The River of the Spirit

The first thing to notice is that the river is a supernatural river. We are not to think of a literal temple and a literal river. This river is not controlled by man. Many think the blessings of the Spirit can be conveyed by man but the work of God is a sovereign work. The river is connected to the Lord Jesus Christ who described Himself as being the temple (John 2:19). Now ascended to glory, these spiritual blessings flow from Him into the life of the believer (John 7:37-39) and the church in general (Ephesians 20-21).

This river gives life through the new birth as well as cleansing from the guilt of sin and empowering to live. It is a sovereign river that bypasses some nations and districts while touching others. It is a river that continues and never ends. We learn it can get very deep and we should not cease to pray that the churches may yet know the blessings of revival.