The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Glory of the Lord, #3

And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles. (Ezekiel 47:3)

A day with the Lord is as a thousand years. The thousand cubits refer to a "day" of God's working as He develops His eternal purpose among men. The "waters" indicate the Spirit of God, the Glory of God, as it is given to the earth through God's elect.

Have you noticed that we Christians move from plateau to plateau? We proceed from glory to glory. We make spiritual progress. Then, God evaluates our progress, prunes back the accomplishment thus far, and gives an increased measure of His Spirit to us.

"Waters to the ancles" speaks of the salvation experience, that is, righteousness received through faith in the shed blood of Jesus; our declaration in water baptism that we are crucified with Christ and risen with Christ; and the birth of Divine Life in us.

Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. (Ezekiel 47:4)

More spiritual progress, more evaluation, more pruning, more glory.

"Waters to the knees" indicates the walk in the Spirit of God, the Spirit-filled life. As we walk in the Spirit of God, the filthiness of the flesh and spirit is cleansed from us and the fruit of the Divine Nature is formed in us; also, we are empowered to bear witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.

"Waters to the loins" speaks of the experience of the death of the cross where our strength is broken and we become the servant of the Lord. Self dies and King Jesus lives. Our self-life is brought down to death and God's will is performed in earth as it is in Heaven. This is the realm of accomplishment and rulership.

Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. (Ezekiel 47:5)

It is possible to arrive at the place where we are immersed in the Life of God, if this is what we desire above all else. It is the fulfillment of the "Tabernacles" experience (Leviticus 23:33-43).

We are called to be one in Christ in God. This is a river of glory that cannot be passed over. It is "waters to swim in." In that Day we have salvation and salvation has us. We possess God and God possesses us. We are at rest in the Fullness of the Godhead and the Fullness of the Godhead is at rest in us. We have become the chariot of God. This is what it means to be "filled with all the fulness of God" (Ephesians 3:19).

It is the destiny of the Body of Christ, the Wife of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem, to be filled with all the fullness of God.

But to what end? The end of the matter is that we may serve as "trees of life" for the nourishment of the nations of the earth.

To be continued.