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The Kingdom of Israel

John Shepard

April 8, 2002

Ezekiel's Temple

The purpose of this article is to discuss Ezekiel chapters 40 - 48 and Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39.

Summary

This article contains:

• A brief analysis of Ezekiel chapters 40 - 48.
• Purpose of the Vision
• Ezekiel 38 and 39

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Ezekiel's Temple

Outline of Ezekiel 40 - 48

• 40 - 44 -- Detailed description of temple and ceremonies including animal sacrifices.
• 40:38-43; 42:13; 43:13-27; 44:10-16, 28-31; 45:15-25; 46 -- References to animal sacrifices.
• 40:45-48:13 -- The priests and their activities.
• 43:1-7; 44:4 -- That the glory of the Lord would inhabit this temple.
• 44:3; 45:7-22; 46:2-18; 48:21-22 -- Reference to the Prince who will have descendants.
• 45; 47:13-23; 48 -- Allocation of the land.
• 47:1-12 -- The water coming from under the threshold of the temple.
• 47:7-12 -- The trees with monthly fruit for healing.
• 43:10-11 -- The purpose for the temple.
• 48:30-35 -- The gates of the city (reminiscent of the New Jerusalem in Revelation 21:13).
• 43:7; 45:8; 48:35 -- Various promises.

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Purpose of the Vision

Ezekiel received this vision from the Lord for the exiles who would return to the land. It was to be their marching orders since it concerned:

(1) How to construct the temple

(2) How to set up their government

(3) The regulations for choosing priests

(4) How they should divide up the land

If they had made this prophecy from the Lord a high priority then the Lord would have honored His role by inhabiting the temple and blessing them. Instead, these promises have been applied to the church "spiritually." Chapters 47 and 48 have similar images to the book of Revelation chapters 21 and 22.

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Ezekiel 38 and 39

Premillennialists usually interpret the prophecies in these chapters as still-future, but they have different views on when they will be fulfilled.

It is my opinion that these chapters were either:

(1) Descriptions of events occurring around the time they were written, or

(2) Already fulfilled before or during 70 A.D.

I am not analyzing these chapters in detail but merely giving some possibilities.

When were these chapters fulfilled? Some possibilities:

• In the Maccabean era. Most preterists have understood this vision as a prophecy which was fulfilled in the 2nd century B.C. at the defeat of the Assyrian invaders of Palestine by Judas Maccabeus.
• In the Jewish war of 67 - 70 A.D.
• Ezekiel 38-39 should be understood in the context of its apocalyptic literary style; this is a highly visionary passage depicting an earthly struggle of Ezekiel's time which is only a smaller reflection of a spiritual conflict between the forces of heaven and hell.
• During the 7th century B.C., the time of Ezekiel and Jeremiah, the Scythians attacked Syria and Judea from their capital city of Saqqez. The inclusion of the nations of Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, Beth-togarmah, Persia, Ethiopia and Put in Ezekiel 38:3,5,6 is best understood in light of the historical context of the Scythian invasion. When the history of the Scythian people is examined, it seem likely that they are the people described in Ezekiel's prophecy. By examining this passage in its historical and cultural context, it can be understood that Ezekiel 38-39 describes the Scythian invasions during the time of Ezekiel. I owe this idea to Jay Rogers
• While the primary interpretation of this passage is preterist (fulfilled during or before 70 A.D.), one cannot dismiss the apocalyptic tone as a foretelling of the ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ and His victorious Kingdom over the kingdoms of this world. A descriptive characteristic of "apocalyptic" literature is "telescoping" or the compression of immediate historical judgments and which prefigure the ultimate judgment of God. The invasion of Judea by the Scythian armies is coupled with a vision of an almighty God ultimately vanquishing these forces. "Gog and Magog" is a biblical symbol for the heathen nations of the world. Thus, "Gog and Magog" is used in the Bible to denote the nations of the world that are opposed to Christ and His Kingdom.

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