An old brother, long since with the Lord, once remarked that it would be very difficult to lay out all the typical meanings of water in the Bible. This is certainly true, but since water is mentioned so many times in Scripture and symbolizes different things, it is important for us to have at least some basic understanding of how it is used in the Word of God.
Water forms by far the greater part of our earth, especially that part of it contained in the oceans. Indeed, were the oceans to be emptied and the various rivers of the earth to continue to flow, it has been estimated that it would take 40,000 years for the oceans to be refilled. God has made almost all life on earth to be dependent on water, and we are all aware of how necessary it is for human life. The thought of water brings to our mind refreshment and cleansing, as well as a means of transporting ourselves and our goods from one point to another.
The Word of God
In the Word of God, we find that water is generally a type of the Word of God itself. The Lord Jesus Himself told Nicodemus that “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:55Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. (John 3:5)). This same truth is given to us in the Old Testament, for we read, “I will sprinkle clean water upon you ... and I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes” (Ezek. 36:25,2725Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (Ezekiel 36:25)
27And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. (Ezekiel 36:27) JND). It is clear from the context, and other scriptures, that water here does not refer to baptism, as some have taught, but rather that new life is imparted by the Spirit of God, using the Word of God. This is true today, and it was true right from the beginning of man’s history. God must begin the work by His Spirit, using His Word, if sinful man is to be given new life.
Cleansing
However, this is not the only work that the Word of God does. In Ephesians 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26), we read of “the washing of water by the Word.” This is typified in the Old Testament by the water of purification used with the ashes of the red heifer in Numbers 19, and also by the laver, in which the priests washed their hands and feet before they went in to do the service of the tabernacle or temple. Here the water cleanses believers (not unbelievers), who typically have been in contact with defilement while passing through the wilderness of this sinful world. The Lord Himself is occupied with this work, and we also have the privilege of doing it for one another, as we read in John 13:1-171Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him; 3Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; 4He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. 5After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. 6Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? 7Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. 8Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. 9Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. 10Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. 11For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean. 12So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? 13Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. 14If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. 15For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. 16Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. 17If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. (John 13:1‑17). While we never need a second application of the blood of Christ, it is most important for saints to have this daily application of the Word of God, to cleanse our feet from the defilement of this world, even if we have not been involved in known sin.
The Spirit of God
This brings us to another most important symbolical meaning of water. If water contained in something (the laver, the container alluded to in Numbers 19, and the basin of John 13) generally speaks of the Word of God, then flowing water usually speaks of the Spirit of God. This is brought out very clearly in John 4, where the Lord Jesus tells the woman at the well, “The water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life” (John 4:1414But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14) JND). Here we clearly see that the Spirit of God is in view, not at this time imparting life through the Word, but rather as the joy and energy of that new life already possessed by the believer.
However, this joy is not to be merely enjoyed by the believer. In John 7:3838He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38) we read, “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Once we have enjoyed the things of Christ and meditated on them (typified by the belly), the Spirit of God delights in an overflow of blessing of others, both unbelievers and believers. God is a giver, and He desires that the believer have the same heart toward others.
Rivers
This brings us to the thought of rivers in Scripture. In a general way, a river in Scripture speaks of a continuous, even flow of blessing. We see this brought out in the river of Eden (Gen. 2:10-1410And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11The name of the first is Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. (Genesis 2:10‑14)), which parted into four heads and flowed out to blessing in the world of that time. Two of these rivers remain today—Hiddekel (the Tigris) and the Euphrates, showing us that while the Garden of Eden has vanished, God still thinks of the blessing and refreshment of His creation. Then we have the earthly millennial river of Ezekiel 47, which will be an actual river, branching into two, and will bring blessing to this world in the millennial day. Finally, we have the “river of water of life” of Revelation 22, which, proceeding out of the throne of God, supports the tree of life on either side of it. Doubtless Christ is the tree of life, and thus He is on both sides of this river of heavenly blessing. This glorious river is symbolical of the enjoyment of Christ and the eternal enjoyment of life in the power of the Spirit of God, the portion of the heavenly saints. While only the leaves of the tree are needed for the healing of the nations, the fruit is no doubt typical of the higher portion of the heavenly saints, who share the glory of Christ displayed in that day.
There are other occasional and less prominent meanings of rivers in Scripture. For example, the Euphrates River has often been considered to be the boundary between east and west in this world, so that Revelation 16:1212And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. (Revelation 16:12) speaks of “the sixth angel” pouring out his vial “upon the great river Euphrates ... that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.” In another scripture, we read of “a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled” (Isa. 18:22That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! (Isaiah 18:2)), no doubt referring to how other nations have taken advantage of Israel during her time of being set aside by the Lord.
Judgment
But there is one other typical meaning of water about which we have not spoken. God uses water to speak of judgment. The “deep” referred to in Genesis 1:22And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:2) may represent a judgment before the present creation, but the first real mention of water in judgment in Scripture is the flood of Noah, where the Lord said, “I ... do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh” (Gen. 6:1717And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. (Genesis 6:17)). This theme runs throughout the Word of God, including the awful judgment at the cross, where our Lord could say prophetically, “Save Me, O God; for the waters are come in unto My soul” (Psa. 69:11<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim, A Psalm of David.>> Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. (Psalm 69:1)), and again in Psa. 42:77Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (Psalm 42:7), “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts: All Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over Me.” Yet we are told in the Song of Solomon, “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it” (Song of Sol. 8:77Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned. (Song of Solomon 8:7)), for surely at the cross, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:2020Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: (Romans 5:20)). However, in a coming day, many will come under the judgments that will fall upon this world after the church is called home, and these are heralded by the voice of the Lord Jesus—“His voice as the sound of many waters” (Rev. 1:1515And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. (Revelation 1:15)).
Death
This same theme is used in the subject of baptism, and especially Christian baptism. Our Lord went into death (typified by water) and rose again. By this He “died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God” (Rom. 6:1010For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. (Romans 6:10)). We are seen as “buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:44Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4)). In going through Christian baptism, we are seen positionally as being on resurrection ground with Christ and reckoning ourselves to be dead to sin—that which characterized us as children of Adam. The water under which we go in baptism is again a figure of judgment—God’s righteous estimate that man in the flesh deserves nothing but death.
Other applications of water could be mentioned, such as the nations in this world, who are often characterized by the sea in restless motion—“the sea and the waves roaring” (Luke 21:2525And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; (Luke 21:25)). Also, we read in Revelation 17:11And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: (Revelation 17:1) of “the great whore that sitteth upon many waters.” This is explained in verse 15 to represent “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
The subject of water in Scripture—and its typical meanings—is broad, but a study of it well repays us, in our understanding of the Word of God.
W. J. Prost