“Behold I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel.”

This is a no-doubter. God is using Israel to talk about the very end of all things, when the dead in Christ are raised incorruptible. This is not just about the come-back of a weak nation that becomes strong again. This is the ultimate restoration, resurrection of His people!

32. Ezekiel 37:15-23. What other restoration is promised?

Here is the undoing of the division between Israel and Judah, which took place shortly after Solomon’s reign. Only one Israel now. Judah will take its place as the leading tribe, but not a separated tribe any longer.

33. Ezekiel 38-39. Is it possible to locate in time this “Gog” battle?

I will leave to my readers to investigate the identities of these various nations. There seems to be a connection to northern Europe, Russia, etc. But what of the timing? Again, the clues:

• In the latter years. In the last days. (Both phrases are used).
• A time after Israel is restored and re-gathered from the nations.
• A time when Israel is living securely.
• A time when nations in the north are in great, even desperate, material need.
• A time when the power of the northern army cannot be challenged.
• The time of a great earthquake, perhaps the one chronicled in Revelation.
• A time of cataclysmic natural events, reminding us of the judgments of Revelation.
• A time of judgment on these northern armies, including fire and brimstone.
• This will be the time of the end for this attacking army.
• A feast of flesh is offered animals and birds, as in Revelation.
• Seven months following the attack and defeat, Israel will be burying their enemy.
• In the final verses of the chapter, God says He will bring them back, and no one will make Israel afraid again. The words seem to be unrelated to the foregoing, and rather a summary of God’s activities with Israel from Ezekiel’s time and forward.

The Book of Revelation does paint a scene that could easily blend in with this one. That is, this could be a devastation that takes place during the Tribulation. But at the Tribulation, Israel is only just returned. It does not seem that they could have recovered so quickly as to cause the northern armies to think that Israel is now living securely. There also is no mention of a world leader here, rather just a coalition of nations trying one last time to hurt Israel.

For that last reason, and others in Revelation 20, I tend to think all these things are fulfilled there. Look with me at Revelation 20:7-10:

• It is the end of the thousand year reign of Christ. Israel is truly living in open peace, and has been for some time.
• Satan is released, and hunts down the malcontents of the Millennial period, who were offended, or never truly converted to Jesus’ ways during the 1,000 years. An astounding fact, but stated here. The sheep continue to be deceived. Remember that ordinary men enter the Millennial time, ruled over by God’s super-ordinary resurrected saints.
• Notice especially the terms “Gog and Magog”, Ezekiel’s very designations.
• Nations from all over the earth are called into a final battle, during which the people of God only sit and watch as God has His final say over decadent men.

34. Ezekiel 40-42. Ezekiel measures a temple for three chapters. What temple is this?

God’s original “place”, you recall, was a portable tent, carried by Israel into the Promised Land. David and Solomon then were called upon to put together a permanent structure which would be the focal point of Jewish worship and life. Sacrifices would be offered there, prayers be given, and the entire priestly system would revolve around this building.

Ezekiel had a vision of the Temple in the 570’s B.C. But not the Solomonic Temple. It had been gone for several years. Nebuchadnezzar’s armies destroyed it in 586.

Another Temple would begin in the 520’s B.C., and itself be destroyed, after a major overhaul by King Herod, in 70 A.D.

There has not been another Temple since. But the apostle Paul says that one day the antichrist will sit in that very House of God. Again, I do not feel it wise to play with prophecy, and make it say what we feel or see in our generation. Some want this Temple to be the Church. And spiritually the church is the Temple of God. But antichrist will sit in this House, and call Himself God in it. It is a physical place.

Jesus spoke of an abomination that makes desolate, sitting in the Holy Place. He was referencing Daniel’s statement, but calling it future in His (Jesus’) day. No Old Testament event can thus be used to fulfil what Jesus was talking about. And no New Testament-times event matches either, for the abomination of desolation is said to be the very sign that the disciples were asking for. And the placing of some unholy object – the antichrist Himself! – in that holy (to the Jews of that day) place is said to be the catalyst of the end of all things. When it happens, the Tribulation begins, followed by Jesus’ return.

(Matthew 24 is so very enlightening for those who dare to take it literally word for word true!)

I said all of that to say that we have two Temples to choose from if we are going to identify Ezekiel’s Temple here. Either the second Temple, made famous by Ezra and Nehemiah and the prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and refurbished by Herod, or, the coming Temple of antichrist and Millennium fame.

That latter House of God, by the way, is referenced in Revelation 11, where John is given a task similar to the angel now doing his measuring in Ezekiel 40-42. It definitely exists, as some sort of deal has been made to get the Muslims off of Temple Mount. But it seems that the tourist area surrounding the Temple will be overrun by Gentiles, to sweeten the deal politically, and offend as few people as possible.

Second Temple, or Third?

There is scant detail about the second Temple. Measurements of 60 cubits wide and high are mentioned in Ezra 6:3, and this is hard to match up with anything in our present chapter. Almost everyone insists that the second temple was in no way the same as Ezekiel’s description, especially as we move into the latter chapters of Ezekiel and see the glory of God filling this last Temple, and God promising to dwell there “forever.” Then there is the whole issue of the “Prince”, perhaps Jesus Himself, directing things in that day. Other more supernatural surroundings for this House point even further away from Zerubbabel and company, even if spruced up considerably by the Edomite King of Jesus’ day.

We do not know their reasoning fully, but it seems that the Jewish builders of the second Temple decided not to build according to Ezekiel’s blueprint, that is, if they ever saw the plans at all.