Ezekiel 44

Introduction

Because of my holidays, it’s been a while since we were studying Ezekiel together. So, let me give you a brief refresher on what it’s been about.

Ezekiel was living in Babylon with God’s exiled people, who had been taken away from Jerusalem by the Babylonians. And in the first three chapters of the book, God appeared to Ezekiel in a vision and appointed him to be God’s prophet and so to proclaim God’s word to God’s people in exile.

And from chapter 4 to chapter 24 God revealed to Ezekiel various messages concerning Jerusalem, which at that time was still standing, but would eventually be destroyed. And the Lord’s message to the exiles was that Jerusalem will be destroyed and the people left in the city will be die by the sword or by famine or by disease. Any survivors who are left will be taken away into exile. And the reason Jerusalem will fall and be destroyed is because of the wickedness of the people, who had turned from the Lord their God to do evil. And so, because of their wickedness, God was sending the Babylonians against them. They would be, in a sense, the sword in his hand to punish his wayward people.

From time to time, God’s message to the exiles contained glimmers of hope for the future. But mostly it was a message of judgment on his rebellious people in Jerusalem. And every time we read about God’s judgment on his people in Old Testament times, it should make us think of the Day of Judgment to come, when the Lord Jesus will return in glory and power to judge the living and the dead. And since that day is coming, all people everywhere should turn from their sin and unbelief in repentance and turn with faith to Christ the Saviour for forgiveness and peace with God.

That was from chapter 4 to chapter 24. Chapters 25 to 32 contain messages about seven nations. The Lord made clear to the exiles that God was going to judge and destroy these nations because of all the wicked things they had done to his people and because of their foolish pride. And since the number seven signifies completion and fullness, then it’s likely that the Lord’s message about these seven nations is really a message for every nation. The Lord rules over all the nations of the world and he will hold everyone accountable for what they have done. And in the end every nation will be destroyed; and the only kingdom that will last for ever is the kingdom of God.

So, that was chapters 25 to 32. Chapter 33 is the turning point in the book. In chapter 33 we read that a messenger came to the exiles with the terrible news that Jerusalem had fallen to the Babylonians. What God said would happen did happen. But once Jerusalem had fallen, the Lord began to command Ezekiel to proclaim to the exiles a message of hope. God was going to restore his exiled people to the Promised Land and there would be better days to come when God will dwell with his people.

And so, in chapter 34 the Lord announced that he was going to save his people from the wicked kings who once ruled over them and he will appoint over them a new and better king. And he’ll make a covenant of peace with them and they’ll live in peace and safety. And when God referred to the new and better king, he meant the Lord Jesus Christ, who came into the world as our Saviour–King to deliver us from our sin and misery and to give us everlasting life in the presence of God.

In chapter 36 God announced that he will cleanse his people of our guilt and he’ll give us a new heart to love him and he’ll fill us with his Spirit to renew us in his image and to enable us to do his will.

And in chapter 37 God announced that though his people in exile were like dry bones, he will nevertheless enable them to rise up and live. He will enable them to return to the Promised Land where he will rule over them by means of the new king. Once again he was announcing the coming of Christ, our Saviour–King. And because of Christ our King we can look forward to the day when we will rise from our graves to live with God for ever in the new heavens and earth.

In chapters 38 and 39 he announced how he will destroy a powerful king named Gog, who represents satan. And so, those chapters are really about the last battle which we read about in the book of Revelation when God will destroy satan and everyone who sided with him.

And then, from chapter 40 onwards, God gave Ezekiel a vision of a new temple which will be filled with the glory of the Lord. And the vision of the new temple filled with the glory of the Lord is really a vision of what eternal life in the presence of God will be like. What is unholy will be kept out, but all of God’s holy people will be brought into the presence of God to dwell with him for ever. And we become God’s holy people through faith in Christ the Saviour, because whoever believes in him is pardoned by God for all that we have done wrong. And despite our sins and shortcomings, God regards us and treats us as if we were holy, because whoever believes in the Saviour is covered with his perfect holiness. And when we’re brought into God’s presence, we’ll be made perfectly holy and happy for ever as we gaze on the glory of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And we’ll never have to leave.

That’s what chapters 40 to the end of the book are about. And so, in chapters 40 to 42, Ezekiel was given a tour of the new temple. And in chapter 43, he saw the glory of the Lord return to the temple. And in today’s chapter, he tells us about the outer east gate; and he tells us about the Levites and priests who serve the Lord in his temple.

Verses 1 to 3

Let’s turn to verses 1 to 3 where Ezekiel tells us about the outer east gate. You might recall that there were three outer gates leading into the temple complex: one on the north side; one on the south side; and one on the east side. And Ezekiel is taken to the east gate. And he sees that the gate is closed. And then the Lord himself speaks to Ezekiel and the Lord tells him that this outer east gate must remain closed. And so, it must not be opened and no-one may enter through it. And the Lord says that it must remain closed because he entered through it. And so, if you glance back to the beginning of chapter 43, you’ll see that the Lord approached the temple from the east and he entered the temple through this gate. So, this is the gate which he used when he entered the temple. This is his gate. No one else may use it.

However, there’s one person who is allowed to sit at this gate. And it’s the prince. Do you see that in verse 3? It says that the prince himself is the only one who can use this gate. He’s not allowed to go through it, but he’s allowed to sit inside the gateway. If you’ve ever visited old castles, you’ll remember that the entrance way through the wall of the castle is usually quite spacious, because the wall is usually several feet thick. And in Bible times, people would gather at the gate of a city. And so, this prince was allowed to sit at this gate and he was allowed to eat in the presence of God.

Who is this prince? It’s tempting to say that this must be a reference to the Lord Jesus, who is the Kings of kings and Lord of lords and who sits enthroned in the presence of God in heaven. It’s tempting to interpret Ezekiel’s vision in that way. However, in Ezekiel’s vision, the prince is only permitted to sit at this outer gate, which is far away from the Most Holy Place which is God’s throne room. And, as we’ll see, the Levites and priests were allowed to go nearer to God than the prince. And so, although this prince has the privilege of being allowed to eat at the gate where God entered the temple, he’s not permitted to go as near to God as the priests are. And that means that the prince is probably not the Lord Jesus. It’s not really clear who he is or what he represents. But that’s okay, because the main focus of verses 1 to 3 are on the gate which has been shut. And this closed door is significant, because it signifies that God has come into the temple and he’s not going to leave.

You and I might leave the door of our home open when we intend to go out of it. Perhaps you’re in the driveway and you’re about to leave, but then you realise that you’ve forgotten something. And so, you unlock the door from the outside and, leaving the door open, you run inside and collect what it is you’ve forgotten. And then you run out the open door and close it behind you. You left the door open, because you know you need to go through it. But when you’ve come home and you’re not about to leave again, you close the door behind you. Perhaps you even lock it if you’re not going out again that day. And so, closing God’s door into and out of the temple and keeping it shut signifies that God has come to stay. This is his door, which no one else may use. And he’s closed it behind him to signify that he doesn’t intend to leave. As the Lord said in the previous chapter: ‘This is where I will live among [my people] for ever.’

Application 1

And since this is really a vision about eternal life, then it’s saying to us that God will dwell with his people and he will never leave us. He’ll stay with us for ever. In the beginning, God would visit Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He would visit them in the cool of the evening. And since he was only visiting, then that means he would come and go. But the Tree of Life in the Garden signified God’s promise that one day his people will dwell with him for ever. He will be with them and he will never leave them. And Ezekiel’s vision speaks to us of that same promise. When we enter eternal life, God will dwell with us for ever. He will come to us and he’ll shut the door behind him, because he’ll never leave us.

Isn’t that wonderful? We gather in the presence of the Lord on Sundays. He draws near to us and he speaks to us through the reading and preaching of his word. We respond to him with our prayers and praise. It’s a little foretaste of eternal life in the presence of God, which God gives to his people every Sunday. And it’s marvellous. He comes and ministers to us through the means of grace and comforts and encourages us. But then the service ends and we have to go home. And during the week we have to face all kinds of troubles and trials. And we look forward to the next Sunday, when we can come into the presence of God again to hear his word. But it always come to an end.

However, the day is coming when we’ll come into the presence of God and we’ll never have to leave and he’ll never leave us. And we’ll enjoy perfect peace and rest and happiness in his presence for ever. That’s the great hope he gives to us to encourage us to persevere through all the troubles and trials of this life. This life is often hard, but God has something wonderful for us if we only persevere and don’t give up the faith.

Verses 4 to 16

Let’s turn now to the rest of the chapter, where Ezekiel sees and hears things about the Levites and priests who serve the Lord in this temple.

He tells us in verse 4 that he once again saw the glory of the Lord which filled the temple. The glory of the Lord radiated like a bright light and lit up the whole of the temple complex. His presence filled the temple so that everyone in the temple would know that God is there. And Ezekiel fell face down before the Lord in fear and worship.

And the Lord spoke to him and told him to look carefully and to listen closely and to give his attention to everything that God was about to tell him about the temple and about its entrances and exits. And in particular Ezekiel was to speak to the rebellious house of Israel. God is referring here to the exiles in Babylon.

And this is God’s message to them: he has had enough of their detestable practices. What have they done which was so detestable? It seems that when they were living in Jerusalem they let foreigners enter God’s temple, which the Lord forbade in those days. And in this way, and in other ways, they broke the Lord’s covenant, which he made with them in the days of Moses.

So, instead of obeying all the terms of the covenant, they broke it. In particular, they let other people, foreign people, Gentiles who did not know or love the Lord guard the temple. And this was contrary to God’s will, because God had chosen the Levites to guard his temple. This was one of their duties. Men from the tribe of Levi were appointed by God to serve him in the temple. Some of them assisted the priests with their work and others were appointed to guard the temple and to keep out all those who did not belong. But instead of doing what God commanded, the Levites went astray and foreigners were appointed to take their place. And that meant foreigners — Gentiles who did not know or love the Lord — were allowed into the temple. They defiled God’s holy dwelling place.

And why didn’t the Levites guard the temple when that was one of their duties? Take a look at verse 10: the Levites went far from the Lord. They went astray. Even though God had graciously chosen them for the special privilege of serving him in this way, they went astray like the rest of the people. The failed in their duty. And so, the Levites sinned against the Lord. And the Lord says in verse 10 they will bear the consequences of their sin. He will punish them for what they have done.

Nevertheless, God — who is gracious and merciful and slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love — will not destroy them completely, even if that’s what they deserve. In fact, he will still let them serve him in his sanctuary despite their past failures. That’s in verse 11. So, they will have charge of the gates. That is to say, they will guard them. And they will even be allowed to slaughter the animals the people bring to the Lord for sacrifice. So, despite their past failures, God will let them stand before the people and serve them. They won’t be allowed to do what the priests do, but nevertheless they can still serve the Lord in the temple, which was a great privilege for them.

And then the Lord goes on in verse 15 to speak to Ezekiel about the priests who remained faithful to the Lord even when the other people had gone astray. And he says about them that they may come near to God in order to minister before him. They are to stand before the Lord and offer sacrifices to him. They alone may enter God’s sanctuary to serve before the Lord.

Verses 17 to 31

And from verse 18 to the end of the chapter, the Lord gave special instructions about the priests. And a lot of this may be familiar to us from what we read in the books of Exodus and Leviticus, where the Lord gave Moses commandments about what the priests should wear and do. Some of what we read in Ezekiel repeats what the Lord said to Moses; and some of it is new. But the Lord refers to their clothing in verses 17 to 19 and to the hair in verse 20. In verse 21 there are rules about drinking alcohol. And then there are rules about marriage in verse 22. And in verses 23 and 24 the Lord says that they will teach the people the difference between what is holy and what is common; and between the clean and the unclean. And in any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges to determine what is right. And, of course, the priests are to obey God’s laws, including his laws about how to worship the Lord.

In verses 25 to 27 the Lord commands them not to defile themselves by going near a dead person, unless it’s a close relative. And in verses 28 to 31, the Lord tells them that he is their inheritance. In other words, unlike the rest of the people, who received land as their inheritance from the Lord, the priests received no land of their own. But instead they would receive what the Israelites brought to the Lord. So, when the Israelites brought animals for sacrifice, the priests were given a share of the meat. This was their income. And it meant they received the best of all the firstfruits, because that’s what the people were commanded to bring before the Lord in his temple. And then the Lord adds that they must not eat animals that had died naturally or which had been killed by predators. But they could eat whatever the people brought to the Lord and was acceptable to him.

Application 2

And so, these are the Lord’s regulations regarding the Levites and the priests.

Interestingly, when we read the book of Nehemiah, we see how some of these regulations were put into effect. So, in case you’ve forgotten, the book of Nehemiah tells us how Nehemiah rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem after the exile. In the face of much opposition and discouragement, Nehemiah managed to gather together enough people to rebuild the wall which the Babylonians had destroyed. And in Nehemiah 7 we read that he appointed the Levites to guard the city gates. Nehemiah wanted, not just the temple, but the whole city, to be holy. And so, the Levites and others were appointed to guard the entrances and to keep out those who did not belong. In other words, he put into effect what the Lord revealed to Ezekiel about the role of the Levites. And then in Nehemiah 8 we read that the people assembled in Jerusalem and Ezra, who was a priest, read God’s law to them; and Ezra and some of the Levites taught the people so that they would know God’s will for them. That’s one of the regulations which the Lord revealed to Ezekiel about the priests. And in the final chapter of Nehemiah, we read that the Levites — and this includes the priests — did not receive the portions of food assigned to them. And when Nehemiah found out about this, he rebuked those who were responsible and he made sure that those who served in the temple received what they were entitled to according to the word of the Lord. Once again they put into effect what the Lord had revealed to Ezekiel.

It seems then that there was a desire among the people, when they returned from exile, to obey the will of the Lord and to do everything he commanded them to do, including what he commanded them to do through Ezekiel. In the previous chapters of this book God made clear to the exiles that the reason they had been sent into exile was because of their disobedience to God’s word. And Nehemiah and the returning exiles were determined that they should obey God and do everything he commanded.

And though we no longer worship at the temple in Jerusalem, and though we do not need to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord as the Israelites did, we too should make it our aim to serve the Lord just as the Levites and priests served the Lord. We serve the Lord in our daily lives by walking in his ways and obeying his commandments. And we serve him on Sundays by joining together for our services of worship and offering up a sacrifice of praise to God who made us and who saved us by his Son. We bring our offerings of money to the Lord to support the work of the Lord in this place and around the world. And we guard the purity of the church by making sure that we keep ourselves from sin and from doing anything that would dishonour the Lord our God.

Application 3

And so, what we read here in this chapter reminds us that we’re to serve the Lord just as the Levites and priests served him. However, I’ve said before that the purpose of this vision of a new temple was to reveal to Ezekiel and to us what eternal life in the presence of God will be like. But in order to communicate to Ezekiel what eternal life in the presence of God will be like, God had to use images and ideas which were familiar to Ezekiel. We do this ourselves when we’re trying to explain something new to someone. For instance, when I talk to my parents about a podcast I was listening to, they don’t really know what a podcast is. And so, I explain that it’s like the radio, but it’s on the internet. I use an image they’re familiar with to explain something new.

And here’s the Lord and he wants to explain to Ezekiel what eternal life will be like. And so, he uses images and ideas that are familiar to Ezekiel and he’s saying to Ezekiel and to us that eternal life in the presence of God is like being in the temple.

And so, Ezekiel understood that no-one who is unclean or unholy could come into the temple in Jerusalem. And in chapters 40 to 42 God revealed to Ezekiel that no one who is a sinner can have eternal life, because only those who are cleansed through the sacrifice of Christ.

Ezekiel understood that the temple was God’s dwelling place. And in chapter 43 God revealed to Ezekiel that he will dwell with his people in the life to come and he’ll never ever leave them. And from chapter 44 we learn that just as Levites and priests were once appointed to serve God in the temple, so in the life to come all of God’s people will serve the Lord. All of God’s people will serve him by worshipping him for ever and for ever. We’ll be like the Levites and priests who served the Lord in his earthly temple. But unlike them, we’ll worship the Lord continually for ever and for ever. And we’ll worship him perfectly, because the Lord will renew us perfectly whenever we come into his presence in the life to come. So, we won’t be like those Levites who went astray. Instead we’ll be like those priests we read about in this chapter who remained faithful to the Lord. We’ll remain faithful to the Lord for ever, because he will renew us perfectly and we’ll be made perfectly holy in the life to come. And we’ll worship him without weariness.

Application 4

But then the final thing to say this evening is to point out one person who is missing from this vision of the temple. God is in this vision and there are the Levites and there are the priests. There’s also the prince, who is a kind of king. So, everyone who should be there is there, apart from one person.

So, who is missing? The High Priest is missing. But the High Priest is essential. You can’t have a temple without a High Priest, because the High Priest was the one who made atonement for sins of the people. The High Priest was essential.

But the only High Priests Ezekiel was familiar with were levitical High Priests who offered to God animal sacrifices. And those animal sacrifices weren’t able to pay for our sins. Those animals sacrifices which the levitical High Priests offered were really only a reminder to the people that they were sinners who deserved to be sent out of God’s presence for ever. And that’s the only kind of High Priest Ezekiel was familiar with. He didn’t yet know about the Lord Jesus Christ, who was to come into the world as the new and better High Priest; and who was coming to offer himself on the cross as the once-for-all perfect sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins and for peace with God.

By the sacrifice of himself, Christ our Great High Priest has paid for our sins once-and-for all. No further sacrifice is needed for us. And by faith in his blood, we are cleansed from all our guilt and we have peace with God for ever. And Christ our Great High Priest is even now standing in the presence of God on our behalf, interceding for us and ensuring that we are saved completely from our sin and misery and that we receive eternal life in the presence of God.

When he received this vision from the Lord, Ezekiel didn’t know about the Lord Jesus. And so, there’s no High Priest in the vision. But we know about him, because he has come. And he’s coming again. And we’re to trust in him for peace with God. And we’re to look forward to his coming again, because when he comes, he’ll bring his believing people into the presence of God in the new heavens and earth, where we’ll serve the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit perfectly by worshipping God continually. And God will never leave us, but he’ll remain with us always. And there, in the presence of the Lord, we’ll be perfectly happy and holy for ever.