Latest / Journey Elgin / Journey Through Scripture -Ezekiel 43-48
Transcript
- Phillip Thomas: Hey, good to see you today. My name is Philip Thomas, Pastor of Journey here in Elgin, Texas. And ⁓ welcome to our ⁓ journey through scripture. ⁓ we're going to be looking into Ezekiel. We're gonna be Ezekiel chapters forty-three through forty-eight today. So Ezekiel forty-three through forty-eight. ⁓ remember we started the the vision that Ezekiel is having. He he had had a vision already about the destruction of the temple. Now he's had a vision of the rebuilding of the temple. It's ⁓ talked about that ⁓ in the previous chapters. And now we're kind of ⁓ looking even even bigger picture of of how ⁓ God is going to restore the the nation, restore the temple, restore his ⁓ the worship of him. now this is ⁓ this part of Ezekiel, there's ⁓ quite a few parts of Ezekiel, Daniel, ⁓ that are kind of the apocalyptic ⁓ writing, so writing about end times, about future events. ⁓ this that there's there's a lot of that. There's a lot of discussion and ⁓ about when this is actually when in history this this is talking about. ⁓ right. So this isn't talking about just whenever they're going to rebuild the second temple. All right. So the second temple is going to be rebuilt, ⁓ but that's not really what Ezekiel is talking about here, ⁓ because we know then that the second temple ends up being destroyed, ⁓ and there is no temple to this day. ⁓ now the nation has reconstituted, but there is no temple. You know, so so it's kind of ⁓ it it's interesting there and there's I'm not gonna get deep into that, ⁓ because we don't we don't know for sure. You know, we don't know exactly ⁓ when this is talking about. ⁓ but there's ⁓ still some wonderful things that we can learn from it and and it's it's important for us to be reminded ⁓ that God has a a full plan. ⁓ right. He didn't just kind of start the wheel going and start things in motion and then say, well, y'all have fun. No, he he has a plan. He knows how this is going to eventually ⁓ wrap up. But ⁓ so Ezekiel chapter 43 talks about the temple and specifically talks about the return of the glory of God to the temple. It says afterwards he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces towards the east. And behold, the glory of God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters, the earth shone with his glory. 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 when I saw the by the river Kybar and fell on my face, and the glory of the Lord came into the temple by the way of the gate which faces towards the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. So this is the returning of the glory of the Lord. It's a magnificent ⁓ kind of ⁓ thing that Ezekiel falls on his face ⁓ because he is exposed to the glory of God, kind of a reminder of when Isaiah ⁓ had his vision ⁓ and the the holiness of God just overwhelmed him. And ⁓ you continue on, it says then I heard him speaking, and he said to me, Son of man, this is the place my throne and this place of the souls of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of my children Israel forever. No more shall the house of Israel ⁓ defile my holy name. They they nor their kings. let's see, was it a little too can't see that. I'm getting old. ⁓ they nor their kings by their harlotry or with the carcasses of their kings on their high places, 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, now let them put their harlotry and carcasses of their kings far away from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever. ⁓ So he's Talking about what has happened, why ⁓ you know, again, why the destruction came, ⁓ but it's also it's looking forward to a time where the people will welcome ⁓ God in again. ⁓ you know, you you your initial thought is maybe this time is fulfilled whenever Jesus comes. That's that's not really what it is. It seems to be further down the road ⁓ than that. But we clearly are not are not there yet. ⁓ so so then The vision continues. It gives dimensions of the altar, the importance of the altar of sacrificing of atonement. You'll you'll see that as you read through that. It talks about consecrating the altar. Again, the word atonement is used ⁓ quite often through this. And then you have in forty four the East Gate and the Prince. All right. The Prince, this is an interesting character, an interesting figure. Our first thought as Christians, we think, ⁓ well, that's probably talking about Jesus. It does not appear that it is Jesus, that this is a someone who is ⁓ kind of a a ⁓ caretaker ⁓ of the temple, kind of that is ⁓ in charge of the nation of Israel but is partner with God. ⁓ so you think, well, that could be Jesus, but but again, it it just doesn't quite fit with that most people think. ⁓ some think that this is a a sign of whenever God ⁓ you know a Christian kind of dispensational ⁓ view is that when God will come and begin a thousand year reign, ⁓ well the prince will be kind of the ⁓ the ruler of the world in a sense that is partnering with God. ⁓ again, this gets there's all kinds of theories and all kinds of ideas. We don't w again, we just don't fully know. But you have the prince who is introduced ⁓ in this ⁓ in this section. It says Then he brought me back this is chapter forty four, he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary with faces towards the east, but it was shut. 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. As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He shall enter by the way of the vestibule of the gateway and go out the same way. And ⁓ and then it talks about who can be admitted to the temple. ⁓ you it it's going to describe the role of the prince, what the prince is supposed to do. As you get to verse 10 and chapter 44, it talks about ⁓ the priest and their roles. Again, it it's going to kind of revive those roles that God has already established. It's a reminder of this is what it will be like. ⁓ verse twenty-three it says, and they talking about the priest shall teach my people the difference. Between the holy and the unholy, and cause them dis to discern between the unclean and the clean. 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 Sabbath, right? They shall not defile themselves. So the the priests are going to have a a role to play. ⁓ and again it shows how God ⁓ seeks justice. He wants ⁓ justice to ⁓ to happen. ⁓ but that the priests are also to help the people to discern between what is holy and unholy, what is ⁓ righteous and unrighteous. ⁓ chapter forty five ⁓ talks about the the holy ⁓ place. ⁓ again this is you'll you'll read a a lot about the prince here. ⁓ the ⁓ the prince has ⁓ a different place where where he dwells ⁓ ⁓ also verse nine of chapter forty-five, thus says the Lord God, Enough, O princes of Israel, remove violence and plunder, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing my people, says the Lord God. And then it talks about you shall have honest scales. ⁓ right. So this is this is clearly a time that is to come because this is not happening ⁓ anywhere in the world right now. but that that ⁓ it will be whenever the people stand up and the the representative of of God ⁓ will remove viol violence. He will execute justice and righteousness. ⁓ that ⁓ that he will bring the people together. ⁓ also you continue it talks about keeping the feast. ⁓ that the the prince has a role in making sure ⁓ that the the ⁓ festivals and the feasts that have been established long ago continue to be practiced and continue to be honored. ⁓ Chapter forty six talks about just ⁓ the worship and and a worship of God says at verse nine, but when the people of the land come before the Lord on the appointed feast days, whoever enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go by the way of the south gate. Whoever enters by the way of south shall go by the way of the north. He shall not return by the gate which he came, but shall go out through the opposite gate. The prince shall then be in their midst. When they go in he shall go in, when they go out he shall go out. At the festivals and appointed feast days, the grain offering shall be an ⁓ epha for the bull and an epha for the ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs. ⁓ right. So the prince is intimately involved ⁓ with the worship of God, ⁓ with ⁓ recognizing who God is and pointing the people ⁓ to God. Talks about the prince and his ⁓ inheritance, how the offerings are to be prepared. ⁓ chapter forty seven talks about the healing waters and trees, ⁓ the I mean this is just th this is it's a picture of what is to come. ⁓ right, and then it goes into borders. ⁓ it says there ⁓ this is verse thirteen ⁓ of chapter forty seven. ⁓ 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, you shall inherit it equally with one another, for I raise my hand in an oath to give it to your fathers, and this land shall fall to you as your inheritance. So it goes in And it establishes the borders. Now this is interesting, though, in verse twenty one. Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 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. And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance. Right, so it's this including ⁓ more than just the the children of Israel. It's ⁓ interesting that it's it's it's extending outward. ⁓ and of course we know that ⁓ Jesus desired for that to extend outward ⁓ as well. ⁓ chapter forty-eight just talks about the divisions of the land, ⁓ goes into to that ⁓ and all the different ⁓ tribes ⁓ of Israel. And then the very end of ⁓ chapter ⁓ thirty-eight, it ⁓ it It starts to talk about the city and this is a huge city. ⁓ it's it's enormous and ⁓ at the end it says verse thirty five, all the way around shall be eighteen thousand cubits, and the name of the city on that on that day shall be the Lord is there. So again, this is definitely something that has ne not happened yet. It is something to come. And on that day the city will be called the Lord Is There. You know, that's That's a good thought. You know, sometimes we get really caught up and we can ⁓ delve into end times and eschatology in a way that ⁓ that it is fascinating. ⁓ and sometimes we become very sure of of what what we believe in that. But there are many people of faith and people who love the Lord who have come to different conclusions. And so the reality is is we don't fully know. right, even Jesus said ⁓ we don't fully know. but what we do know is that in the end, however all of that works out, I love this, that the city shall be named the Lord is there. You know what a great, great thought that is, that the Lord will be present, but will be present in a different way. Yes, he is present with us today and it is real, ⁓ but it is it is not as physical as what we think of, right? We would think, ⁓ well, I can't see the Lord, I can't touch him. ⁓ we but we can feel his presence. ⁓ and the Lord is here, but in that day and when whenever he comes again, the city shall be named the Lord is there because he will be present. ⁓ so that's that's always something encouraging. ⁓ don't don't get too too bogged down or focused on just the end times because God has called you ⁓ to engage in the world around you right now. It doesn't matter whether it's end times, beginning times, in between times. ⁓ God has called you for such a time as this. So but isn't it wonderful to know that in the end the Lord is there? All right. We will see you on Tuesday. ⁓ read is Ezekiel twenty-nine and thirty. there's a little bit ⁓ Second Kings twenty-five, kind of the end of that chapter. We read through that chapter before, but we're getting to the end of it. ⁓ Jeremiah chapter fifty-two has a a little bit. But then we'll be in Isaiah. And remember, some of these places they skip around all over the place. So Isaiah thirteen and fourteen, Isaiah twenty-one, and Isaiah thirty-three through thirty-five. ⁓ so this is gonna be kind of talking about ⁓ how ⁓ Babylon, who has ⁓ been God's instrument ⁓ to bring the people into exile and to punish the people for ⁓ falling away from him, well they they too are going to receive judgment. All right. So we will see you on