Weekly Recap #37 - (Part 1) Ezekiel 37-48

We're finishing up Ezekiel this week....so here we go (as our baby GRAND-son likes to say!!)....

Chapter 37 - This chapter contained the story about the valley of dry bones that the Lord brought back to life as Ezekiel watched.  The bones all came together, then flesh and muscles formed on them and they were then covered with skin....then, the Lord breathed life into them.  This to me was an example of how once we were as if we were dead....in our sins....but when we accept Jesus, then His Holy Spirit is breathed into us and we become ALIVE!!!!

The vision that Ezekiel had regarding the new Temple just fascinated me.  It's hard to imagine that there was such craftsmanship at that time.  The description of the new Temple and how it would be built could only be inspired by our precious Lord!!  There were wooden carvings of cherubim and palm trees on the walls of the Temple and they were also carved all along the inside of the Temple from the floor to the top of the walls.  In the vision, Ezekiel witnessed the glory of the Lord entering the Temple  thru the last gateway.  He spoke to Ezekiel and told him to describe the Temple to the people so they would be ashamed of their sins.  He was given words to speak to the people regarding sacrifices - who could and could not serve - and how the priests were to dress.  

I thought this was interesting - they couldn't wear anything that would cause them to perspire because perspiration would defile their body.

Some interesting things about the Temple doors....

1)  The door that the glory of the Lord entered thru was shut to never be opened again after He entered.

2)  The prince was to enter and exit the same gateway.  I looked up in our Bible dictionary the definition of "prince" because that word was mentioned several times....and it just means a leader, or ruler - the one in leadership, or authority.

 3)  The people had to exit the opposite gateway they entered....i.e., if they entered thru the south gate, they had to leave thru the north gate.

Number 3 reminded me of the superstition that you must leave a person's home thru the same door you entered!!!

In Ezekiel's vision, he was told how the land was to be divided between each of the 12 tribes of Israel....

1) Reuben 2) Judah 3) Levi 4) Joseph 

5) Benjamin 6) Dan 7) Simeon 8) Issachar

9) Zebulun 10) Gad 11) Asher 12) Naphtali

The distance around the entire city was 6 miles and from that day, the name of the city was "The Lord is There".

That's what I want to be said of our church (and I know if you're reading this, you want the same for yours).....

"The Lord is at Beech Springs"!!!

In His Most Precious Love....and with mine!!!