Ezekiel's prophecy, as with the
visions given to John in the book of Revelation, opens with
some glorious visions of the heavens, the creatures, the living
creatures in the heavens, and the throne in the heavens, with
a man sat upon it, the man Christ Jesus, the Son of God. The prophet is then sent and
called forth to go and to preach to a rebellious people, the house
of Israel. Those who have turned from their
God and turned from his ways and to present life or death
before them. Life in the gospel and death
if they remain in their sin. we saw before the vision of the
valley of dry bones and the state of man by nature described that
he is but bones in a dry valley, lifeless and his salvation depends
upon the Son of God coming to him in the Gospel and speaking
to him by his Spirit unto dry bones live. Your life, your destiny, your
salvation depends upon God in the Gospel preaching life unto
you. Following this vision of the
dry bones, the prophecy of Ezekiel concludes were several chapters
that present unto us the temple and the glory of God in the temple
and the city of God and the people of God, the tribes of Israel
being gathered in that city. The walls of the city and the
gates of the city. Much as John's picture John's
vision in the book of Revelation concludes when towards the end
of that book we read of the heavenly city, that glorious city into
which the saints of God will enter and be gathered at the
end of time in the conclusion of all things. When the Son of
God gathers his people as one, And when this world is judged
and all men, women and children will bow before Almighty God
and the Almighty Son of God, the Judge over all. And where
the sheep will be separated from the goats, where the children
of Israel will be separated from all others. where saints, believers,
those who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb of God
will be gathered into that heavenly city and where all others will
be cast out into outer darkness. It's this city, this prospect,
this kingdom to come this wonderful temple in which the Lord God's
glory is revealed which we read of in these latter chapters in
Ezekiel and in Ezekiel chapter 43 and verse 1 we read this afterward
he brought me to the gate even the gate that looketh toward
the east and behold the glory of the God of Israel came from
the way of the east and his voice was like a noise of many waters
and the earth shined with his glory and it was according to
the appearance of the vision which I saw even according to
the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city and the visions
were like the vision that I saw by the river Kiba and I fell
upon my face And the glory of the Lord came into the house
by the way of the gate, whose prospect is toward the east. So the Spirit took me up and
brought me into the inner court. And behold, the glory of the
Lord filled the house. And I heard Him speaking unto
me out of the house. And the man stood by me. And at the end of chapter 48, We read from verse 30 about the
walls of the city in which God's house is in the midst and the
gates of the city. Verse 30, and these are the goings
out of the city on the north side, 4,500 measures. And the gates of the city shall
be after the names of the tribes of Israel. Three gates northward,
one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. And at the east side 4,500 and
three gates, and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin,
one gate of Dan. And at the south side 4,500 measures
and three gates, one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar,
one gate of Zebulun. At the west side 4,500 with three
gates, one gate of Gad, one gate of
Asher, one gate of Naphtali. It was round about 18,000 measures
and the name of the city from that day shall be the Lord is
there. The name of the city from that
day shall be the Lord is there. The Lord is there. that's the
name of the city and that's the name of the heavenly city to
which all God's children look and which they are headed unto
and in which they will dwell forevermore because of the grace
of God that brought salvation unto them and that delivered
them from the darkness of this evil world and the condemnation
of their sin, and washed them in the blood of the Lamb of God
which was shed for them. That's the name of the city which
they will be brought unto by their Saviour. by that man who
sits upon the throne, that man who came to where they were,
came into this world to save his people from their sins, that
man who came unto his own and was crucified by his own, slain,
put to death, pierced, that man will take that people for whom
he suffered, for whom he died, for whom he bled unto a city
whose name is the Lord is there. The Lord is there. Why such a name? Because that's
the glory of that city, that's what makes it wonderful, that's
what makes it such a wonderful place to be. The Lord is there. The glory of the city of God
is not in its beauty, not in its purity, not in its greatness,
not because it's simply a wonderful place to be. Heaven's glory,
the reason the believer longs to be in heaven is not simply
because here is a place in which he will dwell forevermore with
everlasting life. Here is a place in which he will
dwell without sin. Here is a place in which he will
dwell without sickness and illness and sorrow and tragedy. Without
violence. without all the sorrows and the
misery and the disaster and the evil and the hatred that fills
this evil world all that is true of this city but it's true because
the Lord is there and if the Lord wasn't there that would be an awful place
to be the great glory, the great joy
of heaven, is that the Lord is in the midst. And if you don't want to be where
the Lord is, then don't expect to be heading for glory. Don't
expect to be heading for heaven. if your great joy in life is
not to be where the Lord is then don't have a hope of heaven the believer longs to be where
the Lord is and his foretaste of heaven upon
earth is when he is where the Lord is Now we know that God is omnipotent,
all-powerful. He's omniscient, all-knowing. And He's omnipresent. He's everywhere. But there is
that sense in which He is particularly in one place. For although you
may go to the deepest part of hell, and not escape him and
not escape his hand of judgment although he's there he's there
only in terms of his wrath and his anger but in this city he's there as
the savior as the God who delights in showing mercy his glory is
there his beauty is there to be where he is and to see his
love for you is to be in the presence of God in a way that
none other will experience and the believer longs to be where
God is he longs to be where God is now and he finds that company
and that place to be where the Gospel is preached, where the
saints are gathered around the Gospel, and where the glory of
God is made known in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There he has a foretaste of this
city. This city, called the Lord, is
there. We long to be there, we long
to go to that city where we will dwell forevermore. But we see glimpses of it when
Christ is revealed to us in the Gospel. Where we're gathered
with his people in whom he dwells. In whom he dwells by his Spirit
as one company. in the midst in his temple in
that gathered church that city which is built even here from
bricks from stones gathered from this place and that place here's
one and there's another gathered and as one gathered to be the
church of the living god In chapter 43, Ezekiel saw this
vision of the glory of God fill in the temple, fill in his city. Afterward he brought me to the
gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east. And behold,
the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east,
and his voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth
shined with his glory. It shined. Oh the promise of salvation which
is given to Ezekiel in this book. And the promise of the glory
of God fill in the house. Fill in the house. God promises
to come and to dwell with his people, to dwell in his people,
to dwell in the temple. Ezekiel saw something, something
of this. In his prophecy he of course
looked through this to the coming of a Saviour, to the coming of
the man Christ Jesus, the man he'd seen sat upon the throne
in that vision given to him at the beginning of this book. He
saw by faith the coming of Christ into this world, who would be
offered up as a sacrifice for the sins of his people, slain,
and then who would rise again. and rising again would enter
into the courts of his people, enter into God's glory and walk
in with his people ransomed, redeemed and washed clean by
his own blood. and sit down victorious over
sin, victorious over death. He saw in that Saviour to come
one who would sit upon a throne and rule in the midst of his
people. Now how did that rule come to
pass? And how would that people be
gathered? And how would they know what
it was to have Christ in the midst of them? Well they would have to have
their eyes opened, like Ezekiel's eyes were opened, to see what
Ezekiel saw, to see the Saviour and what He had done for them.
and have the spirit of God enter into them as he entered into
Ezekiel that they might have life to believe and to live and
to see and they might have their eyes open to see and they might
have their ears open to hear the one whose voice was like
a noise of many waters they must go where Ezekiel went and for that to happen the Spirit
must be sent and when Christ in the Gospels had died had risen
and had ascended we're reminded that there came that day of Pentecost
in which the Spirit of God came down from heaven's glory came
down upon the people gathered and entered into that people
and filled as it were the house with the glory of Christ their
Saviour. Now it's when the Spirit of God
comes down upon you and enters into you that you have that life
and that sight to see this glory and you won't see anything of
it until that comes to pass. For you must, you must be born
again and that new birth must be of God and it must be of the
Spirit and you can't bring it to pass it must come upon you people sometimes speak of following
Jesus And because they decided to follow him, following their
decision they were born again, as though their decision brought
about the birth. But this is to turn the Gospel
upside down. We will never follow Jesus until
we are born again. It's the birth that brings about
the change in mind. It's the birth that turns us
around and causes us to see him, to hear him, to follow him. And
that birth comes of God. It's sovereign. John, of course,
saw what Ezekiel saw. He had these revelations given
to him. He saw the very same sort of
visions that were given to Ezekiel. He saw the glory of God. And John could write. as a consequence
his gospel, the gospel of John in the light of the things that
he'd been shown because Christ had been revealed to him, shown
to him and John's gospel is utterly plain first on the need for the
new birth which we read of in chapter 3 but also in chapter
1 we read in respect of this that Christ came unto his own
and his own received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them
that believe on his name. But who received him and who
believe on his name? They which were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,
but of God. their birth from God came first
and it's because they were born of God by His will not their
will not the will of the flesh not the will of man but of God
it's because they were born of God that they believed on Jesus
name and through Him were given the power to become the sons
of God that must come and when that comes If that happens to
you, then you, like Ezekiel, you like John, will hear a voice
like a noise of many waters and will see in the midst of God's
church the glory of the God of Israel coming from the way of
the east and filling the house and the earth shining with his
glory. shining shining. Now John's experience
of the shining of the glory of God was so great that his gospel
opens with the contrast between that glory and that light and
that shining and the darkness of this world. to john before
that light shone in the face of jesus christ before christ
entered this world as that light as that light which shone this
world lay in darkness it is as though there was no light whatsoever
in contrast to that light Now of course there had been those
who lived before the coming of Christ. There had been those,
like Ezekiel, who had seen something of the glory of God. There had
been the shining of light from time to time, from place to place,
as God made known his gospel. to the patriarchs of old and
to Israel of old and to those who live by faith longing and
looking for the coming of Christ the coming of Messiah. God had
had dealings by the prophets and under the the law with his
people through ages and generations. But in contrast with the glory
of God actually revealed in Christ when he came, even though those
dealings, even those glimmers of light in the darkness were
as darkness. But when Christ came, the light
shone forth. As he says, in him in Christ
was life and the life was the light of men and the light shineth
in darkness and the darkness comprehended it not. Christ was the true light which
lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the
world and the world was made by him and the world knew him
not. He came unto his own and his
own received him not. The light entered and that light,
that one called the light Jesus Christ is he who Ezekiel saw
here. The glory of the God of Israel
came from the way of the east and his voice was like a noise
of many waters. and the earth shined with his
glory. Outside of him there's nothing
but darkness, but wherever he goes there's light. Now before
he came as a man born in this world, born of Mary, before he
came as God made man, he had dealings with man from time to
time. The light shone from here and
there. but when he came in person the
light was actually here actually in this world of darkness actually
revealed and yet man by nature still saw
nothing the very light of God can stand
before you in the person of Jesus Christ it can come before you
in the gospel which makes him known And you can stand before
him as one who is blind in the darkness and still see nothing. But Ezekiel saw that light shine. The earth shined with his glory. It shone. It shone. It shone. you will only see it if you're
born again and you will only be born again
if God says live and if he says live unto your
soul it is because of that glory which
shone in the temple here. It is because of that one that
came from the east that entered by the gate in the east. If God causes you to see it is
because there is a man who has entered this city through a gate
in the east and come in bringing glory and light into the city.
It is because Christ came into this world, died for your sins,
rose again and entered into the courts of heaven, entered into
the temple, entered through the east gate in a blaze of glory,
having taken away sin, having brought in righteousness, having
redeemed you, It is because the Son of Righteousness has risen
with healing in His wings. For that's what you need as a
sinner, healing. And when He rose, He rose with
healing in His wings and He entered through the East Gate. Now why
the East Gate? Because the Son rises in the
East. and when you look to the east
in this world you'll see the sun rise in the east and when
the son of God rose from the dead he rose as it were in the
east and he entered through the city in the east gate a picture
of his glory as the light of the world and this is why in chapter 44
of Ezekiel that it's recorded that he brought
back brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary
which looketh toward the east and it was shut then said the
lord unto me this gate shall be shut it shall not be opened
and no man shall enter in by it because the lord the god of
israel have entered in by it therefore it shall be shut it
is for the prince the prince he shall sit in it to eat bread
before the lord he shall enter by the way of the porch of that
gate and shall go out by the way of the same this is the gate
that the prince of glory entered in by the gate through which
the sun rose the gate through which the light
shone Only one could go the way that
Christ went. Only one could tread the path
that Christ trod. Only one could go to the cross
upon which Christ died. His people in him went with him,
but he was the one, the man that felt the pain. His people in
Him died with Him, but He was the one that felt the pangs of
death. His people in Him were cleansed
by Him, but He was the one whose blood was shed for them. The
people in Him had their sins washed away, but He was the one
that felt the wrath of God in judgment against those sins.
His people in Him were laid in the grave with Him, but He was
the One who died, who felt the pains of death. His people in
Him rose again from death with Him, but He was the One who had
the power to lay down His life and take it up again. And His
people in Him ascended with Him and entered into Heaven's courts
of glory with Him, but He was the One that led them forth,
the Prince of glory. the prince whom you slew and
I slew the prince who in your heart
you put to death with your rebellion and your rejection and your sin
well when you put him to death did he take away your sin or
does the blood and the guilt of your condemnation of him still
lay upon your hands if you remain guilty of his death
then when you come to see Christ that man upon a throne it will
be in judgment but if he took the guilt of your sin and your rejection
and rebellion and took it upon his own back and took it away
and took the judgment then you will be amongst that people who
rose up with him and entered into this city with him and you
will come to know that birth of God that opening of the eyes
by the Spirit of God and that opening of the ears to hear his
voice and to behold his glory well have you have you? Ezekiel's reminded of that vision
he had in the beginning, that vision when he saw that man upon
the throne and fell upon his face and he says the glory of
the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose
prospect is toward the east So the Spirit took me up and brought
me into the inner court and behold the glory of the Lord filled
the house and I heard him speaking unto me out of the house and
the man stood by me. Have you seen the glory of the
Lord fill in his house and is there a man who stands by you? Who can intercede for you? who
can say unto almighty God I have washed away his or her sin because I was slain as their
sacrifice as their sacrifice we read in
the rest of chapter 43 of the altars of the altar of God and
of the sacrifices that the priest should offer in these days of
type and figure that looked for the fulfillment of these things.
But if these offerings were offered, God says in verse 27, I will
accept you, saith the Lord God. I will accept you. Have you been accepted? Has there
been an offering? slain and offered up for you. Has there been blood taken and
sprinkled upon the mercy seat, upon the horns of the altar for
you? Has God accepted you? This is the law of the house.
Upon the top of the mountain, the whole limit thereof round
about shall be most holy. Behold, This is the law of the
house. How will you enter this house? When it is holy. When the top
of the mountain and the whole limit thereof round about shall
be most holy. When there's a law that says
this will be holy and no unholy, no unrighteous, no sinful thing
shall enter in. You cannot get here with sin
upon your hands then you must have a sacrifice acceptable unto
the Lord God. Has there been one made for you?
Has there? If there has, then you will enter
into this place. And you by faith will see what
Ezekiel saw, what John saw. You'll see the glory of the Lord
fill in the house, coming into the house by the way of the gate
whose prospect is toward the east. You'll see the Son, the
Son of God rising victorious for you, rising from the dead. Having taken away all your sin,
you'll behold Him rising and you rising with Him and entering
into this place. And you'll see the glory and
know that you're heading there. Know that that's the end of your
salvation. Know that there's a city into
which you will enter. whose name is the Lord is there
you'll long to go to be in that city because you've seen your
Saviour enter you know your Lord has entered in for you and you
know that you will be there with Him be there in that place that city name
the Lord is there is there oh what a name what
a name the Lord has himself and what a name his city has named
after him wonderful glorious perfect and righteous where are
you and where would you rather be? where do you want to be today? and where do you want to spend
the rest of your life? and where do you want to spend
eternity? because there's a place where
the Lord is and there is a place where those
who hate him are Do you want to be where he is?
Do you want to be in his city? Do you long to be with him and
his people? Where the glory of the Lord fills
the house. Do you want to behold that east
gate through which he entered and see the light pouring in? Or are you taken up with yourself
and your own glory? and you want to be in a place
where you can be filled with your own glory don't play the
fool with these things don't play the fool because that place
it's full of darkness full of fire full of suffering anguish
anger But this place, this place which
is sure and which is certain for every child of God, bought
by blood, washed in the blood of the Lamb, redeemed from their
sins, redeemed from the captivity and condemnation of their sins,
this place, is sure and certain. Everyone for whom Christ died
is going here. None shall pluck them from his
hands. None shall perish. They will
be with him in that place where the Lord is. Do you long
to be there? Do you? sometimes in our journey our
sojourn in this world below days come and days go troubles come
and troubles go persecution comes and we see the darkness and the
evil in the land and we see the dark and the evil laws and things
which are brought to pass we've seen it this week We've seen
how sin multiplies in this nation. And we've seen how the heathen
rage against their God, though they know Him not. How they rage
against Almighty God. How they rage against the Maker
of heaven and earth. And we've seen the multitudes and how they seem to be so powerful,
so strong. And how those who love God and
His way seem to be so cast out, so scoffed at, so marginalized. And you wonder where it's all
heading and you wonder what will come and you fear for how you
will stand. But believe and know that there
is an end in sight. And these things are but momentary. And these who rejoice now and
who vaunt their power now and make their claims and scoff at
God and mock his people are mocking the Son of God. And they're scoffing
at the Son of God. And all who scoff at the Son
of God make Him angry. And all who, as it were, put
the Son of God to death in their hearts kindle His wrath. And in the end they will know
that wrath forevermore. But that people who love Him
though they may suffer now, though you may suffer now, are heading
for a city named the Lord is there. A city in which the glory
of God will shine forevermore. A city in which none of these
who hate him and hate his ways will have entry into. A city
in which God is victorious and rules. And whatever happens now,
He's on His throne. And He's ruling all things and
bringing all to pass according to His eternal purpose. And bringing
it to this conclusion. This wonderful hope, this wonderful
glory. Oh may God give us grace and
faith. to have our eyes opened to see
this glory now and to look past the darkness and the movements
in this world, to not be cast down by them, but to see His
glory now, and to taste of this glory in the Gospel, and to stand
firm upon that Gospel, knowing that there is life in that Gospel
alone, and death outside it. Stand upon blood-sprinkled ground. stand firm upon that ground don't
be pushed off it outside is nothing but darkness and death kiss the
sun lest he be angry for blessed are all they that put their trust
in him trust in him who sits upon his throne as the Psalmist
writes, Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain
thing? The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against
his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and
cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh, The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall
he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. Yet have I set my king upon my
holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree. The
Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten
thee. ask of me, and I shall give thee
the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the
earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a
rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's
vessel. Be wise now therefore, O ye kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry,
and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in him. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in Him. in Him who sits upon a throne
in glory, in Him whose voice is like a voice like the noise
of many waters, in Him who entered through the east gate having
risen from the dead, having conquered sin, having taken it away, having
washed His people's sin in His blood, in Him who shines as the
light of God and the earth shines with His glory, in Him who rules
over all, in Him who dwells in the midst of His people, in His
temple, in His city, in His kingdom, in that city whose name shall
be the Lord is there, the Lord is there. Amen.