Millennial Blessings (Ezekiel 40–48)

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Well today we come to the final pages and the final prophecy in Ezekiel and here in chapters 40

through 48 the prophet Ezekiel is going to point once again to the future of Israel.

Although the nation is suffering the consequences of their idolatry and rebellion,

although their land is desolate, although the capital city of Jerusalem, here is in ruins and the

glorious golden temple is completely destroyed and although the people are now exiles in a foreign

land, this book of prophecy ends with a vision of the coming glory and kingdom of the Messiah.

Now we've seen some glimpses of this kingdom already in our Wisdom journey through this book,

but in these closing chapters we're given a more detailed and I got to say rather breathtaking

description of your future and mine along with that of the nation of Israel.

Now let's set the timeline here. After the seven years of tribulation,

Jesus Christ will return to earth. He's going to destroy his enemies. He'll establish his kingdom

on earth. That kingdom will continue for a thousand years. That's why we call it the millennial

kingdom. Resurrected believers of all times will be there raining with Christ and they're going

to rain over millions of people on earth who have entered the millennial kingdom alive. These are

people from every tongue, tribe, and nation who accepted Jesus Christ as their savior during the

tribulation, while they survived and now they witness Jesus Christ's return and they move

literally move directly into the kingdom rain of Christ on earth. Now I don't want to get too far

off track here because Ezekiel's focus is on the nation of Israel, those Jewish people from around

the world who in this future day here have regathered in the land of Israel. They accepted Christ

during the tribulation and now they've welcomed their Messiah who's returned to set up his kingdom.

Well in a vision the Lord takes Ezekiel to Jerusalem which is now restored and rebuilt and

their Ezekiel sees a man more than likely an angel and the angel has a measuring rod in his hand

and he tells Ezekiel here in chapter 40 and verse 4 declare all that you see to the house of

Israel. Well what does he see? He sees the millennial temple. This is a future rebuilt glorious

temple for the millennial kingdom. Now we know that when the captives in Babylon eventually returned

to their homeland they rebuilt their temple. It would be later enlarged by King Herod into the

temple that existed during the days of Jesus but that temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70

and listen the temple has never been rebuilt to this day. I've been to Israel and I've seen

the remains of Herod's temple. You got this outer wall that's been nicknamed the wailing wall.

That's where you go to cry. You go to pray because of all that's been lost. The Jewish people

are longing for that temple to be rebuilt. Well let me tell you one day the weeping will cease

and the glorious temple Ezekiel sees here is going to be present during Christ's reign on earth.

In fact chapter 40 and 41 describe this temple in even greater detail. Now there's no reason to

understand this prophecy as anything other than a description of a literal temple in a literal

future kingdom. Back we're given here in chapter 40 the measurements for gates for the

the courts even even the offices the angel gives Ezekiel a tour as they work their way from the

outer court into the inner court of the temple and eventually they arrive here in chapter 41

at the holy of holies the most holy place and it's interesting that there's no mention of a veil

separating the holy place from the holy of holies and is one writer and noted there's no mention

of the arc of the covenant either that mercy seat on which blood was sprinkled on the annual day

of atonement. Well why not? Well because the Lord Jesus the physical visible image of the invisible

God Colossians 115 and the Lamb of God who offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins

Hebrews chapter 10 verse 12 well he's going to be physically visibly present. You see Jesus is

the mercy seat. He is the place where the wrath of God would be turned away. He is the presence

of Almighty God. Well once everything's been measured here at the end of chapter 42 Ezekiel is now

taken out to the gate that faces east the outer perimeter of the entire temple complex is now

measured. It happens to be a perfect square of 500 cubits on each side. One commentator puts this

into perspective by noting that this temple complex is large enough to hold more than 13 football

fields. This is massive. Well now the second part of this significant vision is what Ezekiel sees

next in chapter 43 here where he sees a millennial worship taking center stage in verse 2 he writes

the whole 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 shown with his glory. I kind of imagine the sound

of Niagara Falls accompanied with this brilliant light moving toward the city of Jerusalem

as the glory of God returns. See the people of Israel living in the millennium are believers.

They have a new heart, a new spirit as the Lord prophesied. So now the Lord's presence is going

to literally return. God says here in verse 7 I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel

forever and the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name.

Now a rather interesting feature of millennial worship is given to us here the descendants of

Zedok will serve as priests. These are Levites but they're not from the line of Aaron. The sons of

Zedok had remained faithful to the Lord and Ezekiel 44 verse 15 the Lord says the sons of Zedok who

kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me.

Well they're going to come near to me to minister. God is rewarding them for their faithfulness

way back when Israel went astray. Now chapter 45 tells us that a portion of the land is going to

be set aside as a sacred district. There's going to be a section for the temple, for the priests,

there's going to be a section for the Levites and in addition to all of that, in fact verse 7 tells us

here to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district extending from the

western to the eastern boundary. While this prince is apparently a civil ruler who serves under the

Messiah Jesus. Some believe the prince of Jerusalem will be David himself. We can't be certain. We're

just going to have to wait to find out. Now you might wonder why priests are even needed during

the millennial reign of Christ. After all, Jesus fulfills everything in the Old Testament sacrificial

system. He symbolized in every aspect and now Jesus is visibly present on earth. Well chapter 46

makes it clear that the priest will be carrying out sacrifices in the new temple. But these sacrifice

in the millennial kingdom will have a different purpose than those of the Old Testament era. You see

these sacrifices are going to serve as memorials to the sacrificial death of our king, king Jesus.

They're going to be teaching tools used for a thousand years to retell the story of redemption

to Israel and to the nations around the world. Well now the final two chapters of Ezekiel focus on

the millennial land. There are some new features in the land of Israel. You've got this fresh

life-giving water flowing from the temple eastward toward the Dead Sea. And by the way the Dead Sea

is called the Dead Sea for a reason. Fish and plants can't live in it because of the extremely

high salt content. Well listen to what Ezekiel is told here in verse 8 of chapter 47.

When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. First den,

fishermen will stand beside the sea. It will be a place for the spreading of nets.

Frankly, we can't imagine all of the new, flourishing, beautiful, glorious aspects

of the coming kingdom of Christ on earth. It's going to be magnificent and how exciting it will be

that you and I who believe in Christ are going to experience it first hand.

Well with that, we come to the end of the prophecies of Ezekiel. Yes, there have been prophecies

of judgment, but we've also been given wonderful promises of joy for everyone who repents and places

their faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the coming King. Well until our next wisdom journey

beloved is we begin the book of Daniel. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.

That was Stephen Davie and this is the wisdom journey, a production of wisdom international.

Learn more at wisdomonline.org.