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EZEKIEL 40
LESSON #35
WORSHIP IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
v MEMORY VERSE: 1CORINTHIANS 13:12
v THE SUBJECT OF EZEKIELS MESSAGE FROM CHAPTER40 TO THE END OF THE BOOK IS THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST.
Ø BEFORE WE DISCUSS THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM,LETS MAKE SURE WE ALL BEGIN ON THE SAME PAGE.
§ REMEMBER THAT CHRISTSKINGDOM ON EARTH BEGINS IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST AND LASTS FOR 1,000YEARS.
§ REMEMBER THAT NEW TESTAMENTBELIEVERS FROM THE AGE OF GRACE HAD BEEN RAPTURED AND RECEIVED A NEW GLORIFIED BODY BEFORETHE TRIBULATION PERIOD BEGAN. THEN THESE GLORIFIED BELIEVERS RETURN TO THE EARTH WITHCHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING. THEY WILL RULE AND REIGN WITH CHRIST DURING THE 1,000 YEARS.
v READ EZE 40:1-5 THE VISION OF THE HOLY TEMLE IN THE HOLY CITY (APRIL 28, 573 BC)
Ø THE DATE OF THE VISION IS THE FIRST DAY OFPASSOVER AND THE BEGINNING OF THE RELIGIOUS CALENDAR YEAR.
Ø EZEKIEL IS GIVEN A TOUR THAT BEGINS AT THEEASTERN GATE AND ENDS AT THE EASTERN GATE.
§ THE MAN WITH A MEASURINGROD (3)
· EVERYTIME THE BIBLE REFERS TO AMAN WITH A MEASURING ROD, THERE IS AN ANGEL INVOLVED WITH A SPECIFIC JOB TO DO.
· READ REV 11:1-2
¨ NOTICE THAT IN REVELATION, THE ANGEL TELLSJOHN NOT TO MEASURE A PORTION OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT. THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS IN EZE 40.WHY?
Ø THE EVENT WITH THE ANGEL AND JOHN MEASURINGTHE TEMPLE MOUNT IN REV 11 OCCURS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
§ REMEMBER THAT THETRIBULATION PERIOD BEGINS WITH THE ANTI-CHRIST CONFIRMING A PEACE TREATY WITH THE PROMISETO PROTECT THE JEWS IN ISRAEL.
§ WITH PEACE ASSURED, THEORTHODOX JEWS IN ISREAL WILL QUICKLY BUILD A NEW TEMPLE AND BEGIN ANIMAL SACRIFICE.
§ THE ANGEL TELLS JOHN, INREV 11, NOT TO MEASURE CERTAIN PARTS OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT BECAUSE THEY BELONG TO THEGENTILES IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
· IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS A TIME WHENTHE JEWS ARE NOT IN FULL CONTROL OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT.
· IN EZE 40, THERE IS NORESTRICTION TO THE MEASUREMENT BECAUSE IT IS DURING THE TIME OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.CHRIST IS IN FULL CONTROL, AND HE GIVES ALL THE PROMISED LAND TO THE JEWS TO FULFILL HISPROMISES TO ABRAHAM.
¨ THE IDEA BEHIND AN ANGEL INVOLVED INMEASURING TERRITORY IS THAT IT IS SEPARATED UNTO GOD FOR HOLINESS.
Ø THE MEASURING DONE IN REVELATION 11 IS DONEBY JOHN AND NOT THE ANGEL BECAUSE THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE IS BY THE WILL OF MAN AND NOT BYTHE WILL OF GOD.
§ IN EZE 40 THE IDENTITY OFTHE MAN WITH A MEASURING ROD IS PROBABLY AN ANGEL MAKING PREPARATION FOR THE BUILDING OF ANEW MILLENNIAL TEMPLE.
· WHY DOES THE EARTH NEED A NEWTEMPLE?
¨ THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE IS A TEMPLE CONCEIVEDBY MAN AND INITIALLY CONTROLLED BY ORTHODOX JEWS WHO DO NOT KNOW CHRIST. THEY PERFORMANIMAL SACRIFICE ACCORDING TO THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW OF JUDAISM.
¨ IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD, THEANTI-CHRIST TAKES CONTROL OF THIS TEMPLE. HE DEFILES THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE BY KILLING APIG ON THE ALTAR. THEN HE SETS US HIS OWN IMAGE IN THE TEMPLE THAT PEOPLE MIGHT WORSHIPHIM.
¨ BECAUSE THAT TRIBULATION TEMPLE IS DEFILED,GOD DESTROYS IT IN THE GREAT EARTHQUAKE AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
· THEREFORE, WHEN THE MILLENNIALREIGN OF CHRIST BEGINS, THERE IS NO TEMPLE.
¨ THE JEWS HAVE ALWAYS RELATED WORSHIP TO ATEMPLE. FROM THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS TO SOLOMONS TEMPLE, THE EXISTENCE OF ATEMPLE HAS ALWAYS MEANT THE PRESENCE OF GOD IN THEIR MIDST.
Ø REMEMBER THAT EARLIER IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL,GOD TOOK EZEKIEL TO JERUSALEM AND SHOWED HIM THE GLORY OF GOD DEPART FROM THE TEMPLE.
Ø THEN IN EZEKIELS DAY, SOLOMONSTEMPLE WAS DESTROYED IN 586 BC AND GOD WAS NO LONGER IN THER MIDST.
v EZE 40:5-37 GIVE US VERY PRECISE DETAILS ABOUT HOWTHE NEW TEMPLE MUST BE CONTRUCTED.
Ø THE SACRED AREA IS 875 FEET SQUARE WITH WALLS10 FEET HIGH AND 10 FEET THICK. THE OUTER COURT IS ALMOST 400,000 SQUARE FEET.
§ THERE IS NO COURT FORGENTILES, OR COURT FOR WOMEN LIKE IN HERODS TEMPLE. WHY?
· ALL ARE WELCOME TO WORSHIP CHRISTIN THE MILLENNIUM WHETHER GENTILE OR FEMALE.
¨ THERE WILL BE MANY ROOMS FOR SACRIFICIALMEALS OF FELLOWSHIP.
Ø HOW DO WE KNOW THESE DETAILS REFER TO THEMILLENNIAL TEMPLE AND NOT TO HERODS TEMPLE (IN PLACE WHEN JESUS WALKED ON EARTH) ORTO THE TRIBULATION TEMPLE?
§ THE DETAILS ABOUT THISTEMPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN FULFILLED IN HISTORY. THEREFORE, HERODS TEMPLE, WHERE JESUSOVER-TURNED THE MONEY CHANGERS, DOES NOT FIT THE DETAILS OF THE TEMPLE DESCRIBED INEZEKIEL 40.
§ LATER IN THE BOOK OFEZEKIEL, WE WILL SEE THE GLORY OF GOD FILL THE TEMPLE HE DESCRIBES.
· THIS COULD NOT BE THE TRIBULATIONTEMPLE, BECAUSE THAT TEMPLE IS BUILT WITHOUT GODS DIRECTION OR APPROVAL. HIS GLORYWILL NOT INHABIT A TEMPLE THAT DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST.
v EZE 40:38- 43 GIVES US DETAILS ABOUT THECONSTRUCTION OF CHAMBERS WHERE ANIMAL SACRIFICE IS PREPARED.
Ø THREE TYPES OF ANIMAL SACRIFICES AREMENTIONED:
§ THE BURNT OFFERING THATREPRESENTS MANS FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH THE OFFERING OF A BLOOD SACRIFICE. (LEV1)
§ THE SIN OFFERING THATREPRESENTS THE SACRIFICE OF BLOOD THAT COVERS MANS SIN NATURE. (LEV 4).
· HUMAN BEINGS LIVING IN THEMILLENNIAL KINGDOM WILL STILL HAVE A SIN NATURE.
§ THE TRESPASS OFFERING THATREPRESENTS THE SACRIFICE OF BLOOD THAT COVERS MANS PERSONAL SINS. (LEV 5).
· HUMAN BEINGS LIVING IN THEMILLENNIAL KINGDOM WILL STILL HAVE PERSONAL SIN TO DEAL WITH.
§ TWO OF THE OLD TESTAMENTANIMAL SACRIFICES ARE NOT MENTIONED IN EZE 40, BUT THEY ARE MENTIONED LATER IN EZE 43 AND45.
Ø THESE OFFERINGS OF ANIMAL SACRIFICE AREREMINISCENT OF THE SACRIFICES IN LEVITICUS UNDER JUDAISM.
§ IF CHRIST IS PRESENT ANDRULING ON EARTH IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, AND IF JEWS RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST AS THEIRSAVIOR AT THE SECOND COMING, AND IF THE BOOK OF HEBREWS TELLS US THAT JESUS CHRIST WAS THEFINAL SACRIFICE, WHY IS THERE A NEED FOR ANY MORE ANIMAL SACRIFICE?
· THE ANSWER TO THIS QUESTIONPRESENTS ONE OF THE BIGGEST MYSTERIES AND SOURCES OF CONFUSION IN THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL.
¨ A POSSIBLE ANSWER:
Ø TODAY, IN THIS NEW TESTAMENT AGE OF GRACE, WEHAVE THE COMMUNION TABLE TO REMIND US OF CHRISTS SACRIFICE THAT PURCHASED OURSALVATION.
Ø IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM, IT WILL BE APERIOD OF LAW. THE JEWS WILL OFFER ANIMAL SACRIFICE TO REMIND THEM OF CHRISTSSACRIFICE THAT PURCHASED THEIR SALVATION.
§ IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, THEBLOOD OF ANIMALS COVERED SIN UNTIL THE FIRST COMING OF CHRIST WHEN HE REMOVED SIN.
§ IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM,THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS WILL REMIND THEM OF THE COSTLINESS OF CHRISTS SACRIFICE.THEREFORE, THEY WILL DO IT MORE AS A MEMORIAL TO CHRIST RATHER THAN A REMEDY FOR SIN.
· WHY IS A LITERAL ANIMAL SACRIFICENECESSARY?
¨ REMEMBER THAT DURING THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM,THERE WILL BE HUMAN PEOPLE WHO WILL BE GENTILES AND HUMAN PEOPLE WHO WILL BE JEWS. THESEHUMAN PEOPLE WILL HAVE CHILDREN DURING THIS 1,000 YEARS. IN SOME WAY, THESE PEOPLE WILLNEED TO UNDERSTAND THE AWFULNESS OF SIN AND THE NEED FOR THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST TOCLEANSE THEM FROM THEIR SINS.
· WILL WE ALSO CELEBRATE COMMUNION?EZEKIEL DOES NOT MENTION IT, BUT JESUS DID. IN MAT 26:29 HE SAID WE WOULD CELEBRATECOMMUNION WITH HIM IN HIS KINGDOM.
v EZE 40:44- 47 TELLS US ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OFTHE CHAMBERS FOR THE LEVITE PRIESTS AND THE SINGERS.
Ø EVIDENTLY THERE WILL BE A PRIESTHOOD FROM THETRIBE OF LEVI VERY MUCH LIKE THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOOD IN EXODUS.
§ HOWEVER, THERE WILL NOT BEA HIGH PRIEST. WHY?
· ACCORDING TO THE BOOK OF HEBREWS,JESUS CHRIST IS THE GREAT HIGH PRIEST.
v IN EZE 40:48-49 THERE ARE MORE DETAILS ABOUT THECONSTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE.
v EZEKIELS VISION COMPARED TO JOHNSVISION:
Ø EZEKIEL SEES THE JEWISH ASPECTS OF THEEARTHLY CITY OF JERUSALEM WHILE JOHN SEES THE HEAVENLY JERUSALEM. BOTH HAVE A PART IN THEMILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
Ø READ REVELATION 21:1-27
|
THE SIMILARITIES |
|
| EZEKIELS VISION OF THE HOLY CITY EZE 40 | JOHNS VISION OF THE HOLY CITY REV 21-22 |
| EZEKIEL WAS TAKEN TO A HIGH MOUNTAIN TO SEE THE CITY (40:2) | JOHN WAS TAKEN TO A HIGH MOUNTAIN TO SEE THE NEW CITY (21:10) |
| A MAN WAS MEASURING THE CITY (40:3) | A MAN WAS MEASURING THE CITY (21:15) |
| THERE IS A LIFE-GIVING RIVER (EZE 47) | THERE IS A LIFE-GIVING RIVER (22:1) |
| NO NON-BELIEVERS OR EVIL SINNERS WILL BE THERE | NO NON-BELIEVERS OR EVIL SINNERS WILL BE THERE (21:27) |
|
THE DIFFERENCES |
|
| THERE IS A TEMPLE (40:4) | THERE IS NO TEMPLE (21:22) |
| THE TEMPLE IS DESIGNED IN A SQUARE | THE HOLY CITY IS DESIGNED IN A CUBE (21:16) |
| IT IS ESSENTIALLY JEWISH FOR JEWS | NCLUDES PEOPLE FROM THE WHOLE WORLD (21:27) |
v REVELATIONS NEW JERUSALEM IN THE MILLENNIALKINGDOM:
Ø REVELATION 21 AND 22 DESCRIBES THE NEWJERUSALEM. THERE ARE TWO FULFILLMENTS TO THIS PROPHECY.
§ THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
· IN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM THE NEWJERUSALEM WILL DESCEND TOWARD EARTH AND REMAIN SUSPENDED IN SPACE ABOVE THE EARTH FOR1,000 YEARS. IT WILL BE THE HOME OF ALL THE GLORIFIED BELIEVERS WHO WERE RAPTURED BEFORETHE TRIBULATION, ALL THE OLD TESTAMENT SAINTS, AND ALL THE MARTYRED BELIEVERS FROM THETRIBULATION PERIOD.
¨ THERE WILL BE A HOLY HIGHWAY BETWEEN THISSUSPENDED CITY AND THE EARTH. (ISA 33:8)
§ THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
· THE NEW JERUSALEM WILL BE THEHOME FOR ALL BELIEVERS FOR ALL ETERNITY.
v APPLICATION:
Ø THE EXCITING VIEW OF BLESSINGS FOR BELIEVERSIN THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST IS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO US WHO SUFFER THE TRIALS ANDTRIBULATIONS OF THIS LIFE ON EARTH TODAY. WE ALL NEED TO HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE ONLIFE.
§ REMEMBER JESUS SAID,IN MY FATHERS HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS; IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLDYOU. I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. (JOHN 14:2-3)
HOMEWORK
EZEKIEL 41-42
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.v APPLICATION OF EZE 40
Ø IF YOU HAVE NEVER MADE A DECISION TO RECEIVEJESUS CHRIST INTO YOUR HEART, YOU WILL NOT BE PART OF THE NEW JERUSALEM. YOU WILL NOTENJOY THE ETERNAL BLESSINGS OF GOD.
§ IF YOU DESIRE TO REPENT OFYOUR SINS AND COMMIT YOUR LIFE TO JESUS, YOU CAN ASK THE PASTOR, AN ELDER, OR ANOTHERCHRISTIAN TO PRAY WITH YOU.
v PREPARATION FOR EZE 41-42
Ø READ THESE CHAPTERS AND WRITE ANYTHING YOUFIND INTERESTING OR QUESTIONABLE.
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 24:7
