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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Glory Filled the Temple

"Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looks toward the east: And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house" .Ezekiel:43:1-5

The Prophet Ezekiel ,in vision , beheld and he saw the Temple of God, beginning in the 40th   chapter of his book the Prophet describes  the  layout and design of what has been called by some Biblical Scholars as the Millennium Temple. It is believed by some that just prior to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ the Jewish people will construct a Temple on the historic site of Salomon 's Temple at Jerusalem and it is to this Temple that some believe our Lord will come and fill with His glory. There may be some credibility to that view, but it is not the only view regarding Ezekiel's vision?


Ezekiel Chapters 40 to 46 describe the lay out of the Temple complex and some courts and the uses of the different  chambers in the Temple and the sacerdotal  function of the Levites and priest and furnishings.  Also is described is the "Holy District" and the the "Prince and the Feast".

The reason given for this prophetic tour of the Temple is found in Ezekiel:43:10-12

"You son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion of it, and the goings out there, and the comings in there, and all the forms of it, and all the ordinances , and all the forms , and all the laws : and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form of it, and all the ordinances , and do them. This is the law of the house; On the top of the mountain the whole area  of it round about will be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house."

The vision is that there might be a change of heart and mind with in them and if that change came , then even more revelation would be forth coming to them.


What Did It Mean? 
  What did all this say to the Prophet? How did those who prophesied for the Lord understand their relationship with God? To the Holy Prophets  they saw the sin and neglect of Israel toward the Covenant which their fore Fathers  made with God. To the Prophets  The Temple ,  was the center and focus  of their relationship with God. They understood that relationship through the view of the Temple, a glorified Temple spoke of Israel's relationship with God as being what it was meant to be.

In Ezekiel:47: 1-2He is shown, as he stands in the door  a flow of water that issued from the threshold and the south side of the Alter and went forth to bring healing

The Water  Flows

"Afterward he brought me again to the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without to the utter gate by the way that looks eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side"

  This stream of water grows ever deeper as Ezekiel wades into it.

"And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over." (3-5)

The man, or angel who is accompanying Ezekiel asked the Prophet.

 "Son of man, have you seen this?" (6b)

Ezekiel's  guide  takes him back to the bank of the river and give him the direction to which this flowing stream from the Temple of God goes unto, healing the salt sea and brings life to the parched land.

"And he led me, and brought me back to the bank of the river.When I returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said unto me, These waters issue out toward the east district, and go down into the plain, and go into the sea; when they are brought forth into the sea, the waters thereof will be healed. And it will come to pass that every living thing which moves, wherever the double river will come, shall live. And there will be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters will come there, and the waters of the sea will be healed; and everything will live where the river comes. And it will come to pass, that fishermen will stand upon it; from En-gedi even unto En-eglaim will be a place to spread forth nets: their fish will be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. But its marshes and its pools will not be healed; they will be given up to salt.And by the river, upon its bank, on the one side and on the other, shall grow all trees for food, whose leaf shall not fade, nor their fruit fail: it shall bring forth new fruit every month, for its waters issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof will be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine." (6c-11)


For Us in Jesus

Is this vision for the future only? What about for Christians?  How can we see in this something more than just a "prophetic event" that is waiting for the people of Israel? 
When we read the Bible through Who Jesus is, and not just through the view of events, we can see that 
Ezekiel's Temple speaks to us regarding our Lord and Savior Jesus. Again,  understand what the Temple represented to the Prophet it was the center of Israel's relationship with God. In the vision Ezekiel  sees that relationship as it should be, in it's ideal expression the way all the prophets of God would want it. But what about for us Christians , what is the ideal expression of the intended relationship that we are given with the Creator God? That relationship is modeled for us and in Christ we are included in that relationship.

When we view the Word of God through who Jesus is this  allows for a deeper greater meaning for all time,  not divided into the past or future. We see our Lord standing forth as the central theme of all the Word. Jesus Himself tells us that He is the very subject of all the Bible.

"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me," John:5:39-40

"He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself"Luke:24:25-27

The Glorified Temple

When read in this way what we can see  is the Glorified Temple of our Lord's raised humanity. Speaking of His resurrection and  Jesus tells the religious leaders.

"Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
They replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"
But the temple he had spoken of was his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken
" John:2:19-22

Jesus tells us that His resurrection, that is His being glorified occurred at the resurrection. His resurrection unleashes for humanity a divine chain of events. After His death upon the cross,  to pay the penalty for our sins the stone dead and lifeless body of Jesus lay in the darkness of the tomb, then the glory of the Lord filled again His body . He is raised up and the relationship that was always meant to be is now accomplished by Him for each and all who will but freely receive it.

What we are seeing in Ezekiel is a glimpse of the resurrection symbolized by the Temple which moments before lay still and lifeless as our Lord was in the tomb.

Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when hecame to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.Ezekiel:43:1-5

This is the glorious moment of Jesus' resurrection the Temple of His body  filled with glory.Jesus raised from the dead. We catch a glimpse of this glorified Temple of the Lord in Revelation:1:12-18

"I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades."


The Waters Flow

As the glorified temple is then shown the Prophet now made as it was always meant to be, this now holy restored relationship, called  the "law of the House" Ezekiel:43:12 ,  so now in Jesus we are in relationship. And as the water flowed to the healing of land and sea so the Holy Spirit flows now unto each.

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified." John:7:37-39

John speaks of the Water flow of the Holy Spirit coming forth after the Temple of Jesus body is glorified, this holy water flow of  God the Holy Spirit  brings healing  to us and spiritually and bodily as the flow in Ezekiel' s' vision healed the sea and land that brought forth  life  the abundant fruit from the trees which lined its banks.. There is now life and fruitfulness in us as the Holy Spirit transformed us. Galatians:5:22-25

We who come to but our faith in Jesus, that is Christians ,  are like those fisherman who at the waters  near En Gedi, and bring forth an abundant catch of many kinds, that is we are now fishers of men who as the Gospel about Jesus is preach people from many lands are drawn in into the faith our our Lord Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit flows forth.

"Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Mediterranean Sea". Ezekiel:47:10

 "And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men" .Matthew:4:19
The Glory Forever

Will there be a temple constructed at Jerusalem? Maybe, could be,  probably,  but far above and beyond the Temple thought to be yet constructed in Jerusalem these words are far more glorious when read as applying to Jesus and all that is found in Him, for all that we see in Ezekiel only again hints at what lies  in eternity for any and all who will but freely receive it in our Lord.Here we see life eternal with the Holy Trinity,and all who will freely receive it through Jesus Christ.

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life."Revelation:21:22-26

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."Revelation:22:1-5

All praise to God as we too look to that "moment" in eternity , when will walk in the Holy courts of that relationship and we will behold the very living Jesus Who is that Temple filled with the glory of the Lord. Amen

Rev.Todd Crouch, Pastor

The Fountain of Life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion 
 2101 Old National Pike
Washington, Pennsylvania.   www.gcfountainoflife.org
The Fountain of Life is heard on the RKP Radio Network 1710 and 1670 AM in Washington and North Franklin ,and 1790 AM  in the Arden Fair Grounds area of Washington Pennsylvania, and on 1710 AM in Bentleyville and Monongahela, Pennsylvania. And online around the world at www.rkpradio.com

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