802_The Glory of the Lord Returns (Ezekiel 40-43)
Ezekiel 43: 1-5 Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. 2 And 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. 3 And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. 4 As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, 5 the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
Imagine returning to a house where you once heard laughter, where meals were shared and memories were made, only to find it silent, the windows broken, and the rooms deserted. And then imagine the joy of seeing that place restored—not merely rebuilt, but alive again, with the lights on, the doors open, and joyful families living there again, filling it with life and love.
Something like this lies behind Ezekiel 40–43. For earlier, Ezekiel saw the glory departing. Chapters 8–11 reveal the terrible sins being committed in God’s holy temple, the place where his name dwelt. It had been polluted by idolatry and abomination.
And then came one of the saddest moments in the book. Ezekiel 10:18 says, “Then the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the house.” The temple still stood, but God’s glory had departed. And in due course, this was followed by the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple.
And yet, that was not the end of the story. God purposed to restore his people. He promised to gather His scattered people and bring them back to their land. He promised to become their Shepherd. In Ezekiel 34:11, He says, “Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out.” He promised to give them a new heart and a new spirit.
He conveyed this truth through multiple metaphors. He showed how the dry bones were brought to life again, in chapter 37. The prophet joined the two divided sticks representing Israel and Judah together, prophesying the reunion of the nation. The Lord promised to protect His restored people from their enemies. And now, in chapters 40–43, he reveals that he had prepared his dwelling place among His restored people.
And this is why Ezekiel 43 is such a beautiful moment. After seeing the restored temple, Ezekiel sees something greater. He says, “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east.” Then he hears a sound like the roar of many waters, and the earth shines with His glory. And finally, Ezekiel says, “And the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east.”
Can you imagine what that must have meant to Ezekiel? He had watched the glory leave. Now he watches the glory return. The God whose presence had departed because of Israel’s rebellion was now returning to dwell among a restored people. God says in Ezekiel 43:7, “This is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.”
For this temple vision is not an isolated architectural plan. It is the culmination of God’s restoring work. The purpose of restoration was not simply to give Israel a better land or a magnificent temple. It was to restore the relationship between God and His people.
This speaks powerfully to us as God’s people today. We may think the glory of a church lies in its numbers, its buildings, its programs, its music, its preaching, its technology, or its reputation. But Ezekiel declares for all to hear that the only glory of God’s house is the presence of God within it.
This is how the New Testament speaks about the church. Paul asks, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? For we are the temple of the living God.” The dwelling of God is not identified with a physical structure. Christ is the temple of God, and in him, his people are the dwelling place of God. His Spirit dwells among them and within them.
The question is not merely whether we have constructed a beautiful church building, but whether Christ is building his church in our midst, according to His purpose. For he declared, “I will build my church.” Paul calls believers “God’s building,” and Peter describes us as “living stones” being “built up as a spiritual house.”
In Ezekiel’s vision, the temple is described with extraordinary precision. It reminds us of the unmeasured wisdom and care that underlies God’s plan and purpose for his church. It is not according to the imagination of man. God showed Ezekiel what he had designed. The church is not ours to redesign according to our preferences. Christ is the builder, and we are only his coworkers, called to become what He intends us to be.
And what does Christ desire to build? He builds us up into a people who are filled with His Spirit, united around Him, growing in holiness, loving one another, serving one another, and bearing witness to His presence. The church becomes glorious not by drawing attention to itself, but by the evidence of Christ’s presence and love in every part.
But we also see the warning. The glory departed from the temple, the dwelling place of God’s name, because his people had profaned it. They had retained the outward forms of worship while turning their hearts toward idols. They had a temple, but they had lost sight of the God of the temple.
We must guard against the same danger. We can have Christian vocabulary without Christian character. We can hold worship services without worshipful hearts. We may have constant church activity without spiritual life. We can have impressive structures but be oblivious to the absence of God’s spirit in our midst.
Let us fervently and constantly pray, “Lord, build us according to Your design. Build us up into a dwelling place for God through your Spirit. Show us whatever profanes our lives so that we may be a temple for your abiding and your glory. We center our lives together around Christ your Son, our Lord.”
And where there is God, there is life. For this whole vision points beyond to Christ, where God the Word took on flesh and became one of us. As John says, he “dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory.” God’s glory has come to us in the face of Jesus Christ.
In Revelation 21, this vision reaches its fullest expression. John hears, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” He sees the glorious city, New Jerusalem, the bride of the Lamb. He then says, “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb.” What Ezekiel saw in anticipation, Revelation shows in consummation: God dwelling forever with His redeemed people.
And so, let us remember with love and gratitude what makes us who we are. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory. The glory of our lives and our churches comes not from what people see from the outside, but rather from the reality of God’s presence within.
So let us lay aside our preferences, our ambitions, and our ideas of success, so that Christ may freely abide in us and build his church. Let us pursue holiness, maintain the unity of the Spirit, walk as the Spirit leads, and live abundant lives of service and blessing to others through him who lives in us.
When we realize that our spiritual life has become empty or distant, let us remember Ezekiel’s story and take fresh hope. The glory of God departed, but it also returned. For he is the God who restores, renews, gathers, gives life, and comes to dwell among His people.
Let our deepest longing be, not that God will bless what we build, but that he will build what He desires and fill it with His glory. God bless.
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions
What does the departure and return of God’s glory in Ezekiel teach you about the difference between outward religious activity and the genuine presence of God among His people?
How does the New Testament teaching that believers are God’s temple change the way you think about your own life and the life of your church community?
What would it practically mean for you and your church to allow Christ to build according to His design so that His presence, holiness, unity, and life become increasingly evident?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, You are the God who restores what has been broken and who desires to dwell among us, Your people. Build us according to Your purpose. Reveal to us everything that dishonors Your name so that we may be cleansed. Fill us with Your Spirit as we open our ears to hear your voice alone. Let your presence and glory be the focus and the essence of our lives and our churches. Let rivers of living water flow out of us to the thirsty around us, through your Spirit. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.