Then he led me back to the bank of the river. When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea. (Ezekiel 47:6-10)

In the latter of chapters of Ezekiel, we find fascinating glimpses into a future that will be glorious not only in the hearts of men, but also in the physical world. If one believes these are future prophecies (as opposed to being metaphor, or past fulfillment), then chapter 47 is describing a flow of water from the Temple in Jerusalem, which will end up in the Dead Sea, to the south.

At present, Israeli agriculturalists are reclaiming the moonscape known as the Judean Hills. The famous Dead Sea (the lowest spot on Earth) is so-named because of the high concentration of minerals in the water, which prevents any living thing from, well, living there. The Sea is a popular tourist destination, since one can float without sinking. Across the water are the equally famous Mountains of Moab, in the modern nation of Jordan.

At the moment, it’s a bit difficult to imagine a “Dead Sea” teeming with fish and other creatures, but we are told it will be so. Patches of palm groves dot the shores now, but in the Millennium Kingdom, the entire area will be reclaimed by the Lord and be lush.

So what do you think? Is this a prophecy still future, or was it fulfilled at some point in the past? Or…is it metaphor?