God strengthens his people with the hope of glory

In the time of the prophet Ezekiel God’s people, the nation of Israel, had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians. This was because they had brought an idol into the temple where the altar of sacrifice was and where the people came to be in the presence of God in worship. The temple was destroyed and God’s glory departed from them.

In this passage we find a prophecy about God’s glory returning to the temple. Whilst the people in exile would mostly have understood this differently to what we now know about Jesus, it would have given them a hope for the future … God would be present with his people once again.

In our time the church looks back to what happened 2000 years ago when Jesus said ‘destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days’. He was referring to his death on the cross and resurrection. Jesus and all those who trust him through what he has accomplished for them are the ‘temple’ of God. This temple has a future perspective, looking to the heavenly city where God’s people will be fully in his glorious presence for all eternity … worshiping him forever.