“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “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.” By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7:37-39.
On the last and greatest day of the feast. The Feast of Tabernacles (mentioned in Part 1), lasted for eight days, to commemorate the Israelites’ journey in the wilderness, from Egypt to Canaan. Every day – except for the last day – a solemn procession was made from the temple to the Gihon Spring, where a priest filled a gold pitcher with water while the choir sang Isaiah 12:3 – “Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Then they returned to the altar and the Priest poured out the water. It was to remind them of the time when Moses struck the rock with his rod and water poured from the rock (Num. 20:8-11; Ps. 78:15-16). It also spoke prophetically of the coming days of Messiah.
That River which flowed out of the Temple (Ezekiel 47) and flows from the Throne of the Lamb (Rev. 22), is now to flow out of us – individually and collectively! We are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19), filled with His glory. The glory in us is far greater than that of the former Temple in Jerusalem. If this were all the revelation contained in this passage, it would be wonderful, but the reservoir runs deeper still. As Jesus has said, “He who believes in me: from his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:38)
“Innermost being” is translated from the Greek word koilia, which literally means “womb.” It speaks of reproduction, of birthing or bringing forth life. We are His birthing vessels, His incubation chambers, releasing life to those around us. Why should this surprise us? Is it not supposed to be the very life of Jesus in us that we are ministering to the earth? What seed of intercession has God put in the womb of your innermost being? The salvation of a loved one? The tearing down of demonic strongholds in the land? To see a revival coming? Whatever that seed is, it’s a declaration of intent from the very throne room of heaven! You are being called to birth it!
Christ is saying: “The life in Me is to flow from you. The river in Me will flow from your “womb.” The things that I want to birth on earth will be carried by you and release into it. The harvest I am producing will be birthed from the womb of the Church.”
If that is the case, then we should be seeing a torrent of that River flowing across Ireland. That leaves a heart-searching question – Why isn’t it?
Father, I thank You that You want me to play a part in bringing Your Kingdom to earth, as it is in heaven. Confirm in me what that may look like for me, and enable me by the power of Your Spirit to see it birthed! Amen