The Bible says in Ezekiel 42:1-13, Then he
brought me forth into the utter court, the way toward the north: and he brought
me into the chamber that was over against the separate place, and which was
before the building toward the north.[2] Before the length of an hundred
cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.[3] Over
against the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and over against the
pavement which was for the utter court, was gallery against gallery in three
stories.[4] And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth
inward, a way of one cubit; and their doors toward the north.[5] Now the
upper chambers were shorter: for the galleries were higher than these, than the
lower, and than the middlemost of the building.[6] For they were in
three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts: therefore the
building was straitened more than the lowest and the middlemost from the
ground.[7] And the wall that was without over against the chambers,
toward the utter court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was
fifty cubits.[8] For the length of the chambers that were in the utter
court was fifty cubits: and, lo, before the temple were an hundred cubits.[9]
And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into
them from the utter court.[10] The chambers were in the thickness of the
wall of the court toward the east, over against the separate place, and over
against the building.[11] And the way before them was like the
appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they, and as
broad as they: and all their goings out were both according to their fashions,
and according to their doors.[12] And according to the doors of the
chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the way, even the
way directly before the wall toward the east, as one entereth into them.[13]
Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are
before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that
approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the
most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass
offering; for the place is holy. The key phrase in this passage is
where it says in verse 13, where the
priests that approach unto the LORD. Inside
the temple symbolized the presence of God. The point is that only the priests
could go into the inner-most part of the temple. What about everyone else? That
was one of the problems of the Old Testament law. The New Covenant is so much
better. Every believer is considered a priest. Every believer has full access
into the closest possible presence of God through Jesus. Jesus Himself was the
last priest. How can organizations that call themselves Christian have church
officials with the title of priest? It does not make any sense. Dont they
read the Bible? Evidently not. It says in Hebrews 5:1-6,
For every high priest taken from among men
is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts
and sacrifices for sins:[2] Who can have compassion on the ignorant, and
on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with
infirmity.[3] And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also
for himself, to offer for sins.[4] And no man taketh this honour unto
himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.[5] So also Christ
glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him,
Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.[6] As he saith also in
another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. The only time that priests are mentioned in the New
Testament is in reference to the Old Testament priests, except when talking
about the fact that Jesus is the last priest: a priest forever. Jesus offered a
sacrifice alright: Jesus offered the sacrifice of Himself. That is why we do
not need any more priests. Jesuss sacrifice was once forever. No other
sacrifices are needed, and therefore no other priests are needed.
The Bible says in Ezekiel 42:14-20, When the
priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the
utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for
they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those
things which are for the people.[15] Now when he had made an end of
measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect
is toward the east, and measured it round about.[16] He measured the
east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds, with the measuring reed
round about.[17] He measured the north side, five hundred reeds, with
the measuring reed round about.[18] He measured the south side, five
hundred reeds, with the measuring reed.[19] He turned about to the west
side, and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.[20] He
measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds
long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and
the profane place. This passage is about the priests clothing and what
clothing they could wear when they went into the temple into the holy place.
The priests could not wear the same clothes that they wore outside. Of course,
the symbolism is very clear. Dirt represents sinfulness. Dirty clothes
represented sinfulness too. The Old Testament had many ceremonial cleansings.
The New Testament has the real cleansing that was symbolized by all the
bathings and washings and immersions into water that took place in the Old
Testament times. The real cleansing comes through faith in Christ. As we walk
in this world, our feet get dirty. That is daily sin that happens to everyone. Jesus
cleanses from the daily sins too. Christians need to be cleansed from daily sin
in order to stay in fellowship with the Lord. It says in First John 1:9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The spiritual cleansing is what is really needed.
Cleansing the flesh or the clothes with water only symbolized that in the Old
Testament. John the Baptist said in Mark 1:8, I
indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy
Ghost. John the Baptist lived in a time that
was still under the Old Covenant. John the Baptist immersed with water because
that was the Old Testament way of symbolizing cleansing from sin. Jesus
cleanses from sin as soon as anyone puts their trust in Him. In the age of
grace symbolism with water is not needed because we have the real thing.
Concerning the clean clothing, there is a beautiful image of the clean clothing
of the believers given in Revelation 19:7-9, Let
us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is
come, and his wife hath made herself ready.[8] And to her was granted that
she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints.[9] And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are
they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto
me, These are the true sayings of God.
The court outside of the temple was to
have a wall around it. Notice the purpose of this wall. It says at the end of
verse 20, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place. God wants
Christians to have boundaries too. In order to live a holy life in this world
that is largely made of unbelievers, there must be places that we will not go
and things that we just will not do. There are some things that we can do, such
as play a game of soccer. But there are other things that we should not do
because they cross a line that should not be crossed. It says in Second
Corinthians 6:17-18, Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,[18]
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the
Lord Almighty. I once had a contracting assignment involving my job as a
contractor. One evening I went with a group of men out to dinner. We all rode
together in a couple of rented cars. As we were finishing our meal, one of the
men said, There is a strip club here in town where I often go that I really
like. Lets all get a little entertainment, and I will take all of you there.
My response was: I do not like places like that. You-all will have to give me
a ride back to the hotel first. I was not angry: just firm and matter-of-fact.
And so I went back to the hotel, and they went out to their evening. The next
morning, one of the other men said to me: I believe the way you do, I did not
like that place, and I wish that I had done like you and not gone there. By
the way, if everyone did like me, all strip joints in the world would be closed
within one week, and the world would be a better place. That does not mean that
I am better than these others. I also am a man who lives in this world. But the
point is that if you are a Christian, you must have some walls of
separation.
The Bible says in Ezekiel 43:1-6, Afterward he
brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:[2]
And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and
his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his
glory.[3] And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I
saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city:
and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell
upon my face.[4] And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the
way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.[5] So the spirit took
me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD
filled the house.[6] And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house;
and the man stood by me. Notice the phrase mentioned in verse 1: the glory of the God of Israel. The glory of the LORD is also mentioned in verse 4 and verse 5. What is the glory of the LORD?
The glory of the Lord represents the manifestation of everything about God: His
character and Being and attributes, His love, and power and holiness all
emanating in a majestic and stupendous way. What I just mentioned is just a
small preview of what must emanate from Gods glory. One of the things that we
will enjoy in heaven is being near the glory of God as it is represented in
Jesus Christ. We will be astonished and we will marvel at the glory of God. In
this life the closer that we are to the Lord, the more that we will experience
His glory. Probably what most of us have experienced is only a tiny glimpse of
what is possible. There is so much more that we could know and experience about
the Lord. If you know Jesus as Savior, then the Lord is within you. In the Old
Testament the temple symbolized the presence of the Lord where His glory could
be experienced, but in the New Testament time your body is the temple of God.
You can experience the glory of the Lord because He is in you. How much of His
glory has been revealed to you?
The Bible says in Ezekiel 43:7-11, And he said
unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my
feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and
my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their
kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high
places.[8] In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and
their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even
defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore
I have consumed them in mine anger.[9] Now let them put away their
whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the
midst of them for ever.[10] Thou son of man, shew the house to the house
of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure
the pattern.[11] And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew
them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out
thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the
ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and
write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the
ordinances thereof, and do them. Everything in the Old Testament
law was very carefully designated. Nothing was left for the Jewish people to
figure out. They were told every detail of the temple, and the temple court,
and the sacrifices, and the priests responsibilities. They did not have to
think about it: just do it. That is why it says in
verse 11, and all the laws thereof: and write
it in their sight. It was not passed by
word of mouth. It was written down so that every generation would have the Old
Testament scriptures and know exactly what God wanted them to do. It is very
similar now in the days of the New Testament. God commanded certain individuals
to write the truth about Jesus. That is why we have the scriptures. It says in
Second Timothy 3:16, All scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.
That is why the Bible is the greatest and most important book in the world. Every
Word is true because every word comes directly from God. God used human
instruments to write the Bible, but it is His Word. The Bible is a spiritual
book, so to understand the Word, you must first of all
know Jesus as your Savior. If you do not know Him, you can turn from your sins
and turn to Jesus today.
___________________________________________________
Copyright; 2017 by Charles
F. (Rick) Creech
All Rights Reserved