Ezekiel Chapters 40-42

Ezekiel chapters 40 - 48 describe a future temple of the Lord that Ezekiel sees in a vision. These chapters are often skipped over quickly because of the great attention to detail that Ezekiel pays to the measurements and exact layout of the structure. But God would not have given Ezekiel this vision if it did not represent something very important. God is painting a picture for Ezekiel of what the kingdom of God looks like...He is given the prophet a sneak peak into the new world order that God will be setting into place as He works out His plan for salvation for the world. The visionary temple represents the safety that exists when we enter into God's presence...the separation of the holy and the profane. The temple wall is 10 feet high and 10 feet thick...it is a wall that cannot be easily overcome (v. 5). The gates of the complex are huge and long, making them great focal points for defense of any opposing forces, which is important, because gates are usually the weakest part of a defensive structure and these gates are by no means weak. These things work together to show that people who enter into the kingdom of God and dwell in His presence will be safe and secure. The imagery of the cherub and the palm tree that decorate the inner parts of the temple structure represent God's divine justice and fertility respectively (v.41:19). Together they show us a picture of the just kingdom of God that is full of hope and new life - that is the place to be!

I have included a great picture I found of the temple complex online...the artist did his best to try to make a structure that stuck to the biblical description as close as possible. The reason this imagery is so powerful comes fully into light as we think about the person of Jesus Christ. Ezekiel's temple is impossible for us to get into...the walls are too thick...the gates are too strong...the separation between the holiness of God and the fallenness of ourselves and the rest of the world is too great...we do not have access to the awesome kingdom of God. But God had a plan to bring us access to His presence all along. He came down to earth in the form of a man - Jesus Christ. Jesus became the literal temple of the living God. This was a temple that was not impervious like the Ezekiel temple...the body of Jesus was fragile and weak like all human bodies. The temple of the living God was nailed to a cross...the temple was torn down as a sacrifice for our sins. Now because of that sacrifice we have access to the presence of God. We are covered in the blood of Jesus and we can enter into the sanctuary of God's presence. His sacrifice is the only proof we have to show that we belong with God. All we have to do is accept and choose to enter. But for those who refuse to accept...for those who refuse to let the sacrifice of Jesus Christ cover their sins...there is no access. The holy and the profane are still separated.