In the last verse in Ezekiel we
read...
The city shall be 18,000 cubits round
about; and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.
(Ezekiel 48:35)
Ezekiel 43 gives to the
believing
remnant
of Israel and to all saints of all ages His mercy filled
promise and sure hope that the glory of Jehovah will return...
1 Then he led me (Ezekiel) to the gate,
the gate facing toward the east (cp Ezek 10:18, 19, 11:1, 22, 23 - glory
departed from the Eastern Gate to the mount east of the city, Mt of Olives,
cp Acts 1:9, 10, 11); 2 and behold, the glory of the God
of Israel (Ezek 1:28, 3:23 - the glory of the Lord is the Lord Himself) was coming from the way of the east. And His voice was like the sound of many waters
(Ezek 1:24, cp Re 1:15);
and the earth (Note: Not just the city but the earth! This prophecy of earth
filled with the glory of God = Nu 14:21 Ps 72:19 Isa 6:3, 11:9 Hab 2:14) shone with His glory
(Ezek 10:4). 3 And it was like the appearance of the
vision which I saw (The visions to which Ezekiel refers are those of Ezekiel
1 and Ezekiel 10.), like the vision which I saw when He came to destroy the
city (Ezek 1:26, 27, 28, 8:4, 9:1, 2, 3, 10:18, 19, 11:22, 23). And the
visions were like the vision which I saw by the river Chebar (Ezek 1:3); and
I fell on my face (Ezekiel frequently found himself in awe of the
manifestation of God = Ezek 3:23, 9:8, 11:13, 44:4).
4 And the glory of the LORD came
into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. (The reversal
of Ezek 10:18) 5 And the
Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court (Ezek 3:12, 13, 14,
8:3, 11:24, 37:1, 40:2); and behold, the
glory of the LORD filled the house.
6 Then I heard one speaking to me from
the house, while a man was standing beside me. 7 And He said to me, "Son of
man, this is the place of My throne (Ezek 1:26, 10:1, cp Is 6:1, Jer
3:17 - "Jerusalem" = "The Throne of God") and the place of the soles of
My feet, where I will dwell (Hebrew = Shakan =to settle down from
which is derived rabbinic word Shekinah =“that which dwells” - cp "Shekinah
glory") among the sons of Israel forever.
(cp The name "The LORD is There") And the house of Israel will not
again defile My holy name, neither they nor their kings, by their harlotry
and by the corpses of their kings when they die, 8 by setting their
threshold by My threshold, and their door post beside My door post, with
only the wall between Me and them. And they have defiled My holy name by
their abominations which they have committed. So I have consumed them in My
anger.
9 "Now let them put away their harlotry and the corpses of their kings far
from Me; and I will dwell among them forever.
10 "As for you, son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that
they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the plan.
11 "And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them
the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its
designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so
that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes, and do them.
12 "This is the law of the house: its entire area on the top of the mountain
all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
The post-exilic (after exile in
Babylon) prophet Zechariah echoes Ezekiel's prophecy in Ezek 48:35...
Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of
Zion (Mt Zion is the site of Jerusalem); for behold I am coming and I
will dwell in your midst," declares the LORD (Jehovah) . "And many
nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day (cp Zec 14:16, Is 2:3,
What day?
Messiah's
Second Coming
and establishment of His
Millennial Kingdom)
and will become My people. Then (When?
"in that day") I will dwell
in your midst, and you will know that the
LORD of hosts
has sent Me to you. And the LORD will possess Judah as His portion in the
holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem (cp Ezek 48:35 Jerusalem named =
"The LORD is There"). Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD; for He is
aroused from His holy habitation." (Zech 2:10, 11, 12, 13)
The psalmist alludes to the forever
presence of Jehovah writing...
Why do you look with envy, O mountains
with many peaks, at the mountain which God has desired for His abode (=Mt
Zion = Jerusalem)? Surely, the LORD (Jehovah) will dwell (Heb =
shakan = to settle down derived from Rabbinic word Shekinah ["that which
dwells"]) there forever (cp Ezek 48:35). (Ps 68:16)
Jehovah Shammah will be the new name
of Jerusalem (cp names in (Je 3:17; 33:16) symbolizing the permanence of the Lord's presence (cp Is 7:14).
Jehovah would never depart from Israel again and would never send them into
exile again. The believing remnant of Israel (and all Gentile believers)
would enjoy unbroken fellowship with God, even as Adam and Eve had in the
Garden of Eden (cp Ge 3:8).
Some feel that Ezekiel's designation
of the city as Jehovah-shammah refers to the heavenly Jerusalem rather than
the Millennial Jerusalem (See also discussion by Nathan Stone
below).
The Evangelical Commentary
writes...
Ezekiel concludes his prophecy by
identifying the name of this twelve-gate city. It is “the Lord is there.”
“Jerusalem” is conspicuous by its absence. What gives the city any kind of
sanctity is not tradition, but the presence of the Lord. His glory is not
confined to the temple. It spills into the whole land. In Ezekiel’s city and
John’s city (Rev. 21:12ff.) the climax is the same: God’s dwelling is with
men. (Elwell, W. A. Evangelical Commentary on the Bible. Grand Rapids,
Mich.: Baker Book House).
Constable explains that...
The circumference of the city proper
would be 18,000 cubits, less than six miles. And its name from the day of
its establishment would be “The LORD is there” (Heb. Yahweh shammah). The
new name would indicate a new character, as always in Scripture, namely,
that the Lord would forever reside among His people (cf. Isa. 7:14). He
would never again depart from them or send them out of His land. He would
forever dwell among them, and they would forever enjoy the unbroken
fellowship with God that He intended since the creation of the world.
The Book of Ezekiel ends with a
description of a New Jerusalem like the Book of Revelation, though
the New Jerusalem of Ezekiel is millennial and the New Jerusalem at
the end of Revelation is eternal (Re 3:12, Re 21:2).
Twenty-two years and 48 chapters earlier
Ezekiel began his book with a vision of a storm picturing the destruction of
Old Jerusalem and, later (Ezekiel 10-11), God’s departure from it. He ended
it with another vision of the establishment of New Jerusalem and God’s
permanent residence in it. The glory of the Lord is the unifying
feature that ties the book together and runs through it from beginning to
end.
Word in Life Study Bible...
The name of this ideal city is “The Lord
Is There.” This is a fitting climax, not only to the Book of Ezekiel, but to
John’s Revelation and to the Bible itself. It shows that a reversal has
occurred during the course of history. Whereas Ezekiel had seen the Lord
withdrawing from His temple because of the people’s wickedness (Ezek 10:18),
now He has returned to a new temple to live among His people forever.
Likewise, whereas fellowship with God was cut off through the sin in Eden
(Ge 3:22, 23, 24), it is made permanent in the New Jerusalem (Re 21:3). This
is a strong hope we can look forward to with great anticipation. Right now,
we may sometimes feel distant from God, perhaps alone and confused and
wondering whether He even knows who we are. The assurance of Scripture is
that someday we will no longer wonder where God is; we will be with
Him—forever! (Word in Life Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
John Wesley on the LORD is
there...
The Lord Who as His name alone is
Jehovah, so is the only true God, faithful to His promise, rich in mercy,
glorious in majesty, righteous in His judgments, wise and holy in His
government, whose presence makes us happy, whose withdrawing from us leaves
us to misery. This God will by His favour and presence, bring the confluence
of all good to persons, families, and cities; this God will be there to
dwell, govern, defend, prosper, and crown. Such is to be the case of earthly
Jerusalem, such shall be for ever the case of the heavenly Jerusalem. Such
is the case of every true believer, who may, wherever he is, in his way of
duty, still write Jehovah-Shammah, My God is here. And ’tis best to
be where He is ’till He bring us within the gates of the glorious city,
where inconceivable light and love from the immediate presence of God, give
every one an eternal demonstration that God is here: to Him be glory for
ever. (Wesley's Notes)
Warren Wiersbe...
The important thing about the land is not
the river or the borders but the glorious presence of God. The new name for
the city of Jerusalem will be Jehovah-Shammah—“the Lord is there!” The Lord
had departed from Jerusalem because of the sins of the people, but He will
return to dwell with them and bless them. When you are discouraged about the
way things are going on earth, lift your eyes to heaven by pondering
Revelation 21:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Just think of it: we shall live
forever where the Lord is! Are you looking by faith for that future city (He
11:13, 14, 15, 16)?
(Wiersbe,
W: With the Word: Chapter-by-Chapter Bible Handbook. Nelson
or
Logos)
William MacDonald...
This name reminds us of what was always
in the heart of God: He loves His creatures so much that He always planned
to have them close to Himself. He is ever searching, asking, “Where are
you?” (Ge 3:8), calling to repentance and faith (cp 2Pe 3:9-note).
As Son of God He even came down to earth to die for us. His wish will be
fulfilled: man will be close to His heart. We can engage in and participate
in His search for the lost even now, while living close to His heart here on
earth. This is God’s desire for us.
We close our commentary on Ezekiel with a
summary by the Hebrew Christian OT scholar, Charles L. Feinberg:
This incomparable prophecy began with a
vision of the glory of God and concludes with a description of the glory of
the Lord in the glorified city of Jerusalem. Ezekiel concluded, as John in
the Revelation, with God dwelling with man in holiness and glory. Beyond
this there is no greater goal of history and God’s dealings with man.
(MacDonald,
W & Farstad, A. Believer's Bible Commentary: Thomas Nelson or
Logos)
Adam Clarke...has some interesting
concluding thoughts on Jehovah Shammah and upon the book of Ezekiel in
general...
This is an allusion to the Shechinah, or
symbol of the Divine Presence, which was in the first, but most certainly
was not in the second temple; but Ezekiel tells us that the Divine Presence
should be in the city of which he speaks; and should be there so fully and
so powerfully, that it should give name to the city itself; and that the
very name, Jehovah shammah, should remind all men of the supereminently
glorious Being who had condescended to make this city his habitation...
In conclusion, I think it necessary to
state, that there are but few of the prophets of the Old Testament who have
left a more valuable treasure to the Church of God than Ezekiel. It is true,
he is in several places obscure; but there is a great proportion of the work
that is in the highest degree edifying; and several portions that for the
depth of the salvation predicted, and the accuracy and minuteness of the
description, have nothing equal to them in the Old Testament Scriptures. On
such portions, I have felt it my duty to be very particular, that I might be
able to point out spiritual beauties and excellencies in this book which are
beyond all praise; while I passed slightly over prophecies and symbols which
I did not fully understand; but have left to time, by the fulfilment of the
events, to prove to successive generations with what heavenly wisdom this
much neglected prophet has spoken. And I take this opportunity to recommend
this book to the serious perusal of every pious man; and while he wonders at
the extent of the wisdom by which Ezekiel has fathomed the depth of so many
Divine mysteries, let him give God the glory for this additional testimony
to the unsearchable riches of Christ, and that plenary salvation which he
has purchased for, and freely offers to, the vilest of the vile, and to the
whole of the descendants of Adam. (Clarke's Commentary: Ezekiel).
Charles Dyer interprets Ezekiel
48:35 as referring to the Millennium...
As the Prophet Ezekiel had stated
repeatedly, God will return to dwell with His people. No longer worshiping
lifeless idols and engaged in detestable practices, Israel will enjoy the
Lord’s holy presence in the Millennium.
(Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor
or
Logos)
Scofield observes that this
great OT prophecy by Ezekiel...
Ezekiel begins and ends with God. Between
the great vision of God in Ezekiel 1:27, 28 and these closing words, "THE
LORD IS THERE," is the unsparing record of man's failure and sin (Ed:
Specifically Israel in context but surely a picture of all those born into
Adam's sin - Ro 5:12-note),
judged by God. But His judgment works to His glory, and the book ends with
the one thing that makes heaven what it is, the Presence of the LORD. Joel
3:21; Zech 2:10; Re 21:3; 22:3
The Jerome Bible Commentary...
The projected city of Yahweh šāmmāh
combines God’s absolute transcendence with his eternal dwelling among his
people.
New Living Translation Study Bible...
To cap off the whole vision, the city was
given a new name, The Lord Is There (Hebrew Yahweh Shammah). Although the
Lord had once departed from Jerusalem and ordered its destruction because of
its gross idolatry and bloodshed, the new city was so much a part of the new
order of things that it could receive that name. This also implied that the
bloody city condemned in earlier chapters had now been replaced by a holy
city, fit for God to dwell in among representatives of all twelve of
Israel’s tribes (cp. Isa 4:2-6; Zech 14:20-21). Thus the prophecy of
37:26-27 finally reached its conclusion and its fulfillment, as God
established his sanctuary in the midst of his people forever, just as he
promised. (New Living Translation Study Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale
House Publishers, Inc)
The Preacher's Commentary Series...
The name of the city, given in the very
last verse of the book (v. 35), is not Jerusalem, or Zion, but Yahweh
Shammah, Hebrew for “The Lord is there.” To a considerable degree, this is
the object of the entire vision. What God causes Ezekiel to see is a place
where God is present. If He is there, all those accepted by Him into His
presence will experience order, equity, continuing life, absence of the
power of sin, and abundance of a sort not imaginable by usual standards. His
presence is life itself, except, of course, to the wicked who oppose Him. To
them, His presence is death. But this part of the vision is not addressing
the question of how the presence of God can mean alternately life or death
depending on who is in that presence. It envisions a time and a place where
and when the division for or against the Lord has already occurred (chs. 38,
39, etc.). The ultimate city and the eschatological Promised Land are for
those who love the Lord and are His forever. He will be there, and they will
finally be with Him, as they had faith they would be. (Stuart, D., &
Ogilvie, L. J. The Preacher's Commentary Series, Volume 20: Ezekiel.
Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc)
The Open Bible...
he most sublime feature of the city is
that THE LORD IS THERE. This is Ezekiel’s passion throughout the book. God’s
people shall live so that God can dwell among them, sanctifying them with
His presence. (The Open Bible: New King James Version. Nashville:
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
Midrash Rabbah, Lamentations I,
16, § 51.
… BECAUSE THE COMFORTER IS FAR FROM ME,
EVEN HE THAT SHOULD REFRESH MY SOUL. What is the name of King Messiah? R.
Abba b. Kahana said: His name is … ‘It is good for a province when its name
is identical with that of its king,’ as it is written, And the name of the
city from that day shall be the Lord is there (Ezek. XLVIII, 35).
Midrash on Psalms, Book One, Psalm 21, 2.
… God will call the king Messiah after
His own name, for it is said of the king Messiah This is his name whereby he
shall be called: The Lord our Righteousness (Jer. 23:6). Jerusalem also
shall be called after the Lord’s name, for it is said of Jerusalem The name
of the city from that day shall be, The Lord. That shall be her name (Ezek.
48:35). (from Huckel, T. The Rabbinic Messiah. Philadelphia: Hananeel House)
The Reformation Study Bible...
From the beginning of the Old Testament
God had revealed His intention to be with His people. He walked and spoke
with them in the Garden of Eden and dwelled in sanctuaries built in their
midst. The promise of a child named Immanuel pointed to a day when God would
be “with us” (Is. 7:14). The New Testament ends in much the same way as the
Book of Ezekiel ends. John too describes the city of God, and a time when
God will live with human beings (Rev. 21:3); he ends with the prayer, “Even
so, come, Lord Jesus” (Rev. 22:20). (Whitlock, L. G., Sproul, R. C., Waltke,
B. K., & Silva, M. Reformation Study Bible : Nashville: T. Nelson)
Warren Wiersbe in his comments on
Psalm 23 observes that....
“The Lord” is Jehovah God, the covenant
making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament
reflect the contents of this psalm.
“I shall not want”—Jehovah-Jireh, the
Lord will provide” (Ge. 22:14)
“still waters”- Jehovah-Shalom, “the Lord
our peace” (Jdg. 6:24)
“restores my soul”—Jehovah-Rophe, “the
Lord who heals” (Ex. 15:26)
“paths of
righteousness”—Jehovah-Tsidkenu, “the Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16)
“you are with me”—Jehovah-Shammah, “the
Lord is there” (Ezek. 48:35)
“presence of my enemies”—“Jehovah-Nissi,
“the Lord our banner” (Ex. 17:15)
“anoint my head”—Jehovah-M’Kaddesh, “the
Lord who sanctifies” (Lev. 20:8)
(Wiersbe, W. W. Be Worshipful. Colorado
Springs, Colo.: Cook Communications Ministries)
Matthew Henry...
The Lord is there; for faithful is
He that has said, and He will be as good as His word, Lo, I am with you
always even unto the end of the world (Mt 28:20b). The Lord is there
in His church, to rule and govern it, to protect and defend it, and
graciously to accept and own his sincere worshippers, and to be nigh unto
them in all that they call upon him for. This should engage us to keep close
to the communion of saints, for the Lord is there; and then whither shall we
go to better ourselves? Nay, it is true of every good Christian; he dwells
in God, and God in him; whatever soul has in it a living principle of grace,
it may be truly said, The Lord is There. That the glory and happiness of
heaven should consist chiefly in this, that the Lord is there. St. John’s
representation of that blessed state does indeed far exceed this in many
respects. That is all gold, and pearls, and precious stones; it is much
larger than this, and much brighter, for it needs not the light of the sun.
But, in making the presence of God the principal matter of its bliss, they
both agree. There the happiness of the glorified saints is made to be that
God himself shall be with them (Re 21:3), that he who sits on the throne
shall dwell among them, Re 7:15. And here it is made to crown the bliss of
this holy city that the Lord is there. Let us therefore give all diligence
to make sure to ourselves a place in that city, that we may be for ever with
the Lord.
W A Criswell favors Jehovah
Shammah as a reference to the New Heaven and New Earth when we will also
have a New Jerusalem ()...
Ezekiel closes his great book by giving
us the name of the New Jerusalem. One of the refrains in John’s vision
states that “the Lord is there” in the city. When the city descended from
heaven, John heard a voice saying, “the tabernacle of God is with men” (Rev.
21:3). He is there as the temple (Rev. 21:22), as the light (Rev. 21:23;
22:5), and as the King on His throne (Rev. 22:3). Ezekiel had seen God
depart from the temple and the city of the earthly Jerusalem, but he closes
with the assurance that in the New Jerusalem, “THE LORD IS THERE”!
Fredenburg writes that
Jehovah-shammah may be...
a word play on the name “Jerusalem,” this
city is named “Yahweh Shammah.” The former capital, the “City of Peace” is
now replaced with “Yahweh is There.” Not only had Yahweh abandoned the
Solomonic temple, He had abandoned the city of Jerusalem, too (cf. Ezek 9:5,
6, 7, 8; 11:23; 33:21). But, in keeping His promises to Jerusalem (Ezek
16:53, 55), Yahweh reconstructs and renames the city with an even greater
name, His own. Its importance now lies in the fact that here both Yahweh
and all His people dwell together in perfect harmony, symbolized by the
symmetry of the city’s walls and gates.
The last words of the prophet and of the
book stand as an open invitation to those in exile. The house is built. The
table is set. The rooms are assigned. The land is secure. And Yahweh is
there … waiting … watching … wooing … wanting his people to come home.
“But while he was still a long way off,
his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his
son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.… So they began to celebrate”
(Luke 15:20, 24).
(Fredenburg, B. Ezekiel. The College
Press NIV commentary. Joplin, Mo.: College Press Pub. Co) (Bolding added)
Knowles writes that...
The name of the city will be ‘the Lord is
there’. In Hebrew this is ‘Yahweh Shammah’ — words which sound like
‘Jerusalem’ (Ed: The Hebrew Yahweh-Shammah, could be a
wordplay on Yerushalayim, the Hebrew pronunciation of Jerusalem, "City of
Peace"). Ezekiel has not mentioned Jerusalem until now. It is the final
glory of the holy city that God is present in her.
So Ezekiel concludes his book. For
twenty-five years, Ezekiel has served as prophet and priest-in-exile to the
people of Israel in Babylon.
He began with a vision of the Lord’s
chariot — throne, which revealed the God of Israel as supremely glorious and
everywhere active.
He saw the Lord withdraw from the temple
and predicted the fall and destruction of Jerusalem.
He promised the exiles that God would
make a new covenant with His people, to give them a new heart and dwell with
them for ever.
He received a vision of the future, with
a new temple, priesthood, land and city, all reflecting and expressing God’s
perfect holiness.
In the dark days of exile, Ezekiel is
realistic about God’s judgment and certain of a future restoration for
Israel. His awareness and portrayal of the glory of God is unsurpassed in
the Old Testament. His prophecies and visions hold high the hope that
God will one day bring all things to completion and make all things new.
(Knowles, A. The Bible Guide. page 342. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg. 2001)
(Bolding added)
Jon Courson comments...
The people to whom Ezekiel prophesied
were captives in a foreign land. They had heard reports that their country
had been obliterated, that the temple had been destroyed. But suddenly they
hear a message from God, telling them not only that the temple would be
rebuilt, that the Levites would be in place, that the priests would be in
attendance, that all twelve tribes would be reunited and given a portion of
the land—but, above all, that the city would be named Jehovah-Shammah, or
“the Lord is there.”
Maybe, like the Jews in Ezekiel’s day,
you feel displaced or forgotten, out of touch and out of hope. If you don’t
know the Lord, leave the captivity of sin behind and turn to Him, for He is
as near as your confession of faith in Him (Romans 10:8, 9, 10).
And if you do know Him, take heart, for
all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for
instruction in righteousness—including Ezekiel 48 (2Ti 3:16). Through this
otherwise-obscure passage, the Lord would say to you, “Fear not. I haven’t
left you nor forsaken you. In fact, I have something planned and all
measured out for you. The kingdom is right around the corner—and the best
part about it is that I will be there.” (Courson, J. (2006). Jon Courson's
Application Commentary : Volume two : Psalms-Malachi. p 694. Nashville, TN:
Thomas Nelson)
Charles Dyer commenting on
Jeremiah's prediction of a rebuilt Jerusalem (Jer 31:38, 39, 40) notes
that...
God described two characteristics of this
new city. First, it will be holy to the Lord (cf. Zech.
14:20, 21). The city and its inhabitants will be set apart to God who will
dwell in her midst (Ezek. 48:35). Second, the city will no more be uprooted
or demolished. The ravages of war will not be experienced in this new city.
These verses were not fulfilled after the Babylonian Captivity ended. Since
the postexilic period provides clear evidence that holiness was not a
primary characteristic of the people in Jerusalem and Judah (cf. Mal. 1:6,
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14), so the city was destroyed again in a.d. 70 by
the Romans. These promises (Jer. 31:31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
await their future fulfillment during the Millennium.
(Walvoord,
J. F., Zuck, R. B., et al: The Bible Knowledge Commentary. 1985. Victor
or
Logos)
C H Spurgeon...
If the Lord is with us through life, we
need not fear for our dying confidence, for when we come to die, we will
find that “The LORD is there” (Ezek. 48:35). Where the billows
are most tempestuous and the water is most chill, we will feel the bottom
and know that it is good; our feet will stand upon the Rock of Ages when
time is passing away. Beloved, from the first of a Christian’s life to the
last, the only reason why he does not perish is because “the LORD is
there.” When the God of everlasting love will change and leave His
elect to perish, then may the church of God be destroyed, but not until then
because it is written, Jehovah, “The LORD is there.” (Spurgeon, C.
H. Daily Help)
Arnold Fruchtenbaum...
Jerusalem’s name will be changed to
Jehovah Shammah, which means Jehovah is there (v. 35b). Since the Messianic
God-Man will personally reign from this particular city, the city will not
only fulfill its name of Jerusalem (the city of peace), but also Jehovah
Shammah (Jehovah is there). For this same reason the city will also be
called Jehovah our Righteousness, according to Jeremiah 33:16.
(Fruchtenbaum, A. G. The Footsteps of the Messiah : A study of the sequence
of prophetic events Rev. ed. p 467. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries)
John MacArthur...
The city is called YHWH Shammah, “The
Lord is There.” The departed glory of God (Ezek 8:1, 2, 3, 4, 5ff through
Ezek 11:22, 23, 24, 25) has returned (Ezek 44:1,2), and His dwelling, the
temple, is in the very center of the district given over to the Lord. With
this final note, all of the unconditional promises which God had made to
Israel in the Abrahamic Covenant (Ge 12:1, 2, 3, 4); the Levitic Covenant
(Nu 25:10, 11, 12, 13); the Davidic Covenant (2Sa 7:12, 13, 14, 15, 16); and
the New Covenant (Jer 31:31, 32, 33,34, 35, 36) have been fulfilled. So this
final verse provides the consummation of Israel’s history—the returned
presence of God!
(MacArthur,
J.: The MacArthur Study Bible Nashville: Word
or
Logos)
A R Faussett has an interesting
comment on Rev 21:12 writing that...
Ezek 48:30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, has
a similar description, which implies that the millennial Jerusalem shall
have its exact antitype in the heavenly Jerusalem which shall descend on the
finally regenerated earth. (A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the
Old and New Testaments)
Warren Wiersbe describes Ezekiel's
vision of the new temple...
In examining all the information Ezekiel
recorded for us, we must be careful not to lose the major messages among
these important details. There is a sense in which the messages of the
entire book are wrapped up in one way or another in chapters 40 to 48. The
spiritual lessons are as meaningful to us today as they were to Israel in
Ezekiel’s day, or as they will be to the Jewish people in Messiah’s day.
Separation from sin. Ezekiel was a
priest as well as a prophet, and it was the responsibility of the priests to
teach the people the difference between the holy and the unholy and the
clean and the unclean (Lv 10:10, 11; Ezek 44:23). Israel drifted into sin
because they began to erase these differences and became like the pagan
nations around them. The temple in Jerusalem, with its special courts and
holy chambers, reminded the people that God put a difference between the
holy and the profane. For people to “call evil, good, and good, evil, [and]
put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Is 5:20) is to violate the
basic principle of holy living. (See Ezek 40:5; 42:14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,
20; 43:7)
Worship. The temple was a place of
worship, but the heart of the worshiper was far more important that his or
her gifts. The Jews in the Southern Kingdom of Judah had defiled the holy
temple of God and dared to worship Jehovah along with the idols of the
nations around them! God’s people don’t decide how they are going to worship
the Lord; they simple obey what He has told them in His Word.
Fulfillment. One of the purposes
of the
Millennial Kingdom
is that God might fulfill His promises to His people, promises He couldn’t
fulfill because of their rebellion and unbelief. In His grace and mercy, God
gave Israel a wonderful land, a perfect law, and a glorious
Lord. They defiled the land by their terrible crimes; they
disobeyed the law by adopting pagan practices; and they defied their
Lord and tempted Him by resisting His calls to repentance. But during
the kingdom, Israel will trust the Lord, obey His Word,
worship in His temple as they should, and bring delight to the
Lord who will rule from David’s throne.
But there’s a further fulfillment, for
the Kingdom Age (Ed:
Millennium)
will “wrap up” all the previous ages in God’s revelation of Himself and His
purposes. The land will be like the Garden of Eden (Ezek 36:35), complete
with a river of life and trees of life. The promises made to Abraham will be
fulfilled and his descendants will possess and enjoy their land. The Law of
Moses will be obeyed from the heart (cp Ezek 11:19, 18:31, 36:26), and the
Lord will be worshiped and glorified. The Messiah that Israel rejected at
His first coming will be received and honored and will reign over them (Ezek
43:6, 7). God will fulfill every kingdom promise found in the pages of the
prophets!
God’s glory and God’s name. If the
Book of Ezekiel teaches us anything, it teaches us that we must honor God’s
name and magnify His glory. The glory of God departed from Israel because
they defiled the temple. The glory of God returned to the new temple because
it was holy and a place where God could dwell. “They shall know that I am
the Lord” is a statement found at least sixty times in Ezekiel’s book.
While God’s glory doesn’t dwell in our church buildings, God can be
glorified or disgraced by what we do in those buildings we have dedicated to
Him. As His people, we must be reverent and honor His name.
(Ed: "Know that I am the LORD"
- Ezek 6:7, 10, 13, 14; 7:4, 27; 11:10, 12; 12:15, 16, 20; 13:9, 14,
21, 23; 14:8; 15:7; 16:62; 17:24; 20:12, 20, 26, 38, 42, 44; 22:16; 23:49;
24:24, 27; 25:5, 7, 11, 17; 26:6; 28:22, 23, 24, 26; 29:6, 9, 16, 21; 30:8,
19, 25, 26; 32:15; 33:29; 34:27; 35:4, 9, 15; 36:11, 23, 38; 37:6, 13, 28;
38:23; 39:6, 7, 22, 28)
The sovereign rule of God. The
first vision God gave Ezekiel was that of His glorious throne, moving
quickly here and there so that His angelic creatures could accomplish His
purposes in the world. Today, the church of Jesus Christ is left in this
world not just to pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” (Mt
6:10) but to help accomplish that will in the power of the Holy Spirit. God
is still on the throne and Jesus Christ has “all authority in heaven and on
earth” (Matt. 28:18). Need we ask for more? (Be
Reverent Warren W. Wiersbe)
F B Meyer in Our Daily Homily...
THE LORD IS THERE. Ezek. 48:35 --
EZEKIEL has in view an ideal city; whether in any material form it is to be
realized, we must wait to see (Ed: Answer - It will materialize!).
But this shall be its prominent characteristic, that God will be there. A
great voice will be heard out of heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people;
and God Himself shall be with them and be their God."
There is comfort in this for the
sorrowful; because where God is, there cannot be sorrow, nor crying, nor
pain. God shall wipe away all tears from off all faces. No cypress-trees
line the streets of that city; no dirge intrudes upon the glad ascription of
praise; no sob or groan is possible.
There is comfort for far dissevered
friends; for where God is, the centre and goal and home, all His
children meet. Back from distant lands and spheres they come; home from the
school where they have been taught; back from the voyage; back from the
military camp; back from the tour of exploration. The gates stand open to
admit to His heart; and that heart is the rendezvous of those who have come
out of every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people--never again to be
parted.
There is comfort for the doubting and
perplexed. Here, night often reigns over the heart of Thomas and the
mind of Mary. Truly devoted souls grope by candle-light, and sometimes they
walk in darkness and have no light, learning to walk by faith. But there all
mysteries will be unravelled, all problems solved, every question answered;
there will be no night, no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God shall
lighten it, and the Lamb shall be the lamp thereof.
In his sermon on Jehovah Shammah (Click
here for the complete Sermon on The God Who is There - Jehovah Shammah),
Pastor Brian Bill reminds us that...
In the Garden of Eden we read that
everything was perfect because the Creator (Elohim)
wanted Adam and Eve to live in a place of beauty and comfort as seen in
Genesis 1:9:
“And the Lord God made all kinds of
trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good
for food.”
As beautiful as the creation was, the
real joy was that “God himself walked in the garden in the cool of the
day…” (Genesis 3:8).
God’s presence was to be their greatest
pleasure. But because Adam and Eve chose to disobey, the entire human race
was plunged into darkness and death. Thankfully, God continued to reveal
Himself and make His presence known. Genesis 5:22 tells us that Enoch “walked
with God 300 years.”
We’ve learned in this series that El
Shaddai also talked with Abraham. He allowed Jacob to wrestle with Him to
teach him the truth that God is always present. Moses, who doubted God’s
presence, had an encounter with the Almighty at the burning bush, and later
declared in Exodus 33:15:
If your Presence does not go with us,
do not send us up from here.”
Moses wasn’t going to mobilize unless God
moved with him. Yahweh demonstrated His powerful presence to the Israelites
while they were in the desert of despair by using two symbols. By day, a
cloud led them, and by night a pillar of fire pronounced His presence. God
was personally and powerfully present with His people at all times and in
all places. Let’s repeat this phrase again: “God is there, He is here, He
is everywhere.”
On top of that, the Israelites had a portable tabernacle that symbolized the
fact that God was with them. This tabernacle replaced the tent of meeting
that Moses set up (Ex 33:7, 8, 9, 10, 11). The tabernacle was to be
constructed with specific details, that I won’t go into right now, but
suffice it to say that according to Exodus 25:8, this was to be the “dwelling
place for God.” This helped the Israelites know that God was present
with them.
Now let’s fast forward to the time of
King David and look at Psalm 139:7-10:
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where
can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if
I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the
dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will
guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
This passage establishes one of the
Almighty’s attributes referred to as the Omnipresence of God. Simply stated,
this means that God is always wherever He needs to be to do whatever needs
to be done. He’s everywhere present at the same time. He is there, He is
here, and He is everywhere.
King David was eager to build a permanent place for God but was not allowed
to. Instead, his son Solomon had the privilege of constructing a place for
God’s name to dwell. Using enormous resources, this project took over 7
years to complete. The temple symbolized the fact that God was there for his
people, and yet Solomon recognized that a building could not contain the
awesome glory of God in 1 Kings 8:27:
But will God really dwell on earth?
The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this
temple I have built!
Unfortunately, even though they now had
the Temple, and the assurance of God’s presence, the people compromised
spiritually, and fell away from the Almighty. In one sense, they were more
preoccupied with the place than with the presence of God Himself. God then
brought numerous prophets on the scene to bring them back, but they were
often met with resistance. Finally, because of their disobedience, God
mobilized the Babylonians to come and attack Jerusalem, and 400 years after
it was constructed, the Temple was destroyed, and the people were deported
to what is modern-day Iraq...
...We have some promises about the
presence of God. Claim these as your own as you call out to Jehovah Shammah
in prayer.
Habakkuk 2:4: “Be strong, all you
people of the land, declares the LORD, and work. For I am with you, declares
the LORD Almighty.”
Hebrews 13:5: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
Matthew 28:20: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the
age.”
I’d like to close by making ten
statements that I’d like you to respond to by saying, “God is there, He is
here, He is everywhere.”
When you feel alone…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When your boyfriend or girlfriend
breaks up with you…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you get bad news from the doctor…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When your child makes bad decisions…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you wonder why you hurt so bad…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you feel like hurting yourself…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you’re tempted to do something
wrong…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you make a mistake…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you can’t pay your bills…
"God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
When you’re afraid about the future…
“God is there, He is here, He is
everywhere.”
(Click
for the complete Sermon on The God Who is There)
><>><>><>
Jehovah-Shammah
From
Names
of God
by Nathan Stone
Nathan Stone summarizes the various
names of God and then expounds on the name Jehovah Shammah, The LORD is
there...
Jehovah reveals Himself in the power and
majesty and glory of His person and as meeting every need of that man whom
He had made in His image and for His glory. His name
Elohim
revealed Him not
only as Creator and Ruler, but as covenanting to preserve His Creation. The
name
Jehovah
revealed Him in special relationship to
man. For since that name indicates absolute self-existence, and therefore
One who is infinite and eternal, it could be revealed only to creatures who
could apprehend and appreciate the infinite and eternal. And since the name
Jehovah sets God forth in His moral and spiritual attributes, the special
relationship between Him and the crowning work of His Creation, the man made
in His image, was a moral and spiritual one. That moral and spiritual
relationship was broken by man's disobedience and sin and fall. After that,
the names of God compounded with Jehovah reveal Him as providing redemption
for fallen, sinful man, and depicting every aspect of that great transaction
of redemption by which man is fully restored to God-healing, victory, peace,
sanctification, justification, preservation, care, and guidance.
Jehovah-shammah is the promise and
pledge of the completion of that purpose in man's final rest and glory, for
man's end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. For, as Paul says,
"Whom he did predestinate, them he
also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he
justified, them he also glorified" (Ro 8:30-note),
a past tense, but speaking the language
of eternity.
THE
OCCASION OF THE NAME - The name Jehovah-shammah is found in
the last verse of the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel began his prophecies at a
time when the nation Israel was at the lowest ebb of its history,
spiritually and nationally. The sun of its strength and glory had long set,
and the night was fast closing in. Every one of his prophecies was uttered
in captivity where he had been taken several years before the destruction of
Jerusalem. The last great vision and prophecy was uttered in the
twenty-fifth year of the captivity and fourteen years after Jerusalem had
fallen, the Temple destroyed, and only a poor, miserable remnant left in the
land. Israel's spirit was broken, and Ephraim's crown of pride was laid low
in the dust. It appears they had been delivered from bondage in Egypt only
to go into bondage in Babylon. By the rivers of Babylon, the psalmist tells
us, they sat and wept, as they remembered Zion. Song had departed from them.
They hung their harps upon the willows. 'How shall we sing Jehovah's song in
a strange land?" they answered their captors when they demanded of them one
of the songs of Zion. In the land of their humiliation and sorrow they had
time to reflect upon their follies and to realize the pleasantness of their
heritage now laid waste and the beauty of Jehovah's sanctuary now destroyed.
Then they vow:
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do
not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer
not Jerusalem above my chief joy" (Ps 137:5, 6-note).
Perhaps with the passing of the years, or with the easing of the conditions
of captivity, enthusiasm for Zion was beginning to wane. At any rate, the
Ezekiel who twenty-five years before had prophesied to the early captives in
Babylon the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, now brings this
prophecy of hope and consolation which predicts the restoration of land and
people in a measure far beyond anything they had ever experienced in the
past, or could have imagined. The pledge of all this is the name
Jehovah-shammah. Jehovah is there.
The Jehovah who had departed from the old Temple, desecrated by the
abominations of His people (Ezekiel 10:18, 19; 11:22, 23, 24) and destroyed
by His judgments, now returns by the same way into a new and glorious city
and Temple, purged of all the old abominations and oppressions, and
characterized by righteousness, justice, and holiness. The glory of Jehovah
would fill this new place, and His presence would dwell and abide there
forever (Ezekiel 43:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Ezekiel heard a voice saying
to him: Son of man, 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 children of Israel
forever." (Ezek 43:7)
All this vision Ezekiel was commanded to take back from Jerusalem, where he
had been taken in spirit, to the captives in Babylon, for their heartening
and hope.
THE MEANING
OF THE NAME - The uniqueness and glory of Israel's
religion as contrasted with the religions of the surrounding nations had
always been the presence of a holy God dwelling in their midst. The
condition of His continued presence among them was to be their faithfulness
to a covenant by which they promised to be a holy people to this holy God
(Ex 19:8, 24:3, 7, but compare how quickly they "forgot" God and rebelled in
their heart - Ex 32:1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
This again was in striking contrast to the surrounding nations whose worship
was as cruel and licentious as their gods.
Jehovah had promised His presence among His people from the beginning.
Whatever the outward symbols or manifestation, the Presence was real and
felt,
"Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring
thee into the place which I have prepared," He said to Moses (Exodus 23:20).
(Ed: See explanation of OT term
Angel of the LORD)
In
Ex 23:23, this angel is "my Angel." He is the
Angel of Jehovah
who appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:2), and who announces
Himself to Moses as the
"I am that I am"
= Jehovah Himself (Ex 3:14, 15). (Ed:
Jehovah = Jesus)
In answer to Moses' plea to continue with His people in spite of their great
sin and provocation, Jehovah says:
"My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest." (Ex 33:14)
And
Moses continues:
"If thy presence go not with me,
carry us not up hence. For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy
people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us?"
(Ex 33:14, 15, 16).
Moses reminds the children of Israel as they are about to
enter the land,
because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and
brought thee out with his presence" (Dt 4:37ASV).
And in a wonderful passage of Scripture, Isaiah remarks:
"In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence
saved them: in His love and pity He redeemed them; and He bare them and
carried them all the days of old" (Isa 63:9).
In a beautiful psalm, which tells of
David's desire and purpose to build a house for Jehovah to dwell in, we
read:
Arise, O Jehovah, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength . . . .
For Jehovah hath chosen Zion; he bath desired it for his habitation. This is
my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it" (Ps 132:8, 13,
14-note).
Both tabernacle and Temple were the place of His abode and His visible
manifestation in Israel (Ex 13:21, 22, cp Ex 25:21, 22). The New Testament
makes it quite clear that these Old Testament edifices were figures of the
true (He 8:5, 6-note),
the pattern of things in the heavens (He 9:8, 9-note,
He 9:23, 24-note).
Everything about them was highly typical of God's presence and glory (Ed:
See Study of Biblical types). Of their free and willing gifts the children of
Israel erected these costly and beautiful buildings. As soon as the
tabernacle in the wilderness was completed and dedicated, we are told that
the glory of Jehovah filled it, and the cloud of Jehovah was upon the
tabernacle by day, and there was fire therein by night, in the sight of all
the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys (Ex 40:34, 35, 36, 37, 38).
David desires to build a "house" for Jehovah to dwell in because all these
centuries since they had first entered the land Jehovah had
"walked in a
tent and in a tabernacle" (2Sa 7:5, 6, 7).
And when that magnificent Temple was built by his son Solomon on the very
site of
Mt Moriah,
where Jehovah had revealed Himself to Abraham as
Jehovah Jireh, a great and
dramatic scene ensued. At the end of Solomon's great prayer of dedication,
the fire, fitting symbol of Jehovah's presence and power, came down from
heaven, consumed the sacrifices on the altar,
'and the glory of Jehovah
filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of Jehovah,
because the glory of Jehovah had filled Jehovah's house" (2Chr
7:1, 2, 3).
The fullness of Jehovah's presence was the hope and end of all prophetic
expectation. After the glorious prophecy of Messiah's universal reign in the
eleventh chapter, Isaiah pens a beautiful psalm of praise in Isaiah 12:6
which ends with the words:
"Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of
Israel in the midst of thee." (Isa 12:6)
Also speaking of a future fulfillment,
Jeremiah says:
"At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord" (Jer3:17).
"Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God," says the psalmist of
Zion (Psalm 87:3-note).
Of the city trodden under
foot and despised, Isaiah says:
"They shall call thee The City of Jehovah,
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel" (Is 60:14).
In Psalm 46, that great psalm
of confidence, Jehovah is represented as "the indwelling Helper." Here
mention is made of
"the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High. God is
in the midst of her . . . . The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob
is our refuge." (Ps 46:4-note,
Ps 46:7-note)
Whereas all about in the earth is
turmoil and tumult, war and ruin, there is safety, security, tranquility, in
the city of Jehovah's constant presence.
But to return to Ezekiel's vision and prophecy, was the fullest meaning of
the name Jehovah-shammah to be realized in any earthly habitation?
"Will God," asks King Solomon on the very occasion of the dedication of the
Temple,
"will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of
heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I has build!" (1Ki 8:27).
The orthodox Jewish interpretation of this vision
(Ezek 48:35) has always been a strictly
literal one. Its fulfillment is to be realized in an earthly Jerusalem, a
temple rebuilt and the sacrificial system restored. Then Messiah is to come
and reign as the Son of David with Jerusalem as His throne (cp Jer 23:5,
33:15, Isa 11:1, 2, 3, 4) and the spiritual
and political center of the earth (cp Zech 14:8, 9, 10, 11, 20, 21). So Jehovah-shammah is realized.
Jehovah-Shammah:
Three Interpretations
Some Christian interpreters have also supported the view of a
strictly literal interpretation and as having no other significance.
Others have interpreted the vision only in a typical, spiritual
sense, as having no literal fulfillment whatever in an earthly Jerusalem and
a restored, national Israel.
There are still others who combine the two interpretations and
declare that the vision has both a literal fulfillment and a wider,
spiritual and final fulfillment. Israel will indeed be restored to their
land and resume their worship. Messiah, the Prince, will indeed appear for
their salvation and the setting up of His kingdom when every knee shall bow
before Him and every tongue confess Him as Lord.
But there is an even fuller, a final application to be made of this
prophecy, that of a new heaven and new earth (Re 21:1-note,
cp "New Jerusalem" Re 21:2-note)
wherein dwells righteousness (cp 2Pe 3:13-note),
a home eternal in the heavens.
For it is quite obvious that even though Ezekiel was bidden to carry this
vision back to Babylon for the hope and encouragement of the captives there,
it had a much larger significance than could ever have been realized by
their return. And as a matter of fact, nothing in the program of this vision
was adopted by them when they did return.
THE
FULFILLMENT OF THE NAME - It has been seen that the fulfillment
of this name was limited in the Old Testament both in its manifestation and
scope. Every manifestation of God's presence in the midst of His people,
though real, could only be but a shadow of a glorious reality to come. As to
its scope, it was limited to the nation Israel.
In the New Testament dispensation it has a wider scope in that it is more
spiritual than symbolic, and more personal rather than national. For now it
has been fulfilled ideally in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (cp Col
2:17-note).
As Man and representing the human race
"the whole fullness of God was
pleased to dwell in him" (Colossians 1:19-note).
He was the effulgence of
God's glory and the very image of His substance (Hebrews 1:3-note).
"The
Word became flesh and tabernacled among us," says John, "and we beheld his
glory" (John 1:14).
Thus He became "God with us," the
Immanuel of Isaiah
7:14, the Child, the Son, the mighty God, the everlasting Father of Isaiah
9:6. The One who in the Old Testament came in occasional, mysterious
appearance as the
Angel of Jehovah, the Angel of His Presence, the Angel of
the Covenant (cp Mal 3:1, Jdg 2:1), the Angel in whom is Jehovah's name, became in Christ both the
Presence itself and the Temple in whom the Presence resided so that in Him
and of Him it could be said Jehovah-shammah, Jehovah is there.
This Presence is now in believers as living temples of God.
Know ye not
that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you" (1Co 3:16).
"What agreement hath a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God; even as God said, I
will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be my people" (2Co 6:16).
Like Israel of old, the Church as a whole, as the Body of Christ, is also
called the habitation of God. Of the true Church it can be said, "Jehovah is
there." Speaking of the Gentiles, Paul calls them no more strangers but
fellow citizens together with believing Jews, with the saints, and of the
household of God, built on the same foundations of apostles, prophets, and
Christ the chief cornerstone. He describes it as a building fitly framed,
growing into a holy temple in the Lord, a habitation of God in the Spirit
(Eph 2:19, 20, 21, 22-note)...
It will certainly have a larger fulfillment yet for Israel in a millennial
kingdom. Of a restored Israel and Palestine, where every man shall dwell
safely under his own vine and fig tree, when the mountains of the house of
Jehovah shall be established (Micah 4:1, 2, 3, 4,5, 6), and Messiah, The Branch, the
beautiful and glorious Branch of Jehovah, shall build the temple, and bear
the glory and rule as prince and priest upon His throne, with counsels of
peace (Zech 6:12,13), there can be no doubt unless the plainest
prophecies are so spiritualized as to rob them of all sense and
understanding, and destroy the meaning and integrity of prophecy.
But, as already indicated, the name Jehovah-shammah has a final and eternal
fulfillment. This was intimated by the Lord Jesus in His parting discourses
to His disciples. He spoke about the many mansions in His Father's house
from which He would return to take His disciples to Himself that they should
be with Him there (John 14:2, 3).
Father, I will that they also, whom thou
hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory (John
17:24).
The ideal of life even in the Old
Testament was never conceived of as being fully realized on earth.
"As for me," says the psalmist, "I will behold thy face in righteousness: I
shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness" (Psalm 17:15-note).
"My flesh shall rest in hope," for "in thy presence is fullness of joy; at
thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:9, 11-note).
And the New Testament declares that our "citizenship is in
heaven" (Philippians 3:20-note).
The ideal and future life was often pictured under the figure of a city.
Even the psalmist must have had in mind something of what Ezekiel saw in his
vision, something more than the earthly Zion he knew, when he wrote:
"There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the
holy place of the tabernacles of the most High" (Psalm 46:4-note).
The great cities of the world are built on the banks of broad, deep streams,
but Jerusalem had no river. It is an ideal, a heavenly Jerusalem in which
this saying finds its final and fullest realization. Abraham looked for a
city which had foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:10-note).
He saw the final fulfillment of the promise "afar off." He desired a better
country than any earthly Canaan could be, that is, a heavenly country, as
his true home, for he confessed himself a stranger and pilgrim on the earth
(Hebrews 11:13, 14, 15, 16-note).
The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews tells us:
Ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the
heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, to the general
assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven" (Hebrews
12:22, 23, ASV-note).
And of that city the Book of Revelation says that there was no temple
there. There was no further need of any outward symbol of Jehovah's
presence,
for the Lord God, the Almighty, and the Lamb are the temple thereof
(Revelation 21:22-note).
The ideal and eternal character of this city of God, the place of His full
and glorious presence, finds its most sublime expression in Revelation 21
and 22.
"I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first
earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, the
new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride
adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying,
Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell [or
tabernacle] with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall
be with them, and be their God" (Re 21:1-note,
Re 21:2-note
, Re 21:3-note)
In that beautiful city,
foursquare with its precious stones, its crystal river, its delectable
fruits, and tree of life with its leaves for the healing of the nations, all
will be light, and love, and holiness, and worship, and joy, and safety.
There shall be no more curse, no adversary, no defilement, no sorrow, for
every wicked doer shall be cut off from that city of the Lord or Jehovah.
Then will be realized the full and final rest of the redeemed, the Sabbath
rest of creation restored. The glory of Jehovah will be fully manifested in
the Lamb that was slain. He will be seen and known in the full meaning and
beauty of all the names by which He had revealed Himself to man's imperfect
apprehension. And we shall join in saying
To Him who sits on the throne, and to the
Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever. (Re
5:13-note).
