All right, well, we're there in Ezekiel chapter number 40, and we are back in Ezekiel, and
hopefully we'll be done with Ezekiel here soon, and we are really towards the end of
the book.
This book has 48 chapters, and we are starting chapter 40, and in this chapter, as we've
been going through the book of Ezekiel, I've kind of been explaining to you how the book
is divided into different sections, and you begin a new vision, you begin a new section.
Well, here in chapter 40, we are beginning a new vision, which takes us through the end
of the book.
Chapters 40 through 48 are one vision, they're one section of this book, and this vision
deals primarily with a vision of the city of Jerusalem and the temple, and here's what's
interesting about the book of Ezekiel.
The book of Ezekiel has been a very interesting book as we've been studying it and learning
about it.
What's interesting is that this section we're getting into, chapters 40 through 48, are
probably the most debated and most controversial chapters in the entire book of Ezekiel.
There is much debate as to what it is exactly that Ezekiel is seeing in this vision.
So what we're gonna do, and today's kind of an introduction to that, we're gonna spend
the next several weeks going through these chapters and looking at the major theories
in regards to these chapters, and specifically to Ezekiel's temple, because what Ezekiel
is seeing in Jerusalem and what he is describing is a temple, and there's a lot of debate about
this temple.
Where does this temple fall in the chronology of God's word?
And there are four major theories, and I'm gonna give them to you tonight, and I'll tell
you up front, we don't agree with any of them or believe in any of them, and what we're
gonna do over the next several weeks is we're gonna look at each theory and show you from
this passage why they don't apply, and then at the end, not the end of the sermon tonight,
at the end of the four weeks, when we're in the fifth week of this section, I'll give
you kind of my thoughts in regards to this passage of Scripture and a working theory
in regards to Ezekiel 40 and 48.
So here's what we're gonna do.
Here's what we're gonna do tonight, and here's what we're gonna do for the next several weeks.
And we come to these chapters because here's the truth, and we're gonna go through it,
but it's hard to preach through these chapters just verse by verse because there's just a
lot of description and explanation, a lot of measurements, a lot of just giving you
details about this temple and the area outside the temple.
So what we're gonna do tonight and what we'll do for the next several weeks is we're gonna
go through three different phases in each one of these chapters.
I don't know if I'll preach as long as I normally do in these chapters or maybe it'll
be less, maybe more, I'm not sure.
But here's what we're gonna do.
I'm gonna give you a basic outline for the chapter and then I'm gonna deal with the theory.
So tonight I'm gonna give you all four theories, I'm gonna explain them to you, and then starting
next week, we'll take one theory each week and we'll dismantle those theories and show
you why it is that these chapters, those theories don't apply to these chapters.
And then, like I said, the fifth week I'll give you my thoughts and my theory and then
we'll end by giving you some sort of practical application from this chapter because, you
know, a lot of times people will skip these chapters, 40 through 48, and they'll say that
this isn't something that's profitable.
But the Bible says that all scripture is profitable and the Bible says we can learn from all the
Bible and that we can gather from all the Bible.
So let's begin tonight.
I'm just gonna go through the chapter and give you a basic outline.
If you'd like to write some of these things down, that would be good.
We begin this chapter with a tour, and if you remember as we've been studying the book
of Ezekiel, this is what we see a lot, especially when we were in chapters 8 through 11.
Remember we had that great vision where Ezekiel was caught up and taken, because remember,
he's in Babylon, he's in captivity, and Ezekiel was taken.
Remember the Bible says that he was pulled up by his locks of his hair, and he was taken
to Jerusalem in a vision, and he got a tour of the temple.
I don't know if you remember that, when we were in Ezekiel chapter 11, but we went through
that tour of the temple, and that was a bad tour, that was a negative tour.
It was a tour of all the evils that we're doing, and if you remember, that tour ended
with the glory of the Lord departing from the temple there in Jerusalem.
Here in chapter 40, we see Ezekiel begin a tour of another temple.
Now you're there in Ezekiel 40, look at verse 1, notice what the Bible says.
In the 5th and 20th year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the 10th
day of the month, in the 14th year after the city was smitten, in the selfsame day, so
in the same day that Jerusalem was smitten, and that Nebuchadnezzar began to take over
the city of Jerusalem, the Bible says that the hand of the Lord was upon me and brought
me hither.
So notice, we begin this tour and he begins to travel towards the city of Jerusalem.
Notice verse 2, in the visions of God.
Now remember, that's how he started a lot of these visions.
He talks about the visions of God when he saw the cherubims coming from heaven and the
throne of God coming down.
He says, in the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel and set me upon
a very high mountain by which was as the frame of a city on the south.
So he's in Babylon and in this vision he is carried and he is set unto this high mountain
by which was as the frame of the city on the south.
So he's able to see the city there and he's on this high mountain.
Now what is this mountain?
Keep your place there in Ezekiel 40, that's our text for tonight.
Go to 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and look at verse 1, if you can find the 1 and 2 books in the
Old Testament, they're all clustered together, 1 Samuel, 1 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles
chapter 3 and look at verse number 1, 2 Chronicles chapter 3 and verse number 1, the Bible says
this, then Solomon began to build the house.
Now I want you to notice that phrase there, the house.
This is referring to the temple that Solomon is going to build but the temple is often
referred to as the house because it was the house of God, it's the house of the Lord.
Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord at Jerusalem.
Notice where he built the house of the Lord at Jerusalem.
It says in Mount Moriah where the Lord appeared unto David his father in the place that David
had prepared in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
So if you remember when David counted the people and he wasn't supposed to and God gave
him options as to what kind of punishment he could receive and he ended up having the
punishment where the angel of the Lord was killing the people of Jerusalem and remember
David went up, he went up to the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite and that was on
Mount Moriah and remember he was offered, he was given the cattle to sacrifice to God
and he said, hey, I'm not going to sacrifice from that which cost me nothing and he paid
for it and he gave that sacrifice and remember the Bible says that the anger of the Lord
was stayed there and that the plague ended there and right there on that mountain, Mount
Moriah, is where Solomon built the temple of the Lord and Mount Moriah is a very, it's
a crucial place.
Not only was it because that's where David stopped the plague but if you remember Moriah
was also where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac.
So this is a mountain in Jerusalem and it's a mountain range, there's several mountains
but this one mountain, Mount Moriah, is where the temple was built so when we read in Ezekiel
40 that he was taken to this high mountain, it is assumed by most people that he is referring
to Mount Moriah.
It was interesting because during the conference we had a couple that comes to the conference
every year, you guys probably know them, Brother Lauren and Amy, they're from Vancouver, British
Columbia, they just had their baby, they named their baby Moriah because they'd heard me
preach a sermon about Mount Moriah and they really liked it or something like that.
So it's kind of just interesting, you know, Mount Moriah is mentioned here, it's this
high mountain.
Go back to Ezekiel 40 and look at verse number 3.
So Ezekiel is taken from Babylon and he's brought to this high mountain and we assume
it's Mount Moriah where the temple of the Lord is and where he can see the frame of
the city and notice not only is he taken, does he travel to the city of Jerusalem and
to where the temple is, but he also receives a tour guide, notice verse 3, and he brought
me hither and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like, I want you to notice
these words, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass.
Now brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, it's a metal and the Bible says that he had,
there was this man, but he had the appearance of brass with a line of flax in his hand and
a measuring reed and he stood in the gate.
So I want you to notice that there's this man that shows up, this guy's gonna serve
as his tour guide and this man has these tools in his hands that are meant to measure.
Now notice, one is a line of flax and the line of flax would be like a rope or a string.
In our modern way of thinking, we might think of this like a measuring tape where it's kind
of like a flexible type of rope that has some sort of way to measure it.
So he has a line of flax, but then in his hand the Bible says, but he also has a measuring
reed.
This would be more like a solid rod.
You and I would think more of like a ruler or a yardstick.
So he has these tools to be able to measure with and he stood in the gate.
Now here's what's interesting.
Throughout the Bible, we see these kind of angelic or, you know, a heavenly type of tour
guides that show up and it's interesting because they're often described the same.
Here we're told in Ezekiel 40 and verse 3 that there was a man whose appearance was
like the appearance of brass.
He said, when I looked at him, he looks like this metal.
He looks like this alloy of copper and zinc.
He looks like this shiny metal is what he looked like.
Now you're there in Ezekiel.
Again, that's our text for tonight.
Keep your place there.
But go through the book of Daniel, just one book over if you're in Ezekiel.
The next book over is Daniel, Daniel chapter 10, and let me show you a similar man who
appears to Daniel when Daniel has some sort of like a heavenly or angelic type being that
shows up.
To him, Daniel chapter 10, look at verse 5, just the next book over, Daniel chapter 10
verse 5, notice what the Bible says, then I lifted up mine eyes and looked and behold
a certain man.
So this is Daniel and he's looking up, he's been fasting and praying and he sees this
certain man, notice what it says, clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine
gold of Uphaz, notice verse 6, his body was like the barrel.
Now barrel is a mineral that is used as a gemstone, so he says his body was like this
gemstone.
He gives us a little more description than Ezekiel does.
He says and his face as the appearance of lightning, so he said his face shone like
lightning shines, notice, and his eyes as lamps of fire, so he said you look into his
eye and it just looked like fire was burning in his eyes and notice what it says, and his
arms and his feet like in color to, notice what it says, polished brass, and the voice
of his words was like the voice of a multitude.
So he says that his arms and his feet were like polished brass and then when he spoke,
he said it was like the voice of a multitude, meaning that when he spoke it was like many
voices speaking all at the same time, and I'm not really sure what that means, I think
they were all saying the same thing, but it just sounded like when he opened his voice,
not like one person was speaking, but like several voices speaking the same thing.
Here's what's interesting, go to Revelation chapter 1.
When John is exiled in the isle of Patmos and he has the vision of the book of Revelation,
the Lord Jesus Christ, now I'm not saying that the person that appears in Daniel or
Ezekiel is Jesus, I think those are probably just angels or some sort of angelic beings
that show up, but in Revelation chapter 1 we're told that the Lord Jesus Christ appears
to John and the isle of Patmos and John gives us a description, and notice the description
that John gives, Revelation chapter 1, should be fairly easy to find, last book in the New
Testament, first chapter in that book, Revelation 1 verse 12.
This is John speaking, he says, and I turned to see the voices speak with me, because he
just heard a voice saying, I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending, save
the Lord.
He says, I'm alpha and omega, first and last.
He says, and I turned to see the voices speak with me, and being turned I saw seven golden
candlesticks.
And in the midst of the seven candlesticks, notice what he says, one like unto the Son
of Man.
So he knows it's Jesus, because Jesus is the Son of Man, he's referred to as the Son of
Man throughout the Gospels, he says, one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment
down to the foot, and girt about the path with a golden girdle.
So he's got clothing that goes down to the foot and he's got a belt on, is what that
means, notice verse 14, and his head and his hair were white like wool.
So he's given us, again, more descriptions than both Daniel and Ezekiel did.
He says, and his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow.
Notice how this is similar, though, to Daniel, and his eyes were as a flame of fire.
Remember, Daniel said that his eyes as lamps of fire.
So he said, his eyes were as a flame of fire.
Notice this is similar to what Daniel said and what Ezekiel said, verse 15, and his feet
like undefined brass, as if they burned in a furnace, and his voice as the sound of many
waters.
And he had his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword,
and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
Now, notice in verse 16, it says, and he had his right hand seven stars, and out of his
mouth went a sharp sword, and his countenance, excuse me, that's not what I wanted, verse
15.
At the end of verse 15, it says, and his voice as the sound of many waters.
Again, in Daniel, we're told that the voice of his words were like the voice of a multitude.
Here we're told that his voice, when he would talk, it sounds like many waters, and again,
we're not really sure what that means, like waves crashing against each other, but there's
something about their voices.
And here's what's interesting, and we look through a glass darkly.
We don't understand the spiritual world and how that all works, but it seems like a pretty
consistent appearance, and kind of shows you what probably our glorified bodies are going
to look like when we're in heaven.
They're probably would be described as brass, or looking like the appearance of brass, maybe
having a hair that's white like wool, and definitely having eyes that are like fire.
And this is the description that we are told, there are these bright bodies, these faces
that shine like lightning, and of course, when we start talking about this, there's
a lot of opinion, and we don't really know a lot about what the Bible says.
I tend to think that this is what the glorified bodies will look like, but I also think that
these glorified bodies have the ability to just kind of look like a normal person.
Of course, the Lord Jesus Christ, when he was walking on this earth, in his glorified
body, after his resurrection, was not walking around with eyes that looked like fire, and
a face that looked like lightning, but it's just an interesting idea that as we see these
people kind of show up from heaven, and they're doing these spiritual visions, they're all
kind of described the same way.
They've got the appearance of brass.
They have eyes that were as a flame of fire.
There's something about their voices that sound like many voices speaking, or like many
waters crashing together, and it's just kind of an awe and impressive view of our glorified
body.
And this is what Ezekiel saw.
He saw this tour guide that came to give him a tour of the temple.
Now, go back to Ezekiel chapter 40, and I want you to notice that he begins to show
him the temple, and what we get is a very descriptive view of this temple.
In verse 5, he describes the wall.
Well, look at verse 4.
And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears,
and send thine heart upon all that I shall show thee, for to the intent that I might
show them unto thee art thou brought hither, declare all that thou seest to the house of
Israel.
Look at verse 5.
And behold, a wall on the outside of the house.
Now, remember, the house is referring to the temple.
He says there's the house, the temple, and it's going to become very clear that what
Ezekiel is seeing is a temple, and he says that there is a wall on the outside, round
about, and in the man's hand, a measuring wreath.
Remember like a yardstick is what we would think.
But this measuring wreath was of six cubits, right?
Now in the Bible, a cubit, what the Bible refers to as a cubit would be the size of
space between somebody's elbow and their hand.
That's what a cubit would be like.
Obviously, when you're talking about different sizes of people, that cubit would be different
on different people.
So if you measured from my elbow to my hand, that's going to be a different measurement
than if you measured Pastor Aaron Thompson's hand, right, from the elbow to his hand.
But that's generally what it's referred to, and that's what a cubit was, and it just kind
of generally became standardized to what you and I would refer to as 18 inches.
So a cubit is generally seen as about a foot and a half, and here we're told that this
man had a measuring wreath of six cubits long.
But I want you to notice that there's something interesting about this cubit versus what we
normally read of in regards to cubits in the Bible.
And I'm not going to get into it, but we're going to talk about it later on in another
sermon in Ezekiel.
But I want you to notice that he had these six cubits long.
Notice what it says, by the cubit and in hand breadth.
So generally in the Bible, when you read of a cubit, you're reading about 18 inches.
But here we're told that when you read of a cubit in these chapters, Ezekiel 40 through
48, he says you would add a hand breadth, which was another way, another measurement
that you find throughout the Bible.
And generally when you're talking about a hand breadth, you're talking about four inches.
So here's what he's saying.
When he was saying, when I refer to a cubit on this temple, I'm not talking about the
regular standard 18 inch cubit that we usually think about, but he said I'm talking about
that plus a hand breadth, or when I refer to a cubit, I'm talking about something that's
more like 22 inches.
Now here's why you need to know that, is that because this temple is significantly bigger
than any other temple that is built.
Notice what it says there at the end of verse five.
So he measured the breadth.
The breadth of the spring to the width of the building, one reed.
So remember, one reed, we're told, and I'm not going to go through and give you all the
math for all this, but we'll do it a little bit, but one reed is six cubits.
Now on a regular cubit, one reed would be about nine feet.
So he's got like a yardstick, but instead of a yardstick that's three feet long, he's
got a yardstick that's nine feet long.
And if we take into account the hand breadth that he adds, we're talking about an 11 foot
yardstick, or a reed that's 11 feet long by our standards, and the height, one reed.
So he says he takes the width, and it's just one reed, which would be about, you know,
normally nine feet, if you're talking about an 18 inch cubit, but if you add the hand
breadth, the four inches, then you're talking about 11 feet, and he says, and the height
is one reed as well.
Notice in verse six, he describes the gate.
Then came he unto the gate, which looketh toward the east, and that east is important
there, because you remember, when the glory of the Lord departed from the temple, it departed
out of the east gate, and Ezekiel is transferred back into this new temple, and he begins at
the east gate, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold, the threshold
is the doorway, or the frame of the gate, which was one reed.
So again, six cubits would normally be about nine feet, if we're adding a hand breadth
to these measurements, it'd probably be more like 11 feet broad, meaning wide, and the
other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.
Look at verse seven.
In verse seven, he begins to describe these little chambers, these little rooms, and every
little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad, and between the little chambers
were five cubits.
So remember, the reed, normally nine feet, if we're adding the hand breadth, it's about
11 feet.
He says that these little chambers were 11 feet wide, and 11, he says that they were
11 feet long, and 11 feet broad, so we're talking about a room that's 11 feet by 11
feet, and between the little chambers was five cubits.
So those five cubits would normally be about seven and a half feet, if you add the hand
breadth, we're talking about more like eight foot, 14 inches, so he's telling us how big
the rooms are, and he's telling us how these rooms are separated, how much they're separated
by.
And the threshold of the gate, by the porch of the gate, was within one reed.
Look at verse eight.
He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.
Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits.
So again, that'd be about 12 feet normally, 14 feet, and eight inches, if we're adding
the four inches for a hand breadth, and the posts thereof, two cubits, that would normally
be about three feet, if we're adding the hand breadth, it's probably more like three feet
and eight inches, and the porch of the gate was inward.
And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that
side, they three were of one measure, and the posts had one measure on this side and
on that side.
In verses 11 through 15, he describes the entry of the gate.
He says that he measured the breadth and the entry of the gate, 10 cubits, and the
length of the gate, 13 cubits, and the space also before the little chambers was one cubit
on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side, and the little chambers were
six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side, and he measured then the gate from
the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another.
The breadth was five and 20 cubits, door against door, and he made also posts of three scored
cubits even unto the post of the court round about the gate, and from the face of the gate
and the entrance into the face of the port, the inner gate,
were 50 cubits.
And again, I'm not going to go through and give you
all the measurements.
But I want you to notice that it is a very descriptive temple.
And it's a very large temple.
He's giving these descriptions.
Notice in verse 16, he describes the windows.
Look at verse 16.
And there were narrow windows to the little chambers,
to their posts within the gate round about,
and likewise to the arches.
He says these windows have arches, and windows
were round about inward.
And upon each post were palm trees.
So you've got these palm trees that
are decorating these windows.
And that goes back to Solomon's temple.
Solomon's temple had palm trees that were decorating
the windows as well.
Verses 17 through 22, you read about the outward court.
In verse 23, you read about the gate of the inner court.
In verses 24 through 31, you read about the south gate.
And I won't go through and read all that.
We already read it before the sermon tonight.
But I want you to notice that he's just going through,
and he's describing this building for Ezekiel.
In verses 32 through 34, he describes the inner court
towards the east.
In verses 35 through 37, he describes the north gate.
And I want you to notice, in verse 38,
he begins to describe these sacrifices.
Notice verse 38, and the chambers and the entries
thereof were by the posts of the gate.
Notice what it says, where they washed the burnt offering.
So you need to understand that this temple has
sacrifices that are being done in the temple.
Verse 39, and in the porch of the gate
were two tables on this side and two tables on that side.
Notice, to slay thereon, to kill these animals,
the burnt offering and the sin offering
and the trespass offering.
Skip down to verse 41, four tables were on this side
and four tables on that side.
By the side of the gate, eight tables
were upon, notice what it says, they slew their sacrifices.
Notice verse 43, and within were hooks and handbrawn, fastened
round about, and upon the tables was, notice what it says,
the flesh of the offering.
So we have animals that are being sacrificed,
animals that are being put to death in this temple.
But notice, not only are the sacrifices mentioned,
but also the priests.
And I'm not going to go into all the detail
about the sacrifices and the priests.
I'm actually going to talk about that next week.
But I want you to notice that it's mentioned in this passage
and in these chapters.
Verse 45, and he said unto me, this chamber,
whose prospect is toward the south,
is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.
And you say, what kind of priests are they?
They're Levitical priests, look at verse 46.
And the chambers whose prospect is toward the north
is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar.
Notice, these are the sons of Zadok
among the sons of Levi, which come near to the Lord
to minister unto him.
So I want you to notice that this chapter, chapter 40,
is just a description of this temple, the rooms,
the windows, decorations, how everything is laid out,
and what is done in these rooms.
Now, here's what you need to understand.
There's a lot of debate and confusion about this temple.
What is it exactly that Ezekiel is seeing
when he sees this vision?
Now, what I'd like to do for a few moments
is just give you the four theories, the four
major theories that people have in regards to this temple.
And I'm not going to go into it.
I would take all night to go through each one and debunk it.
That's why we're going to do it over the next four weeks.
But I want to give you the four theories
to just kind of be aware of them so you can understand
what's going on here.
So the first theory is that this temple,
that Ezekiel is describing, is the temple
of the millennial reign.
And it will happen during the millennial reign of Christ.
Now, I'm going to talk about that next week
when we're in chapter 40.
But let me just tell you this.
This is the view of the dispensationalist.
Dispensationalist will take this view
that the chapters 40 through 48 are describing a millennial
reign temple.
Now, here's the problem with that.
The problem with that, like we read already,
is that there are Levitical priests
and that they are performing sacrifices.
And here's what the dispensationalist will teach.
They'll teach that the sacrifices are making
a comeback, that right now, this is their teaching, not mine.
Please understand that.
But they'll say, right now, we're in the age of grace.
So we're in the dispensation of grace.
But when we go back to the millennial reign,
the law is coming back, the Old Testament law,
the Old Covenant is coming back.
And they teach that the sacrifices
are going to come back.
And that's how they kind of deal with this passage.
They'll say, this is a future temple.
And you say, well, what about the sacrifices?
And they'll say, well, the sacrifices
are making a comeback.
Now, there are those who are non-dispensational,
but they lean towards dispensationalism.
And they'll say this.
They'll say, yes, the sacrifices are making a comeback,
but the sacrifices are only ceremonial.
So this is what they'll say.
They'll say, the sacrifices are ceremonial.
Kind of like we take the Lord's Supper as New Testament
believers, that's how the sacrifices are going to be.
Now, here's the problem with that.
When people say, well, the sacrifices are coming back.
I'm not a dispensationalist, though.
So I don't believe the sacrifices are coming back
or there's anything to the sacrifices.
They're just ceremonial.
Here's a problem, whatever that means.
Because here's the problem with that.
The problem with that, that the sacrifices
are always ceremonial.
They could never atone for sin.
They could never save anybody.
They were always a shadow of things to come.
So they'll say, oh, the sacrifices are coming back,
but they're ceremonial.
They've always been ceremonial.
But that's a view, a view.
We'll talk about that view next week.
I don't ascribe to that view.
I'll let you know that right now.
And I'll prove to you from the Bible
why we don't ascribe to that.
But a view of this Ezekiel sample
is that it's the temple of the millennial reign,
during the reign of Christ.
And during the reign of Christ, the Levitical priesthood
and the sacrifices are making a comeback.
The second major theory of this temple
is that this temple, chapters 42 to 48, is symbolic.
It's simply symbolic.
It's not meant to be taken literally.
It's not a literal temple.
It is symbolic.
And again, I don't ascribe to that view.
I don't think this is a symbolic temple.
I'll show you from the Bible why I don't believe that.
But I will say this.
These people who believe that this is simply symbolic,
I think their heart's in the right place.
And these people, they don't believe that the sacrifices
are coming back.
They don't believe that the sacrifices are
making a comeback and that the Levitical priesthood is
making a comeback.
But they also don't believe that this temple has already
been built or has already happened.
So they'll say, yes, it is describing
a future temple in the end times or the millennial reign.
But it's all symbolic.
None of it is literal.
It's just meant to be something that we
can kind of just learn lessons from and apply.
And again, I think their heart's in the right place.
I will say that there is symbolism
that we can take from these chapters.
But I don't ascribe to that theory either.
And when we're in chapter 41, I'll explain to you why.
The third theory for Ezekiel's vision of the temple
is that this is Ezra's and Zerubbabel's temple.
Now, if you remember, Ezekiel is in the captivity right now.
He is under captivity in Babylon.
But the captives are going to come back to the land.
After 70 years, Cyrus releases them
and takes them back to the land.
That's where you have your books of Nehemiah, Esther.
That's where you have some of the minor prophets.
That's where Nehemiah goes back and rebuilds the wall.
That's where Ezra goes back and rebuilds the temple.
That's where Zerubbabel helps rebuild the temple.
And people will look at these chapters, chapters 40 through 48,
and they'll say, well, this is Ezra's temple.
This is Zerubbabel's temple.
Now, this is a great way to not have
to answer the sacrifice question.
Because if you can put this temple in the Old Testament
under the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, then you say, yeah,
that's why there's a Levitical priest there.
That's why there's sacrifices there.
It all makes sense.
Here's the problem with that is that,
and we'll look at it when we're in chapter 42.
We'll go into detail, and we'll compare the temples.
And I'll show you why this is not, in my opinion,
Ezra and Zerubbabel's temple.
But here's the problem with that.
If you take the theory that this is Ezra's temple,
this is Zerubbabel's temple, then you also
have to admit that Ezra and Zerubbabel failed
to bring this temple to pass.
Because this temple does not compare to the temple built
by Ezra and Zerubbabel.
We'll talk about that when we're in chapter 42.
Here's the fourth theory.
The fourth theory is that this is
a temple in the eternal state.
Now, what's often referred to as the eternal state
is a time after the millennial reign.
So just to give you a real quick rundown of Bible prophecy,
right now we are just living as New Testament believers.
We are living in the end, but we're not necessarily
the end times hasn't actually happened.
We're obviously drawing towards that,
and maybe there's events that are already taking place.
But obviously, the Antichrist has not been revealed yet
and things like that.
Here's what's going to happen.
We're going to go through a time of tribulation
where the Antichrist is going to be revealed,
and he's going to persecute Christians and believers.
After that, we're going to have the rapture.
The rapture does not happen before the tribulation,
but after the tribulation.
And once we are raptured, then we're
going to have the wrath of God poured out upon the earth.
The problem with the pre-tribulation crowd
is that they mix the wrath of God and the tribulation
as one thing, when if you study those things out in scripture,
those are not the same thing at all.
So we'll have the tribulation, or a time of affliction
or persecution of believers.
We'll have the rapture.
We'll have the wrath of God.
At the end of the wrath of God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Revelation 19, will come down on a white horse
to fight the battle of Armageddon.
If you remember the last time we were in Ezekiel,
we talked about the things that lead us
into the millennial reign is the battle of Armageddon.
And then we've got the judgment seat of Christ.
Once that takes place, we'll have a 1,000 year reign
of Christ.
I'm not going to re-preach the last sermon I preached on this,
but you remember Satan is bound for 1,000 years.
We reign with Christ for 1,000 years.
We're rewarded based on the things
we did for Christ during our lives.
At the end of the millennial reign, Satan is loosed,
and he goes and deceives the nations.
You've got the battle of Gog and Magog,
and then you've got the great white throne.
After the great white throne, you
have the new heaven and the new earth come down.
All unbelievers have now been judged
and they've been cast into the lake of fire.
And when the new heaven and new earth come down,
that's what's referred to as the eternal state, meaning
there are no human beings there.
Because during the millennial reign,
we'll be in our glorified bodies, right?
We'll be in our bodies that look like brass, right,
that sound like multiple voices or waters rushing.
But there's still going to be human beings living
on the earth during that time.
But after the great white throne,
then the new heaven and the new earth appear,
and then we're in the eternal state.
Everyone is either in heaven or in hell.
There are no human beings.
And in that eternal state, some people
will say this is what Ezekiel is looking at when he's looking
at this temple in verses 40 and 48.
He's looking at a temple that comes down
with the new heaven and new earth during the eternal state.
Now let me say this.
There are some similarities to some
of the things that happen that are described
during the new heaven and new earth
that are also described in these chapters.
But there is one big major discrepancy
that we'll look at when we are in chapter 43
of this section of Ezekiel.
And here's what we'll do.
After we've gone through and spent four weeks dismantling
each one of these theories, then I will give you my thoughts.
When we're in chapter 44, I'll give you my thoughts
as to what it is that we are seeing here in Ezekiel chapters
40 through 48.
Now let me just end tonight by giving you
one practical application.
Because that was just kind of a lot of talk and a lot of theory
and a lot of things, and you may not remember that.
But if you haven't been paying attention
or if you're kind of tuned out, tune back in for a moment.
Let me give you one thought, because it's always
going to end with a practical application.
You're there in Ezekiel 40.
Look at verse number 4.
I want you to notice what Ezekiel is told in verse 4
as he begins this vision.
He's about to be given the word of God.
That's what he's going to see.
The word of God is going to be revealed to Ezekiel.
And here's what he's told in regards
to dealing with the word of God.
Ezekiel 40, verse 4.
And the man said unto me, son of man.
And notice he tells him four things.
He says, behold with thine eyes.
He says, I'm about to reveal to you the word of God.
And I want you to open your eyes and behold with thine eyes.
And here's number two, hear with thine ears.
He said, I'm about to reveal to you the word of God.
This is going to be written down.
This is going to be a substantial part of the book
that you're going to write, that scripture.
And he says, when we're going through this information, when
we're watching these things happen,
when I'm giving you this story, he said,
I want you to behold with thine eyes.
I want you to hear with thine ears.
And notice what he says, number three, set thine heart
upon all that I shall show thee.
He said, I want you to behold with your eyes.
I want you to hear with your ears.
I want you to set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee.
You say, why?
For to the intent that I might show them
unto thee, art thou brought hither?
He said, here's the reason.
Here's the purpose.
Here's why I brought you here.
Here's why I want you to behold with your eyes,
hear with your ears, and set thine heart upon all
that I show you.
He says, number four, notice what he says.
He says, for to the intent that I might show them
unto thee, art thou brought hither?
Then he says this.
Here's what I want you to do with it, number four.
Declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.
And you know, the steps that he's
given here in regards to dealing with the word of God,
these are not unique to Ezekiel.
In fact, you and I have been commanded
to do the exact same thing.
We've been told to do the same thing with the word of God.
And let me tell you something.
Your Christian life is based, and the success
of your Christian life is based on what you do with this book,
what you do with the word of God.
You say, well, what should I do with the word of God?
You don't have to turn to these.
I'll just read this for you or quote this for you.
Psalm 119, 18 says this.
Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out
of thy law.
Every day when I open up my Bible,
I try to pray that verse as a prayer.
And I'll say, Lord, open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
You know that the success of your Christian life
is dependent on whether you open your eyes
and behold wondrous things out of God's law.
And Ezekiel's told, he's told, hey, behold with thine eyes.
And Psalm 119 says, he says, open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
Then he's told, hear with thine ears.
You don't have to turn there.
Romans 10, 17 says, so then faith
cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
So look, it's not just enough to see it.
You also have to hear it.
That's what you're doing tonight.
You're in the house of God, and you've
been hearing the word of God.
He says, look, open thou mine eyes,
that I may behold wondrous things out of the law.
He says, so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing
by the word of God.
Then he says, hear with thine ears.
Then he says, number three, set thine heart upon all
that I shall show thee.
Psalm 119, 11 says, thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
And this is what God says.
This is what God tells us to do with God's word.
We ought to open our eyes.
We ought to open our ears.
And we ought to put it down in our hearts.
You say, well, why?
For what reason?
That you may declare all that thou seest
to the house of Israel?
This is what Paul said.
He said in for me that utterance may be given unto me,
that I may open my mouth boldly to make known
the mystery of the gospel.
He says, look, I'm an ambassador.
He says, for which I am an ambassador therein
that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.
You say, what is it that you and I are supposed
to be doing as Christians?
Who are we supposed to be doing?
We're supposed to be taking this Bible every day,
opening it up, and opening our eyes,
and asking God, open now mine eyes that I may behold,
wondrous things out of thy law.
And then we're supposed to be hearing what God tells us
from this book, whether it's through your personal Bible
reading, or through listening and preaching.
And then we're supposed to take those things
and put them in our hearts, and internalize them,
and take ownership of them.
He says, thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee.
And then we are to declare those things to people.
And look, here's what you need to understand.
Here's what you need to get.
This is the Christian life.
Your Christian life, the success of your Christian life,
is determined.
Please understand this.
It is not determined by what conferences you go to.
It is not determined by what preaching you listen to.
The success of your Christian life
will be determined on what you do with this book.
You say, pastor, you know, I kind of
notice that it seems like the attendance is kind of low.
You know, and here's the thing.
We have people out of town, you know, the tailors out of town.
Honestly, it was my idea for them to go out of town.
I'm the one who sent them out of town.
So I'm not blaming.
And we've got people sick right now, literally,
people throwing up.
You know what, if you're throwing up,
I'm glad you don't come to church, OK?
So I'm not saying this to mock anyone or hurt anybody.
I get it.
We've got people sick.
We've got people out of town.
It's summer.
I get that.
But you know what I've noticed over the last four years
is that you can't have a big event.
You know, you say, pastor, were you expecting a small crowd?
I expect a small crowd every Wednesday
after the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
You say, why is that?
Because that's what it's always been.
And I'm not mad at anybody.
I get it.
People are sick.
I'm not saying this to point everybody out.
I'm just saying this.
Every year we've had the Red Hot Preaching Conference,
the Wednesday after the Red Hot Preaching Conference,
is a low attendance.
I get it.
You know why I hate baby showers so much?
Because for some reason, my wife can throw an awesome baby
shower with 50 women here on a Saturday,
and then half of them won't come back on Sunday.
I'm not mad at you if you've done that.
I'm just telling you.
That's the reality of the world we live in.
There's only so much people can take.
I get that.
We have this huge lady's tea, and then half of them
don't come back on Sunday.
We have this huge lady's Christmas party,
and then half of them don't.
We have this huge.
Is that why you don't do activities for men?
Exactly.
And here's all I'm telling you, though.
Be careful.
Be careful that you don't become one
of these spiritual adrenaline junkies.
Because here's the honest truth.
And I'm not trying to be mean or ugly,
and I hope my spirit comes off in the right way.
But I will tell you this.
I am just as happy and just as excited to be here
on a Wednesday night with a lower crowd
as I was on Thursday night with this place packed out.
You say, why?
Because your Christian life is not
based off these high peaks and these conferences
and these protests and these events.
Look, all that's great.
But you know what you should do on Monday
after a major conference?
Open up your Bible and read.
Same thing you should do tomorrow.
Same thing you should do Friday.
Same thing you say, why?
Because the Christian life has not
lived off high peaks and low peaks and high peaks
and low peaks.
And literally, it scares me.
It scares me.
People go on these missions trips,
and they go to the Philippines, and they go to Africa.
And then they are like, so excited.
We have so many people.
Then they come back, and they're like,
how do you want to do soul wedding?
People literally quit soul wedding.
And I think to myself, man, you should have just never gone
on that missions trip.
There's some people that probably
should not have came to the Red Hot Preaching Conference.
Because your life is not lived.
You say, how do I live my Christian life?
Here's how you live your Christian life.
You wake up tomorrow morning.
You open up this book.
And you say, open thou mine eyes that I may behold.
Wondrous things out of thy law.
And then you open your ears, and you let God speak to you.
And then you put that down in your heart.
And then you declare those things
to a lost and dying world.
And you have fun when things are fun.
And you just stay faithful when they're not.
Because that's the Christian life.
That's the Christian life.
Open your eyes.
Open your ears.
It's Wednesday night, Ezekiel 40, nothing like the Red Hot.
You know, any time the Bible's opened, open your eyes.
Open your ears.
Put it down in your heart.
And teach it to others.
Declare the words that you learn.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, Lord, we love you, Lord.
And we thank you for allowing us to be able to open up God's
word and study the Bible.
And Lord, I realize, and I hope nobody takes this the wrong way.
I get it.
People are sick, throwing up.
I understand.
And that's not the purpose of me bringing that up.
But I do want us to just make sure
that we are just consistent, that we're consistent people,
that we are consistent when things are fun,
and that we are consistent when they're not so much fun,
and that we just walk with you, and that we're always
opening the Bible, reading the Bible,
understanding the Bible, listening to preaching,
being excited to serve you.
Because this is what life's about.
This is what the Christian life's about,
opening our eyes, opening our ears,
putting it down in our hearts, and administering to others.
We love you.
In the matchless name of Christ, we pray.
Amen.