Ezekiel 43:1-27
Q.1. Whom did Ezekiel see enter into this restored Temple? Under what conditions? Why was he given the intricate details of the new Temple? – (Ezk.43:1-12)
Ezekiel had seen the glory of the Lord depart from the Temple in Jerusalem, while he was exiled in Babylon (Ezk.10:1-22). NOTE: There is no record that God’s glory ever returned, in spite of the good work done at the time of Ezra, Nehemiah and the prophets Zechariah and Haggai (Ezra 5:1-2; 6:14). Ezekiel now saw that the new Temple was inhabited for – 2 I watched as the glory of the God of Israel came from the eastern direction. His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. The earth shone with His glory. 3 What I saw was like the vision I had seen when the Lord came to destroy the city of Jerusalem. The visions were like what I saw beside the River Chebar near Babylon previously. I fell with my face to the ground in reverence. 4 And the glory of the Lord entered the temple by way of the eastern gate. 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court. I then saw that the glory of the Lord filling the temple. (Ezk.43:2-5). The descriptions related to a Person. That One is King Jesus. The Lord told Ezekiel – 7 … ‘Son of man, this is the place of My throne. This is the place where the soles of My feet will rest. Here I will dwell in the midst of the descendants of Israel forever … (Ezk.43:7 c.f. Zech.14:4-5). When Israel’s abominations have been purged and done away with, then God will give them a new heart, so King Jesus can reign among them (Ezk.43:8-9 c.f. Jer.30:8-11, 18-22; 31:31-37; 33:14-26; Ezk.37:24-28; 39:25-29). Ezekiel was reminded why he was to carefully document the details of the restored Temple – that they may be ashamed of their iniquities (Ezk.43:10 c.f. Ezk.40:4). He was to show them the plan and sketch the new Temple precinct that would be perched on the mountaintop (Ezk.40:2; 43:11-12). Christ will have returned, Israel will have a new heart, and there will be an elevated Temple on a more prominent Mount Zion, from which He will teach the nations (Ezk.40:2; 43:12 c.f. Isa.2:2-5; 11:9-10; 66:18-23; Mic.4:1-4; Hab.2:14).
Q.2. How was the Altar of Sacrifice prepared for offerings? What will these memorial offerings proclaim about God? – (Ezk.43:13-27)
There will be people and nations who will survive the Great Tribulation. They must all be saved through the Gospel. People will be blessed to have King Jesus personally present to teach the nations the Gospel that has been revealed in the Old and New Testaments (Isa.2:2-4; 11:9-10; 45:6; 66:18-23; Mic.4:1-4; 5:2; Hab.2:14; Zech.14:16-19; Lk.24:44-47; Acts 4:10-12; Phil.2:9-11). That is why there will again be the sacrificial system, except that they will be memorials, complete with explanations pointing to the reason why God sent His Son for lost sinners. The altar will be an imposing structure 11 cubits high 5.86 m that stands in the centre of the inner court before the Temple. It sits on a 7.4 metre square base. The top is 6.4 metres square with a gutter to collect the fat. It has horns on each corner 54 cms tall (Ezk.43:13-17). The original altar in the Tabernacle was 5 cubits [2.67 m] (c.f. Exo.27:1-8). Details were given of how the Levitical priests from the line of Zadok were to consecrate this new altar (Ezk.43:18-27). The offerings will reinforce the holiness of God, the seriousness of sin, the necessity of the new birth, and the high price paid by Jesus for the sins of the world … past, present, and future, as recorded in the New Testament (Ezk.43:12, 27). All will underscore the amazing love of God for lost humanity.
Q.3. Who were the priests of Zadok chosen to draw near to serve the Lord? Why were they significant?
The Lord told Moses that his brother, Aaron, and his sons, were appointed to the priesthood (Num.3:10 c.f. Exo.Chpts.28-29). The whole tribe of Levi had been set aside for Temple duties – See, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of every firstborn … the Levites shall be Mine (c.f. Num.3:12; Num.Chpt.4). The Lord promised Phinehas the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron – I promise him My covenant of peace; it shall be for him and his descendants after him a covenant of perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the sons of Israel (Num.25:13). This explains why – The officiating priests will be descendants of Zadok from the line of Levi. They alone will come near to minister to Me,’ says the Lord God (Ezk.43:19 c.f. Ezk.40:46). They were direct descendants of Phinehas. They had – kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me (Ezk.44:15). They had stayed loyal to the Lord and King David and his son, Solomon (1 Kgs.2:35 c.f. 1 Chron.6:4 & 8).