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EZEKIEL

Please turn in your Bibles to Ezekiel chapter 40, as we continue our study through the Word of God. And this portion of Scripture, chapters 40-48, are highly controversial. You see, this portion of Scripture deals with the time after the tribulation period, and the establishing of the kingdom of God on this earth.

The trouble comes with this millennial temple where we see the sacrifices started up again. And that has caused many to see this portion of Scripture as being symbolic, they do not take it literally. And they point to Hebrews 7:26-27, which says "For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself."

The problem with seeing this as only symbolic is you have to ignore the great detail that Ezekiel goes through in describing the temple and all that is associated with it. There is nothing that suggests that this is symbolic, but it is very real and God wants us to take it very literally.

And so as we go through this portion of Scripture I will try to explain what I feel is going on. You see, there are at least four other Old Testament prophets that affirm a sacrificial system in the Millennial temple. They are Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah and Malachi. And as we go through these chapters, we will look at some of those texts. (Isaiah 5:6-7, 66:20-23, Jeremiah 33:18, Zechariah 14:16-21, Malachi 3:3-4). With that in mind lets dig into out text this evening.

EZEKIEL 40

VERSES 1-4

1. Keep in mind that Ezekiel is ministering to the captives in Babylon, by the river Chebar. And all of a sudden he is taken in a vision from Babylon back to Israel. Now keep in mind the city was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. And now, around 573 BC Ezekiel is shown the land of Israel, only now it will be restored and in this land will be a glorious temple.

2. Now just a little background information before we move on. Moses put together, according to the blue prints he received from God, a tabernacle or portable worship structure that was used by the children of Israel during their wilderness wanderings. Then, in around 950 BC Solomon built the first temple, a glorious worship center. But that was the temple that was destroyed by king Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Then, in 515 BC, as the captives were returning home, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, the second temple was built. And the young men, never seeing the glory of Solomon’s temple, shouted for joy. But the old men cried because this temple was nothing compared to Solomon’s. Let me say this, may we never bring the young down in what they are doing for the Lord by saying things like "This is nothing. You should have seen the way it was when I was young!" Or something similar to that. We should be encouraging the young and joining them in their shouts of joy for what God is doing instead of being a wet blanket, being negative about everything. Let us stimulate them to continue on, to encourage them in the work they are doing for the Lord.

Then, in 20 BC, Herod the Great came on the scene, and trying to get in good with the Jewish people, he expanded and beautified this second temple, which was completed in 64 AD. And it truly was a sight to behold. But then it too was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans. And since that time there has been no temple standing, even though it seems there has been a few attempts.

Now in Revelation chapter 11 we read of a third temple that will be built during the tribulation period and at the 3½ year mark of the 7 year tribulation period, the Antichrist will stop the sacrifices, go into the holy of holies and demand to be worshiped as god. And it is possible that this third temple will eventually be destroyed by the time we get to the end of the tribulation period, for we are going to see a new temple, made by God, come into being at the close of the tribulation period and the start of the kingdom age.

This fourth temple or the millennial temple will outshine all the others and it will be in existence for 1,000 years until a new heavens and a new earth are created. And in that period of time, there is no longer a need for a temple.

3. Look at verse 4 once again. This angelic being or messenger tells Ezekiel to look, hear, and set your heart on these things of God. Why? So that as he receives these things from the Lord he can share them with others, with the house of Israel. You can’t give to others what you yourself don’t have. And God is speaking to us and He is telling us to "Look, hear, and set your heart on these things so that you may give to others what I have given to you!" How important that is for us to follow.

VERSE 5

1. This wall around the temple was some 10½ feet thick and 10½ feet high. This temple will be one mile square, depending if you are measuring by cubits or reeds. (Ezekiel 40:18-41:26). That means the lands topography will have to change to fit a temple this size in there. Do the Scriptures support that? Zechariah 14:4 tells us "And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south."

VERSES 6-37

1. Now in verses 6-37 we see the description of the east gate, the porch, the outer court and the inner courts. And we are not going to read through these verses, you can do that on your own if you like. But listen to how Dr. John Walvoord describes this millennial temple. He said:

The temple to be built in the millennium will be much larger than any historic temple of Israel, being a square 875 feet (500 cubits) in width and length. Like previous temples, it will face east and will have an outer wall on the other three sides. The temple will have thirty rooms built on three levels. Except for the western wall, the other three sides will have a large outer court that will surround the temple itself with gates in each of these walls..."

VERSES 38-43

1. Now these verses seem out of place. You see, in the New Testament we are told that Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. His sacrifice took away our sins, something that the animal sacrifices could never do. And it is not just Ezekiel that speaks of these sacrifices in the kingdom age. Isaiah 56:7 says "Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations." And there are others as I have said. So what is going on here? Well, there are two explanations which may both apply to what we see take place in the millennial temple

2. First of all it may be a memorial to the Lord, looking back at His finished work on the cross of Calvary. We do see memorials in the Old Testament Scriptures to remind people of what God has done. In Joshua chapter 4, as Joshua led the children of Israel into the promised land, crossing the Jordan River on dry land, they set-up a memorial of stones to show their children what God has done. Keep in mind that in the Old Testament they looked ahead in faith to the coming of the Messiah by offering the various sacrifices until the perfect sacrifice would come. It is as Dr. Jerry Hullinger said:

According to this view the sacrifices offered during the earthly reign of Christ will be visible reminders of His work on the cross. Thus, these sacrifices will not have any efficacy except to memorialize Christ’s death. The primary support for this argument is the parallel of the Lord’s Supper. It is argued that just as the communion table looks back on the Cross without besmirching its glory, so millennial sacrifices will do the same.

3. But I believe it goes even beyond that because it does speak of sacrifices for atonement. Keep in mind that there will be a large number of people that make it through the tribulation period and they will enter into the kingdom age. They will have physical bodies and they will have children during this time. Also during this time Satan is bound in the Abyss for those 1,000 years. And during this time people will still rebel even though the Lord will deal with that immediately. Keep in mind that the lord Himself will be present before these people and you can’t approach a holy God in your sins. And yes, Christ paid in full the penalty for our sins, but keep in mind that during the millennial reign, the people have no choice until Satan is loosed for a season. And then, those who follow Satan will be cast into outer darkness and those who follow Jesus will get their glorified bodies and enter into eternity with Him.

Dr. Jerry Hullinger put it this way. He said:

...a solution that maintains dispensational distinctives, deals honestly with the text of Ezekiel, and in no way demeans the work Christ did on the cross. This study suggests that animal sacrifices during the millennium will serve primarily to remove ceremonial uncleanness and prevent defilement from polluting the temple envisioned by Ezekiel. This will be necessary because the glorious presence of Yahweh will once again be dwelling on earth in the midst of a sinful and unclean people....Because of God’s promise to dwell on earth during the millennium (as stated in the New Covenant), it is necessary that He protect His presence through sacrifice....It should further be added that this sacrificial system will be a temporary one in that the millennium (with its partial population of unglorified humanity) will last only one thousand years. During the eternal state all inhabitants of the New Jerusalem will be glorified and will therefore not be a source of contagious impurities to defile the holiness of Yahweh.

VERSE 44

1. Even in the millennial temple there will be a place for singers, we are told they will be in the chambers. So my guess is they will be playing chamber music!

VERSES 45-47

1. Now we see the chambers for the priests and the court. And the descendants of Zadok will be the ones ministering unto the Lord. Zadok was the high priest during the reign of Solomon. (I Kings 1:26-27).

VERSES 48-49

1. This is the porch of the temple and seems to be similar to Solomon’s temple with the two pillars on each side. If you remember one was named Jachin, which means "He shall be established." And the other was named Boaz, which means "In Him is strength." So as you came to the temple and looked you were reminded that God has established this nation and it is only by His strength that it will continue on. And I think each of us, if we were honest, would have to admit that is exactly the way we stand. We have been established by Him and we continue on because of Him.

EZEKIEL 41

VERSES 1-4

1. Here we see the sanctuary and the most holy place being measured. Interestingly enough, only this angelic being went into the most holy place, which reminds us of the restrictions of entering the holy of holies, only by the high priest and only once a year, on the day of atonement after a long ceremonial cleansing.

2. In Hebrews 10:19-22 we read "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." You see, in the millennial temple there is no veil separating man from God. When Christ died on the cross of Calvary the veil was torn from top to bottom signifying that God has opened the door for us to come to Him through Christ, we can’t enter in on our own.

VERSES 5-11

1. The temple will have 3 stories with 30 chambers in each story. It will be massive.

VERSE 12

1. There is a separate building facing the western end of the temple complex. What this is for we are not told, so I won’t speculate.

VERSES 13-26

1. In these verses we see the temple measurements, and the interior decorations and furnishings for the temple. Notice that there is no table of show bread because the bread of life, Jesus Christ will be among them, feeding them. Also, there is no 7 branch oil burning lamp for the light of the world, Jesus Christ has come and will dwell among them.

2. Now you may be wondering what this has to do with us? All the details that are give here, how do they relate to us? Or do they even relate to us? Yes they do. Think of it this way. Whatever you are building, be they families, relationships, ministries, occupations, make them according to the pattern that God has established in His Word. Don’t go out there and do your own thing. Make things according to His pattern, and don’t cut corners, for it will cost you in the end.

EZEKIEL 42

VERSES 1-14

1. The priests will have quarters to live in that will be located both in the north and the south of the temple. And in this area the priests will eat the most holy offerings. And the garments they wear will be changed as they leave, for their garments are to be sacred or set apart for ministering unto the Lord.

VERSES 15-20

1. Here we see a separation from that which is sacred and that which is secular. You might look at it this way, worship unto the Lord and the common activities of every day life.

EZEKIEL 43

VERSES 1-3

1. Here we see the return of the glory of God back to the temple as He comes through the east gate. This is not the Shekinah glory or the pillar of fire or the cloud, but the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is coming back to rule and reign from Jerusalem.

VERSES 4-5

1. Again, the Lord Himself will enter through the east gate of the temple. Interestingly enough, when the Turks controlled Jerusalem they knew of this prophecy and to prevent it from happening they sealed up the east gate with bricks and placed a graveyard in front of this gate back in 1517 AD. But this of course is not going to stop the Messiah from coming and it seems that He will not be entering the third temple or the tribulation temple but this fourth temple or the millennial temple He will enter into it!

VERSES 6-12

1. Notice Ezekiel didn’t hear "it" speaking, but "Him." And he hears the voice of the Lord, "like the sound of many waters" as verse 2 says. And the glory of the Lord will return just as He had departed from the temple back in Ezekiel 10:1-11:23, in response to the children of Israel turning from Him.

2. The word "glory," KAVODH in Hebrew, speaks of "...weight, honor, esteem glory, majesty, abundance..." It doesn’t speak of car’s, toys, homes, ice-cream, food. You see, if you go after those things you will hunger, you will thirst again. You will be frustrated, you will be dissatisfied, and you will continue to look to fill that void in your life. It is only the Lord that can satisfy, only He can fill your life, He is what you need, the KAVODH, the glory of God!

3. Now for the Jews, and really for all of us, when we truly see the glory of God it makes us ashamed of our sins. It is a recognition of where we stand outside of Christ. And in Christ, once we repent, there is hope, there is life! Once that fellowship is restored, we never want to see it go, we never want that KAVODH to leave us again!

VERSES 13-17

1. So this altar of burnt offerings ascends upward and has four horns, one in each of its corners, and this is where the animal sacrifices will take place. And as we are going to see, this area needs to be cleansed before the sacrifices can begin, before they will be accepted by the Lord.

VERSES 18-27

1. Here we see the 7 day ritual for consecrating the altar and then on the eighth day the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings will be offered up on this altar.

2. Notice how this chapter ends, that God will accept them. That must have been a comfort to a people who had turned their backs on God. But how are we accepted? In the beloved, in Christ! It is as Hebrews 9:11-14 says, "But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Yes these sacrifices during the kingdom age are more of a ceremonial cleansing so they can come before the Lord, but ultimately it is the blood of Christ that cleanses them from all their sin and one day, those who are living through the kingdom age, born during this time, they will have a choice to make. To either accept Christ as their Lord and Savior or to reject Him. It is then God creates a new heavens and a new earth and sin will be wiped away!

Let me leave you with these words from Paul in Hebrews 9:22-28. We read "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission. Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another– He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation." Praise God that He is faithful and He has paid the penalty for our sin, once for all!