Ezekiel’s Temple
Dear Brethren and Sisters, Bro Marshall put his finger on the key to this whole consideration—the purpose of it that we should escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, and lust covers a wide ground. The thoughts of all these addresses are based upon bro. Sulley’s exposition of the last nine chapters of the book of Ezekiel. Bro. Sulley’s book is one of the basic books on the Truth that we should study thoroughly. It was the product of many years of investigation and labor.
Ezekiel’s Temple is a difficult subject. Many in the past had struggled to get a coherent picture from this description, but all had failed. Bro. Sulley presents a consistent exposition. It fills all the required necessities, and it is in full harmony with the truth of the gospel. In fact, it very materially assists in giving body and substance and reality to the gospel of the Kingdom.
There is today, unhappily, a strong movement in other groups to break down and discredit this whole concept. A recent one, just published, applies it all to the days of Nehemiah—a very pitiful attempt. Another with more official backing teaches that the people of the world serve voluntarily and don’t have to, if they don’t wish to.
More than ever it is important that we study and keep clear and defend the basic scriptural picture, as presented by our pioneer brethren. None of us has any time to waste on nonessential, worldly, passing things, or on mere self-pleasing activities. There is infinitely too much to be learned and to be faithfully defended. The strength of a fellowship depends upon the depth of the intelligent, scriptural understanding of all its members. Life is very, very brief and very soon over. And we have absolutely no time to waste on any present things. If we do not learn that, we are lost.
If we hope for salvation we must make ourselves a prospective part of the Cherubim of Glory, which underlie and give meaning to all Ezekiel’s visions. It is of the deepest significance that they rest not day and night from saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Hosts.
Holiness is the essence of the purpose of God. Without holiness, shall no man see the Lord. And it’s a lifelong proposition.
The popular conception of holiness is that it is theoretically beautiful and desirable, but too high for humans, and inconsistent with pleasure and enjoyment. Until we learn that holiness is the only happiness—the only true pleasure and enjoyment; until we by diligent scriptural study get out of babyhood and infancy, and mature to the realization that everything not related to God is empty folly, and that anything out of harmony with pure divine holiness is ugly and dirty and repulsive. Until we learn this, we are no fit candidate for the Cherubim of Glory. They rejoice in God; they rejoice in nothing else; they have time for nothing else.
Bro. Sulley’s basic picture is very satisfying. He presents a building that is ideal for the purpose intended—a vast open structure of massive but delicate masonry, latticework, and archways, filled in and canopied over by thick, verdant greenery—a vivid contrast to man’s increasingly horrible and artificial monstrosities. This building will have all the freedom and healthiness and beauty and freshness of open-aired living, with none of its bareness or disadvantages. Trees purify the air naturally and effortlessly and quietly. This building will host a continuous flow of millions. Greenery everywhere, ventilation everywhere, and pure clear running water everywhere are its primary characteristics.
Bro. Sulley gives the basis outline, but he is quick to point out that this is the most important building of all history, that it is designed directly by God’s infinite wisdom, and that, therefore, while man can humbly suggest the general unrevealed details (as bro. Sulley has done, to give us something to visualize), still man cannot possibly begin to picture this building in its full divine beauty, as it actually will be.
Bro. Sulley cautions us that the details and decorations that he gives are merely suggestive and that we must take them as just a faint hint of the real beauty to be revealed. At times, he gives alternate suggestions, and we ourselves can legitimately formulate our own within the basic pattern. But until we have fully studied and mastered bro. Sulley’s book, it would be presumption to question or discount individual details. He spent many years, and his pattern holds together. Bro. Sulley, like bro. Thomas, and this I believe was his secret, took scriptural detail very seriously—neither ignoring anything nor conveniently spiritualizing it away.
The truth of God is a thing of reality—beautiful, satisfying, divinely-appointed reality. Not like the vague and hazy vaporizings of the world’s manmade religions. Truly, mortal man can never begin to conceive of the full glories of the immortal state, and we must wisely ever remind ourselves of that. But wherein God has graciously given revelation and a glimpse of things to come, it is our duty and our wisdom, and it should be our desire, to seek to comprehend them. This is the vital food for the spiritual mind, without which it cannot grow, and become strong and overcome and cast out the earth-groveling mind of the flesh within us, which is always filled with the passing things of the world.
Bro. Sulley’s exposition both makes many scriptures more plain and gives them deeper meaning and beauty and depth and reality, such as, “I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” In those days people didn’t dwell in the Temple, although the priests spent much of their time there. This building is not only a House of Prayer for all Nations, but it is the central dwelling place and assembling place and working place of the multitudinous Christ.
Again, “they shall serve God night and day in his Temple.” Note the night as well as the day. There will never be darkness here. It will be ever-brilliant with the effulgence of the glory of God. There will be no weariness to those who serve Him in immortal ever-joyful strength.
Again, the 144,000 on Mount Zion, who “follow the Lamb withersoever he goeth.” The apex and the holiest spot in the Temple is Mount Zion, from which the word of the Lord goes forth through the multitudinous Christ to all the subservient and worshipping earth.
More and more, as we meditate on this subject, we perceive that this glorious building, this divine workshop and university—a university whose student enrollment is the whole world and whose curriculum is divine truth—this house of praise and prayer and worship and rejoicing is the living heart center of all millennial activity.
Again, “the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land.” The Holy Oblation, it will be noted, just about coincides with the ancient tribal boundaries of Judah, the royal tribe.
Again, “I will give them the valley of Achor (trouble) for a door of hope.” Here is where Achan sinned and was slain and brought trouble on Israel—the first and the typical ungodly troubler, the profane godless person among them, as they entered the land of promise. The way of the pilgrim to this Temple will follow the line of the valley of Achor—the valley of trouble. It just about goes west from the top of the Dead Sea, the dividing line between the portion for the Levites and the portion for Zadok.
Again, “In this mountain (the mountain of Zion) shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow.” This house will be a vast banqueting hall, serving hundreds of thousands at a sitting—joyful honored guests at the table of Yahweh. The peace offerings of joyful thanksgiving will furnish abundant food. The first fruits and the greenery of the Temple will hang thick with grapes, and the surrounding trees will yield all manner of fruit.
So many prophecies similarly dovetail beautifully into the foundation picture of this House of Prayer. This is the basic framework, about which the Kingdom of God is built, with all its blessings for mankind. These are the things to which we must give all our hearts and minds. We have no time for the passing rubbish that perishes with the using, and that takes its deviltries along with it.
The waters—the water is a symbol of life, both natural and spiritual. Men are probing for life on Mars, and all we can hear is that water is the key. If they can find dampness in the soil, they can hope for signs of life. In this great House of Prayer water flows everywhere—a pure special divinely-provided stream. It issues forth in tremendous copious abundance from under the holy altar on the top of the central mountain and flows down to bring blessing and health and life to wherever it goes. Its flowing down (chapter 47, verse 1) from the altar is one of the various proofs that the altar is on the center of the mountain, the raised portion in the middle of the Temple. In describing this altar again we are told that the top of the mountain is most holy.
The details of the water’s course within the Temple are not given. It was so arranged that it will be available wherever it is needed, both to beautify and to fructify, and for utility and convenience. Water is an essential requisite for any great assembly. And, running water in great abundance is necessary both for the ablution of the priests, the mortal priests, and the washing of the sacrifices—a vast abundance of sacrifices. Apparently, the water is underground, for it issues from the Temple from under the gateways. Bro. Sulley considered that it comes out on the north and south and the west, though the main flow of it is on the north and south, flowing east. As it issues forth, it flows to the east, deepening as it goes.
Ezekiel measures successively from the west end of the building. At a thousand cubits from that end, it is ankle deep. At two thousand, it is knee deep. At three thousand, which reaches to the east end of the building, it is to the loins. And a thousand cubits further east of the building, it is too deep to ford, requiring swimming. This last would seen to indicate that it was augmented after it left the building, for it still continues to get deeper, indicating that it possibly issues from the east side also.
The deeper water is clearly for baptisms. The shallower water for repeated feet washing that is necessary both naturally and spiritually. The dress, of course, in those days will not be today’s foolish and artificial styles and fashions.
From the building, the waters continue to flow east to and even somewhat beyond the Jordan valley. It will flow more or less along the line of the two top larger portions—the portion for Zadok and the portion of the Levites, because we see the Temple is on that line, and it flows directly east from the Temple. We believe it flows a little east of the valley of Jordan, because it is testified in Joel 3:8 that it waters the valley of Shittim, and this is east of the Jordan at the north end of the Dead Sea, where Israel encamped for the final months before crossing over into the land. This was where Moses delivered the addresses which comprise Deuteronomy.
Ezekiel 47:9 clearly says in the original two rivers. See the margin. This would be the flowing north and south of the Temple, which would be at the Temple a mile apart. The wording of that verse (Ezek 47:9) seems to indicate that they stay separate in their course eastward, even perhaps somewhat diverging from each other to the north and south. Zech 14:8 seems to give the same picture, “living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea (that is the Dead Sea, the sea out in front facing from the Temple) and half of them toward the hinder sea (the Mediterranean, which is behind the Temple). The most natural meaning of this would seem to be two separate rivers—one reaching the Dead Sea and one reaching the Mediterranean by flowing north up the Jordan Valley and then later west to the Mediterranean. Whether there is a water connection between these two in what is now the Jordan Valley, we are not told.
We are told that there will be great physical convulsions of the land, so the present geography is not a final guide. The whole 50-mile square area of the Holy Oblation is to be lifted up. That is the section of the large square with the three portions in it. The whole section is to be lifted up beyond the surrounding land. Incidentally, the word for oblation translated here (and in Ezekiel is the only place it is translated that way) is the word, which in Leviticus is translated heave offering—an offering lifted up to God. The idea is a lifting up; something lifted up to God. So, there is a deeper meaning to the lifting up of this land beyond mere geography.
The northern waters find their way to the Mediterranean, so the water level would be at least a little above that of the Mediterranean. With the present geography that would create a lake ten miles wide from north of the Sea of Galilee to well south of the Dead Sea. That would be from well below the Dead Sea here, right up through and above the Sea of Galilee. That’s all now below the level of the Mediterranean, so if the waters came here and reached the Mediterranean, and there were no changes in the geography, there would be a ten mile wide lake all the way down through there. This would be a pleasant and beneficial transformation of the present hot Jordan valley and the stagnant, lifeless Dead Sea. The slope of the Jordan valley would have to be reversed, so the water flowed north.
Whether the southern waters will flow right through to the Red Sea is a question. Bro. Sulley did not think they would. Mainly on the basis of the fact that the marshes around the southern part of the Dead Sea is very, very shallow—all marshes and salt. The question is whether the waters flow on through or stop here. His idea is that it would stop, because it says that the marshes would not be healed but would be given over to salt. This however, could easily be accomplished by raising a land bridge that would cut off the marshes from the through flow of the water.
At the present time, mountains ring Jerusalem on the east. But when Christ stands upon the Mount of Olives on the way to relieve the city from Gog’s hosts, that mountain cleaves in the midst on an east-west line—half of the mountain moving north and half of it moving to the south. (Zech 14:4), “and there shall be a very great valley” down through the middle of the Mount of Olives. The expression of a very great valley indicates a tremendous movement of the mountain and consequent disturbance of the surrounding land. It appears certain that the lifting up of the 50-mile square Holy Oblation will occur in this same convulsion and will, in the providence of God, be greatly destructive of the enemy hosts, swallowing them up like Dathan and Abiram.
It is the Valley of Jehoshaphat beside Jerusalem that Joel says God will assemble the host of the nations to judgment. And Daniel says that the King of the North, when he hears troubling tidings, rushes back from Egypt and sets his headquarters in the glorious holy mountain. And he is there destroyed with his hosts.
It would appear, too, most likely, that this tremendous upheaval and disturbance in the land of Israel would be the occasion and inauguration of the convulsions throughout the earth, and would bring down every high tower and all the proud and lofty works of men. Certainly such dreadful monstrosities of man’s pride and folly as the ugly useless Toronto Tower and the towering, steel, money-grubbing, canyons of New York must be swept away, to be replaced by sound, sensible, God-glorifying structures. Most of the large buildings of Detroit, which were the pride of 50 years ago—a very short period compared to a millennium—are now tarnished and outmoded and decaying eye sores. So will it be with all man’s ugly creations, when the new clean, pure, wholesome order of living begins—every man under his own vine and fig tree.
The Temple is an entirely different kind of building—of health, beauty, and true utility in harmony with the environment. It will doubtless be the foundation pattern for the wise architecture of the future.
The Kingdom Age will be ushered in by cataclysmic worldwide destruction of life and property. This is sad but necessary, as it was in the days of the flood to which the coming of Christ is likened, so that all corruption can be swept away, and an entirely new, clean, fresh order can begin. The Kingdom cannot be built on rotten, shaky, corrupt, human foundations that don’t even last under man’s rule.
Psalm 46 declares, “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted. Come, behold…what desolations he hath made in the earth.” The context of the Psalm clearly shows it to be millennial.
Isaiah 30:25 speaks of a day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Again, clearly millennial. And in chapter 66, again the background shows that it is at the coming of Christ, “By fire and by his sword will the LORD plead with all flesh: and the slain of the LORD shall be many.” Again in chapter 2, “The LORD shall arise to shake terribly the earth.” And so says Haggai. We must think on the scale of the convulsions of the flood. That is the pattern that we are given.
Bro. Sulley thought that the drying up of the marshes around the south end of the Dead Sea for salt would in all probability bring Sodom and Gomorrah, now covered by the shallow water at the south end of the Dead Sea, to the surface again.
Similarly, the waters flowing north and the lake thereby formed would completely submerge Bethsaida, Capernaum, and Chorazin—the cities upon which Christ pronounced judgment because they did not realize who was among them. It would cover them with hundreds of feet of water, for they are on the border of the lake of Galilee, which is well below the Mediterranean.
And to complete the picture, he felt it likely that the stream would enter the Mediterranean at Tyre, restoring it to its importance as the entry of the seas, as it is called in Ezekiel. Isaiah prophecies that in the last days the merchandise and hire or labor of Tyre “shall be for them that dwell before the Lord” (Isaiah 23). This would be so, if Tyre becomes the Mediterranean seaport of Jerusalem. This would give a fitting fulfillment to Christ’s words about all these cities. And it would give King Hiram of Tyre, who loved and helped David, a latter day fulfillment. Tyre is just about in line with the top of the lake that would be formed, with the logical place for the waters to flow west into the Mediterranean.
We now come to the Prince and the eastern court—the most interesting part of the subject. The Prince is unquestionably Christ. Sound brethren have had no doubt on that score from the beginning. It is obvious beyond doubt to any who understand the Truth that Christ is the Prince. Bro. Thomas so applies it in Elpis Israel, as a self-evident fact.
First of all, if the Prince isn’t Christ, then Christ, who is the heart and center of the whole picture, just doesn’t appear at all. This, of course, is impossible.
Secondly, of itself and even more so in the light of other Scripture, an individual, introduced into the center of the Temple picture without any explanation as THE PRINCE, cannot be other than Christ.
Let us not be misled by the modern usage of the word prince. Prince, scripturally, meant the supreme ruler—the principle, the head, the chief of whatever was being considered.
Christ is Messiah the Prince, according to Daniel. He is, according to Revelation, the Prince of the kings of the earth. He is Michael, the great prince that stands up to deliver Israel. He it is that God has exalted to His right hand, to be a prince and a savior.
And thirdly, the very first mention of the Prince in Ezekiel, in Ezekiel’s Temple chapters, is in itself conclusive, chapter 44, verse 2-3, “The east gate shall be shut…no man shall enter in by it; because Yahweh, Elohim of Israel, hath entered in by it. It is for the prince.” Rotherham, instead of hath entered, has doth enter by it, which is both more accurate and more significant. The portion we are now talking of is this eastern portion, which is, as Ezekiel tells us, the front of the building, facing east.
The fact that the eastern portion of the Temple is associated with the Prince, both here and later, and not with anyone else, involving of course with him his brethren, as they follow him wherever he goeth, is another proof that the Prince is Christ.
The tabernacle and the Temple both faced east. East was the front—the side of honor and preeminence. Here, originally, dwelt Moses, the great mediator, and Aaron, the high priest. They dwelt on the east side of the tabernacle. Here in both tabernacle and Temple was the main entrance, actually, the only entrance to God’s house. The east is the sun’s rising.
On every sabbath and new moon, as we read in chapter 46, the worship is centered around the Prince, who leads it. Likewise, he leads the worship on the great yearly festivals of the Passover and Feast of Tabernacles. In the past this was the work of the high priest and none else. And there can be no high priest but Christ.
The Prince possesses the central rural portion of the land—the site of the throne of David. The Holy Oblation and the Temple are in his portion. His portion is the same as God’s—Judah, his portion in the Holy Land.
The highest priesthood in this Temple, both the high priest and his priestly brethren, must be immortal. Paul makes this clear in Hebrews. Where are they in all this service, if they be not the Prince and the sons of Zadok?
Let us then briefly consider what we are told concerning the Prince. The first reference is 44:2-3 already quoted, “No man shall enter by the east gate, because Yahweh, Elohim of Israel, doth enter by it.” Yahweh Elohim is God manifested in Christ and the saints—Yahweh Elohim, He Who Shall Be Mighty Ones. The east court is exclusively for them.
Verse 3 – “The prince shall eat in it (that is, in the east gate, or gates) before Yahweh.” There is no difficulty in Christ, as Yahweh, eating before Yahweh. He is both the manifestation and the Son of God. Before men, he bears the name of God. Before God, he is the ever-submissive son. Similarly, in the past the Christ-priest offered the Christ-sacrifice on the Christ-altar. And there is no difficulty, just deep beauty—various phases of the work.
He certainly does not eat bread in the east court alone—a vast mile long building. Apart from the fact that he does nothing alone, we have his specific promise that he would partake of the memorials anew with his brethren in his Kingdom, and that the faithful should eat bread there (sit down with him in his Kingdom).
In this first reference to the priests in the Temple, we have the great marriage supper of the Lamb. The memorials terminate with this joyful reunion, for their purpose is to keep in memory until he comes. But the marriage supper is but the beginning of an endless companionship of never-diminishing bliss.
The next reference to the Prince is in chapter 45 verse 7. The Prince’s portion is the land to the west and east of the Holy Oblation. Actually, as a later reference shows, the Holy Oblation is considered as part of or taken from the Prince’s portion.
In verses 13-15 of chapter 45, the people of the land (Israel) give a percentage of the grain, oil, and flocks (between ½ and 1 ½%) to the Prince to make reconciliation for them. Remember the tithe in the past. But the abundance in the future apparently indicates that it will be necessary to give far less to cover the necessities, because there will be “a handful of corn on top of the mountain”—abundance everywhere. (Psalm 72:16)
In verse 17 of chapter 45, it shall be the Prince’s part to prepare and offer the established periodic sacrifices for Israel. He will not, of course, actually do all the work himself. No leader does. But, he will head, lead, and supervise the immortal priesthood, who alone can approach unto God’s altar.
Some have trouble with their being sacrifices in the Kingdom and with an immortal Christ having anything to do with them. There should be no difficulty. First of all, there is abundant testimony, not just in Ezekiel, that there will be sacrifices in the Kingdom. That should be sufficient, but reason even carries us further.
Sacrifices pointed forward for 4000 years. In God’s purpose, he ordained sacrifice for more than half of the whole for His development of man. And then for 2000 years, the memorial of bread and wine—a very similar institution, but suited to a different dispensation—have been pointing backward, memorializing and keeping in memory. So clearly, God’s wisdom has determined that a periodic observance is beneficial and necessary for mankind. Sacrifices were best suited to the national code of the law of Moses, and the Kingdom is a similar economy—political and national, comprising all people. Not individual and selective, as at present.
Man’s chief objection to sacrifice is really that he thinks he has developed and matured beyond that kind of ordinance and instruction. He looks down on it as a relic of an earlier and more childish age. In truth, there has never been an age more spiritually juvenile and retarded and more in need of being taught simple basic elementals. Man is a little more clever with his tinker toys than previous generations. But there is far, far less wisdom. Even untutored savages have had the discernment to recognize the evidence all around them of power and knowledge greater than their own. But what benighted superstition of any savages was ever more utterly ridiculous than the modern religion of mindless, purposeless, moralless evolution as the great creator of all things? What blasphemy! What terrible blasphemy! To see all the wisdom and beauty of God’s handiwork and to create an idiot god of blind chance to explain it all. And man thinks he has advanced!
The reinstitution of sacrifice with rigidly enforced judgments is exactly what debased and degenerate mankind needs to slowly lead it back to the first glimmerings of holiness and wisdom and spiritual understanding. The sacrifices will point back, as the ancient ones pointed forward. These will memorialize, as those foreshadowed.
Even harder for many to accept is that (verse 22) “the Prince shall prepare a bullock for himself and for all the people of the land.” The large number using the name Christadelphian, who have never been able to comprehend the Truth that Christ’s great victory was over the sin-defiled and sin-motivated flesh, have consequently never been able to accept this fact of the Prince memorially offering for himself in type, as he once actually did. Here is the worm at the core of modern theories that seek to do away with millennial sacrifice and the Messiah-Prince of Israel.
Christ will reign on earth in supreme visible power and glory. Therefore, in the light of mankind’s historic tendencies and spiritual limitations, what is obviously and absolutely necessary? It is this: repeated open public acts on the part of Christ, attributing all glory and honor and power to God. And sacrifice, as it is set up in this world center of authority and worship and pilgrimage, is the ideal method for this.
God is supreme. He must be kept in the foreground. The past redemption of the race at Calgary must be clearly kept in memory. Christ must publicly worship God. He must offer sacrifice, as a token of submission and dependence, and to memorialize the way in which the all-powerful Father was pleased to redeem mankind through him in the past.
When we see how the trinity theory has confused Christ with God, even is his absence, we see how vitally necessary it will be to keep the issues clear at the time of his glorious visible power and presence.
Sacrifice exalts God and abases man. Sacrifice accepted gives joy and comfort and assurance to the righteous. Sacrifice rejected brings exposure and swift justice to the wicked. It is a glorious millennial provision, which the righteous rejoice in and the wicked rail against.
In a Psalm that is clearly millennial and Messianic, Christ says, Psalm 35, “I will give thee thanks in the great congregation.” We can trace this pattern through many Psalms—Christ worshipping God before all people.
Christ offers a bullock for himself and for all the people of the land. Does it seem fitting that the supreme immortal Christ offer a joint-sacrifice for himself and all the mortal people? It will be seen fitting, and as a beautiful act of Christ’s love and God’s wisdom, if we see the true picture. These people are now Christ’s devoted and loving brethren, even as we consider ourselves today, very close to him. We cannot take into consideration the wicked among them. They don’t count. We are considering the faithful.
How better could Christ manifest his oneness with them than his example giving submission to God and leading them in all righteousness?
Verses 21-25 of chapter 45 very interestingly reinstitute the Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles, but not Pentecost. The foundation Passover sacrifice and the great joyous year-end harvest Feast of Tabernacles are still relevant to the people of the earth. Pentecost has already been fulfilled in the Messianic supper of the Lamb.
Chapter 46 brings us back to the east gate, or rather focuses our attention on it, for we have been there all the time. It is where the Prince meets the people and officiates on their behalf. It shall be shut (verse 1) for six working days and opened on the weekly sabbath and monthly new moon, as also clearly on the great yearly festivals. There the Prince shall stand and worship God before all the assembled people in the tabernacle, who fill the separate place with their eyes upon this eastern gate. The ascent to the altar at the top of the mountain is directly facing the middle eastern gate. Up here all the sacrifices must be conveyed to be consumed by the fire of God at the summit. Whether the Prince himself ascends the mountain to the altar on special occasions, we do not know. We are not told. It would seem fitting that he should, in the sight of all the assembled and worshipping multitude.
The top of the mountain is the holiest place of all. “This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house” (43:12). An ascent thereto would be a beautiful and impressive enactment of that glorious promise to all who have the wisdom to perceive the beauty of holiness. “Who shall ascend unto the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in the holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart.”
Bro. G.V.Growcott
