Ezekiel 43:6

Ezekiel 43:6 says, And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.   Ezekiel said he heard God speaking to him out of the house as the man of brass stood next to him.  The voice of God came from the temple with Jesus Christ, if we accept the fact that He was the man of brass, standing by Ezekiel's side.  We must have Jesus Christ by our side if we are going to hear the voice of God in any way other than to call us to salvation or to send us away to everlasting punishment if we do not accept Him as our Savior and Lord.  I believe it could also represent God moving out of the man-made temple and into the heart of each believer. 

Verse seven adds, 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 for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high places. God said that none of the children of Israel would any longer defile the place of His throne or anywhere His feet touched or His holy name.  I believe this was not a statement that the people of Isreal, God’s chosen people, would be incapable of disobeying God, but that those who really returned to their covenant relationship with Him would no longer defile His name.  As Christians, we should always attempt to live up to our covenant relationship with God established by our putting our faith in Jesus Christ, but it does not mean that we are incapable of failing Him.  This would apply to all the people, from the rulers on down.   

Verse eight continues, 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.  God said that when the people of Israel began to set their standards as equal to His standards that they defiled His holy name by the abominations that they committed.  If we begin to put manmade standards equal to or above God’s standards, we defile His name.  God said that He had destroyed them because of this, and if we do not accept God’s gift of salvation one day we will be sent away to everlasting destruction.  

Verse nine states, Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.  God told Ezekiel to call on the people to put away their whoredoms, or their worship of idols and ignoring His laws and He would live in their midst forever.  When we confess our sins and put our faith in Jesus Christ, we should remove all the things that dishonor God from our lives, and we will live in the presence of God forever.  This doesn’t mean that we won’t fail at times, but that we should strive to always be obedient to God by the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  

Verse ten adds, Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.  God said that Ezekiel was to show the people of God their iniquities.  We as Christians are called on to point out sins to people today, not in a judgmental or superior way but so that they might repent and turn to God for salvation.  He was to show them the pattern of salvation, which was by faith in God alone.  We must come to God by His way, which is the only way to salvation.  

Verse eleven continues, And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew 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. God told Ezekiel that if the people were ashamed of what they had done then he could show them everything about the temple and His laws.  I believe that this implies that they had repented when they were ashamed.  We cannot see God’s kingdom if we do not repent of our sins and accept the forgiveness that faith in Jesus Christ alone can provide.  It is not enough to just be ashamed of our sins if we don’t repent and ask God for forgiveness.   

Verse twelve concludes, 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.  God said that the law of the house would be that from the top of the mountain and the whole area around it would be holy.  Wherever we go as Christians today should be considered holy ground, because the Holy Spirit indwells us.

Ezekiel 43:1

 Ezekiel 43:1 says, Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:  Ezekiel said he was once again brought to the gate that looked out to the east.  Before, he had seen the eastern gate, and now he was looking out of it.  We may see the gate to heaven, Jesus Christ, before we accept Him as our Savior and Lord, but until we do accept Him, we will not be able to see the kingdom of heaven.  

Verse two adds, 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.  Now, looking out of the eastern gate, Ezekiel heard the voice and saw the glory of God.  He said that God’s glory came from the east.  As Christians, we should hear God’s voice and see His glory, and we should hear and see Him no matter which way we are facing.  

Verse three continues, 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.  Ezekiel said the vision he saw was like the one he saw when he saw the destruction of Israel and at the river of Chebar.  God Who called Ezekiel to be a prophet was the same God Who was showing him these visions, because God never changes.  He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, or forever.  God Who calls us to salvation is God Who will call us to serve Him today and will one day calls us home to heaven.  

Verse four states, And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.  Ezekiel said God’s glory came into the house, or temple, by way of the eastern gate.  When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, He will fill us with the Holy Spirit from above.  Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit, so we should always be filled with His glory.   

Verse five adds, So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house, Ezekiel said he was then brought into the inner court, and the glory of God filled the house.  God’s glory was not limited to a particular place in the temple but filled it completely.  We cannot limit God to certain places in our lives nor to certain days of the week, but we are to be filled with the Holy Spirit in all that we do and everywhere we go at all times.  We should always reflect the glory of God. 

 

Ezekiel 42:15

Ezekiel 42:15 says, Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.  Ezekiel said after the man of brass finished measuring the chambers, he brought him to the east gate once more and measured around it.  

Verse sixteen adds, He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.  This verse and the next three list the size of the area around all the sides of the temple.  It was a fairly large area, and when we get to our heavenly home, there will be more than ample room for everyone, but I am not sure it will be measured.  

Verse seventeen continues, He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed round about.  

Verse eighteen states, He measured the south side, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.  

Verse nineteen adds, He turned about to the west side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.  

Verse twenty concludes. He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.  There was a wall on each side four hundred reeds long to separate the sanctuary from the profane places.  Matthew Henry says a reed was the equivalent of about three and a half yards, so each side of the wall was about a mile long.  There was a large separation between the sanctuary and the outside world, and when Jesus Christ returns in glory, there will be an even great separation between those who have put their faith in Him and those who haven’t.  It will also be an everlasting separation.