I.　In the Bible there is a line concerning God as living waters:

A.　In the Scriptures the concept of the river is crucial—Gen. 2:10-14; Rev. 22:1.

B.　God comes to us as a flowing stream to be contacted and received by us as our life supply—John 4:14; 7:37-38.

II.　In the Scriptures there is only one flow, only one divine stream:

A.　The divine stream, which has been flowing throughout the generations, is uniquely one.

B.　The book of Acts reveals that in the move of the Lord there is only one stream and that we need to keep ourselves in this one stream.

III.　The Bible describes the experience of the living water both before and after the building of the house of God:

A.　Before the building of the house of God, the Bible speaks of the spring (Exo. 15:27), the water out of the rock (Exo. 17:6; Num. 20:11; 1 Cor. 10:4), the water from the well (Num. 21:16-17), and the water from the hollow place (Judg. 15:19).

B.　After the building of the house of God, the Bible speaks of the river of God's pleasures (Psa. 36:8b), the river whose streams make glad the city of God (Psa. 46:4), a fountain coming forth from the house of the Lord (Joel 3:18), living waters going out from Jerusalem (Zech. 14:8), and the living water flowing out of the house of God (Ezek. 47:1-12).

C.　Before the building of the house of God, the living water quenches our thirst; after the building of the house of God, the living water not only quenches our thirst but also waters the dry land, produces life, and heals death.

D.　In our experience before the building of the house of God, the living water flows instantly and occasionally; after the building of the house of God, the living water flows constantly and eternally.

IV.　If we would participate in the move of God in His recovery, we need to experience the flowing of the living water out of the house of God—Ezek. 47:1-12:

A.　The primary factor that brought in the flow of living water was the building up of the house of God—Ezek. 47:1a.

1.　The house is the place of the Lord's throne and the place of the soles of His feet, where He dwells for His rest and satisfaction—Ezek. 43:7.

2.　Our daily living and our conduct should be according to the form, fashion, pattern, statutes, and laws of the house—43:10-11.

3.　The flow of the river depends on the building:

a.　There can be no flow apart from the genuine building.

b.　Wherever a group of believers are built up in oneness as described by Ezekiel, there will be the flowing of the river out of the building.

B.　The water flows out from the threshold—47:1:

1.　In order for the water to flow, there must be a threshold, an opening.

2.　If we draw closer to the Lord and have more contact with Him, there will be an opening which will allow the living water to flow out from the church.

C.　The flow is toward the east—v. 1b:

1.　This indicates that the river of God will always flow in the direction of God's glory.

2.　If everyone in the church seeks and cares for the glory of God, living water will flow out from the church.

D.　The water flows out from the right side of the house—v. 1c:

1.　This indicates that the flow of the Lord should have the preeminence.

2.　We need to give the flow of the Lord the highest position.

E.　The flowing is by the side of the altar—v. 1d:

1.　This indicates that if we would have the flow, we must have the dealing of the cross.

2.　To experience this flow of life, we need a full consecration; everything must be put on the altar for the flow of living water.

F.　For the increase of the flow of life, we need to be measured by the Lord, the man with the measuring line—vv. 3-5:

1.　To measure means to examine, test, judge, and possess.

2.　To measure a thousand means to measure a complete unit—v. 3b.

3.　If we want to experience the flow out of the house, we need to be measured completely.

4.　The four measurings indicate that as creatures we need to be thoroughly judged and tested by the Lord and then be fully taken over by Him.

5.　The depth of the river depends on how much we have been measured by the Lord.

G.　The river causes everything to live—v. 9a:

1.　Where the river flows, everything shall live and be full of life.

2.　The flow of the river produces trees, fish, and cattle—vv. 7, 9b-10, 12.

H.　The river waters the desert and heals the Dead Sea—v. 8:

1.　The river waters the dry, parched land and heals the death waters.

2.　This watering and healing are for the purpose of producing life.

I.　The river is unable to heal the mashes—v. 11:

1.　A marsh is a neutral place, a halfway place, a place of compromise.

2.　For the flow and for the church life, we need to be absolute.

3.　"If you are in the Lord's recovery, be in the recovery absolutely, not halfway….The Lord Jesus desires and requires absoluteness….By being absolute we will be in the flow, and the flow will not be a trickle but a river to swim in. Then everything shall live where the river comes" (Witness Lee, Life-study of Ezekiel, pp. 311-312).