Ezekiel 44
The temple must be full of God’s glory for all to be well in the Lord’s kingdom. We saw earlier in this book some indication of the Lord’s departure from Solomon’s temple. In the prior chapter we saw the coming of the Lord’s glory into Ezekiel’s vision of the temple. Now we read of the gate by which the Lord entered the temple being shut. We are told that it shall remain shut. It would appear that the Lord is indicating that He shall never leave the temple. There is something permanent here in this symbolism, like the words of Jesus at the end of Matthew’s gospel: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” When this east gate is shut, that area becomes a room where the prince eats bread before the Lord. We need to keep in mind that there is no functioning King at the time of this prophecy. Here there is communion between the coming King of Israel and the Lord God Almighty, reminding us of Psalm 110 which records fellowship and communication between David’s Son and David’s Lord.
In verse 4 the fact that the Lord’s glory fills the temple is mentioned again. This fact was prominent in the preceding chapter. The reaction to the Lord’s glory is once again earnest worship as Ezekiel fall on his face before the glory of God. We see that every encounter with the true glory of God is fresh and overwhelming. Our experience with the final temple-body of the Lord in the age to come will never grow old.
The history of the worship of the people has not been ideal. God knows this, but their sin will not be the final end of the story here. They are a rebellious house, and that is why there has been so much trouble under the Law. That is why they have been taken into exile. That is why the temple was destroyed and the kingdom lost. The curse of the Law of Moses came upon the nation, and they lost the inheritance of
No more would foreigners have to be brought in to positions of service among the Levites just to help do the work of worship rituals. Does this negate the day of gentiles giving worship to the Lord as the prophets have prophesied? Not at all, all elect gentiles are brought into the kingdom through adoption in Christ. In Him they are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and are even priests to God through Jesus the Son of God.
What about those who had the right credentials by birth, but who have created problems because of their iniquity? They would be denied a place in the house of the Lord. When the Lord returns, he will purify his temple-body. Some who think that they are part of the temple will be shown to be excluded from the temple. Others will be counted as true Jews through their connection with the Prince, Jesus Christ. He is the Savior of all who have faith in His Name, both Jews and gentiles. In this vision, those who are acceptable to minister before the Lord, are represented as the sons of Zadok, just as in Revelation John speaks of those who are accepted as the 144,000, 12,000 from each tribe. This is not teaching a different doctrine of acceptance with God than that of the rest of the New Testament. It is a visionary statement using language of purity and holiness that would have touched the hearts of the exiles who heard these words.
In Christ, we have something more than outward ceremonial holiness. Our problem of sin is not a problem of sweat, of ritually unclean garments, of long hair, of wine, or of the women that we have been with. Our problem is deeper than all of these things, and we have been fully cleansed through the blood of Christ. By His cleansing we are cleaner that the most ceremonially scrupulous priests. It is that imagery that is used here to describe the fullest purity that could only come by grace to the descendants of Adam.
The citizens of the Lord’s temple will judge the nations; yes they shall even judge angels. They will be completely separated from everything that brings death, and they shall live forever. The Lord Himself will be their inheritance.
It should be obvious that such a wonderful priesthood and such a wonderful temple could come to sinful men only by blood-bought grace through the perfections of the perfect Lamb of God. God has kept His promise to Abraham through that Lamb who is both Prince and Priest. Most of all, He is perfectly undefiled. This is the only way for us to be in the Lord’s pleasant kingdom. It should be a particular cause for rejoicing among those who are gentiles by birth to consider that in Christ, we are now Sons of God, and joint heirs with one who is an Israelite indeed. It should also be a great joy to those who are Jews by physical descent to see that the failure of their fathers to keep the Law of God has not barred them from participation in the perfect temple of the Almighty God, and the Lamb, our great Prince.
posted by Pastor Magee @ 7:00 AM
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