Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Ezekiel
Book: Ezekiel
Chapter: 40
Overview:
The
Vision of the
Temple.
- Here is a
Vision, beginning at ch. 40, and continued to the
End of the
Book, ch. 48, which is justly looked upon to be one
of the most difficult portions in all the
Book of
God. When we
despair to be satisfied as to any difficulty we meet with, let
us
Bless God that our
Salvation does not depend upon it, but
that things necessary are
Plain enough; and let us wait till
God
shall reveal even this unto us. This
Chapter describes two
outward courts of the
Temple. Whether the personage here
mentioned was the
Son of God, or a created
Angel, is not clear.
But
Christ is both our
Altar and our
Sacrifice, to whom we must
look with
Faith in all approaches to
God; and he is
Salvation in
the midst of the
Earth, Ps 74:12, to be looked unto from all
quarters.
- After the
Prophet had observed the courts, he was brought to
the
Temple. If we attend to instructions in the plainer parts of
religion, and profit
By them, we shall be led further into an
acquaintance with the mysteries of the kingdom of
Heaven.
- In this
Chapter are described the priests' chambers, their
use, and the dimensions of the holy
Mount On which the
Temple
stood. These chambers were many.
Jesus said, In my
Father's
House are many mansions: in his
House On Earth there are many;
multitudes,
By Faith, are lodging in his
Sanctuary, and yet
there is room. These chambers, though private, were near the
Temple. Our religious services in our chambers, must prepare for
public devotions, and further us in improving them, as our
opportunities are.
- After
Ezekiel had surveyed the
Temple of
God, he had a
Vision
of the
Glory of
God. When
Christ crucified, and the things
freely given to us of
God, through Him, are shown to us
By the
Holy Ghost, they make us ashamed for our sins. This frame of
mind prepares us for
Fuller discoveries of the mysteries of
redeeming
Love; and the whole of the Scriptures should be opened
and applied, that men may see their sins, and repent of them. We
are not now to offer any atoning sacrifices, for
By one
Offering
Christ has perfected for ever those that are sanctified, Heb
10:14; but the sprinkling of his
Blood is needful in all our
approaches to
God the
Father. Our best services can be accepted
only as sprinkled with the
Blood which cleanses from all
Sin.
- This
Chapter contains ordinances relative to the true priests.
The
Prince evidently means
Christ, and the words in ver. 2,
may remind us that
No other can enter
Heaven, the true
Sanctuary, as
Christ did; namely,
By virtue of his own
excellency, and his personal
Holiness,
Righteousness, and
strength. He who is the Brightness of
Jehovah's
Glory entered
By
his own
Holiness; but that way is shut to the whole human race,
and we all must enter as sinners,
By Faith in his
Blood, and
By
the power of his
Grace.
- In the period here foretold, the
Worship and the ministers of
God will be provided for; the princes will rule with
Justice, as
holding their power under
Christ; the people will live in peace,
ease, and
Godliness. These things seem to be represented in
language taken from the customs of the times in which the
Prophet wrote.
Christ is our
Passover that is sacrificed for us:
we celebrate the memorial of that
Sacrifice, and
Feast upon it,
triumphing in our deliverance out of the Egyptian slavery of
Sin, and our preservation from the destroying
Sword of Divine
Justice, in the
Lord's
Supper, which is our
Passover Feast; as
the whole
Christian Life is, and must be, the
Feast of the
unleavened
Bread of sincerity and
Truth.
- The ordinances of
Worship for the
Prince and for the people,
are here described, and the
Gifts the
Prince may bestow
On his
sons and servants. Our
Lord has directed us to do many duties,
but he has also left many things to our choice, that those who
delight in his
Commandments may abound therein to his
Glory,
without entangling their own consciences, or prescribing rules
unfit for others; but we must never omit our daily
Worship, nor
neglect to apply the
Sacrifice of the
Lamb of
God to our souls,
for
Pardon, peace, and
Salvation.
- These waters signify the
Gospel of
Christ, which went forth
from
Jerusalem, and spread into the countries about; also the
Gifts and powers of the
Holy Ghost which accompanied it,
By
virtue of which is spread far, and produced blessed effects.
Christ is the
Temple; and he is the Door; from him the living
waters flow, out of his pierced side. They are increasing
waters. Observe the progress of the
Gospel in the world, and the
process of the work of
Grace in the
Heart; attend the motions of
the blessed
Spirit under Divine guidance. If we search into the
things of
God, we find some things
Plain and easy to be
understood, as the waters that were but to the ankles; others
more difficult, which require a deeper search, as the waters to
the knees, or the loins; and some quite
Beyond our reach, which
we cannot penetrate; but must, as St.
Paul did,
Adore the depth,
Ro 11:33. It is
Wisdom to begin with that which is most easy,
before we proceed to that which is dark and hard to be
understood. The promises of the sacred
Word, and the privileges
of believers, as shed abroad in their souls
By the quickening
Spirit, abound where the
Gospel is preached; they nourish and
delight the souls of men; they never fade nor wither, nor are
exhausted. Even the leaves serve as medicines to the soul: the
warnings and reproofs of the
Word, though less pleasant than
Divine consolations, tend to heal the diseases of the soul. All
who believe in
Christ, and are united to him
By his sanctifying
Spirit, will share the privileges of Israelites. There is room
in the
Church, and in
Heaven, for all who seek the blessings of
that new
Covenant of which
Christ is
Mediator.
- Here is a description of the several portions of the land
belonging to each
Tribe. In
Gospel times, behold all things are
become new. Much is wrapped up in emblems and
Numbers. This
method
God has used to state mysterious truths in his
Word, not
to be more clearly revealed till the proper time and season. But
into the
Church of
Christ, both in its state of warfare and
triumph, there is free access
By Faith, from every side.
Christ
has opened the kingdom of
Heaven for all believers. Whoever
will, may come, and take of the water of
Life, of the tree of
Life, freely. The
Lord is there, in his
Church, to be nigh unto
them in all they
Call upon him for. This is true of every real
Christian; whatever soul has in it a living principle of
Grace,
it may truly be said, The
Lord is there. May we be found
citizens of this holy
City, and act agreeably to that character;
and have the benefit of the
Lord's presence with us, in
Life, in
Death, and for evermore.