The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 2 — Section 461

the ccnsummaticn, i.e. to the perfect service Jesus Christ ; and certainly thero nre few of God iu the heavenly world.. particulars in which the import of the 1. It seems impossible to doubt that the symbol (looked at in this light) ce.nnot be at " nsion " had e. reference to the times once and clearly traced. Without claiming immediately subsequent to the exile. With- it as a point in favour of this view that the out conceding to Hengstenberg that the vision makes no mention of any building whole prophecy, with the exception of eh. materials, inasmuch as the Christian Church xldi. 1-12, was destined then to receive is composed of "lively stones," or believing ful6lment, or to Wellhausen that it we.a and gracious souls (1 Pet. ii. 5), the entrance expressly composed as a new constitution into the temple of the glory of God ( eh. xliii. for post-exilic Judaism, it me.y be granted 1-6) found o.nd still retains its counter- that the exiles in Babylonia were intended part in the perpetual inhabitation of the to derive from it the hope and promise of Church by the Spirit of Christ (Eph. ii. 21, e. return to their own land, e. re-erection of 22). The awful sanctity with which the their fallen temple, and e. reinstitution of temple was surrounded, increasing as one their ancient worship. Indeed, it is he.rd to approached it from the outside, beginning see how they could he.ve failed to deduce with the holy terumah, and advancing suc- such an inference from e. perusal of the cessively to the priests' portion in the midst prophet's words. Forming, as the "vision" of which the temple stood, to the precincts did, the last and culminating note of conso- five hundred reeds squsre which encom- lation addressed to the exiles, if the picture passed the court, to the enburbs or "void it held up before their minds we.s not e. mere places" which ran round the outer wall, to igni.s jatum intended to mislead-if it the seven steps which conducted. into the represented (even symbolically) ,my under- gateway, to the outer court, to the eight lying reality-then that reality could only steps leading up to the inner court, and have been that in the future, it might be finally to the ascent by which access was dim and distant, IsraelandJudah,oncemore gained to the" house,"-all this fitly symbo- united and enle.rged by accessions from the lized the superior holiness which should Gentiles, or the Church of God whom they belong, and in point of fact does belong, to represented, should serve Jeho\"ah with e. the Church of God under the gospel. So pure cultus in a land he had prepared for the e.bsence of both high priest e.nd great e.nd given to them: and not a le.rge amount Day of Atonement in Ezekiel's temple was of insight would be required to conclude an adumbration of the time when the ever- that if Israel and Judah had any such living High Priest of the house of God destiny before them in the future, then having put e.we.y sin by the sacrifice of him- assuredly their exile must terminate and self, all Jehovah's worshippers should be their divided tribes be once more united in priests in their own right, whose services the old country. Whatever may he.ve been should be acceptable through Jesus Christ. the true significance of that picture, if it The daily sin offering, and the similo.r offer- symbolized. anything in which Israel and ings on the solemn fen.et-days, meant thnt Judah were to have e. share,it could not but in the Church of the future there should be occur, at least to the prophet himself and a constRnt remembre.nce of the great Propiti- the more thoughtful of his first ree.ders, tho.t ation that he.d been offered once for all, and it prognosticated the dawning of brighter an ever-renewed e.ppropriation of the samo days, when Jehovah should tum age.in the by those who worshipped. The greo.tor captivity of his people, and r-sta.blish them symmetry and fulness in the burnt offerings in their own land. o.nd mee.l offering~ served to typify the more 2. Simile.rly, the new of those who find in thorough self-coneecrotion of J ehovah's the vision a symbol of the Christian Church worshippers, and their more intimate fellow- as a whole, or, in the words of Kliefoth, ship with him in tho new di~pensl\tion. "the ChristiRn Church in its origin, its That the prince should be c!Jo.rged with tho development and influence in the world, and responsibility of providing victims for all it.! completion in tbe hereafter," has much the public festivnls, o.nd on the occasion of to support it. The.t Ezekiel perfectly under- their celebration should enter and retire stood the significance of his own "vision" from the temple courts in their midst, wo.s is not asserted, and is not likely to have a foreshadowing of the truth that 1111 tho been the case (see I Pet. i. 11); all that offerings of a Ohristio.n worshipper must is wished to be affirmed by those who adopt be presented through Christ, who thus, as it this view is that Ezekiel's picture of e. new were, ideo.lly approaches the heavenly throne temple, a new worship, and a new !Rnd surrounded by hie people. The miraculously pointed to a slate and condition of things flowing river rising in the fomple, and in- which first began to be realized when the creasing in width and depth as it flows, Christie.n dispensation we.e established by creating life and beauty whoresoever it the incarnation, death, and resurrection of comes, was lln ee.sily understood picture of OB. XLVIII, 1-35.] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL. 477