Hallelujah for the river! Hallelujah for something flowing! Please notice that the flow is not in chapter one; in that chapter there was no flow, but there was the burning fire. There was no river, but there was the fire. Then in chapter thirty-seven there was the wind which became breath to us, but still there was no water flowing. The flowing of the water did not begin until chapter forty-seven. In chapter one the fire was burning, in chapter thirty-seven the wind was blowing and becoming breath, and finally in chapter forty-seven the water was flowing. The water could not come in before chapter forty-seven because the house had not been built up.
Several crucial factors brought in the flow of the river. First was the building up and completion of the house. Then the people began to have their living according to the house, according to its pattern, its laws, and its statutes. They began to live according to the house of God. Their daily walk, their daily life, and all their conduct was according to the form, fashion, pattern, statutes, and laws of the house (43:10-11). Next, there were the serving ones, the priests, serving the Lord in a proper way. Finally, there were all the adequate offerings: out of two hundred lambs, one was offered; out of the wheat and the barley, one-sixtieth was offered; and out of the oil, one-hundredth was offered. There were the yearly offerings, the monthly offerings, the weekly offerings, the daily offerings, and all the solemn feasts. How rich are all these items! We have to realize that the experience of all these items brought in the flow of the river. When the Lord saw all these things, He was so happy. He saw the house with all its forms and statutes, He saw the priests and the offerings, and He was very happy. Therefore, He sent the flowing of the river. The river began to flow out of the house. Wherever and whenever a group of believers are built up in oneness as Ezekiel described, the river will flow out of their building up. The river flows out of the building. The flow depends upon the building. If there is a building of the church in your place, the river will flow out. If there is a house where the Lord can say, "This is the place of my throne, and this is the place where I can put the soles of my feet, and this is the place where I can dwell, rest, and be satisfied" (43:7), be assured that the flow will come out. The flow comes out of the proper building.
Today in Christianity many zealous ones pay attention to outreach and to the gospel, yet their condition and their situation are very poor. They go out to work for the Lord, but no flow follows them. They have no flow because they neglect the source of the flow—the building up of the church. There can be no flow apart from the building up. If there is a strong building up in the local churches, there will be a flowing river going out to other places. There will be the impact and the flooding. How much we need the building! We need the temple, the house of God, to be properly built up. Out of such a building, the flow of God will issue. Everything depends upon the building. The preaching of the gospel depends upon the building. The impact of the gospel upon the world depends upon the building. When the Christians are built up as one, the world will be convinced (John 17:23). The divided situation of Christianity greatly damages the impact of the gospel.
The river issues forth from the house and flows toward the east (47:1). The east is the direction of the glory of the Lord (Num. 2:3; Ezek. 43:2). This indicates that the river of God will always flow in the direction of God's glory. The flow of the river does not care so much for you and for me, but it cares very much for God's glory.
The river does not flow out on the left side, but on the right side (47:1). According to the Bible, the right side is always the highest position. This signifies that the flow of the Lord must have the preeminence. We must give the flow of the Lord the highest position. We must give the Lord Himself the highest position. Then the flow will be prevailing. The flow should be the controlling factor in our person and in our work. The flow must have the place of preeminence.