September 7
September 7
Nothing is more glorious than the glory of the Lord dwelling with his people forever.
We are full of wonder as we read the culmination of Ezekiel’s vision for the rebuilding of the temple:
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple. While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.” (Ezek. 43:1–7)
This vision is a promise from God that, even though it seems as though things are over for his people, he will grant them a fresh start and a new beginning. But something dramatically important is required. There will be no joy in the rebuilding of the temple if it stands empty, a hollow monument to what once was. The temple is the temple because the glory of the Lord resides there. This is why the old temple was a beacon of hope to God’s people. The destruction of the temple meant that God no longer dwelled with his people. Of all the things that Israel suffered in their captivity, nothing was more horrible than that. So this is the crescendo of Ezekiel’s vision; God’s presence will return, and he will dwell with his people forever.
It is impossible to overstate the importance of the return of God’s glory to the temple. Israel was Israel because God, in his glorious glory, resided with his people. Everything they needed was found in the presence of their Lord. His presence gave life, hope, power, security, and a future to his people. He was the focus of their love and the object of their worship. He was there to rule them with power and to guide them with wisdom. Without his presence, they were just another nation in history’s catalog of nations.
We should pay attention to the foreverness of this promise of God’s presence. It is being fulfilled today for all who believe. By grace, we have become the temple of God. He dwells with us and in us by the Spirit. We are not just a bunch of people trying to make our way in this fallen world. No, we are so much more. We are God’s children, the temple where his glory dwells, now and forever. What could be better news?