God Cares About The Environment
Ezekiel 47 gives Ezekiel's vision of how water will flow from underneath the temple in Jerusalem and flow to the east, becoming larger and larger until it becomes a river of water. The river will flow into the Dead Sea and make it “alive” again with fish and vegetation.
We learn from @thebibleproject holiness study that this temple needs to be honoured as holy space, but at the same time, Ezekiel's vision about the river flowing out of the temple makes it clear that God's life-giving holiness will one day flow out of the temple into the world creating all kinds of new life.
Life that God cares about restoring. The people, yes, but also the creatures and the environment. --- As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:7-12 | ESV
We learn from @thebibleproject holiness study that this temple needs to be honoured as holy space, but at the same time, Ezekiel's vision about the river flowing out of the temple makes it clear that God's life-giving holiness will one day flow out of the temple into the world creating all kinds of new life.
Life that God cares about restoring. The people, yes, but also the creatures and the environment. --- As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” Ezekiel 47:7-12 | ESV