The resources God has given us to live a thriving life are His Word, Spirit, and People.
Read God’s Word:
Ezekiel 41-44
Act 2: God’s Covenant People
Scene 8: Exile: God Disciplines His People
Background Information: Ezekiel 41-44
Prophetic visions use symbolism to describe future concrete realities. We often use idioms to describe everyday realities. “I’m going to hit the books” is understood to mean a day of hard study, not fist fighting with books. “The future is bright” doesn’t describe an increase in solar radiation, but rather positive possibilities. Twenty-five years after going into exile, Ezekiel has his final vision of a new Temple. Some believe he describes a literal future temple in Jerusalem. Others are convinced that he is describing, in symbolic fashion, a future where God’s presence dwells fully and finally with his people. Nineteen years after he had seen the vision of God’s throne chariot leaving the temple, he sees it return and enter this new, much larger, temple. It is the same image, and he has the same physical response to this vision: he falls on his face. The actual return of the people to the land remains in the future, and in that time the rebuilding of the second Temple would result in a smaller, not larger one. This return of God’s presence to the new Temple points to the future restoration of creation and humanity back to their original creation order. It was God’s will for the people to be exiled, it was his will for them to return, and it is his will now for a future, full fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prophecy. I understand that full fulfillment is redundant, but prophetic events have been, are being, and will be fulfilled. We live in the last days that began at Christ’s coming and will end at Christ’s return. Many promises have been fulfilled; many are yet to be fulfilled. Prophetic writings are complex, and if you relish getting into the weeds on the details, enjoy yourself! You may wonder how Ezekiel remembered all the architectural details from his vision. Did he write them down as he saw them? Did he have a photographic memory? Did he get supernatural help to remember? Some combination of the three? If you are not a detail person and just want the bottom line, that’s great as well. The bottom line is that this is a description of reality. It may be symbolic language, but it is language describing an actual future. Like Isaiah’s lions lounging with lambs or Revelation’s streets of gold, none sound like appealing places to me as described. I prefer a warm country road to a cold street made of precious metal. Watching predators laying around with their food sounds boring to me. The bottom line is that Jesus wins and all will be well! This is a description of a return to Eden where God will be with us, and we will be in intimate fellowship with him. Peace, joy, and beauty will reign. This is not wishful thinking, but it’s the reality of God’s plan, sure to become complete someday.
Pray:
Praise God for…
Thank God for…
Confess your sins to God
Pray for Isaac & Suzanne as they serve the children of missionary’s boarding and studying at Black Forest Academy. Pray for God’s peace to abound in their lives.
Ask God for… (what else concerns you?)
Reflect:
Write down one passage of scripture that stood out to you today.
Write down why this passage stood out to you.
Engage Community:
Text or call someone now and tell them…
– What you are praying for.
– What stood out from God’s word today.