Today’s passage: Ezekiel 48

Helpful thoughts:

• In this final chapter of Ezekiel, the portions of land are allotted to the tribes of Israel with greater specificity than in chapter 47.
• Verses 8-22 describe the city (A new Jerusalem) which will be in the holy portion or district where the temple is.
  • The city gates are named after the twelve sons of Jacob/Israel.  The Levites are given entrance to the city as well, so the sons of Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) will share a gate.
  • This new city will be named appropriately, “The LORD Is There.”

Questions to consider:

1. What would you say is the big theme of chapters 40-48?  What is God going to do?  What promise has He given?
2. Why might it be difficult to interpret these chapters?  Even if the details written out are not all that hard to put on a map or to diagram, what questions do you still have?
3. What will be the best part of the new city, nation, temple, etc.?  No matter how or when this all happens, why will it be amazing? (End of verse 35…)

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 47

Helpful thoughts:

• There will be a river that springs and flows out of the temple!
  • This river will make the Dead Sea a living sea, though the salt industry will still be able to function around it.
• The “sea” is the Dead Sea.  The “Great Sea” is the Mediterranean Sea.
• The land is redistributed for the tribes of Israel.  The amount of land is similar to what the Lord had allotted for Israel in Numbers 34.
  • Others from outside of Israel will come and have children within the land.  When they do, their children will be included in that tribe.  Therefore all twelve tribes could be populated with people of various ethnicities, though they would be considered full Israelites and members of their respective tribes.
  • This idea of foreigners becoming members of Israel is not an entirely new concept (Leviticus 19:34).

Questions to consider:

1. Which characteristic of the river, or the changing of the Dead Sea, or the life returned to it, or even the fruit and vegetation of the region stuck out to you the most?  What will farming and fishing by like in this area after this river begins to flow?
2. Knowing the people groups who live all around Israel and the way that people are able to “sojourn” even in our own day, what do you think Israel will look like as a people in the day described in this chapter?  When there is a peaceful prosperous country with this kind of produce and industry, what will people around the world want to do?
3. How does reading passage like this help us to think about the people we see all around us and around the world today?  Where will the people of God come from (Revelation 7:9)?  To whom should the church take the gospel message (Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:19-20)?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 46

Helpful thoughts:

• Today’s chapter contains instructions for worship on every Sabbath and new moon.
• It might have been tempting to guess that “The Prince” was Jesus Christ, but unless the language here is quite figurative, it can’t be.  The Prince will have sons who will inherit his land.
• The returning of land to the possession of the prince and his family is similar to the year of jubilee found in Leviticus 25:10.
• God continues to provide for the priests in the temple through the sacrifices offered (Verses 19-24).

Questions to consider:

1. Knowing that the gate to the inner court will be opened (Where the glory of God is), what would be the most exciting thing about going through the temple?
2. If that gate faces east, why would it make sense that all who come to the temple would be required to enter from either the north or south and then only be able to exit the opposite gate?  What will everyone experience by walking from one side of the temple to the other?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 45

Helpful thoughts:

• God allots land at and around the temple for the temple, the Zadokite priests, the Levites and for the house of Israel.
  • The holy area is 8 1/3 miles long and 6 2/3 miles wide.  The city portion will add another 1 2/3 miles to the width (Making the whole area square).  “The prince” will have more land on the east and west sides.
    • Not counting the prince’s land, this area covers about 69 1/2 square miles (Over 44,000 acres).
    • For reference: Washington D.C. is about 68 1/3 square miles.  Modern day Jerusalem is about 48 1/3 square miles.
• The land surrounding the temple “district” will be governed by “the prince.”
  • The prince will be responsible to ensure accurate and honest measurements and values for goods and currency.  God will demand and ensure perfect justice in that day!
• The Feasts of Passover (Verse 21) and Tabernacles (Verse 25) will be reinstated during this time, but they will be celebrated differently than before.

Questions to consider:

1. If the prince is governing people inside and outside of this city, what can we learn about life in the kingdom?  Are all of the people going to live inside the city, or will it serve much the same as cities do today, with suburbs and rural areas spread around?
2. When will justice finally be seen on earth?  Though it is right for us to pursue justice now (Micah 6:8), will the world achieve it before Jesus returns?  What will things be like when the world is ruled with justice and integrity?
3. What does it appear the feasts/celebrations of Passover and Tabernacles will both feature?  Will the world still be mindful of sin and the need of forgiveness and reconciliation during this time?  Where does full and final restoration come from (Hebrews 10:8-10)?  What will these sacrifices at the new temple be picturing?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 44

Helpful thoughts:

• Once God enters the temple through the eastern gate, it is no longer to be passed through and it will no longer need to be opened.  God isn’t leaving!
  • Only the “prince” is allowed into the gate (Perhaps just into the gate way, but not through the doors?).  We will learn more about this prince in the chapters ahead.
• Foreigner are considered those who are “uncircumcised in heart and flesh.” (Verse 9)  This points to the idea that all those who have put their faith in Christ are not to be counted as foreigners.
• The Zadokite priests won’t have to work outside of the temple due to lack of use or lack of worship.  They are given instruction for their service, their ceremonial cleanliness and their livelihood.

Questions to consider:

1. What do you notice about the glory of the Lord in this chapter?  Did it get stifled when the doors of the gate were shut?  Can walls put a damper on the glory of God?
2. What did Ezekiel do again when he saw the glory?  Do you think the presence of God’s glory is something we would ever get used to or take for granted?
3. What books of the Bible do these instructions (Or…laws) remind you of?  What can we be reminded of concerning the nature and character of God if His revelation in earlier times is the same during the millennial kingdom?  Does God change?  Is He different now than He used to be?  (Malachi 3:6)

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 43

Helpful thoughts:

• The glory of the Lord will come and fill the new millennial temple.
  • Ezekiel compares this with his initial vision of the glory of God in chapter 1.
  • He also compares it with his vision of the glory departing in chapter 10.
• The presence of God requires the repentance of His people.
  • God is able to declare definitively that the sin of Israel will be no more because He will graciously grant them repentance.
• Sinful mankind cannot enjoy the presence of God without sacrifice.  Therefore, Ezekiel’s vision goes next to the altar.
  • Remember, these sacrifices picture what was truly accomplished through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, just as they did during the Mosaic Covenant.

Questions to consider:

1. What does Ezekiel do when he sees the glory of God (Verse 3)?  Had he been moving under his own strength, would he have gone into the temple where the glory was?  What was necessary to bring him into the presence of God’s glory (Verse 5)?
2. What do verses 7-9 indicate concerning the place God is to have in the lives of His people?  Will there be other activities and other buildings alongside the millennial temple?  Will God allow other forms of worship alongside what He prescribes?  Why is that perfectly appropriate?
3. Why would those who desire to please the Lord in Israel be so excited to hear the details of this prophecy?  What had Israel failed to do during the Mosaic Covenant?  What will they succeed in doing during the millennial kingdom by the grace of God?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 42

Helpful thoughts:

• For dimensions that are more familiar, you can read these passages in the Christians Standard Bible translation.
• Today’s chapter describes the outer courts of the temple building with all the chambers.
  • The purpose and use of the chambers is described in verse 13.
    • The priests had been given portions of the offerings for food in the law (e.g. Leviticus 2:3)
• This temple will be the largest of all the temples that preceded it, approximately 850 ft. squared.
  • For reference, the Capitol building in Washington D.C. is about 750 ft. long by 350 ft. deep.  So, add another 100 feet or so to the length, and make it square.

Questions to consider:

1. If Christ was sacrificed for our sin once and for all (Hebrews 10:1-18), why would there be any need of sacrifices during the Millennial Kingdom? (This article is helpful, especially the final paragraph)
2. We often think of Christ’s sacrifice atoning for our sin and our guilt.  How did Christ fulfill the grain offering, which was given to show God’s provision and sustaining of life to His people (John 6:35)?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 41

Helpful thoughts:

• In today’s chapter, we are brought inside the future temple.
• Ezekiel did not go into the Most Holy Place (The Holy of Holies) in the temple when it was being measured.
• The cherubim and palm trees (Verses 18-19) were used in the design of Solomon’s temple as well (1 Kings 6:29-32).
  • Cherubim guarded the presence of God in Ezekiel’s earlier visions as well as the eastern entrance to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:22-24.
  • The main entrance to the temple is the eastern gate, so there are parallels and pictures here of a return to God’s presence with man in the garden.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do you think God would invite Ezekiel and the rest of us into this attention to detail?  What can this teach us concerning God’s omniscience, His excellence, etc.? And how can this encourage us in our various pursuits throughout the day?
2. What kept Adam and Eve from the garden and God’s presence?  What will God wipe away to return mankind to that kind of fellowship with Him?
3. How does the design of this temple tie the whole story of redemption together?  What things is God teaching His people in all these details?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 40

Helpful thoughts:

• The previous two chapters spoke of what the nations of the world would see in the end at their final defeat.  Now the final nine chapters of Ezekiel speak of what God’s people will experience.
  • From the ESV Study Bible, “Almost all interpreters agree that Ezekiel 40-48 is one of the most difficult passages in the entire Bible.”  Buckle up!
    • The difficulty lies in knowing what all is symbolic and what is to be understood literally in these prophecies.
• In chapter 40, we read the beginning of a description of a new temple.
  • Verses 5-27 describe the outer courts and gates.
  • Verses 28-49 describe the inner court, gates and chambers.
• The reed used for measuring was about 10 feet long.  The cubits are about 20 inches.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the “temple” today (1 Corinthians 3:16)?
2. What has Christ accomplished that would render blood sacrifices at the temple unnecessary (Hebrews 10:1-10)?
3. What questions come to mind when thinking about the idea of a future temple?

Today’s passage: Ezekiel 39

Helpful thoughts:

• The prophecies against Gog and Magog continue in today’s passage.
  • A valley and city will be named after all those who are defeated.
    • Hamonah means multitude.  Hamon-gog means the multitude of Gog (Verses 11, 15-16).
• When this battle is completed the nations will know that Israel had previously been judged for their sin against God, but thereafter Israel will serve the Lord (Verses 21-24).
• When the people of God are gathered together in the end, the Spirit of God will be poured out (Remember Ezekiel 36 & 37).  The people of God will follow God wholeheartedly, and they will do so willingly and happily having been freed from their sin!

Questions to consider:

1. Knowing that Gog and Magog are spoken of in Revelation 20:8, what does it appear is happening in this prophecy?  To what time is this prophecy speaking?
2. What is the significance of the out-pouring of the Spirit?  Why is that necessary?  What would mankind continue to do without God’s gracious redemption? (John 3:3-8, Romans 3:10-18, 21-26, Ephesians 2:1-10, etc.)
3. When will the world truly be in perfect peace?  What will God do? (Revelation 21:1-5)  How does keeping that day in mind impact how we think about today?