Ezekiel 40 - 42 - Visions of New Temples

We're covering three chapters today simply because I really cannot get into trying to comprehend all the measurements!

In this vision Ezekiel is given a vision of a new temple. Ezekiel is instructed to make sure he relays every detail of the vision including every dimension of everything he is shown. Lot's of measurements to remember, way too many for me!  In any case, God delivers a detailed blueprint of the new temple to the people through Ezekiel's vision.

So we too have been given a blueprint, of sorts, through the vision of St. John: "I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." (Rev 21:22 NIV)

The temple of God is no longer just a building made of bricks and mortar by human hands. According to St. Paul: "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." (Eph 2:19-22)

The Lamb, who is Jesus the Christ, is the temple and as we are members of the living Body of the Christ; we are the temple of God.  As St. Paul wrote: "Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?" (1 Corinth 3:16)

How awesome is that!? God is with you now and always as "there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Eph 4:4)

Now, is that not Good News!?

God's Peace - Pr. J.

Ezekiel 4 - What Would The LORD Have You Do?

Today, is the 16th Sunday after Pentecost. I will be preaching on "taking up our cross" - that is - being willing to do anything the LORD asks of us, following in the footsteps of Jesus, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God.

In our reading this morning, Ezekiel 4, the LORD calls Ezekiel to deliver a prophecy against Jerusalem to the people who are now living in Babylon. The people have not listened to the words of the prophets, maybe they will understand a visual better. Ezekiel, himself, being the main visual. He is to lie down beside a model of besieged Jerusalem that he erects. But, that's not the hard part. The hard part is that he is to lie there in front of the people for 430 days. For 390 days, he will lie on his left side to symbolically bear the sins of Israel. For 40 days, he will lie on his right side to symbolically bears the sins of Judah. He shall turn his face toward the model of the siege of Jerusalem that he has created and prophesy against her. Did I mention that in all this time, he will have a total of 20 shekels (about 8 ounces) of food to eat and a 6th of a hin (a little better than a pint) of water to drink. This is quite a fast!

Ezekiel was most faithful in being able to share this visual prophecy. But, I imagine the people probably didn't get the visual any better than they got the word. Besieged Jerusalem is to come under some extremely hard times. There will be an extreme shortage of food. Rationing will be great.

Look around! Listen! What is the LORD telling you? Where would He have you go? What would He have you do to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

God's Peace - Pr. J