Ezekiel 40:1-49

Ezekiel’s Last *Vision

Ezekiel Chapter s 40 to 48

Commentary: Keith Simons; Translation: Ian Mackervoy.

About Ezekiel Chapter s 40 to 48

Terrible events happened in Jerusalem during Ezekiel’s life. Unlike Jeremiah, Ezekiel was not present in Jerusalem when these things happened. Instead, he was in *exile in Babylonia. But Ezekiel still saw these events. He saw them in *visions, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. On some occasions, it seemed as if the Holy Spirit lifted him up in order to take him back to Jerusalem. Each time, Ezekiel recorded carefully the things that he saw.

So Ezekiel saw the terrible things that happened to God’s *holy *temple. He saw how people were *worshipping false gods there (chapter 8). He saw how the inhabitants of Judah had become well-known for their wicked behaviour and murders. He saw that God would not permit this evil situation to continue. And Ezekiel saw when, at last, God’s *glory left his *temple (chapter 10). Then Ezekiel knew that Jerusalem had lost God’s special protection. Enemies would destroy the city and the *temple. The inhabitants would suffer terribly.

This last *vision in the Book of Ezekiel happened 25 years after Ezekiel went into *exile. This was 14 years after the *Babylonian army had destroyed Jerusalem. So nobody was then living in Jerusalem. The walls, the houses and even the great *temple were just piles of stones. The nations called *Israel and Judah seemed to be in a hopeless situation. But God gave this *vision to Ezekiel. And this *vision was wonderful.

Ezekiel saw a *temple. And this *temple was similar to the one that the *Babylonian army destroyed. But, unlike in the old *temple, people were obeying God’s law. The whole nation was loyal to God. The rulers were fair. The priests were *holy. God’s *glory was again present in his *temple. And the people even had a new name for their capital city: ‘The *Lord is there.’

Clearly, this was a wonderful *vision. But it is very difficult to know its meaning:

• Many people believe that this *temple will exist in the future. Jesus, the *Messiah, will return to rule as king. These people believe that he will then establish this *temple. Ian Mackervoy explains this further in our main EasyEnglish Commentary on Ezekiel.

• Other people do not think that this *temple will actually exist. They think that God was using this *vision to teach the *exiles. He wanted to show them what the word ‘*holy’ really means. He wanted to teach them how priests should behave. He wanted them to know what proper *worship is. And he wanted to explain that people should obey his law willingly. Then he would live among them. They would be his people and he would be their God.

It is this second opinion that we explain in this Commentary. But whichever opinion is right, we must remember one important principle. It would be impossible to establish what Ezekiel saw by mere human effort. People in different countries have tried to establish similar things in the past. They have built great buildings but they have not managed to change the attitude of people’s hearts. Passages like Mark 13:14 seem to show that people may try to build such a *temple in the future. But it will not please God. It is the duty of men and women humbly to confess their *sins and to *turn to God. But only God can change the attitude of people’s hearts (John 3:1-16). And only God can establish the form of *worship that pleases him (John 4:23-24).

If God has not established a building to be his house, then the builders work in vain (Psalms 127:1). Unless God sends his *glory to fill a place, the greatest *temple or church is just an empty building. We can only *worship God in a proper manner when he sends his Holy Spirit.

The meaning of the *vision

God used this *vision to teach some important lessons to the *Israelites:

• God wanted to live with his people again. But before this could happen, they had to change their attitudes. They must not simply continue the *sins that they had carried on in the past. Instead, they must *turn from their *sins and they must be loyal to God.

• God wanted the *Israelites to build a new *temple. This new *temple would replace the old *temple that the *Babylonian army destroyed. The *Israelites would *worship God again in the new *temple. God had a perfect plan for the *temple. So, in the *vision, he showed Ezekiel the measurements for his perfect *temple.
• God would come to the *Israelites in their new *temple. His *glory would be there. And he would use the *temple to show his kindness to his people. This would be like a river that flows through a desert. Such a river makes it possible for things to live in places that used to be dead. And so God’s Spirit would make it possible for the *Israelites to have a new relationship with him.
• God would be good to all the *Israelites. All the 12 *tribes continued to be his people. So God mentions all of them in this *vision. And he gives them equal rights to the land in the country that he has given to their nation.

Several years after this *vision, God helped some *Israelites to return to their own country. When they returned, they built another *temple. That *temple was not like the one that Ezekiel saw. But it was a place where they *worshipped God. Later, Haggai said that God would fill that *temple with his *glory (Haggai 2:7). These *prophets lived before Jesus the *Messiah came. So people still had to offer *sacrifices for *sin. And also, people had to keep *holy things separate from everything else. That was why they needed an actual *temple building.

When Jesus came, people saw God’s *glory in him (John 1:14). Jesus said that his body was the new *temple (John 2:21). So people would not have to go to a particular place to *worship God. Instead, God wanted people to *worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24).

At the end of time, God will come to live with his people. There will not be a *temple then (Revelation 21:22). John saw a *vision of what will happen. It is interesting to compare John’s *vision with Ezekiel’s *vision. We shall do this at the end of our notes on Ezekiel chapter 48.

Chapter 40

The man with a measuring stick– Ezekiel 40:1-4

v1 This is what happened at the beginning of the 25th year during our *exile. And it was in the 14th year after the defeat of the city. On the 10th day of the month, I felt the power of the *LORD upon me. He took me there. v2 In a *vision, God brought me to the country called *Israel. He put me on a very high mountain. On the south of the mountain, there were some buildings. They seemed to be a city. v3 God took me there. And I saw a man who was standing in the gate. He looked as if he were *bronze. In his hands, he had a string and a measuring stick. v4 The man spoke to me. ‘*Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears. Pay attention to all that I will show you. God brought you here for that purpose. Tell the *Israelites all that you see.’