The Association of the Covenant People

God is employing cubits as a measurement of prophetic time in this prophecy. The use of such in place of years is not surprising. As I said earlier, God has employed everything from days to gerahs, shekels and coins to represent time periods. In fact, in Joshua 3: 3, 4, in crossing the Jordan River, He uses cubits as a measure in a situation that is also a prophecy covering 2,000 years (expressed as cubits). In Ezekiel 47: 3-5, God is also employing an analogy, comparing the depth of the water to the population of true Israel. Indeed, I believe God is revealing both the unfolding of time for Israel and the growth of the nation. With this in mind, let’s now look at how this prophecy unfolds.

“And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ancles.”

This is the first thousand cubits and the water is to the ankles. Let’s now examine how this prophecy unfolded.

It began with the birth of Abraham approximately 2000 BC, Abraham was destined to be God’s selection, through a line of descendants (via Isaac & Jacob), who would become His Servant People in order to take His Order and Law throughout the world and be a blessing to all nations. One thousand years (1,000 cubits) from this time brings us to appeoximately 1000 BC, when God established His everlasting Throne.
It was during this first 1,000-year period that God selected His Servant People, a covenant that the Bible refers to as a marriage. The Kingdom that would know no end was established, the Laws, Commandments and Judgments to guide Israel were codified and the penalties and curses were defined, the latter to come upon Israel for disobedience. Near the end of the 1,000-year period, God’s everlasting Throne was established and David became the first temporary occupant. The water was to the ankles; that is, the Israelite population had taken the first step toward “numbers that could not be counted.” It has been estimated that in David’s time, the Israelite population was in the neighbourhood of eight millions.

“Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees.”

This second thousand-year period began with Solomon’s Temple being dedicated to God and ends with the Birth of Jesus Christ. Much happened during this thousand year period. Israel had become very disobedient, so much so that God divorced them (Hosea 1) and sent them into captivity. This is why the Apostle James addressed his letter to the twelve tribes that were scattered abroad (James: 1: 1). He knew that only a very small remnant of Israelites were among Jewry, that most had been taken away centuries earlier and did not return. Indeed, as evidenced by John: 7: 35, it was common knowledge in Judea. Still, God’s own Law on divorce had to be obeyed by God Himself and so, Christ primarily gave His Life to fulfill this Law. Indeed, God the Son came in the flesh primarily to redeem His People Israel: “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel” (Matthew 15: 24). Of course, the spilling of His Blood gives Israelites and non-Israelites alike the opportunity for Salvation. In the case of non-Israelites, making such a choice brings them under the benefits of the Covenant God made with Abraham.

The “water to the knees” represents an Israel with a growing population, so much so, in fact, that the Jewish historian Josephus made the statement that the lost tribes were beyond the Euphrates at the time of Christ and too numerous to be counted (Antiquities of the Jews). It was to these people that Jesus had dispatched His disciples to spread the word.
So, to this point, God had brought about the following:

“Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.”