Who or what does the fish represent in Ezekiel chapter 47 verse 9?

Answer 1

The fish do not represent anybody: they are simply ordinary sea-going fish . The relevant verse is:- Eze 47:9 Every living creature which swarms where the river flows will live; there will be many fish, for these waters flow there. It will become fresh and everything will live where the river flows.

To understand and follow the time sequence, chapter 40 onwards is a description of the new Temple at the start of the Millennium after Christ has returned to claim His rightful inheritance, and to cleanse and purify the world. Ezekiel saw in vision an angel measuring the outside walls etc of this Temple in chapter 40, the Inner Temple (chapter 41), outlying buildings (chapter 42), and so on to Chapter 47. He was to tell everything he saw to the house of Israel [ie the Southern Kingdom of Judah which returned from captivity; the Northern Kingdom didn't return from their captivity.] Eze 40:2 By means of divine visionshe brought me to the land of Israel and placed me on a very high mountain,and on it was a structure like a city, to the south. Eze 40:3 When he brought me there, I sawa man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring stick in his hand. He was standing in the gateway. Eze 40:4 The man said to me, "Son of man, watch closely, listen carefully, and pay attentionto everything I show you, for you have been brought here so that I can show it to you.Tell the house of Israel everything you see." Eze 43:10 "As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, so that they will be ashamed of their sins and measure the pattern. Eze 43:11 When they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design - all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire design and all its statutes and do them. This is a Temple with physical priests whose ministering garments are holy, but they have to take them off and wear different garments outside the Temple. Eze 42:14 When the priests enter, then they will not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without taking off their garments in which they minister, for these are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will go near the places where the people are." This is not the same Temple described in Revelation is a spiritual Temple as the Earth no longer exists and there are no fish there because there is no sea and no more curse as a result of sin:- Rev 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had ceased to exist, and the sea existed no more. Rev 21:2 And I saw the holy city - the new Jerusalem - descending out of heaven from God, made ready like a bride adorned for her husband. Rev 22:3 And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him, However there is a direct parallel with God's healing waters and the Holy Spirit for both these Temples seen by Ezekiel and John in vision: Rev 22:1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life - water as clear as crystal - pouring out from the throne of God and of the Lamb, Rev 22:2 flowing down the middle of the city's main street. On each side of the river is the tree of life producing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month of the year. Its leaves are for the healing of the nations.

Eze 47:1 Water from the Temple

Then he brought me back to the entrance of the temple. I noticed that water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from under the right side of the temple, from south of the altar. Eze 47:2 ... I noticed that the water was trickling out from the south side. Eze 47:3 ...he measured 1,750 feet, and then he led me through water, which was ankle deep. Eze 47:4 ... now knee deep...water, which was waist deep. Eze 47:5 ...it was a river I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed. Eze 47:6 ...Then he led me back to the bank of the river. Eze 47:7 ... a vast number of trees on the banks of the river, on both sides. Eze 47:8 He said to me, "These waters go out toward the eastern region and flow down into the Arabah; when they enter the Dead Sea, where the sea is stagnant, the waters become fresh. Eze 47:9 Every living creature which swarms where the river flows will live; there will be many fish, for these waters flow there. It will become fresh and everything will live where the river flows. Eze 47:10 Fishermen will stand beside it; from Engedi to En-eglaim they will spread nets. They will catch many kinds of fish, like the fish of the Great Sea. [ie Mediterranean] Eze 47:11 But its swamps and its marshes will not become fresh; they will remain salty. Eze 47:12 On both sides of the river's banks, every kind of tree will grow for food. Their leaves will not wither nor will their fruit fail, but they will bear fruit every month, because their water source flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

These fish do not represent anybody: they are simply ordinary sea-going fish showing that God's healing of the presently-lifeless waters of the Dead Sea will instead make its waters fresh, alive, and full of fish.