Ezekiel

Ezekiel Chapter 43

Ezekiel 43:1 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:

This reminds me of the song, "I will meet you in the morning, just inside the Eastern Gate."
That is the direction we believe the Lord will come back the 2nd time when He rescues Israel from her enemies and then sets up His kingdom.

Ezekiel 43:2 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.

Here we see a vision of the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and the glory that accompanies His coming presence.

Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.

We need to be ready for the coming of the Lord whether it His coming to gather His believers before the great tribulation or of His visible literal return to set up His kingdom on earth. To be ready is to have received Jesus in our lives before those times.

Ezekiel 43:3 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 upon my face.

The message is always the same. To avoid the judgment of God, just simply obey the word of God. Jesus is the word made flesh. To believe in the Son of God is to believe in life. To reject Him is to walk in darkness and receive eternal death.

Psalm 85:9 Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.

To be part of His salvation we must fear the Lord. To fear the Lord is to have respect to His word and believe in His power to save us from sin to make us worthy to enter into the kingdom to come. According to Psalm 85:9, this salvation is close at hand to those that fear Him.

If we feared the Lord, we would not ignore His word or His commandments. We would not neglect the way of salvation provided to us by the atonement Christ paid for all our sin. We would not neglect to study His word or seek His face.

Ezekiel 43:4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.
6 And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
7 And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places.

This describes the future kingdom under Jesus Christ. He will reign from Israel, more exact would be the city of Jerusalem. There will be no more idolatry which caused Israel to be defiled with whoredom and worship idols in the high places.

Israel will be made pure and will not be apart from God or defiled with sin after this time.

Ezekiel 43:8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

Here we see clearly how the abomination of sin separated Israel from God. Sin also is what will separate any other nation or individual person from God. That is why Jesus came to save His people from their sins. This promise of salvation was given to the Jews first and then to the rest of the world. Some have rejected this way of salvation but a remnant have received this way of salvation.

As we look at our world today, 2025, we see that the gospel is returning to the Jewish people who first gave it to the Gentiles.

Ezekiel 43:9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever.

Here is the simple gospel. Put away sin and God comes to dwell with us.

This can happen within each and every individual who receives Jesus Christ now in this present time. We are literally born again by the spirit of God when we turn to Christ and turn away from sin.

However, that is just the beginning of all good things. God is literally going to come to dwell with men after Christ rids the world of all sin.

Right now it is given to individuals who will receive Him but one day He is returning to bring judgment to those that refuse to repent of sin and He will set up His kingdom.

This is what the Jews thought Christ was supposed to do the first time around. They wanted to be free from Roman oppression. They thought Christ would come to free them from Rome and set up a kingdom with Christ ruling from Jerusalem.

Actually they were not wrong but they had the timing wrong. Jesus had to come the first time to die for sins. The sin problem had to be dealt with first before Christ could come, deliver Israel from their enemies and then set up His kingdom.

This is why many of them missed the message. They were looking for the visible kingdom and not the eternal salvation and repentance from sin. They didn't see themselves as sinners in need of salvation.

The thing is that every one of us who have reached the age of accountability has to repent of sin and has to trust in Christ to deliver us from sin in order for us to be saved from sin and inherit eternal life.

The same is true for both Jews and Gentiles, bond or free, male or female, rich or poor, good or bad. We all have to come the same way, through faith in Jesus Christ because that is the reason Jesus came the first time. To make an offering for sin and usher in the way of salvation for all mankind.

Our part is to accept this or reject this and be lost and eternally separated from God.

SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD. JESUS CAME TO REPAIR THAT SEPARATION BY REMOVING THE SIN THAT SEPARATES US FROM A HOLY GOD.

In order for this salvation to count for us as individuals, we have to first simply believe in Jesus to the point that we are willing to allow Him to cleanse us from sin and our attitude changes to the point that we turn away from sin and do not desire to return to the sin that Jesus saves us out of.

Ezekiel 43:10 Thou 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.
11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

Notice that they had to be ashamed of sin before they are reconciled back to God. The first step to genuine repentance is to be ashamed of our sin so much that we want to be rid of it.

We have not will power to get rid of sin by ourselves so we have to turn to Christ and allow Him to deliver us from sin.

It's like being in a pit of mire so deep that we can't get out unless we get outside help to come and lift us out. That is why God sent Jesus to do. If someone is in the pit with us, they are trapped and can't help us but someone from the outside that is not trapped with us can pull us out.

Jesus had no sin and when He died, He paid the penalty for sin when He didn't deserve the penalty. Now it can count for us if we receive this promise and not neglect to repent and turn to Christ.

Ezekiel 43:12 This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

True biblical holiness is necessary to see the Lord and dwell with Him but it has to come from the holy one, Jesus Christ who gives us the Holy Spirit to abide with us after we turn from sin and turn to Him (Jesus).

Hebrews 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Notice that without holiness no one, Jew or Gentile will see the Lord. How can we be made holy enough to see the Lord?

1John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The blood of Jesus that was shed when He died for our sin, is what covers our sin and makes us holy enough to dwell in the very presence of a Holy God. We come by faith that what God says is true and that faith in Christ will save our eternal souls.

Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.

We glory in the fact that we understand and know God. Nothing else is worthy being proud or boastful about.

Ezekiel 43:13 And these are the measures of the altar after the cubits: The cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth; even the bottom shall be a cubit, and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span: and this shall be the higher place of the altar.
14 And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower settle shall be two cubits, and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser settle even to the greater settle shall be four cubits, and the breadth one cubit.
15 So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.
16 And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
17 And the settle shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.
18 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.
19 And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approach unto me, to minister unto me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.
20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.
21 Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, without the sanctuary.
22 And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they did cleanse it with the bullock.
23 When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish, and a ram out of the flock without blemish.
24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.
26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.

We see here a picture of how they had to come for cleansing from sin before the coming of Jesus Christ who offering Himself once and for all for our sins.

Before the time Jesus said, "It is finished," when He died upon the cross, they had to offer sacrifices to show a type of what was to come.

Here is how it is described in the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:
12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
14 For by one offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified.
15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
21 And having a high priest over the house of God;
22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Christ brought to us a new and living way so that the old way was fulfilled. In the Old Testament we see pictured an outward show of religious works that pointed toward the salvation to come. Those that died believing in this would be saved. In the New Testament we see a new covenant and a new way that not only saves us from past sin but brings us into a life of being filled with God's spirit. It is a new and living way.

The sacrificial law was fulfilled in Christ. The moral law of God is now put within our hearts. We now can live with the spirit of God within us helping us to live above sin and not return to our old nature. We have a new and living attitude that hates sin and continually allows the spirit of God to keep us from returning to the old nature.

This is why when we come to Christ, we turn away from sin, are cleansed from sin and then we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

All these things are freely given to all who will just simply believe and come to Jesus Christ. DC

Ezekiel 44

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