This future temple vision is possibly a new temple during the millennial kingdom when Jesus will return and reign on earth for a thousand years. However, this vision and the Book of Revelation describing the future temple are highly debated. What we can see through this temple vision is how the Lord is in the details, down to cubits, as He shows Ezekiel the rooms and courtyard. Then Ezekiel sees the glory of the Lord return to the temple – “Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory. It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw—like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face. And the glory of the Lord came into the temple by way of the gate which faces toward the east. The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. Then I heard Him speaking to me from the temple, while a man stood beside me. And He said to me, ‘Son of man, this is 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 forever.’”

In an earlier vision, Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord departing the temple through the east gate (Ezekiel 10:18-19). Today the glory of the Lord returns through the east gate. Later in the story, one week before Jesus is crucified, He will make a triumphal entrance into Jerusalem through the east gate, also called the Golden Gate or the Beautiful Gate. Conquering kings often came from the east, like Jesus, but King Jesus will come through the gate humbly, on a donkey, declaring Himself Lord and fulfilling the prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. And the people will shout “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matthew 21:9) before they crucify Him. However, one day Jesus will come again — this time as a conquering King on a white horse, and He will put an end to evil for good. 

We end the reading with a description of an altar and animal sacrifices in the new temple. These will be performed as a memorial for what Jesus did for us on the cross as the final sacrificial Lamb of God. Just as people offered sacrifices in the Old Testament looking forward to the day of the arrival of the Messiah, sacrifices will be made in the new temple as a celebration, looking back on what Christ did on our behalf. 

More on the temple vision tomorrow. Keep reading. (Ezekiel 40:38-43:27)

Today Nebuchadnezzar has another dream which he asks Daniel to interpret –  “This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you.”

Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of a large fruitful tree that reached to the heavens. Then a holy one from heaven cried out to chop down the tree and said, “Let his heart be changed from that of a man, let him be given the heart of a beast, and let seven times pass over him.”

Daniel explains that the tree is Nebuchadnezzar “for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to the end of the earth.” Nebuchadnezzar’s pride is going to lead to his downfall, and he will be driven to the fields like a wild beast for seven years “till you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses.”

Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar that if he will humble himself, repent, and turn from his sin “perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.” The Lord gives Nebuchadnezzar twelve months to repent, but Nebuchadnezzar never humbles himself –  “All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of the twelve months he was walking about the royal palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, ‘Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?’”

The Lord is the one who established Babylon to accomplish His purposes, not Nebuchadnezzar. Therefore the Lord humbles Nebuchadnezzar, and he becomes like a wild beast in the fields for seven years, “and at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’”

“At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down.”

We end the reading in the twenty-fifth year of captivity and fourteen years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezekiel receives his final vision from the Lord. The Lord shows him a new temple that He is planning and tells Ezekiel to “declare to the house of Israel everything that you see.” This temple is unlike the corrupt temple that the Lord showed Ezekiel twenty years ago, about which we will read more about tomorrow. Keep reading. (1 Chronicles 8:29-40, Daniel 4:1-37, Ezekiel 40:1-37)

Ezekiel has some harsh words for Pharaoh and Egypt. He says they will go down to hell with Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, and Edom. Egypt will be destroyed like the other nations for ignoring the Lord and His word and for walking in wickedness. The Lord says the only comfort Pharaoh will receive is knowing that he wasn’t the only one cast into hell because of his evil ways.

The Lord once again calls Ezekiel the watchman over the spiritual condition of the people of Israel – “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.”

The Lord says that although the nation is under judgment, individuals can still be saved if they repent and turn to the Lord – “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” He will judge each person individually and fairly.

We end the reading with a list of genealogies from Jacob to the exile for three of the tribes of Israel; Simeon, Reuben, and Gad:

1) Simeon- Simeon and Levi are the brothers who killed all the men of the city of Shechem after Shechem raped their sister Dinah (Genesis 34). So when Jacob gave Simeon and Levi their blessings, he said, “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; and their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:7). At the beginning of the wilderness journey in the Exodus Era, the tribe of Simeon was one of the largest but decreased significantly by the end, according to the book of Numbers. This tribe was part of Northern Israel which was overtaken by the Assyrians and scattered as well as the rest of Northern Israel.

2) Reuben – Jacob’s first born son, Reuben, slept with Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). So when Jacob blessed him he said, “Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it” (Genesis 49:4). Today we read, “Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel… because he defiled his father’s bed, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph… yet Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came a rule.” Joseph’s sons, the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, were greater than the tribe of Reuben and formed the majority of Northern Israel. However the brother, Judah (Southern Judah Kingdom), prevails because King David and all the kings of Southern Judah come from Judah’s lineage — and ultimately King Jesus will descend through the bloodline of Judah. 

3) Gad – When Jacob blessed Gad he said, “a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last” (Genesis 49:19). Not much was said about Gad today except that they acquired the land of Bashan as far as Salcah. Gad was also part of Northern Israel which was overthrown by the Assyrians.

More on the sons of Jacob tomorrow, so keep reading. (Ezekiel 33:17-33,20, Jeremiah 52:28-30, Psalm 137, 1 Chronicles 4:24-5:17)

Yesterday’s reading ended with the Lord promising one day to restore the land – “So they will say, ‘This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited’” (Ezekiel 36:35). 

Today the Lord promises to revive the people spiritually. He illustrates this promise by giving Ezekiel a vision of a valley full of dry bones. Then the Lord says to Ezekiel, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.’” 

So just as the Lord breathed life into Adam in the garden of Eden and he became a living man, the Lord also brought life into these dry bones by speaking breath into them. It’s the power of His word that brought life. Then the Lord says that these bones represent the house of Israel which is spiritually dead and hopeless. However, the Lord gives them a word of hope –  “Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it.”

God also has Ezekiel take two sticks, representing Judah and Israel, and bind them together as an illustration that He will one day bind the nations together under a new covenant. This restoration will be much greater than the restoration that will occur after the Jews return from exile in Babylon. The Lord promises that they will be one under one King and under one covenant, a covenant of peace – “David My servant shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd; they shall also walk in My judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there, they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.”

Then the Lord gives Ezekiel a vision of the future with a message for Gog and Magog. There are differing views over what this message exactly means. Ezekiel’s description here is similar to what we will read at the end of the story in the Book of Revelation, when John is describing the Great Tribulation. It will be a time of awful calamity, but God has promised that He will have ultimate victory over all of His enemies. Then the earthly Eden, described at the beginning of this story in the Book of Genesis, will be restored as a heavenly Eden at the end of this story, as described in the Book of Revelation – “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:1).

We end the reading with Ezekiel warning Pharaoh, king of Egypt, of their future destruction. We will read more about the fate of Egypt tomorrow, so keep reading. (Ezekiel 37:1-39:29, Ezekiel 32:1-16)

Today Ezekiel rebukes the shepherds (Israel’s leaders) for not shepherding the flock (the people) well. He says they fed themselves instead of the flock and used their position for their own personal gain and well-being. So the people were scattered because there was no good shepherd searching for them.

Therefore, the Lord promises to provide the care for his sheep that the unfaithful shepherds did not provide – “Indeed I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land; I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel. There they shall lie down in a good fold and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down… I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick; but I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.”

The Lord will judge each person. The proud will be destroyed, but the humble who has a heart for the Lord will be redeemed. The Lord promises this ultimate redemption through the coming Messiah – “therefore I will save My flock, and they shall no longer be a prey; and I will judge between sheep and sheep. I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them—My servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken… I will make a covenant of peace with them, and cause wild beasts to cease from the land; and they will dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.”

Partial fulfillment of this new covenant will occur when the Jews return from exile. However, complete fulfillment will occur when Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, arrives on the scene and declares Himself to be the Good Shepherd – “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).

The Lord says He is providing this restoration not based on anything that the people have done but for His own name’s sake – “I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses.”

The work of salvation is a work of the Lord. He is the One who draws us to His Son, Jesus Christ. Once we accept Jesus as our Savior, the Lord gives us a new heart of flesh, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we are renewed and equipped to do the will of the Lord. Paul will later say, “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7). Keep reading. (Ezekiel 34:1-36:38)

Today Johanan and others ask Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord. They say “Let the Lord be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the Lord your God sends us by you. Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God.”

The Lord knows that these are just empty words and that they are hypocrites in their hearts, because the Lord knows the thoughts and intents of every man. However, Jeremiah responds by giving them truth from the Lord – “If you will still remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up. For I relent concerning the disaster that I have brought upon you. Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him… for I am with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand. And I will show you mercy, that he may have mercy on you and cause you to return to your own land.” But if you ignore my word and go to Egypt, “So shall it be with all the men who set their faces to go to Egypt to dwell there. They shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. And none of them shall remain or escape from the disaster that I will bring upon them.”

All the proud men accuse Jeremiah of speaking falsely. Therefore, they ignore the word of God and journey to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with the other captives. On the way there, God has a message for them because of their disobedience. He says that He is sending Nebuchadnezzar against Egypt and “he shall strike the land of Egypt and deliver to death those appointed for death, and to captivity those appointed for captivity, and to the sword those appointed for the sword.” The Lord is going to destroy the people for trusting in Egypt and their false gods instead of Him. However, the Lord promises to leave a remnant – “Yet a small number who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; and all the remnant of Judah, who have gone to the land of Egypt to dwell there, shall know whose words will stand, Mine or theirs. And this shall be a sign to you… that I will punish you in this place, that you may know that My words will surely stand against you for adversity.”

Over in Babylon, about twelve years into Ezekiel’s captivity, he receives word that Jerusalem has fallen. During these twelve years the Lord has withheld Ezekiel from speaking freely. Ezekiel could speak only what the Lord told him to say, but today the Lord removes the muteness from Ezekiel. The people have been complaining about losing the land to which they believe they are entitled, so the Lord tells them that the land was His and He made it desolate because of their abominations. He also rebukes the people for coming to hear Ezekiel speak the word of God without a heart that desires obedience to His word — “So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain. Indeed you are to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear your words, but they do not do them. And when this comes to pass—surely it will come—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

The people in exile are similar to the proud men left back in Judah — both have the outward appearance of people of the Lord, but inwardly they are self-serving, greedy hypocrites and God knows it. 

We will hear more from Ezekiel tomorrow, so keep reading. (Jeremiah 42:1-44:30, Ezekiel 33:21-33)

In the final Lamentation Jeremiah says, “The joy of our heart has ceased… Woe to us, for we have sinned… Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored.” Sin is only pleasurable for a season, (Hebrew 11:25) but it ultimately robs your heart of joy. Restoration is found in repentance and turning to the Lord.

Today the prophet Obadiah steps on the scene with a prophecy from the Lord against prideful Edom, descendants of Esau. The Lord rebukes them for their violence against their brother, Jacob. When Judah was being attacked by the Babylonians, Edom would capture the fugitives and either kill them or hand them over to the Babylonians. Because Edom rejoiced over the downfall of Judah, they are going to experience judgment from the Lord — “For the day of the Lord upon all nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you.”

Over in Judah, Ishmael, of the royal family, kills Gedaliah, the governor of Judah recently appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. “Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.” The. Ishmael kills more men, and he carries the rest of the people off as captives to the Ammonites. 

Johanan, the military captain who warned Gedaliah of Ishmael’s plot to kill him but was ignored, intercedes and rescues the people from the hands of Ishmael. However, Ishmael escapes and flees to the Amorites. Then Johanan, all the captains who were with him, and the rest of the people “departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt, because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor in the land.”

Tomorrow the Lord instructs the people to stay in the land and trust Him instead of fleeing to Egypt. Will the people obey? Keep reading to find out. (Lamentations 5:1-22, Obadiah 1:1-21, 2 Kings 25:22-26, Jeremiah 40:7-41:18)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism definition of God is “God is Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.” Because of God’s holiness, God hates sin. Because of God’s justice, God punishes sin. Because of God’s goodness, God shows mercy to those who repent and turn to Him. Because of God’s truthfulness, we can trust that He is sending a Savior to redeem His people as He promised. We see all of these characteristics of God in today’s reading.

God’s judgment for sin – The Israelites were living in total sin and rebellion against the Lord. Therefore, “The Lord has done what He purposed; He has fulfilled His word which He commanded in days of old. He has thrown down and has not pitied, and He has caused an enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the horn of your adversaries.”

God’s mercy for repentant sinners – Jeremiah says, “I have become the ridicule of all my people— their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.” But then Jeremiah remembers the character of the Lord and finds hope – “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I hope in Him!’ The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord… For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.”

Therefore, Jeremiah says, “Let us search out and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord; let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.”

God’s promise to redeem – The nation of Judah is under great oppression because of their persistent sin. Jeremiah says the way to be restored is to humble yourself, repent of your sin and turn to the Lord. And the same is true today. The way of restoration is by humbly repenting and turning to the Lord, receiving His Son, Jesus Christ, as your Savior.

Tomorrow someone kills the newly appointed governor of Judah. Keep reading. (Lamentations 2:1-4:22)

Nebuchadnezzar releases Jeremiah from prison, and he is given a choice of staying in Judah or going to Babylon – “The Lord your God has pronounced this doom on this place. Now the Lord has brought it, and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the Lord, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you. And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you to come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you to go, go there.”

Jeremiah chooses to stay back with the few people who are left in the land. So we see God’s protection over Jeremiah, who has faith in the Lord and obeys His word. The Lord also spares Ebed-Melech, the Ethiopian eunuch who trusted God and risked his own life to save Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38:7-13). The Lord says to Ebed-Melech, “you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me.”  

Nebuchadnezzar makes Gedaliah the governor of Judah. He is the son of Ahikam, who at one point saved Jeremiah’s life (Jeremiah 26:24), and the grandson of Shaphan, the scribe who read the Book of the Law to Josiah after it was found in the temple by Hilkiah (2 Kings 22:10). 

“Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive the rest of the people who remained in the city and the defectors who had deserted to the king of Babylon, with the rest of the multitude. But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land as vinedressers and farmers.” The Babylonians burn the house of the Lord and all the great houses, and break down the walls of Jerusalem. They break into pieces the bronze pillars, the carts, and the bronze Sea that was in the temple and take away the pots, shovels, spoons, bronze utensils; “the things of solid gold and solid silver, the captain of the guard took away.” 

“And those who escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths. As long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.”

The Lord commanded the Israelites before entering the promised land to allow the land to rest every seven years (Exodus 23:10-11). However, for the past four hundred and ninety years, the people disobeyed the Lord’s instructions for the care of the land. Therefore, the land will lie desolate for seventy years, counting from the first wave of captivity when Daniel was taken into captivity until King Cyrus of Persia will issue a decree sending the people of Judah back to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. 

We end today’s reading by beginning the Book of Lamentations with Jeremiah’s mourning over the destruction of Jerusalem –  “Judah has gone into captivity, under affliction and hard servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.”

More from Lamentations tomorrow, so keep reading. (Jeremiah 39:11-18, Jeremiah 40:1-6, 2 Kings 25:8-21, Jeremiah 52:12-27, 2 Chronicles 36:15-21, Lamentations 1:1-22)