living waters

On that day living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern sea and half of them to the western sea. It shall continue in summer as in winter. And the LORD will be king over all the earth. On that day the LORD will be one and his name one.

Zechariah 14:8-9

Here is a prophetic vision of a day yet to come. Jesus returns to Jerusalem and when his feet touch the Mount of Olives it splits in two forming a wide valley. Jerusalem itself is raised as a mountain and the rest of Israel becomes a fertile plain. And from this new mountain a river of living water will flow down, branching to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. When Jesus returns the entire landscape of this planet will be transformed. It will need to be.

Jesus is the source of the living water. God had always wanted Israel to trust Him as their fountain (Jeremiah 2:13). Jesus Himself made the offer vividly both to the non-Jews (John 4:10 with a Samaritan woman) and to the Jews publicly in Jerusalem (John 7:37-38). These Jews knew their scriptures and no doubt made the connection to Zechariah’s vision of a future Jerusalem under the rule of the Messiah. When Jesus made this strong statement, it was understood to be a claim to be the Messiah. And the Bible even closes again with a heavenly vision of a place where living waters flow and God wipes away all the tears from our eyes (Revelation 7:17).

Lord Jesus,

I long for this day where living waters flow, on a world You have transformed after Your judgment and by Your peace. And as the waters flow from You and lead to You, may I follow You with that heavenly future framing my present understanding of life. On that day You will be one and Your name one. Until then, help me make Your gospel known so that living waters may flow!

Amen