Restoration of the Temple

INTRO

Welcome and if you have your Bible you can turn to, or tap it open on your phone to Ezekiel 40. If you don’t have a Bible there should be one around you you can use or just follow along on the screens.

Well, we are rounding the final turn of Ezekiel and I’ll finish this book up by the end of May. Whether that is happy or sad for you, I’ll let you decide. But, for those of you who have been through this book since September,

-we have seen some crazy stuff (eyeball wheels, Ezekiel eating a scroll, bread cooked over poop).

-We have read some intense stuff (God calling His people a prostitute, Ezekiel’s wife dying suddenly, and learning about the sea monster in the nations).

-We now enter the part of the book that most people, if they get through all the other stuff, would label as the boring part of Ezekiel. Hurray! And why is it boring do you ask, it is one of the sections of the Bible where God gives a blueprint of something in great detail and we have to read through how many cubits a wall is and scratch our head and say, why am I reading this?!? What is the point! I can’t take any of these verses and post them on my social media as positive and uplifting!

However, it is my goal and challenge to make some these “boring” 8 chapters, some of the most interesting, exciting and God honoring chapters you have read so far in Ezekiel. And that is not me just trying to keep your attention, besides chapter 34, these next 8 chapter may be some of the most incredibly hopeful texts found in Ezekiel.

So, let’s pray and then we will jump into it this morning.

BODY

English Standard Version Chapter 40

1 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.”

So let’s talk about some important things in these few verses that may not seem important to you are first glance, but are extremely important for Ezekiel.

Ezekiel would have been 50 years old when he had this vision.

Why is that important? Because Ezekiel was training to be a priest. And when we first meet Ezekiel by the Chebar Canal in chapter 1 of Ezekiel, he turns 30 and that was the age that priests started their service in the temple. What age do you think they usually retired? Yes, 50 years old they would retire and then help train future priests. (If you are thinking, jeez 20 years for a career, that’s not too bad. Think about slaughtering multiple animals every day of the week, except sabbath for twenty years. Just a knife and muscles, no meat slicer or nothing. This was an intense job.

This is important because God is being very intentional with Ezekiel. How he spoke to Ezekiel here was based on who Ezekiel was as a man training to be a priest. And this vision would have brought great hope for someone who has been in Exile for 20 years. He is an intentional God speaking intentionally to his prophet to give him an intentional vision and message that will encourage his people. So what is this vision and why is it important?

The vision Ezekiel has is in Israel on a very high mountain of a temple, a city, and laws to keep them holy.

So that is where we are going in the next couple weeks. If you get lost in the weeds of cubits and measurements, come back to this as your guide.

But we need to take a little detour into something that is important in Ezekiel’s brain as he is standing on a mountain and being lead through this temple. Remember, reading the Bible is humbly submitting to a different worldview and perspective then yours, because they did not view the world like we do now. So I need to show you some picture that were extremely helpful for me made by a guy named Tim Mackie to see the importance of this simple (and boring) verse talking about being brought up a mountain.

So let’s start, in the beginning

EDEN

MOSES

DAVID/SOLOMON

EZEKIEL

From the beginning we see God organizing, bringing people up mountains, and showing them how he wants to commune with them. This is his desire for His people, a deep intimacy that is found in the holy of holies. Which, think about from Ezekiel’s standpoint, this guy has to be smiling ear to ear. He is getting a picture of a temple that God has built, a city that God has built, perfect in every way. This is not a temple and city that Ezekiel is supposed to build like Moses and David were told to do . This is God’s temple. And as we will see, the most important part is there, God’s presence. But first, let’s read some of the boring stuff!

English Standard Version Chapter 40

5 And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. 6 Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep

So this continues on for a while. Like 3 chapters long God is describing the temple, the rooms, in intentional detail! And while this is where we would like to skip over because who cares about how many cubits this is or how many cubits that is. So to help you out when (because I know you are all dying to read this) I put an image on the back of your notes and also a link of a pretty cool video created of you going through the temple.

So here is the picture of the tour of the temple.

There is a lot to point out here but the one thing I want to show you is that Ezekiel is entering through the east gate and moving west. Why is that important Josh, I’m glad you asked, because he is figuratively and literally, stepping out of Exile (Babylon was in the east) and entering back into the promised land, into Eden by going west. sometimes we see pointless information and pointless directions, God is screaming to Ezekiel and to us, I want fellowship with you! I want you in my presence.

So lets ask the question that everyone is thinking but no one wants to ask. Why is God telling us all these boring measurements and details? Right? Can’t we just simplify this and say, it was a great temple and a big city. Super nice bro! Well you need to remember, Ezekiel is experiencing this temple and he is going to then tell the people in exile about this vision. So let’s try to get an example of how this would work…

Okay, now lets turn to chapter 43 to see the more exciting part of this vision and then also why in the world is Ezekiel being shown this glorious temple.

English Standard Version Chapter 43

1 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. 3 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 glory of the LORD filled the temple.

I’m sure Ezekiel is undone at this moment but I also picture him smiling ear to ear because what was the issue in chapters 8-11, God’s glory leaves the temple. But here it has returned! It is a redemptive and hope filled moment for Ezekiel that he is going to be able to share with the exiles.

English Standard Version Chapter 43

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, 7 and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, 8 by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

10 “As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out. 12 This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

The law of the temple is what we are going to dive into next week. But for now, did you see why Ezekiel was given this vision to give to the exiles? So they can be ashamed of all their iniquities and ashamed of all that they have done. What have they done? They have defiled the temple. They lost the presence of God. They went after other idols. In other words this glorious temple should bring these people to repentance. As Romans 2 tells us, it’s God’s kindness that brings his people to repentance.

It’s like God is holding up to their dirty nasty shirts a pure and stainless one. Saying, this is what you can have, it’s what I am building and creating for you. You can’t do it on your own, it is something that only I can do. Are you willing to trust me and follow me yet? This is the Gospel in Ezekiel. This is Jesus in Ezekiel. Showing us the perfect because we have been imperfect and inviting us in. But we need to repent, cast aside, let go of our own ways.

So I know I have already touched on some of this but I wan to point out three important truths that God is communicating to Ezekiel in these three chapters that we can also learn from today. And these are practical things to help you as a mom, a dad, for your marriage, and most importantly, your walk with Jesus.

WHAT WE LEARN FROM THIS TEMPLE VISION

1.God is glorious

The design of this temple that Ezekiel sees is twice the size of any temple the Jews ever had. It is perfect in every way symmetrically, organized, gold, and all around beautiful. And then when his glory enters it again, that is what is most important. God’s presence among his people and he is the one who has organized all of this.

I personally believe this is why the Jews ran after other god’s, because they had forgotten how glorious God really was. They had reduced him to a sabbath service, once a week. Maybe some celebrations throughout the year. They had forgotten how he was their creator, sustainer, and provider. And they forgot how glorious he was.

The same can happen for us today as believers. We forget how glorious God is and settle for a podcast here, a worship service there, maybe even try to be spiritual on social media once and a while. And yet we keep drifting into other idols. Keep seeking after the approval of man rather then being caught up in the glory of God. We forget to slow down our lives and reflect on all God has done, to see the beauty of his creation, His temple (your body and the church body) and we are more interested in the caffinated Christianity that can give us a buzz. It’s dangerous and it’s texts like Ezekiel that draw us back into how big, glorious, and beautiful God is.

2.God is redemptive

It had ben 14 years since the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians. Remember that? They delight for their eyes, their prized possession was now dead and in the rubble. The thought of building another temple wasn’t even in the minds of the people. But God. But God, shows us and shows them through Ezekiel a temple that is beyond anything that they could ask, think or imagine. And he shows them how he is the God of restoration, redemption and can make things new again.

Do you feel like there is something in your life that is burnt down and in the ashes today? Do you feel like, it’s been 14 years there is no way God is turning this thing around! Buckle up buddy, because God is not done yet. He has redemption up his sleeve and he wants to breathe hope into you that will make the valley of dry bones not just come alive but start dancing. Mom’s in the room, is there a need for redemption in your life? Keep seeking God. Husbands are you needing help in your marriage? Seek God. Believer are you losing hope that the situation that you are facing is not going to work out? Read about a glorious temple that will never spoil, perish or fade and let the cubits of God give you hope today.

3.God wants to dwell with his people.

We see it in Eden, on Mount Sinai, in Jerusalem, here in Ezekiel, and even Jesus in the garden. I was thinking about this when Cameron gave his message. He takes the disciples to the garden, then he goes a little further with Peter, James, and John, and then he goes a stones throw away. That’s on purpose. He is entering the Holy place with his father and says I want communion with them too but this is going to be painful. And if this cup of wrath can pass from me, then so be it, but not my will but yours be done. And then he goes to the cross, the temple curtain is torn, we are brought into the holy of holies, seated in heavenly places with Christ and have fellowship with him forever.

THIS IS GOD’S PLAN. Spoiler alert, do you know what happens in the end? A city comes down out of heaven, John has to measure it to show you how glorious it is. But there is no temple in it because the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the temple. Free access.

And yet we think this is all about praying a prayer to get to heaven and being a good moral person. And better show up to church more because who knows when he comes back. No, he wants communion with you now. He wants to be in relationship with you now. He wants to fill you with hope and see how glorious He is now. Through His word. Through Prayer. Through the fellowship of the believers.

Let’s respond to Him through Prayer and worship now.