Ezekiel chapters 40 through 48 provide great detail on the temple reconstruction as well as the sacrifices to be offered in the new temple. The verses which struck me are in chapters 40 and 41.
Ezekiel is shown a vision of the new temple being measured. Measuring is important in Scripture because it signifies that God is at work. Fast forward for a moment to John 14:1-3 where Christ says He goes to a place to prepare a dwelling for us there. This is similar to the Ezekiel 40-41 where God is measuring for the construction of a new temple.
For context, earlier in Ezekiel God foretold judgment if Israel did not repent from their sinful ways. God also pointed out in detail the sin which Israel was committing. Then, after repeated attempts to achieve repentance failed, God fulfilled the prophetic warnings and used enemy invaders to destroy Jerusalem and take Israel captive.
In chapters 40-41, God is at work preparing a place for Israel to return. The narrative in Ezekiel is tremendously important, though easily overlooked. First, where there is sin, God imposes judgment. Judgment is imposed even though the people were once righteous. Judgment is only necessary if the sin is abhorrent to God, which we know it is.
God does offer, however, restoration and reconciliation. This is the whole message of Easter – restoration and reconciliation to God despite our sin. In Ezekiel, God makes it clear that repentance is required, and along with repentance, there must be a particular worship of God and sacrifices offered to atone sin. The original detailed instructions for the priests given in Leviticus are repeated in Ezekiel, including that the priest is to be clean and wear white linen when coming into the Holy of Holies.
A scene which particularly caught my attention is in Ezekiel 43:2-4. In chapter 40, Ezekiel begins describing the vision by writing, “In the visions of God He brought me into the land of Israel, and set me on a very high mountain…” It is clear that Ezekiel was in some type of presence of the Lord. However, in chapter 43, Ezekiel writes, “Then he led me to the gate facing the east; and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. And it was like the appearance of the vision which I saw, like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the house by way of the gate facing toward the east.”
Ezekiel is in God’s presence starting in chapter 40, yet he is not overwhelmed by the presence. However, in chapter 43, Ezekiel falls on his face at the presence of the Lord filling the temple. Why is this significant, and what changed?
Like Isaiah 6, Ezekiel 43 is a scene of worship. We cannot come into the presence of God where He expects worship and be dripping with the sin of the world. We cannot come into the presence of God and not see our sin and see ourselves for who we are. Both Ezekiel and Isaiah saw their sin in the presence of the Lord and just how undone they were when God demanded worship.
Ezekiel writes about this in 43:6-12 and 44:5-13. God is describing the sins of Israel and requiring repentance as part of the new work He is undertaking. In short, God is requiring the response of repentance in order for Israel to fully enjoy the new temple and a restoration of the relationship they previously had with God.
This helps us understand, then, the significance of the detailed prescriptions for worship and sacrifice starting in Ezekiel 44:15. In worship, God demands that we be clean, holy, and righteous. We cannot come before Him in worship while we are sporting the sins of the world on our sleeves. The heart that will worship God must be repentant and penitent.
The requirements are no different in the New Testament. The dwelling place of the Lord is in our hearts, and the new work which was begun when Christ arose from the tomb continues today. God continues to require that we worship Him in truth, to repent from our sin, and to confess that we have sinned.
While detailed instructions are provided in the Old Testament for outward preparation for the presence of the Lord, these detailed instructions are required to be followed in our hearts.
Ezekiel 40-48 provides us with great promise. This promise can be summarized in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
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