A Vision of Heaven

Readings for today: Ezekiel 40-44, Psalms 43

Imagine you are God for a moment. Your people are living in exile. They are defeated. Discouraged. Depressed. They desperately need their hope restored. Because you love them with an everlasting love, you have a plan to restore them to the Promised Land and return them to Jerusalem. How would you best communicate your intentions to your people? You would show them a rebuilt Temple where your glory would once again reside. You would give them a vision of renewed worship with people, priests, and princes all playing their respective roles. You would let them know your plan to dwell with them forever.

This is exactly what Ezekiel sees. He sees a vision of a new Temple restored in Jerusalem. He sees his people and their priests and their prince all serving faithfully in their respective, God-ordained roles. He is given the exact measurements of this Temple and each of its sacred spaces. He sees the glory of God as it fills the Temple once again and he falls to the ground in worship.

Historically, this passage has been notoriously difficult to interpret. Some believe Ezekiel was given a vision of a 3rd Temple that will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Some take the opposite position and believe Ezekiel’s vision is purely symbolic, depicting an “ideal” Temple that will never be built. Some take the position - as I do - that Ezekiel sees a vision of a heavenly Temple that will one day descend to earth and actually finds it’s fulfillment in John’s vision of the heavenly city in the Book of Revelation. In fact, if one compares what Ezekiel sees with what John sees, there are a great number of similarities. The allusions to Eden. The river of God. The dimensions of the heavenly Temple and the heavenly city (both are perfectly square).

Of course, if one takes the eschatological view (whether you believe in a 3rd Temple being built on the Temple Mount or you believe in a heavenly Temple one day descending to earth in the New Jerusalem), you still are left to puzzle over why there would be an altar and sacrifices. After all, in John’s vision there are no such things because Christ Himself has become the perfect sacrifice. Surely, there will be no more need for a sacrificial system in heaven so why would God include these in the vision He gives to His prophet?

Here one has to remember that God’s revelation is progressive. He speaks to us in language and in terms we can understand. The people of Israel in Ezekiel’s day had no frame of reference that would include a crucified and resurrected Messiah. Their knowledge of the worship of the Living God was limited by what they knew of the Law and what they had experienced throughout their history. God therefore gave them a vision of worship that they could understand. However, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the people of God were ready for a new vision. A fresh vision. A fuller picture of what is to come and so John receives his revelation which acts as the fulfillment of the vision God first gave to Ezekiel. You and I are post-resurrection people. As such, we look forward to the day when our Messiah will return and commence His reign from His throne in the New Jerusalem. There will not be any need for a Temple or a sun or a moon for that matter for the Lord God will be our Temple and our Light. We will see Him face to face and walk with Him again in perfect relationship for all eternity.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 45-48, Psalms 44

Living Waters

Readings for today: Ezekiel 45-48

I love Ezekiel’s vision today. Water flowing from the Temple of God. Beginning as a trickle but becoming a mighty river, flowing southeast out of Jerusalem towards the Dead Sea. The region around the Sea is a wasteland. A desert. A void. A place where nothing grows. I’ve been there. It’s desolate. And yet, as the river reaches the sea, this amazing miracle takes place! Trees begin to grow on either side. Their fruit providing food and sustenance to all. Their leaves never wither or fade. The water itself teems with life. Fish of every kind find a home there. As the waters reach the Sea, they bring it from death to life. The saltwater turns fresh and it begins to produce a hundredfold. Yes, there are still reminders of the former days. Still reminders of the death that once reigned here. The marshes and swamps retain their salty character but those simply serve as witnesses to the miracle of resurrection that has taken place! 

For the Christian, we recognize the prophetic nature of Ezekiel’s vision. Many centuries later, the Apostle Peter will actually stand on the steps of the Temple and preach the gospel for the first time. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully through his words and 3000 gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Along the very stairs where Peter most likely preached are the ceremonial mikvehs where Jewish believers would wash before going into worship. You can see them today. The 3000 who were saved were probably baptized in those very waters! What began as a trickle soon became a mighty river as the Spirit moved in the hearts of those early believers. From 20,000 at the end of the 1st century to over 20 million some two hundred years later to over 3 billion today; the river of the gospel of Jesus Christ just gets deeper and wider as it flows! 

But even this is just a foretaste of what’s to come! In the Book of Revelation, the Apostle John receives a vision that sounds eerily similar to what Ezekiel received. “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations…The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.” (Revelation‬ ‭22:1-2, 17‬) Friends, God is still on the move! Even after all these centuries, the living waters are still flowing. Lives are still being changed by the gospel. God refuses to remain in His Temple. His grace moves out into the wastelands of our world. Into the darkest places where death reigns. And His grace brings life. Hope. Joy. Peace. Churches sprout up along its banks, bearing the fruit of the Spirit to sustain the nations. As they seek Christ themselves, they find their leaves never wither. The world itself is renewed. Restored. Redeemed. Where O Death is now thy sting? Where O Death is now thy victory? The Living Water that Christ offers us fills the void! It becomes a spring of water welling up continually in our souls. Healing our hurts. Easing our pain. Comforting our grief. Sustaining us until the day when Christ will come again to wipe away every tear and make all things new. 

Readings for tomorrow: Daniel 1-3

A New Temple

Readings for today: Ezekiel 41-44

Imagine you are God for a moment. Your people are living in exile. They are defeated. Discouraged. Depressed. They desperately need their hope restored. Because you love them with an everlasting love, you have a plan to restore them to the Promised Land and return them to Jerusalem. How would you best communicate your intentions to your people? You would show them a rebuilt Temple where your glory would once again reside. You would give them a vision of renewed worship with people, priests, and princes all playing their respective roles. You would let them know your plan to dwell with them forever.

This is exactly what Ezekiel sees. He sees a vision of a new Temple restored in Jerusalem. He sees his people and their priests and their prince all serving faithfully in their respective, God-ordained roles. He is given the exact measurements of this Temple and each of it’s sacred spaces. He sees the glory of God as it fills the Temple once again and he falls to the ground in worship.

Historically, this passage has been notoriously difficult to interpret. Some believe Ezekiel was given a vision of a 3rd Temple that will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Some take the opposite position and believe Ezekiel’s vision is purely symbolic, depicting an “ideal” Temple that will never be built. Some take the position - as I do - that Ezekiel sees a vision of a heavenly Temple that will one day descend to earth and actually finds it’s fulfillment in John’s vision of the heavenly city in the Book of Revelation. In fact, if one compares what Ezekiel sees with what John sees, there are a great number of similarities. The allusions to Eden. The river of God. The dimensions of the heavenly Temple and the heavenly city (both are perfectly square).

Of course, if one takes the eschatological view (whether you believe in a 3rd Temple being built on the Temple Mount or you believe in a heavenly Temple one day descending to earth in the New Jerusalem), you still are left to puzzle over why there would be an altar and sacrifices. After all, in John’s vision there are no such things because Christ Himself has become the perfect sacrifice. Surely, there will be no more need for a sacrificial system in heaven so why would God include these in the vision He gives to His prophet?

Here one has to remember that God’s revelation is progressive. He speaks to us in language and in terms we can understand. The people of Israel in Ezekiel’s day had no frame of reference that would include a crucified and resurrected Messiah. Their knowledge of the worship of the Living God was limited by what they knew of the Law and what they had experienced throughout their history. God therefore gave them a vision of worship that they could understand. However, after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the people of God were ready for a new vision. A fresh vision. A fuller picture of what is to come and so John receives his revelation which acts as the fulfillment of the vision God first gave to Ezekiel. You and I are post-resurrection people. As such, we look forward to the day when our Messiah will return and commence His reign from His throne in the New Jerusalem. There will not be any need for a Temple or a sun or a moon for that matter for the Lord God will be our Temple and our Light. We will see Him face to face and walk with Him again in perfect relationship for all eternity.

Readings for tomorrow: Ezekiel 45-48