9. The glory fills the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-12)

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1 9. The glory fills the temple (Ezekiel 43:1-12) Introduction When God commissioned the building of the tabernacle in the wilderness, He said: Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them 1. When the tabernacle was completed, it was thus filled with the glory of God: Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle 2. The tabernacle was only ever a temporary arrangement. In due course the temple of Solomon was built, to serve as a dwelling place for the glory of God: And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD 3. But even this arrangement was not to last. Because of Israel s wickedness the glory of God departed from among His people, and the temple was overthrown by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. These terrible events took place during the lifetime of Ezekiel himself - in fact in chapters 10,11 he was given a vision in which he saw the departure of the glory of God from the house. 1 2 Exodus 25:8 Exodus 40:34, Kings 8:10,11 89

2 The departure of the glory of Yahweh 1) It leaves the house Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD S glory 4. 2) It leaves the sanctuary via the east gate Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above 5. 3) It leaves the city And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city 6. Shew the house to the house of Israel The whole point of Ezekiel s vision of the temple was to demonstrate to God s people that God would not forsake His people for ever. The time would come when Israel would once again turn to God, and God would be pleased to dwell among them for ever. The temple vision had a very personal message for the generation among whom Ezekiel lived: Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall 4 5 Ezekiel 10:3,4 Ezekiel 10:18,19 6 Ezekiel 11:23 90

3 be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house. 7. The intention was that by showing the house to the house of Israel, and by emphasizing its holiness, God s people would be encouraged to forsake their wicked ways and repent. Whilst in a very limited sense this did happen - Israel returned out of captivity after seventy years, and the temple was rebuilt - Israel s repentance was temporary. When Jesus appeared in Israel, the situation was as bad again, if not worse, so much so that Jesus said on one occasion: O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate 8. Forty years later, the temple was overthrown by the Romans. It has never been rebuilt. The Siege and Destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans Under the Command of Titus David Roberts ( ) 7 Ezekiel 43: Matthew 23:37,38 91

4 The glory to return The message of the prophet Ezekiel is that the temple will one day be rebuilt where it once stood. In that day, God will dwell in the midst of His people for ever. Having thus seen in vision the completed temple of the Age to come, Ezekiel now saw a complete reversal of what he had seen in chapters 10,11 - the glory of God returned to the new house, by exactly the same route that it left: 1) It enters the sanctuary by the east gate Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory 9. 2) It enters the house And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house 10. The return of Christ Isaiah was also privileged to see this in vision: In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory 11. Isaiah indicates that not only will the glory of God fill the temple - it will also fill the whole earth. This after all is the ultimate purpose of God: But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD 12. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen 13. This will be fulfilled at the second coming of Christ. In fact Isaiah s vision of the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, is Ezekiel 43:1,2 Ezekiel 43:4,5 Isaiah 6:1-3 Numbers 14:21 13 Psalm 72:18,19 92

5 applied in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus Christ: These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him 14. The filling of the temple - and ultimately the whole earth - with the glory of God, is thus intimately connected with the return of Jesus to the earth, who will come in the name of Yahweh, as Jesus himself said: Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord 15. It is no coincidence that, just as Ezekiel saw the glory depart from the mountain on the east of Jerusalem, and then return again from the east, so Jesus will first manifest himself to the world when he stands on the mount of Olives: Then shall the LORD go forth And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east 16. All the saints with thee Jesus will not be alone when he comes in the name of the Lord. Zechariah says that the saints will be with him: And the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee 17. When therefore it speaks in Zechariah 14:4 of his feet standing upon the mount of Olives, it is not just the feet of Jesus - it is the feet of Yahweh, manifest in Christ and the saints. The saints are in Ezekiel 43 also. When the glory of God comes from the way of the east to fill the house, it will be by manifestation through Christ and his brethren. Ezekiel was addressed in verse 7 by the man with the measuring reed, the symbolic representation of the corporate body of Christ: Son of man, 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 for ever. These are the same feet that feature in Zechariah 14 - the feet of Yahweh in manifestation through Christ and the saints. Note how Ezekiel describes the glory that he saw: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory 18. In scripture many waters are John 12:41 Matthew 23:38,39 Zechariah 14:3,4 Zechariah 14:5 18 Ezekiel 43:2 93

6 used to represent a multitude 19. Here in symbol Ezekiel saw the glory of Yahweh manifested in a multitude - a great multitude that no man can number, out of every kindred and nation and people and tongues, who will appear in glory with Jesus, and be made partakers of the Divine nature. The Golden Gate on the east of Jerusalem 19 See Ezekiel 1:24; Revelation 17:15 94