International Sunday School Lesson November 30, 2025
Hello, I’m Donnie Bryson. Welcome to another edition of the International Sunday School Lesson. Today’s lesson is entitled, “Ezekiel’s Vison”. It’s for November 30, 2025. It’s taken from Ezekiel 47:1-9 and verse 12. The lesson today is an excerpt of Ezekiel’s great vision of the future temple. God gave Ezekiel this vision a little over ten years after Solomon’s Temple was completely destroyed by the Babylonians. The vision was given in 573 BC and it takes up around 20% of the book of Ezekiel. It describes the new temple in very specific detail. This vision has triggered a lot of debate among biblical scholars. The scholars are divided into three major groups. One group believes the vision describes what COULD have been possible in the post-captivity rebuilding of the temple. In other words, what they could have done if the people were completely dedicated. I don’t see that considering the three waves of returning folks were only about 50,000 people. The temple as described by the vision would have been beyond their scope along with rebuilding the city. Another group believes the vision is only symbolic and a metaphor of the church age. I believe the vision has metaphorical lessons but the description is too precise and detailed to only be a metaphor. The third group believe it’s a vision of a temple that is yet to be built. I believe this vision will be realized during the millennial reign of Christ as my fellow dispensationalist believe. Today’s lesson, though, doesn’t really focus on the Temple itself but the water the flows from the Temple.
Water Issued
One of the miracles of this new temple is the river flowing from under the temple. It starts only ankle deep and gets deeper as it goes. Brother Dake asserts there’s no spiritual significance to this river other than it heals the Dead Sea. This is ONE of the times I disagree with him. I believe this river is a metaphor for the deepening blessings of God as we travel toward heaven.
Ezekiel 47:1–2ESV
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). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.
Notice that the river starts ankle deep and gets deeper. Also, notice that the river flows from God.
Deepening Waters
Here we come to the best part of the lesson today. This river gets deeper the farther it goes. It starts merely ankle deep and deepens. That’s just like our walk with God. If we keep walking with God and pushing forward, the deeper we get into the things of God.
Ezekiel 47:3–6ESV
Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river.
This river gets deeper the farther it goes. That’s just like our walk with God. If we obey God and press forward then we grow in God. We go deeper in the Spirit. Paul told the Philippians in Philippians 1:9–11 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Paul also told them in Philippians 3:10–12 “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Peter said in 2 Peter 3:18 “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
Fresh Water
The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean. It’s called the Dead Sea because fish and aquatic plants can’t survive in it. That will change during the millennium.
Ezekiel 47:7–9ESV
As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.
This water heals the Dead Sea. This is a miracle. It’s also a metaphor of the healing stream flowing out of our bellies after we accept Christ just as Jesus said in John 7:38.
Fruit
Here we see that life flows from God. Magnificent fruit begins to bud in what was once a barren dessert.
Ezekiel 47:12ESV
And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.”
Ezekiel was not the only prophet that had a vision of the beautification of Palestine during the millennium. Isaiah said in Isaiah 35:7 “the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, where they lie down, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.” He also said in Isaiah 35:1 “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus;” Joel said in Joel 3:18 ““And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.” Zechariah said in Zechariah 14:8 “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.”
Concluding Thoughts
Two concluding thoughts. First, victory is coming. We might struggle now. The people of God might be brutally persecuted. But victory is coming. Second, press on and grow with God. Living for Jesus is not a static thing. It is a growth thing. We should press on and expect to grow in God. Well friends, good Lord willing, I’ll be back with you next weekend.
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