A Brighter Day Begins with His Word.

PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK

The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2

Edward Hayes Plumptre [1821-1891] · 422,810 words · 476 reading sections

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The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 301

final, result of the restoration of Israel. While the people are eagerly craving a return to their farms and villages, with temporal prosperity, the prophet teaches them that, though these advantages are to be received in the good time coming, a better blessing will be the restored visio~ ~f God enjoyed by_means of …

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all Divine perfections are involved in and may be developed from the very definition. But it will be found that when "the Name" of God is used, as in this passage, it calls attention to these two attributes of Deity. 1. He is righteous in his judgments. 2. lie is faithful to his promises. 11. AMONG WHOM WOULD Go» MAKE…

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V. THIS FAOT IB AN EARNEST OP FINAL AND EVERLASTING BE0URITY AND VIOTOBY FOR THOSE WHOH GoD DELIVERS AND BEDEEHB. APPLI0ATION, In preaching the gospel of Christ, stress should be laid upon the Lord's power, as well as upon his love. Christ, in his resurrection, was proved to be " the Son of God with power." The sam…

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Vera. 25-29.-Israel's reBtoiration tJ proof of Divine mercy. The reader of this passage cannot but be impressed with the conviction that it has reference, not only to Israel, but to the redeemed race of man. His interest in it is not merely historical; it is personal and moral. There is a largeness, a fulness, in th…

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I. MARTIAL AGGRESSION IS Goo's SNARB FoB DESTRUCTION. When II, man resists every friendly counsel of God, God allows him to pursue his own way, and removes even the restraints which before impeded his ruin. In a similar way ho deals with kings and with nations. "Ephraim is joined to his idols: let him alone I" Thus …

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VI. Gon'e TERRITORY BHALL BE PURIFIED. "That they may cleanse the land." Whatever measures are required to purge God's universe from sin, these measures shall, sooner or later, be employed. Our God has transcendent patience with men; but no advantage can accrue to an undue prolonging of probation. When measures of rest…

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tion would not be permanent. The element of life was in the people still· and aa soon as repentance and moral renovation appeared, return to independenc~ and' ti Palestine followed. It was a moral discipline. JV. THAT PREVIOUS REVELATIONS OF GoD WERE PREPARATORY TO THE GREAT ,tEVELATION OF ms GRAOE. "Therefore thus …

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(1) Let the wiclced pause before they begin their wicked course. They take many things into the account; let them not leave this one out of their reckoning, that when they have reached the field of their proposed achievement, though they may reach it well armed and eager for the fight, there may come down upon them, ou…

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Vers. 17-20.-Degrad,a,tion and reversal. The scene before us is painful; it hardly befits description; we cannot dwell upon it without turning from it with repulsion, But we may so far realize it in our thought as to learn two lessons respecting the issue of e,il, the sad and painful consequences of sin. These are- …

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of heavenly powers; (4) he has been believed to be occupied with himself and indif- ferent to the conduct and the character of his children; (5) he has been represented 88 partial, or 88 malevolent, or as unrelentingly and inconsiderately severe, or as simply good-natured witliout any concern for the righteousness of h…

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munity or kingdom of God e.s that b&d been Dr. Ourrey, in the 'Speaker's Oomment11ry,' shown him in vision. His materie.l he ar- follows, believes to have been e. jubilee range~ in three main divisions, speaking year, whioh begCLn on the tenth dCLy of the first of a re-erected temple (ob. :r.l.-xliii.), seventh mont…

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ohnmbere and courts, rose ma.jeetica.lly before and Smend put in IL pies for the east gate, the prophet's view, with all the magaiflceace, on the grounds that it was the principal aad iadeed (a.a the particle •~ indicates), entrance to the sanctuary, and the distance with the exteraal nppea.ra.nce of a. city. between i…

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from the elbow to the end of tho longest one reed or six cubits square, roofed (vor. finger-which was eruploye,i in the building 11), and sepamted from ea.oh oLher by a of the Soloruonic temple (2 Chron. iii. 3). space of five cubits squ1ue, open overhead Assuming the cubit to have been eighteen and closed towards t…

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doorway and the threshold, or one-fifth of in modem chnrches. To the objection the entire length of the gate-building. The sometimes urged age.inst what is called the second portion of the verse, the length of "exaggerated" height of these columns, the gate thirteen cubits, ie expl11ined by Kliefoth replies, "If it …

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SCALE IN CU BITS. 0 6 10 2_0 30 ,o. t., stair of •even steps; T, tbreebold of 8 x 10 cubits; c, chambers of _6 cubits square; s, spnc~s be&ween tbe c.bambere; r, porch of gate, 6 x 6 cubits; o, outer wall, 6 X 6 cubits; w, wall of gate, 6 x 6 cubits; oo, vi, thickne,s of chamber wall, It cubit; f,J, barrier• or fence…

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Yors. 35-37.-The ,wrfh gate of the inner looked towards the north and south. The cot1rt. The same minute specification of third quaternion of tnbles appears to have the guard-rooms, the pillars, w&ll-projec- been planted at the steps, presumably two ~ions, windows, steps, is ng&in repeated, as on each side, i.e. if wit…

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the eido of the north go.te, and looked Ver. 46.-The keepers of the charge of towards the south, one only being located the altar. These formed another body of e.t the side of the east gate with a prospect priests, whose duties generally were to offici• ate in the temple-worship, and more specifi. towards the north. I…

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HOMILETICS. Ver. 2.-7'ie e,:rolted city. Ezekiel now comes to an elaborate vision of the restored condition of the Jews-first that of their city, and then that of the temple which is its crowning glory. Being well acquainted with his native land, which he could never forget in the weary days by the waters of Babylo…

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2. It ia "set upon a very high mountain." The exaltation of the city suggests many advantages, (1) Its glory. It ie exalted in favour-crowning a height. (2) Its strength. Cities were set aloft that nature might fortify them. Jerusalem is a natural fo1tress. The city of God is safe. (3) Its salubrity. High lands are bra…

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which the picture of a gate looking towards the east may call up when we take it as en illustration of what may be similar in other regions of life. I. AN ORIENTAL OUTLOOK. The new city of God has this outlook-she has a go.to which looketh towards the East. We must never forget that our religion comes from the Ea$t.…

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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Ver. 3.-Measurement. It strikes the reader of this prophetic book as strange that several chapters towards its close should be chiefly occupied with measurements of the temple which Ezekiel saw in his Yision. The reed and the line seem at first sight to have little to do with a prophetic v…

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Ver. 4.-The office of the prophet. The angel who was appointed to show to Ezekiel the temple of vision, and to take its measurements in his presence, and to explain its details and its various purposes, prefaced his special mission by ail ex.hortation in which he expressed, in a very complete and instructive manner,…

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JB BENT, " Declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel." There are natures which ore receptive, but not communicative ; deep thinkers, who are lacking in the power of the orator, the author, the artist; for whose greatness the world has little reason to be thankful. Mystic communers with heaven may see visions a…

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Ver. 45.-Priests. What would a temple be with no priesthood to minister at its altars, to present the offerings of its worshippers? The priests give meaning and interest to the temple, not only to the scenery of its services, but to its great purpose and aim. The mention in this passage of the priests who dwelt and m…

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obtaining this vision, Natural principles prevailed then as now. Ezekiel was by birth and office a priest Nor wa.s he, as many bad been, a. priest simply by here<lilary right. He was in every fibre of his nature a priest. His soul yearned to see Jehovah enthroned in his temple at Jerusalem. He yearned to take his pr…

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embodied and perpetuated. At the same time, there is ample provision for the adnpta- tion of these principles to the changes incident to the development of human character and incident to the needs of human society. I. THE LEADING IDEA OF THE TEMPLE IS SEPARATION. "Behold a wall on the outside of the house round ab…

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Vere. 38-47.-SacrifiCIJ essential to hwman worship. The entrances and vestibules of the new temple were planned on a magnificent scale. The mind of the worshipper would be naturally impressed both with the greatness of the Proprietor and with the transcendent importance of the use to which it was devoted, But by wha…

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measu,ed by the tape, or the reed, which the heavenly messenger holds in his hand. What are the heights and the depths and the lengths that are seen and reckoned in the kingdom of Christ? 'l'hey are those of- I. SrncERITY. There may be much singing and many " prayers," and much preach- ing; there may be multiplied act…

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III. THAT MEN COME FROM ALL QUARTERS TO THE KINGDOM. There were gates facing the nol'th, the south, and the east; and in another book (Revelation) we read of gates in all four directions (Bev. xxi. 13). To the broad and blessed kingdom of God all souls come: it is not a provision for one type of mind, or for one partic…

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again to the windows which were to be provided. in this sacred edifice. The Ohurch of Christ must be well furnished. with windows, and they must not be closed, but open. For it has to-- I. ACQUAINT ITSELF WITH DIVINE TRUTH, 'l'hrough the open window we look out and see the busy street and the ways of men; or we see…

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privilege indeed (see Matt. xi. 11). But not of privilege only; of spiritual, well-- being also. It is to be high and far above the baseness of selfishness, of vanity, of ingratitude, of rebelliousness; above the low ground of unbelief, of indecision, of procrastination. It is to live and move on the sacred heights of …

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EXPOSITION. OHAPTER XLL in itself be unobjectionable, only no such device is required to render the clause The present chapter continues the de- intelligible. It is sufficient to understand ami.ption of "the house," and falls into four the phrase e.s signifying that the measure- subdivisions. (1) The interior of the…

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doubtless be fe.stenerl to the temple wall by cubits to the story" (Ewald); literally, si:i means of "lerlges," "holds," "rebates," cubits to the armpit. This can hardly mean as in the temple of Solomon; in the latter six oubits en.oh equal to the distauoe from CRse. as Ewald translates, there would be the elbow to …

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house (Ewald, Currey) or between them and notes a space behind the temple on the 11n outside wall (Kliefoth, Hengstenberg, west, which was marked off from the rest Keil)-we.s five cubits broad. Thus the of the ground on which the temple with its whole breadth of the temple court can be courts and chambers stood, and de…

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been alrendy given, while others are new. but which probably meant the sBme thing Starting from the gizra.h, or sepa.mte plaoo, as the preceding clause, "throuah oil tho this summary mentions that the " man" house round a.bout." . Cherubic figures measured (1) the whole length of the erec- formed part of the adornme…

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grnund tho.t the length hns been o.Ireo.dy men- ea.eh hnd one door composed of two turning tioned, o.nd thnt one does not uena.lly epeo.k (or, folding) leaves, ornamented, like the of n length being of wood ; but it does not walls of the house, with carvings of cheru• strike one as peculiarly objectionable to say bim …

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supreme sacrifice. We b&ve now to offer our bodies as living (not slain) sacri6ces (Rom. xii. 1). 2. There was service in the temple. Levites as well as priests worked there. It was a busy scene of activity. Christ's people are all priests and Levites. They are not called to gaze at a spectacle, buh to take an active p…

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SECTION 338

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HOMILIES BY VARIOUB AUTHORS. Ver. 4.-" TM most holy place." Holiness is an idea which admits of gradual pre- cision and elevation. There is a very simple and primitive meaning of the term, which it would ill become us to despise and ridicule, inasmuch as it was preliminary and preparatory to a more spiritual conceptio…

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Ver. 22.-" Tlie table tliat ia before the Lord." There can be no question that by this table Ezekiel intends the altar of incense, which stood in the holy place, but which, on account of its sacredness and value, is mentioned by the author of the Epistle to the lie brews as part of the furniture of the holy of holies. …

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Il. IN THE LIFE OF OUR LoRD, He was the living Temple when he was with us; for was not God mani_fes~, i~ him far l!1ore truly and importantly than he was present "between the cherubim m the lummous cloud? There were three places which in the experience of Jesus Christ, may be said to be" most holy "-the upper room' i…

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sciously into the near presence of God, to hold communion with the Eternal, to hymn his praise, to dwell in thought upon his nature and his high purposes, to speak his Divine truth or hear it, to work with him toward the gracious and glorious end he has in view,-there is nothing we can do, here or perhaps hereafter, so…

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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XLII. the separate place w11s also a hundred cubits long (eh. xii. 13), it might seem This chapter furnishes a brief account of as if this erection ran exactly parallel to the priests' chambers in the outer court that, and this view is taken by Hengsten- (vcrs. 1-14), and a detailed measurement…

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that the second "over against" points to xv. II. 5) and probo.bly also the Solomonie that which fo.ccd the chambors on the temple (Acts iii. 11); and hence the eecond north, viz. the pavement, ae the first marked and third stories required to recede in order their boundary on the south. Gallery to find supports for the…

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wall (ver. 7) and (lengthwise) over o.gainst east gate, and meo.suring, first the east, the separate pla.oe a.nd the buildings, i.e. next the north, thirdly the south, and the gizrah and the temple. Ewe.Id, Smend, lastly the west wo.ll, eo.ch five hundred and Keil decide that ver. 10 forms part of the description of a …

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HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-Tlui outer court. There was an outer court in the temple of Jerusalem, held to be less sacred than the courts nearer to the holy place ; to this court Gentiles were admitted. I. THERE 18 AN OUTER COURT IN ALL RELIGION. There are always people who seem to stand midway between the Church and the wor…

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has eat side by side with the loved and lost, and if the place that once knew them now knows them no more, does not the very sense of change and the very pain of the vacancy add a new sacredness to the place, while dear memories of a beautiful past cling to its very walls and drape them with a sweet, sad sanctity? II.…

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HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS, Vers. 13, 14.-Sacerdotal sanctity. If the Jews were a peculiar, a consecrated, a holy people, it may be said that their sanctity was concentrated in the temple-the buildi1;1g_ whi~h was "holiness unto the Lord," and in the holy priesthood, set apart for the m1mstrat10ns of the sanctuary…

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were significant of moral attributes of the profoundest interest. And the structure, made without hands, yet possessing every quality that can command admiration and reverence, is none other than the Church of the living God. I. 'fHE SYMMETRY OF THE CHUBOH FOLLOWS FROM ITS BEING PLANNED BY Goo's WISDOM. The tabernacle…

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needed to be tanght the elements of religious knowledge, and to be trained in rudi- mentary religious life. The means adopted to this end were in harmony with their condition, and with the stage of intellectual and spiritual developmeo.t which they had reached. A wall of separation was certainly something very visib…

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Vera. 15-20.-'.lVie size and strength of the kingdom. "The particularity with which these measurements are given ... shows the importance attached by the pro- phet to the external dimensions. . . . The compass assigned to the sacred buildings exceeded the limits of all ancient Jerusalem. . . . Here is another of those …

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EXPOSITION. CHAPTER XLIIL resplendent manifestations of the Godhead, which were to be given in conneotion with The consecration of the new temple by the the new dispenslltion for which Ezekiel's entrance into it of the glory of the God or "house" was being prepared. This, how- Isr-a.el (vers. 1-12), and a descriptio…

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tha.t he sa.w the glory of the Lord entering out a "Tbue eaith the Lord."; Hence the into and taking possession of the" house," e.s notion that the speaker was Jehovah ie, formerly it hCLd entered into and ta.ken perhaps, the one freest frorn difficulty. The possession of the tn.berne.cle and the tern pie message ann…

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80; and J er. xvi. IS) was 11, contemptuous to be the necessary consequence of J ehovah's and satirical designation of the idols ther, abiding in the midst of Israel is uowenjoined had formerly served, that the word" kings ' upon Israel as an indispense.ble prerequisite is frequently employed in this sense in of J ehov…

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reloin the clo.use CLS genuine, and regard it between the two-the consecration of the ae CLn illustrntion of Ezekiel's hobit of altar being practically equivalent to the crowding words together for the sake of consecration of the house, and t.he conse- emphasis-and all the laws thereof, by which cration of the house fi…

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Ver. 14.-The next·measurements which emblems of those points in the altar iq are taken from the bottom upon the ground, which appears "its signiflce.nce as a place i.e. from the P'D, "base," or ground frame- of the revelation of Divine might and work above described, to the lower settle, strength, of Divine salvation a…

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the part of their authors to make them no mention of a cleansing of the ee.nctuary harmonize with the mee.surements of the (that of oh, xiv. 18 referring to a special temple. But there does not appear Bllfficient case), but 'only of the altar, that was suffl- reBson why the measurements of Ezekiel's oiently explained b…

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SECTION 357

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oonseoration (Exod. xxix. 12)-the four Ver, 22.-The seoond day's ceremonial corners of the settle, or azarah, but should begin with the offering of a kid of whether the greater or lesser is left unde- the goats (rather, a he-goat) without blemish cided, though in all probe.bility it was the for a sin offering, the r…

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SECTION 358

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l ,l, 18 ; o.nd see Kurtz, • Sacrificial Worship priests-shall consecrate it; literally, j[fJ, ii• of the Old Testument,' § 86); and, in accord- hand. The phrase,,~ tt.79," to fill one's hand," o.nco with this, vers. 23 ancl 24 naturally ,c. with gifts, occurs with reference to follow on vers. 19-21, ver. 22 being inte…

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unseen God is ever clothed. We may take the manifestation of glory as a type and suggestion of that higher wonder, I. IN WHAT THE GLORY OF THE Go» OF lBBAEL OONSIBTB, 1. The radiance OJ heavenly light. 'l'he glory is like the effulgence of sunlight, the raying forth of beams of splendour from the central fountain o…

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II. ITS 00NSEQUEN0EB. 1. There is no escape from the law of righteousness. The subjects of a changeable autocrat watch his fickle moods, and endeavour to seize on lucky moments when he appears to be in a good humour, in order to extract some favour from him. No such manmuvres are needed, or can be of any use, when men …

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