Ezekiel’s description of the vision given by the man with the measuring line continues to the end of his writing.  Today’s portion describes the role of the priests and the operation of the rebuilt temple.  God is a God of order and He leaves detailed instructions with Ezekiel for the people who will one day go back to Israel and bring the restoration.  However, part of this vision goes beyond a rebuilt temple.

Ezekiel is shown a flow of water coming from the temple that brings amazing things to pass wherever it flows. (Ezekiel 47:1-12)  This flow originates under the threshold of the east gate of the temple.  The water flowed out away from the temple; the man with the measuring line went a thousand cubits and the water was ankle-deep.  After another thousand cubits, the water was knee-deep.  Going another thousand cubits, the water was waist-deep.  After the fourth thousand cubits, the water was so vast and deep that people could swim in it.

Along the bank of this river were a number of trees.  These trees would always be green and fruitful, bearing fruit every month.  They would serve as food and their leaves would bring healing.  In fact, everywhere that this river from the sanctuary went, abundant life would flourish.  Fish would teem in it’s waters and swarms of living creatures would be found near it.  Fishermen would come to catch the fish.  This was a special river that produced abundant life!

Jesus Christ spoke of a river flowing from the new temple that He would build.  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive.  Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:37b-39)  The Holy Spirit brings us a river of God’s life that produces life within us.  We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow Him to produce God’s life in us.  Wherever we go, we are to share that life.  We are to be fishers of men by sharing the love and life of God!  Allow that river to flow in you today!

God had taken Ezekiel to Jerusalem in a vision and placed him on a mountain where he could watch.  A man or angel, took a measuring rod and began to measure the temple.  (Ezekiel 40:1-4)  Ezekiel was told to write down what he saw in this vision in order to tell the Israelites what was happening there.  Ezekiel was in Babylon with the captives at this time and the captivity had been going for 14 years.  He was to share this vision to give hope and encouragement to the captives of God’s promised restoration.

“Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east.  His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with His glory.” (Ezekiel 43:1-2)  After the angelic man had finished measuring the temple and rooms, he brought Ezekiel to the east gate of the temple.  He then saw a vision of the glory of God coming back to the temple.  He had witnessed the glory leaving at the beginning of his ministry and wrote of that in Ezekiel 10:18-19.  As Ezekiel watched, the glory of the Lord entered the east gate of the temple and then the glory of the Lord filled the inner court of the temple.  Ezekiel was again overcome and fell facedown!  (Ezekiel 43:3-4)

The Lord spoke prophetically to Ezekiel about this event.  “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place for the soles of My feet.  This is the place where I will live among the Israelites forever.” (Ezekiel 43:7)  The temple in Jerusalem is a place chosen by God for His throne.  He has stated that it will be a dwelling place for eternity.  These words are true, even though we do not yet see them fulfilled.

Jesus Christ, a son of David came to the rebuilt temple and brought God’s glory back again to Israel.  He offered Himself for the sins of the world, including Israel.  He rose again from the dead and ascended to heaven on clouds of glory, promising to come again and set up His eternal kingdom in Jerusalem.  There He would rule and reign forever!    Ezekiel was being shown the ultimate purpose of the temple and he wrote it down to encourage us!  Praise the Lord!

Greetings in the Wonderful Name of Jesus Christ!  Jesus is Lord and He desires that all would know Him and receive His Father’s love and gift of eternal life.  He has promised eternal life to all who believe in Him.  (John 3:16)  Because of this wonderful love, we who believe respond by gathering on this first day of the week to celebrate our life in Him.  We gather to study and hear the word of God that brings us life and renewal.  Please don’t neglect gathering together today in a fellowship of believers!

Reflecting on the past week’s readings, I recalled Ezekiel’s instructions to be a watchman over God’s people.  God told him to warn the wicked man and try to dissuade him from his wicked ways.  (Ezekiel 33:7-9)  If Ezekiel failed to warn the  wicked person, God would hold him responsible for that man’s blood.  But if Ezekiel warned that man and the man failed to turn, then the man will die for his sin and Ezekiel would be free from responsibility.

Sin brings death.  We have the remedy and are called by God to share the Gospel with sinners.  If they listen and turn away from sin to Christ, they will be saved.  If they fail to listen, persist in sin, and die in it, they will die not once, but twice!  They will be separated from God at the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-14.  If we fail to share with those who are sinners when we know the Gospel and enjoy it’s benefits, we are responsible!

As you gather today with God’s people, pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to be a strong witness to this generation.  Take responsibility to repent of your sins as exposed by the preaching of the Word.  Take responsibility to share the Gospel with sinners in the coming week!  We have such good news; we can joyously share it!

In His Love,

Pastor John

Ezekiel’s prophesies contain a phrase used many times: “Then they will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 38:23b)  God wants all nations to know Him, for all peoples are made in His image and likeness.  Sin has caused all people of every nation to forget God and become darkened in their understanding of God.  But God is sovereign over all nations and has promised to use Israel to reveal His power and love to all other nations.

God took Ezekiel in the Spirit to the middle of a valley full of dry bones.  He asked Ezekiel if he thought that the dry bones could live.  Ezekiel responded that only God knew about that.  God then told him to prophesy to the bones and tell them to hear God’s word: “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.  I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life.  Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 37:4-6)  Ezekiel obeyed God, and as he began to speak to them, a great noise brought the dry bones together and flesh appeared on them.

God next told him to speak to the winds to blow on the bones.  As Ezekiel spoke, breath entered the bodies and they stood up, a mighty army.  God told Ezekiel that these represented Israel and that God would bring them hope and restoration through faith in His prophetic word.  The wind represented God’s Spirit and power that would bring it to pass.  The restoration of Israel to the land would help Israel and all nations to know that God was the Lord of heaven and earth!  (Ezekiel 37:11-14)

As we look back across history, we see that God was true to His word and did resurrect Israel by His power.  He resurrected them from the valley of dry bones and brought them back to Israel.   He brought a son of David, Jesus Christ, out of Israel who brought the true knowledge of God.  God raised Him from death, according to His word!  His plan has always been that through His mighty power through resurrection from death He would proclaim His greatness to the whole world!  Let’s make His greatness known by speaking to dry bones!

I noticed that Ezekiel  mentioned the garden of Eden in a number of passages.  He seemed to be attracted to that beautiful Garden and the state of man walking with God in peace and harmony.  “This is what the Sovereign Lord says; On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt.  The desolate land will be cultivated instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass through it.  They will say, “This land that was laid waste has become like the garden of Eden; the cities that were lying in ruins, desolate and destroyed, are now fortified and inhabited. “” (Ezekiel 36:33-35)

In the case of Jerusalem and the destroyed towns of Israel, God told Israel that He would resettle them in the towns and restore what was destroyed.  The cultivated land that was overgrown with weeds would be restored to productivity.  In fact, those who saw the restoration would liken it to the “garden of Eden”.  By the way “Eden” means “delights”.

In the case of man’s broken relationship with God,  He also has a plan of restoration to the state of delights.  It is given in Ezekiel 36:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  And I will put My Spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to keep My laws.” This is the new covenant that God promised for His people and fulfilled through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit from our Father. We have the rubble of a stony heart removed by God’s surgery when we turn to Him in humble repentance.  He gives us a new heart and the Holy Spirit to move us to keep His word and follow His ways.  We have our fellowship with God restored and are filled with joy and delight to know God again!  Instead of the garden of Eden, we are now looking for Jesus Christ who will take us to a beautiful place prepared just for us!  There will be complete restoration, even better than the garden of Eden!  Are you ready?

Ezekiel’s next assignment was to speak a prophetic word and lament over Egypt and Pharaoh.  Egypt was a powerful country that for years had influence on Israel.  God used them earlier to preserve His people during a time of famine.  He sent Joseph there to help Egypt to manage resources and save lives.  God then brought His people out of Egypt after their appointed time there.  He judged the nation for their idolatry, but  Egypt continued to hold attraction for God’s people.  Some of the idolatry had come with them out of Egypt and their hearts often turned toward Egypt.

“You have been a staff of reed for the house of Israel.  When they grasped you with their hands, you splintered and you tore open their shoulders; when they leaned on you, you broke and their backs were wrenched.” (Ezekiel 29:6-7) God was not pleased that His people would turn to Egypt instead of Him.  Egypt is a picture of the flesh and humanistic power of man without God.  When God’s people depend on Egypt, nothing good ever comes of it.

God was going to again judge Egypt and warned them with Ezekiel’s prophetic word and lament.  They claimed ownership of the Nile and were filled with pride in their power and influence.  God was going to bring them down to ruin and allow their cities to lie in ruins for forty years.  He would then bring the Egyptians back and allow them to have the land of their ancestry back.  They would be a humbled people and lowly kingdom from then on.  (Ezekiel 29:12-16)  God was removing Egypt as a source of confidence for the Israelites and the judgment would be a reminder of the sin of trusting in Egypt for help.

Another interesting reason for the fall of Egypt was the payment of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon for doing God’s will!  God used Nebuchadnezzar to punish Tyre and Egypt.  When he went against Tyre, he did not get much spoil and it took resources.  However, the riches of Egypt were given to him by God as payment for his services!  (Ezekiel 29:17-20)  God is truly sovereign and does what He will with nations and wealth.  What an interesting passage that gives us insight into God’s ways in using even heathen nations for His purposes!  Remember He judged Babylon too, for their own sins!

Ezekiel was also a prophet to the nations of his day.  God gave him a message for Tyre, in the form of a lament or funeral song.   Tyre was a city/nation on the Mediterranean Sea that was located partially on an island.  Tyre was populated by a proud group of sea people who controlled much of the commerce on the sea and surrounding areas.  These people were very rich from their trading. They boasted that they were invincible and were celebrating the fall of Jerusalem.  (Ezekiel 26:1-6)  God had Ezekiel read a prophetic warning and pronouncement over Tyre.  God’s goal was to help them know that “I am the Lord“.  (Ezekiel 26:6) The end decreed by God for Tyre: “I will make you a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets.  You will never be rebuilt, for I the Lord have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.” (Ezekiel 26:14) Ezekiel wrote a lament at God’s direction for Tyre.(Ezekiel 27)  By the way, Tyre does not exist today, except in ruins!

Following that lament, God gave Ezekiel another lament for the ruler of Tyre.  The King of Tyre felt that he was “god” and possessed great power, wisdom and wealth.  (Ezekiel 28:2)  This “king” was proud and felt invincible, but God decreed his removal by death. Pride goes before destruction!

Ezekiel’s strange lament spoke of this “king” being in the Garden of Eden and a model of perfection.  (Ezekiel 28:11)  He told of  being anointed by God to be a guardian cherub on the holy mount of God.  It spoke of iniquity being found in this perfect being and God’s removal of  him in disgrace.  The reason for removal was pride in his beauty and splendor. (Ezekiel 28:17-18) Many commentators feel that this lament speaks of the fall of Satan from heaven as well as the earthly King of Tyre.

We do know that pride causes destruction.  As citizens of one of the most powerful nations on earth, we must guard against the sins spoken of concerning this “king” of Tyre.  Many have become proud of our wealth and our power, and feel invincible.  Many have forgotten that God is sovereign, and act in brazen sin and dishonesty.  Satan has been cast down to earth and is at work.  A day of reckoning is coming!  These laments remind us that God weeps over sin and it’s destruction of people He loves!

In our time, the thought of a day just set apart for God is quite a rare thing.  Sunday’s are a time for church and fellowship for a minority of people who claim to be Christians.  Sports, family time, sleeping in and other activities often take the place of worship and communion with the Lord.  It turns out, that this is not a new problem.  Ezekiel was told to address this problem in his day as well.  It was one of the contributing reasons for God’s judgment on His people!

God had taken the Israelites out of Egypt and given them His holy laws to set them apart from all the other nations.  He also established the Sabbath as a sign for them, so that they would know that the Lord had made them holy people who were set apart for Him.  (Ezekiel 20:10-12)  But the people rejected His laws and desecrated His holy Sabbath.  They clung to their idols.  God had pity on them and did not destroy them in the desert, but appealed to the younger generation to keep His laws and Sabbaths.  (Ezekiel 20:16-21)  They also rebelled against God and went back to idolatry.

When man desecrates the Sabbath and despises the law of God, all sorts of evil manifests.  Ezekiel was to call for judgment on Jerusalem because of the sins that came as a result of desecrating God’s Sabbath.  (Ezekiel 22:1-8)  The people were filled with violence and bloodshed was rampant.  The people lived in adultery and idolatry.  They failed to care for orphans and widows.  They disrespected fathers and mothers.  When God is forgotten, evil is the result!

The Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, was the day God set apart for enjoying fellowship with His people.  It was a day to be marked by no work.  Man was to rest from all his labors as God Himself had rested after the six days of creation. (Exodus 20:8-11) (Deuteronomy 5:12-15) He was to enjoy God and center on his relationship with God.  He was to realign himself with God’s laws and seek the Lord for mercy and direction.  He was to remember the God of creation as well as the God who delivered His people from slavery and bondage in Egypt.

Could it be that we need to revisit the Sabbath?  Have we lost contact with God because of failure to rest in Him?

There was a proverb in Israel that went something like this, “The fathers eat the sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” (Ezekiel 18:2b)  Through Ezekiel, God brought this popular myth into question.  To God, each person belonged to Him and answered to Him personally.  He judged each person on their own conduct and either rewarded or punished them accordingly.

We have a teaching in Pentecostal circles today that speaks of “generational” curses.  It goes something like this: if your father or mother was involved in alcoholism, for example, you might have this “curse” passed on down to you.  This curse must be broken off for you to be free.  Now we know that there might be some truth in this; if there is a genetic disposition in your family for alcoholism, you may have that, too.  But what God was teaching here is different.  Each person is responsible before Him for their actions and choices.  We are not victims of our family tree or some generational curse.  We choose either to obey and follow God, or to disobey and rebel against God.  We are free moral agents with the ability to choose.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but would rather that they repent and live.  (Ezekiel 18:23)  Repentance requires taking personal responsibility for our sins, not blaming someone else.  Repentance requires turning from the sin and then doing what God commands.  It is very simple and yet so profound.  God is merciful and desires to show mercy rather than judge.  When we fail to repent, He must judge us!  (Ezekiel 18:26-28)

“Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign Lord.  Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.  Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit.  Why will you die, O house of Israel?  For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone.” (Ezekiel 18:30-32)

Sin is man’s major downfall.  We have all sinned and need God’s mercy.  (Romans 3:23)  God has sent Jesus Christ to take away our sins in the sacrifice of His body on the Cross of Calvary.  Why not take a moment and confess your faith in Jesus Christ and the cross?  God loves to show mercy!

Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ!  In Him is the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form.  He is the final word from God for man.  His life and teachings are revelation of the heart of God and bring life and immortality to light through the Gospel.  He is the reason we gather this first day of a new week to study and worship with others of like-precious faith.  He is the express image of God’s Glory, upholding all things by His powerful Word!  (Hebrews 1:3)

As I reflect on the past week’s readings from Ezekiel, I am again remembering this Sunday morning the vision of God’s glory that Ezekiel was given after a “hair-raising” journey of over 600 miles!  He saw the temple being defiled by the leaders of Jerusalem and those over the temple.  He saw God’s glory being escorted out of the Temple and the holy city of Jerusalem. The Glory paused at the temple entrance. (Ezekiel 10:3-4)  It stopped briefly over the East Gate of the Lord’s house. (Ezekiel 10:18-20)  The final place where this appearance of glory was seen was on the mountain east of the city, the Mount of Olives.  (Ezekiel 10:22-23)

As I meditate on this departure of God’s glory, I think of Jesus Christ coming again to the city and temple to reveal God’s glory to His own people.  Jesus taught in the temple and worshiped there.  Jesus drove the money changers from the temple, cleansing it with a whip.  Jesus prayed in agony in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives as He prepared to offer His body as the final sacrifice for our sins.  He died outside the city, hanging on a cross for us!  The ultimate sacrifice representing the glorious mercy of God for all mankind!

Jesus rose again in glory and appeared to His own.  He ascended in Glory from the Mount of Olives and promised to come back in the same manner He left, on clouds of power and great glory!  (Matthew 24:30-31)  (Acts 1:11-12)  In Solomon’s porch of the temple, on the Day of Pentecost, fiery tongues rested on the 120 disciples gathered there and they were filled with a deposit of God’s glory to empower them to reach the world with the message of Jesus Christ!  What a glorious God and Savior we have!  May you enjoy His glory as you worship today!

In His Love,

Pastor John