Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Notes

The Gog oracle established God’s absolute supremacy among the nations.

The book’s final vision accomplishes this same purpose, but within the community of God’s own people.

The vision of chs.

40–48 is a direct counterpart to the pre-destruction vision in chs.

8–11, in which the abominations practiced in Jerusalem drove the holy God from his temple.

In chs.

40–42, Ezekiel is again taken on a tour, this time of the new temple, which culminates with the return of the glory of God (43:1–5).

The voice of the Lord now instructs Ezekiel in the regulations for Israel’s renewed worship life (43:6–46:24).

When the “tour” resumes, Ezekiel witnesses the river flowing from the temple, which brings life to the world (46:19–47:12).

The book concludes with the division of the land among the tribes with the new city and new temple at its heart, with equal access for all (47:13–48:35).

With regard to the meaning of this passage as a whole: (1) Some interpreters understand this vision as a prophecy that will be fulfilled literally, with a rebuilt temple and Israel dwelling in the land according to its tribes—a future millennial kingdom on the earth (see notes on Rev. 20:1–6).

Many who hold this position believe that literal animal sacrifices will be offered, but that in the future millennial kingdom they will function as reminders of the complete and sufficient death of Christ, a function different from what they had in the OT.

(2) Other interpreters see this vision of a new temple and a renewal of the land of Israel as an extended, detailed metaphor predicting the presence of God among his people in the new covenant age (that is, his presence in the church).

(3) Another view is that the vision predicts God’s presence among his people in the new heavens and new earth (cf.

Isa.

66:17; 2 Pet.

3:13; Rev. 21:1), not as physical details that will be literally fulfilled but as symbolic indications of the great blessings of that future age.

In this interpretation, the details about worship and sacrifices are symbols of the centrality of worship of God: the temple represents the orderliness and beauty of God’s heavenly dwelling place; the priests and their sacrifices represent the service and worship of all God’s people; the division of the land represents the allocation of places to live for all God’s people; and the river represents the outward flow of God’s blessings to his people forever.

(4) Finally, it is possible that there are both literal and symbolic elements in this vision, and that, as with the visions in Ezekiel 1, this vision describes future realities that cannot be fully expressed in terms of Ezekiel’s present realities.

Almost all interpreters agree that Ezekiel 40–48 is one of the most difficult passages in the entire Bible.

No matter which interpretation one adopts, certain primary emphases are quite clear.

The whole vision may be understood as describing the actual presence of God within the temple of the new community: chs.

40–42 prepare for it; ch.

43 realizes it; chs.

44–46 provide the rules for it; ch.

47 describes its effects; and ch.

48 lays out access to it.

The vision thus also presupposes threads and themes of earlier oracles: the supremacy of God; the requirements necessitated by his holiness; revitalization by the Spirit of God; honoring God by living in accord with his holiness; and ensuring the sanctity of the community by maintaining divine justice.

Fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem, Ezekiel is given a vision of a rebuilt temple, just as he had been given a temple vision 20 years earlier (8:1).

(See drawing of this temple plan.)

As on that occasion, a heavenly being leads him around the temple precincts.

This time, however, the vision does not reveal the sin of Ezekiel’s people but the splendor of his God.

Ezekiel’s final vision of an ideal temple (and city, and land; chs.

40–48) forms a counterpart to the vision of chs.

8–11.

In each case he is taken on a tour of the structure, but whereas in the earlier vision he discovers abominations and perverted worship, in this final vision all is in readiness for the perpetual dwelling of the glory of the God of Israel.

In chs.

8–10 most of the movement centers on the gate structures to the north and finally focuses on the main sacrificial altar, from which central point the slaughtering angels begin their work (9:6b).

In this final vision Ezekiel’s tour begins and ends at the East Gate, but passes by the same areas as those he saw in the earlier vision.

With the “tour” completed, he is again outside the main East Gate as he senses the approach of the glory of God returning the same way as Ezekiel had seen him go.

The detailed description of the temple layout and measurements in 40:1–43:27 recalls the narrative of the tabernacle’s construction in Exod 36–40, which also culminated in the indwelling of the divine presence.

The temple itself appears to be geometrically idealized.

It is a square structure, its areas nested, with the most sacred place being both the innermost and the uppermost, as each succeeding area is elevated from the preceding.

It seems also to be symmetrical around the east-west axis, with the main entrance facing east.

Ezekiel is led back to the outer court in ch.

42 where various chambers of the temple area are identified.

VV. 1-4 THE VISION OF THE NEW TEMPLE BEGINS

{Begin with }

vv.

1-4 The Lord brought Ezekiel to Jerusalem in visions of God and appeared to him bronzed with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand to show Ezekiel all that he must now declare to the house of Israel.

40:1 on the tenth day of the month Dates to April 28, 573 BC.

The 10th day of the first month was the date the lamb was to be selected for Passover (see Exod 12:3).

The 25th year could also have symbolic importance for Ezekiel based on a priestly tradition that connects the exile with the Sabbath rest of the land (Lev 26:34–35).

Twenty-five years would mark the halfway point to the next Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10).

Presenting the oracle of future restoration at the midpoint of exile would have marked a turning point, and Israel could begin to look forward in hope instead of dwelling on their loss.

40:1–4 The Vision Begins.

The date formula corresponds to April 573 B.C.

About 12 years have passed since the last dated oracle (32:1).

The phrase visions of God links this vision with 1:1 and 8:3.

The ruined city is in the prophet’s mind (40:1) as the vision of a new city comes to him (v.

2).

His guide, with an appearance like bronze, is reminiscent of the guide of 8:2.

40:2 The vision of a new temple builds on the earlier passages about the tabernacle of Moses (Exodus 25–40) and the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 5–8).

Ezekiel’s temple is even more glorious, pointing forward to several realities: (1) the glory in which God dwells with man in Christ (John 1:14); (2) Christ’s body that is the temple (John 2:19–21); (3) the church as a temple (1 Cor.

3:16; Eph.

2:20–22; 1 Pet.

2:5); (4) the body of the individual believer (1 Cor.

6:19); and (5) the heavenly Jerusalem (Rev.

21:9–22:5).

His “line of flax” was for larger measurements, the “rod” for shorter ones (cf.

Rev 11:1; 21:5).

In each case God measured what belongs to Him.

a cord of linen was in his hand and a reed for measurement The cord and the reed were both measuring tools.

The cord was for longer measurements, the reed for shorter lengths.

VV. 5-27 THE OUTER COURT AND ITS GATES

40:5–37 Ezekiel’s tour begins at the outer wall and the eastern gateway and continues through the outer court, the southern and northern gateways, and the inner court, which has three gateways identical to those for the outer court.

Ezekiel provides a detailed layout of the eastern gateway for the outer court, including precise measurements.

The other gates match the eastern gate and receive a less detailed description.

The tour later ends at the same gateway before the return of the divine presence (Ezek 43:1–5).

The east gate is important, as it is the gate through which Yahweh departed the temple in 10:19.

vv.

5-16 The Lord showed Ezekiel the east gate along with its measurements, which are the same measurements for the north, south, and gates.

[CIT] Twenty-five years into the exile of God’s people in Babylon; fourteen years after the news of Jerusalem’s fall and the temple’s complete destruction, Ezekiel received a vision from the Lord of a new temple.

How would Ezekiel and his audience have understood this vision?

A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters

The main units of measurement are given (v.

5): the reed, about 10 feet (3.1 m), which was equal to six long cubits of about 20 inches (50 cm).

The outer wall is thus about 10 feet high and 10 feet thick (v.

5; 3.1 m high and 3.1 m thick).

The main east gate with its chambers is described (vv.

6–16) in more detail than the other gates, which are built to the same plan.

40:5 a wall on the outside.

This outer wall is later described as a separation of the holy areas (42:20).

the temple.

See 1Ki 6, 7 to compare with details of Solomon’s temple.

This could not be the heavenly temple since Ezekiel was taken to Israel to see it (v.

2).

It could not be Zerubbabel’s temple since the glory of God was not present then.

It could not be the eternal temple since the Lord and the Lamb are its temple (cf.

Rev 21:22).

Therefore, it must be the earthly millennial temple built with all of the exquisite details that are yet to be outlined.

40:5 a wall on the outside of the temple all the way around it The wall separated the sacred area of the temple from the profane (not sacred) area outside the temple.