… We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

… And together we sing

… Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

… We stand and lift up our hands
For the joy of the Lord is our strength
We bow down and worship Him now
How great, how awesome is He

… And together we sing
And everyone sing

… Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

… Yeah, it’s rising up all around
It’s the anthem of the Lord’s renown
It’s rising up all around
It’s the anthem of the Lord’s renown

… Together we sing
And everyone sing

… Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

(By Chris Tomlin and Louie Gigilo)

May this song play in the background as we read what Ezekiel saw and experienced—God’s glory filling the Temple!

Ezekiel 43, The Message

The Meaning of the Temple

43 ^1-3 The man brought me to the east gate. Oh! The bright Glory of the God of Israel rivered out of the east sounding like the roar of floodwaters, and the earth itself glowed with the bright Glory. It looked just like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, exactly like what I had seen earlier at the Kebar River. And again I fell, face to the ground.

^4-5 The bright Glory of God poured into the Temple through the east gate. The Spirit put me on my feet and led me to the inside courtyard and—oh! the bright Glory of God filled the Temple!

^6-9 I heard someone speaking to me from inside the Temple while the man stood beside me. He said, “Son of man, this is the place for my throne, the place I’ll plant my feet. This is the place where I’ll live with the Israelites forever. Neither the people of Israel nor their kings will ever again drag my holy name through the mud with their whoring and the no-god idols their kings set up at all the wayside shrines. When they set up their worship shrines right alongside mine with only a thin wall between them, they dragged my holy name through the mud with their obscene and vile worship. Is it any wonder that I destroyed them in anger? So let them get rid of their whoring ways and the stinking no-god idols introduced by their kings and I’ll move in and live with them forever.

^10-11 “Son of man, tell the people of Israel all about the Temple so they’ll be dismayed by their wayward lives. Get them to go over the layout. That will bring them up short. Show them the whole plan of the Temple, its ins and outs, the proportions, the regulations, and the laws. Draw a picture so they can see the design and meaning and live by its design and intent.

¹² “This is the law of the Temple: As it radiates from the top of the mountain, everything around it becomes holy ground. Yes, this is law, the meaning, of the Temple.

* * *

^13-14 “These are the dimensions of the altar, using the long (twenty-one-inch) ruler. The gutter at its base is twenty-one inches deep and twenty-one inches wide, with a four-inch lip around its edge.

^14-15 “The height of the altar is three and a half feet from the base to the first ledge and twenty inches wide. From the first ledge to the second ledge it is seven feet high and twenty-one inches wide. The altar hearth is another seven feet high. Four horns stick upward from the hearth twenty-one inches high.

^16-17 “The top of the altar, the hearth, is square, twenty-one by twenty-one feet. The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and a half feet on each side, with a ten-and-a-half-inch lip and a twenty-one-inch-wide gutter all the way around.

“The steps of the altar ascend from the east.”

¹⁸ Then the man said to me, “Son of man, God, the Master, says: ‘These are the ordinances for conduct at the altar when it is built, for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on it.

^19-21 “‘For a sin offering, give a bull to the priests, the Levitical priests who are from the family of Zadok who come into my presence to serve me. Take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar that project from the four corners of the top ledge and all around the lip. That’s to purify the altar and make it fit for the sacrifice. Then take the bull for the sin offerings and burn it in the place set aside for this in the courtyard outside the Sanctuary.

^22-24 “‘On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. Purify the altar the same as you purified it for the bull. Then, when you have purified it, offer a bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. Present them before God. Sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to God.

^25-26 “‘For seven days, prepare a goat for a sin offering daily, and also a bull and a ram from the flock, animals without blemish. For seven days the priests are to get the altar ready for its work, purifying it. This is how you dedicate it.

²⁷ “‘After these seven days of dedication, from the eighth day on, the priests will present your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. And I’ll accept you with pleasure, with delight! Decree of God, the Master.’”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Holy Ground

Ezekiel had seen the glory depart from the temple, but now he saw the glory return! His guide took him back to the eastern gate in the outer court, and when the prophet looked out, he saw the glory approaching from the east. Along with the sight of the glory came the sound of the Lord’s voice “like the roar of rushing waters” (See also John’s similar experience in God’s Revelation when Jesus spoke to him in a vision of what is to come!  Revelation 1:15-20).

The whole land of Israel was enlightened by the radiance of God’s glory, and Ezekiel fell to the ground as he did when he saw the glory throne at the beginning of His ministry. Then the temple was filled with God’s glory, and the Spirit transported Ezekiel back into the inner court.

The meaning of the Temple is clearly stated.  God cannot and will not be where sin is.  The Temple cannot and will not be a place where idol worship is practiced.  The Temple is Holy because God is Holy.  The presence of God’s glory and God’s throne would so sanctify the temple that the people would approach the sanctuary with awe and not treat it like any other building, nor would they repeat their heinous sin of defiling the temple with their idols. God spoke to the prophet and told him to tell the Jewish people what he saw and heard so they would be ashamed of their past sins and turn from them.

The Sacrifice—pure and “without blemish”

Before Jesus, the best of the flock or herd was used as a way to God.  The people sacrificed what they had or purchased themselves and gave it the priests.  The priests, from the line of Levi, designated by God, took the animal and cut it open.  The blood “covered” the sins but did not remove sins forever.

Jesus came to BE the once and for all, perfect, without sin, sacrifice for all mankind.  He willingly laid down his life for us.  Jesus did not “cover” our sins but removed our sin forever.  We bring the sacrifice of praise to the One who loved us so much He gave His life for us! 

God requires His people to be holy.

Therefore, as believers, we should be completely devoted to him and separated from sin.  The only Way to be holy is to believe in Jesus, His Son and believe that what He did was really real! We no longer bring and kill animals to merely cover sin.  We come to Jesus and humbly repent of our sins. 

Jesus came to earth, taught us about who God really is and what God means to live a holy life with Him.  Then Jesus completed his mission by taking the punishment we deserve for our sins, removing our sins forever!  Jesus finished it once and for all who believe and call on His Name!  Done.  No more animal sacrifices.  No more priests as middlemen who decide if our sacrifice is good enough. Only Jesus.

Holy, holy, holy

More than once the seraphim appear in Scripture and endlessly trilogize the same word. “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty” (Isaiah 6:2–3).

Max Lucado shares, “No verse describes God as “wise, wise, wise” or “strong, strong, strong.” Only as “holy, holy, holy.” God’s holiness commands headline attention. The first and final songs of the Bible magnify the holiness of God. Having crossed the Red Sea, Moses and the Israelites sang, “Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Ex 15:11). In Revelation those who had been victorious over the beast sang, “Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy” (Rev 15:4).” 

God alone is worthy of our complete honor and praise.  God is Holy.  Only God can make us holy in His Presence through the forgiveness of our sins—all that is not holy.

… And together we sing

… Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
Holy is the Lord, God Almighty
The earth is filled with His glory
The earth is filled with His glory

Lord,

Only You. There is no one like you, Lord.  You and You alone are Holy.  Nothing compares with You.  Holy, Holy, Holy is your Name!  Forgive us then transform our thinking as we give ourselves back to you in loving obedience with a desire to be set apart by you as holy.  Come, Lord Jesus.  We cannot be holy on our own.  We need you every hour of every day.

In Jesus Name, Amen