A New Temple for a New Exodus

[Sung Psalm: 84]

Originally, when I laid out my sermon series on Ezekiel, I had planned on covering Ezekiel 40-48 in 3 weeks. After all, these chapters aren't very complicated – they have a pretty simple point. We could easily cover it in 3 weeks.

But after working through the oracles against Jerusalem in chapters 1-24, and the oracles against the nations in chapters 25-32, and the “when I deliver you, you'll be ashamed of yourselves!” in chapters 33-39, I realized that you really need to spend some time in chapters 40-48!

There was a reason why Ezekiel spent 9 chapters (nearly a quarter of the book) on this vision. Ezekiel has made it perfectly clear that you are sinners – that God owes you nothing (except death!) – and that judgment and destruction is coming upon all the earth so that all the earth might know that he is God.

I think you now understand that there is no way to glory, except through the cross.

But in order to bear the cross more joyfully, you need to hear something about the glory!