Then the glory of the LORD rose from above the cherub to the threshold of the temple. The temple was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled with the brightness of the LORD’s glory.
Ezekiel 10:4
In a couple of weeks, Christmas will be over. Lights will be taken down from windows and trees, tinsel and baubles will be boxed up for storage, and the shops will sell leftover selection boxes for cheap. We’ll all settle back into routines, then the January blues will kick in…
God gave the prophet Ezekiel some totally bonkers visions, and we’re dipping into one of them today in Ezekiel 10 and 11. It’s completely understandable if you read these chapters and ask, ‘What on earth is that about?’ It’s always worth checking a study bible, or commentary, when you come to these kinds of chapters!
The vision that Ezekiel is shown is of God’s glory in the temple, similar to what Solomon saw back in 1 Kings 8. But this time, it’s for a very different reason. Where Solomon saw God’s glory enter, fill, and rest in the temple, Ezekiel was witnessing God’s glory leaving the temple.
After Israel and Judah had been failed by king after king who led them astray, God brought judgement on his people. The northern Kingdom of Israel was first to be exiled, by Assyrians, followed by the Kingdom of Judah being taken away by Babylonians.
Ezekiel was a prophet in exile, who helped his fellow exiles understand that the reason for this judgement was their sin, not the Lord’s failure.
Fill your hands with blazing coals from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city.
Ezekiel 10:2
This vision began with a priestly figure being told to gather blazing coals, and launch them over Jerusalem. It was a picture of judgement raining down in fire.
It was after this that Ezekiel saw God’s glory rise from the Most Holy Place, the inner sanctuary of the temple, and it began to move step by step, outward to the court (10:3-5), and then the east gate (10:18-19) and finally it leaves the city and moves to a nearby mountain (11:22-23).
Just as the Lord had promised Solomon that he would be present with his people if they remained faithful, he also promised that he would cut off Israel and reject the temple if they abandoned him (1 Kings 9:4-9). That’s exactly what happened here, and exactly what Ezekiel was witnessing.
God had given opportunities for his people to turn back to him, as pictured by the glory stopping in stages. But his people continually abandoned him and worshipped false gods, so his glory and his presence was no longer with them.
Our own sin takes us away from the Lord.
Without Jesus, we are dead in our sin, and far from our Creator, and far from hope. We can’t revive ourselves or bridge the distance to God ourselves.
Without faith in Jesus, we will eventually be abandoned to hell.
Even as Christians, every lustful thought, every selfish word, every impatient moan, every bitter desire – they all take us away from the Lord.
The vision Ezekiel saw was devastating. The Lord had left his people. It looked like it was over.
But God also gave Ezekiel hope.
“Therefore say, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.’
Ezekiel 11:17
Jesus, the holy God, stepped into the sin-stained world he created, to gather his people back to himself. He was and is the true temple, and the glorious presence of God.
He was continually rejected, an outcast from birth to death. He was raised up on the cross, so that all his people who look and see his glory there would be gathered by faith.
They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Ezekiel 11:20
There may be times we feel abandoned by God, that he is distant, or far off. It is worth us reflecting on our own hearts, and considering if it is actually our own sin that is causing the distance. We may need others to help us understand our hearts, and our struggle with sin, because we are so blind to our own faults. Maybe today’s the day to ask for help?
Christmas will soon leave us for another year, but Jesus will never leave his people.
Our sin may leave us feeling far from Emmanuel, but if our hope is in Jesus, we will never be abandoned.
Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.
Hebrews 13:5
Rejoice!
Written by Pete Bell
A thought to remember: Emmanuel will never abandon his people.
A bit more to read: Ezekiel 10-11
A question to ask: What sin may leave you feeling distant from the Lord?
A song to sing: Heaven Has Come To Us