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.

Ezekiel 42:9

Ezekiel 42:9 says, And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the utter court.  Ezekiel said that under the chambers was an entryway on the east side.  We are not called to be separated from the people of the world, living above them in isolation, but we are to show the way to salvation.  

Verse ten adds, The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over against the building.  These chambers were the thickness of the wall toward the east.  It would seem that they were in a wall between the separate place and the building.  I think this would refer to the place where the priests went to offer sacrifices on the altar, the separate place, and the temple where the people gathered.  We no longer have a place where only certain religious leaders can go and a separate place where the rest of Christians can go.  Jesus Christ removed that barrier.  

Verse eleven continues, And the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.  Ezekiel said the way before these chambers was the same as the ones to the north and that they went in and out through the doors.  There is but one door to salvation and that is by putting our faith in Jesus Christ, and this door is the same for all people.  

Verse twelve states, And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.  Ezekiel said that even though there were many doors to the chambers that there was still one door at the head of the way to pass through as I understand this.  Though we may come to Jesus Christ by many different ways or from many different places, He is still the only door to salvation.

Verse thirteen adds, Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the Lord shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.  God told Ezekiel that the north and south chambers which were before the separate place were holy chambers where only the priests that came to offer offerings and sacrifices to Him could come.  We no longer have these restrictions, since after we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we become a part of the priesthood of believers.  I believe that we can also say that wherever we go is holy ground, since the Holy Spirit lives in us.  

Verse fourteen continues, When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people.  Ezekiel was told that the priests were not to go out into the outer court while they were serving as priests who offered the sacrifices and offerings and that even their clothes, which were said to be holy were to remain in these chambers.  We no longer have this restriction, and no material thing is holy in and of itself, but we are to be holy, or set aside, for doing what God calls us to do as living sacrifices to Him. 

Ezekiel 42:5

Ezekiel 42:5 says, Now the upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the lower, and than the middlemost of the building.  God said the upper chambers were to be shorter than the lower chambers.  I can’t really visualize this, but it was done according to God’s plan.  We may not always be able to see everything that God is doing in the world today, but we need to have faith that He knows what He is doing.  

Verse six adds, For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.  God said that there were three stories to the building, but that not all had the same supporting pillars that the courts had.  

Verse seven continues, And the wall that was without over against the chambers, toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.  God then gave Ezekiel the size and location of these chambers.  

Verse eight concludes. For the length of the chambers that were in the utter court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.  This continues to give the size and location of these chambers, now speaking about those in the utter, or outer chamber.  We just need to know today that whatever heaven looks like, it will look like God designed it and there will be room for all believers there.