From the First to the Last — The Dwelling Restored and Life Flowing Outward
The Return of Glory and Living Waters
Throughout our studies, we have followed the unfolding restoration from the beginning, through the promised woman, the preparation of Christ's spiritual body, the Bridegroom and Bride, and the gathering of those who follow.
We have examined the dead awakening, the removal of deception, and the children of the promise being gathered home.
But where does the life that restores them come from?
To answer that question, we return to Ezekiel and the Glory of YHWH (יהוה).
In our earlier Glory study, we followed the movement of His Glory through the visions given to Ezekiel. We observed the cherubim, the wheels, the threshold, and the departure from the dwelling that had become defiled.
Now we come to the promised return.
The Glory Returns — Ezekiel 43
Ezekiel 43 describes the Glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. The earth shines with His Glory, and the sound of His coming is compared to the sound of many waters.
Ezekiel falls upon his face.
Then the Glory of YHWH (יהוה) enters the house by the gate facing east, and the Spirit lifts Ezekiel and brings him into the inner court.
The Glory fills the house. Read Ezekiel 43:1–5.
Remember what we examined in Ezekiel 8–11.
The prophet was shown abominations within the dwelling. The Glory moved from its appointed place, and the departure unfolded before him.
Now the movement is reversed.
What had departed returns.
The dwelling that had been associated with corruption is brought before us again, but now in connection with the promised presence of YHWH (יהוה).
This is more than the restoration of a building.
The significance lies in the One who dwells there.
In Ezekiel 43:7, the place is described in relation to His throne and the soles of His feet, where He will dwell among the children of Israel.
The reference to His feet is worth remembering alongside our First and Last study. We have repeatedly examined the head, the feet, the completed union, and the appointed dwelling.
We need not make every detail identical to recognize a continuing Scriptural pattern.
The Glory returns, and the dwelling is filled with His presence.
God Is Within Her — Psalm 46
Psalm 46 describes a world being shaken.
The earth changes, the mountains move, and the waters roar. Nations rage and kingdoms are moved.
Yet in the midst of this disturbance, the psalm introduces a river.
"There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." — Psalm 46:4, ASV
Then comes the assurance:
"God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God will help her, and that right early." — Psalm 46:5, ASV
Read Psalm 46.
Notice the relationship between the river, the city, and the presence of God.
The city remains secure not because the surrounding nations are peaceful, but because God is within her.
This returns us to Galatians 4:26, where Jerusalem above is described as free and called our mother.
It also returns us to Revelation 21, where the Bride, the Lamb's wife, is shown through the imagery of the holy city, Jerusalem.
Read Galatians 4:26 and Revelation 21:9–10.
We have already distinguished the singular Bride from the saints associated with her. Revelation 20:9 describes both the camp of the holy ones and the beloved city.
Psalm 46 adds another important observation.
God is within her, and she shall not be moved.
This is especially meaningful when considering the Bride's protection and the appointed trial of the elect.
The surrounding conflict does not remove the presence of YHWH (יהוה) from the city.
And the river belongs within that protected dwelling.
The Sanctuary — Life Begins to Flow
Ezekiel 47 opens with the prophet being brought back to the entrance of the house.
He sees waters issuing from beneath the threshold, flowing eastward.
The waters begin as a stream, but as Ezekiel is led farther along, they deepen.
First they reach his ankles, then his knees, then his loins. Eventually, they become a river too deep to pass through.
Read Ezekiel 47:1–6.
Notice that the water does not begin among the nations.
It proceeds from the house.
And it does not remain within the house.
It flows outward.
This brings us back to the tabernacle arrangement we have examined throughout our studies. The holy dwelling and those receiving its service are related, but they are not interchangeable.
Within our First and Last understanding, the completed spiritual body belongs to the dwelling joined to Christ. Yet the purpose of that dwelling reaches beyond those who belong to it.
The waters flow outward toward those who need life.
The source remains holy, but its provision is not confined to the sanctuary.
This is important when we consider the great crowd and the wider earthly family.
They do not need to become the sanctuary in order to receive what flows from it.
The restoration of the dwelling becomes a blessing extending outward.
Where the Waters Go, Life Follows
Ezekiel 47:7–9 describes many trees growing along both banks of the river.
The waters flow toward the eastern region and enter the sea. The account then describes the waters being healed.
Living creatures flourish wherever the river goes, and fish become exceedingly numerous.
What had been unable to sustain such life is changed by the waters flowing from the sanctuary.
Now compare Revelation 22:1–2.
John is shown a river of water of life, bright as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. The tree of life appears in connection with the river, bearing fruit, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
Read Revelation 22:1–2.
Both passages bring us to a life-giving river associated with the divine dwelling.
Both bring trees into view.
And both describe provision extending beyond the source itself.
This is another reason we have kept the two resurrection groups distinct.
The incorruptible spiritual body and the restored earthly family have different appointments, yet life comes through the same saving purpose of YHWH (יהוה).
Those receiving the waters do not need to become the source of the waters.
They receive the life being provided.
The Trees — Fruit and Healing
Ezekiel 47:12 describes trees growing along both banks of the river. Their leaves do not wither, and their fruit does not fail.
They bear new fruit because the waters come from the sanctuary.
Their fruit is for food, and their leaves are for healing.
This brings us directly to Revelation 22.
The tree of life bears fruit, and its leaves are for the healing of the nations.
Remember the trees we have examined from Genesis onward.
In the garden, access to the tree of life was guarded after the man and woman disobeyed. Read Genesis 3:22–24.
Now, near the conclusion of Revelation, the tree of life appears again.
The movement is significant.
What was guarded in the garden is brought before us again in connection with the river, the throne, and the healing of the nations.
We have also examined the two sticks in Ezekiel 37, the two olive trees in Zechariah 4, and the two witnesses in Revelation 11.
Those connections belong to our larger study of the appointed pair and the completion of the spiritual dwelling. Here, however, the emphasis turns toward what the restored dwelling provides.
Food.
Healing.
Life.
The tree bears fruit, and the nations receive its provision.
This is not merely a picture of authority restored. It is a picture of life being sustained.
The Shepherd Leads to Living Waters
Now return to Revelation 7:15–17.
The great crowd has come out of great tribulation. They have washed their robes, and the One seated upon the throne spreads His tabernacle over them.
The Lamb shepherds them and guides them toward fountains of living waters.
God wipes away every tear from their eyes.
Read Revelation 7:13–17.
We examined this multitude in Post Twenty-One, so we need not repeat that study here.
But the connection to Ezekiel 47 is important.
The waters flow from the sanctuary, and the Lamb guides those receiving life toward them.
The dwelling and the Shepherd's work are brought into the same larger purpose.
Now remember John 10:16. Jesus speaks of other sheep he must bring, and there will be one flock under one Shepherd.
We have distinguished the anointed spiritual body from those receiving guidance toward earthly life, without diminishing the value of either appointment.
The Lamb's continued shepherding demonstrates that the restoration is not complete simply because the Bridegroom and Bride have reached their appointed union.
Others still need to be gathered, taught, healed, and guided.
The completed dwelling serves the life that follows.
And the waters continue flowing.
Living Water — The Gift of the Spirit
In John 4, Jesus speaks with a Samaritan woman beside a well.
He contrasts the water drawn from the well with the living water he can give. Those who drink ordinary water will thirst again, but the water he gives becomes a spring leading to everlasting life.
Read John 4:7–14.
Later, in John 7:37–39, Jesus invites the thirsty to come to him and drink.
John connects the rivers of living water with the Spirit that believers were to receive.
Read John 7:37–39.
This brings us back to our recent examination of Jesus breathing on his disciples in John 20:21–22.
He sends them, breathes on them, and tells them to receive the Holy Spirit.
We also compared 1 John 5:6–8, where the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is truth.
The Spirit gives witness. The truth brings light. And the Word reveals what deception has concealed.
These passages provide another dimension to the imagery of living water.
Restoration is not merely receiving the material necessities of life. It also involves the truth, understanding, and guidance that come from YHWH (יהוה).
Yet we must continue preserving the distinction between those joined to Christ's spiritual body and those guided toward life through the Spirit.
The Spirit's work reaches beyond the completed body without making every recipient a member of that body.
The waters bring life, and the truth leads those receiving it toward the One who provides it.
The Dwelling Among Mankind
Revelation 21:3 announces that the tabernacle of God is with mankind, and He will dwell with them.
Then comes the promise that death will be no more, neither mourning, crying, nor pain, because the former things have passed away.
Read Revelation 21:1–7.
This brings us back to the purpose of the dwelling.
In Ezekiel 43, the Glory returns and fills the house.
In Ezekiel 47, waters flow outward and bring life.
In Revelation 21, the dwelling of God is with mankind.
In Revelation 22, the river of life proceeds from the throne, and the nations receive healing.
The movement is toward restoration, not endless separation.
We have examined the removal of spiritual deception, the resurrection of the dead, and the final judgment described in Revelation 20.
Now the vision turns toward the life that follows.
This is where the promise begins to become visible in its fullness.
The nations are not left without provision.
The thirsty are invited to drink.
And those receiving life are not left without guidance.
The dwelling has been restored, and its blessings extend throughout the restored creation.
From the First to the Last — The Purpose of the Dwelling
Consider the larger pattern we've been following.
In Genesis, creation receives life through the purpose and command of YHWH (יהוה).
In the garden, disobedience brings separation, and the way to the tree of life is guarded.
Through the prophets, YHWH (יהוה) promises restoration, a renewed heart, His Spirit, and the gathering of those who were scattered.
Through Christ, the appointed spiritual body is prepared, the Bridegroom and Bride complete their union, and the remaining loyal ones are gathered.
The deceiving powers are judged, and the greater restoration of mankind comes into view.
Then the river flows.
The tree bears fruit.
And life reaches the nations.
The completed dwelling is not an end in itself.
Its purpose is found in the life, healing, and peace that flow from the presence of YHWH (יהוה).
What began with the loss of life returns us to the promise of life restored.
Where the Word Leads
We began with the Glory returning to the house in Ezekiel 43, after its earlier departure from a defiled dwelling.
Psalm 46 brought us to the beloved city, where God is within her and she shall not be moved.
Ezekiel 47 then showed us waters flowing outward from the sanctuary, deepening as they traveled and bringing life wherever they went.
The trees, their fruit, and their healing leaves returned us to Genesis and Revelation, where the tree of life appears again.
John brought us to the living water associated with the Spirit, while Revelation 7 reminded us that the Lamb continues shepherding those receiving life.
Finally, Revelation 21–22 showed us the dwelling of God among mankind and the river proceeding from His throne.
We have examined who belongs to the dwelling and who receives the life that flows from it. We have distinguished the appointments without separating them from the same saving purpose.
And now a greater promise comes into view.
The Glory has returned. The waters are flowing. Life is reaching the nations.
The question I leave with you is this:
If YHWH (יהוה) has restored the dwelling and provided a river that brings life wherever it goes, what will the earth become when His promises of provision, peace, and abundance are fully realized?
The answer brings us toward the conclusion of this phase.
Threads to Follow
- The departure and return of Glory: Ezekiel 8–11; 43:1–12.
- The city that shall not be moved: Psalm 46:1–11; Hebrews 12:25–28.
- Jerusalem above and the Bride: Galatians 4:26; Revelation 21:2, 9–10.
- The waters flowing from the sanctuary: Ezekiel 47:1–12.
- The dwelling among mankind: Ezekiel 37:26–28; Revelation 21:1–7.
- The tree of life and its healing leaves: Genesis 3:22–24; Ezekiel 47:12; Revelation 22:1–2.
- The Lamb guiding the great crowd: Revelation 7:13–17.
- The other sheep and one Shepherd: John 10:11–16.
- The water leading to everlasting life: John 4:7–14.
- Living waters and the Spirit: John 7:37–39; 20:21–23.
- The Spirit bearing witness: John 15:26–27; 1 John 5:6–8.
- The promise of life without death or sorrow: Isaiah 25:6–9; Revelation 21:1–7.
Connected Studies in This Series
- Post Five — The First and the Last: The appointed beginning and completion of the union.
- Post Six — The Bride: One Woman, Not the Multitude: The singular Bride and her appointed place.
- Post Seven — The Woman in the Wilderness: Protection and the remaining seed.
- Post Fourteen — Shaking and What Remains: The city that endures when the nations are shaken.
- Post Nineteen — The Two Sticks: The joined pair and the wider household.
- Post Twenty — The Dry Bones: The restoration of those whose hope had perished.
- Post Twenty-One — The Great Crowd: Coming Out of Great Tribulation: Those receiving shelter and continued shepherding.
- Post Twenty-Two — Two Resurrections: Different Glory, One Shepherd: Different appointments within the restoration of life.
- Post Twenty-Three — From Deception to Life: The revealing of truth and the judgment of deception.
- Post Twenty-Four — The Barren Woman: The Children of the Promise: The mother, her children, and the promise of gathering.
The books were opened…
🌿 Studies by Maria Emilia ~ 🗺️ Continue exploring: Visit Bible Books to find studies organized by book of the Bible, along with related studies and links.
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