God Revealing Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

Daniel 2:1-23 

1 Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. 2 Then the king gave the command to call the magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, "I have had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."

4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic, "O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the interpretation."

5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an ash heap. 6 However, if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."

7 They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation."

8 The king answered and said, "I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm: 9 if you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation."

10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and said, "There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

12 For this reason the king was angry and very furious, and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.

14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon; 15 he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the decision known to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him time, that he might tell the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, 18 that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered and said:
"Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
For wisdom and might are His.

21 And He changes the times and the seasons;
He removes kings and raises up kings;
He gives wisdom to the wise
And knowledge to those who have understanding.

22 He reveals deep and secret things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And light dwells with Him.

23 "I thank You and praise You,
O God of my fathers;
You have given me wisdom and might,
And have now made known to me what we asked of You,
For You have made known to us the king's demand."

King Nebuchadnezzar had troubling dreams that kept him awake at night.  He asked the godless wise men of his kingdom to tell the dream and what it meant; not just an interpretation for anyone could come up with a plausible explanation when they heard such a symbolic and subjective ethereal recollection.  No, he demanded first that they divine what he had dreamed and then explain it, a feat no mortal man can accomplish.  All the diviners, conjurors, and sorcerers of the occult could not help him because they had no true powers or knowledge that only the Almighty possessed.  This rooted out the ungodly pretenders who made themselves as if they were something (Acts 8:9-10, 13:6, 10) when they had only unrighteousness and deception as their super powers.  Such who claimed to see were blind to the Lord (Acts 13:11) and are revealed in moments when held accountable to the test as before Nebuchadnezzar.  They were thus commanded to tell the dream and its interpretation or suffer dismemberment and ruin; only by revealing the dream and its meaning could they be rewarded with great gifts and honor.  Because this was humanly impossible, they all argued it was unfair and that was evident in that no king had ever asked such a thing.  They said that only the gods who lived in another realm could do this.  They did not know there is only one God and that He is more than powerful and able to do such a small thing, He who know the minds and hearts of all men (Psalm 139:1-2, Matthew 9:4, Luke 5:22).  In Genesis 40:8 we learn that interpretations of dreams belong to God alone and to whom He reveals the meaning.  Therefore when the king came after Daniel and his friends to kill them along with the ungodly pretenders who had no such access to the God of revelation, he prayed to the LORD for understanding and He showed Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him.  They prayed for divine understanding of this secret from the LORD according to the mercy of God, and the secret was revealed in a night vision, his dream about the dream of another.  Daniel responded with praise and thanksgiving, not pride in his own ability or understanding as if he figured it out or was special to know these things.  There was no pride, just humble reliance on God and His wisdom and power to both reveal the dream and interpret it for him.  He acknowledged that all wisdom and power are God’s, the omniscience and omnipotence of the Almighty.  God raises up rulers and takes them down according to His plans and schedule, and He gives wisdom and knowledge to those wise enough to find these abilities in God’s enabling and gifts alone.  Because God is light and lives in light, He shines light on the hidden things such as dreams to reveal the deep and secret things like that of Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel ended his prayer with thankful praise for that imparted wisdom and knowledge to save the lives of himself and his friends, but also for the larger purpose of using the king for His sovereign providence planned out from eternity.  We may not be in a position as Daniel’s but can be assured that God will give us the words to speak when needed for the gospel in desperate situations (Matthew 10:19-20, Luke 21:14-15).  May we then learn from Daniel and look to God’s wisdom according to His Spirit living in us and not our own in dire times, that we may glorify the Lord and not glamorize ourselves to no end.  He delivers his chosen children who trust and rely on Him. 

God’s Guidance, Intervention, and Power

Daniel 1:1-21

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the articles of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the articles into the treasure house of his god.

3 Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Israel and some of the king's descendants and some of the nobles, 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed for them a daily provision of the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the king. 6 Now from among those of the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-Nego.

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."

11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 "Please test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be examined before you, and the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies; and as you see fit, so deal with your servants." 14 So he consented with them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

15 And at the end of ten days their features appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the king's delicacies. 16 Thus the steward took away their portion of delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18 Now at the end of the days, when the king had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Then the king interviewed them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they served before the king. 20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.

The book begins right away with Daniel and his friends choosing to obey God rather than man.   They did this while having been taken captive and groomed for three years to be servants for the king who now owned them.  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and pillaged the valuables from God’s house to set before idols as a testimony against Israel for their idolatry and lack of holding the holiness and worship of God as most important.  This king selected the brightest and best looking from the captives to teach the Chaldean customs and knowledge to best serve him.  This is in contrast to how God selects ordinary men not based on looks or education (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) necessarily that He may use them for the gospel’s sake as His willing servants enslaved only to righteousness (Romans 6:18-19).  Enslavement to sin is as with this king, forced to subservience and according to human abilities.  Yet the LORD used Daniel and his intelligent, quick-learning friends to be trained and put in the place He needed them to be according to His predetermined providence for His glory to be revealed.  This shows that even though not many wise are called, He has need of them as well for this sort of work.  It is the humility of the willingly obedient heart willing to risk all as if dying to self that God requires.  These sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were chosen accordingly and given the ability to learn quickly and well for their divine mission.  They were given brand new names, Daniel was Belteshazzar; Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Meshach; and Azariah, Abed-Nego, which pale in comparison to the new names we will receive from God (Revelation 3:12, 22:4).  Daniel did not want to dilute the purity of his soul’s diet by feeding his body with rich royal foods offered him in opposition to God’s word (Leviticus 11:47, Deuteronomy 32:37-38, Hosea 9:3), and boldly asked his handler to give him safe food like vegetables to avoid that offered to idols or outside of the permitted foods according to the Law.  That one was afraid that if he did so me it affected Daniel’s appearance that he would suffer at the hand of the king, but Daniel assured him by offering a ten day trial period to see the affects.  It went very well as God honored Daniel’s resolve and wise words.  The lack of the king’s delicacies actually made them appear better and healthier, so all ended well as God honored those who honored Him (1 Samuel 2:30).  As a result “God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom.”  He even specially gave Daniel the ability to understand dreams which would be useful several times in the future as God unfurled His history before them.  This wisdom and knowledge was far superior to the others, especially the ungodly diviners and conjurers.  These examples show we are not to discount learning and ability, but use these to serve God and as a testimony against worldly shadows of the same.  If we honor God with holy love and give Him the glory, He will likewise honor us with His guidance, intervention, and power in the circumstances. 

YHWH Shammah, The LORD is There

Ezekiel 48:30-35

30 "These are the exits of the city. On the north side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits 31 (the gates of the city shall be named after the tribes of Israel), the three gates northward: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi; 32 on the east side, four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan; 33 on the south side, measuring four thousand five hundred cubits, three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun; 34 on the west side, four thousand five hundred cubits with their three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 35 All the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits; and the name of the city from that day shall be: THE LORD IS THERE."

The LORD God is there!  That is the name given to the old city of Jerusalem and which points to the Celestial City to come down from heaven (Revelation 21:2-3) where He will be with we the people of the kingdom and abide with us forever.  The Lord is there with the Lamb!  While Ezekiel named the city YHWH Shammah, he also was given names for the gates to enter that holy place, named after each tribe of Israel as Revelation 21:12-13 describe the gates to come, and which Revelation 21:14 adds the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb as the twelve foundations of the wall of the city.  Not only is the New Jerusalem given entrance by the chosen tribes of His people Israel, but it is also built on the foundation of the gospel brought by the chosen apostles who allowed entrance to all tribe, peoples, and language groups from the nations as promised through Abraham (Revelation 7:4, 9, Romans 11:25, Ephesians 2:15-16) that all God’s chosen may enter in.  The gates were opened by the first group of chosen ones to allow the rest of God’s people who are called and chosen from out of all other nations to come in together as promised through the faith of Abraham who took God at His word for His work by that same trust to believe and receive His work of salvation (John 6:29, Romans 4:3, 11, Galatians 3:8-9, John 1:12).  As it is written in Acts 13:47, “For so the Lord has commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”  Our new city for all His people is truly and more fully named Yahweh Shammah, the LORD is there!  This we eagerly await with anticipation that does not disappoint (Romans 5:5, 8-9).  This is the end of the book of Ezekiel and the end we all look forward to that he pointed towards.

Allocation of the Lord’s Land

Ezekiel 48:1-29 

1 "Now these are the names of the tribes: From the northern border along the road to Hethlon at the entrance of Hamath, to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus northward, in the direction of Hamath, there shall be one section for Dan from its east to its west side; 2 by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, one section for Asher; 3 by the border of Asher, from the east side to the west, one section for Naphtali; 4 by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, one section for Manasseh; 5 by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, one section for Ephraim; 6 by the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, one section for Reuben; 7 by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west, one section for Judah; 8 by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the district which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length the same as one of the other portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the center.

9 "The district that you shall set apart for the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. 10 To these—to the priests—the holy district shall belong: on the north twenty-five thousand cubits in length, on the west ten thousand in width, on the east ten thousand in width, and on the south twenty-five thousand in length. The sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the center. 11 It shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12 And this district of land that is set apart shall be to them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

13 "Opposite the border of the priests, the Levites shall have an area twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width; its entire length shall be twenty-five thousand and its width ten thousand. 14 And they shall not sell or exchange any of it; they may not alienate this best part of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.

15 "The five thousand cubits in width that remain, along the edge of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for general use by the city, for dwellings and common-land; and the city shall be in the center. 16 These shall be its measurements: the north side four thousand five hundred cubits, the south side four thousand five hundred, the east side four thousand five hundred, and the west side four thousand five hundred. 17 The common-land of the city shall be: to the north two hundred and fifty cubits, to the south two hundred and fifty, to the east two hundred and fifty, and to the west two hundred and fifty. 18 The rest of the length, alongside the district of the holy section, shall be ten thousand cubits to the east and ten thousand to the west. It shall be adjacent to the district of the holy section, and its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 The workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. 20 The entire district shall be twenty-five thousand cubits by twenty-five thousand cubits, foursquare. You shall set apart the holy district with the property of the city.

21 "The rest shall belong to the prince, on one side and on the other of the holy district and of the city's property, next to the twenty-five thousand cubits of the holy district as far as the eastern border, and westward next to the twenty-five thousand as far as the western border, adjacent to the tribal portions; it shall belong to the prince. It shall be the holy district, and the sanctuary of the temple shall be in the center. 22 Moreover, apart from the possession of the Levites and the possession of the city which are in the midst of what belongs to the prince, the area between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall belong to the prince.

23 "As for the rest of the tribes,
from the east side to the west, Benjamin shall have one section;
24 by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon shall have one section; 25 by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar shall have one section; 26 by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun shall have one section; 27 by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad shall have one section;
28 by the border of Gad, on the south side, toward the South, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea.

29 This is the land which you shall divide by lot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions," says the Lord GOD.

The division of the land was prescribed by the LORD and recorded by Ezekiel in detail of the boundaries and conditions for each, as well as for the priests and the people.  God looks for His inheritance to be given according to His will in a divine will for the inheritance of all who are His chosen people.  This speaks much more to us than a simple history of the inheritance of the twelve tribes of Israel and her priests who serve and leaders who govern.  The borders, districts, locations, and dimensions of God’s care are reflected here which we later understand as the height and width and length and depth of His love, mercy, and grace to us all of them and us who are found in Christ that we might know these infinite dimensions of our Father’s love (Ephesians 1:18-20) for us!  We all will inherit a place (John 14:2-4, Acts 20:32, 1 Peter 1:3-5) in the kingdom which cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:27-28, Ephesians 1:11, 13-14) or taken from us!  May we wisely use and invest in that kingdom now to reap for God’s glory there (Matthew 25:14-15, 29, Luke 16:10) according to our God given abilities and spiritual gifts as He chooses to give each of us (1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 11).  Our portion in Christ ani in Him we find our eternal inheritance with set places and boundaries yet to be seen or imagined (1 Peter 1:8, 1 John 3:2-3) as we worship at His feet by the throne of eternal grace and glory in Him as our temple of worship and sacrifice in the New Jerusalem of the kingdom which cannot fade away (1 Peter 1:4).  To God be all glory, honor, and praise for this indescribable gift and inheritance which He has allocated according to His eternal purpose for the redeemed!  This is a glorious picture of heaven in the allocation of the LORD’s land.  Amen and amen. 

Borders of Inheritance

Ezekiel 47:13-23

13 Thus says the Lord GOD: "These are the borders by which you shall divide the land as an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions. 14 You shall inherit it equally with one another; for I raised My hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

15 "This shall be the border of the land on the north: from the Great Sea, by the road to Hethlon, as one goes to Zedad, 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), to Hazar Hatticon (which is on the border of Hauran). 17 Thus the boundary shall be from the Sea to Hazar Enan, the border of Damascus; and as for the north, northward, it is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.

18 "On the east side you shall mark out the border from between Hauran and Damascus, and between Gilead and the land of Israel, along the Jordan, and along the eastern side of the sea. This is the east side.

19 "The south side, toward the South, shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribah by Kadesh, along the brook to the Great Sea. This is the south side, toward the South.

20 "The west side shall be the Great Sea, from the southern boundary until one comes to a point opposite Hamath. This is the west side.

21 "Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance," says the Lord GOD.

The borders of the kingdom of God on earth were lord out  and given as an inheritance to the chosen people of God, Israel.  The boundaries are clearly defined geographically and described enough to avoid misunderstanding or denial of God’s plan for His own.  The borders of the north, south, east, and west are given as a mandate and outline of God’s inheritance given to His people in the kingdom on earth.  How much more has He laid out the heavenly kingdom which we yearn to inherit and worship Him in!  We anticipate and yearn for that revealing (Romans 8:19), eagerly waiting for our permanent adoption (Romans 8:23), and patiently wait with a certain hope that is impossible to disappoint (Romans 8:25).  Our new kingdom’s borders will be opened up in new incorruptible bodies as heaven’s citizens (Philippians 3:20-21).  As Hebrews 9:28 assures us, we await Christ’s return and the abolishment of resident sin among us in this new kingdom that never ends (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).  These are the unlimited borders of our inheritance in the kingdom that cannot be ever shaken (Hebrews 12:27-28) or taken away (John 10:28-29).  So our heavenly country will be our inheritance with borders set by God and kept by Him forever.  Let Your kingdom come quickly (Revelation 22:20) with You, Lord.  Amen. 

The Healing Waters and Trees

Ezekiel 47:1-12 

1 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.

3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.

7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 10 It shall be that fishermen will stand by it from En Gedi to En Eglaim; they will be places for spreading their nets. Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed; they will be given over to salt. 12 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

This description of the river flowing from the new temple in Ezekiel’s vision is a remarkable parallel to the New Jerusalem with the river and its trees for the healing of the nations in Revelation 22:1-2 where the river of life waters the trees.  Here it is a vision of a new temple to be built on earth, but it points far ahead to the end of time as well.  The picture is the same, however; the river has its fountainhead under the temple from the east gate where the LORD enters in in His glory (Ezekiel 43:4-5), just as in eternity the pure river of life from God comes from under the throne of God and of the Lamb.  Here is only a description of the river and its source given for Ezekiel to see and record for His people to read and reflect on its meaning.  We now after Christ has come have been given more clarity to see further the intent the LORD was showing beyond the rebuilding of the earthly temple.  He wanted to point to the heavenly Jerusalem to come down with God on the throne as our temple and life eternally springing out of Him.  The trees likewise are watered but that river of God to heal the nations and all creation which has been marred by our sin, the same creation groaning even now continually (Romans 8:21-22) for redemption and final healing.  The river pictured here brings life and healing of these corruptions.  The trees receiving these waters of eternal life will give food and health as divine medicine for us.  There seems to be abundant food for God’s redeemed for the river as well portrayed in the numerous fish.   All this is because the waters flow from the sanctuary of the Living God, along with the Lamb as we now know more of the story.  How wonderful that God would give us a glimpse into eternity as far back as in the time of Ezekiel for us to pause in awe and wonder at His mighty sovereign works of His predetermined design!  Passages like these reveal God’s unfolding plan for His creation and people whom he calls to Himself to worship, serve, and enjoy together forever.  Glory in grace for the healing water and trees!

Preparations for Inheritance and Sacrifice

Ezekiel 46:16-24

The Prince and Inheritance Laws

16 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "If the prince gives a gift of some of his inheritance to any of his sons, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift of some of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his until the year of liberty, after which it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall belong to his sons; it shall become theirs. 18 Moreover the prince shall not take any of the people's inheritance by evicting them from their property; he shall provide an inheritance for his sons from his own property, so that none of My people may be scattered from his property."'"

How the Offerings Were Prepared

19 Now he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests which face toward the north; and there a place was situated at their extreme western end. 20 And he said to me, "This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court to sanctify the people."

21 Then he brought me out into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and in fact, in every corner of the court there was another court. 22 In the four corners of the court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty wide; all four corners were the same size. 23 There was a row of building stones all around in them, all around the four of them; and cooking hearths were made under the rows of stones all around. 24 And he said to me, "These are the kitchens where the ministers of the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people."

Here are the commands of God for the leaders and priests.  The leaders were not to steal from the people to give stolen goods to their children to inherit, but from their own property holdings.  Some evidently had misused their power and authority to evict tenants or others from their houses and lands in order to add to the inheritance of their own children.  God hates abuse of power, and this is a stern warning to leaders and politicians of any time or country.  Whatever belongs to the children should be from the parents and not be given to other servants (employees) as long as it is earned by honest gain.  As for the priests who served God, they were to observe the ordinances of the LORD in the preparation of their sacrifices to God.  Similarly, we are to prepare our service of ministry to the Lord according to His word, following the commands, examples, and directions in the scriptures, living holy and obedient lives by the two great commandments.  We are to love God with all we have and are, and also love others as much as ourselves (Deuteronomy 6:5, 10:12, Luke 10:27).  This is how we avoid misusing God’s gift and bounty as well as how we minister to Him and others in service.  Let all things be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40).  Doing these things prepares us and our spiritual progeny for an eternal inheritance as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) to our Lord Jesus Christ and Father above by the enabling of the Holy Spirit. 

Entry and Exit for Worship

Ezekiel 46:1-15 

1 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 2 The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening. 3 Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the LORD on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. 4 The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; 5 and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish. 7 He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. 8 When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.

9 "But when the people of the land come before the LORD on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate; and whoever enters by way of the south gate shall go out by way of the north gate. He shall not return by way of the gate through which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate. 10 The prince shall then be in their midst. When they go in, he shall go in; and when they go out, he shall go out. 11 At the festivals and the appointed feast days the grain offering shall be an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.

12 "Now when the prince makes a voluntary burnt offering or voluntary peace offering to the LORD, the gate that faces toward the east shall then be opened for him; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he goes out the gate shall be shut.

13 "You shall daily make a burnt offering to the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish; you shall prepare it every morning. 14 And you shall prepare a grain offering with it every morning, a sixth of an ephah, and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour. This grain offering is a perpetual ordinance, to be made regularly to the LORD. 15 Thus they shall prepare the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, as a regular burnt offering every morning."

It is interesting that when the prince enters he does not use the eastern gate itself, which is for the Lord (44:2). Rather, he enters and exits by the gate’s vestibule. However, v. 12 permits his use of the gate for free will offerings.  The east is where Ezekiel saw God enter in His bright shining glory (Ezekiel 43:1-2, 4) and was His alone except when the leader of the nation came to offer a free will voluntary peace or burnt offering.  Then the gate was opened to enter into God’s gate of glory which hints at our willing worship as being an invitation to enter into His gate of glory (Revelation 22:14) ourselves.  The rest of the people then had to enter through the north gate and exit by the south or vice versa.  They also went in when the leader entered and left when he did as well.  It was a corporate worship of the lofty leader and the humble citizen as one.  There were daily offerings each morning as well as a pattern for daily worship in devotional times (Mark 1:35) for us to follow by spending time in His word and prayer as living sacrifices giving the praise of our lips (Romans 12:1, Hebrews 13:15).  May we pattern our lives in service of worship and praise in these holy temples of our bodies and enter into God’s glory with Christ by the Holy Spirit who lives in us and gives us the words to thank and praise Him with in prayer, as well as worshipping corporately in our assembling together (Hebrews 10:24-25) in that beauty of holiness (1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 29:2)!  May we enter into His presence with thanksgiving in our hearts and with praise for His indescribable gift of grace and exit from there with overflowing words of this good news to those outside to enter with us. 

Laws Governing the Leader and People

Ezekiel 45:9-25

9 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Enough, O princes of Israel! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people," says the Lord GOD. 10 "You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath. 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a homer, and the ephah one-tenth of a homer; their measure shall be according to the homer. 12 The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, and fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

13 "This is the offering which you shall offer: you shall give one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and one-sixth of an ephah from a homer of barley. 14 The ordinance concerning oil, the bath of oil, is one-tenth of a bath from a kor. A kor is a homer or ten baths, for ten baths are a homer. 15 And one lamb shall be given from a flock of two hundred, from the rich pastures of Israel. These shall be for grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them," says the Lord GOD. 16 "All the people of the land shall give this offering for the prince in Israel. 17 Then it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of Israel."

Keeping the Feasts (Ex. 12:1–20; Lev. 23:33–43)

18 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And so you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who has sinned unintentionally or in ignorance. Thus you shall make atonement for the temple.

21 "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall observe the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 23 On the seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish, daily for seven days, and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall prepare a grain offering of one ephah for each bull and one ephah for each ram, together with a hin of oil for each ephah.

25 "In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, at the feast, he shall do likewise for seven days, according to the sin offering, the burnt offering, the grain offering, and the oil."

The laws governing the leaders of Israel who serve the secular are laid out here after those for the priests who serve the holy things of God.  They are to establish and enforce laws to stop violent crime and destructive havoc as a way to keep peace and safety for those under their rule of responsibility.  They are also to exercise just and righteous laws to keep from evicting or pushing out their citizens from their homes or land for gain, instead giving judgment for truth, justice, and peace as it is written in Zechariah 8:16-17.  God wants rulers to be holy as He is holy, righteous as He is, and merciful as He is towards the one who put them there in the first place (Romans 13:1) and who holds them as accountable as those who are under their authority.  Fairness for fairness in business dealings and other matters of money such as taxes is also implied by the examples of set standards to do business with them and one another.  The leaders are also to take the offerings meant for the LORD and to present them as his part to God as their representative in the days of the temple sacrifices.  The duties of the priests who sacrificed these to the LORD are spelled out from there, first making the temple holy so the sacrifices are acceptable to God, which for us means to keep the house of God in order by doing according to His word in holiness and fairness.  Only then can they minister to others rightly.  The righteous sacrifices of service to God by both the rulers and the citizens of the kingdom are then acceptable by God (Romans 12:1-2) in giving of self first to God in that service by living as He has written for us to live in our respective roles and callings.  These are principles based on the service of the temple and princes of Israel meant to guide all God’s people, especially in the separation of church and government.  We the people of God ought therefore to learn from these pattern and examples and not relegate them to mere historical reading.

The Holy and Secular Separated

Ezekiel 45:1-8

The Holy District

1 "Moreover, when you divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall set apart a district for the LORD, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around. 2 Of this there shall be a square plot for the sanctuary, five hundred by five hundred rods, with fifty cubits around it for an open space. 3 So this is the district you shall measure: twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide; in it shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be a holy section of the land, belonging to the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the LORD; it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 An area twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide shall belong to the Levites, the ministers of the temple; they shall have twenty chambers as a possession.

Properties of the City and the Prince

6 "You shall appoint as the property of the city an area five thousand cubits wide and twenty-five thousand long, adjacent to the district of the holy section; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

7 "The prince shall have a section on one side and the other of the holy district and the city's property; and bordering on the holy district and the city's property, extending westward on the west side and eastward on the east side, the length shall be side by side with one of the tribal portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 The land shall be his possession in Israel; and My princes shall no more oppress My people, but they shall give the rest of the land to the house of Israel, according to their tribes."

Here the holy district of the land with the equivalent of the church, the sanctuary with the Most Holy Place set aside as the property of the LORD, is separated from the government of the princes and the land of the citizens next to the land of God.  This is the true model of separation of church and state, each with its own ownership and use.  The holy is God’s place of worship and service to Him while the surrounding places are for the citizens of the city state and of the nation’s leaders.  It is a good pattern which allows no governance of the Lord’s house by the princes which lead the nation, for they are not priests and have no authority or right to rule the kingdom of God.  If a ruler is godly he may enter the holy district to worship but not set laws there which only God can set in His word.  That is the pattern given then as a template for us.  Even the theocratic government of ancient Israel had this distinction, but of course there is no theocracy since and no “Christian nation” as some would have us think to blur the lines of the holy and secular together instead of holy people in power humbly serving the Holy One by those rules of Gods according to His word.  Separation need not mean not being involved in the holy things of Jesus Christ to the government rulers individually, just not ruling over the secular.  Just as the priest of Jerusalem had God’s district to serve Him under His rule, the princes under that King had their separate districts outside that place owned by God as their own to rule.  Their land was theirs and the people’s, ultimately belonging to the people of the nation whom they were commanded by the holy not to oppress.  This is a pattern for modern democracies to a point and one which we should contemplate before God and men in keeping the scriptural separation of church and state. 

Faithful and Unfaithful Priests

Ezekiel 44:10-31

10 "And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them," says the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

15 "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," says the Lord GOD. 16 "They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. 17 And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that they shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people.

20 "They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. 21 No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

23 "And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

25 "They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering in the inner court," says the Lord GOD.

28 "It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest's; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that died naturally or was torn by wild beasts.

The laws for those unfaithful priests who went astray and led the people with them to idolatry and immortality were punished but allowed to serve afterwards.  They were not serving as intercessors or to offer ministry of atonement anymore because of their sins of such magnitude, but they were forgiven and given humble tasks to learn to discern between clean and unclean, between holy and unholy.  The priests who did not go astray but kept teaching the people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and caused them to discern between the unclean and the clean, these were permitted to continue offering the sacrifices and ministering as they were originally tasked and called to do.  They kept His charge and so were able to continue to serve according to their calling in all the same ways.  The unfaithful ones, however had been forgiven but those responsibilities had been taken away and given to the ones who remained steadfast and did not engage in the sins of idolatry and immortality as these had done.  This is an example for the church today as well.  Those who are called and fall into gross sins of immorality and idolatry (which is covetousness as Colossians 3:5 explains) should not to be the ones trusted with ministering as shepherds but more as serving like deacons after restoration.  That is the pattern hinted at here in scripture that we must all consider when reconciling and restoring pastors and elders who fall into such sins and teach others to do likewise instead of teaching discernment of the holy and unholy and obedience to the faith instead of compromise and even justifying sin.  There is restoration and forgiveness for the fallen servant, but there is also the flock to consider.  Remember too that restoration to fellowship is not the same as restoration to the pastorate.  Leaders are to set the example and live up to it in or others will be led astray.  They can still serve the church in other ways.  May God then give us spiritual wisdom in these things according to His word for the sake of His name and honor and glory.  Amen. 

Entrance into The Sanctuary

Ezekiel 44:1-9

The East Gate and the Prince

1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way."

Those Admitted to the Temple

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell on my face. 5 And the LORD said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.

6 "Now say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "O house of Israel, let Us have no more of all your abominations. 7 When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it—My house—and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. 8 And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you." 9 Thus says the Lord GOD: "No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel.

The gate and those who are permitted to enter through it is described for us to look further and gain wisdom.  The east gate which the LORD in His glory entered in through (Ezekiel 43:2, 4) was not to be used by another.  He alone opens and shuts the door to Himself as our temple (Revelation 21:3, 22) to for those He chooses to do so (Luke 13:23-24, Revelation 3:8).  Only the Prince of peace enters that door for us that we may partake of His body as the bread of life before the Lord our God.  When God’s glory filled the heavenly temple of Ezekiel’s vision, he fell on his face in worship and humility before the Almighty.  The house of the LORD is a place of holiness in His presence and that should be true as well in these temples in whom he dwells as Spirit and in our assemblies together of the redeemed.  This is the fear and awe of our Lord which we see here in Ezekiel’s words to describe it to us for our learning.  We are to carefully observe the teachings of our Lord through the apostles as well to do all things to honor me glorify His name among us as His church body.  We see this especially in how to honor and remember Him in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17, 27, 33-34) according to His word laid out for us in how to honor Him among ourselves.  We are to mark well those who enter and exit our assemblies also in order to avoid corruption and to minister grace in light of glorifying God in Christ by the direction of His Spirit according to His word.  The rebellious ones who refuse to repent from continuing sin are to be admonished to stop their idolatry and immortality as we minister to them in love and grace as we have been forgiven by Him.  We are to keep the New Covenant of grace in the bond of peace while dealing with sin to keep His sanctuary clean in holiness and righteousness by addressing His holy things of the heart and not the old ceremonial ritual laws.  Just as nobody uncircumcised in heart was to enter His sanctuary in the time of Ezekiel, so we are not to have church members who are not testified to God’s changing redemption of a new heart and life in Christ added to the number.  There are many such lessons for us in these accounts of the temple sanctuary of the Old Testament times.  They are types and shadows of the true that are explained when Christ came to give that new heart (Ezekiel 36:26-27, John 3:3, 2 Corinthians 3:3) and understanding (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12) for us to be able to live accordingly.  May we then continue to spread the gospel of truth that men and women may be converted, their sins blotted out (Acts 3:19), and that they join in a welcome entrance into the sanctuary of God’s house to worship in spirit and in truth with all holiness in the righteousness of Christ. 

Consecrated Altar

Ezekiel 43:13-27

13 "These are the measurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is one cubit and a handbreadth): the base one cubit high and one cubit wide, with a rim all around its edge of one span. This is the height of the altar: 14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits; the width of the ledge, one cubit; from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits; and the width of the ledge, one cubit. 15 The altar hearth is four cubits high, with four horns extending upward from the hearth. 16 The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners; 17 the ledge, fourteen cubits long and fourteen wide on its four sides, with a rim of half a cubit around it; its base, one cubit all around; and its steps face toward the east."

18 And He said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: 'These are the ordinances for the altar on the day when it is made, for sacrificing burnt offerings on it, and for sprinkling blood on it. 19 You shall give a young bull for a sin offering to the priests, the Levites, who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister to Me,' says the Lord GOD. 20 'You shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and on the rim around it; thus you shall cleanse it and make atonement for it. 21 Then you shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and burn it in the appointed place of the temple, outside the sanctuary. 22 On the second day you shall offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bull. 23 When you have finished cleansing it, you shall offer a young bull without blemish, and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 When you offer them before the LORD, the priests shall throw salt on them, and they will offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD. 25 Every day for seven days you shall prepare a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bull and a ram from the flock, both without blemish. 26 Seven days they shall make atonement for the altar and purify it, and so consecrate it. 27 When these days are over it shall be, on the eighth day and thereafter, that the priests shall offer your burnt offerings and your peace offerings on the altar; and I will accept you,' says the Lord GOD."

The dimensions and consecration of the altar of atonement are described by Ezekiel as the tour of the vision by God comes nearer to a close.  First of all the dimensions are carefully shown so we have a picture of the altar and its orientation towards the east where God’s glory was just seen entering the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-2).  This is important to understand before moving on to the consecration of the altar for its holy use in offerings of sacrifice for the sins of the people.  The steps were laid out to prepare the altar when it was made, as well as the requirements of the priests who would make the sacrifices.  The first two days of preparation are given, followed by the remaining days of the total seven required for a perfect preparation.  Each sin offering is laid out to atone for the altar and to consecrate it for future daily use for the atonement of sins of God’s people.  After the initial seven days to make it ready the sacrifices were prepared and made for peace and acceptance by the LORD.  These are of course a shadow of the one sacrifice to come which is perfect and perfectly able to cover all sins of all God’s chosen people for all time.  That sacrifice was made by God as the highest high priest and as the perfectly blameless lamb to take away those sins once for all (Leviticus 16:34, Romans 6:10, Hebrews 9:12, 10:10)!  All the elaborate preparations of the old altar and its sacrifices were fulfilled in God preparing His Son from before creating the world and throughout His life on earth to prove His sinlessness and ability to be that final sacrifice hinted at in the shadows of the old temple sacrificial system.  He alone can take away sins and their iniquity in our hearts and minds.  This is the reason that Israel then and we now need to read and understand these elaborate descriptions of the earthly temple and its altar of grace along with the heavenly pattern behind it.  Jesus Christ consecrated the eternal altar of God’s forgiveness to be forever effectual.  Our lives afterwards then become living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) as we accept His work for us (John 6:29) to earn our salvation through His eternal sacrifice.  Let us follow Him in that reconciling peace (Romans 5:1, 10-11) in Him. 

The LORD's Dwelling Place

Ezekiel 43:1-12

1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. 3 It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. 5 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

6 Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me. 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 children of Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name, they nor their kings, by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places. 8 When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger. 9 Now let them put their harlotry and the carcasses of their kings far away from Me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

10 "Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them. 12 This is the law of the temple: The whole area surrounding the mountaintop is most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

Here is the reason for describing the intricacies of the vision of the heavenly temple to God’s people.  It is the LORD’s dwelling place in the midst of His chosen ones!  Ezekiel was brought by God’s Spirit to be shown the glory of the LORD coming in through the eastern gate into the temple as if the rising sun from the east which made the whole earth light up with His glory (Ezekiel 10:4, Revelation 18:1) and as His voice spoke as if everyone at once, like many waters running over the rocks of many rivers.  This part of what he was shown was just like the appearance of the Holy One (Ezekiel 1:29) he had seen when the prophet first had come to pronounce God’s doom and final judgment on the city of Jerusalem for their idolatry and immortality.  God spoke from within the temple as a heavenly one stood beside him.  He said that this place was where He would rule as the Sovereign King and live among His chosen people forever, a promise of that covenant but surely a larger eternal promise of the New Jerusalem where He would live and reign forevermore at the final judgment and end of time.  Yes, there would be no more desecration against God’s holiness by His people anymore because the presence of sin would be taken away!  This also points to the time of renewal of heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1-2, 5) when all those who offend are denied entry (Revelation 21:8, 27) with no recourse.  No more would God’s holy place dirtied with abominations and desecrations of idolatry or immortality.  All those there would be holy just as He is by His power in Christ to make them able to stand before the throne of grace to worship and enjoy Him always.  The rule of men will be brought to an end as He reigns over them.  Therefore the LORD shamed Israel by its vision as He described the glory of His habitation through Ezekiel according to His pattern in heaven’s throne room.  In their shame they would see the intricacies of His design and planning of the temple for their future and ours in Christ that we might live soberly and righteously (Titus 2:11-14)  until His coming.  He wrote these things down for God’s people then and now.  May we take these things to heart as we anticipate the Lord’s dwelling place among us at last!  We will not just worship from these temples which He indwells, but together before His face we shall worship and sing praise in the Lord’s dwelling place among us all.  This is the reason for describing The LORD's Dwelling Place to Israel and to we who join them in Christ. 

Separation of Priests for Service

Ezekiel 42:1-20 

The Chambers for the Priests
1 Then he brought me out into the outer court, by the way toward the north; and he brought me into the chamber which was opposite the separating courtyard, and which was opposite the building toward the north. 2 Facing the length, which was one hundred cubits (the width was fifty cubits), was the north door. 3 Opposite the inner court of twenty cubits, and opposite the pavement of the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories. 4 In front of the chambers, toward the inside, was a walk ten cubits wide, at a distance of one cubit; and their doors faced north. 5 Now the upper chambers were shorter, because the galleries took away space from them more than from the lower and middle stories of the building. 6 For they were in three stories and did not have pillars like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper level was shortened more than the lower and middle levels from the ground up. 7 And a wall which was outside ran parallel to the chambers, at the front of the chambers, toward the outer court; its length was fifty cubits. 8 The length of the chambers toward the outer court was fifty cubits, whereas that facing the temple was one hundred cubits. 9 At the lower chambers was the entrance on the east side, as one goes into them from the outer court.

10 Also there were chambers in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separating courtyard and opposite the building. 11 There was a walk in front of them also, and their appearance was like the chambers which were toward the north; they were as long and as wide as the others, and all their exits and entrances were according to plan. 12 And corresponding to the doors of the chambers that were facing south, as one enters them, there was a door in front of the walk, the way directly in front of the wall toward the east.

13 Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separating courtyard, are the holy chambers where the priests who approach the LORD shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall lay the most holy offerings—the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering—for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter them, they shall not go out of the holy chamber into the outer court; but there they shall leave their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they may approach that which is for the people."

Outer Dimensions of the Temple
15 Now when he had finished measuring the inner temple, he brought me out through the gateway that faces toward the east, and measured it all around. 16 He measured the east side with the measuring rod, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 17 He measured the north side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod all around. 18 He measured the south side, five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 19 He came around to the west side and measured five hundred rods by the measuring rod. 20 He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common.

The details of the heavenly vision of the Holy temple are continued as the outer court walls had rooms which were shown to house the priests.  There was a stepped gallery there that was three stories high with a wall between them and the outer courtyard.  The rooms were accessed from the east side as you walked into them from the courtyard.  It was all quite an elaborate design shown to Ezekiel and the readers of his account.  God finally spoke to Ezekiel through the angelic guide to explain the purpose and function of the rooms.  They were the holy chambers where the priests who administered the sacrifices would eat the holy offerings as they were prescribed as Leviticus 6:16, 26-27 had commanded.  That place was set apart for God and His work, the sacrifices for forgiveness and atonement.  When they were finished they changed into other clothes to be able to come near the other people since they were wearing holy clothing to minister as intercessors for them.  This is symbolic of Christ who entered as our high priest with His robes of absolute righteousness to intercede for us that He might atone once and for all times for our sin to be forgiven.  This is why the old temple sacrifices were described in such detail that we might make the connection with that which they cast a shadow on for us to contemplate and understand later when He sacrificed Himself and it was revealed through the apostles for our understanding and edification.  This is why the dimensions of the temple which seem so boring or unimportant demonstrate the intricacies of God’s work to design and execute redemption for us in Christ and which point to a heavenly temple who is the Lord Himself in the very real New Jerusalem to be brought down from heaven to us at the end of all time.  This account therefore gives us a glimpse into God’s glory and our worship in awe of His preordained plan and design for His people where He also now lives and is worshipped in these individual temples and corporately as His body which is the church not made with man’s hands.  We are also called to be holy, separated to the service of worship to our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Oh, the dimensions of that holy calling for all in Christ who all are priests to our God are so indescribable and almost too wonderful to contemplate (Ephesians 1:3-4, 18-20, Colossians 1:9, 2 Timothy 1:9)!  This temple description is a pattern for we who are in Christ, since we are called to be set apart as priests to serve and worship Him in the mansions prepared for us (John 14:2-3). 

Dimensions and Decorations of the Temple

Ezekiel 41:13-26

13 So he measured the temple, one hundred cubits long; and the separating courtyard with the building and its walls was one hundred cubits long; 14 also the width of the eastern face of the temple, including the separating courtyard, was one hundred cubits. 15 He measured the length of the building behind it, facing the separating courtyard, with its galleries on the one side and on the other side, one hundred cubits, as well as the inner temple and the porches of the court, 16 their doorposts and the beveled window frames. And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with wood from the ground to the windows—the windows were covered— 17 from the space above the door, even to the inner room, as well as outside, and on every wall all around, inside and outside, by measure.

18 And it was made with cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Each cherub had two faces, 19 so that the face of a man was toward a palm tree on one side, and the face of a young lion toward a palm tree on the other side; thus it was made throughout the temple all around. 20 From the floor to the space above the door, and on the wall of the sanctuary, cherubim and palm trees were carved.

21 The doorposts of the temple were square, as was the front of the sanctuary; their appearance was similar. 22 The altar was of wood, three cubits high, and its length two cubits. Its corners, its length, and its sides were of wood; and he said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD."

23 The temple and the sanctuary had two doors. 24 The doors had two panels apiece, two folding panels: two panels for one door and two panels for the other door. 25 Cherubim and palm trees were carved on the doors of the temple just as they were carved on the walls. A wooden canopy was on the front of the vestibule outside. 26 There were beveled window frames and palm trees on one side and on the other, on the sides of the vestibule—also on the side chambers of the temple and on the canopies.

The dimensions of the entire temple area and it decorations were explained as Ezekiel walked through it in his vision given by God.  The length and width of the temple and courtyard were accounted for as well as the surrounding structures and inner court, as well as the height of the surrounding galleries.  Even the details of the windows and gates with their posts were examined for the reader to piece together a complete mental picture of the glory of that place designed by the LORD.  We read of the cherubim (Genesis 3:24) and palms there (1 Kings 6:29) as carved in the original temple, and find that the angelic creatures had faces of a man and lion facing the palm trees, imagery we have read before in Ezekiel 1:10 and 10:14 of these angelic servants accompanying the Most High God.  The altar of atonement by sacrifice is described as “the table that is before the LORD.”  Through that atonement they dined with God in a reconciled relationship, but it was temporary then until Christ sacrificed Himself one time for all time on our behalf that we might dine with Him forever!  The meal we know as the Lord’s Supper celebrates that eternal relationship we will enjoy eternally (Psalm 22:26) when we are united in the temple whom is God and the Lamb and are satisfied forever.  Furthermore, the vision’s temple had two doors with the same cherubim and palms as throughout the temple and on the sides of the entranceway.  This again seems to point to God’s presence to come as in the visions initially given to Ezekiel in the beginning of his calling to speak God’s messages.  We can take this to mean that God called the messenger to speak of not only judgment, but also of the glory to come at the end of time in reconciliation by everlasting atonement in Christ that we might serve in worship and enjoy gods forever!  The description of the dimensions and decorations of the temple point to these things as our eternal hope and anticipation.  These give us a lasting hope in Christ as our temple.

Dimensions of the Sanctuary

Ezekiel 41:1-12

Dimensions of the Sanctuary
1 Then he brought me into the sanctuary and measured the doorposts, six cubits wide on one side and six cubits wide on the other side—the width of the tabernacle. 2 The width of the entryway was ten cubits, and the side walls of the entrance were five cubits on this side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured its length, forty cubits, and its width, twenty cubits.

3 Also he went inside and measured the doorposts, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits high; and the width of the entrance, seven cubits. 4 He measured the length, twenty cubits; and the width, twenty cubits, beyond the sanctuary; and he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."

The Side Chambers on the Wall
5 Next, he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits. The width of each side chamber all around the temple was four cubits on every side. 6 The side chambers were in three stories, one above the other, thirty chambers in each story; they rested on ledges which were for the side chambers all around, that they might be supported, but not fastened to the wall of the temple. 7 As one went up from story to story, the side chambers became wider all around, because their supporting ledges in the wall of the temple ascended like steps; therefore the width of the structure increased as one went up from the lowest story to the highest by way of the middle one. 8 I also saw an elevation all around the temple; it was the foundation of the side chambers, a full rod, that is, six cubits high. 9 The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits, and so also the remaining terrace by the place of the side chambers of the temple. 10 And between it and the wall chambers was a width of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side. 11 The doors of the side chambers opened on the terrace, one door toward the north and another toward the south; and the width of the terrace was five cubits all around.

The Building at the Western End
12 The building that faced the separating courtyard at its western end was seventy cubits wide; the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.

The sanctuary was measured and shown to be as wide as the tabernacle itself from doorpost to doorpost.  The entry and side walls were also measured for the reader to get an understanding and mental image of the scene.  Ezekiel went inside in this vision and continued measuring the length and width of the Most Holy Place where the high priest met at the mercy seat of God.  Next he left that sacred place where God would meet with man for atonement of confessed sin, the true confessional booth where God is confessed to, and went on measuring the inside of the temple proper.  The Most Holy Place was not one to find absolution from the priest but from the LORD as the one high priest interceded, unlike the perversion we see in the bad practice emanating out of the See of man’s weak imitation of the Most Holy.  In the temple, Ezekiel went on to measure the walls and self standing side rooms which were three high and went from small to bigger as the step ledges permitted by design.  These were all on a raised foundation and their walls had their thickness accounted for as well by the prophet.  Then a building on the western end then stood in the courtyard to provide a divider was analyzed for good measure and a more compete picture for the reader and hearer of this book.  If this amount of dimensional detail is given here as a shadow of a future temple (Hebrews 9:11-12), just imagine what the New Jerusalem will look like where the Almighty and the Lamb of God are its true temple (Revelation 21:22).  What dimensions will be seen and experienced in His presence to worship forever!  What a contrast with this vision of a replacement for the destroyed temple in old Jerusalem!  We can only read and wonder at that Most Holy wonder to come.  These are the Dimensions of the Sanctuary in a glimpse of detail of its height, width, and depth as a foretaste of the Most Holy where God truly dwells with man!