Old Testament Lesson 44 – “Every Thing Shall Live Whither the River Cometh”

 

Ezekiel 43:1–12; 44:6–9, 23. Ezekiel is shown a vision of the temple in Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 47:1, 6–12. Ezekiel sees a river flowing from the temple that gives life to the desert and heals the Dead Sea.

Ezekiel 47:2–5. Ezekiel measures the river’s depth and discovers that the water gets deeper each time he wades into it.

What do you learn about the temple from Ezekiel 43:1–12 and 44:6–9, 23?

According to Ezekiel’s vision, what changes will take place in the Judean wilderness and the Dead Sea, which are east of Jerusalem, because of the river flowing from the temple? (See Ezekiel 47:6–12.) How does the water of life available in the temple heal and give life to marriages? families? our ancestors? the Church?

As you study the account in Ezekiel 47:1, 6–12, you may also want to study Revelation 22:1–3 and 1 Nephi 8:10–11; 11:25. Notice the similar images in these passages.

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OT Gospel Doctrine lesson 44 - “Every Thing Shall Live Whither the River Cometh”
Ezekiel 43-44; 47

The First Temple

To set the stage for the temple discussion we will drop back to Ezekiel’s vision in his first chapter that we didn’t cover in detail last week…last week in this theophany (or vision) we focused on Ezekiel seeing God in the shape of a man and skipped some of the symbolism of the chapter.

Ezekiel’s vision begins with him seeing God’s throne in the heavens, surrounded by four cherubim. Four beings are described surrounding the throne of God. Verses 4-14 describe them in great detail which we will go over.

Unlike the cutesy cherubs of later paintings cherubim were a powerful group of angels, like the seraphim, who were considered warriors (cherubim protecting the tree of life with a sword), and trusted confidants of God.

Cherubs are discussed within the midrash literature. The two cherubim placed by God at the entrance of paradise (Gen. iii. 24) were angels created on the third day, and therefore they had no definite shape; appearing either as men or women, or as spirits or angelic beings (Genesis Rabbah xxi., end). The cherubim were the first objects created in the universe (Tanna debe Eliyahu R., i. beginning).

When we remember that angels and humans are all part of the family of God, just in different stages of development, we can better understand our connection with them, as many of us may someday be seraphim/cherubim, or may have been so in the pre-mortal existence.

Ezekiel 1 ⁴ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

⁵ Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

⁶ And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

Instead of trying to visualize how something has “four faces”…Ezekiel is likely trying to describe traits or characteristics…how many faces do each of us have? 

Wings could mean wings…but it often is used to represent clothing, or a veil…

⁷ And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.

⁸ And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.

⁹ Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

¹⁰ As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

I believe that the vision displays to Ezekiel the powers ascribed to the cherubim: fearless as a lion, powerful as an ox, the ability to move in all directions as an eagle, and the thinking capacity of man

¹¹ Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

The term wing, is often translated as covering, or veil (covered their bodies). It also represents the ability of movement, or power.

So, while the cherub may have had wings, it is as likely that the wings were special garments or veils to suggest they possessed the power and secrets of God.  It also suggests the ability to travel quickly.

¹² And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.

Note how there are repeated references to “moving straight forward”, not deviating…

¹³ As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

Ezekiel’s initial vision is very similar to the one in Isaiah 6. Ezekiel has a theophany, or a vision of God on his throne. In Isaiah’s vision, he is cleansed by a coal from the incense fire before God’s throne. Ezekiel sees the cherubim as “burning coals of fire.”

¹⁴ And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.

Another reason for the description of “wings”.  Now we move on from describing these four…

¹⁵ Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.

¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl (note: a shiny jewel or gem) : and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

¹⁷ When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.

The cherubim’s authority is represented by the wheel(s). These wheels are described with various stones or the colors of stones that are also represented in the Urim and Thummim found on the high priest’s breastplate. In some early versions of Ezekiel, there are actually 12 stone colors mentioned for the wheels. The Urim and Thummim symbolized the priesthood authority, and revelation or communion with God.

Now, think of the first temple or tabernacle, not that Solomon built, but the one that travelled with the Israelites as they moved through the wilderness.  It was portable…now when “wheels” are discussed think of the ability to move…

¹⁸ As for their rings (rims of the wheels), they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.

¹⁹ And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰ Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

Meaning, the tabernacle moves because of these creatures…the tabernacle did not have wheels, it was carried.   They tried wheels once and it was disastrous.  The wheels, or the tabernacles ability to move, is due to the four creatures. It also represents that there is always power present in the temple. 

²¹ When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²² And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal (CJB: “a dome glittering like ice”) , stretched forth over their heads above.

In summary, these four creatures are fearless, powerful, quick and thoughtful, are travelling with the tabernacle, the temple in the wilderness.  Wherever the tabernacle goes, they go.  Or more correctly, they stay with the tabernacle. 

²³ And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.

Think of our temple experiences, such as the Prayer Circle that Hugh Nibley describes in great detail.  These beings are surrounding the tabernacle, their wings are stretched out to touch each other suggesting a brotherhood or common purpose.  And then in the next verse a prayer…

²⁴ And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.

²⁵ And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.

And then a throne appears…as we discussed last week…

²⁶ And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.

And this is what we covered last week…the theophany, seeing God as man.

²⁷ And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

²⁸ As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.

The theophany continues in chapter 2 which we covered last week…

Ezekiel 2 ¹ And he said unto me, Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee.

² And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.

³ And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.

So from this, you get this great imagery of four powerful beings, their traits, their power, their clothing, their close association with the temple, especially with the MOVING temple, the tabernacle that travelled through the wilderness.

Ezekiel in chapter 1 describes the temple of Solomon as a mobile temple that could reach to Babylon where the exiles lived. Jehovah was not only the God of Jerusalem, but had power anywhere his people dwelt upon the face of the earth.

Now, at the end of Ezekiel he will describe the rebuilt temple…on to Ezekiel 43.

Ezekiel 43 ⁴ And the glory of the Lord came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

⁵ So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house.

⁶ And I heard him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

Then he addresses Ezekiel (Son of Man) and begins new temple imagery…compare it to the temple of chapter 1.

⁷ And he said unto me, Son of man, 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 for ever, and my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places.

⁸ In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.

⁹ Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcasses of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

And where is it he will dwell?

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 (CJB says “let them measure accurately”).

¹¹ 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 (CJB “exits”), and the comings in thereof (CJB “entrances”), 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.

¹² This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about (CJB “the surrounding area on the top of the mountain”) shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

Then he gives measurement, just like Noah’s ark, just like the Ark of the Covenant (the tabernacle).  Verse 13-17 gives measurements ending in 17 with…

Ezekiel 43 ¹⁷ And the settle (ledge) shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit; and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east.

We are not describing a “temple with wheels” or the tabernacle.  This is very different than the temple in chapter 1.  This is a solid, permanent temple. 

Several times the word “settle” is used.  This simply means “ledge” or the edge around the structure being described.

And then he describes the ordinances to be performed…

Ezekiel 43 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.

And from here to the end of the chapter (vs. 27) sacrifices and the procedures to perform them are described.

This temple, as with all temples, is implicitly tied to all holy places ever used by God: the Garden of Eden, Mount Sinai, Noah’s ark, the Tabernacle;  the Temples of Jehovah have all been a place of refuge from the storms and evils of the world. They are paradise.

In the recent Temple Studies Group Symposium IV in England, Old Testament scholar Margaret Barker explained that when Ezekiel saw the Garden of Eden as the “mountain garden of the ‘elohim (Gods, sons of God).” This is where God walked and spoke to the man, Adam. This is where Adam learned he was made in similitude of Jehovah, and was the first Adam.

Jesus Christ would later be the second Adam, bringing mankind back to the Garden of Eden through the rites of the temple of God. The temple is described as the “mountain of the Lord’s house” by Isaiah (2:² 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 therefore represents Ezekiel’s mountain garden paradise.

In chapter 43 Ezekiel sees the future temple. Because of his vision, partially fulfilled in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the scribe, exiled Israel would look forward in hope to restoring the temple after their Babylonian exile, and again look forward to building what is known as the Third Temple (the Third Temple is not the rebuilt Second Temple which was destroyed in 70 A.D.).  The Third Temple has not yet been built…

Ezekiel 44 – Requirements for the temple…(31 verses)

Ezekiel 44 ¹ Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.

² 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.

³ It is for the prince; 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.

This term “the Prince” occurs many times in Ezekiel.  It is felt that this refers to…the Messiah, both to Jews and to Christians.

Ezekiel 44 ⁴ Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord: and I fell upon my face.

⁵ And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.

Verse 9 summarizes the qualifications for entry into the temple…

Ezekiel 44 ⁹ Thus saith the Lord God; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.

down to verse 15…talks about priests and those attending the temple.

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:

Verse 16 starts to discuss temple worship of that time and what those in the temple can wear and do.

Ezekiel 44 ¹⁶ They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.

Then there is a reference to the Law of Shatnez, a hebrew law that prohibits wearing wool and linen together in the same garment.  Something like a Kosher law for clothing.

¹⁷ 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, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.

And a further reference to temple clothing…

Ezekiel 44 ¹⁸ They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

They are to change out of their street clothes just as we do.

Ezekiel 44 ¹⁹ And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

They will have a nice missionary hair-cut.  Not too long, not too short.

Ezekiel 44 ²⁰ Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. ²¹ Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.

(both NKJV and CJB has “poll” as “neatly trimmed” or “carefully trimmed”).

Word of Wisdom for temple attendees:

Ezekiel 44 ²¹ Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. ²² Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.

And then in 44:23 is the verse that describes what they are to teach.  It is concise and is just what we should continue in our day.

Ezekiel 44 ²³ And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

And that may be the most profound teaching in all of scripture.  They shall teach the difference between the Holy and the Profane. 

Dennis Prager: “Holiness is the elevation of the human being from his animal nature to his being created in the image of God”

This is the reason, for practicing Jews, that Kosher laws exist.  That they keep separate refrigerators for milk and meat.  It is to signify and bring to mind that some things are Holy. 

This is the reason, for us, that we practice the Word of Wisdom, that we avoid unclean things, that we go through a temple recommend interview…so that we can be separated from the base things of the world.  So that we can know that there are things that are Holy, and so we can become holy. 

Then it talks for a few verses about sacrifices and offerings and cleansings.  Then another profound thought in vs. 28. Do you pay the priest?

Ezekiel 44 ²⁸ And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.

The chapter closes again with a nod to Kosher law…to holiness.

Ezekiel 44 ³¹ The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

Kosher law forbids some types of animals.  Those that can be eaten must be slaughtered, and it must be painless.  Blood must be drained from the animal. Some parts of an animal are forbidden.  Meat and dairy are separated.  Utensils pick up the kosher status of what they eat.  Stoves must be cleaned, even dishwashers must be separate or run separately. 

The key to the temple is to bring people back into the glory of God. To separate them from the world.

After the Fall, ancient tradition (Apocrypha) says that Adam longed for the return to the Garden and God’s presence. He had been placed at the Cave of Treasures, which was below the Garden, yet higher than the wicked who would later dwell in the valley below. Eventually God would give Adam 3 tokens from the Garden to place in the Cave of Treasures: gold, frankincense and myrrh. These treasures would later go from the first Adam, and be given to the second Adam, Jesus Christ, at his birth in Bethlehem. Jesus is the rightful owner of the gifts and tokens given to Adam from the Garden/Temple of God.

According to LDS theology, Moses’ key purpose in bringing the children of Israel to Sinai was not to receive the 10 Commandments, but to bring them a higher law and purpose: to actually take them up the mountain and into God’s presence. He wanted to restore them to the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve talked and walked with God. He sought for them to have the experience he had had with God, seeing him face to face. Yet, they refused to climb the mountain, and insisted that Moses be their eyes and ears before God.

In his wrath, God took away from them the higher law and priesthood power, and gave them a lesser law and priesthood authority (Levitical priesthood), which would stay in place until the mortal calling of Christ, who would fulfill the Mosaic Law and replace it with his higher law and power of the Melchizedek Priesthood (D&C 84:1-27, Hebrews 4-7).

How  many of us, are brought to the mountain (temple) and fail to take advantage of it’s blessings?  We must take care that we do not do the same that was done anciently, to refuse the gift placed before us.

Ezekiel 45 – Talks about dividing inheritances, who receives what in the city.  The Prince (the Messiah) is mentioned several times. 

This begs the question…to whom is he dividing the city up?  He is prophesying to the Tribe of Judah in exile.  He is offering them hope and the belief that they can get back into God’s good graces. 

Ezekiel 46 – The Manner of Worship…(24 verses)

Ezekiel 46 ¹Thus 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.

² And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

There are several verses of how and when to sacrifice and then in verse 9…

Ezekiel 46 ⁹ But when the people of the land shall come before the Lord in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.

Crowd control!

Man Touches God (Michelangelo - Sistine Chapel)

(Pause for picture…) Doesn’t Michelangelo’s painting signify the temple?  Where else does the finger of God reach down to us?

Lehi and Nephi’s Vision of the Tree of Life speaks of an iron rod that one must hold onto to obtain the Tree of Life. Clearly, the Tree of Life was upon a mount, which would require a rod to assist one in climbing. Next to the Tree of Life were the Waters or Fountain of Life, representing with the Tree of Life the love and salvation of God. Nephi would see in vision that the fruit of the Tree is Jesus Christ and the atonement encourage us to partake of the living waters (1 Nephi 8-15).

Ezekiel 47 ¹ Afterward 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.

Is this really water or is this symbolic, or both?

² Then brought he me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter (CJB “outer”) gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

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.

⁴ 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 (CJB “waist”).

⁵ Afterward he measured 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 (CJB “waded”) over.

⁶ 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.

In Ezekiel 47, we see that a river flows from under the temple and ultimately will heal the Dead Sea and the deserts.

⁷ Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

⁸ 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.

⁹ And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

The Garden of Eden also sent forth rivers to the surrounding lands, watering them and healing them from the drought conditions that often beset many areas of the world.

There is also imagery for the future temple (both ancient and modern) .  The Temple also heals the land with a river that flows from it. There is symbolism showing how the temple also gives life to those who drink from the waters therein. The Garden of Eden was tied to the first Adam. The latter-day temple is tied to the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

When we partake of his living waters, particularly those offered in the temple of God, we are given eternal life. Why in the temple of God? Because in the holy and sacred space is where man meets God face to face. Jacob’s ladder (Gen 28), Isaiah theophany (ch 6), Lehi’s vision (1 Nephi 1), and John’s Revelation (1, 4) all tell us about their visions of the celestial throne and seeing God sitting upon it. This is a pattern for all of us.

Ezekiel 47 ¹⁰ And it shall come to pass, that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many.

¹¹ But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

¹² And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed: it shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary: and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine.

Paul spoke of our bodies being the “temple of God” (1 Cor 3:16-17). Each of us should seek to make of our own lives a paradise of God, a Garden of Eden. Each of us should seek to arise from the fall of the first Adam, and claim the atonement of the second Adam, Jesus Christ.

From here in verse 13 on into chapter 48 we have a division of land:

Ezekiel 47 ¹³ Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.

¹⁴ And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

¹⁵ And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;

The borders are discussed until the chapter ends in verse 23.  Why is this notable? (next paragraph)

Chapter 48 continues the division of the land mentioned earlier…but gets specific by tribe.  Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, all the sons are mentioned and given a portion. 

It’s notable because they are IN CAPTIVITY and the 10 tribes are GONE!  They are hearing, from a prophet of god, just how the land will be divided, as if the 12 tribes are all back in Israel.  It almost reads like it is being measured and parceled out at the time, but the people are in exile or are lost.

On through the end of chapter 48, a return is spoken of as if it is a foregone conclusion.  This would be a dramatic rebirth for those living in Babylon in captivity.

In today’s LDS temples, we experience the earth’s Creation, the Garden, the Fall, and the return into God’s presence in the Celestial Room (representing heaven). We symbolize Adam, as he symbolizes Christ. In this experience, we literally practice for the day when each of us will kneel at the throne of God and behold our Lord. The question is whether we shall be like the prophets who entered into the throne room of God’s holy temple, or stayed below like the rebellious Israelites in Moses’ day.

We do not need to hear from prophets about a future restoration as these captives in Babylon did.  We live in the midst of the effects of the literal restoration. 

Think of the millions in the world that are lost, that are, in effect, in their own Babylonian confinement.  What effect would it be to them to learn of the gospel, of the temple, to see the river of knowledge flowing from it and to receive their “portion”?  Would it not be just as great to them of our day as those lost in Babylon of old? 

 

Bibliography
David Larsen’s notes on Margaret Barker’s talk at the Temple Studies Group Symposium IV:http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2010/11/08/the-temple-studies-group-symposium-iv-margaret-barker/
The Conflict of Adam and Eve Against Satan (Books 1 and 2):http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/fbe/fbe005.htm

http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/11/ot-gospel-doctrine-lesson-43-shepherds.html

http://www.ldsgospeldoctrine.net/tg/tg-2002-ot-44.pdf

Old Testament Lesson 43 – The Shepherds of Israel

 

Ezekiel 34. The Lord reproves those shepherds who do not feed the flock. He will seek all the lost sheep and be their Shepherd.

Ezekiel 18:21–32. Ezekiel teaches that the wicked who repent will be saved and that the righteous who turn to wickedness will be cast out.

Ezekiel 37:1–14. Ezekiel sees a vision in which many dry bones are given life.

Ezekiel 37:15–28. Ezekiel prophesies that the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph will become one in the Lord’s hand.

In 597 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon carried into captivity many people from the kingdom of Judah. Among these captives was Ezekiel, whom the Lord called as a prophet five years later. Ezekiel ministered to his exiled people until 570 B.C.

Ezekiel’s writings include rebukes and promises that apply not only to the ancient kingdom of Judah but to all Israel, including Church members today. Although Jerusalem had been destroyed, Ezekiel foresaw a day when Israel would be gathered and restored.

Who are the “shepherds of Israel” spoken of in Ezekiel 34? In what ways can each of us be considered a shepherd of Israel?

How is the Savior like a shepherd to us? (See Ezekiel 34:11–16; Psalm 23.)

What does it mean to “make … a new heart and a new spirit”? (Ezekiel 18:31). How can we experience this change of heart? (See Alma 5:7–14.)

In the prophecy recorded in Ezekiel 37:15–28, one of the things the stick of Judah represents is the Bible. One of the things the stick of Joseph represents is the Book of Mormon. What blessings have come from having the Book of Mormon in addition to the Bible?

Additional reading: Ezekiel 2.

 

Start lesson

First let’s orient ourselves with history…Ezekiel lived in turbulent times.

Likely resided at Jerusalem during Jeremiah’s tumultuous ministry.

721 b.c. Assyrian Empire conquered and deported the northern kingdom of Israel

612 b.c began to crumble, capital city of Nineveh was devastated by Medes and Babylonians.

609 b.c. King Josiah, southern kingdom of Judah was killed at Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho II of Egypt who came north to try to prop up Assyria and reassert Egypt’s once powerful influence in the region.

Judah continues to weaken. Josiah’s son, Jehoahaz, rules three months

Pharaoh Necho put another of Josiah’s sons, Jehoiakim, on the throne of Judah.

605 b.c. Babylon defeats the Egyptians at Carchemish and Nebuchadnezzar is installed as king of Babylon. Jehoiakim switched his allegiance to him. According to Daniel 1:1, that same year, the third of Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem, besieged it, and inaugurated the first deportation of Judahite citizens (not as big as in 598)

Babylonian and Egyptian armies meet again in battle and Jehoiakim takes the opportunity to rebel against Babylon and Nebuchadnezzar.

598 b.c. Nebuchadnezzar responded to Jehoiakim’s treachery by sending his army against Jerusalem and conquering it. Nebuchadnezzar exiled ten thousand to Babylon. Including Ezekiel (as well as Jehoiakim’s son, Jehoiachin). They joined those deportees who had been exiled in 605 b.c. Ezekiel was undoubtedly a very young man at this time.

In exile Ezekiel received his call to be a prophet (Ezekiel 1:1–3).

Ezekiel 1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. ² In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,  ³ The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.

From a priestly family - ministered to his fellow exiles as a prophet-priest.

He was married, lived relatively freely with his fellow exiles (akin to house-arrest).

As a priest, now cut off from the temple, his prophetic message had much to do with the Temple and its rituals.  Like Jeremiah, he sometimes acted out his message using symbolic images. Ezekiel’s influence upon the exiles was significant.  He greatly affected their thinking.

Ezekiel knew great personal sadness. He is informed in chapter 24 that Jerusalem is being besieged and the temple will be destroyed.

Ezekiel 24 ² Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: the king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.

Then he loses his wife…

Ezekiel 24 ¹⁶ Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down. ¹⁷ Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. ¹⁸ So I spake unto the people in the morning: and at even my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

He is told not to mourn to show the people that they should not mourn for their loss of Jerusalem, but that they should mourn their sinful condition…a tough lesson

After Jerusalem’s fall Ezekiel’s message becomes one of hope - the Lord’s people would experience a restoration and enjoy future redemption.

574 b.c marks the end of Ezekiel’s ministry. He was faithful in all things. The Prophet Joseph Smith said specifically that he was one of the ancients who had made his calling and election sure. The Prophet’s statement is especially instructive since it applies to all of us:

“After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints. . . . [W]hen any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions—Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens” (History of the Church,3:380–81).

OT Gospel Doctrine lesson 43 - The Shepherds of Israel (Ezekiel 18; 34; 37)
Sadly, the OT schedule being done in only one year has the class only looking at 3 chapters of Ezekiel. So much is available in his vision that ties directly into LDS theology that is not in these few chapters…

Ezekiel’s Vision by Raphael

The Vision
Ezekiel 1
Received 594 BC in Babylon. First, it shows that Jehovah is God outside of the boundaries of the land of Israel. Israel could survive in captivity and exile, even without a temple as their center place.

The vision in Ezekiel 1 has a great deal of temple imagery including cherubim and seraphim, much like apocalyptic Revelations and similar to Isaiah 6. He has a theophany, a vision of God’s throne.

Then he sees God.

Ezekiel 1 ²⁵ And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings. ²⁶ And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. ²⁷ And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

As with Isaiah, Jacob and others, God is a man of glory in Ezekiel’s vision, not a burning bush or a spirit.

Son of Man of Holiness
Ezekiel 2
Jehovah calls Ezekiel “son of man” throughout many of his visions. This is to signify to Ezekiel his status with God.

In his mortal ministry, Jesus also would call himself “son of man.” Jesus was the Son of God the Father. In LDS teaching, one of God’s names or titles is Ahman, or Man of Holiness (D&C 78:20, Moses 6:57; 7:35). Jehovah is Son of Ahman, the son of Man of Holiness, and in this context, so is Ezekiel.

In conjunction with many theophanies, the prophet sees or reads a heavenly book.

Ezekiel 2 ³ And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day. ⁴ For they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God.

⁵ And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

⁶ And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee, and thou dost dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

 

⁹ And when I looked, behold, an hand was sent unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein;

¹⁰ And he spread it before me; and it was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe.

Moses had the Ten Commandments given him (Exo 20). Lehi received a book and prophesied (1 Nephi 1). Isaiah prophesied while reading a book in the ancient text, Ascension of Isaiah. John the Revelator swallowed a book that was given him (Rev 10:10). Here, Ezekiel sees a book containing the lamentations of his people, while they are yet in exile.

Watchman in Israel
Ezekiel 3, 33-34
Anciently, a watchman stood upon a tower, often at night, to ensure the safety of the kingdom or land. From his position in the tower, he could look over the land, perhaps for a few miles, which would give sufficient warning in case of approaching enemies.
Ezekiel is tasked with being Israel’s spiritual watchman, while they are in exile. They are surrounded by enemies and demon idols. His counterparts: Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would be tried by the enemies of Israel. They were in need of prophets to teach them, warn them, and protect them from the world’s evils. So important was this position of watchman that God told Ezekiel that their blood would be on his hands if he did not faithfully perform his duties.

Ezekiel 3  ¹ Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. ² So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.

³ And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

When he is told to “eat” the roll, he is not literally eating it.  He is internalizing it, making the message his.  Part of the symbolic language.

⁴ And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them. ⁵ For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel;

⁶ Not to many people of a strange speech and of an hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

⁷ But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee; for they will not hearken unto me: for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

⁸ Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

Then he has another theophany…

¹² Then the spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place. ¹³ I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels over against them, and a noise of a great rushing.

 

¹⁶ And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ¹⁷ Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.

¹⁸ When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

¹⁹ Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

 

²¹ Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.

So it is with those of us tasked in God’s service today. We are to watch over the members of the Church and our families, protecting them from the world’s ever encroaching evils and dangers.

If we neglect our duty, we will someday have to answer for the collapse and destruction caused among those we are to care for.

Those watchmen who are faithful in their responsibility, not only save the community, but save their own souls. They are to be true shepherds of the flocks, and not just sheep herders that work for a wage. Instead, a shepherd put his life in danger to protect his beloved sheep. He would fight lions and bears to keep the flock safe.

This theme continues in Ezekiel 33…

Ezekiel 33  ² Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:

³ If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; ⁴ Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

⁵ He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

⁶ But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. ⁷ So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.

We should be clear on who we are a watchman for…

The Future of Israel
Ezekiel sees the future collapse and destruction of Israel and it’s temple (remember, they are already in exile). They will suffer much as they are scattered throughout the world. But they will be gathered again in the last days.

Punished for our own sins
Ezekiel 18

Verses 1–4 correct the misunderstanding of a phrase from the Ten Commandments about “visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation” (Exodus 20:5). Alcoholism, drug abuse, infidelity, rebellion, and many other sins of the fathers certainly can influence generations of descendants, but the basic doctrine is “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” It is an issue of individual responsibility. God will not impose punishment upon children because of any sins their fathers commit but only for the children’s own sins.

This echoes Article of Faith 2…“We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression” (Article of Faith 2).

This continues one theme of Ezekiel, that of emphasizing individual responsibility over family or societal responsibility. 

Ezekiel teaches that all are responsible for their own sins. Children will not be punished for the evil actions of the parents, nor the parents punished for their children’s sins.

This is a drastic departure from the Mosaic Law, where entire families were often stoned to death, whenever a major sin was caused by someone in the family (such as idolatry or rebellion). The idea was that if one was able to do such destructive things, then the entire family was capable of the same.

Ezekiel 18 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, ² What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?

³ As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. ⁴ Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

⁵ But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,

Then goes on to highlight what is lawful and right (or wrong) in verses 6-13 

Ezekiel 18  ²⁰ The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

²¹ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

And finally…

Ezekiel 18 ³⁰ Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

The Mosaic Law was based upon the needs of the nation as a whole. However, with Israel in exile, they were no longer a nation. Instead, Israel was a loose confederation of Jews that were mostly limited to local worship of Jehovah.

Most Bible scholars believe that the concept of worship done in synagogues either began during the exile, or rapidly expanded during the exile, as a method to continue worshiping Jehovah without a temple.

Suddenly, without a nation and the need to preserve the exiles as much as possible, the rule was changed by God. Now, only the sinner himself would be punished for grave sins. Those who repented, would be forgiven, while those who continued in rebellion would be stoned to death, in order to protect the religious community.

The focus changes from the Nation to the Individual…men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression

Jerusalem and Samaria destroyed by Babylon and Assyria
In the following chapters, Ezekiel speaks to Israel concerning why they have been taken into Exile.

Jerusalem had not yet been completely sacked and the temple destroyed, but Ezekiel explains that its destruction is certain. Because Judah and Israel were evil and worshiped other gods, they no longer had God’s true power to protect them. This holds true for the surrounding nations, as well.

Israel would be restored in time. Even Egypt would be destroyed by Babylon, and when it arose from the Phoenix’ ashes, it would not ever regain its former strength and beauty.

The Messiah
Ezekiel 34
The concept of a Messiah was becoming highly developed from the time of Isaiah and later. Ezekiel also sees the coming of the Messiah ben Judah (Savior, son of Judah), who would come forth and save Israel from its enemies.

Christ will be the one true shepherd, even the future servant David. While many would expect a Messiah to save them from the physical enemies of the world, the Messiah’s first coming would involve bringing his sheep to him and protecting them from all the spiritual dangers. In his 2nd Coming, Jesus would destroy the physical and spiritual enemies of Israel.

Ezekiel 34 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,

² Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

³ Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.

⁴ The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

⁵ And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.

More imagery of shepherd but notice how a new shepherd is introduced…

⁸ As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;

⁹ Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord;

¹⁰ Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

¹¹ For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out.

¹² As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

Gathering is discussed…

¹³ And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country.

¹⁴ I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

¹⁵ I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God.

The temple (which is being destroyed) will be restored (upon the high mountains of Israel)…

Jehovah shall be Israel’s Prince of Peace, Melchi (king) Zedek (righteousness), as he establishes a covenant of peace with them and begins the Millennial reign. However, he also becomes the spiritual Prince of Peace, bringing peace and hope to the souls of all those who believe and trust on his name.

Note that in the Hebrew text Melchizedek is split into Melchi and Tzedek, but in the Septuagint and the KJV it appears as one word.  In the Dead See Scrolls 4QAmram is found the opposite name, Melchi Resha (or Jeshua) (King of Evil) verifying that the usage of Melchizedek (King of Righteousness or Justice) as we have it is correct.

Ezekiel 34 ¹⁶ I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

Then a direct reference to the Messiah

Ezekiel 34  ²³ And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.

²⁴ And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.

²⁵ And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.

Deliverance

²⁷ And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

Then the chapter closes with…

Ezekiel 34 ²⁸ And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

²⁹ And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. ³⁰ Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.

³¹ And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.

Dry Bones and Sticks = Restoration
Ezekiel 37

Most Latter-day Saints are very aware of the LDS belief that a portion of Ezekiel 37 foresees the coming forth of the Bible and Book of Mormon in the last days. And it is a valid way to interpret it. However, we must remain aware that there are often multiple ways to read, and correctly understand scripture. Nephi told us to “liken” the scriptures unto ourselves, in what Jews would call pesher (commentary) or Midrash (explanation of scripture). However, it is important we seek to understand all the correct meanings, so as to expand our own understanding of scripture.

Ezekiel 37 ¹ The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

² And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.

³ And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest.

⁴ Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.

⁵ Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:

⁶ And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Ezekiel sees a valley of dry bones. These bones suddenly change to living, breathing beings. This can be understood on at least two levels:

First it foresees the future resurrection of all mankind through the power of Christ’s own resurrection.

Second, it also refers to the restoration of Israel as a living people and nation. We see things that once lived, but for a long time seemed dead. Now they become alive again.

Israel as a physical people and nation stopped existing for the most part for almost 2000 years, until 1948, when the nation of Israel was restored.

Yet, spiritual Israel also was dead. The Great Apostasy had taken the living Church that mortal Christ set up, and left it a skeleton that had no spirit nor true physical form. For centuries, the Christian church did not have all the priesthood authority, revelation, apostles, prophets, temples, or modern scripture.

It was a valley of dry bones, until the Restoration of the Gospel occurred in 1820, when the Father and Son came to the boy Joseph Smith and began the miraculous reconstruction of Spiritual Israel.

⁷ So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

⁸ And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

⁹ Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

¹⁰ So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

¹¹ Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.

¹² Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

Referring to both a literal resurrection as well as a spiritual one…

¹³ And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,

¹⁴ And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

Then we get the reference to future scriptures…

¹⁵ The word of the Lord came again unto me, saying,

¹⁶ Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and for all the house of Israel his companions:

¹⁷ And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

But when we look at the Hebrew word for “stick” (‘etz) we find that a better translation would be “wood.”

Based upon the context, we determine what the wood is. If you sit on it, the wood is a chair. If you eat on it, it is a table. If one writes on wood, then it is a book.

In ancient Babylon, books were created with thin boards that had wax on one side. The scribe would write in the wax, and then place two boards together with the wax on the inside to protect it.

In essence, Ezekiel is describing the Babylonian technique for preserving their documents, by combining them together. So we literally can have two books combined with the testimonies of Judah (the Bible) and Joseph (Book of Mormon).

(Some ask how the Book of Mormon can be the stick of Ephraim, when Lehi was a descendant of Manasseh. The key is not who wrote the books, but for whom the books were written. The Bible was written primarily for the Jews and their fellows (converted Gentiles), while the Book of Mormon was written primarily to the spiritual and physical tribes of Ephraim (which most LDS today belong to, according to their patriarchal blessings) and all others who join the LDS Church and are members of other tribes of Israel.)

Hinged Writing Board from Assyria

 

¹⁸ And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these?

We have a clear understanding of this…have you ever wondered how the rest of the world interprets this scripture, which we see as a reference to the Book of Mormon?

Matthew Henry’s Commentary discusses the mainstream christian view of the two sticks.  This commentary indicates the belief that the two sticks refer to the tribes of Judah (including Benjamin) on the one hand, and Joseph and the rest of the tribes and indicate and that “become one in thine hand” refers to a restoration of the kingdom’s of Judah and Israel, as they were in the time before the split (time of Solomon). 

¹⁹ Say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand.

²⁰ And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

²¹ And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land:

²² And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

²³ Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.

Second coming imagery ends Ezekiel 37…

²⁴ And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

²⁵ And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

²⁶ Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

²⁷ My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

²⁸ And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Chapter 38 and 39 End of Times

Ezekiel 38 ¹ And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, ² Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

To understand the people involved in these opening verses you would have to refer back to Genesis 10. 

What Ezekiel calls here the “battle of Gog and Magog” other writers call the “battle of Armageddon”.  There are two facts that can help clarify some of this “end of times” imagery here and throughout the OT.  These battles are mentioned here in Ezekiel, Revelation 20, Joel 3, Zechariah 12 and D&C 45. 

1. The battle of Armageddon is before the millennial reign of Christ begins, and the battle of Gog and Magog is after the millennial reign; and

Ezekiel 38 ¹⁸ And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that my fury shall come up in my face.

Ezekiel 38 ⁶ I will send fire on Magog and on those who live in safety in the coastlands, and they will know that I am the Lord.

2. What Ezekiel here describes is actually the pre-millennial battle of Armageddon, though he (and he only) labels it the battle of Gog and Magog. Keeping that one difference in mind resolves any confusion about which is which.

 

Bibliography
David Larsen’s notes of Margaret Barker’s Temple Symposium IV discourse on the Paradise Temple:http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2010/11/08/the-temple-studies-group-symposium-iv-margaret-barker/
Model of the Third Temple as described by Ezekiel:http://www.sonstoglory.com/ThirdTempleEzekielsMillennialTemple.htm#PhotosofEzekielsTemple
Cherubim: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherub
Cherubim/Seraphim Wings or Coverings: http://bible.cc/isaiah/6-2.htm
Isaiah’s theophany in Isaiah 6 and in the Ascension of Isaiah (OT Lesson 36) from my blog at Joel’s Monastery:http://joelsmonastery.blogspot.com/2010/09/ot-gospel-doctrine-lesson-36-glory-of.html
Painting: Raphael's Vision of Ezekiel:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5c/Raffael_099.jpg/300px-Raffael_099.jpg

Old Testament Lesson 42 – “I Will Write It in Their Hearts”

 

Study Jeremiah 16; 23; 29; 31.

As recorded in Jeremiah 31:31–34, what did the Lord promise to do in the latter days? (See also Ezekiel 11:17–20; 36:24–28; 2 Corinthians 3:2–3.) What does it mean to have God’s law written in our hearts? What must we do to have God’s law written in our hearts? How is our behavior affected when we have God’s law written in our hearts?

According to Jeremiah 29:12–14, what can we do to draw close to God?

Additional reading: Jeremiah 3–9; 13; 30; 32:37–42; 33; 35.

Gospel Doctrine OT lesson 42 - I will Write it in their Hearts
Jeremiah 16; 23; 29; 31

Worse than your Fathers
Jeremiah 16
The Lord tells the people that the destructions that are about to befall Jerusalem will be devastating. No one would be left to mourn or rebuild. There would be no more joy for Israel, because the temple would be destroyed, and the people of God will not remain in the Promised Land.

When the people ask why the Lord has forsaken them, Jeremiah explained:

”ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me” (Jer 16:12).

Remember, their forefathers included Manasseh, who placed a statue of Baal inside the Temple of Jehovah, and who killed Isaiah! They did not just follow another god in a particular direction, they had all turned to their own devices and imaginations.
Today, we can occasionally see the same thing, as people reject major teachings in the scriptures, simply because they no longer seem politically correct. Sexual sin, in all its myriad of colors and flavors, is now repudiated even by many Christian churches as belonging to an old era. How can one argue with such teachings, when religions focus on favorite passages, while ignoring or rejecting others.

The concept that people can be sexually active outside marriage, or involved in extreme violence (real violence or on video games) and still be fully accepted in God’s eyes truly is an amazing imagination. Yes, people are saved by grace and faith, but true Christian fellowship with God requires us to be like-minded with God. “By their fruits, ye shall know” those who truly follow Jesus and embrace his grace. Works are a natural outcome of conversion and salvation. Many believe that they can be saved and be sinners at the same time. Yet, the teachings of Christ in the Gospels teach us time and again that repentance and good works are necessary as an example of our walk with God.

Yet many imagine they can break the law of gravity and avoid the eventual consequences of it. In 2008, we found out that government, business, bankers, and home owners all imagined they could spend way above their means without consequence. Truly each walked after his/her own imagination. And even now, many insist on continuing their dream, rather than awaking and repenting or changing their lifestyles to a form that is sane.

Too many Americans today want government trimmed down, but do not want their own entitlements or favorite programs cut one iota. No wonder in 2010 we have continued financial struggles. If everything is selfishly considered sacred, then nothing can be fixed.
A true return to God and law requires true repentance, a change of heart and mind. It may often mean rejecting the concepts the world tries to impose upon us, and instead seek to save the world from itself. Mormon, Moroni, and Ether all were in the minority of nations that ripened in iniquity. Jeremiah would be imprisoned and Lehi’s life would be sought after by those in Jerusalem. Their words were politically incorrect. People do not want to hear hard words, but sometimes they need to hear them. Perhaps that is the only thing that pushes people off the fence of apathy, and into deciding to be for or against God and his prophets.

Woe to False Pastors
Jeremiah 23

“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord” (Jer 23:1-2).

Along with true prophets that call the people to repentance, are the false preachers who seek gain by preaching smooth things to the people. Power and money are often the ends sought after by those who preach another gospel than the one Jesus taught in the Gospels and through his prophets. Few today are called upon to take up their cross and follow Jesus.

However, in the last days, we are promised that a new King David will come and reign over Israel. Christ seeks to be the king over spiritual Israel, and in the Second Coming will conquer all enemies and pretenders to his throne and religion.

“Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the Lord, and because of the words of his holiness.
For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord” (Jer 23:9-11).

Again, God shows the land full of sexual sin. This has both physical and spiritual connotations, as Israel, God’s chosen, has been unfaithful. But the children of Israel have also rejected him and found their own prophets and priests to follow. The Lord proclaims that even in the Temple, the priests profane the holy work they are to perform. Again, this applies to our world today, when pretenders proclaim their version of the gospel, rather than seeking first the will of God and then proclaiming it.

Jeremiah is not a popular figure. And in days of great wickedness, modern prophets will also be found to be unpopular with popular notions of the world.

“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord.
They say still unto them that despise me, The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.
For who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?” (23:16-18)

The answer here is that only the true prophets, such as Isaiah (Isa 6), and Jeremiah (Jer 1) have stood in counsel with God and heard his word. All others use the philosophy of men with a few scriptures tossed in to promote their own belief systems.

Seventy Years of Repentance
Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah tells the people to not fight the Babylonians, but to accept the fact that they are going to be carried off. Many Israelites looked to Egypt to save them from the coming battle, and thinking that because they have Jehovah’s temple in their midst, they would be spared. Jeremiah insists that if they fight Babylon, their pride shall cause great destruction and ruin upon Israel.

Still, even many already in Babylon fought Jeremiah. Shemaiah proclaimed himself a prophet, sending letters to Jerusalem to repudiate Jeremiah:

“The Lord hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the Lord, for every man that is mad, and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.
Now therefore why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, which maketh himself a prophet to you?
For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying, This captivity is long: build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them” (29:26-28).

The people chose to believe Shemaiah, because he told them what they wanted to hear. He insisted Israel would return and he would be the new temple priest shortly, and that Jeremiah and the other prophets who said otherwise should be imprisoned.

Today we have people who seek to listen to worldly prophets. They speak soothing and often inspiring words to the people. People seek a savior of their own making, as we saw in 1930’s Germany’s embrace of Hitler, who promised them a way out of poverty. Today, we still seek salvation, happiness, and prosperity through the gods and prophets we make for ourselves, whether they are rock stars, movie stars, corporate CEOs, or leaders of nations. Eventually, when we are sitting in the midst of ruin, we will be forced to look up to the only true salvation: Jesus Christ.

The Restoration of Israel
Jeremiah 31
And eventually Israel and the world will awaken from their deep sleep. Their wild imaginations and riotous living, sex and violence, will not save them. They will look at the things which at one time brought them pleasure, and realize they are nothing but a bunch of empty dreams.

As a small child, one of my sons begged me to purchase him a particular video game, saying it would make him happy. That happiness lasted a few days, until he beat the game three or four times, and now was bored with it. He needed a new fix, a different game. And so it is in the games adults play today. Marriage is no longer an eternal or lifetime event, but only a convenient fairy tale until it becomes boring. The power to procreate is now only looked at as a means to pleasure. Procreation, a loving and selfless act, is replaced by selfishness and the destruction of potential life for convenience sake. Families are torn apart by society and even by government forces that mean well, but regulate fathers out of families. Christ-like compassion and forgiveness have been replaced by anger, division, and retribution.

In the day when spiritual Israel is reborn, and physical Israel returns to its rightful righteous station, the world will no longer bear sway over mankind. Ancient Babylon held Israel captive. Modern Babylon holds many captive as well. Only turning to the living prophets, following the teachings of Christ, and walking in His path, can we ever hope to be freed from Babylon today.

“For thus saith the Lord; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations: publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Lord, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and her that travaileth with child together: a great company shall return thither.
They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them: I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
For the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.
Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow” (Jer 31:7-13).