Ezekiel

Ezekiel Chapter 41

• Ezekiel 41:1 Afterward he brought me to the temple, and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side, and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle. 
• 2 And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side, and five cubits on the other side: and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits: and the breadth, twenty cubits. 

5 cubits was about 5 feet and 10 inches. 

• Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits. 
• 4 So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple: and he said unto me, This is the most holy place. 

This is probably similar to the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle where no one could enter but the High Priest. 

That was a pattern of the one to come, Jesus Christ is the high priest for our salvation, who is the only way of salvation for those who believe. All the set patterns in building the tabernacle in the wilderness and the temple in the days of Solomon were for a purpose. It all taught those who would listen about the way of salvation and how it was obtained. 

A sacrifice had to be made for sin over and over again until the final sacrifice for sin came and paid the sin for all mankind to be forgiven of sins and to be saved. 

In order for that sacrifice to count on our behalf we must first believe in the one that is taking away our sins. Our part is to believe, repent of our sins and receive this gift of salvation through faith in Jesus the Christ or Messiah.

Everything we see here is built to perfection and all is for a purpose indicating only one way to eternal life and salvation. That one way is Jesus Christ. 

Since this temple is being built during the reign of Jesus Christ it would seem as if it was something like a memorial to remind all of what Jesus did to save us from sin. It is something we must never forget for the price Jesus paid for our sins was high, it was pure and it was for all eternity. I must add here for the sake of truth that some simple believe this temple is the one built after the Babylonian captivity and not during the reign of Christ.

It could be also that during the 1000 year reign not everyone on the earth will have been saved from sin yet. This is a period that the world will see what it is like for a righteous ruler to rule. After the 1000 years are finished, Satan is let lose for a season and he will gather armies to come against the Holy City. So we will see then that there is still rebellion on the earth. People love their sin. That is the difference between false religion and a godliness through Jesus Christ. False religions will allow some sins of the flesh but holiness and godliness will not. 

That is why the unbelieving world hates Jesus. We must repent of sin or turn away from sin when we receive Jesus into our lives. That is the difference. To find out what sin is, we must study the bible and ask God to show us the truth, the way and the life. To reject Jesus, the only true way of salvation, one remains in sin and is lost. This will open him or her up to believe the great lie and follow anything and everything except Jesus Christ.

That final battle I mention above will bring about an end to all rebellion. After that the earth is cleansed and God comes down to dwell with those that believed upon His Son, Jesus Christ. 

• Ezekiel 41:5 After he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side. 
• 6 And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have hold, but they had not hold in the wall of the house. 
• 7 And there was an enlarging, and a winding about still upward to the side chambers: for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house: therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the midst. 
• 8 I saw also the height of the house round about: the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits. 
• 9 The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber without, was five cubits: and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within. 
• 10 And between the chambers was the width of twenty cubits round about the house on every side. 
• 11 And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south: and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about. 
• 12 Now the building that was before the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about, and the length thereof ninety cubits. 
• 13 So he measured the house, a hundred cubits long; and the separate place, and the building, with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long; 
• 14 Also the breadth of the face of the house, and of the separate place toward the east, a hundred cubits. 
• 15 And he measured the length of the building over against the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits, with the inner temple, and the porches of the court; 
• 16 The door posts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories, over against the door, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows, and the windows were covered; 
• 17 To that above the door, even unto the inner house, and without, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure. 
• 18 And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces; 
• 19 So that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side: it was made through all the house round about. 
• 20 From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple. 
• 21 The posts of the temple were squared, and the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other. 
• 22 The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof, and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the table that is before the LORD. 
• 23 And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. 
• 24 And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door. 
• 25 And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without. 
• 26 And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks. 

It would appear that God was not against decoration and using symbols as long as it was something He ordained and instructed to be done. These things stand for something holy and sacred. Image carvings and such are never to be used for worship or to bow down to even as a symbol to represent the real God or His Son, Jesus Christ. 

We are instructed to worship only God and never to use images to represent Him. This is forbidden by the 2nd commandment and it is very serious. 

This temple is according to the heavenly pattern and was perfect in every detail or else the dimensions would not have been given in detail like they were. 

I believe this points to one holy perfect way of salvation and this is built for a memorial to that perfect way. 

There will be natural people during the Millennium that have not yet been born again by the spirit and will have to be taught about the sacrifices leading up to the death of Christ, His sacrifice for sins and all the things that were done so that we can have eternal life. 

Those natural people who have not yet died and received new bodies but are living during the 1000 reign of Christ will have to make a decision whether or not to receive Jesus Christ just like we do today. 

There still are things yet to be revealed to us and I can only guess at this time why there will need to be a temple during the Millennium but not in eternity according to Revelation. The Millennium is not the final act in God's plan for the human race. There is more to come. 

• Revelation 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. 
• 23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. 
• 24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. 
• 25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. 
• 26 And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. 
• 27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. 

It would appear that during the Millennial reign of Jesus there is still more work to be done to save the lost. If we are saved now, we will be resurrected and be one of those that rule and reign with Jesus Christ during this 1000 years. 

If we are not saved when we die, we will not be resurrected until after the Millennium and will face the white throne judgment. The decision is ours to make now as the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ. 

God has a set pattern and one way of doing things. We mess up when we overstep our bounds and try to do things our own way. Many have tried to set up the kingdom of Christ ahead of this time. Many have thought that since Jesus has delayed His coming, it must mean that He isn't literally coming. That is a big mistake many have made over the years. How can we possibly set up His kingdom for Him. The only instructions that the Lord has given the church at this time is to preach the gospel and teach all the things He has commanded us to teach. 

We are not to build great temples and try to copy this pattern ahead of time. We are not to try to rule the world and force Christianity upon people. They must come to Christ by the preaching of the gospel. The presence of the Holy Spirit is present to draw them into salvation by faith in Christ and repenting of sin. We are not to use force. We have to have governments to enforce law and order. People are forced to obey civil laws. We cannot force a true conversion though. Only the Holy Spirit can draw a person to repentance and to Jesus Christ. There is no way we can force true Christianity upon any person. Even water baptism does not make one holy. It has to be a conversion by the Spirit of God. In other words, we are born from above.

We must be salt and light in our own generation being an example of holiness, peace and godliness but we cannot convert a sinner by the use of force and government. Jesus will set up His own kingdom at His literal return. Let's eagerly wait for Him by occupying faithfully until He comes. DC

Ezekiel Chapter 42

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