Reading
SAA Notes
Details, details! They all give us the knowledge that God is taking particular care in building this heavenly Temple – so as Peter writes: We are living stones being built into a spiritual house – the body of Christ the true Temple.
SJA Notes
* Dear God, thank You for Your word today. Please write it on our hearts that we might not sin against You.
“And he said to me, ‘This is the Most Holy Place'”.
We should take seriously what we do on a Sunday, the new sabbath, when we join together in corporate worship of our God.
It is very interesting that in this new template shown to Ezekiel there is a Most Holy Place.
The Most Holy Place was an inner section where the High Priest could only enter once a year to offer up sacrifice to God for the sins of all the people (including himself).
Leviticus 16 tells us,
“And this shall be a statute forever to you, that atonement may be made for the people of Israel once in the year because of all their sins.”
Once a year. Sacrifice for sin. Atonement for the people. Entry given only to the High Priest.
The book of Hebrews helps us understand deep truths here. Jesus is our great High Priest. Jesus secured for us eternal redemption, He atoned for our sins.
In Hebrews 9 we read,
“For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.”
If the temple shown to Ezekiel is not built with human hands, if it is a vision of the heavenly true things, and there is a most holy place within it – Then this is what Hebrews speaks of, the holy places opened (because the first “copy” no longer stands).
And then, because Jesus opened up the way into the holy places- we are able to follow Him and enter the Most Holy Place in this new temple.
Hebrews 10 says,
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, …”
Why must we take seriously what we do when we come together to worship our God on a Sunday? (On the new Sabbath, the Lord is Risen!)
BECAUSE through Jesus, His blood shed, price paid, atonement won, redemption bought, ever-living great High Priest – we are entering into the throne room of God, into the very real presence of our King, into the heavenly realities.
This is a fearful truth, to come before the living and true God.
* Father God,
Please help us to understand Your word today.
Please help us discern true and discard lies.
Please may our worship of You be right and true.
Amen.