Today’s Scripture Reading (June 5,
2014): Ezekiel 43
At the
beginning of the nation of Israel, Moses was given a set of laws. The law was
much more than a list of ten “Thou Shalt Nots.” It was also more than just a
long list of often culturally specific cultic rules. It contained the
instructions for a place of worship – a tent called the tabernacle. The instructions
for this tabernacle were very specific. It set out the rules not only for the
tent, but the way the tent was to be laid out and the furniture that was to
exist inside of the tabernacle. And when Israel finished building the temple,
the Bible says that the “glory of the Lord” entered into the tabernacle. Then
the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the
tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because
the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle
(Exodus 40:34-35). For the rest of the time in the desert, whenever
Israel stopped, the cloud of God descended and the glory of God filled the
tabernacle.
Fast forward
to the building of the first temple. I am not convinced that God ever desired
the temple to be built, but once it was finished, God accepted the temple as
the sacrifice of his people. And once again the glory of God fills the temple. When the priests withdrew from the Holy
Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests
could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord
filled his temple (1 Kings 8:10-11).
But Israel
rebelled, and the nation eventually fell. The northern Kingdom was the first to
go, taken into captivity by the Assyrians. But the southern kingdom went next with
her people were carried into captivity by the Babylonians, the city of
Jerusalem was destroyed, and the temple that the glory of God had once
inhabited was totally levelled. There was no glory, no temple, no Jerusalem.
All of what made Israel special was gone.
But as
Ezekiel dreams of a new Temple, he also dreams of the glory of God entering the
temple - that this temple too would be accepted by God. The glory of God would
enter from the east, possibly with the rising of the morning sun. And so the Second temple was built. But when
it is completed there is one thing missing – there is no story of the glory of
God filling the temple. That is, at least not for a while.
When the glory of God returns to
the second temple, it returns in the form of an eight day old baby. Jesus is
born and on the eighth day, according to the Law of Moses, the baby Jesus is
taken to the temple for dedication. And a priest by the name of Simeon lifted
the boy up and declared in him the glory of God – the glory of the second
temple. 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you
have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For
my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all
nations: 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the
glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). The glory had finally returned.
So, if we
imagine the glory of the third temple, the one that Ezekiel dreamed of, it
follows that the glory of that temple has to be the returning of Christ. So Ezekiel
speaks of the glory of God that comes through the eastern gate, and hundreds of
years later Matthew would tell of witnesses to the glory of God that comes in
the form of Magi from the east, and eventually of the glory of God in the
second coming of Christ, one again in the east. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so
will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:27). The glory had returned – and this time it has
returned to stay.
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Ezekiel
44
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