THERE IS A RIVER
April 2022
Excerpt from The Evangelist Magazine
“There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.” —Psalm 46:4
Christianity without the Holy Spirit is nothing more than dead religion. Without the Holy Spirit, the church has no message, no life, and no power. The church of the book of Acts was a church of power, of life, and a church with a message that covered much of the known world of that day. Actually, to be a true New Testament church, it must have the earmarks of the book of Acts. Some of those earmarks are:
• Strong preaching (Acts 2:14-36, 6:8-15, 7:1-53, 8:5-8, 10:34-48)
• Healings (Acts 3, 8:7; 9:17-18, 36-41; 14:8-10, 20:7-16)
• Signs and wonders (Acts 2:22, 2:43, 4:30, 5:12)
• Doctrine (Acts 2:42, 5:28, 13:12, 17:19)
• The baptism with the Holy Spirit (2:1-4, 8:14-17, 10:44-46, 19:1-7)
The Holy Spirit brings life and power to that which is dead and powerless.
There Is A River
There is a twofold meaning to this passage (Ps. 46:4). First, it refers to the underground passage in Jerusalem that provided a source of water for Jerusalem.
The greater meaning refers to the river that will flow out from under the sanctuary in the coming kingdom age. This is the river that Ezekiel spoke of in Ezekiel 47. John also spoke of this river in Revelation 22:1: “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”
This river portrays and symbolizes the Holy Spirit, who is God. Notice Psalm 46:4 says, “There is a river” not there “shall be” a river. The Holy Spirit is eternal. He was here before. Before what? He was before everything.
The Joy Of The Spirit
Psalm 46:4 tells us that the river “shall make glad the city of God.” The word glad means “happy, joyful, to be exceedingly glad.”
Millions of people are being treated for depression today; they’re being filled with drugs just so they can experience a little joy. The key to joy is not found in pharmaceuticals but in the Holy Spirit. Of course, life is not easy or fair; there are heartbreaks, but also, “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God.”
The Holy Spirit can bring a joy to your life that no drug can. Let me put it this way: Dr. Jesus has written a lifetime prescription for joy to all of His patients, and it’s the Holy Spirit.
A River Of Life
In the kingdom age, this river will flow into two branches. One branch will flow to the Mediterranean Sea, and the other to the Dead Sea. When this river filled with heavenly water touches the Dead Sea, the Bible says it will spring to life. Death will be vanquished as that which was dead will spring to life as it will be filled with fish. Ezekiel 47:9 says, “Everything shall live whither the river cometh.”
True life comes from the Holy Spirit, as God the Holy Spirit is a creative force. There can be no spiritual life without the Holy Spirit. What water means to thirsty lips and what rain means to parched land is what the Holy Spirit means to us today.
A River Of Healing
Ezekiel 47:9 also states that there is healing in the river: “Because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.”
The river brings healing whether spiritual, physical or emotional. If you are sick in your heart, there is a river of healing for you. If you are sick in your body, there is a river of healing for you. If you are sick in your spirit, there is a river of healing for you.
The Tabernacles Of The Most High
Under the Mosaic dispensation, God had a visible dwelling place among men. His glory, the Shekinah, was seen between the wings of the cherubim, which overlooked the mercy seat, but today we are His tabernacle. Ephesians 2:22 says, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”