Several contemporary worship songs talk about the river or actually declare "The River is Here!"  What does that phrase truly mean from a worship perspective and where is that found in the Bible?  Let's explore the concept of the river in worship.

The River from the Temple

1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He then brought me out through the north gate and led me around the outside to the outer gate facing east, and the water was flowing from the south side.

3 As the man went eastward with a measuring line in his hand, he measured off a thousand cubits and then led me through water that was ankle-deep. 4 He measured off another thousand cubits and led me through water that was knee-deep. He measured off another thousand and led me through water that was up to the waist. 5 He measured off another thousand, but now it was a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross.

6 He asked me, "Son of man, do you see this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. 8 He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. When it empties into the Sea, the water there becomes fresh.                  

9 Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 10 Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds-like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. 12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing."                                                                 Ezekiel 47:1-12

5Afterward 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 KJV

As I began to read this passage, I needed clarity on a word with which I thought I was familiar.  I looked up the word threshold in the dictionary and three definitions stood out to me:  

1.  An entrance or a doorway.

2. The place or point of beginning; the outset.

3. The point that must be exceeded to begin producing a given effect or result or to elicit a response:

So as we look at the meaning of this word, threshold, we understand that this threshold is an  entrance or doorway, a place or point of beginning, the outset, and the point that must be exceeded to begin producing a given effect or result or to elicit a response.  Let this sink in for a minute as we further discover this scripture.

I believe it is significant that the prophet was brought back to the entrance of the Temple, so this is his second tour of the Temple.  The prophet then saw "water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east)."  The place of origin of this water was the Holy of Holies which was positioned to the west.  The door, the entrance and the threshold of it was at the east.  In order to enter the Holy of Holies, you had to go through the east door into the inner sanctum which was positioned on the west side of the Temple.  This water was a supernatural occurrence and had never been seen before.  Its source was from the Holy of Holies which was a representation of the Throne Room of Heaven.  It could be argued that it flowed directly from the Mercy Seat, or the One who sat upon the Mercy Seat, the one who is merciful to us and through his shed blood we obtained Mercy in our time of need, King Jesus.

16Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.       Hebrews 4:16

17For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."                                           Revelation 7:17

10Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

11"Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"

13Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."                                                John 4:10-14

34Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.                                       John 19:34

His shed blood and water flowed south from his body, and I believe he was probably pierced from the east side or the left side of his body, though I cannot prove that scripturally.  The King James Version of verse 2 says, "and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side, " or as one is facing east, right of that would be south.

In verses 3-5, we begin to see the water begin to increase as we stand at the east gate.  The prophet actually wades through this water, up to his ankles, then to his knees, then to his waist or loins, then it became a "a river that I could not cross, because the water had risen and was deep enough to swim in-a river that no one could cross,"  or in the King James Version, "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."                                                                 

Before we go any further, we have to understand that there was a river that flowed out of the Temple.  There is supposed to be a river that flows out of Christ' Church, and it has different levels of depth, ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep and in over our heads, which represents a total dependency upon His Spirit to see us through.  We can have as much of Him and His River as we desire, we just have to go in and wade into the river of worship.  The man who showed the prophet this mighty river did not judge or comment on the depths of the river, and neither should we, in our denominational belittling of others in His Body.

8Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

9And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.                                                                          Ezekiel 47:8-9

The great result of this water that began to flow out of the Holy of Holies, through the East Gate, up to the ankles, knees, loins and an impossible river to cross is that in verse 8, ""This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Sea. It empties into the Dead Sea where it will heal the waters and all that is in this Sea that is dead shall come to life again!"  This of course refers to dead lost souls that shall be healed and come into these waters of salvation.  But what about us?  Are there any dead areas of our lives that need to come back to life, our faith, our marriages, our families, our businesses, our ministries, our children, the Body of Christ? 

Now let's visit another river that was impossible to cross.

Crossing the Jordan

 1 Early in the morning Joshua and all the Israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over. 2 After three days the officers went throughout the camp, 3 giving orders to the people: "When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. 4 Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before. But keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it."

5 Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."  6 Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on ahead of the people." So they took it up and went ahead of them.

7 And the LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' "                                                                                         Joshua 3:1-8

Notice a few things in this passage.  The Lord is giving explicit instructions to Joshua.  He tells Joshua to have the priests who are carrying the ark to go and stand in the river, verse 8.  The Lord does not say anything about the reaction of the waters only to stand in the river.  When they set out, in verses 3 and 4, the people are to move out from their positions and follow it.  In verse 4, He says, "Then you will know which way to go, since you have never been this way before."  This generation had never been this way before and the only way they were going to know which way to go, is to see where the priests with the ark went, and to follow it.  When they saw this, then they would know which way to go, since they had never been this way before.  In verse 5, he tells the people to, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."  I believe this is a command from the Lord that we also need to adhere to, because I believe we are about to see this same supernatural power coming out of and through the Church. This group of priests represent the worshipping priesthood that set out in that prophetic river, in over their heads, and yet stand firm on the ground, being led and sustained by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD -the Lord of all the earth-set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap."

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.                                                             Joshua 3:13-17

Notice hear that Joshua tells them that the waters will be cut off, though it is not recorded that the Lord instructed this.  Joshua was either prophesying or believing that the Lord would again do this miracle for him as he did for Moses.  In verse 14, the priests went ahead of the people.  Verse 15 is significant in that is declares that the Jordan River is at flood stage because it is the time of the Harvest.  I believe we are in the same time of the Harvest, facing an impossible river to cross, a river that is at flood stage.  Even this summer in this country, we have seen the ravages of a flood stage river.  Notice that it flows into the Arabah, the Dead Sea or the Salt Sea.  Nothing can live in this Salt.  Though salt can preserve that which is dead, the concentration of this salt kills and no life can be sustained in this level of salt.  Therefore only fresh living water can heal this water and restore life into this sea.  Do you see the connection here?

9 Joshua set up the twelve stones that had been in the middle of the Jordan at the spot where the priests who carried the ark of the covenant had stood. And they are there to this day.

10 Now the priests who carried the ark remained standing in the middle of the Jordan until everything the LORD had commanded Joshua was done by the people, just as Moses had directed Joshua. The people hurried over, 11 and as soon as all of them had crossed, the ark of the LORD and the priests came to the other side while the people watched.                                                                        Joshua 4:9-11

In verses 9-11, we see the priests standing firm on dry ground, and the actual memorial stones are taken from the very spot of this miraculous occurrence, where the priests are standing with the ark.  The priests stand in the middle of the Jordan River until all that the Lord commanded was done and EVERYONE crossed over to the other side.  Only then did the priests move out from their position back to the shore.

Now this has been a pretty intensive study, but what does it have to do with worship? (Remember the threshold?  Take a moment to revisit the meaning of this word in context of our study so far.) The priests were moving out from a place they were comfortable with, a place most had known all their lives, the wilderness.  They were leaving the comfort of the familiar and predictable into a place of total dependence upon the Lord, and then when all was accomplished and all had made it to the shore, the priests were then safely delivered to the other side.  They were going to the other side, the side where their Promised Land was.  The people and the leadership would know where to go when they saw the priests who were carrying the ark of His Presence, His Glory, be led into the River.  This is a picture of what we as worshippers do when we leave the comfort of a familiar song and style and wade into the river, the flow of that prophetic river, led by the Holy Spirit, stand that ground as God is accomplishing his purpose and the congregation crosses over.  The Holy Spirit will always safely deliver the worshipping priesthood to the other side when his purpose is fulfilled.  This is also a picture of crossing over from second day worship to third day worship where we see the fulfillment of its purpose in Ezekiel 47.  We as worshippers must go in, not just to the ankle, the knees, the loins, but in over our heads if we are to see life going forth from the Church into the dead places of humanity and utter desperation.  We will be sustained as we go into this mighty river, and we may find ourselves refreshed by the life that is flowing out of the Holy of Holies and out of our worship.  Only then will the Nations be healed and lives restored.  It is a worthy journey.

In Christ' Service,

Raelynn Parkin