One author writes, “It’s true that we measure what we treasure.” [1] When we focus on measuring certain results, we begin to align with them and order activities around achieving these results. They become a priority in our activities. Seeing improvement in them gives us a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Based on this, John Maxwell and Rob Hoskins note that it is important to think well about what we are measuring and what results we are seeking. We want to slow down and ask the right questions – making sure to pause and figure out both what we want as our result, our plan to get there and what is working along the way. As they note, ideas are fairly easy but it is in the execution that we find our gain. [2]
Usually, as they point out, the metrics are not achieved in one fell swoop. Rather than a one-time breakthrough, there is a moving towards the results in a slower day after day improvement. Over time, there is momentum built and larger breakthroughs towards the goal. [3] Then of course, once the goal is achieved, it has to be sustained.
Sustaining and maintaining is always harder than achieving. There is an excitement about moving towards the goal and achieving it. But once we get there, often there is a natural desire to want to look to the next goal, mark it as done and move on. However, it most cases, what is achieved is not sustained unless we are continually putting effort in achieving it and keeping it as a goal.
In the book of Ezekiel, he was measuring the height of the water flow in the temple. When the river was high enough to swim in and was flowing freely into the valley and out to the sea where it was bringing life to the great multitude, the measuring stopped, signifying the right height had been achieved.
“When the man who had the line in his hand went eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the water; the water reached the ankles. Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the water. The water reached the knees. Again he measured a thousand and brought me through the water. The water reached the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand. And it was a river that I could not pass over, for the water had risen, enough water to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.
He said to me, ‘Son of man, have you seen this?’ … Then he said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. Every living creature that swarms, wherever the rivers go, will live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come there and the others become fresh. Thus everything shall live wherever the river comes.” (Ezekiel 47:3-9, MEV)
He notes that everything shall live wherever the river is flowing but the miry places and marshes shall not be healed (47:11). Yet, where the river flowed freely, there would grow and flourish trees, thriving as they were bringing forth fruit for food and leaves for medicine that would bring healing in areas that there were bruises and sores.
Like me who measures the balance of Account’s Receivable at my work on a regular basis for us to first achieve a certain objective but then maintain it, the ‘water height’ or level is important but it is not the final result I am looking for. The reason I measure it and maintain it at certain levels is because I want to achieve a certain level of cash flow as a result. What really matters and the ultimate results I am desiring are how much cash I have in the door for helping to finance operations and expansion efforts. The ultimate goal is bringing life and healing to people through the work that we do. The more I can increase the cash, the more freely this can happen. Having the cash needed to have ministry operations and growth free flowing without hinderance and constraints is the results that I am ultimately looking to obtain. What I am striving for is lives touched. This is what happens when you have a CPA meditating on water flow… You get cash flow compared to river flow 😊
In the same way, here we see Ezekiel measuring the water flow. He wants it to be so high that he can swim in it. This is like my Accounts Receivable. Yet, like my cash flow, what he is really looking for, as we see by the comments about the results of the river flowing freely versus being stopped up in the marsh, is the flourishing and thriving that come about, the fruit that is born for food, healing leaves and the multitudes of fish that are touched.
Like in dreams, often the pictures seen in a vision represent something. You have to look more at the heart and symbolism behind it rather than the literal. For instance, the river and trees were not the desire that the Lord was responding and communicating with Ezekiel about. It was not actual water, trees and a river that Ezekiel desired.
To get some context, a ways back from this picture, Ezekiel has a vision of the glory of the Lord leaving the temple and God’s judgement. His heart was wrenched for the loss as he had several prophesies about the judgement and cleansing of the land. Then the Lord promises restoration and mercy on Israel. He has a vision of a new temple that he examines and measures. The Lord tells him to look, examine, see and set his heart on all that is shown in Ezekiel 40:4. Finally, God’s glory returns to the temple by way of the east gate (43:4) and ordinances are given to follow.
Ezekiel is told that the East gate shall be shut and no man would enter by it because it was the gate that the Lord, the God of Israel has entered by it (44:2). The prince who made atonement for the people would enter in by way of the vestibule of the gate and go out the same way (44:3)
Earlier in Ezekiel 43:4 it says, “I fell upon my face. The glory of the Lord came into the temple by the way of the gate facing east.” And again, in Ezekiel 44:4, as the glory of the Lord filled the temple, Ezekiel fell upon His face.
Coming back to the vision, the history, context and overall picture Ezekiel is painting helps us in getting interpretation of the elements and the overall picture. I wanted to initially say that the water symbolizes the glory of the Lord since this was a significant focus for Ezekiel. However, while Ezekiel had a deep desire for this, in his vision, the glory of the Lord had already filled the temple and was present (43:4).
Yet, there was an element of the glory of God representing God Himself as the gate was shut because the Lord entered by it (44:2). The Lord, is the fullness of His glory. In the new temple, this was the glory of the Lord that came into the temple in Ezekiel 43:4.
In Psalm 24:7-10, David saw in the Spirit and proclaims,
Open wide, you gates.
Open up, you ancient doors.
Then the King of glory will come in.
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, who is strong and mighty.
The Lord, who is mighty in battle.
Open wide, you gates.
Open wide, you ancient doors.
Then the King of glory will come in.
Who is he, this King of glory?
The Lord who rules over all.
He is the King of glory.
Looking at rivers, in the original Garden of Eden, there was a river that flowed out of it to water the garden so it would bear fruit and became four rivers that covered the land. The river was continually flowing throughout the land. It was the river that kept the garden alive and flourishing.
David proclaims in Psalm 45:3-5 speaking of a river, “….though their waters roar and foam and the mountains quake in the surge. Selah There is a river whose streams delight the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her; she will not be moved. God will help her when morning dawns.…”
We know the Lord Himself is the source of the river as in Jeremiah 2:13 it says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring [source of] of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” And Zechariah 13:1 it says speaking of Jesus, “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.”
And in John 7:38-39, Jesus says, “‘Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”
Finally, in Revelation 22, there is a much more similar picture to that Ezekiel saw of a river with the return of Christ. In says in Revelation 22:3 that it flows from the throne of God.
Revelation 22:1-3 (NLT) says, “Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. It flowed down the center of the main street. On each side of the river grew a tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, with a fresh crop each month. The leaves were used for medicine to heal the nations. No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.”
My conclusion from this is that Ezekiel was not measuring the level of glory in outpouring during a spiritual revival. This is not the prophesy of what Ezekiel was measuring for and what he ultimately desired and treasured for the people. Rather, he was measuring the power of the Holy Spirit and rule of the Kingdom of God in the return of Christ. It is saying that the Kingdom rule of God will come through the temple[His Church], already filled with His glory. It will come pouring in, level upon level. As there is a free outward flow, it will bear fruit, bring healing to wounds and flow out to impact the multitudes. But even as his power and kingdom rule comes pouring in, there will be places that are dead because the waters are still (miry places and marshes).
Ultimately, where to have our eyes on to measure is not on the glory filling the temple but on the Kingdom rule. As the Kingdom of God is more and more pouring out from the church and ruling, there comes with it an element of the outpouring of the glory to touch and impact those in the body of Christ and also the multitudes through them. If people just sit in the glory and do not take it out, flowing to the multitudes, they become like the marshes that are dead and lack life.
This prophesy is really promising us that the King of Glory will come in through the church and bring His power to rule with Him. It will bring an element of the glory with it and grow over time. As we are faithful to flow out with it and touch the multitudes, we will see it bring life and healing to others around us.
As Rob Hoskins and John Maxwell note, we need to continually track progress and answer critical questions on anything we are measuring for. These include such questions as how many people were impacted, how were they impacted, what difference did this make and why did the change occur? [4]
Like achieving success and maintaining it in Accounts Receivable, ultimately, if something is important to us, we will order our practices and activities around it in such a way to achieve it. And as we see results or a lack of them, we will adjust our efforts accordingly.
First, in knowing what I am seeking after. For a lack of vision, people perish. Often, I think that what I am seeking after is revival and for the glory. While, like Ezekiel, I love to be on my face before God experiencing His presence, my heart deeply longs continually for His glory to fill His people and myself.
However, what God is doing in this season is not just a single revival. I had a dream that I had several short trips (experienced His glory) but the next trip was a long way off, all the way to Alaska. It was different. It is about seeking His return. We need only gaze into the Lord’s eyes to get glimpses of what God has for us in this season. The dawning of the new day and kingdom order through His church are reflected in His eyes.
Second, in following practices, we need to continually order our lives around entering into this. Like with the glory entering the temple, Ezekiel had a sense of how to press into this new Kingdom rule and it was similar to the past.
As I wrote before, if one studies the revivals of the past, the revivalist had several things in common:
- All in: Any pursuit starts with intentionality. Seeking the results must become the priority and focus of one’s life
- Commitment in pursuit: They spent a significant amount of time with the Lord and did not back down when things became hard or difficult. They kept a strong commitment even in suffering.
- Faith filled: They were faith filled
- Obedience: It was not optional, they were faithful, even in the small things.
- They prevailed in prayer: They made it the priority of their lives
- Fasted lifestyle: They sacrificed even things that were good, displacing anything that could be a work of the flesh.
- Intimacy: They had an unusually close communion with the Lord, caring nothing for earthly success, ambition and worldly glories.
- Not ashamed of the gospel: They spoke the truth of the gospel wherever they went without fear or intimidation.
- Generous measurements: Don’t hold anything back but give our all and our best at all times.
- Brokenness over sin and death to self-life: Even when we stumble and fall, we don’t stay in our failures but get back up and press forward no matter where we had landed.
- Loving others, especially the least, lost and hurting: Over and over in the Word, the Lord emphasizes to not overlook those who are least but make them a priority in lifting them up in whatever means we have available to us.
Third, unity is key. Often, from the American standpoint, it can be easy to look at something as being focused around one central person. But from managing Accounts Receivable, I know that even something as simple as that takes a multitude to achieve any level of results. It is only when people come together, see the target and press into the results that genuine progress is made. The key to large results, like in Pentecost, is many passionate people with the same heart and vision.
Lord, we long for You to bring Your Kingdom rule!
1-4. Maxwell, John C. and Hoskins, Rob. Change Your World: How Anyone, Anywhere Can Make a Difference. HarperCollins Leadership, Nashville, TN. 2021.
