“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.”
Isaiah 54:11-12
“...in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten...the hand of the LORD was upon me...And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits…” — Ezekiel 40:1-11
Our God, the architect of his temple and the chief corner stone [1]. Far from being a prophecy of a rebuilt physical temple in the middle east some thousands of years after the words of Ezekiel, the Lord told Ezekiel to reveal this vision to his peers in Israel. This vision was part of Israel’s hope and consolation (Isaiah 54:11) amid all of the disasters that befell them by the Babylonians and seventy years of exile.
We may find these chapters of Ezekiel laborious to read through, but there is great encouragement in knowing that the God who has all the hairs of our head numbered [2] has a perfect plan for every single one of His elect. Not a plan of wealth and prosperity in this present world necessarily, but in His eternal plan of redemption according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world… having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself... [3] according to THAT eternal plan each one of us fits together into this grand design for His church. Each stone, each board, each wall and window is lovingly crafted and decorated throughout the pages of scripture. If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her boards of cedar... [4]
New Testament revelation is clear that mysterious temple is comprised of all believers from all ages and nations. And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God5. And again, Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God6…
"Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established." [7]
This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes... [8]
Amen.
Scriptures:
1 Ps 118:22
2Luke 12:7, Matt 10:30
3Eph 1:4, 9
4Song 8:9
5 2nd Cor 6:16
6 Rev 3:12
7 Ex 15:17
8 Ps 118:23
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