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Because He's There, We're Complete

Ezekiel closes with the land as it was meant to be. The measurements of each tribal allotment are much more equal and the outlines drawn are very similar to what Moses described in Numbers 34.  Ezekiel 48:1–2 (ESV) “These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion. 2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion. What we see is that not only is the Temple restored, but the land is finally what it was meant to be. Ezekiel ends by teaching us that things only work as they should when God's house is in order and we make room for Him to rule and reign.  In the middle, a holy portion run by the "prince" which most believe is the Priestly system.  Ezekiel 48:21 (ESV) “What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the prop...

A River Flowing Through Us

In Ezekiel 47 the prophet is ushered to the outer gate facing east and sees a trickle of water flowing from the south side of the Temple. As he watches, the temple tour guide goes out eastward from the temple measuring the water depth that flowed from that source. Every 1000 cubits the water gets deeper and deeper.  Ezekiel 47:3–6 (ESV) Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. It's an amazing picture that as the water gets further from t...

Leadership in God's House

Ezekiel 46 continues with the vision of the Temple. In this passage, we see the order of worship retired to Israel. God is a God of order. He will not tolerate confusion in His worship. He desires people to know Him in truth and righteousness. Chaos and confusion are the language of satan. Ezekiel 46:1–2 (ESV) “Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. We have here a requirement for the "prince" to act in a mediatorial role between the inner temple priestly system and the people. He will take his stand at the gatepost. H...

Holy Places

Ezekiel's tour of the Temple continues in chapter 45 and we come to the new "Holy of Holies".  Ezekiel 45:1–2 (ESV) “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. 2 Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. Every Bible passage about the Temple has a common theme. The Lord's people were to set apart a sacred space in three sections where they met with God. Ezekiel has this understanding reiterated to him here in Chapter 45. There is to be a place for the Lord, a holy district. This district was set apart for worship. Within that space was an even holier place. The priests would occupy the space outside of that holy place to act as an intermediary between the people and the Lord.  Ezekiel 45:3–4 (ESV) And from this measured district y...

Pursue Holiness

In Ezekiel 10, the prophet watched as the Lord departed the temple in Jerusalem through the East gate to join His people in exile in Babylon. The narrative now comes full circle as the prophet sees the Lord enter through the East Gate of the new Temple that he has been touring in a vision.  Ezekiel 44:1–3 (ESV) Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut. 2 And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut. 3 Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way.” That gate which provided exit for the Lord is now shut; it will never be opened again because the Lord will never depart from among His people again. This was promised Ezekiel back in chapter 37.  Ezekiel 37:28 (ESV) Then the nations wil...

What Ezekiel's Temple Vision is Really About

Ezekiel sees the Lord as he tours the New Temple.  Ezekiel 43:1–2 (ESV) Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. Having been shown the Temple by guided tour and seeing it in totality, the prophet now experiences the point of all of it. God's glory being made manifest among His people. As the prophet beholds this vision of restoration he is reminded that this God of restoration appears in the same way as He did when He was involved in Israel destruction. Ezekiel 43:3–5 (ESV) And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 4 As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glor...

Every Experience is Part of the Journey to Know Him

In Chapter 42, Ezekiel continues his guided tour of the New Temple.  Ezekiel 42:1 (ESV)  Then he led me out into the outer court, toward the north, and he brought me to the chambers that were opposite the separate yard and opposite the building on the north. The order of Ezekiel's tour of this New Temple is the exact opposite of the instructions God gives to Moses in Exodus for designing the tabernacle. In Exodus, the design starts from the inside out, beginning with the Ark, the Holy of Holies, and so on. In Ezekiel, the tour given to the prophet begins on the outside and makes its way in.  The first Tabernacle showed who was kept out. The new Temple is focused on bringing people in. The first Tabernacle brought people fear. The New Temple brings people near.  God is setting the stage for a redemption far larger than just the nation of Israel. Through Christ, all nations will have the opportunity to experience the blessing of knowing the Lord intimately.  In ou...

God Wants to Give Us Access to Himself

God is the God of order. He does not delight in chaos. He has fashioned the universe to run in symmetry and design that reflect His call to standards and procedures that reflect ingenuity, complexity, and creativity.  In chapter 41, Ezekiel is led around the vision of the New Temple and experiences this theme throughout the revelation.  Ezekiel 41:1–4 (ESV) Then he brought me to the nave and measured the jambs. On each side six cubits was the breadth of the jambs. 2 And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sidewalls of the entrance were five cubits on either side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits. 3 Then he went into the inner room and measured the jambs of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the sidewalls on either side of the entrance, seven cubits. 4 And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, “This is the...

Set Free and Born Again

Hope dawns in Ezekiel chapter 40. The prophet is back in Jerusalem, seeing a vision of what may have looked impossible. Here's the opening: Ezekiel 40:1–2 (ESV)  In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city. 2 In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south. The structure he sees is the Temple reborn. That sacred space profaned by Israel would return to glory. An unimaginable resurrection of Israel's worship center was being revealed to the prophet 14 years after the city was destroyed.  Ezekiel 40:3 (ESV) When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. Ezekiel 40:4 (ES...

It's a Trap for the Enemy

Could it be the very thing attacking you is God's plan to deliver you? The picture of Gog's downfall in Ezekiel 39 is a thing of beauty and an illustration of the ultimate blessed hope of the Church.  Our world is against the faith. Of that, there can be no debate. Those who live in darkness love sin and refuse to come into the light. For reason of our faith, Jesus assured us we would be troubled by those who dwell in sin.  Sometimes, it looks like sin is going to win. We are overcome, attacked on all sides. The inevitable is to come upon us. But God is not done. Just as it looked like the great nation of Gog and Magog were about to devour Israel, God assures her that the battle STILL belongs to Him.  Ezekiel 39:1–2 (ESV) “And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 2 And I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and...

Promised Attack, Promised Deliverance

World leaders' arrogance is typically their downfall. In the ancient world, we have no shortage of examples. From Pharoah's hardened heart to Nebuchadnezzar's years in the wilderness to Herod the Great at the time of Christ's birth, the governments set against God's rule crumbled into humiliating defeat.  In the modern world, the pendulum swing from Democrat to Republican and back again in America is a softer picture of the same thing. Pride is the undoing of many heads of state.  In Ezekiel 38, we learn that the Lord Himself sets up this whole experience. Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord about a leader named "Gog," who unites several Eastern powers to fight from the North against Israel. We first learn that God is leading them to do it. Ezekiel 38:1–6 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord ...

Scattered Saints Soon to be Gathered Saints

After Ezekiel sees the dry bones in the valley reform into a mighty army, God commands the prophet to perform the last of his "prop-based" sermons. This time, with two sticks representing the divided kingdoms of Israel's past—the Northern 10 and Southern 2 tribes—God announces that their division is about to come to an end.  Ezekiel 37:15–19 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 16 “Son of man, take a stick and write on it, ‘For Judah, and the people of Israel associated with him’; then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.’ 17 And join them one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. 18 And when your people say to you, ‘Will you not tell us what you mean by these?’ 19 say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (that is in the hand of Ephraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him. And I will join with it the stick o...

Trust the Word to do the Work

Ezekiel 37:1–3 (ESV)  The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord GOD, you know.” The most often quoted and preached chapter in Ezekiel has to be the Valley of Dry Bones. As you read through Ezekiel, the imagery fits. The nation is decimated, a bygone people taken captive and seemingly swallowed into the history of ancient conquest. Ezekiel sees them for what every other nation under such circumstances is - a valley of zero potential. They aren't just bones but "very dry" (verse 2). They are in the "valley", a picture of low estate. Ezeils is led around them to observe closely: They have wasted away. No picture could do more justice to the situation of...

Spirit Lead Me For Thee

We are in Ezekiel 36. We look at this chapter in total and see one glaring concern on God's heart - the sake of His Name. Jesus told us to open prayer with "Hallowed by THY NAME". Our concern for God's glory should preface every prayer and pleading before Him. His name is His reputation. He raises up people to life for the sake of His name. In Ezekiel, the promise to forlorn exiles was simple: I will save and redeem you for My name's glory.  Ezekiel 36:22 (ESV) “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. God will bring the exiles back to the land not because they deserve it but so that the nations might know His grace. Look at the following verse: Ezekiel 36:23 (ESV) And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations , and which you have pro...

Booming Economy of Grace

It's one of the most amazing things about the land of Israel. Presently it is flourishing economically, agriculturally, technologically, militarily, and diplomatically. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, this small nation continues to stand as a testament to the surety of God's Word.  Ezekiel 36 arrives on the heels of the doom announced to Edom in chapter 35, who sought to exploit Israel's discipline of exile to Babylon by taking the land for themselves. It never happened, and the land of Edom has become a desolate waste just as Ezekiel 35 foretold.  Not Israel. The exact opposite has happened to God's favored nation. In Ezekiel 36, the Lord tells His prophet to speak to the mountains of Israel and declare the blessing that will surely arrive as He brings His people back to the land.  Ezekiel 36:8–9 (ESV) “But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel, for they will soon come home. 9 For behold, I am for you,...

God's Sovereign Choice

In Ezekiel 35, the prophet again rebukes the Edomites in excoriating judgment for their attitude and actions toward Israel. The Edomites were guilty of seeking to take advantage of Israel's demise and even assisted the Babylonians in their conquest of them.  Psalm 137:7 (ESV) Remember, O LORD, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, “Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!” Therefore, the Lord announces the vengeance He plans to take against this ancient nemesis against His people.  Ezekiel 35:1–3 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it, 3 and say to it, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, Mount Seir, and I will stretch out my hand against you, and I will make you a desolation and a waste. Now, we find more insight into Edom's hostility toward Israel in this chapter. It was not simply a border dispute or complex relations between neighboring countries. No, Ezekiel...

The Peace Our Good Shepherd Provides

Jesus told the disciples He would give them a peace the world would not understand or take away.  John 14:27 (ESV) Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Philippians 4:7 (ESV) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. In Ezekiel 34, after the Lord announces judgment on the false shepherds and says that He would come down and be their true shepherd, we get a picture of the peace he brings through types and shadows in the language of this beautiful text.  Ezekiel 34:25 (ESV) “I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild beasts from the land, so that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods. First, His peace is rooted in His covenant. We have all we need through His blood to know God's peace.  Ephesians 1:7 (ESV) In Him we have redemption through his blood,...

Our True Shepherd

Ezekiel 34 is a powerful chapter in which God announces judgment on the Shepherds of Israel. A shepherd is to be selfless and serve the sheep. But Israel's leaders had grown self-interested and fat. They had used the sheep to enjoy a life of privilege. It's important to see this text not simply in a pastoral sense but also in a governance sense. The spiritual leaders of Israel were to be their civic leaders. And in this, they failed miserably.  Ezekiel 34:1–2 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? The shepherds had fattened themselves off the people.  Ezekiel 34:3 (ESV) You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The shepherds had no concern for the hurts and pains of the people. ...

Sometimes God Gives You What You Want and It's Not Good

In Ezekiel 24, the prophet was given a case of Mutness from God, with a sign that it would not leave until the day the city fell.  All the way back in chapter three, he spoke about it: Ezekiel 3:26–27 (ESV) And I will make your tongue cling to the roof of your mouth, so that you shall be mute and unable to reprove them, for they are a rebellious house. 27 But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’ He who will hear, let him hear; and he who will refuse to hear, let him refuse, for they are a rebellious house. Later in chapter 24: Ezekiel 24:27 (ESV) On that day your mouth will be opened to the fugitive, and you shall speak and be no longer mute. So you will be a sign to them, and they will know that I am the LORD.” In Ezekiel 33, we come to the fulfillment of that promise as his lips are loosed to declare God's Word to the exiles headed off to Babylon.  Ezekiel 33:21–22 (ESV) In the twelfth year of our exile, in the...

The Watchman

The headline in most Bibles about Ezekiel 33 (not part of the biblical text) tells us what this chapter is about.  "Ezekiel Is Israel’s Watchman" What a picture of God's prophets. Watchmen. What does the term refer to? It's a military post whose job is to protect the people/nation/city from military invasions, surprise attacks, or civil disasters. The watchman also had the responsibility of declaring a new day.  Isaiah 21:12 (ESV) The watchman says: “Morning comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; come back again.” In Ezekiel 33, God unpacks how Ezekiel will operate in this role for the people now under judgment.  Ezekiel 33:1–6 (ESV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, 3 and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then if anyone who he...

Death is the Great Leveler

God takes no pleasure in the death or demise of the wicked. Ezekiel makes that statement and before he does, you can see it in the message God sends him to deliver.  In Ezekiel 29, the prophet pronounced Egypt's doom; in Ezekiel 30, the 1, the prophet lamented her doom at God's command. In Ezekiel 31, the prophet pronounced Pharoah's doom and now in Ezekiel 32, the prophet once again laments. Ezekiel 32:1–2 (ESV) In the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, raise a lamentation over Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him: “You consider yourself a lion of the nations, but you are like a dragon in the seas; you burst forth in your rivers, trouble the waters with your feet, and foul their rivers. The prophet's lamentation is not so much a song of sorrow about the judgment but the sad reality that becomes a nation or leader due to that judgment. We see that clarification after the lamentation over E...