Ezekiel 41, 42 – Heaven is a Motivation
Ezekiel’s
vision describes the main room of the temple, sometimes called the holy place
(Exodus 26:33). There is little said about the temple decorations, other than
windows and carvings of palm trees and cherubim (I Kings 6:15). While the text
does not give the significance of either the palm trees or the cherubim, ever
since the Maccabean revolt, palm trees signified political independence to the
Jews, and cherubim were usually connected to the holiness of God.
Ezekiel’s
temple set aside an enormous amount of land for the sanctuary, almost a square
mile in area.
Ezekiel
43 – The Glory Returns
The
temple will be a place of sacrifice and singing and a place where God’s glory
will dwell. Ezekiel had described how the glory left the old temple, and now he
describes how the glory returns and fills the house.
The
sacrificial offerings were memorial offerings. They did not atone for sin but
looked to the future work of Christ (John 1:29). The beauty and grandeur of the
temple mean nothing if God is not present.
Today,
the bodies of God’s people are His temple (I Cor. 6:19-20), and so is His
church (ph. 2:19-22). Just as God has a beautiful plan for His future temple in
Jerusalem, so He has a plan for His people individually (Eph 2:10) and His
church collectively. We are to be a holy temple, dedicated to Him alone, we are
to radiate the glory of God.
The
whole millennial temple is designed to broadcast the holiness and grandeur of
God; it is built on a grand scale to impress those who see it and use it that
they serve and worship a God who is far greater than any enticement to sin. The
structure itself is designed to help them remember the past but also to glory
in God, and in the good present He has brought about.
The
millennial sacrifices will constitute a memorial of Jesus’ death, much as
observing the Lord’s Supper is a reminder of His death (Luke 22:19). Also, just
as the Old Testament sacrifices looked forward symbolically to Christ’s death,
so the sacrifices of the millennial kingdom will look back in remembrance to
His sacrifice on the cross.
Please
read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.
If
you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.
Dr.
David Jeremiah Study Bible, J. Vernon McGee Through the Bible
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