Ezekiel 47:1-12 “Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. (2) He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. (3) And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. (4) Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. (5) Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. (6) He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river. (7) When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. (8) Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. (9) And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. (10) It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. (11) But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. (12) Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."
There is a common misconception about our Lord’s millennial reign, that when our Lord Jesus returns to the earth that we will only eat fruit, just as Adam and Eve did in the garden of Eden. But that is not the case at all, for in the above quoted passage of scripture, which describes our Lord’s millennial reign, we clearly see that fish will be a part of the diet of both the saints and the unbelievers at that time. This passage also speaks of trees growing on the banks of the river of life and those trees bearing fruit for food and their leaves for medicine. The fruit trees mentioned in this passage are not normal fruit trees as we know in the earth today, but there is another tree that will bear fruit every month. That particular tree that bears fruit every month is the tree of life. In the book of Revelation when the tree of life is mentioned, it also describes that tree as bearing fruit every month (Revelation 22:2). The other reason we know that this passage is also speaking about the tree of life, is because its leaves will be used for medicine. Again, in the book of Revelation when the tree of life is mentioned, it also describes that tree’s leaves being used for the healing of the nations (Revelation 22:2). And so contrary to popular belief, this scripture reveals to us that there will be many trees of life (not just one tree) growing on the banks of the river of life that flows from the temple. This same truth is revealed to us regarding the trees of life that grow along the banks of the river of life in the heavenly city of Jerusalem (Revelation 22:2). But although there will be many trees, those trees will only be located in the city of Jerusalem and it is only the saints that will have access to the fruit of those trees. The reason for that is because the fruit of the tree of life has the effect of making the body of the individual immortal, and God won’t allow unbelievers to become immortal (Genesis 3:22). The leaves however, will be given to the nations for medicine to cure any illnesses that they may incur.
Isaiah 61:4-6 “And they shall rebuild the old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. (5) Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the foreigner shall be your ploughmen and your vinedressers. (6) But you shall be named the priests of the Lord; they shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory you shall boast.”
The above quoted passage of scripture is speaking about our Lord’s millennial reign. This passage speaks about the flocks that belong to the saints, clearly implying that meat will form part of the saint’s diet in the millennium. In this passage we also see that ploughmen and vinedressers will be employed in the earth. And so clearly fruit and grain will be a part of our diet in the millennium. But we also see from this passage that wine will also be consumed during the Lord’s millennial reign. Presently our Lord Jesus does not partake of wine in heaven, for our Lord said that He will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes (Luke 22:18). The kingdom of God will come when Jesus returns to the earth, and then He will once again drink of the fruit of the vine along with His saints.
Psalms 144:12-15 “That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; That our daughters may be as pillars, Sculptured in palace style; (13) That our barns may be full, Supplying all kinds of produce; That our sheep may bring forth thousands And ten thousands in our fields; (14) That our oxen may be well laden; That there be no breaking in or going out; That there be no outcry in our streets. (15) Happy are the people who are in such a state; Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!”
The context of the above quoted passage of scripture is referring to the Lord’s millennial reign. And so we see that meat and all dairy products will also form part of the saint’s diet, for this passage refers to both sheep and oxen in abundance along with all other types of farm produce. Clearly these scriptures teach us that the saints will have a varied diet similar to that which people ate when Jesus was first on the earth.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments