Last week, in Lessons from Ezekiel’s Temple, Part 14, we discovered that the trees planted by the waters that pour forth from Ezekiel’s temple represent each and every Christian. As long as we remain rooted and grounded in Christ, we will bear fruit, and that fruit will be used for the healing of the nations.
This last lesson from Ezekiel’s temple takes a look at the message of the least two chapters of Ezekiel: The division of the land. “This is what the Sovereign Lord says: ‘These are the boundaries by which you are to divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel, with two portions for Joseph. You are to divide it equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your forefathers, this land will become your inheritance.'” (Ezek 47:13-14 NIV)
When considering the vision of Ezekiel’s temple, we must remember that the Children of Israel were, at the time, still in Babylon. Ezekiel 47:13-48:35, which outlines how the land will be redivided, is a promise to all of Israel: The bondage will not last forever. You will return to your land!
This idea is again reemphasized by the fact that the exact boundaries are given: “On the north side it will run from the Great Sea … to Zedad, Berothah and Sibraim … On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan … On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh … On the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath.” (Ezek 47:15-20 NIV)
God’s message to His people in bondage was clear: You WILL return to your land!
And history records that the people did, indeed, return to Israel (See the books of Ezra and Nehemiah).
The promise to us today is the same. This World is NOT our home. We are just sojourners here. We were created for eternity with Jesus, and we WILL receive our true inheritance! Just like the children of Israel returned to their land after the Babylonian captivity, and, in more modern times, the state of Israel has been created, the promise is just as sure for us today: Jesus is coming back, and when He does, He will set us up in our true, rightful home.
As you read down through the last two verses of Ezekiel 47, it is interesting to note that the land is to be distributed equally among the tribes of Israel, as well as “for the aliens who have settled among you” (See Ezek 47:22). This is not at all allowed in the original division of the land brought about by Joshua, but it is to come to pass in the current description. Why the difference?
I believe that this is to remind us, today, that the message is for everyone, not just for Israel. It is to remind us that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is open to each and every individual, regardless of heritage, culture, skin color or religion, for: “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile – the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'” (Rom 10:11-13 NIV)
When Jesus died on the cross, the wall between the Jew and the Gentile was removed. We are all the same in Christ, and the description of the division of the land in Ezekiel reminds us that when we call upon the name of the Lord, whether Jew or Gentile, white or black, poor or rich, we are all sinners in need of a Savior. No matter who we are or what we’ve done, when we call upon the name of the Lord, we will be saved!
Enough to ponder, but do ponder this: The vision of the division of the land in the last two chapters of Ezekiel reminds us that Jesus has promised to come again. He’s kept His promises in the past, and He’ll keep them in the future. It also serves to remind us that no matter who we are or what we’ve done, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is ours for the taking!
God bless each of you as you seek to draw closer to Him!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org .
(To access the entire “Lessons From Ezekiel’s Temple” mini-series, please click here.)