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.