Part 61 in this series on the book of Ezekiel.

All Scripture is given by inspiration and is profitable.  An architect it might seem would be better to explain this passage than a Bible teacher, but we will look for practical lessons here.

This is the 7th temple that will be built on planet Earth in its present form. 

Why did Ezekiel take up so much space to describe this Millennial Temple?

For the Jew the temple was the visible presence of God among his people.  To interpret these chapters in any way but literally makes it a waste of space.  It is describing a literal building.

Solomon's temple was built after wars had ceased.  Here we have another picture where Israel's wars will all have ceased:  an appropriate time to build the temple.

There is sufficient evidence that Mount Zion will be elevated physically, and that's where the nations will flow to the House of God.  Psalm 2:6 also, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion."

The wall is 3m x 3m, not very high, not for defence.  It conveys the idea of separation and sacredness.  It is needed in the Millennail Reign to separate the profane from the Holy.

The fact that the square lies at the centre means that every line of approach converges on that sacred spot.  The centrality of the cross will not be lost in that day of Christ.

Once He has come through that Gate it will be closed.

Part 60 in this series on the book of Ezekiel.

This section is dealing with the aftermath of the battle of Gog and Magog that we saw in chapter 38.  God will disarm them, and we have an explanation of the burning of the weapons.

God's name will be glorified.

They will build a new city for the people who are working on finding bones and burying the dead.

God is going to open the eyes of Jews and Gentiles to see His glory.  There will be no doubt.  They will not see the earthquake and think that it was a freak of nature.  It will be clearly supernatural.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Part 59 in this series on the book of Ezekiel.

It is very difficult to set the date of this.  There has never been a battle like this before, with these particular armies attacking Israel, so it is yet to come.  There are five views about when it will occur.  We take a look at each of those five:  the points in favour and against each one of them.

God is going to regain his reputation.  He will bring Gog in to attack Israel, and then he himself will defeat them in view of the world.

The tremors from this earthquake will be felt all over the Earth.  Mountains will fall.  It will humble man and bring glory to God.  People will know that it is a divine event.  In Revelation numerous earthquakes are mentioned.  When Jesus rose from the dead there was an earthquake.

God is in precise in His control of events.  One-sixth will be left.  As the enemies come up they will be stripped of their weapons.  A big earthquake would probably do that since it causes roads to ripple like water.  God will send fire to the enemy's lands.  The isles could refer to those in remote regions beyond the immediate areas. 

God's word will be fulfilled just as it is written.  People will look back at this event and say, "It is just like God said it would be."

Part 58 in this series on the book of Ezekiel.

There will no more be a north and south kingdom, but one kingdom under one king.  The Lord Jesus will be king of kings, but David seems to have a place of ruling as well.  We are going to be "rubbing shoulders" with Old Testament saints.

God is going to show the world that he has completely restored his relationship wtih the nation when his sanctuary is in the midst of them forevermore.

In Chapter 38 we see Israel being invaded by nations that have never invaded Israel.  We can't find any evidence that this has taken place in history, so it must have a future fulfilment.

We are told what nations comprise this confederacy, but establishing the time of the war in these chapters is difficult.

Gog is an imperial power with vast resources.  Dismiss the idea that this is the same as in Revelation 20.  The Gog and Magog war in Ezekiel 38 is so notorious that Satan takes up that title for his invasion at the end of the millennial kingdom in Revelation 20.

It's hard to imagine Israel feeling peaceful in the current situation.  There are other viewpoints that we will consider next time.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Paul transitions from missionary journeys to being the prisoner of the Lord.

Part 57 in this series on the book of Ezekiel.

When they look on him whom they pierced then He will bring about national repentance and regeneration.  He's going to bring them back and multiply them, they will be safe in the land

The nation is in a deep spirit of pessimism, feeling that all hope is lost.  If they were asked, "Can these bones live?" they would answer, "no".  In spite of these wonderful truths Ezekiel has revealed, they are not dreaming it is a possibility.

There is no hope for humanity in man.  The dry bones can live only in the Word and Spirit of God.  They are a great army.

This chapter teaches many things about how God works in revival.  One of the things about revival is that there is unity.  Psalm 133 tells that God commands a blessing when are are together.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

A man who overcame adversity to be greatly influential for God in his generation.

Part 56 in this series on the book of the prophet Ezekiel.

God was known for bringing them out of Egypt and into Canaan.  Now that God has scattered them and left he land desolate and empty, there is the possibility that the heathen nations could accuse God of being weak and unable to protect his people.

The law had a significant weakness.  They said they would obey the law, but the flesh got in the way and they were not able.  A new work was required.

Ezekiel was a priest, so he would understand the ceremonial washing with water.  Now he is describing a complete work of cleansing and justification.  A cleansing only made possible by the death of the Lord Jesus.  Not covering sin, but removing it completely.

Everyone will be touched with broken repentance, and that fountain will be opened to them for sin and cleansing, and they will be a whole, new people, no longer indifferent towards sin.

This new covenant:  nobody will ever enjoy its benefits without recognising the Lord Jesus as the mediator.  Moses was the mediator of the old, now it is Jesus.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Part 55 in the series of studies of the book of Ezekiel.

This is another chapter that deals with the amazing blessings of the new covenant.      We are going to see three significant elements:  The restoration of the nation of Israel, forgiveness of their sins, and the in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  God will change them from inside out.

There are those that take delight in spiritualising the text of Scripture.  Passages like this make no sense unless you take them literally.

When Israel went into the land in 1948 one of the things they embarked upon was a reforestation project.

From v10 onwards we see 18 times the phrase, "I will".  God has not finished with Israel.  He has a plan for them still.  God always takes his people from glory to glory, bringing them to better.

The land will be a peaceful one.  Never again will the people be displaced or put to the sword.  In the next verses God shows how he's going to do that.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Biblical covenants should shape our understanding of the overall text of Scripture.

Part 54 in this series of studies of book of Ezekiel.

Why was this chapter not included in the section on the judgment on the nations, from chapters 25 through 32?  There was a section of judgment on Esau in chapter 25; why wasn't this added to that section?

Israel might ask how they can be restored with such enemies about, and this answers that question.  Edom was Israel's most bitter enemy, going back to when Jacob and Esau fought while still in the womb.  Through the Old Testament we see many kings of Israel were in conflict with Edom:  Saul, Solomon, Jehoshephat, Jehoram, Ahaz, David, etc.  So this conflict had been going on for a long time, and continues today.

God explains through Ezekiel the cause and effect for the things that will soon come to pass.  We can see historically that the things promised in Ezekiel did become reality.

A very sobering chapter, very sobering for those who are hostile against Israel today.  The spirit of the Edomites is alive and well, even though the Edomites themselves are gone.  God says be careful about what you say about Israel and what you try to do to them:  there will be consequences.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Part 53 in on the book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 34 is a chapter of contrasts.  First we saw the shepherds of Israel who had failed miserably contrasted to God himself as shepherd.  Here in Ezekiel it is YHWH God who says he will be the shepherd, and in John 10 Jesus says that he is the Good Shepherd, identifying himself as being one with YHWH.

David is referred to as a prince over them, rather than a king, so it does not appear to be talking about Jesus.  The Lord Jesus will be king over all Earth in that great coming day, but according to the text a resurrected David will also be a prince over the people.

We've gone through a lot of judgment passages, and now we have much more positive ones.  "a covenant of peace..." points to the new covenant in its perfection and culmination in the millennial kingdom.  This new covenant will bring peace to the world, restore Israel and their temple, and more.  What drives the text of Scriptures are the covenants, when God swares by an oath that He will do something.  It started with Noah, then Abraham, and then Moses -- the first time it was conditional:  the people had to agree to certain things, i.e., t  he Law.

There is one covenant that guarantees the success of all the others:  The New Covenant.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Doctor, preacher, author and hymn writer.

Part 52 in on the book of Ezekiel.

Chapter outline:
    1-10    Condemnation of Israel's shepherds.
    11-16    The care of the divine shepherd.
    17-22 A conflict within the flock.  Sometimes the flock can be the source of trouble.
    23-31 The covenant of peace with the flock.

Faithful shepherds will not please everyone.  They are responsible to God to maintain His truth.

When Jesus sought his sheep they complained that he ate with sinners.  The heart of God is revealed in the Lost Coin, Lost Sheep, and Prodigal Son parables.

A steward looks after something that does not belong to him.

We do not want to spiritualise these promises.  The scattering was literal and the gathering will also be literal.

Since the days of Rhoboam there has not been a single shepherd over them.  God is going to save his flock and then set a shepherd over them.

Videos of Mike's studies are at bible.mikeattwood.org (dedicated site) and mikeattwood.org (utube site).  Audio formats of these talks can be found at jah.ca.

Part 51 in on the book of Ezekiel.

The fall of Jerusalem is now announced.  This records the fulfilment of the promise given in chapters 24-27, that someone escaped from the land will come and foretell the fall of Jerusalem and Ezekiel will no longer be dumb.  So it's a turning point in the book as well as for Ezekiel.

Part 50 in on the book of Ezekiel.

This chapter presents the visible downfall of Egypt followed by the his entrance into Sheol.  Sheol is translated as "the grave" and "hell".  In Sheol the dead are alive and conscious, either in Upper Sheol (Paradise) or Lower Sheol, the place of the wicked dead.

Some small comfort would come to Pharaoh when he entered into Sheol, knowing he was not the only one to suffer such shame and judgment.

Chapter 33 is a turning point.  We have come to an end of the judgment of surrounding nations, and now read again of the watchman, first presented in chapter 3; a re-commissioning of Ezekiel in this role.

Chapter 33 has four sections:
1.  God's manner of dealing with watchmen (v1-6)
2.  The function of the watchmen, and Ezekiel's task (v7-9)
3.  The fall of Jerusalem (v21-22)
4.  God's encouragement to Ezekiel in spite of the lack of response to his message.

Part 49 of this series.

This chapter concludes the section of judgment on the foreign nations.

No other book in the O.T. is so clearly dated as the book of Ezekiel.  The first oracle is 1 March 585 B.C., two months after the news of the fall of Jerusalem reached the captives.  Two weeks later Ezekiel received and gave the second oracle.

God is making known the reason for Pharaoh's humiliation and shame.  When people fall, it is never without reason.

The sword usually stands for war.  God's sword will be in the hand of the king of Babylon.  For so many centuries Egypt had prospered, but it would soon end.  We can see similar pride in nations today.  To God it is inconsequential.  He is able to humble the greatest.

The final lamentation brings us to the nether parts of the Earth, in which the unrighteous dead find themselves.  This is the last of the seven prophecies against Egypt, in which they are cast into hell.  The rich man in hell wanted a drop of water on his tongue.  A spirit does not have a tongue or need water, so he must have had some kind of body.

Elam was situated 320km east of Babylon, west of the Tigress, now part of Iran.  In the last days it seems that Israel will destroy Elam. Right now all of Iran's nuclear weapons are in what was once known as Elam.

Part 48 of this series.

As God weakened Egypt and made Pharaoh defenceless, he would strengthen Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon.  Pharaoh would be left with the groans of death.

Two months later Ezekiel receives another word from the Lord with a message for Pharaoh.

The rise and demise of Assyria is a forewarning to Pharaoh of his own impending doom.  If God can do such to Assyria, he can also do it to Egypt.

Ezekiel is helping Judah to see that part of their fate and devine judgment also cannot be escaped.

Pride and arrogance, in nations or individuals, are an offence to God.  It made devils of angels and makes fiends out of men.

The lesson for us is in Micah 6:8:  Let us walk humbly with our God.

This passage talks about the important of godly oversight.  Those of us not in that position are to be modelled on theirs, so what they do we should also be doing.

Part 47 of this series.

Egypt was a nation to which Israel often looked for help. When the Egyptian army arrived the seige from Babylon was temporarily halted, but when Egypt went back the destruction of Jerusalem proceeded.  God wanted them to see that their hope placed in Egypt was in vain.

At the time of this prophecy Egypt was strong and had existed for 2500 years.  The pyramids had already stood for 2000 years.  What Egypt did is without parallel in human history, yet Ezekiel is saying that the God of Israel is going to judge this powerful nation and its gods.

Babylon was powerful and merciless.  The prophecy of Habakkuk asks why God would judge Judah for their wickedness by using an even more wicked nation.  God sometimes uses one wicked nation to judge another one.