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Tuesday, October 8, 2013

P2 Ezekiel's Vision of the Millennial Kingdom



Ezekiel 40:4  "The man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and give attention to all that I am going to show you; for you have been brought here in order to show it to you. Declare to the house of Israel all that you see.”


Why God revealed the Millennial Kingdom to Ezekiel - and ultimately to us
As we once again journey into Ezekiel's vision of the Millennial temple that will be standing during the 1,000 year reign of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, we must ask why God is revealing this vision? According to Ezekiel, the vision was granted on the 40th year after the city had been taken. The people needed to know that God's glorious Kingdom promises to them was going to come to pass. 

God deals with His people based upon His finished work
We could go into all the details, but the one theme that weaves its way throughout this vision is that the work is already done. When you see the details of this temple, the impression is that in God's plan, it’s a done deal. God always views things from the end back to the beginning. When He deals with you and me, His dealings with us are from the vantage point of seeing us and His purposes as finished. 

Faith operates on the expectation of God's finished work
Now you and I as Christians are quite the opposite. We can't see the finished product. We operate from the beginning to the end. Faith is necessary to trust God for the end. As you open up 2 Peter 1, we find one of the most informative sections on the Christian life. I call this section of Peter's epistle the "A,B,C's" for diligent Christian living: 

1. Add to your faith (2 Peter 1:1-9)

2. Base confidence in God's Sovereign choice (2 Peter 1:10-15) 

3. Consider the scriptures (2 Peter 1:16-21). 

Conclusion & Application
Truly only when we carry out the prescription as given in 2 Peter 1 will we then be able to align ourselves with God's plan and purposes for our lives. What He begins, He will finish.