The Bodily Return of Christ to the
Ezekiel 43-44
Lesson XIV
The great point of the preceding chapters in proving the literalness of
predicted events connected with Israel, Nations and Cities, is to set the stage
for the greatest of all events, that event being the Second Coming of Jesus
Christ in power and great glory. Who can
consider the first forty and two chapters of Ezekiel and not see that the
events of chapter forty-three must be as literal as what has gone before?
1. First let us look at history.
Jesus came to the
His people lived in that land.
Matthew 1:21
(21) And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Matthew 25:40
(40) And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the
least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] unto me.
Matthew 1:21 “He shall save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 25:40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I
say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren , ye have done it unto me.”
His
people, His brethren are the Jews.
John 4:9
(9) Then saith the woman of Samaria unto
him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of
Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
Matthew 27:37
(37) And set up over his head his
accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Never forget that Jesus was born a Jew, (John 4:9) and is often
identified as King of the Jews, e.g. Matthew 27:37.
2. It was in the land of Israel Jesus Christ was
born.
Matthew 2:1, 14
(1) Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of
Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east
to Jerusalem,
(14) When he arose, he took the young child
and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
Matthew 2:1 “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea.....”
His entire life on earth was in this land, with the exception of two
years in Egypt.
Matthew 2:14 “When he (Joseph)
arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into
Egypt. And was there until the death of
Herod....”
3. While Jesus was in the land of Israel, He
often came to the Temple at Jerusalem.
John 2:13-16
(13) And the Jews' passover was at hand,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
(14) And found in the temple those that
sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
(15) And when he had made a scourge of
small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen;
and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;
(16) And said unto them that sold doves,
Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
Matthew 23:38
(38) Behold, your house is left unto you
desolate.
Matthew 24:1-2
(1) And Jesus went out, and departed from
the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew [him] the buildings of
the temple.
(2) And Jesus said unto them, See ye not
all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone
upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
In John 2:13-16 “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up
to
He spoke of the temple as recorded in Matthew 23:38 in different words.
“Behold, your house is left unto
you desolate.” And in the next chapter
he foretold the destruction of the
4. In the land of Israel, Jesus was rejected,
crucified, and three days later, resurrected from the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
(1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you
the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein
ye stand;
(2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep
in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
(3) For I delivered unto you first of all
that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the
scriptures;
(4) And that he was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Corinthians 15:1-4 “Moreover ,brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain. For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died
for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Those events took place in the
5. And the first gospel message was proclaimed
at Jerusalem, not at Rome!
After His resurrection, He returned to the Holy land for forty
days. Then He ascended back to Heaven.
Acts 1:1-12. Read those verses again.
Acts 1:1-12
(1) The former treatise have I
made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
The land is literal and all these events are as literal as the land in
which they took place.
6. Now, it is our conviction, that as surely as
Jesus came to this land, to this same land, He will return.
Ezekiel
chapter forthy-three.
Ezekiel 11:23
(23) And the glory of the LORD went up from
the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which [is] on the east side
of the city.
As we have already seen:
Ezekiel
Ezekiel 43:1-3
(1) Afterward he brought me to the gate,
[even] the gate that looketh toward the east:
(2) 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.
(3) 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 Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
Now in Ezekiel 43:1-2 Ezekiel
sees the glory return “from the way of the east.”
We must remind ourselves of what is written in Acts 1:10,11; Zechariah
14:4,5; Revelation 1:7; 1 Timothy 6:15.
Acts 1:10- 11
(10) And while they looked stedfastly
toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
(11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
Zechariah 14:4-5
(4) And his feet shall stand in that day
upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east, and the
mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward
the west, [and there shall be] a very great valley; and half of the mountain
shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
(5) And ye shall flee [to] the valley of
the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye
shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah
king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee.
Revelation 1:7
(7) Behold, he cometh with clouds; and
every eye shall see him, and they [also] which pierced him: and all kindreds of
the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
1 Timothy 6:15
(15) Which in his times he shall shew, [who
is] the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
Ezekiel 43-4-7 Now the purpose of the temple is
revealed.
Ezekiel 43:4-7
(6) And I heard
[him] speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.
Verse 4 The glory comes
into the house. What had taken place in
the Tabernacle in the wilderness and in Solomon’s temple was but a type and
shadow of that which is here.
Verse 5 The glory filled
the house.
Verse 6 “And I heard Him
speaking...” It can be seen that the
glory came with a Person.
Verse 7 “He
said … the place of my throne, the place of the soles of my feet, where I
will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever….”
Here I insert, lest the question arises in your mind. The thousand years that He reigns on earth
are but the initial phase of His eternal Kingdom. To illustrate that: we believers are now only
enjoying the initial phase of our eternal salvation.
Ezekiel 48:35
(35) [It was] round about eighteen thousand
[measures]: and the name of the city from [that] day [shall be], The LORD [is]
there.
The last word in Ezekiel 48:35, “...and
the name of the city from that day shall be ‘THE LORD IS THERE’.” Because of a verse like Daniel 4:25 that
states, “the most high ruleth” (present tense), there are
those who use such a verse to cancel out any future reign of Christ on earth.
Daniel 4:25
(25) That they shall drive thee from men,
and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make
thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and
seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
We reply:
True, He is King now, but unseen by the world. Our Lord controls the affairs of men now, but
the majority of humans do not know it nor do they believe it. He will never be more King than He already
is. However, we believe the Bible
teaches that the day is coming when He will manifest, i.e., show Himself King (1
Timothy 6:15), when physical eyes shall see and be forced to acknowledge Him as
King of Kings.
Psalm 72:11
(11) Yea, all kings shall fall down before
him: all nations shall serve him.
Psalm 72:8
(8) He shall have dominion also from sea to
sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
“When all Kings shall fall down before Him and all nations serve Him.” (Psalm
72:11).
At the time when “His dominion shall be from sea to sea” (Psalm 72:8).
The Bible teaches plainly that Israel’s throne is actually the Lord’s
throne.
Compare 1 Chronicles 29:23 with 2 Chronicles 6:10.
1 Chronicles 29:23
(23) Then Solomon sat on the throne of the
LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed
him.
2 Chronicles 6:10
(10) The LORD
therefore hath performed his word that he hath spoken: for I am risen up in the
room of David my father, and am set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD
promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.
The New Testament connects Jesus Christ with the Throne of David, which of
course, was at
Matthew 1:1
(1) The book of the generation of Jesus
Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Luke 1:31-33
(31) And, behold, thou shalt conceive in
thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
(32) He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David:
(33) And he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Acts 2:29-31
(29) Men [and] brethren, let me freely
speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day.
(30) Therefore being a prophet, and knowing
that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins,
according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
(31) He seeing this before spake of the
resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh
did see corruption.
Romans 1:1-3
(1) Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called
[to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
(2) (Which he had promised afore by his
prophets in the holy scriptures,)
(3) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our
Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
The fact that Jesus is coming to reign as King is the subject of
many Old Testament Scriptures:
Isaiah 9:6,7
Isaiah 24:23
Jeremiah 3:17
Jeremiah 23:5,6
Jeremiah 33: 16,17 cf
Jeremiah 33:19-21
Daniel 2:44,45
Daniel 7:27
Amos 9:11
Micah 4:8 cf Acts 1:6,7
Micah 5:2
Isaiah 9:6-7
(6) For unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace.
(7) Of the increase of [his] government and
peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom,
to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth
even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 24:23
(23) Then the moon shall be confounded, and
the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in
Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Jeremiah 3:17
(17) At that time they shall call Jerusalem
the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the
name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the
imagination of their evil heart.
Jeremiah 23:5-6
(5) Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and
prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
(6) In his days Judah shall be saved, and
Israel shall dwell safely: and this [is] his name whereby he shall be called,
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 33: 16-17, 19-21
(16) In those days shall Judah be saved,
and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this [is the name] wherewith she shall be
called, The LORD our righteousness.
(17) For thus saith the LORD; David shall
never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;
(19) And the word of the LORD came unto
Jeremiah, saying,
(20) Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break
my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not
be day and night in their season;
(21) [Then] may also my covenant be broken
with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne;
and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.
Daniel 2:44-45
(44) And in the days of these kings shall
the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the
kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but it] shall break in pieces and
consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
(45) Forasmuch as thou sawest that the
stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces
the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath
made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream [is]
certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
Daniel 7:27
(27) And the kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people
of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and
all dominions shall serve and obey him.
Amos 9:11
(11) In that day will I raise up the
tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I
will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Micah 4:8
(8) And thou, O tower of the flock, the
strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first
dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Micah 5:2
(2) But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though]
thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come
forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been]
from of old, from everlasting.
Acts 1:6-7
(6) When they therefore were come together,
they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel?
(7) And he said unto them, It is not for
you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own
power.
Notice also how many times Jesus is called King of the Jews.
Matthew 2:2
Matthew 27:11,29,37,42
Mark 15:2,9,12,18,26,32
Luke 1:32-33
Luke 23:3,38
John 1:49
John 4:22
John 8:33
John 19:3,19-22
Matthew 2:2
(2) Saying, Where is he that is born King
of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship
him.
Matthew 27: 11, 29, 37, 42
(11) And Jesus stood before the governor:
and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus
said unto him, Thou sayest.
(29) And when they had platted a crown of
thorns, they put [it] upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they
bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
(37) And set up over his head his
accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
(42) He saved others; himself he cannot
save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we
will believe him.
Mark 15:2, 9, 12, 18, 26, 32
(2) And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King
of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest [it].
(9) But Pilate answered them, saying, Will
ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
(12) And Pilate answered and said again
unto them, What will ye then that I shall do [unto him] whom ye call the King
of the Jews?
(18) And began to salute him, Hail, King of
the Jews!
(26) And the superscription of his
accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
(32) Let Christ the King of Israel descend
now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified
with him reviled him.
Luke 1:32-33
(32) He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his
father David:
(33) And he shall reign over the house of
Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
Luke 23:3, 38
(3) And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou
the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest [it].
(38) And a superscription also was written
over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE
JEWS.
John 1:49
(49) Nathanael answered and saith unto him,
Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
John 4:22
(22) Ye worship ye know not what: we know
what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
John 8:33
(33) They answered him, We be Abraham's
seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made
free?
John 19:3, 19-22
(3) And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and
they smote him with their hands.
(19) And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it]
on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.
(20) This title then read many of the Jews:
for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was
written in Hebrew, [and] Greek, [and] Latin.
(21) Then said the chief priests of the
Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of
the Jews.
(22) Pilate answered, What I have written I
have written.
Furthermore, the Scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is coming back to reside
in
Psalm 132:13
Isaiah 24:23
Joel 3:17
Zephaniah 3:15-17
Zechariah 6:12-13
Zechariah 8:3,22
Zechariah 14:16-17
Psalm 132:13
(13) For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath
desired [it] for his habitation.
Isaiah 24:23
(23) Then the moon shall be confounded, and
the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in
Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.
Joel 3:17
(17) So shall ye know that I [am] the LORD
your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and
there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
Zephaniah 3:15-17
(15) The LORD hath taken away thy
judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, [even] the LORD, [is]
in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more.
(16) In that day it shall be said to
Jerusalem, Fear thou not: [and to] Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.
(17) The LORD thy God in the midst of thee
is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in
his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zechariah 6:12-13
(12) And speak unto him, saying, Thus
speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH;
and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the
LORD:
(13) Even he shall build the temple of the
LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and
he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between
them both.
Zechariah 8:3, 22
(3) Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto
Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a
city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain.
(22) Yea, many people and strong nations
shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.
Zechariah 14:16-17
(16) And it shall come to pass, [that]
every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall
even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to
keep the feast of tabernacles.
(17) And it shall be, [that] whoso will not
come up of [all] the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King,
the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.
Jesus Christ will not only be King of the Jews, He will be King
of all the earth.
Psalm 72:1,8,11
Zechariah 9:9,10
Zechariah 14:9
Micah 5:4
Isaiah 32:1
Isaiah 33:17
Revelation 11:15
Revelation 20:1-7
Psalm 72:1, 8, 11
([A Psalm] for Solomon.)
(1) Give the king thy judgments, O God, and
thy righteousness unto the king's son.
(8) He shall have dominion also from sea to
sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
(11) Yea, all kings shall fall down before
him: all nations shall serve him.
Zechariah 9:9-10
(9) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is]
just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the
foal of an ass.
(10) And I will cut off the chariot from
Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and
he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion [shall be] from sea [even]
to sea, and from the river [even] to the ends of the earth.
Zechariah 14:9
(9) And the LORD shall be king over all the
earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Micah 5:4
(4) And he shall stand and feed in the
strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they
shall abide: for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth.
Isaiah 32:1
(1) Behold, a king shall reign in
righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.
Isaiah 33:17
(17) Thine eyes shall see the king in his
beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off.
Revelation 11:15
(15) And the seventh angel sounded; and
there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are
become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for
ever and ever.
Revelation 20:1-7
(7) And when the
thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Jesus Christ’s glory will then fill the earth.
Psalm 97:1,2,6
Numbers 14:21
Isaiah 11:9
Isaiah 40:5
Isaiah 66:18-19
Habakkuk 2:14
Psalm 72:1-3, 7-11,17-20
Psalm 96: 1-13
Psalm 98:1-9
Psalm 99:1-9
Psalm 97:1, 2, 6
(1) The LORD reigneth; let the earth
rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad [thereof].
(2) Clouds and darkness [are] round about
him: righteousness and judgment [are] the habitation of his throne.
(6) The heavens declare his righteousness,
and all the people see his glory.
Numbers 14:21
(21) But [as] truly [as] I live, all the
earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
Isaiah 11:9
(9) They shall not hurt nor destroy in all
my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as
the waters cover the sea.
Isaiah 40:5
(5) And the glory of the LORD shall be
revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken [it].
Isaiah 66:18-19
(18) For I [know] their works and their
thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
shall come, and see my glory.
(19) And I will set a sign among them, and
I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, [to] Tarshish, Pul, and
Lud, that draw the bow, [to] Tubal, and Javan, [to] the isles afar off, that
have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my
glory among the Gentiles.
Habakkuk 2:14
(14) For the earth shall be filled with the
knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Psalm 72:1-3, 7-11, 17-20
([A Psalm] for Solomon.)
(1) Give the king thy judgments, O God, and
thy righteousness unto the king's son.
(2) He shall judge thy people with
righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
(3) The mountains shall bring peace to the
people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
(7) In his days shall the righteous
flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.
(8) He shall have dominion also from sea to
sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.
(9) They that dwell in the wilderness shall
bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.
(10) The kings of Tarshish and of the isles
shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
(11) Yea, all kings shall fall down before
him: all nations shall serve him.
(17) His name shall endure for ever: his
name shall be continued as long as the sun: and [men] shall be blessed in him:
all nations shall call him blessed.
(18) Blessed [be] the LORD God, the God of
Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.
(19) And blessed [be] his glorious name for
ever: and let the whole earth be filled [with] his glory; Amen, and Amen.
(20) The prayers of David the son of Jesse
are ended.
Psalm 96: 1-13
(1) O sing unto the
LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.
(2) Sing unto the
LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.
(3) Declare his
glory among the heathen, his wonders among all people.
(4) For the LORD
[is] great, and greatly to be praised: he [is] to be feared above all gods.
(5) For all the gods
of the nations [are] idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
(6) Honour and
majesty [are] before him: strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.
(7) Give unto the
LORD, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.
(8) Give unto the
LORD the glory [due unto] his name: bring an offering, and come into his
courts.
(9) O worship the
LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.
(11) Let the heavens
rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.
(12) Let the field be
joyful, and all that [is] therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice
Psalm 98:1-9
(A Psalm.)
(1) O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done
marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the
victory.
(4) Make a joyful
noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing
praise.
(5) Sing unto the
LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
(6) With trumpets
and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
(7) Let the sea
roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
(8) Let the floods
clap [their] hands: let the hills be joyful together
Psalm 99:1-9
(2) The LORD [is]
great in Zion; and he [is] high above all the people.
(3) Let them praise
thy great and terrible name; [for] it [is] holy.
(5) Exalt ye the
LORD our God, and worship at his footstool; [for] he [is] holy.
(9) Exalt the LORD
our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God [is] holy.
In Scripture the return of Christ is associated with power
and great glory.
Matthew 24:30
Matthew 25:31
Matthew 19:28
1 Thessalonians 2:12
Luke 9:32
Isaiah 66:18
Isaiah 6:1-3
Isaiah 40:5
Psalm 102:15-16
Matthew 24:30
(30) And then shall appear the sign of the
Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and
they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory.
Matthew 25:31
(31) When the Son of man shall come in his
glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory:
Matthew 19:28
(28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of
man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
1 Thessalonians 2:12
(12) That ye would walk worthy of God, who
hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
Luke 9:32
(32) But Peter and they that were with him
were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the
two men that stood with him.
Isaiah 66:18
(18) For I [know] their works and their
thoughts: it shall come, that I will gather all nations and tongues; and they
shall come, and see my glory.
Isaiah 6: 1-3
(1) In the year that king Uzziah died I saw
also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled
the temple.
(2) Above it stood the seraphims: each one
had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his
feet, and with twain he did fly.
(3) And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth [is] full of his glory.
Isaiah 40:5
(5) And the glory of the LORD shall be
revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath
spoken [it].
Psalm 102:15-16
(15) So the heathen shall fear the name of
the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
(16) When the LORD shall build up Zion, he
shall appear in his glory.
Ezekiel 43:8-12 cover the
law of the house (of the Lord on Mt Zion).
Ezekiel 43:8-12
Ezekiel 43:13-27 cover
specifics on the dimensions of the altar and the ordinances of the offerings
(sacrifices) which the priests will offer during the millennium.
Ezekiel 43:13-27
(15) So the altar
[shall be] four cubits; and from the altar and upward [shall be] four horns.
(16) And the altar
[shall be] twelve [cubits] long, twelve broad, square in the four squares
thereof.
(26) Seven days shall
they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves.
Ezekiel
chapter forty-four
Ezekiel 44:1-31
(21) Neither shall
any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
(26) And after he is
cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
(31) The priests
shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl
or beast.
Ezekiel 44:1-3 Here is the
prophecy of the shut gate.
Evidence that Christ has come (verse 2).
Evidence that Christ will come (verse 3)
Ezekiel 44:4 As in the last
chapter, “the glory” now fills the temple.
Prior history typified and pointed to this day.
Ezekiel 44:5-8 The prophet
reminds Israel of what they had done relative to the sanctuary or temple of the
past.
Ezekiel 44:9 But their past
will not be repeated in this temple.
This prophecy is confirmed in Joel 3:17 where we read, “So shall ye
know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion. My holy mountain, then shall
Ezekiel 44: 10-14 These verses
concern the Levites.
Some Levites will be limited in their service.
They “shall be keepers of the charge of the house (verse 14).
But shall not do the office of a priest (verse 13).
Ezekiel 44: 15-16 Other Levites,
the sons of Zadok, “shall enter into the sanctuary for service there.”
The contrast between verses
10-14 and verses 15-16 seems to
indicate that the privilege of sanctuary service will be a reward for some
faithful Levites.
Ezekiel 44:17-31 Still dealing
with the Levites, revealing that they are still very human. (Read verses
18,21,22.)
Verses 23-24 The
responsibilities of the priests are spelled out.
Verse 25 There will be
death, for remember, the Millennium is still part of time and 1 Corinthians
15:26 teaches that the last enemy to be destroyed is death, and that, after
Christ has reigned. See 1 Corinthians 15:24-25.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26
(24) Then [cometh] the end, when he shall
have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put
down all rule and all authority and power.
(25) For he must reign, till he hath put
all enemies under his feet.
(26) The last enemy [that] shall be destroyed
[is] death.
One of my personal heartaches is the fact that so many of our otherwise
good hymns and choruses are often misleading.
They are often not scripturally sound.
And when we sing them we are teaching people and our children false
doctrine! By way of example, the old
hymn, “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more...”
Those words are not what the Bible teaches.
The Rapture is the time when the trumpet of God shall sound, but the
Rapture does not end time. There are
many events predicted in the Bible to follow the Rapture on this earth, still
in time. However, if the hymn could have
said: “When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, then, time for believers as
they are now, will be no more” it would be correct. For the moment the trumpet sounds every
believer will be lifted out of the realm of time into the realm of eternity,
and time is not counted there. When that
time comes there’ll be no more time, then we’ll have lots of time!
We summarize chapters 40
through 44. These chapters primarily have
to do with:
1.
The Return, the Revelation, the Second Advent or the
Second Coming of Jesus Christ. By
“advent” we mean coming back to earth. At Christmas time, we celebrate the
First Advent, when Jesus came to earth, the greatest event in history to that time,
and the only greater event will be the Second Advent of the Same Person to the
same earth.
2.
A return to reign on earth when Christ will sit on
the throne of his human father, David (Luke 1:32). At the present time He is seated on the
throne of His Heavenly father (Revelation 3:21).
Revelation 3:21
(21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit
with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father
in his throne.
3.
A throne located in a future temple to be built at
Jerusalem (Ezekiel 43:7).
Ezekiel 43:7
(7) And he said unto me, Son of man, the place of
my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the
midst of the children of Israel for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of
Israel no more defile, [neither] they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor
by the carcases of their kings in their high places.
4.
A temple that
will be served by Priests and Levites.
5.
A millennial temple that will be filled with the
glory brought by a bodily-present Christ who will shine as He did on the Mount
of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-7) so that the whole earth shall be filled
with His glory (Isaiah 6:3).
Matthew 17:1-7
(3) And, behold,
there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
(6) And when the
disciples heard [it], they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
(7) And Jesus came
and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
Isaiah 6:3
(3) And one cried unto another, and said, Holy,
holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.
6.
The glory of the Lord. When we are Raptured it will be glory for us. But when Jesus returns it will be glory
for Him. Perhaps this explains
why so many saints seem to be blinded to the truth of the Coming of the Lord
back to this earth. The enemy would rob
Christ of His glory if he could!