Peter DeFazio

Exegesis Presentation Prophets and Writings Bro. Stephen Fahrig

The Eschatological Temple of Ezekiel 47:1-12

Introduction
Without in any way discounting the human authorship of Sacred Scripture, the Second Vatican Councils Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum or DV) affirmed that God was both the inspirer and author of both Testaments. 1 Furthermore, DV explained that God wisely arranged that the New Testament (NT) lay hidden in the Old Testament (OT) and the OT, likewise, be made manifest in the New.2 This allows the Catholic Church to assert confidently both that God wrote the Bible and that human beings also wrote the Bible. Just as the Incarnation is accurately described as fully divine and fully human, so too is the reality of the Bible.3 This is why the Church encourages scholars to devote their energies, under the watchful care of the sacred teaching office of the Church, to an exploration and exposition of the divine writings.4 The Catholic Church is all for using the latest literary and scientific methods in the study of sacred scripture. 5 Hence, the historical-critical method, enriched by other approaches,6 is endorsed by the Church. Catholic exegetes have no need to start from scratch, because they have sacred tradition as well as the Pauline premise that all Scripture is divinely inspired and has its use for teaching the truth and refuting error, for reformation of manners and discipline in right living, so that the man* who belongs to God may be efficient and equipped for good work of every kind.7 The five senses of sacred scripture that the Catholic exegete is to consider are (1) literal sense, the meaning

Dei Verbum, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (DV), promulgated by Pope Paul VI, 11/18/1965, paragraph 16, http:// www.vatican.va/archive /hist_councils /ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19651118 _dei-verbum_en.html 2 DV, 16. 3 Catholic Bible Dictionary, ed. Scott Hahn (New York: Doubleday, 2009) 112. 4 DV 23. 5 Dictionary, 112. 6 Instrumentum Laboris: The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church, Synod of Bishops, XII Ordinary General Assembly, Vatican City, 2008, http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/synod/documents/rc_synod_doc_20080511_instrlabor-xii-assembly_en.html * While I have opted to use the more inclusive human being, people, or humankind in this paper, direct quotes may still use man, men, or mankind respectively. 7 2 Tim 3:16-17, as quoted in DV 11.
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conveyed by the words of scripture, which includes delving into literary genre, historical context, the intention of the human author, etc. 8; (2) spiritual sense, the meaning in light of subsequent salvation history,9 and its three constituent parts, (a) allegorical sense or typology, (b) moral sense, i.e. valuable for moral instruction and, (c) anagogical sense10 pertaining to the Paschal Mystery and leading us to our Heavenly destination.11 Non-Catholic biblical scholarship can also be useful for uncovering the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture,12 and a combination of Jewish, Protestant, and Catholic scholarship has been used in this paper.

The Pericope
In analyzing Ezekiel (Ez)** 47:1-12, I found it necessary to further reduce the pericope to a more manageable few, critical verses, Ez 47:1-2, 5b-8a and c, 9, and 12. The following is the text from the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE):13
1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and there! I saw water flowing out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east. The water flowed out toward the right side of the temple to the south of the altar. 2 He brought me by way of the north gate and around the outside to the outer gate facing east; there I saw water trickling from the southern side 5b The water had risen so high, I would have to swima river that was impassable. 6 Then he asked me, Do you see this, son of man? He brought me to the bank of the river and had me sit down. 7 As I was returning, I saw along the bank of the river a great many trees on each side. 8ac He said to me, This water flows out into the eastern district and empties into the polluted waters of the sea to freshen them. 9 Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound. Where these waters flow they refresh; everything lives where the river goes 12 Along each bank of the river every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit because the waters of the river flow out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.

Pontifical Biblical Commission (PBC), The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church, Presented on March 18, 1994, Section B, The Meaning of Inspired Scripture, http://www.ewtn.com/library/curia/pbcinter.htm 9 PBC, The Meaning of Inspired Scripture. 10 Instrumentum Laboris and The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) (New York: Doubleday, 1997) #109-119. 11 PBC, The Meaning of Inspired Scripture. 12 CCC 116. Cf also CCC 1094 and 117. ** The abbreviation EZ is used for the book, but not the Prophet himself 13 http://www.usccb.org/Bible I compared the passages used against the NABRE text of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible.
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Ezekiel is presumed to have written the above pericope, although it is probable that disciples of his assembled and edited the final product.14 The consistency of the writing style and teaching throughout Ez suggest the prophet himself is the author,15 although some editing is apparent, such as with the two introductions contained in Ez 1:1-3.16 The case for significant subsequent editing of Ez is less compelling than for other prophetic books.17 Ezekiel and his disciple-editors were priests, as evidenced by the similarities between the language and themes of Ezekiel and those of the priestly tradition in Torah,18 cf. for example vv. 1:8, 4:14, 44:7, 45:1-6, and 48:9.19 Ezekiel was unique among major prophets in that his calling and career occurred outside the confines of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel.20 We know the range of Ezekiels career from the dates provided in Ez itself, between 593 and 571 B.C.21 The pericope being analyzed in this paper was written during the latter, consolation period, of Ezekiels career, after his message changed to one of restoration and hope, following the heart-rending destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 587/586 B.C.22

Literary Genre
Ez 47:1-12 could be described as several different literary genres. It is (a) a vision report, (b) a guidance narrative,(c) an oracle of salvation/deliverance/restoration, (d) an eschatological prophecy, (e) a Creation/re-Creation narrative, and (f) proto-apocalyptic literature. The vision described in Ez 47:1-12 is a dreamlike sequence which gives emphasis to the life-giving quality of the presence of God.23 The form of the narrative can be described as a guidance scene because Ezekiel is led around to various locations points within the vision by the angel24, sort of like being escorted through a Holodeck creation on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Though not

Introduction to the Prophets, New Jerusalem Bible, Henry Wansbrough, ed. (New York: Doubleday, 1985) 1174. Introduction to the Prophets, in The New Jerusalem Bible, 1174 and Introduction to Ezekiel, The Jewish Study Bible, Adele Berlin and Marc Brettler, eds. (London: Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 1044. 16 Footnote to Ez 1:1-3 in The New Jerusalem Bible, 1407. 17 Introduction to Ezekiel, The Jewish Study Bible, 1043. 18 Steven Tuell, Ezekiel: New International Biblical Commentary (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2009) 3. 19 Introduction to the Prophets, in The New Jerusalem Bible, 1175. 20 Tuell, 2. 21 Introduction to the Prophets, in The New Jerusalem Bible, 1174. 22 Tuell, 6, and the Introduction to Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Vol. XIII, Ezekiel and Daniel, Kenneth Stevenson, ed. (Downers Grove, Il: InterVarsity, 2008) xix-xx. 23 Henry Wansbrough, OSB, Apocalypse-Revelation, www.henrywansbrough.com/Apocalypse-Revelation.doc 24 Walter Zimmerli, Ezekiel 2: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969) 508.
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explicit, the sequence can also be understood implicitly as proclamation of divine deliverance,25 akin to the salvific prophecies of Ez 34:25-39, 36:8-12, and 36:33-36.26 Ezekiels vision is eschatological prophecy because it is a description of the end-of-time itself, when God will preside over a harmonious re-Creation in ways evocative of Genesis (Gen) 2.27 The Church since Apostolic times has understood the eschatological promise of Ez 47 through a Christological lens, for example, Jesus statements reported in the Gospel of John (Jn) 4:10ff (water that will make one never thirst again) and Jn 7:37-38 (streams of living water). Similar references to Ez 47 occur in Revelation (Rev) 21:6 (He said to me, They are accomplished. I [am] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give a gift from the spring of life-giving water. The victor will inherit these gifts, and I shall be his God, and he will be my son. ) Note: Catholic Christians should understand the end-times as something we are presently in, ushered in by Jesus Christ at his Resurrection, but not to be fully realized until the Second Coming. (Cf. CCC 2746-2749) Ez 47 is considered proto-apocalyptic literature.28 Although Ez precedes apocalyptic literature-proper by several hundred years, it was influential in the apocalyptic genre.29 A characteristic feature of apocalyptic literature is epic conflict between good and evil and a cosmic dnouement.30 Examples of Jewish apocalyptic literature which relied in part upon Ezekiels visions are manuscripts found at Qumran,31 including scrolls or fragments of 1 and 2 Enoch, dating from the 4th century B.C. through to the 1st century A.D.32 These non-canonical writings are purported revelations of hidden things that Enoch received during his journey through the cosmos.33 (Rev 22:1ff is an example of first century Christian apocalyptic literatures reliance upon Ez 47.)34

Textual Problems
I have compared the NABRE with the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)35, the Revised
Zimmerli, Ezekiel 2, 509. Ronald M. Hals, Ezekiel (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1989) 338. 27 Walter Eichrodt, Ezekiel: A Commentary (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1970) 584-585. 28 Discussions with Dr. John Clabeaux of March 2, 2012, and Bro. Stephen Fahrig of March 3, 2012 . 29 Wansbrough, Apocalypse 30 Hals, Ezekiel, 338, and lecture of Bro. Stephen Fahrig of March 3, 2012. 31 Wansbrough, Apocalypse 32 George W. E. Nickelsburg, Enoch, First Book of, in Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 2, David Noel Freedman, ed. (New York: Doubleday, 1992) 508. 33 George W. E. Nickelsburg and James C. Vanderkam, 1 Enoch 2: A Commentary on the Book of 1 Enoch Chapters 37-82, Hermeneia Commentary Series, (Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012) 9. 34 Zimmerli, Ezekiel 2, 514-515. 35 Online version used: Oremus Bible Browser, NRSV Anglicized Version, http://bible.oremus.org/
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Standard Version-Catholic Edition (RSV-CE)36, the Tanakh (Tan)37, Jewish Publication Society, c. 1917, and Septuagint (LXX)38, c. 1851. In v. 1, NABRE, NRSV, and RSV-CE all use the word temple, but Tan and LXX use the word house instead. The Hebrew word, , refers to house, although this is

understood as a future temple,39 specifically, the inner court where the Holiest of Holies is housed.40 This allegorical description is of an eschatological temple not built by human hands. Ezekiel uses imaginative language to describe a deeper reality, in much the same way Jesus parables conveyed more voluminous truths through the use of metaphors. NRSV NABRE 1 Then he brought me back to the 1 Then he brought me back to entrance of the temple; there, water was the entrance of the temple, and flowing from below the threshold of the there! I saw water flowing out temple towards the east (for the temple faced east); from under the threshold of the Tanakh - English (JPS, 1917) temple toward the east, 1 And he brought me back unto the door for the front of the temple faced of the house; and, behold, waters issued east. out from under the threshold of the house
eastward, for the forefront of the house looked toward the east; RSV-Catholic Edition 1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east) Septuagint - English (1851) 1 And he brought me to the entrance of the house; and, behold, water issued from under the porch eastward, for the front of the house looked eastward;

The word, , at vv. 1, 2, and 7 means approximately, becoming aware of something41 It is translated as either behold or I saw in NABRE, RSV-CE, Tan, and LXX. The NRSV failed to translate the verb (although a manuscript discrepancy was not mentioned in any of the marginal notes.) The NRSVs dropping is an example of an interpretative (dynamic equivalent) rather than literal (formal equivalent) translation of the Biblical text. How important is one missing word? One of the Churchs most ancient and beloved hymns is based upon Ez 47:1. The hymn, Vidi aquamde templo, or I saw water flowing from the Temple, is sung during the Sunday liturgies of the Easter season during the sprinkling rite.42

Online version used: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/biblesearch.asp. I verified passages against the RSV-CE published by Ignatius Press. Online version used: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Bible/jpstoc.html 38 Online version used: http://ecmarsh.com/lxx/ Note: I used such old editions of Tan and LXX because they were available in readily searchable free online versions. Although the English in both cases is somewhat archaic, they were still useful for comparative purposes. 39 The Israel Koschitzky Virtual Beit Midrash http://vbm-torah.org/archive/mikdash/18mikdash.htm. The future Temple is seen as one built by human hands though and, Yechezkel 47 refers to the living waters that will issue forth in the future from the Temple or from Jerusalem. 40 1917 JPS English translation of the Hebrew Scriptures with Rashi Commentary, courtesy of Chabad.org, footnote to Ez, 47:1, http://www.chabad.org/ library/bible_cdo/aid/16145/showrashi/true. Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki a.k.a. Rashi, was a medieval rabbi whose extensive biblical commentaries are still popular. 41 Hebrew Bible Manuscript comments. Found at the website http://net.bible.org/#!bible/Ezekiel+47 42 Roman Missal, Third Typical Edition, Sunday of the Resurrection.
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The LXX has a curious phrase to Galilee in v. 8a, whereas no other translation analyzed has anything similar to this. The Hebrew text suggests only the direction (eastward)43, which translates as towards the eastern region or eastern district. The river of the paradisical vision follows the southern leg of the Jordans path44 The footnote in to Ez 47:10 in the NABRE confirms that the vision travels along the Jordan River, down to the western shore of the Dead Sea. So, eastward would be nowhere near Galilee. To Galilee in the LXX could be an example of a translators gloss.45 NABRE 8ac He said to me, This water flows out into the eastern districtand empties into the polluted waters of the sea to freshen them."
NRSV 8ac He said to me, This water flows towards the eastern regionand when it enters the sea, the sea of stagnant waters, the water will become fresh Tanakh - English (JPS, 1917) 8ac Then said he unto me: 'These waters issue forth toward the eastern regionand when they shall enter into the sea, into the sea of the putrid waters, the waters shall be healed. RSV-Catholic Edition 8ac And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern regionand when it enters the stagnant waters of the sea, the water will become fresh. Septuagint - English (1851) 8ac And he said to me, This is the water that goes forth to Galilee that lies eastwardand has reached as far as to the sea to the outlet of the water: and it shall heal the waters.

An important example of a non-literal translation is found at v. 6. All of the translations except the NRSV translate as ben adam, literally son of man. The NRSV opted for a gender-neutral
NRSV 6 He said to me, 'Mortal, have you seen this?' Then he led me back along the bank of the river. Tanakh - English (JPS, 1917) 6 And he said unto me: 'Hast thou seen this, O son of man?' Then he led me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. RSV-Catholic Edition 6 And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back along the bank of the river. Septuagint - English (1851) 6 And he said to me, Hast thou seen this, son of man? Then he brought me, and led me back to the brink of the river.

NABRE 6 Then he asked me, "Do you see this, son of man?" He brought me to the bank of the river and had me sit down.

analogue, mortal, because of its effort to use only inclusive language.46 This rendering is lamentable because the evidence shows that son of man is an idiom loaded with meaning, although Biblical scholars disagree as to the significance of Ezekiels being called son of man.47 One possibility is
http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16145/showrashi/true, Rashi commentary at v. 8. Rachel Havrelock, The Two Maps of Israels Lands, http://www.uic.edu/depts/engl/people/prof/rhavrelock/ Israel_land.pdf Journal of Biblical Literature 126/4 (2007) 649667, spec. 653. 45 The possibilities are too extensive to discuss in this paper. An entire book has been written about the translation of the LXX version of Ez 40-48, which includes a detailed discussion of vorlage, a German term for determining the Hebrew source text by working backward from a Greek translation. Cf. Daniel M. O'Hare, Have You Seen, Son of Man A Study of the Translation and Vorlage of LXX (Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2010) 46 Cf Translation notes on pp. xix-xx of The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition. While gender-neutral inclusivity is an admirable goal, one which I adopted in this paper, one must be careful not to obfuscate an ancient idiomatic expression just to render it more pleasing to modern sensibilities. Such translations are a tremendous disservice to Bible reader and scholar alike. In many other instance, the NRSV is a word-forword or formal equivalent translation. (Although on p. xix, the translation committee for the NRSV said that its maxim was: As literal as possible, as free as necessary. The NABRE is imperfect as well. While also attempting to be a formal equivalent translation, it sometimes ventures into dynamic equivalent waters. For example, only NABRE (and the NAB) v. 6 indicate the angel had Ezekiel sit down upon the bank of the river. I was unable to find any reason for this translational discrepancy, but ultimately concluded, whether or not Ezekiel stood or sat is of little import. 47 George W. E. Nickelsburg, Son of Man, in Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 6, David Noel Freedman, ed. (New York: Doubleday, 1992) 137.
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Ezekiels lofty status as the man singled out for the rest of the people to be addressed by God and sent as the divine messenger.48 In Ez ben adam is not a self-designation but a the way that the angel refers to Ezekiel, as if to emphasize the contrast between the heavenly message and the mortal recipient.49 Ezekiels creaturely-ness is being emphasized by the designation son of man. He is a mere mortal who is both called and sent by YHWH, so that Gods message to the house of Israel may be given by his mouth.50 Ezekiels mortality, call, mission, and designation as son of man are inseparable.51 While Ben adam is used approximately 107 times in the Hebrew Bible, 93 of these uses (87% of them!) occur between Ez 2:1-47:6.52 The LXX uses the Greek, , which also translates literally as son of man. This is the Greek term used in the NT, and 78 of the 80 references in the Gospels to Jesus as Son of Man are self-designations by Jesus.53

Chiasmus
The importance of the term son of man seems to be underscored by the chiastic structure to Ez 47:1-12. The pericope begins with, v.1 A I saw water flowing out and ends with v. 12 Al because the waters of the river flow out
A B 1 Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and there! I saw water flowing out from under the threshold of the temple Toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east. The water flowed out toward the right side of the temple to the south of the altar. 2 He brought me by way of the north gate and around the outside to the outer gate facing east; 6 Then he asked me, Do you see this, son of man? 12 Along each bank of the river every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear fresh fruit because the waters of the river flow out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.

C Bl

Al

Nickelsburg, Son of Man, 137. Raymond Brown, An Introduction to New Testament Christology (New York: Paulist, 1994) 90. This opinion is corroborated by the sidebar commentary in Ez 2, in The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, Catherine Upchurch, ed. (Little Rock: Little Rock Scripture Study, 2010) 1701. 50 Zimmerli, Ezekiel 1: A Commentary on the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel, Chapters 1-24, Hermeneia Commentary Series (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1969) 54. 51 Zimmerli, 1, 54. 52 Nickelsburg, Son of Man, and Biblical Languages Research, March 1, 2011, Son of Man, http://biblicallanguagesresearch.blogspot.com/2011/03/son-of-man.html 53 Brown, New Testament Christology, 90.
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The centerpiece is the angels interrogatory, Do you see this, son of man? which contains two important components, Ezekiels seeing and son of man label.

Ezekiel as a type of Jesus Christ

There is a connection between Ezekiel and Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, Ezekiel has seen God. In Jewish antiquity, only Moses*** seemed to have a similar privilege. Compare Ex 24:17-18 (Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, perceived by the Israelites as a consuming fire, atop the mountain) to Ez 1:28, (Ezekiel beheld the vision of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.) Furthermore, Ezekiel was the first prophet since Moses to be called outside the Promised Land.54 Scrolls found at Qumran may shed light upon Ezekiels exalted status among the major prophets, as the one who beheld Gods Divinity.55 A comparison of phrase searches of an online NRSV Bible56 yielded 199 results within Ez for the phrase, says the Lord. By comparison, Jeremiah has 5 and Isaiah 10. Furthermore, there at least 7 theophaniesEz 1:1ff, 8:3ff, 10:1ff, 11:24ff, 40:2ff, 43:2ff, and 47:1ff. In the aforementioned apocryphal Jewish 1 Enoch, son of man is used repeatedly in reference to a preexistent, Messiah-figure.57 Calling Jesus Son of Man recalls Jesus Divinity and status as the one capable of redemptive suffering and dying, and returning in glory.58 Jesus Christ, though God, can suffer and die because he is ben adam (Cf. Philippians 2:6-7); Ezekiel, though ben adam, can behold God and serve as an intermediary for his people.

Trinitarian Symbolism
Both Tan and the LXX translate Ez 47:8ac as saying the waters which emanate from the Temple will result in the healing (as opposed to the freshening) of the Dead Sea. NABRE, NRSV, and RSV-CE offer interpretive rather than literal translations here. The Hebrew word at v. 8c refers to being

healed59 or the healing of waters; v. 12 uses the same Hebrew root-word in reference to the

Elijah may also come to mind, but his theophanies were less explicit. Cf. 1 Kings 19:11-18. Although Elijah (not Ezekiel) joined Moses during the NT theophany known as the Transfiguration of Jesus. Cf. Mt 17:1-9. 54 Sidebar commentary in Ez 2, in The Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, Catherine Upchurch, ed. (Little Rock: Little Rock Scripture Study, 2010) 1701. 55 James M. Scott, Throne-Chariot Mysticism in Qumran and in Paul, in Eschatology, Messianism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls, Craig A. Evans, Peter W. Flint, eds. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997) 102-103, 103n, and 118. 56 Oremus Bible Browser, NRSV Anglicized Version, http://bible.oremus.org/ 57 Nickelsburg and Vanderkam, 167. 58 Daniel J. Harrington, What Are We Hoping For? New Testament Images (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2006) 3 59 Hebrew Dictionary (Lexicon-Concordance), http://lexiconcordance.com/hebrew/7495.html
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medicinal properties of the leaves on the trees.60 There is important Trinitarian Symbolism here that is clearly understood by the author of Rev. Rev 22:1-2 states in part, the angel showed me the river of the water of lifeflowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb Rev 22:1ff replaced Ezekiels vision of temple with an image of Father and Son pouring forth the Holy Spirit. 61 This is an excellent example of the pitfalls of interpretive rather than literal translation. Orthodox Jewish scholarship concludes that the waters emerging from the Temple are the great river that will emerge from Jerusalem in the end of days, bearing plentiful fish (Ezek. 47:9) and watering ever-bountiful fruit trees on both its banks (Ezek. 47:12).62 The world began with a garden paradise and will be reborn in a paradisical manner. In fact, Catholic typology does not preclude the possibility of a both/and interpretation here. However, it would be unable to endorse a strictly literalist interpretation, which is sadly exemplified by the Evangelical Hal Lindsey Report which boldly declares that [e]very aspect of what is happening in regard to the reborn State of Israel has been forecast by Bible prophecy more than two thousand years ago.63 [A]ll life flows from God.64 Life-giving waters pour forth from Father, through the Son, and become ever wider and deeper. Everywhere this water goes life is redeemed, revivified. Elsewhere in Ez, the idea of a new spirit is regularly coupled with the idea of a new heart. (Cf. Ez 11:19; 18:31; 36:26)65 The new heart and the new spirit which must exist under the new covenant cannot be the work of man; theymust be the work of God.66 In an October 24, 1990 audience, Pope John Paul II described water in Scripture as a symbol of purification, life-giving power, and ultimately, a type of the Holy Spirit.67 The language of Ez 36:25-29 is helpful for understanding Ez 47: I shall pour clean water over youyou will be cleansedI shall cleanse yougive you a new heartput a new spirit in youmy spirit in yousave you from everything that defiles you.68 The interpretive key, indicating

Ernst Jenni and Claus Westerman, Eds., Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament, Vol. 3 (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1997) 1254-1255. Zimmerli, 2, 515. 62 Rabbi Berel Dov Lerner, The Gardens of Eden and Sodom, The Jewish Bible Quarterly (online), Vol. XXXI:3 (123) July - September 2003, http://jbq. jewishbible.org/assets/Uploads/313/313_Gardens1.pdf 63 Hal Lindsey, Watchman Warning: 4-15-2010: Israel in the Hands of Providence The Hal Lindsey Report http://www.hallindsey.com/watchmanwarning-4152010/ Apparently water isnt the only thing getting higher and deeper. 64 Readers Guide, Catholic Study Bible, Donald Senior and John Collins, eds. (London: Oxford, 2006), 337. 65 Henry Wansbrough, The Prophets: A Course-Booklet www.henrywansbrough.com/BibleUse.doc 66 Introduction to Ezekiel, NABRE, http://www.usccb.org/bible/ 67 Pope John Paul II, October 24, 1990 audience, Anointing: Biblical Sign of the Spirit, at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/ alpha/data/aud19901024en.html 68 Henry Wansbrough, The Prayers of the Psalter www.henrywansbrough.com/documents/Psalms_Booklet.doc
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that the water is the Holy Spirit (my spirit) is provided by Ezekiel himself and is not an invention of proof-texting Patristic writers. Ezekiel equates the water with Gods spirit that is used to cleanse, remake, and dwell within human beings. It is a prophecy of Baptism. NABRE NRSV RSV-Catholic Edition 9 Wherever it flows, the river teems with every kind of living creature; fish will abound
9 Wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish Tanakh - English (JPS, 1917) 9 And it shall come to pass, that every living creature wherewith it swarmeth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish 9 And wherever the river goes every living creature which swarms will live, and there will be very many fish Septuagint - English (1851) 9 And it shall come to pass, that every animal of living and moving creatures, all on which the river shall come, shall live: and there shall be there very many fish

If we view the waters as the Holy Spirit, the vision becomes more decipherable. The teeming life, including fish, in Ez 47:9 should be interpreted through the lens of Ez 17:22-24 and 36:25-29. On one level it is a restoral of Creation and on another it is human life revivified by the Holy Spirit. The implication is that no category of human beings will be exempted from Gods redemptive love and mercy. Ez mentions every kind of living creature in a general sense, but refers specifically to fish three times between vv 47:9-10. Ezekiels reference to the abundant fish in 47:9 was interpreted by early Christians as a vision of the future Church, whose baptismal river would be home to many fish that is, many Christians who are identified with Jesus Christ.69 An example of this can be seen in Tertullians On Baptism, 1, c. A.D. 198, in which he wrote, We little fishes, after the example of our fish, Jesus Christ, are born in water...70 St. Jerome concluded the river is an image of the teaching of the Church and of the grace of Baptism by which one becomes a member of the Church. 71 There are differences, though subtle, among the translations of Ez 47:12a. The Hebrew, (trees), and (food), translates as fruit tree or tree for food.72 Both are valid translations,

although every tree for food is more explicitly reminiscent of Gen 1:11-12, which probably had not yet been written.73 Priestly writers composed the Creation story of Gen 1, probably after Ez 47 was written and known. The implication of Gen 1:11-12 is that prior to sin and death entering the cosmic
Mike Aquilina, The Christian Code: Ancient Christian Symbols Speak to the Here and Now, This Rock, Vol. 20, No. 2, Feb. 2009 http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/the-christian-code 70 Aquilina, Christian Code. 71 Zimmerli, 2, 515. 72 Textual Analysis from Biblos.Com, http://biblos.com/ezekiel/47-12.htm. 73 John Clabeaux, The Prophets and You: Ezekiel and the Exile: God and the Temple, Catholic TV Broadcast of 10/26/2009, www.catholictv.com/Shows/episodelisting.aspx
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NABRE 12 a,c ...every kind of fruit tree will grow; their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail...because the waters of the river flow out from the sanctuary. Their fruit is used for food, and their leaves for healing.

NRSV 12 a,c ...there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail...because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. Tanakh - English (JPS, 1917) 12 a,c ...shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail; ...because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for healing.

RSV-Catholic Edition 12 a,c ...there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither nor their fruit failbecause the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. Septuagint - English (1851) 12 a,c And every fruit tree shall grow ...they shall not decay upon it, neither shall their fruit fail: ...for these their waters come forth of the sanctuary: and their fruit shall be for meat, and their foliage for health.

order, every tree grew edible fruit. An eschatological Re-Creation will involve a restoration of the original harmony. Gods ultimate redemption of the physical order at the end of time is not mutually exclusive from a typological interpretation. Just as the water represents Gods Spirit, and the fish represent humanity, the trees which soak up Gods spirit through their roots, yielding healing leaves and fruit, have an ecclesial significance as a Sacramental system. Ez 36:25-29 spoke about the cleansing waters from God that will instil Gods own Spirit into the human heart. Ez 46:13 spoke about a daily unblemished sacrifice consisting of a lamb. No wonder the author of Rev integrated Ezekiels language into a Trinitarian interpretation: the water of lifeflowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb Note: While trees plural would seemingly make more sense, the singular tree could be an explicit reference by the author of Rev to the single tree of life, growing in the center of the Garden of Eden in Gen 2:9, out of which flow streams of water that hydrate the entire world.74
All Trees of noblest kind for sight, smell, taste; And all amid them stood the Tree of Life, High eminent, blooming Ambrosial Fruit Of vegetable Gold; and next to Life75

The Tree of Life in Gen 3:22 which Adams sin withheld is once more accessible via the new life in Christ through his Mystical Body, the Church. The transformation of Ez 47:1-12 into a Trinitarian symbol in Rev 22:1ff, whereby Father and Son (Lamb) issue forth the Holy Spirit upon redeemed Creation, is paradise regained.

Christs Mystical Body as Paradise Regained

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Tuell, 333, as well as Abbe Constant Fourd, Saint John at the Close of the Apostolic Age (New York: Longmans: 1915) 132 John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book 4 reprinted at the Dartmouth U. website, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~milton/reading_room/pl/book_4/index.shtml

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The Temple in Ez 47 is an image of Christs Mystical Body. The fact that the author of Rev 22:1ff had replaced the image of Temple with the Trinitarian symbol of Father and Son pouring forth the Holy Spirit 76 does not preclude other interpretations. Indeed, other Johanine writings describe the Temple as Christs body.77 For example, In Jn 21:6, the disciples recognize and obey the risen Jesus as the new temple from which life-giving waters flow.78 Jn 2:18-19 depicts Christ as telling his detractors, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. At Jn 4:10-14, Jesus is depicted as describing the waters of new life to the Samaritan womanto introduce the theme of living waters that will flow from his side as the manifestation of divine life he communicates from the Cross.79 Jn 19:5 depicts the side of Jesus crucified body pierced with a soldiers lance, from which flowed blood and water for the salvation of mankind.80 Catholics either consciously or unconsciously recognize Christ as the Temple from which flow the redeeming waters of eternal life when they engage in Sacred Heart of Jesus or Divine Mercy devotions, which are essentially meditations on Christs wounded side, through which a spear punctured His heart. The Sacred Heart is Christ crucified, his side pierced by the lance, with blood and water flowing from it,81 while the Divine Mercy image is a meditation on this blood and water from the heart of Jesus, serving as a fount of mercy for all humankind.82 Pope John Paul II called Jesus Christ, the new and perfect Temple in whom full communion between God and man is realized (cf. Jn 2:21). 83

Conclusion: Pastoral Considerations

The song Take Me to the River was popularized by the band The Talking Heads, but written and first performed by African-American singer/songwriter Al Green in 1974. The story of the song began when Green told a female lover that he would not marry her. Moments later, as he stepped into the shower, his jilted paramour walked in with a pan of scalding hot and sticky grits, which she flung at him, inflicting third degree burns over parts of his body. As Green painfully struggled to wash this

Zimmerli, 2, 515. Nicholas Perrin, Jesus the Temple (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010) 53-55. 78 Andrew T. Lincoln, I Am the Resurrection and the Life, in Life in the Face of Death, Richard N. Longenecker, ed. (Cambridge, U.K.: Eerdmans, 1998) 137. 79 Michael Duggan, The Consuming Fire (San Francisco: Ignatius, 1991) 315-319. 80 Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Principles and Guidelines, #167 (Vatican City, Dec. 2001) http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccdds/documents/rc_con_ccdds_doc_20020513_vers-direttorio_en.html 81 Directory on Popular Piety. 82 Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2005) 142-143. 83 Pope John Paul II, Homily, Nov. 9, 1997, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19971109_en.html
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improvised napalm off his body, the jilted girlfriend committed suicide.84 This doubly tragic event brought Green closer to God. The song, Take Me to the River, is a product of a tragic, life-changing event which led Green to become an ordained Pentecostal minister. The lyrics themselveswhile mainly about a dysfunctional romanceseem evocative of the healing waters of Baptism: Take me to the river and wash me down. Won't you cleanse my soul, get my feet on the ground Take me to the riverWon't you dip me in the waterWon't you wash me in the water85 The Church wants all of her people to have a dramatic, life-changing transformation of heart during the Lenten season, albeit in a way that is less tragic and violent than was Rev. Greens experience. Ez 47:1-12 factors into the equation. As mentioned earlier, Ez 47 is the basis for the vidi aquam sprinkling rite during Easter liturgies. The Churchs interpretation of Scripture may be gleaned by how She uses the passage in the sacred liturgy. Ez 47:1-9, 12 is similarly used during the 4th Tuesday of Lent, Reading 1, and paired up with the entrance antiphon taken from Isaiah 55:1, vente ad aquas or come to the waters In this liturgical celebration, the Church points to Christ as the one who offers the life-giving waters. Ps 46 serves as the Responsorial Psalm, which states in part, There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God The Gospel antiphon or verse before the Gospel states, A clean heart create for me, O God; give me back the joy of your salvation, taken from Ps 51 (with echoes of Ez 36). Finally, the congregation is presented with the Gospel, Jn 5:1-16, the healing of the crippled man at the pool by the sheep gate. The man had been waiting for someone to take him to the pool whose waters were believed to be miraculous.86 As it turns out, Jesus is the very source of the miraculous: Jesus heals the man directly because He is the source of the vivifying, restorative, healing waters of Ezekiels vision.87 Jesus Christ cleanses us, forgives us our sins, heals our infirmities, and restores our souls. He chooses to do this through his Church. This is message that is emphasized during Lent, such as with the 1st Reading for the 3rd Sunday in Lent, Year A: Exodus 17:3-7. God commanded Moses to

From Google search of March 1, 2012, audioprobe.net/info.php?id=9800Cached. Al Green, Take Me to the River, http://lyrics.wikia.com/Al_Green:Take_Me_To_The_River 86 The second part of Jn 5:3 and part of v. 4 is now considered a gloss, attributed to the Sixto-Clementine edition of the Vulgate: waiting for the moving of the water; for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool, and troubled the water: whoever stepped in first after the troubling of the water was healed of whatever disease he had. Source: The Navarre Bible, New Testament, commentary and footnotes to Jn 5:1-18, RSV-CE translation. 87 Lectionary readings and antiphons taken from Daily Roman Missal, Rev. James Socas (Schiller Park, Il: World Library Publications, 2004)
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strike the rock in Horeb: Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink. Lent is the time to be cleansed, healed; to allow the living water of the Holy Spirit to be poured into our hearts; to have our hearts are created anew, in the likeness of Jesus heart, so when we stand before the Father we are recognized by the similitude to His Son. Baptism in the Catholic Church is the entry Sacrament, which is highlighted and commemorated with the blessing of water, the renewal of vows, and new Baptisms during the Easter Vigil. The imagery of Ez 47 becomes reality: Original Sin is vanquished and new life begins. To a Christian, Ez 47 should be a meditation on te meaning of ones Baptism, the very basis of the whole Christian life, the gateway to life in the Spirit, and the very door which gives access to the other Sacraments.88 The words of Ez 47:1-12 were composed under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and upon recalling a vision, during the Babylonian exile. These consoling words to the exiled Jews provided words of hope amid great potential. For the Christian, they are more than just hope of a restored temple-system, but a vision of the ecclesial and eschatological realities of life in Christ. Now that the realities signified by the vision have been made manifest, the pastoral implications ought to be clear. Like Ezekiel, we too are called to give people hope by proclaiming the truths of the faith in a way that offer encouragement amidst great disillusionment. It is life in the Trinitarian mystery that allows us to venture down to the river of life-giving waters, to cleanse our souls, and get our feet back on the ground.89 From the Precious Blood of Christ crucified flows that plentiful stream of Sacramental grace from which the children of the Church drink of eternal life.90 As Pope Benedict XVI recently stated, eventhe wilderness can become a period of grace, because we have the certainty that even from the hardest rock God can cause the living water to gush forth, water which quenches thirst and restores strength.91 God always offers hope amidst the trials of life; even the makeshift napalm of a disgruntled ex-girlfriend.

CCC, 1213. Al Green, Take Me to the River 90 Pope Pius XII, Haurietis Aquas: On Devotion to the Sacred Heart, Encyclical, May 15, 1956, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/ documents/hf_p-xii_enc_15051956_haurietis-aquas_en.html 91 Pope Benedict XVI quoted in Lent, A Time to Shoulder our Christian Responsibilities, http://www.news.va/en/news/lent-a-time-to-shoulder-ourchristian-responsibili
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