Ezekiel 40:1-4--Vision of the New Temple

Ezekiel 40:1-4
English Standard Version

Vision of the New Temple
40 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. 3 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. 4 And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”

---

We talked about how the glory of the LORD departed the Temple in Jerusalem in order to go into Exile with His people so that He would keep the promise to be with them wherever they go.  Now we see the ultimate fulfillment of that promise as there will be a new Temple where the LORD and those, He has made to be priests will live together. This is such a major theme of the book of Ezekiel that most of the rest of the book is dedicated to describing the Temple and the priesthood and the feasts and offerings.  It will read a lot like the book of Leviticus, but in a new and beautiful way.  We will see many connections between this New Temple and the New Jerusalem that John speaks about in the book of Revelation.

The New Temple is not something that we should be scared of as pointing back to the Old Covenant, for it is certain that this is New Covenant language and this Temple has purpose and meaning as part of the New Covenant.  However, like all good things that the LORD plans, it is more than probable that Satan will try to make a counterfeit version, so we are not surprised that we see a new Temple being built in the end times that will be used as a place for Satanic worship by the Anitchrist and the False Prophet.  As we know that too is part of God's plan for mankind, we should not be scared when we see that take place, but we know when we see it that things are coming to an end very quickly (if we are around to see it, those who are alive today when I write this may all be dead by then, or we may have been raptured before then, or we may still be around to see this happen--only the LORD knows the future).

I hope as we study the design of the New Temple, you will see what is the same and what is different, what is there and what is not there.  It would be good to ask what is the purpose of this New Temple when all the people of the citizens of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be saved.  Certainly its purpose is not primarily to make converts.  There also is no need for atonement as Jesus already did all of that, so why is there an altar for sacrifices there?  I hope we can examine good questions like this as we go through the passage as God does not make mistakes in the revelation that He gives to His prophets.  We will start with the assumption that God is describing exactly how things will really be as much as can be described with physical description and then with real impressions and emotions that describe what Ezekiel really experienced and felt when he really saw this place.  This is not just a fairy tale to give people hope, but is a real place where the glory of the LORD will really, permanently dwell among His people and the things that have been fulfilled (the sacrifices, feasts, festivals, Sabbath, etc) can all be celebrated with new purpose and meaning.  I have a feeling all the redeemed people of God will have an understanding of this and want to participate even if they were Gentile converts and currently have no connection to the Sabbath, the feasts the festivals or the Temple.  God showed Israel something beautiful in the creation of the Tabernacle and the Temple that both pointed back and forward, but this is the thing they were all pointing forward to and it will never be replaced by something better.  God and man dwelling together once again and our future existence can primarily be described as being a holy priesthood unto the LORD and serving Him forever and ever.