Today’s Reading: Ezek 43:1–44:31, Rev 21:9–27, Job 39:1–10

Today’s Theme: The True Temple

Today’s reading shows us that the true temple is God himself and that we too are the temple of God. If the Holy Spirit is not living in us we are just a dead empty building.

The Great Temple of Jerusalem and even a newly rebuilt temple, all point to their ultimate fulfilment in God Himself, the one in whom we live, move, have our being and worship, in the light of His glory.

Ezekiel 43:1–44:31

God’s glory from the east

And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.(Ezekiel 43:2, ESV)

Lord, we pray Your glory would come and rise from the east, let Your glory be seen this day throughout Asia and turn hearts towards You.

The Spirit enters the temple / body

As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east,(Ezekiel 43:4, ESV)

Without the Spirit and glory of the Living God, everything we do is dead. Fill us and our works this day O Lord, so that we will not be dead and empty temples.

Bury the dead kings far away

Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.(Ezekiel 43:9, ESV)

We must bury our old dead kings, the things of the world and flesh that we once bowed to. We must bury them so far away, so as to put them out of our sight, presence and remembrance. It is like when Abraham wanted to bury his dead out of his sight.

The light of his glory

“As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan.(Ezekiel 43:10, ESV)

God’s glory, His glorious plans and works should cause us to see our iniquity for the shameful act it is and turn away from it towards His glorious light.

Jesus, without blemish

When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.(Ezekiel 43:23, ESV)

Jesus was our sacrifice without blemish.

Prophecy fulfilled

And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut.(Ezekiel 44:2, ESV)

The Ottoman Turk empire unwittingly fulfilled this prophecy by blocking the eastern or Golden gate through which the Messiah will come, if we take this prophecy as a typological one.

Circumcise your hearts

in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations.(Ezekiel 44:7, ESV)

It was clear that the purpose of circumcision in the old testament was meant to be an outward sign of the inward work of heart circumcision. If we follow the pleasures of sin in our hearts then we defile the house of God, the ministry and our own bodies which are His temple.

Don’t work with mere human effort

When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments. They shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within.(Ezekiel 44:17, ESV)

Pastor has taught us well, that wool causes us to sweat, speaking of human effort, but linen speaks of work empowered by God and not the flesh of man.

Don’t sweat, let the Spirit work

They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat.(Ezekiel 44:18, ESV)

The point about human effort and flesh in ministry, is made clear.

Thank God for our Pastors

They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.(Ezekiel 44:23, ESV)

Ministers of the Gospel are to live lives of holiness and have been charged with the responsibility of training the people to discern well between truth and error.

We should especially appreciate the ministry of our own Pastors in this regard, as they guide us in truth.

Where applicable, we should accept our part of this call in our lives, for the glory of God’s name, for our joy and for the edification of the body of Christ.

God, our inheritance

“This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.(Ezekiel 44:28, ESV)

YES Lord Yes, as a member of Your royal priesthood, I am so glad that I have You as my inheritance. God is the Gospel, God is the gospels aim and end, to have him as our treasure forever.

Revelation 21:9–27

The Bride

Then came one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues and spoke to me, saying, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.”(Revelation 21:9, ESV)

This is the Church, the redeemed bride.

12, pointing to God’s government

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.(Revelation 21:14, ESV)

There is much great symbolism here, the twelve angels, twelve tribes and now the twelve apostles as though these all point to and have a role to play in God’s perfect government, as part of His perfect plan.

Angles, the size of men

He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel’s measurement.(Revelation 21:17, ESV)

Angels and humans are similar or the same in size as opposed to new visions claims where Angels are 10 feet tall.

God is the true temple

And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.(Revelation 21:22, ESV)

This is the meaning of Ezekiel’s great temple, the temple was always just pointing to the reality of God.

Job 39:1–10

The wonder of creation

Their young ones become strong; they grow up in the open; they go out and do not return to them.(Job 39:4, ESV)

The great wonder for the natural world of God’s creation and the animal world in particular. God shows us the beauty and wisdom of it in His word, long before the naturalist started to celebrate it and worship it aside from Him.

God over nature

“Is the wild ox willing to serve you? Will he spend the night at your manger?(Job 39:9, ESV)

We can’t even tame many animals without inflicting great cruelty, we are not the masters of the universe, God alone is sovereign even over the animal kingdom

Most of the above post is a copy of the original notes from the same date in 2014.

Additional resources

Desiring God on Revelation 21