Waters

In this article, we will seek to uncover the various applications of the word ‘waters’ as applied across scripture, to aid in understanding the broader perspectives of the Word of God.

In the book of Revelation, we are given one of the clearest breakdown of the word ‘waters’. John was shown a woman, the great whore, sitting on many waters:

And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

Revelation 17:1 KJV

Later when the angel was explaining to John what he saw, he told him:

And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

Revelation 17:15 KJV

Waters is used to refer to:

1. Peoples
2. Multitudes 
3. Nations 
4. Tongues

Using this key can help unlock many scriptures where ‘waters’ is used, which allows us to see how they all point to Jesus. See examples below:

The waters of Marah

And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. [25] And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Exodus 15:23,25 KJV

Bitter is biblically synonymous with death:

Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past.

1 Samuel 15:32 KJV

Sweet is biblically synonymous with life/Christ:

For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

2 Corinthians 2:15 KJV

Therefore, the bitter ‘waters’ which became sweet when a tree was cast in it, refers to how Christ (the tree thrown in the waters) makes people, multitudes, nations, (the waters) sweet i.e. fills them with life, when they previously bitter i.e. they were previously dead.

The waters that bring healing:

Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

Ezekiel 47:8 KJV

The waters of the river and the waters of the sea are both referring to people, multitudes, nations, tongues… “the river” are those who walk with God whilst “the sea” are those who don’t. This is why ‘the waters’ of the river bring healing to the waters of the sea. This was a prophetic statement of how the people, multitudes of all nations and tongues would flow by the Spirit to bring the healing gospel of Christ to the lost. In doing so, the sea (the ungodly) will not only be healed but converted, to become one with the waters of God’s river:

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

Isaiah 60:5 KJV

The waters of the voice of Christ

And his (Jesus) feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

Revelation 1:15 KJV

Why does the voice of Jesus sound like “many waters”? Recall that ‘waters’ = peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues. So the voices of Jesus sounded like many people, many nations, many tongues, because people/multitudes, of all nations and tongues will come to know Christ through his gospel.

And the gospel must first be published among all nations.

Mark 13:10 KJV

And in knowing him, they (the waters) become his mouthpiece in the earth. The means through which others can hear his voice, by speaking his word. 

God spoke in the past via prophets, now in these last days he speaks via Jesus:

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, [2] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:1-2 KJV

So his voice sounds like many waters, because his voice is heard through many waters i.e. when peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues speak the Word of God, those who listen will hear the voice of Jesus.

The waters of the rock

He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.

Psalm 105:41 KJV

The water came out the rock after the rock was ‘smitten’:

………thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink……

Exodus 17:6 KJV

The rock is Christ:

And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; [4] And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:2,4 KJV

After Jesus (the rock) was crucified (smote) the water flowed from him (the rock). The psalmist said the waters flowed to “dry places” i.e. to the dry souls of men.

Now notice that the psalmist said “the waters” (plural) gushed out; they ran in dry places like a river” but Exodus 17:6 says “water” (singular) came out the rock. 

By now, we know what “waters” refers to i.e. people, multitudes, nations, tongues. The ‘waters’ in the rock are believers in Christ. When the rock (Christ) was smitten (crucified), people, multitudes of all nations and tongues were crucified with him. 

Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 6:6 KJV

The waters flowed after the rock was smitten, because it’s only when we (those who trust in Christ) are crucified with him, are we then released to flow like a river to dry places carrying his gospel.

And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

Ezekiel 47:9 KJV

The singular reference to water, is the living water of God’s Spirit, it flows in the waters, birthed through the crucifixion of Christ, to the aforementioned dry places. 

Fountains of living waters

For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Revelation 7:17 KJV

The mouths of men are fountains:

Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. [11] Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?

James 3:10-11 KJV

The fountain of sweet water is a mouth that speaks the word of God (life):

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Psalm 119:103 KJV

The fountain of bitter water is a mouth that speaks the words of the enemy (death):

…… Surely the bitterness of death is past.

1 Samuel 15:32 KJV

To be led by Jesus (the Lamb) to living fountains of waters is Christ leading us to a source of living water. Where the fountains are “living waters” i.e. the mouths of people, multitudes of every nation and tongue, who are alive in Christ and release “living water” when they speak.