It was June 20, 2017. The debut broadcast of a prophetic collaboration initiated by a local professing apostle I personally knew was aired locally and on social media. One of the contributors was yours truly, and the first word I felt led to share was about an alleged vision and conversation I had with God about Ezekiel 47. Earlier that year, I had written a blog post that was picked up by Charisma Magazine and Charisma News about this claimed prophetic word about going to the deep. I relished the quote laying claim to a contortion on Psalm 42:7 that I had ascribed to God saying to me, “The depths of me calls out to the depths of me within you.” It was also in 2017 that I self-published a 40-day prophetic devotional centered around personal journal entries I had ascribed God speaking to me in the secret place. That devotional is no longer available for good reason.

The focus of the blog post was about going to the deep places with God, and I spoke in mystical platitudes and vagaries incapable of being truly tested as a prophetic word. It brought no understanding of the passage in Ezekiel 47. I had simply used this account to justify hearing God’s voice and attributing my thoughts to Him. I spoke of the shallow waters and how many want to stay there for the sake of comfort. My idea of staying shallow was being religious and not surrendering to the manifestations and move of God. I attributed “wild rapids” to the move of the Spirit and those who were willing to yield to such things were truly going deeper into the things of God.

I wrote about establishing deeper intimacy with Christ and having a mystical fellowship with God. This was the summation essentially of that word, stamping the Word of God to it for validation. For all the talk about going to the deep with God, it was about as clear as mud what that meant, and I missed the point of Ezekiel 47 and so many other passages for that matter. I did not take time back then to study the Word of God and to meditate on its richness and testimony of Jesus Christ as I should have done. For that, I apologize.

When looking at commentaries and study Bibles surrounding this particular passage, what I read to better understand Ezekiel 47: 1-12 was far more beautiful than any vague word I could attribute to God. Some commentaries and study Bibles I read focused on this being a picture of the millennium and what was to come. An article on Ligonier pointed out that the flow of the water would defy natural laws and understanding in its flow due to location. This was not a typical river, and it would bring life to the Dead Sea where life was unsustainable. The desert that existed in the time of Ezekiel and present day would be a desert no more. They went on to say, “The vision conveys the abundant life that results from Israel’s restoration from exile. God’s life-giving power will not be confined to the temple but will issue forth to renew all things. Rivers of living water will restore life permanently to His people (John 7:37–39).”

A commentary I read from Matthew Henry drew attention to the river representing the gospel of Jesus Christ and the growth seen as the gospel is proclaimed. When drawing attention to the running waters from the temple, He pointed out Christ being the temple, the door, stating “The waters of the sanctuary are running waters, as those of a river, not standing waters, as those of a pond. The gospel, when it was first preached, was still spreading further. Grace in the soul is still pressing forward; it is an active principle, plus ultra-onward still, till it comes to perfection.” The vast majority of his commentary on Ezekiel 47 centered upon Christ and His gospel, and it was beautiful to read and to consider.

The Bible does not need our help in making it more relevant or more prophetic. Christ Jesus is throughout every aspect of the Word of God. It testifies of Him. The gospel of Jesus Christ is found within the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. His grace is evident in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. There is nothing wrong with wanting to draw close to God and to have fellowship with Him. We are able to fellowship with God by properly understanding His Word in context. We honor God’s Word by understanding what it intended, not what we desire in a mystical or Gnostic way.

The desire for something more is to be tempered and tested so that we are not wandering off into error. The temptation is there for more encounters, more experiences, more emotion. The desire for secret knowledge or a hidden meaning to Scripture can cloud our ability to understand the glory of God to which it already testifies. Being a student of the Word and loving this precious Word we have been given puts us on course for greater fellowship and relationship with God.

If I could encourage you in any way to learn from my past error, abide in the Word daily. Go into this New Year committing to reading the bible daily and taking time to study what you are reading. Invest in some commentaries and a good study Bible. Listen to solid Biblical messages about what you are reading and look for Jesus Christ in the Old Testament. Take note of how intertwined the Old and the New Testament truly are in cross references. Rejoice in the revealing of Christ in the New Testament and ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your understanding of the Word. When we ask for wisdom, He is faithful to give it to us. These are the things I would tell the me from five years ago, the former false prophet who waded into deeply shallow waters.

Listen to this episode from The Lovesick Scribe podcast as I discuss this old “prophetic word” further and look at Ezekiel 47: The Lovesick Scribe Podcast: A False Prophet Wades into Deeply Shallow Waters on Apple Podcasts