Millennial Blessings (Ezekiel 40–48)

Ruins don’t get the last word. As we reach the closing pages of Ezekiel, we walk through a vivid, measurable vision of restoration: a literal temple, a renewed Jerusalem, and a kingdom ruled by the Messiah where presence replaces distance and worship becomes clear and joyful. We set the timeline after tribulation and trace how Christ returns, conquers his enemies, and establishes a thousand–year reign. Resurrected believers rule with him, while a redeemed people from every nation enter the kingdom and learn the rhythms of justice, peace, and praise in a world finally made right.

Guided by an angel with a measuring rod, Ezekiel moves from gates to courts and into the Holy of Holies—only to note what is missing. There is no veil and no Ark, because the true mercy seat is now a person: Jesus, the once-for-all sacrifice who stands at the center of worship. We explore why priests from the line of Zadok are honored for ancient faithfulness, how a civil “prince” governs under the Messiah’s authority, and why sacrifices return as memorials rather than atonement—teaching tools that retell the story of redemption to Israel and the nations. The precision of the temple’s dimensions and the structure of sacred districts highlight order, holiness, and a public faith that invites the world to learn.

Then the scene widens. From the temple flows a river that transforms the land, turning the Dead Sea fresh and filling its shores with fishermen and life. It’s a portrait of creation healed and community restored, where glory returns from the east and God says, “I will dwell in their midst forever.” If you’ve ever wondered how prophecy describes the millennial kingdom, what role Israel plays, or how worship looks when the King is present, this is your map and compass.

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Transcript

Timeline To The Millennial Kingdom

Exiles And Israel’s Future Focus

Touring The Millennial Temple

No Veil And No Ark Explained

Glory Returns And Worship Renewed

Priests Of Zadok And The Prince

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Well, today we come to the final pages and the final prophecy in Ezekiel. And here in chapters 40 through 48, the prophet Ezekiel is going to point once again to the future of Israel. Although the nation is suffering the consequences of their idolatry and rebellion, although their land is desolate, although the capital city of Jerusalem here is in ruins and the glorious golden temple is completely destroyed. And although the people are now exiles in a foreign land, this book of prophecy ends with a vision of the coming glory and kingdom of the Messiah. Now we've seen some glimpses of this kingdom already in our wisdom journey through this book, but in these closing chapters, we're given a more detailed and I gotta say, rather breathtaking description of your future and mine along with that of the nation of Israel. Now let's set the timeline here. After the seven years of tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth. He's going to destroy his enemies, he'll establish his kingdom on earth. That kingdom will continue for a thousand years. That's why we call it the millennial kingdom. Resurrected believers of all times will be there reigning with Christ. And they're going to reign over millions of people on earth who have entered the millennial kingdom alive. These are people from every tongue, tribe, and nation who accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior during the tribulation. Well, they survived and now they witness Jesus Christ's return. And they they move, literally move directly into the kingdom reign of Christ on earth. Now I don't want to get too far off track here because Ezekiel's focus is on the nation of Israel, those Jewish people from around the world who, in this future day here, have regathered in the land of Israel. They accepted Christ during the tribulation, and now they've welcomed their Messiah who's returned to set up his kingdom. Well, in a vision, the Lord takes Ezekiel to Jerusalem, which is now restored and rebuilt, and there Ezekiel sees a man, more than likely an angel. And the angel has a measuring rod in his hand. And he tells Ezekiel here in chapter 40 and verse 4, declare all that you see to the house of Israel. Well, what does he see? He sees the millennial temple. This is a future rebuilt, glorious temple for the millennial kingdom. Now we know that when the captives in Babylon eventually returned to their homeland, they rebuilt their temple. It would be later enlarged by King Herod into the temple that existed during the days of Jesus. But that temple was destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70. And listen, the temple has never been rebuilt. To this day, I've been to Israel and I've seen the remains of Herod's temple. You got this outer wall that's been nicknamed the wailing wall. That's where you go to cry, you go to pray because of all that's been lost. The Jewish people are longing for that temple to be rebuilt. Well, let me tell you, one day the weeping will cease, and the glorious temple Ezekiel sees here is going to be present during Christ's reign on earth. In fact, chapters 40 and 41 describe this temple in even greater detail. Now there's no reason to understand this prophecy as anything other than a description of a literal temple in a literal future kingdom. In fact, we're given here in chapter forty the measurements for gates, for the courts, even the offices. The angel gives Ezekiel a tour as they work their way from the outer court into the inner court of the temple. And eventually they arrive here in chapter 41 at the Holy of Holies, the most holy place. And it's interesting that there's no mention of a veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies. And as one writer noted, there's no mention of the Ark of the Covenant either, that mercy seat on which blood was sprinkled on the annual day of atonement. Well, why not? Well, because the Lord Jesus, the physical, visible image of the invisible God, Colossians 1.15, and the Lamb of God who offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, Hebrews chapter 10, verse 12, well, he's going to be physically, visibly present. You see, Jesus is the mercy seat. He is the place where the wrath of God would be turned away. He is the presence of Almighty God. Well, once everything's been measured here at the end of chapter 42, Ezekiel is now taken out to the gate that faces east. The outer perimeter of the entire temple complex is now measured. It happens to be a perfect square of 500 cubits on each side. One commentator puts this into perspective by noting that this temple complex is large enough to hold more than thirteen football fields. This is massive. Well, now the second part of this significant vision is what Ezekiel sees next in chapter 43 here, where he sees millennial worship taking center stage. In verse 2 he writes, 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. I kind of imagine the sound of Niagara falls, accompanied with this brilliant light moving toward the city of Jerusalem as the glory of God returns. See, the people of Israel living in the millennium are believers. They have a new heart, a new spirit, as the Lord prophesied. So now the Lord's presence is going to literally return. God says here in verse 7, I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever, and the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name. Now a rather interesting feature of millennial worship is given to us here. The descendants of Zadok will serve as priests. These are Levites, but they're not from the line of Aaron. The sons of Zadok had remained faithful to the Lord in Ezekiel forty four, verse fifteen, the Lord says, The sons of Zadok who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me. Well, they're going to come near to me to minister. God is rewarding them for their faithfulness way back when Israel went astray. Now, chapter forty-five tells us that a portion of the land is going to be set aside as a sacred district. There's going to be a section for the temple, for the priests, there's going to be a section for the Levites. And in addition to all of that, in fact, verse 7 tells us here to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district, extending from the western to the eastern boundary. Well, this prince is apparently a civil ruler who serves under the Messiah, Jesus. Some believe the prince of Jerusalem will be David himself. We can't be certain. We're just going to have to wait to find out. Now you might wonder why priests are even needed during the millennial reign of Christ. After all, Jesus fulfills everything in the Old Testament sacrificial system. He's symbolized in every aspect, and now Jesus is visibly present on earth. Well, chapter 46 makes it clear that the priests will be carrying out sacrifices in the new temple. But these sacrifices in the millennial kingdom will have a different purpose than those of the Old Testament era. You see, these sacrifices are going to serve as memorials to the sacrificial death of our King, King Jesus. They're going to be teaching tools used for a thousand years to retell the story of redemption to Israel and to the nations around the world. Well, now the final two chapters of Ezekiel focus on the millennial land. There are some new features in the land of Israel. You've got this fresh, life-giving water flowing from the temple eastward toward the Dead Sea. By the way, the Dead Sea is called the Dead Sea for a reason. Fish and plants can't live in it because of the extremely high salt content. But listen to what Ezekiel is told here in verse 8 of chapter 47. When the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. Verse 10 fishermen will stand beside the sea. It will be a place for the spreading of nets. Frankly, we can't imagine all of the new, flourishing, beautiful, glorious aspects of the coming kingdom of Christ on earth. It's going to be magnificent. And how exciting it will be that you and I who believe in Christ are going to experience it firsthand. Well, with that, we come to the end of the prophecies of Ezekiel. Yes, there have been prophecies of judgment, but we've also been given wonderful promises of joy for everyone who repents and places their faith in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the coming King. Well, until our next wisdom journey, beloved, as we begin the book of Daniel, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.