The Lamb for Sinners Slain

13 “These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar: 14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; 15 and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns. 16 The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad. 17 The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. The steps of the altar shall face east.”

18 And he said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it, 19 you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord God, a bull from the herd for a sin offering. 20 And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim all around. Thus you shall purify the altar and make atonement for it. 21 You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area. 22 And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull. 23 When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish. 24 You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord. 25 For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. 26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it. 27 And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.” – Ezekiel 43:13-27 ESV

It should be no surprise that the focus of everything in the Millennial Kingdom will be holiness. At that moment in human history, everything will be set apart unto God. His Son will rule over all the earth from His throne in Jerusalem, just as the angel had promised to his mother, Mary.

“You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!” – Luke 1:31-33 NLT

This will be in fulfillment of the promise that God made to King David.

“And I will provide a homeland for my people Israel, planting them in a secure place where they will never be disturbed. Evil nations won’t oppress them as they’ve done in the past, starting from the time I appointed judges to rule my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies.…Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:10-11, 16 NLT

In this future kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will be the King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule supreme and His status as the Holy One of God will allow Him to mete out perfect righteousness as the sovereign head of state. With His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus earned the right to sit on David’s throne. Paul speaks of Jesus’ elevation to this highest honor because “he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8 NLT).

And because Jesus faithfully fulfilled the will of His Heavenly Father, He was rewarded with a return to His rightful place at His Father’s side.

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

But the latter part of this passage has yet to be fulfilled. We live in an age where the majority of people on earth refuse to honor the name of Christ or bow in submission to His will. They do not acknowledge Him as Lord. Yet, God’s redemptive plan includes a day when all that will change. The prophet, Micah, refers to this future restoration of the Kingdom of Israel and Christ’s reign as King.

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem.
The Lord will mediate between peoples
    and will settle disputes between strong nations far away. – Micah 4:1-3 NLT

Isaiah prophesied about the future earthly reign of Christ, declaring that “the government will rest on his shoulders” (Isaiah 9:6 NLT), and that government will be marked by peace.

His government and its peace
    will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
    for all eternity. – Isaiah 9:7 NLT

Justice will rule in the wilderness
    and righteousness in the fertile field.
And this righteousness will bring peace.
    Yes, it will bring quietness and confidence forever.
My people will live in safety, quietly at home.
    They will be at rest. – Isaiah 32:16-18 NLT

So, why does God reveal to Ezekiel that this same Millennial Kingdom will be marked by a reinstitution of the sacrificial system? If Jesus’ paid the final debt for all sins and accomplished what the blood of bulls and goats could never do, why would God bring back the temple, the altar, and the practice of blood sacrifice?

“The existence of the millennial temple and the reinstatement of the sacrificial system [though not necessarily the reinstatement of the Mosaic Covenant] is not only understandable but predictable. Ezekiel’s vision of a restored sacrificial system was really not so amazing after all. The millennium will afford Israel the opportunity for the first time in its history to use the symbols of their covenant with Jesus as Messiah in view. It will be their first time to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation showing forth to the world the redemptive work of Yahweh in the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah (Isa 53:7; 61:1-3; Zech 4:1 [sic 3:10]; John 1:29; Acts 8:32-35; 1 Pet 1:19; Rev 7:13-14; 5:9; 13:8; 15:3).” – L. E. Cooper Sr., Ezekiel

The author of Hebrews reminds us that the old sacrificial system functioned as a symbol or representation of something far greater to come.

The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship. If they could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped, for the worshipers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared.

But instead, those sacrifices actually reminded them of their sins year after year. For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 NLT

According to this passage, the main purpose behind the Old Testament sacrificial system was to remind God’s people of their sins. It could never provide full and complete atonement. That’s why the sacrifices were perpetual and never-ending. The people lived in an endless cycle of sin-sacrifice-atonement-forgiveness. With their sins forgiven, they would simply repeat the cycle again, year after year. But Jesus came to be the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). With His death on the cross, Jesus broke that endless cycle of sacrifice for sins.

So, why bring it back? It seems that the future sacrificial system described in Ezekiel has a distinctly different purpose. Rather than providing atonement for sins, it will point to the ultimate atoning sacrifice: Jesus Christ. The blood offered up on the Millennial Altar will commemorate “the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:19 NLT).

When Christians partake of the elements of the Lord’s Table, they are not literally breaking the body of Christ or spilling His blood. They are practicing a symbolic rite designed to remind them of what Christ has done on their behalf. That’s why, on the night Jesus instituted the Lord’s Table, He told His disciples “do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:25).

God gives Ezekiel the dimensions for the altar of sacrifice. Then He provides very clear instructions regarding the ritual cleansing of the altar and the preparation of the sacrifices to be offered on it. This entire process is similar to that given by God to Moses when He first instituted the sacrificial system in the Judean wilderness. For the Israelites living in the Millennial Kingdom, this entire process of ceremonial cleansing and purification will be highly familiar, and it will serve as a powerful reminder of their past sins as a nation. But it will point them to the all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus, whose blood has cleansed them from all their sins (1 John 1:7).

“The offerings presented thereon were meant to be memorials, much as the Lord’s Supper is no efficacious sacrifice but a memorial of a blessedly adequate and all-sufficient sacrifice for all time. Thus, whereas the sacrifices of the Old Testament economy were prospective, these are retrospective.” – Charles Lee Feinberg, The Prophecy of Ezekiel

The focus of this chapter is holiness – the holiness of God, His people, His Kingdom, and His Son. Everything in the Millennial Kingdom will be set apart for His glory. It will all be dedicated to His name and exist to point all people to Him alone. In a remarkable blending of old and new imagery, God provides Ezekiel a glimpse of a future age when the Old Testament sacrificial system will exist in perfect harmony with the resurrected and enthroned Lamb of God. During His thousand-year reign on earth, there will be believers and unbelievers living under His righteous rule. All those who survived the seven years of the Tribulation will have the pleasure of living as citizens of Christ’s earthly kingdom, but not all will worship Him as Lord. Perhaps this renewed sacrificial system will serve as a means of purification for all those who wish to enter the presence of the King of kings. Holiness will reign supreme in the Millennial Kingdom, and God has ordained a place and purpose for the sacrificial system in that time.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Gravity and Glory of God’s Grace

1 Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. 3 And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

6 While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, 7 and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, 8 by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

10 “As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. 11 And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out. 12 This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple. – Ezekiel 43:1-12 ESV

“Son of man, describe to the people of Israel the Temple I have shown you, so they will be ashamed of all their sins. Let them study its plan, and they will be ashamed of what they have done. Describe to them all the specifications of the Temple—including its entrances and exits—and everything else about it. Tell them about its decrees and laws. Write down all these specifications and decrees as they watch so they will be sure to remember and follow them.” – Ezekiel 43:10-11 NLT

After completing his tour of the future temple, Ezekiel was given a glimpse of God’s majestic glory returning to the very site it had vacated in his earlier vision. He describes seeing the glory of the Lord coming from the east and recalls having seen it before.

This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. – Ezekiel 43:3 NLT

Ezekiel opened his book with his vivid, out-of-this-world description of God’s glory arriving in Babylon by the Kebar River. It began as a storm cloud with flashing lightning and rolling peals of thunder. But upon close examination, Ezekiel saw that “From the center of the cloud came four living beings that looked human, except that each had four faces and four wings” (Ezekiel 1:5-6 NLT).

Each of these living beings “had a human face in the front, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle at the back” (Ezekiel 1:10 NLT). They were equipped with wings and glowed “like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them” (Ezekiel 1:13 NLT).

But the most important part of this vision was the presence of “a figure whose appearance resembled a man” (Ezekiel 1:26 NLT), who sat on a throne made of blue lapis lazuli. Ezekiel provided great detail in describing this royal figure.

From what appeared to be his waist up, he looked like gleaming amber, flickering like a fire. And from his waist down, he looked like a burning flame, shining with splendor. All around him was a glowing halo, like a rainbow shining in the clouds on a rainy day. This is what the glory of the Lord looked like to me. – Ezekiel 1:27-28 NLT

Ezekiel was certain as to the figure’s identity. It was none other than Yahweh, God Almighty, who had come to distant Babylon to reveal Himself to Ezekiel and to commission him as His prophet. 

In a later vision Ezekiel received, he saw the very same representation of God’s glory, but this time it appeared in Jerusalem, hovering over the temple. 

In my vision I saw what appeared to be a throne of blue lapis lazuli above the crystal surface over the heads of the cherubim. – Ezekiel 10:1 NLT

Ezekiel recognized the cherubim as the four living beings he had seen in his earlier vision.

These were the same living beings I had seen beside the Kebar River. – Ezekiel 10:15 NLT

As Ezekiel continued to watch this spectacular display of God’s glory, he must have been shocked to see it begin to make its way from the temple itself and towards the eastern gate of the temple complex.

Then the glory of the Lord moved out from the entrance of the Temple and hovered above the cherubim. And as I watched, the cherubim flew with their wheels to the east gate of the Lord’s Temple. And the glory of the God of Israel hovered above them. – Ezekiel 10:18-19 NLT

But God’s glory didn’t stop there. It went beyond the eastern gate, across the Kidron Valley, and onto the Mount of Olives. Then it disappeared altogether.

Then the cherubim lifted up their wings, with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them. And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to the exiles. Then the vision that I had seen went up from me. – Ezekiel 10:22-24 NLT

The significance of this vision did not escape Ezekiel. He had just witnessed the glory of God departing the temple and vacating the city of Jerusalem. Yahweh was symbolically abandoning His house and His chosen people. But years later, Ezekiel was given the privilege of seeing the glory of God return. After taking Ezekiel on a whirlwind tour of the Millennial Temple, “the man” took the prophet to the very same spot where he had seen the glory of God depart.

…he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. – Ezekiel 43:1-2 ESV

Blown away by what he saw, Ezekiel fell on his face in awe and gratitude. But as God’s glory reentered the temple and took up residence once again in the Holy of Holies, Ezekiel was there to witness the entire scene. And in a state of stupified wonder, all Ezekiel could say was “and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple” (Ezekiel 43:5 ESV). God had returned. He had not abandoned His people after all. And God confirmed the permanence of His return by stating, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place where I will rest my feet. I will live here forever among the people of Israel” (Ezekiel 43:7 NLT).

God had left, but had returned and, this time, it was to stay. This was a new temple and a new era, and God had promised to give His chosen people new hearts so they could worship Him faithfully and fully. To quote the apostle Paul, “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV).

God wanted Ezekiel to know that the day was coming when all things would be made new. There would be a new temple but there would also be a renewed people of God. Their sins had resulted in God’s judgment. Their rebellion against Him had led to His departure from among them. But Ezekiel was being given a glimpse of the future when God would miraculously restore His people to a right relationship with Himself. And He states that, on that day, things will be radically different. God commands Ezekiel to tell his fellow exiles all that he has seen and to give them this sobering reminder concerning that coming day.

“And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple.” – Ezekiel 43:12 NLT

What an amazing picture of God’s grace. He was declaring His intention to restore His apostate people and return them to a life of holiness and sanctification. No more sin. No more rebellion. Instead, they would enjoy permanent fellowship with God in His eternal kingdom.

I sometimes think we take grace for granted. I love what Dallas Willard says: “We have a problem today in Evangelical circles. We’re not only saved by grace, we’re paralyzed by it.” We have allowed grace to become a one-dimensional concept that is tied solely to our salvation. We talk about the idea of being saved by grace. It is a priceless gift, unearned and undeserved. But the grace of God should have a long-lasting influence on our lives. There is a future element to God’s grace that I must never lose sight of because the reality is that I can no more earn my coming glorification than I could my salvation. A day is coming when I will be made complete and whole. I will be like Christ, with no sin nature and an ability to live righteously – completely and permanently. Future grace is a great motivator for present behavior. The reality of my guaranteed place in His presence for eternity should have a tremendous impact on the way I live my life now.

The same was true for the people of God in Ezekiel's day. God had given Ezekiel a glimpse of His future kingdom, complete with a newly constructed temple, occupied by God Himself. God instructed Ezekiel to describe to the people the details of the future temple. They were to study its plans and go over every specification. Why? Because it was going to be a real place that was going to exist in real-time in the future. It was a picture of God’s future grace and His promise to reestablish His presence among the people of Israel. In spite of all they had done to offend Him, He was going to extend them grace, and the proof of it was this vision of His glory filling the rebuilt temple.

As Christians, we can easily allow the "grace alone" message to lull us into a sense of spiritual stupor or laziness. God does it all, so we have nothing to do. But grace is opposed to earning, not effort. The knowledge of God's grace reminds me that I can do nothing to earn His favor. But awareness of His grace should cause me to make every effort to serve Him gratefully and joyfully. By hearing the detailed descriptions of the future Temple, the people of God were to be shamed for their own unfaithfulness as opposed to God's faithfulness.

The reality that I have a place reserved for me in heaven should make me want to live my life differently here on earth. During their lifetimes, the people of God had desecrated the temple of God time and time again. And ultimately, God had it destroyed. Today there is no temple in Jerusalem. In its place sits a mosque. But God has promised that the day is coming when the temple will be rebuilt; not because the people of God deserve it, but because God has promised it.

Its presence will be proof of God's grace. He will restore the people of Israel – in spite of themselves. And that future reality should have changed their present behavior. And one day God is going complete His work of sanctification in our lives – glorifying us and transforming us into the likeness of His Son – completely and permanently. Awareness of that future grace should shame me when I consider my present behavior. He has done so much for me and has promised to do so much. How can I live in disobedience and sin when God has such an undeserved future reserved for me?

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.