Today in the new temple vision, Ezekiel sees a stream of water flowing from the temple and out the east gate. The stream turns into a great river. The Lord says when the water reaches the sea, it’s waters are healed. “And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever they may go, will live”; indicating the regeneration that will occur during the time of the new temple. At the end of the Story, John will have a similar vision. “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:1-2).

Then the Lord shows Ezekiel the boundaries of the land that will be divided equally among the 12 tribes of Israel. The boundaries correspond with the land boundaries He gave Moses back in the wilderness (Numbers 34). The Lord not only provides land for the 12 tribes of Israel but also “for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you…they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.” The Lord allocates a gate to each of the 12 sons of Jacob which surround the new city and He calls the city THE LORD IS THERE.

We conclude the Book of Ezekiel by reading his last oracle which says that Nebuchadnezzar is going to conquer Egypt. According to the ESV Study Bible, this prophesy was given in 571 B.C. and Nebuchadnezzar conquered Egypt in 568 B.C.

Today’s reading ends with us seeing God’s faithfulness to King David’s bloodline. Evil-Merodach, king of Babylon, releases Jehoiachin, former king of Judah, from prison “and gave him a more prominent seat than those of the kings who were with him in Babylon… all the days of his life.”

Tomorrow Daniel receives some visions from the Lord. Keep reading.

(Ezekiel 47:1-48:35, Ezekiel 28:17-30:19, 2 Kings 25:27-30, Jeremiah 52:31-34)

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In the future temple vision, the Lord tells Ezekiel, “Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all it’s laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.” Only those who have hearts for the Lord will be able to enter the new temple.

The Lord gives new laws for the priests. He says bc of their wandering from the Lord and their great sin, they will be allowed to perform certain duties of a priest regarding temple care and ministering to the people but, “they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priests, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place”, except for the descendants of Zadok. Zadok, a descendant of Aaron’s son Eleazar, was the priest that was loyal to King David when his son, Absalom, tried to take the kingdom from David. He was also the priest that anointed Solomon as king after his brother, Adonijah, tried to claim the throne for himself. Since Zadok and his descendants remained faithful to the Lord, “They will enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge.”

The Lord also provides instructions for future offerings and sacrifices to Him. These ritual offerings and sacrifices are to commemorate what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross when He shed His innocent blood to atone for our sins. It is a picture and a reminder of the finished work of Christ. Much like the picture God gave us back in the garden when He killed that innocent animal to cover the guilt of Adam and Eve, and He gave them a promise to send a Savior. For Jesus was slain and “redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev 5:9).

Tomorrow concludes the new temple vision. Keep reading.

(Ezekiel 44:1-46:24)

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This future temple vision is possibly a new temple during the millennial kingdom when Jesus will return and reign on earth for 1,000 years. However, this vision and the Book of Revelation describing the future temple are highly debated and I’m not going to figure it out. 🤷‍♀️ But through this temple vision we see how the Lord is in the details, down to cubits as He shows Ezekiel the rooms and courtyard.

“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.” So on August 18th we read Ezekiel’s vision where the glory of the Lord departed the temple through the east gate. 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).

Then 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 get a glimpse of what it will be like after Jesus returns, reigns, and defeats Satan in a vision the Lord gives John at the end of the Story. “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the lamb” (Revelation 21:22-23). 🙌

More on the temple vision tomorrow. Keep reading.

(Ezekiel 40:38-43:27)

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Today Nebuchadnezzar has another dream that no one can interpret except Daniel bc “in him is the Spirit of the Holy God.” 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 and turn from his sin “perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.” However, Nebuchadnezzar does not humble himself. Therefore the Lord humbles him and he becomes like a wild beast in the fields for 7 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.”

We end the reading in the 25th year of captivity and 14 years after the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. Ezekiel receives a vision from the Lord where 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 20 years ago.

More on the temple tomorrow. Keep reading.

(1 Chronicles 8:29-40, Daniel 4:1-37, Ezekiel 40:1-37)

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Today we read the lineage of Manasseh and Ephraim (Joseph’s sons), Aaron (from the tribe of Levi), Issachar, Naphtali, Asher, and Benjamin.

Manasseh – During the Conquest Era, they failed to drive the people out of the land (Joshua 17). We see in today’s genealogy of Manasseh children born to a foreign woman, a Syrian concubine. This tribe was part of Northern Israel who left the Lord for the worship of false gods and were overtaken by the Assyrians.

Ephraim – The name Ephraim is also used in the Bible to describe the 10 tribes of Northern Israel. They too did not drive the people out of their land (Joshua 16) and they also turned from the Lord to idolatry. Hosea said, “Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment, because he willingly walked by human precept” (Hosea 5:11).

Aaron – His descendants are the priests who offered sacrifices to the Lord to make atonement for Israel. They too failed by leaving the Lord and His Word. ”Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things…” (Ezekiel 22:26).

Issachar, Naphtali, and Asher – All tribes of Northern Israel whose descendants turned from the Lord toward false gods.

Benjamin – The son of Rachel and Jacob and the brother of Joseph. This is the tribe that was almost wiped out during the Judges Era (Judges 19-21). The first king, Saul, was a Benjamite. When the kingdom divided, the tribe of Benjamin became part of Southern Judah. Later in the Story when we meet Paul, we will discover that he too came from the tribe of Benjamin. We will read more about this genealogy tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, Nebuchadnezzar has another dream…keep reading!

(1 Chronicles 5:18-26, 1 Chronicles 6:3b,49,4-15, 1 Chronicles 7:1-8:28)

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Ezekiel has some harsh words for Pharaoh and Egypt. He says they will be in hell with Assyria, Elam, Meshech, Tubal, and Edom. Egypt will be destroyed like the other nations for ignoring the Lord and His Word.

God appoints Ezekiel as the watchman over the spiritual condition of the people of Israel. He is to warn them of their sin and to tell them to repent before judgment occurs. The Lord says that although the nation is under judgment, individuals can still be saved if they repent and turn to the Lord. God says, “I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.”

We find out today that Nebuchadnezzar took a total 4,600 Jews into captivity during the 3 waves of captivity. We read the genealogy of 3 of Jacob’s sons, from Jacob to the exile:

1) Simeon- Simeon and Levi are the brothers who killed all the men in the city when Shechem, son of a Hivite prince, raped their sister Dinah (Gen 34). So when Jacob gave Simeon and Levi their blessing 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” (Gen 49:7). Today, Simeon’s genealogy is described by the total defeat of their enemies and acquisition of their land. However they were eventually overtaken by the Assyrians and scattered as well as the rest of Northern Israel.

2) Reuben – Reuben slept with Jacob’s concubine (Gen 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” (Gen 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, Ephraim and Manasseh, formed the majority of Northern Israel. However the brother, Judah (Southern Judah Kingdom), prevails bc King David and all the Kings of Southern Judah come from Judah’s lineage. And Jesus is on His way through this bloodline.

3) Gad – When Jacob blessed Gad he said, “a troop shall tramp upon him, but he shall triumph at last” (Gen 49:19). Not much was said on Gad today except that they acquired the land of Bashan as far as Salcah. And they too were 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)

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Yesterday’s reading ended with the Lord promising to one day 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 as dry bones brought to life. God brings those dead, dry bones to life and says, “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.” Then God tells Ezekiel to 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.

The Lord also 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 that was described at the beginning of this Story will be restored as a heavenly Eden at the end of this Story.

We end the reading with Ezekiel warning Pharaoh, king of Egypt, of their future destruction. More on that tomorrow so keep reading.

(Ezekiel 37:1-39:29, Ezekiel 32:1-16)

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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 bc there was no shepherd searching for them.

Therefore God is sending a Good Shepherd. ”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 seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick.”

The Lord says He will separate the sheep and His sheep will be cared for. “I will establish one shepherd over them, and He shall feed them – My Servant David. He shall feed them and be their shepherd.” The Lord will make a new covenant of peace with His people. “’You are My flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God’, says the Lord God.”

When Jesus, from the bloodline of King David, enters the scene, He will declare Himself to be this 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 that under this new covenant with Christ, He will “give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” This is the Holy Spirit. Paul will tell us later, the the Lord saved us “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 3:5-7).

Keep reading.

(Ezekiel 34:1-36:38)

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Today Johanan and others ask Jeremiah to inquire of the Lord “that the Lord your God may show us the way in which we should walk and the thing we should do.” The Lord responds, “If you will remain in this land, then I will build you and not pull you down.” “Do not go to Egypt!” God knows they are hypocrites in their hearts when they inquire of the Lord.

So Johanan ignores the Word of God and goes to Egypt, taking Jeremiah with the other captives. On the way there, God has a message for them bc 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 but he always leaves 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…shall know whose words still stand, Mine or theirs.”

Over in Babylon, about 12 years into Ezekiel’s captivity, word got back to him that Jerusalem has fallen. During these 12 years the Lord has withheld Ezekiel from speaking freely; he 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 bc of their abominations. He also rebukes the people for coming to hear Ezekiel speak the Word of God “but they do not do them, for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain.”

More from Ezekiel tomorrow so keep reading.

(Jeremiah 42:1-44:30, Ezekiel 33:21-33)

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In the final Lamentation the people say, “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. Edom rejoiced over the downfall of Judah and because of this 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.” Ishmael goes on to kill more men and he carries the rest of the people off as captives to the Ammonites. Johanan is the military captain who warned Gedaliah of Ishmael’s plot to kill him but was ignored. Johanan rescues the people and heads toward Egypt for fear of the Chaldeans after Ishmael murdered their men.

Tomorrow the Lord tells the people to stay in the land and trust Him instead of fleeing to Egypt. Will the people trust the Lord? Keep reading to find out.

(Lamentations 5:1-22, Obadiah 1:1-21, 2 Kings 25:22-26, Jeremiah 40:7-41:18)

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