The Jordan, a river of miracles-4 

Healing Waters From the Temple

Although the Jordan is polluted, and its resources severely stretched and fought over by the nations in its vicinity, the prophet Ezekiel describes a new river of life that will begin at the Temple threshold, flowing into and restoring the Dead Sea, which is fed by the Jordan. “When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh.  Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. ... Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. ...  Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. ...  Every month they will bear fruit, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing.”  (Ezekiel 47:8–12) The Book of Revelation describes it as a new river of life “clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city.”  (Revelation 22:1–2)

Accumulations of salt in the Dead Sea.

The Talmud (Jewish Oral tradition) teaches that these waters will heal not only the Dead Sea, but presumably the waters that flow into it from the Sea of Galilee, which would also include the connecting Jordan River. “To where do they flow?  To the Sea of Tiberias [Sea of Galilee, Kinnereth] and then to the Sea of Sodom [Dead Sea], and then to the Great Sea [Mediterranean] to heal the salty waters and to sweeten them.”  (Jerusalem Talmud 3:9) This restoration of the River Jordan and the bodies of water it feeds is exactly what Yeshua does with our own spirits. Yeshua says to all of us, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”(John 7:37)

Jacob Wrestles with the Angel

  

The River of Miracles

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”  (Joshua 3:5) In Genesis 32:11, Jacob crossed the Jordan and its eastern tributary, the Jabbok River (Zarqa River) situated east of Shechem, which is in present-day Samaria. Here, Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord to receive a blessing, which he received along with a new name—Israel (Genesis 32:23–24). Perhaps the most dramatic moment on the Jordan occurred when Joshua redeemed Israel from their desert existence by leading them across the Jordan to the Promised Land.  Miraculously, the river dammed up even though it was flood season, and the people crossed a dry riverbed (Joshua 3). Although all of Israel entered the Promised Land, not everyone lived on the west side of the Jordan. The river became the demarcation line between two groups of the tribes of Israel, with the “nine tribes and the half tribe of Manasseh” settling on the west side and Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh settling on the east side (Numbers 34:13–15; Joshua 13:7–8).

Naaman cleanses in the Jordan River to be healed of tzaraat, a Biblical

skin disease that is traditionally thought to be caused by gossip, murder,

perjury, forbidden sexual relationships, arrogance, theft, and envy.

In 2 Kings 5:14, the Jordan was instrumental in the miraculous healing of Naaman the Aramean, whom Elisha sent to bath in the Jordan’s waters in order to be healed of leprosy. In yet another miracle in 2 Kings 6:6, Elisha reclaimed a borrowed axe head that had sunk in the waters by causing it to float to the surface. At the Jordan, Yohannan the Immerser announced the identity of Yeshua as “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” The Jordan is also mentioned in connection with the coming of the Messiah “by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.”  (Isaiah 9:1–2)

The Sea of Galilee, which is located in the Jordan Valley, is 19 kilometers

(12 miles) long and from 5–10 kilometers (3–6 miles) wide.

Yeshua is soon coming again and, in the meantime, He has given His followers a spiritual source of water that wells up within them. “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14) This spring of spiritual renewal brings everlasting life and is available now by believing in the One the Hebrew prophets spoke of—Yeshua haMashiach (Jesus the Messiah). If you wish to drink of His waters of life, or wish to rededicate your life to Him, why not follow in His footsteps and be mikvahed in Israel's Jordan River.

Dear reader......... the fact that Israel has once again become an independent nation and the Jewish People are being drawn back to their ancient land is evidence that God’s Spirit is moving in the midst of His people.