47:2-6; Rev. 1:15; cf. John 7:37-39.
２
To measure is to examine, test, judge, and possess—Ezek. 42:20.
３
The four measurings of a thousand cubits, which is a complete unit (cf. Psa. 84:10), indicate that as creatures we need to be thoroughly measured by the Lord so that He may take over and thoroughly pos-sess our entire being—Ezek. 47:2-5.
４
The more we allow the Lord to examine, test, and judge us to possess us, the deeper the flow becomes; the depth of the flow depends on how much we have been measured by the Lord.
５
The more we are measured by the Lord, the more we are restricted and limited by the flowing of the grace of life until eventually we are lost in and carried along by the flowing Triune God as a river in which to swim; in one sense, we lose all our freedom, but in another sense, we are really free—vv. 5-6a.
B
"If you are in the Lord's recovery, be in the recovery absolutely, not half-way…By being absolute we will be in the flow, and the flow will not be a trickle but a river to swim in"—Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 311-312.