The Book of Ezekiel opens with Ezekiel in exile and he sees a vision of the Glory of the Lord departing the Temple in Jerusalem. It ends with the people restored, the temple rebuilt and the presence of the Lord returned, this time forever! It is a story of victory for our strong and almighty God.
| Word Count | 6559 |
| Time to Read | 35 Minutes |
| Recommended Device | Tablet or Computer |
- Ezekiel, Prophet to the Exiles
- General Outline of Ezekiel
- A New Heart
- The Valley of Dry Bones
- Timeline of God’s Restoration
- The Sneak Attack
- The Ministry of the Two Witnesses
- The National Salvation and Repentance of Israel
- The Revealing of the Antichrist
- The Millennial Temple
Ezekiel was a prophet who lived as a exile in Babylon in the 6th century BC. The name Ezekiel means ‘Strengthened by God’ and this prophet endured extensive personal hardship and served as a prophet to Israel during one of their darkest times. Yet through all this, he lived his life in a way that lives up to the meaning of his name. God gifted Ezekiel with the attributes of being tough and courageous in order to perfectly fulfill his ministry to a hard and stubborn people (Ezekiel 3:8).
Ezekiel was the son of Buzi, a priest to Israel. The Book of Ezekiel was written between 593 and approximately 571 B.C. The Bible does not record the date or circumstances of his death. Ezekiel specifically dates his visions more than any other Old Testament prophet. Other prophets contemporary to Ezekiel include Daniel, Habakkuk and Jeremiah. The main theme of Ezekiel’s message matched his name – God is Strong. That was an important message to the people who were distraught because of their captivity and who experienced the dreaded destruction of their temple in Jerusalem. Ezekiel pointed to the hope of the future where Israel would be restored and God would be exalted and worshiped by his people in a new temple.
Ezekiel’s ancestry traced back through the High Priest Zadok, a Levite whose heirs became the officiating priests from King Solomon’s time onward. We could easily speculate that he was looking forward to that privilege since he was a young boy. Most likely he was trained and taught about all the aspects of the temple and the rules and responsibilities of the priesthood. However, about 5 years prior to his 30th birthday, the year he would have assumed the responsibilities of the priesthood, he was taken away from his home and deported to Babylon for a captivity that would last many years, 70 in all. Ezekiel 1:1 opens by stating it was his thirtieth year, probably his birthday, and he was depressed because he was far away from the temple, living as a captive in a foreign country. He goes on to see a vision from the Lord and thus begins his tenure as a prophet. In his vision he sees God Almighty in a stunning dramatic way (Ezekiel 1:4-6) and he also sees those left in Jerusalem engaging in idolatry right in the temple. The vision ends with the Glory of the Lord leaving the temple. In this vision, the Lord refers to Ezekiel as ‘Son of Man’. In context it distinguishes Ezekiel as a mere human being, a son of Adam as opposed to the Lord who is the eternal God, creator of heaven and earth. This is opposite than how Jesus used the term about himself as recorded in the Gospels. That was a different context and meaning. Jesus was alluding to a prophecy revealed to the prophet Daniel (Daniel 7:13-14) in which the one with the appearance of a man, a son of man, was sitting on the throne with God and ruling over the earth. Jesus was a man but he was also God. Basically, when Jesus referred to himself as ‘The Son of Man’, he was saying that even though he was a man, he had dominion over the world as God, as portrayed in Daniel’s vision. Part of the Christian doctrine is that we believe Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God (Matthew 28:18). But in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, the term ‘son of man’ means the opposite, that Ezekiel was just a man. The term is used about 90 times in Ezekiel and about as many in the New Testament. So it is important to understand the difference in their respective contexts.
He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious people—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or be terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people. You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious people; open your mouth and eat what I give you.”
Ezekiel 2:3-8
God appointed Ezekiel to be a watchman for the Israelites. In the ancient times, watchmen were positioned high in a tower or a city wall and watched for people approaching the city. If it was determined that a threat was pending, the watchman would warn accordingly. God borrowed this concept and applied it to Ezekiel. God would reveal visions to him and it became Ezekiel’s responsibility to warn the other Israelites in the same way a watchman was to warn of an enemy approaching.
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
Ezekiel 3:17
Another frequent phrase and the main objective of God as recorded in the Book of Ezekiel is that God is doing things so that the Nation of Israel “would know that I am the Lord”. That phrase is repeated over 60 times throughout Ezekiel.
Ezekiel utilized a variety of ways to communicate his messages including proverbs, visions, parables, symbolic acts, and allegories. But more than any other prophet he demonstrated, or acted out his prophecies in an effort to gain the attention of the stubborn Israelites. These demonstrative prophecies included things like lying down on his side for months, shaving his head, showing no emotion or sadness when his wife died and eating food cooked over animal dung. News of these demonstrations and symbolic acts spread to Israelites who were located in both Babylon and back in Jerusalem. It may have been designed to easily communicate to others by simply telling the story of what the prophet did and why rather than trying to memorize a message word for word. Written documents were not common in Ezekiel’s day and even if they were made, a written scroll could be easily confiscated by the enemy under whose reign they were held. But a story could be easily remembered and repeated, especially ones that included symbolic actions and visions.
“Now, son of man, take a block of clay, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the people of Israel.
“Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the people of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side. I have assigned you the same number of days as the years of their sin. So for 390 days you will bear the sin of the people of Israel.
“After you have finished this, lie down again, this time on your right side, and bear the sin of the people of Judah. I have assigned you 40 days, a day for each year. Turn your face toward the siege of Jerusalem and with bared arm prophesy against her. I will tie you up with ropes so that you cannot turn from one side to the other until you have finished the days of your siege.
Ezekiel 4:1-8
God warned Ezekiel that his wife would die suddenly and that he should not mourn her death according to the typical culture of that day (Ezekiel 24:15-16). Rather, he should carry on like normal. His wife died as God predicted and Ezekiel obeyed this unusual command. It was used as another object lesson (prophecy) that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed. The people did not expect this to happen and would be as distraught as Ezekiel was when his wife was suddenly taken from him. They were instructed to follow the prophet’s example and mourn silently about their tragic loss. Surely they were reminded that it was their sin that led to their loss. They did indeed mourn in silence and buckled in for a long, lonely exile. Just as Ezekiel’s only option was to wait until the resurrection of the dead to be restored to his wife, the nation must wait until God’s restoration plan for them would come to pass. Some may find this lesson harsh. But later revelation from the writer of Hebrews would answer these objections in this manner:
In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Hebrews 12:4 -13
General Outline of Ezekiel
Chapters 1-3
- God reveals himself to Ezekiel
- Ezekiel receives his divine calling as prophet
- The responsibilities as Watchman are laid out
Chapters 4-24
- Focus is on Israel as a nation
- Ezekiel warns of various internal national problems
- Ezekiel warns of the fall of Jerusalem
Chapters 25-32
- Focus is on foreign nations
- Ezekiel alludes to the reality of Satan (28:11ff)
- Warnings and lament is recorded against neighboring nations
Chapters 33-48
- Focus is on Eschatological (Future things)
- Looks ahead to the repentance and restoration of Israel
- Prophecies are made with fulfillment expected in the distant future
- The features of the new temple are detailed
A New Heart
The nation Israel will receive a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:22-38). King David will be resurrected and rule over them (Ezekiel 34:23). These are incredible prophecies which are being directed to a nation who still today is rejecting Christ. This situation has caused some theologians to provide an alternative explanation. The result of this alternative explanation has led to a debate within the church of today regarding the timing and reality of Israel’s national repentance and regathering. Replacement Theology, aka supersessionism, is a prevalent false belief among many Christian denominations. In essence, those who adhere to this doctrine believe that believers of the church age have replaced Israel of old and will inherit all the promises made to that Holy Nation. This doctrine muddies the water for those seeking to understand the Bible. One thing that is clear is that God will bring restoration and exaltation of the Holy Nation of Israel for his own glory and purpose and not because they earned or deserve it for some reason. The salvation of the nation Israel in the end times will be very much like the salvation of an individual in our present church age. It is done for the glory of God and by his grace. Never is it done because of any merit on behalf of the recipient. God will save the entire nation of Israel, by grace, as stated below:
“‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake, declares the Sovereign Lord. Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, people of Israel!
Ezekiel 36:24-32
The Valley of Dry Bones
Ezekiel 37 records the popular prophecy about the valley of dry bones. It clearly identifies the dry bones as representing the nation of Israel. This is a good example of a prophecy with a dual fulfillment. In Ezekiel’s day, the nation Israel was divided into two kingdoms, the northern kingdom of Israel- sometimes called Ephraim, and the southern kingdom of Judah. Assyria had invaded the northern kingdom and those people were in exile there. Babylon had invaded the southern kingdom and they were in exile there. By the time Ezekiel prophesied about the dry bones, the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed. This nation as a whole was as good as dead. The Lord revealed to Ezekiel that they would be restored as one unified nation. This did happen in Old Testament times. They remained as a unified nation even in the New Testament times and during the time of Christ as recorded in the Gospels. They were a vassal state to Rome at that time, but they were a unified nation. But in AD 70, their temple was destroyed and they were displaced throughout the world again with no land, no nation and of course, no temple. This situation continued until 1948 when the United Nations recognized Israel as an independent state and the Jews began to move back to their own land. Now they have a thriving economy and a strong military. They are unified, but they still lack a temple for their sacrificial rituals. These facts are merely the birth pangs of the coming restoration. However the fullness of this prophecy will come to be true after the Second Coming of Christ. At that time Christ will be reigning from Jerusalem as King of the world. Israel will be a unified nation and will possess the land from the Nile to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18, Ezekiel 47:13-23) and will be exalted above all the nations on earth. So this nation that was as good as dead will see new life just like those bones which came to life again. God will make it happen to show his glory and sovereignty and all people of the world will know that God is sovereign, powerful and Lord of all!
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Ezekiel 37:1-6
Timeline of God’s Restoration
The Final section of Ezekiel’s revelation (chapters 33-48) points to a future restoration of Israel to their God and to their land. It begins with God promising to give them a new heart and raises this dead nation and gives them new life. Furthermore, it describes saving them from a multinational attack and concludes with them worshiping in a new Millennial temple.
The restoration of Israel begins with a national repentance which probably follows miraculous salvation from a multinational attack made against the unsuspecting Jews as recorded in Ezekiel 38-39. The chain of events is probably best understood if we begin with the Rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). The timing of the rapture is not disclosed but no prophecy needs to be fulfilled prior to that miraculous event, so we consider it to be imminent. When it does occur, all believers – including believing Jews, will be removed from the earth. So it will be a clean sweep of all believers worldwide leaving only non-believers behind. At that time there will be a seven-year worldwide peace covenant confirmed by the antichrist (Daniel 9:24-27) and Jews will be allowed to return to their homeland, build a third temple and resume sacrifices under their ancient law given by Moses. Though the law was given through Moses originally came from God, it became obsolete when Christ fulfilled the law in his death and resurrection. Faith in Christ became the new standard for believers and the law of Moses became obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). So for Jews to revert back to an obsolete practice is a false religion. Simultaneously, many other religions will be allowed to ‘coexist’ and peace throughout the world will reign for 3 1⁄2 years. During this time, every religion will be a false religion and apparently every person will be a non-believer. The worldwide ecumenical false church will thrive. It will likely be a mix of all religions, each allowed to practice their rituals and doctrines as desired however it will be void of the true doctrine of grace and will definitely not include any worship of Christ. It will be the darkest time in history for Christianity. This condition will continue throughout the first 3 ½ years of the peace covenant. However, at the halfway mark of the 7 years, several things happen simultaneously that result in major changes worldwide.
- The Sneak Attack of Ezekiel 38-39
- The Two Witnesses begin their Ministry
- The National Salvation and Repentance of Israel
- The Revealing of the Antichrist
- The Great Tribulation (the second period of 3 ½ years) commences and the seal, trumpet and bowl judgments of Revelation 6-19 run their course.
The Sneak Attack
In Ezekiel 38-39, he prophesied that a multinational army will break the peace by attempting to attack the unsuspecting nation of Israel. This prophecy describes the nation of Israel as living in peace which is a very different situation than we can imagine in our present world. Apparently the 3 ½ years will be very successful in deceiving the nations, especially Israel. In any event, God intervenes and miraculously wipes out the attacking armies.
This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, my hot anger will be aroused, declares the Sovereign Lord. In my zeal and fiery wrath I declare that at that time there shall be a great earthquake in the land of Israel. The fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the beasts of the field, every creature that moves along the ground, and all the people on the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned, the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. I will summon a sword against Gog on all my mountains, declares the Sovereign Lord. Every man’s sword will be against his brother. I will execute judgment on him with plague and bloodshed; I will pour down torrents of rain, hailstones and burning sulfur on him and on his troops and on the many nations with him. And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’
Ezekiel 38:18-23
The Ministry of the Two Witnesses
I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.
Revelation 11: 1-6
The first 3 ½ year period of the seven-year peace covenant will indeed be peaceful on earth. False religion will thrive and there will apparently be no true believers. There will be no-one to witness to them, to lead and teach and train them because all believers were taken during the rapture prior to the beginning of this period. The first 3 ½ years ends with the sneak attack on Israel but the entire nation is saved from any harm. However, it is at this point that the two witnesses are revealed. We don’t know if they will be resurrected saints from the past such as Enoch and Elijah or two chosen human beings of that day who would be enlightened and empowered by the Holy Spirit. In any event, they will come on the scene after 42 months when the Gentiles will “trample on the holy city”. Forty two months is just another way of saying 3 ½ years, or 1260 days. So the first 3 ½ years are a dark time for the world as far as the Christianity is concerned. Note that it states the two witnesses will commence their ministry after 42 months of the Gentiles who trample on the holy city. That is a reference to the first 3 ½ years of false religion. Then it states the two witnesses will prophesy for 1,260 days. That is a reference to the 2nd period of 3 ½ years.
These two witnesses will prophesy by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Jews who were saved from the sneak attack will believe in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. They will have just received new hearts and spirits from the Lord (Ezekiel 36) and will promptly repent and follow the truths spoken by the two witnesses. Because of this, they will become enemies of Satan and the antichrist and those who take the mark of the beast, which will be the majority of people on earth. As enemies, they will be forced to flee as described by Christ:
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’ spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.
Matthew 24:9-21
The National Salvation and Repentance of Israel
“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when I will make a new covenant
with the people of Israel
and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
I made with their ancestors
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel
after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.”
Jeremiah 31:31-34
The Nation of Israel and all its citizens will be saved apparently en masse as opposed to individually at various times throughout the period. This is not unprecedented. We believe the angels began as holy company and Satan, along with an undisclosed number of angels rebelled simultaneously and became what we know as fallen angels. Also, Jacob and his family entered Egypt as a clan of about 70 and over the course of several hundred years became the nation of Israel and were redeemed, as a unit, by God through the ministry of Moses. The rapture of the church will be a salvation, in an instant, of believers prior to the tribulation judgments. Also, the Great White Throne judgment will be a simultaneous condemnation of all who rejected God and Christ throughout the history of the earth. It may seem like a foreign concept to believers in the church age because we are accustomed to individual salvation at various times and places, not en masse. But the salvation of Israel appears to be sudden and complete and will apparently happen at the halfway mark of the seven-year tribulation period. This will happen for various reasons. God will exercise his sovereignty to give them new hearts and new spirits (Ezekiel 36:25-27). They will be saved from certain death and destruction by the sneak attack described in Ezekiel 38 and they will respond to the Holy Spirit’s presence and teaching manifested through the Two Witnesses. Many will suffer and die because of their faith, but 144,000 Jews will survive to the end of the second 3 ½ period of the seven year tribulation (Revelation 14:1). Additionally, some Gentiles from every people group will believe and survive to the end as well (Revelation 5:9) and will populate the other nations of the millennial kingdom (Revelation 20:3, 8).
The Revealing of the Antichrist
Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
An important element of the beginning of the great tribulation (or the 2nd period of 3 ½ years) is the revealing of the antichrist. This will be the same person who was on the scene at the beginning of the seven year tribulation and he is said to have confirmed the peace covenant (Daniel 9:24-27). However, formerly he must have appeared to be a trusted, influential and charismatic world leader. It is not until this midway point in the tribulation that he shows his true character.
It is likely that he takes advantage of the sneak attack waged against Israel and the resulting massacre of several formidable armies. That divine act will most certainly scare all the nations of the world and it is not hard to imagine that there would be confusion, reluctance to do anything and a general vacuum of power on the world scene. The antichrist will be able to use his satanic power and influence to step right into his role as dictator of the world. He will institute the mark of the beast which will prevent any commerce apart from those who bear his mark. He himself will sit in the temple and force people to worship him. In his absence he will establish an image of himself to be worshiped. All the false religions will cease. One worldwide religion will exist with the antichrist masquerading as God.
This situation correlates to the opening of the first of the seven seals in heaven which apparently occurs at the midway point of the seven year tribulation period on earth. According to John’s revelation, after the rapture and in concurrence with the first 3 ½ years of false religion on earth, the true church will practice true worship of Christ in heaven (Revelation 4). We will undergo the Judgment Seat of Christ where we will receive rewards for our godly service while on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10). We will undoubtedly lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus acknowledging his working in and through us while we had earned those rewards. Beyond that, the Bible doesn’t give much detail. We will be gifted to perform various heavenly ministries and will prepare to reign with Christ as his bride at the Second coming which will occur after the seven year tribulation period. It does say we will witness Christ, as the Lamb of God receiving and opening the scroll with seven seals. The first of those seals mentions a horseman, the antichrist, who receives a crown. That correlates with his rise to power from being merely the one who helped confirm the peace covenant between the nations of the world to becoming the one dictator of them all. He is said to have a bow but makes no mention of arrows. We suspect that is a clue to how he is able to gain this status without battle. It is akin to the present world powers having nuclear weapons and that threat is enough to prevent battle and gain control, power and influence even though they are not used. Having a bow may be a big enough threat. This would be possible in the aftermath of the sneak attack as recorded in Ezekiel 38-39. Ezekiel makes no mention of the antichrist and in fact records the Lord as being the one who drew those armies out to come against Israel- and then he wipes them out completely. It makes sense that God would dictate the timing and circumstances that allow the antichrist to gain his power. The massacre from those armies being divinely wiped out would cause a vacuum among the world leadership and the antichrist will be able to use tactics such as diplomacy, threats and satanic influence to gain control of the world. In any event, he is said to be given a crown and rides out as a conqueror bent on conquest which fits with the actions of antichrist in forcing worship of himself, instituting the mark of the beast and hunting down Jews and others who believe in Christ and refuse the mark of the beast.
I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
Revelation 6:1-2
For a more detailed explanation of this subject, check this blog post:
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse- https://woody-brohm.online/the-four-horsemen/
There are actually several parallel concepts between the Books of Ezekiel and Revelation. God was sure to include fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and concepts when he made these things known to John as recorded in Revelation. For believers who regard the written Word of God as divinely inspired, there is no doubt that these prophecies will be fulfilled.
| Concept | Ezekiel Reference | Revelation Reference |
| 4 Cherubim / 4 Faces | Ezekiel 1:5-6 | Revelation 4:6-8 |
| Eating the Scroll | Ezekiel 3:1-3 | Revelation 10:9-11 |
| Use of Coals | Ezekiel 10:2 | Revelation 8:3-5 |
| Four Evil Forces | Ezekiel 14:21 | Revelation 6:1-8 |
| Gog and Magog | Ezekiel 38:1-3 | Revelation 20:7-8 |
| River of Life | Ezekiel 47:1-5 | Revelation 22:1-2 |
The Millennial Temple
For clarification, a cursory review of some history may be helpful. Israel started with the tabernacle which was a movable tent structure that they brought with them through the desert wanderings. Eventually King David desired to build a temple and had plans drawn up and gathered materials for construction, but God told him his son Solomon would be the one to build it. So the first temple was referred to as Solomon’s Temple. That temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Then, after the Babylonians’ captivity was ending, another temple was constructed by Zerubbabel, the Governor of Judah, and Joshua, the High Priest (Ezra 3:2-3, 8). This second temple was not as impressive as Solomon’s temple but it was in place until the time of King Herod who renovated and expanded it greatly beginning in 19 B.C. Finishing touches for the second temple continued on through time of Christ and beyond until about AD 63. Though technically this was an expansion of the second temple, it was quite impressive and became known as Herod’s temple. In AD 70 the second temple was destroyed by Titus who led the Roman army. As a result of that massacre, Israelites were dispersed worldwide and no temple has been in place since then. The Islamic Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque now stand on the temple mount in Jerusalem. There is considerable tension between Muslims and Jews regarding this current situation. Jews and others are allowed to visit but not enter. Muslims are the only ones allowed to enter these structures. However, after the rapture of the church, there will apparently be a third temple constructed there and Jews will once again be permitted to worship in this temple including performing animal sacrifices under the Law given by Moses (Daniel 9:27). This will be made possible by a worldwide peace covenant. Part of that covenant may allow for other religions to use the temple to some degree as well but no detail regarding that possibility is recorded. What is prophesied is that the peace covenant will be broken after 3 ½ years at which time the antichrist will establish himself as dictator of the world, he will implement the mark of the beast required for all commerce and he will place himself and/or an image of himself in the temple and demand worship by all people in the world. This is the abomination of desolation referred to by Daniel the prophet and Christ (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15). This third temple will apparently be destroyed during the devastation of the tribulation judgments as the worldwide physical, social and economic infrastructure familiar to us will be destroyed. However, Ezekiel prophesied a fourth temple to be established during the Millennial Reign of Christ. This temple has different dimensions and characteristics than previous temples and will be used by the Zadokian line of priests to use animal sacrifices apparently as memorials to the sacrifice of Christ during his first coming. There is extensive detail of this temple and its furnishings and practices listed in Ezekiel chapters 40-48.
“‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.
Ezekiel 44:15
Though excruciating detail regarding this new temple is recorded over the last nine chapters of Ezekiel, no mention is made of any veil, ark of the covenant or high priest. The absence of those important features must be because the veil was torn in two by God when Christ died and the world will certainly have access to Christ during his Millennial reign. The symbolism of the ark is fulfilled in Christ so that won’t be necessary. Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God will be reigning as King and simultaneously as High Priest!
The book of Ezekiel began in him in exile and he saw a vision of the Glory of the Lord departing the temple in Jerusalem. It ends with the people restored, the temple rebuilt and the presence of the Lord returned, this time forever!
“The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.”
Ezekiel 48:35
All Scripture quoted from:
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
