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Christian Biblical Church of God Biblical Truth Ministries: “…the truth shall set you free” Order Books Online | Sermon Text Index | Sermon Audio Index | CBCG Children The Holy Bible In Its Original Order - Available Now New |
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Now let’s continue right on in Jeremiah 33. Let’s come to Jeremiah 33:6 and
show what God is going to do, and show that He is going to change them. Now
remember: the priesthood, the sacrifices, and the temple did not do one bit of
good to change the hearts of anyone. And they went off into captivity, didn’t
they? Yes. Now verse 6, “Behold, I will bring it [that is, Israel and Judah]
health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance
of peace and truth.” So God is going to open their understanding to the
scriptures.
Now hold your place right here because we’re coming back. Let’s come to Matthew 13, and let’s see that this is all a part of what God is going to do in curing them. And this will help you understand the scripture here in Matthew 13 that some people are very perplexed about, because if God hardens their heart then He has to, which we’ll cover a little bit more on the Last Great Day, then He’s the one Who’s responsible for it. And He’s the one Who then has to change the circumstances so that will no longer be. But notice what He says here. Let’s pick it up in verse 13. Matthew 13:13, “Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they shall see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them” (Matt. 13:13-15). Now this shows just when He’s going to do it, right back here in Jeremiah 33. He says so. “I will give them health, I will give them cure.” Let’s come back here to Jeremiah 33 and read on a little bit more here. So this is really quite a thing that God is going to do in instituting this new covenant with Judah and Israel when the millennium begins. Now verse 7. No, let’s read verse 6 again just to emphasize the point here. “Behold, I will bring it health and cure [that’s the people and the land], and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.” Which then is the Word of God, which then is opening the way to salvation. Does not every epistle of Paul start out, “Grace and peace from God the Father, and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?” Yes. That’s exactly what’s going to happen here. Now verse 7, “And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return [that means He brings them out of captivity], and will build them [again], as at the first. And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity [through the sacrifices of the priests].” It doesn’t say that does it? See. Where is there any need for sacrifices? There is not. “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. And it shall be…” That is, all of Judah and Israel, and of course Jerusalem because that’s where Christ is going to be. “And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth, which shall here all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it” (Jer. 33:6-9). So that’s really going to be quite a thing, isn’t it? God is going to do it. Now verse 14, “Behold the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.” And then it says that He is going to raise them up. Now let’s read a couple of verses here, and let’s understand something because it does talk about Levites and sacrifices. But if there’s anything the Levites are going to do, they’re actually not going to be priests, because then we would have no jobs. Now let’s read on. “In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David [that’s a prophecy of Christ Who will be King over all the earth]; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle [meal] meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually” (vs. 15-18). Now this looks like, well, maybe there’re going to be some sacrifices offered at that time. But what are the true sacrifices that would be offered? Let’s look at some of those. Let’s come back here to Hebrews 13. Let’s see what the true sacrifices are. And then we’ll look at Revelation 8, and we will see what they are likened unto. Hebrews 13:12, “Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered without the gate.” And we’ve already covered that were Jesus was crucified, and so forth. “Let us go forth therefore unto Him without the camp, bearing His reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb. 13:12-16). So then instead of offering animal sacrifices here, because otherwise you would have a contradiction, wouldn’t you, in everything that God would do, if they were to offer those kinds of sacrifices. So these then are going to be the spiritual burnt offerings, the spiritual meal offerings and sacrifice continually. So they will be serving the people, praying for the people, and doing these spiritual sacrifices that we just talked about here. Let’s come to Revelation 8, and let’s see something concerning prayers as they go up to God. So if they’re going to be doing this then it’s talking about it in a symbolic language of the actual sacrifices from the heart that they would offer in prayer and service, rather than the literal animal sacrifices since the animal sacrifices would do absolutely no good whatsoever. Now, Revelation 8. Let’s just start here in verse 1. “And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” So the prayers of the saints then, come up as incense. Just like the sacrifices are going to be the sacrifice of praise, the sacrifice of thanksgiving, the sacrifice of doing those things that are right and good. Verse 4, “And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand” (Rev. 8:1-4). And so those have to be the kinds of sacrifices that the Levites will be doing at that time. And if there’s going to be any activities that the Levites will do, they will work under us, because we will be the kings and the priests, and they will work under us to teach the people. So the Levites, in this sense, will pray for the people, teach the people, and so forth. Not as we know it today. Now let’s come back here to the book of Jeremiah again. Let’s come back to Jeremiah 31:31, and we will see where this new millennial covenant that God is going to make with the children of Israel when Christ returns. Let’s pick it up here, Jeremiah 31:31. “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers [so this is a quote that we read in Hebrews 10] in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which My covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Then it says, “…They shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest…” (Jer. 31:31-34). Now then, let’s come here to Isaiah 2, and we’re going to see there’s going to be a house of the Lord. Now I don’t know exactly how it’s going to look. There may be many similarities that there were with the temple. We don’t know. We’re not told what it is. We’re not told that there is a temple, but the temple was also called “a house of God.” So here we find in Isaiah 2:2, it says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” And notice what the people will say. “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:…”, etc. (Isa. 2:2-3). So there is going to be a house where Christ is going to be. Now we’re also going to have dwelling places. We’re going to have other houses, other places to live in. Now remember this goes all back to the restitution of all things, doesn’t it? Because how did it start when God created Adam and Eve? He lived in the Garden of Eden with them. Now then, God is going to live on the earth. We are going to be all working under Christ, and under all the Apostles. And the Word of God is going to be spread in all the world and the whole world’s going to have an opportunity for salvation at that time, and so it’s going to be quite a thing. And we’ve already covered that and what our job is going to be, so there’s going to be some kind of house that’s called the house of God. Now how much different from the temple it will be, we don’t know. But notice one thing, it doesn’t say here that we will go up to the house of the LORD and offer sacrifices. We’ll go to the house of the LORD and He’ll teach us His way. So the whole operation is going to be entirely different than what it was under the concept of the temple with Israel. Now let’s come to the book of Ezekiel and let’s do a survey of those scriptures which are normally called scriptures which show the millennial temple. As a matter of fact most commentaries have something in them about what they call the millennial temple, because they feel that everything concerning Ezekiel here has to do with the millennial temple. Ok, let’s come to Ezekiel 40:44. Now you go through and you read all of this, this is describing the rebuilding of the temple. And as we’re going to see this has to be the rebuilding of the temple, that is the second temple, and that temple is the one which carried on down to the time of Christ and was eventually destroyed in 70 AD. Now let’s pick it up here in Ezekiel 40:44, “And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north. And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the [My] house. And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the [My] altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto Him” (Ezek. 40:44-46). So then he went ahead and measured it. Well that was the establishment, again of the priesthood when they rebuilt the temple the second time. And if you go back and follow the lineage down to Ezra, I think you will find that he was one of the sons of Zadok. So this is talking about the second temple that they were going to build then. Let’s come here to chapter 4l. You can read about all the measurements and everything, and just compare those with the measurements and things that you find back in the book of Exodus concerning the instructions that God gave to Moses to build the tabernacle. Now Ezekiel 41:23, “And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors. And the doors had to leaves apiece, two turning leaves [that means they just opened like that]; two leaves for the one door, and two leaves for the other door. And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, like as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch without. And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks” (Ezek. 41:23-26). So we’re talking a physical temple here, which is very akin to the temple that they had leading up to the time of Jesus Christ. Now let’s come to chapter 43, and we’ll see that it talks about all of these things with the second temple. This has got to be the second temple. It cannot be a temple during the millennium because there won’t be any sacrifices. And we’ll see it talks about sacrifices here in a little bit. Now chapter 43, verse 1, “Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: and, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and His voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with His glory.” This is showing again God is going to put His presence in the temple. There was appearance of the vision they gave him and so forth, and he talks about “…the glory of the LORD, [verse 4] came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.” And then he says, “…the spirit took me up, and [showed me all these things]” (Ezek.43:1-5). Now let’s come down here to verse 10. “Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them” (vs. 10-11). That’s exactly what happened when Ezra came back. This is actually the design. Once the temple was destroyed what plans did they have for rebuilding the temple? They had none. God had to re-reveal it to them. How would they know what to do? How would they know what to make? So this gives them the plans on what they were to do. Now let’s come down here to verse 18. “And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord God; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon.” Which they did when they reinstituted the temple in the days of Ezra. “And thou shalt give to the priests the Levites that be of the seed of Zadok, which approached unto Me [to minister unto Me], saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering. And thou shalt take of the blood thereof,…” (vs. 18-20). And it gives all the instructions on what to do and then it gives the seven days of the dedication of the temple. Ok, hold your place here and let’s go to Ezra 6, and let’s see where this dedication took place. What we just read was a description of seven days of dedication of everything at the second temple. And so here’s the fulfillment of that. They had to have those instructions and what they needed to do when they came out of the Babylonian captivity, so they would know how to build the temple, they would know how to dedicate the temple, they would know what sacrifices to offer at the temple. Let’s pick it up here in Ezra 6:15. “And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king. And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy, and offered at the dedication of this house of God an hundred bullocks, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs; and for a sin offering for all Israel, twelve he goats, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. And they set the priests in their divisions, and the Levites in their courses, for the service of God, which is at Jerusalem; as it is written in the book of Moses” (Ezra 6:15-18). Then they also had the instructions from Ezekiel. So they had both of these together. Now let’s come back here to Ezekiel 44. Now let’s just read the first three verses, again showing the physical temple there in Jerusalem. “Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.” Well if Christ were on the earth, guess what? If this were a millennial temple it would be open, right. Because that would be the literal house of God, wouldn’t it? And God would be there so it would be open. Now verse 3, “It is for the prince; [of] the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same” (Ezek. 44:1-3). So then He took him to each gate and showed him what it would be. Now let’s come over here to verse 15, and again we see the Levites, the sons of Zadok and what they would do. Ezekiel 44:15, “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge. And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them,…” (vs. 15-17), and so forth and so on. Then it gives all the instructions that the priests were to do and how they were to conduct and handle themselves. And if you go back and read these things, then go back and look at the instructions that God gave to the Levites in Exodus, and Leviticus, you’ll find that these instructions parallel right along exactly the same way. And so then it showed that they were going to do all of that. Now let’s come over here to chapter 45. It talks about certain measurements in bounds outside the temple that were set aside for the different tribes. Now let’s come over here to Ezekiel 45:15. “And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; of a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.” Well if the sacrifice of Christ is what makes reconciliation there’d be no need for this to take place. So this has got to refer to the second temple. “All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel” (Ezek. 45:15-16). Now this is interesting because it’s the prince of Israel. What did they have before the destruction of the temple during the time before the Babylonian captivity? They had kings, didn’t they? And after the destruction of Jerusalem and the carrying away out to Babylon, when they came back there were no more kings. They only had princes. Why? Because all the descendents of the kings were killed. The three daughters of king Zedekiah were given to Jeremiah, and they went with him from the holy land down to Egypt, and then they left Egypt, and history and tradition tells us that they went to Ireland. And that’s where then the other twin son of Judah, which had the breach… Because remember when the twins of Judah were born, one put his arm out first and the midwife put a scarlet thread around his wrist. He pulled his hand back in and the other one was born, which was Pharez. So Zarah was the first one born, but pulled his hand out, Pharez was the physical one that was born first. So that’s what they called a breach. There was a breach in the line of the kingship because you could not give the kingship to the one who just put his hand out first, because he was due first but pulled it back. So therefore the first one that was fully born was Pharez, and the king line came down through the tribe of Judah on down to David, and on down to the other kings all the way down to king Zedekiah, and then Jeremiah took his three daughters and took them to Ireland and the breach was healed. And so then the story of how the throne went from Ireland to Scotland to England is another whole story. But the throne of David is sitting right there in Westminster Abby and fulfills the promise that God has given that David would never lack for a man to sit upon his throne. So when we come to this time here concerning the prince, this has to be the governor of Judea. There was no longer any king, so this has to be for the time of the second temple, at the return after the Babylonian captivity with the instructions that they were to follow for the temple worship at that time. Now back to Ezekiel 45:17. “And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and [meal] meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the Sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the [meal] meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.” So this can’t be talking about what Christ is going to do. Though He’s called the Prince of Peace, He is the King over all the earth, and as we read before, “The King reigns, the King reigns, the King reigns…” Then it goes on showing what he was going to do. Here, verse 18, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary: and the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court” (Ezek. 45:17-19). Now this was showing what was to be done at the rededication of the temple, which we read of there in Ezra 6. “And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month…” That is in dedicating it, and that’s what they did. It was in the first month that they dedicated it, and it was finished in the month of Adar and they started in the first day of the first month to do the dedication. So this is talking about it here. “…So thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house. In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover,…” Now the Hebrew is such it means “you shall have the Passover.” And we read back there in Ezra 6, that’s exactly what they did. They kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month. And of course we’ve got the whole big thick Passover book, which goes through every one of the details concerning the Passover. And it’s very interesting, I’ve had some people rant and rail against the book, but no one has been able to disprove a single thing, either historically or scripturally that was written in The Christian Passover book. So that’s what they did. And it should read, “and a feast for seven days. So you see it should read, “…ye shall have the passover, [and] a feast of seven days [which is the Feast of Unleavened Bread];… And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people…” (vs. 20-22), seven days, and it goes on the whole thing concerning it. Now let’s come to chapter 46. Again, as I mentioned, we’re doing an overview, and so we’re seeing the flow of this and we’ll see where it leads to. Because there comes a time when something special happens, which is a prophecy of the preaching of the Gospel. We’ll see that in just a bit. Ezekiel 46:1, “Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. And the prince shall enter by the way…” (Ezek. 46:1-2). And then it goes on and explains all the things down through every one of them. Now let’s come here to chapter 47. Here’s where the new thing begins. Here is something different. Now as we explained in the sermon, “Where Was Jesus Crucified” we also explained concerning the temple, that the temple was right over the Gihon Spring, and the Gihon Spring was the only spring within Jerusalem for five miles that had constant fresh pure water flowing. Now this water needed to flow in order to take care of the sacrifices, to clean the temple, to get rid of the blood, and all of that sort of thing. The animal skins and carcasses were taken across the Kidron Bridge over to the Mount of Olives, and there they had the altar, which is called the Miphkad Altar. And they would take the skin, and they would take the carcasses and they would burn them to ashes. Then those ashes would be released through a conduit, and they would go down the steep part of the Mount of Olives and go down into the Brook Kidron, and so that’s where the ashes would go. So when we come to Ezekiel 47 now, we’re going to see that it talks about water that comes from under the throne of God. So let’s see this, Ezekiel 47:1. And, “…He brought me again unto the door of the house; and, behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward: for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar. Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.” So here’s water coming out, flowing out from the temple and going in all directions. Now what does this mean? What does this picture? Ok, hold your place right here. We’ll see that it means two things. Let’s go to John 7. We’ll see that it’s a type of the Holy Spirit of God, and then we will see that when this began, it was a very interesting day that this began. Now let’s pick it up here in John 7:37. “In the last day, that great day of the feast,…” Now this is just right between the seventh day and the eighth day. “…Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man third, let him come unto Me, and drink.” And that’s why the waters are going out symbolically as we found there in Ezekiel 47. “He that believeth on Me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake He of the [Holy] Spirit, which they that believe on Him should receive: for the Holy [Spirit] Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)” (John 7:37-39). Well when did the Holy Spirit come? And to where did it come? Well, we know from Pentecost what? It came on the Feast of Pentecost. And what happened then? The Gospel began to be preached right there in Jerusalem didn’t it, and then all around, and then to the whole habitable world by the time the ministry of the Apostles came to an end. So what we are looking at here in the book of Ezekiel with this water coming out of the throne, since it was not literal physical water that was coming out, we are looking at the preaching of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit moving out and calling many, many people in the parts of the world where the Apostles went and preached. Now let’s come back here to Ezekiel 47 and we’ll see this. It started out very shallow, and then he went out and it got a little deeper, a little deeper, and lo and behold it goes out and when we come to the end of it we are, I believe, into the time of the millennium. And that’s the only relation that this has to the millennium, is the preaching of the Word of God. And what does it say concerning water and the knowledge of the Lord in the millennium? It will cover it as the waters of the sea cover the earth. Ok, now let’s come back to Ezekiel 47 and let’s read here in verse 3. “And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.” See, it’s getting deeper and deeper. And I think this is symbolizing the increase of the knowledge that God was giving to the New Testament church as they went out and preached. You know, Paul said that God gave it to them by revelation. And so here he measured again, verse 5, “…a thousand; and it was a river that I could not pass over: for the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. And he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other” (Ezek. 47:3-7). Now what does this symbolize? “Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed” (vs. 8). What do these trees symbolize? A lot of people think that this symbolizes the tree of life. No. Let’s come to the very first Psalm – we’ll see. This symbolizes converted people who in spite of where they were always were true and faithful to God, because of what? Because of the Holy Spirit of God. Now let’s see it right here. Psalm 1:1, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,…” Isn’t that what Ezekiel was told? “Come back to the shore and see the trees right by the rivers of water here.” “…That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psa. 1:1-3) So what we’re talking about here in Ezekiel 47 with this water and the trees and all of this, we’re talking about those people who are then converted, who then feed off the Holy Spirit of God, who then grow in grace and knowledge and so forth. And then it shows that… Now I believe from this time forward it goes out and it shows the water of God going out into all the earth, then leading into the return of Jesus Christ where then the whole earth is going to be healed. And so this is the place then where it picks up at the millennium. But initially it’s starting out with the temple there in Ezekiel 40. And reading all the way through, that is not the millennial temple, that is the second temple. The priests and Levites will not be doing sacrifices during the millennium. They’ll have other jobs to do – teaching, and preaching, and praying, and things like this, probably working directly under the saints, who will then be the priests of God. And then it goes out into the… ends up with the great conversion and healing of the whole world. So no, there won’t be a temple, as we know a temple today during the millennium. And there will not be animal sacrifices because there will be no need for them. And only the last part of Ezekiel, as we read here, Ezekiel 47, has to do with anything concerning conversion and the ministry of Christ, and right at the very end in the very depths of the water going out to heal the earth, that is when the millennium begins.
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