Ezekiel 43
In chapters 10 and 11 The glory of God was seen leaving Jerusalem and pausing on the mount of Olives, —compelled to leave the city where He had chosen to set His name, for it was wholly given up to wickedness. Chapter 43 prophetically shows the return of that glory as soon as the Millennial temple is completed by the redeemed ones of Israel. See 1 Kings, 8 and 9, when the token of God’s presence was given at the dedication of the first temple, with the conditional promise that His name should remain there; the warning then given was disregarded, and the words of verses 7 to 9 of the latter chapter were literally fulfilled in the days of Ezekiel and Jeremiah as we have seen.
Verses 7, 8 contain the precious assurance for the children of Israel that God will not again give up the place of His throne, or His dwelling in their midst, nor shall the house of Israel defile His holy name after they are reestablished in the land of their fathers. Verses 9 to 11 are addressed to the consciences of Ezekiel’s hearers and those of Israel who read his words; at the time they were uttered, little heed was paid to them, but as part of God’s living word they will be heard by the Israel that shall be, with deep conviction of sin.
The measurements, of the altar follow with its ordinances (verses 13-27). It will be profitable to compare the sacrifices of Leviticus 8 with the ordinances attending the new beginning in the Millennial age. No high priest is here, nor any comparable to “Aaron and his sons”; there is no anointing oil. Not a little of the system made known to Moses has no counterpart in the Millennium; it foreshadowed the present portion of the Church, the office of the Holy Spirit in connection with it, the present action of the Lord as our High Priest within the veil, and much more.
The annual day of atonement (Leviticus 16) will not be found among the holy days of the Millennium, nor will the feast of weeks or the day of Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-2215And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the Lord. 17Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the Lord. 18And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the Lord, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the Lord. 19Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 23:15‑22)).
The day of atonement ceases, because it was, although the most solemn of all Israel’s special clays, only temporary, and looked on to a perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:66Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God. (Hebrews 9:6) to 10:18).
The day of Pentecost had its fulfillment in Acts 2 in the descent of the Holy Spirit, forming into one body, the Church of God, all believers, whether Jew or Gentile. Jew and Gentile will be separate in the Millennium, with Israel’s place the more blessed of the two, though both on the ground of redemption.
Of no ordinary character is the cleansing of the altar in Ezekiel 43; for seven days, day by day, a goat, a young bullock, and a ram are to be offered in sacrifice for the purifying of the altar and its consecration.
How will not this action speak to the consciences and hearts of redeemed Israel, impressing deeply upon them the enormity of the sin which has separated them as a nation from God for more than twenty-five centuries.
ML 03/22/1936