Ezekiel's Vision of the City and the Temple and the Distribution of the Land in Millennium

From: Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass By: Algernon James Pollock

Ezekiel 40‑48 • 6 min. read • grade level: 10

(1) Preparation for the departure of the glory from the temple;

(2) its departure (Ezekiel 10:18-19; 11:23¹⁸Then the glory of the Lord departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims. ¹⁹And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the Lord's house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above. (Ezekiel 10:18‑19)
²³And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. (Ezekiel 11:23));

(3) its return (still future); and

(4) that which precedes and prepares for this last event, is a brief summary of this interesting prophecy.

The glory seems to depart reluctantly, and to pause at each stage as if ready to return should there be repentance on the part of Israel.

It is deeply affecting to see where the glory made its last stand. We read: “And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city” (Ezekiel 11:23²³And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city. (Ezekiel 11:23)).

Now the Mount of Olives is the mountain on the east side of the city, and Zechariah 14:4⁴And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. (Zechariah 14:4) tells us this is the very spot to which the Lord will return, bringing in deliverance for His people, and the reinstatement of the glory. All hangs on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is indicated in the vision when we read, “Upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it” (Ezekiel 1:26²⁶And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. (Ezekiel 1:26)).

In a future day it will be no longer vision, no longer “likeness” and “appearance,” but the Lord Himself in person shall fulfill all things.

Our remarks on the temple must necessarily be very brief.

There have been three temples; two are yet to come. The first and the last are the subjects of special instructions, especially the last, where the instructions are very detailed and numerous.

The five temples are as follow:

1. Solomon's Temple.

2. Zerubbabel's Temple.

3. Herod's Temple.

4. Temple to be built by the Jews when they return to the land in unbelief.

5. Temple to be built at the beginning of the Millennium according to Ezekiel's vision.

For situation, for beauty, for costliness, in its sacred associations, the temple was the most remarkable edifice that ever adorned this earth.

It bespoke God's dwelling among His people and the claims of His holiness. It afforded a central point of worship to God's people, and was typical of Christ in its whole conception and service.

Herod's Temple was completely destroyed, agreeing with prophecy of our Lord in Luke 21:5⁵And as some spake of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, (Luke 21:5) and 6. In A.D. 70, Titus, the Roman general, endeavored to save from destruction such a wonderful building, but the divine word had decreed its destruction. The Lord's word was completely fulfilled—not one stone remained upon another.

It is clear from Scripture that the Jews will rebuild their temple in unbelief. How terrible the situation when that building, speaking of Christ, and its service, typical of His atoning death in so many ways, shall be erected by a people who, with all the energy of burning fanaticism, refuse Him of whom it speaks, and apart from whom it would never have existed. It is said that large sums of money and materials have already been provided in view of the rebuilding of the temple; we know not how much the rumor is worth that the temple will be rebuilt on the Mount of Olives, as the present site has been desecrated by the presence of the Mosque of Omar, and moreover to remove that mosque to make way for the temple would arouse the bitter hatred of the whole Mohammedan world.

This temple, when rebuilt, will be the scene of the fulfillment of the Lord's words in Matthew 24:15¹⁵When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15), when He confirms the prophecy of Daniel (Dan. 12:11¹¹And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)) that the abomination of desolation shall be set up in the holy place, referring, we believe, to the setting up of the image of the beast by the Antichrist in the temple.

The contemplation of these temples that have been produces mingled feelings. The divine idea in the temple, as designed by God, can only produce feelings of holy joy and adoration. Such a presentation of Christ in this wonderful typical building can only rejoice the heart as we wait for it all to be fulfilled in the person and presence of Christ. What a rest of soul to contemplate this!

To contemplate the human side, how saddening! The bright days of Solomon were soon overcast. Idolatry marked God's people till at length Nebuchadnezzar, as the scourge of God, looted the temple, “burnt the house of God” (2 Chron. 36:19¹⁹And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. (2 Chronicles 36:19)), and carried the Jews captive to his land.

Some seventy years later that Greatheart, Zerubbabel, set himself the task of rebuilding the temple. How different from the circumstances of Solomon were his. David had prepared materials in abundance, Solomon's kingdom was at peace, his whole resources were available for the task.

On the other hand, Zerubbabel was head of a small handful of his compatriots amid bitter enemies. His resources were few, his handicaps many. We do not know of a braver or more courageous sight than that of Zerubbabel rebuilding the temple.

Then what a descent from the material splendor of Solomon's Temple and the moral splendor of Zerubbabel's when centuries later an Idumean king—and Gentile —should so enlarge and beautify the temple that is described by common consent as Herod's Temple.

Alas! Christ, of whom the temple spoke, was a stranger in its courts. Its high priests and rulers were plotting His death. Could irony go further?

And can the contemplation of the Jews in bitter refusal of Christ rebuilding their temple in the near future awaken anything but sadness in the Christian mind? To think of vast wealth and great effort being expended over that which is to witness “the abomination of desolation” (Matt. 24:15¹⁵When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)) is terrible indeed. It looks as if any day we may hear of a beginning being made, an omen indeed of evil import for this world.

But sweet it is to turn to the sacred page, and see that shortly after Solomon's Temple was destroyed and before ever Zerubbabel laid the foundation of his, God gave this vision of the temple that is to be, that is to be built under such happy conditions, and have a longer and grander history than any of its predecessors. Then shall be fulfilled the Scripture: “The glory of this latter house [literally: the latter glory of this house] shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (Hag. 2:9⁹The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:9)).

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