ASSEMBLIES OF GOD NIGERIA ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 21 IN BRIEF MAY 21 2023

TEXT: EZEKIEL 43:1-9, 47:1-12

MEMORY VERSE: REV 22:2

CENTRAL TRUTH: Followers of Christ can be certain that one day they will know complete healing and restoration.

INTRO

In our studies today, God reveals to Ezekiel His Healing Presence for the people of God(Jerusalem) who were facing judgement(punishment) from the hands of their captors as a result of their sins. While last week Lesson(Chapter 34) centres on God’s promise Messiah who would come to redeem and reign eternally; today’s Lesson will look more closely at the future reign. And that future reign is the reign of God’s Glory which comes with His Healing Presence to wipe away all tears, heal all pains, free from all sufferings. So for us to proclaim our trust(hope) in words and deeds for the coming glorious kingdom of God; we must appropriate the enlightenment of Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory, thus the Lesson shall be discussed with the following major outlines;

1. God’s Presence Returns

2. Supernatural River From the Temple

3. Life-Giving Waters

In the vision(or revelation), Ezekiel saw ‘The Glory Returns to the Temple’ even as the Lord speaks to him. The vision symbolically represents the restoration of the Mighty move of God’s Power in the midst of His people as it was in the beginning before they strayed from the ways of God.

Lessons Derived: Ezekiel saw the move of God coming like the roar of rushing waters, and saw how the glory of God’s move shinned or filled the entire land. This is how much impact of God’s Presence they missed for engaging in all manner of prostitution and idolatry. So putting away all forms of sinful behaviour is the way of provoking or drawing down the healing presence of God. And as He promised to dwell with His people in Ezekiel days forever; so will He dwell with us eternally. These Scriptures confirmed that it has always been God’s desire to dwell with his people: Rev21:3, Gen2:8,15, John1:14, Eph2:21

SUPERNATURAL RIVER FROM THE TEMPLE – EZEKIEL47:1-6

In this text, Ezekiel was led on a vision of a river, and as he followed through, the river deepens. Symbolically, this vision represents the depths of God’s Divine Presence and His life-giving Power.

Lessons Derived: The river he saw in the vision was a supernatural river flowing from the Temple. But the flow gets deeper the further it goes from the source. This is against the natural flow of any river because it is usually deeper at the source and shallower as it spreads down the course. Lesson: In our spiritual walk(Faith) with God, there are more, deeper, abundance blessings to experience than when we first began. The hunger or thirst to follow, serve, and to have more of God should not wean or slack for any reason. It is because Ezekiel followed the man(angel) who was leading him in that vision, that he had the experience of the rivers of living water that rises or increases from the ankle deep, to the knee level, to the waist, and to the deeper levels that he couldn’t pass over but to swim in. Ezekiel was led, we should not neglect the leading of the Holy Spirit in our Faith walk because there are far better realms to swim in. This brings to mind Christ’s Word in John7:37-39 where He declared, “if any man thirst, let him come and drink of me…” because, “he that (drinketh) or believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. By this Jesus was speaking of the super-abundant wonders of the Holy Spirit which, they that believe on him would receive.

Ezekiel was further exposed to the blessings of the life-giving waters. Ezekiel’s experience or Ezekiel’s River reminds us that, There is a River in the Garden of Eden which ideals, God will restore. The fall of Adam and Eve brought suffering and curse upon all creation, thus the need for total restoration which can only be gotten by God’s Healing Presence.

Lessons Derived: The manifestation of God’s healing in Ezekiel’s vision was in sync with John’s vision of the Garden of Eden, and that brings us to the immediate (or now) blessings and the futuristic blessings awaiting the people of God and this includes;

*the healing of the salty Dead Sea with the fresh water that flows from the Temple of God. And all aquatic life which supports man’s living will jack back to life.

*the provision of all kinds of fish, animal, tree bearing fruits for man’s consumption and healing wherever the river flows.

*the restoration of fishermen’s business and all source of human livelihood in the entire Dead Sea area (ie, the earth) will be booming with life again.

*the preservation of salt in ponds, mashes(ie, specific spots), which is also essential to life.

*the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth which is evidenced in the scenes of Eden, the New Jerusalem, and the vision of Ezekiel’s River for those who would persevere to the end.

In all, the full realisation of God’s Presence will not happen until His kingdom arrives with Christ’s second coming. But, while waiting, we have a foretaste(an appetizer) of the feast to come in the presence(or Person) of the Holy Spirit at work in us.

Thanks for being a part of our School Lessons this week. Any questions or contributions?