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EZEKIEL SAW THE CROSS

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In this paper we will hear Ezekiel foretell of Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. We will begin by reading what God says through Hosea. Hosea writes of God saying that “- I gave numerous visions, And through the prophets I gave parables” (Hosea 12:10).

Of all the prophets that God spoke through, Ezekiel was one prophet that saw many visions of God. The very first verse of his book says, “the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.”

He is in the land of the Chaldeans, the land of the Babylonians. He had been brought there by the King Nebuchadnezzar’s army after they had conquered Jerusalem. This was about six hundred years before Jesus would come to earth in the flesh.

In his first vision he says that he saw how "- a storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like glowing metal in the midst of the fire." (Ezekiel 1:4)

He saw four living beings with human form within it. They had human form except that they each had four faces and four wings and wheels. They went in different directions without turning as they went, "wherever the spirit was about to go."

He also tells us that "In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was flashing from the fire." (Verse 4)

This is a very confusing vision. It sounds like meaningless ramblings except for one thing. Peter tells us that when the prophets spoke ahead of our salvation to come, "- -the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." (1 Peter 1:11)

The Spirit of Christ is speaking through Ezekiel to foretell how Christ would be glorified by His suffering and death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

Knowing that Christ is speaking to us through Ezekiel, we may be able to get a better understanding of what Ezekiel is telling us in this first vision (In Chapter 1). Near the end of that chapter we read, "Now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne, like lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man.” (Verse 26)

He says that “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the likeness of the glory of the LORD- -.”

Regarding his vision in chapter 1, Ezekiel is not seeing a UFO as some have suggested. Christ was foretelling of what was to come with of the kingdom of heaven and the glory that it would bring.

With that in mind, let us see if it could be referring to the glory that would be shown when He returns on the clouds of the sky.

Ezekiel says that he saw something that looked like burning coals of fire like torches darting back and forth among living beings and lightning flashing from the fire and living beings running to and fro like bolts of lightning, was he seeing what was to happen when Christ returns with the clouds of the sky?

Christ told His disciples about His return on that last day.


Jesus told His disciples that when He returns, "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:30-31)

In another place Jesus tells us, "For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, shines to the other part of the sky, so will the Son of Man be in His day" (Luke 17:24).

If He will send forth His angels and they will be gathering together all of the elect from the four winds, there will be a great amount of action taking place when it happens.

It will need to happen very fast, like bolts of lightning. The trumpet will sound, and it will likely seem much like the sound of an army camp that Ezekiel spoke of. When Ezekiel said that he saw the likeness of the glory of the LORD it was as the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds, is it like the bow in the cloud that God spoke of after the flood?

After the flood God told Noah the rainbow in the clouds was to be a sign of the covenant between God and all flesh that He would never again destroy all flesh in the waters of a flood. Was God saying that some flesh must be destroyed in water for souls to be saved?

He told Noah, "When the bow is in the cloud, then I will look upon it, to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on earth." (Genesis 9:16) The true everlasting covenant is the covenant of salvation.

Ezekiel will see and record many other visions of God in his book, but none have generated more interest than his temple vision. He will receive that vision after the temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians.

According to some scholars, the temple in Jerusalem was still standing when the vision in chapter 1 happened. The temple in Jerusalem would not be destroyed for another six years or so. The temple vision would happen nine years after the vision of chapter 1, and three years after the temple had been destroyed.

You can be sure that the Jews who were there with him wanted to know all about that temple that Ezekiel was seeing in His vision and of its design and how soon that temple would be rebuilt? His temple vision included the worship (Including sacrifices) that would occur there.

The temple was described such that we can see that it was not the temple that would later replace Solomon's temple nor was it any other temple of God that has ever been built on earth. If God said that it would be built and if it was not an earthly structure, then it would be a spiritual structure.

God’s spiritual temple was raised up in Christ’s body, which is God’s new covenant temple. Remember, on one occasion the Jews asked Jesus for a sign and “Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” (John 2:19-20)

John says “But He was speaking of the temple of His body. So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.”

Our new covenant temple is found in Christ’s body, the place where God’s Spirit dwells. That is where we must offer our worship to the Father.

Jesus was speaking of that worship when He spoke to the woman at the well. He had asked her for a drink, and that surprised her.

She was surprised that a Jew would speak to a Samaritan woman. However, after she realized that He was a prophet she wanted to know about the place for worship.

She told Jesus that “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain, and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.” (John 4:20-21)

He told her, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

God is Spirit and at the time His Spirit was dwelling in that earthly temple. After He ascended back to the Father and the new covenant came into effect Christ’s church body became God’s temple, the place for our worship.

Speaking of where that place is found, it is anywhere we choose the gather together for worship, even if it happens the be a very small group. Jesus says, “For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” (Matthew 18:20)

When we hear what Ezekiel saw in his temple vision, is God not speaking through him in visions and parables? We know that God spoke through Jesus in parables when He was on earth preaching the gospel message of the kingdom of heaven to the crowds.

On one occasion Christ’s disciples came and asked Jesus, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted.” (Matthew 13:10-11)

A little later Matthew says that “All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable.” (Matthew 13:34)

Only Christ’s disciples have been granted to know the spiritual message and they will keep listening for Christ to explain it to them. Is God speaking through Ezekiel like He spoke through Christ when He went about speaking to the crowds in parables?

When Ezekiel sees that vision, he will be instructed to see and hear and pay attention to what he would be shown and to declare to the house of Israel what he saw (Ezekiel 40:4). If he will be speaking in parables, then God is speaking through him about His spiritual Israel.

God’s people of the new covenant are the spiritual house of Israel. Paul says, For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.” (Romans 2:28-29)

After he had been shown some of the temple details, he will hear God speak from within that temple and tell him, "this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell among the sons of Israel forever." (Ezekiel 43:7)

There are no forever earthly temples. God will dwell forever within the temple of the spiritual Body of Christ.

Peter saw God's spiritual temple and the worship that would be offered there. He says that "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5)

Ezekiel was speaking of what was to come with the sacrifice of Jesus and God’s spiritual temple. However, Jesus did make His sacrifice outside that earthly city near the earthly temple and some of what he is saying may have application to that city and temple and the cross.

In his vision Ezekiel sees the Prince offer His sacrifice. We know the Prince that Ezekiel spoke of is Christ. He sees the Prince sit and eat bread before the LORD in the outer east gate (Ezekiel 44:3). That gate was to be shut and no one else could enter there because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it.

Remember, Christ’s body is the bread of heaven that we must partake of if we are to have eternal life (John 6:51-58).

In chapter 46, Ezekiel describes how the Prince will worship and make His offerings. He said the Prince would stand by the post of the gate and that he will worship at the threshold of the gate as the priests provide His burnt offering and His peace offerings, “- -and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate and then go out- -.” (Verse 2)

Were those Jewish priests offering His sacrifice as He stood by the post of the gate? Did He spend the day standing against the post of the cross and was it located just outside the east gate? After that, He went out. Christ’s Spirit left the temple of His body when He died.

If the cross stood outside the east gate, it would have been close to that gate because the temple mount extended just a short distance out before it descended into the Kidron Valley.

Just previous to hearing the voice of God speak of His forever dwelling place, Ezekiel had seen God's glory fill His house. If we listen carefully to his words, we will hear something interesting. Ezekiel tells how he was led to the gate facing toward the east "and behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the way of the east" (Ezekiel 43:2).

He then writes, "And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate facing toward the east. And the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house."

Just before He went to the cross Jesus told His disciples that the hour had come for Him to be glorified (John 12:23). Christ was crowned with glory and honor by His sufferings and death.

Scripture says that "because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone" (Hebrews 2:9). That glory come in by way of the east gate.

The same writer tells us that just as "those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate" (Hebrews 13:11-12).

Those bodies were to be burned outside the camp. Jesus, therefore, had to suffer outside the city gate because the old earthly copy foretold how it would happen out there.

In chapter 47, Ezekiel saw water flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, but it was also flowing down from under the right side of the house and from south of the altar. When he was brought to the outer east gate, water was trickling from the south side of the gate.

Water flowing from the right side of the house could be water coming forth from a Roman spear into His right side bringing forth blood and water. If He was pierced on the right side and it was the south side, the cross stood outside the east gate and faced eastward.

Water trickled down from the south side and from south of the altar and flowed eastward. Ezekiel says the trickle became a river and where it flowed, everything will live. He said that “By the river on its bank, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food.” (Verse 12)

He says, “- -Their leaves will not wither and their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, and their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing.”

John saw that same river. He says that an angel “- -showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb-." (Revelation 22:1)

He says that “On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

One day when Jesus was in Jerusalem for a feast, He “- -stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38)

John says, “But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Ezekiel said that glory came in by way of the East Gate.

Jesus has commanded us to take up our cross and follow Him. We begin by following Him through the sea of baptism.

Paul is telling us about that when he wrote, "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27)

He says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

Whether man or woman if we have been clothed with Christ in baptism, we will have become sons of God with Him and are heirs to God’s promises. We will be allowed to enter through that gate in heaven because of our beautiful high priestly garment.

Ezekiel saw another problem with Christ’s sacrifice for our sins. In Ezekiel 43:17, he described the altar (The cross) and said, "its steps shall face the east."

If he was referring to an earthly altar, that would create a problem. The old Law forbade God's priests from ascending by steps to the altar, "so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it" (Exodus 20:26).

God would not allow those earthly priests to expose their nakedness when they offered sacrifices to Him. Would only His One perfect priest be willing to do that? Was the shame of the cross very shameful because Jesus had to expose His nakedness as He ascended by steps to make His sacrifice?

Remember, the solders divided His outer garments among themselves (John 19:23). There was also a tunic that was made of one piece, which they cast lots for. That was a garment worn next to the skin.

We should praise Him for taking our place. Because He endured the shame, we can now purchase white garments to hide our nakedness and not be put to shame forever (Revelation 3:18).

When Ezekiel tells us about seeing water coming from the right side of the house (Ezekiel 47:1) but then he was led out to the east gate to see water coming from the south side of the gate, he said something interesting.

He tells us how he was brought out by way of the north gate and was led around on the outside to the outer east gate. Was Jesus speaking through him and telling how He would be led around from a north gate where the Roman court was held to the east gate with the cross?

After Jesus was tried, Pilate handed Him over to be crucified; “Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium-.” (Matthew 27:27)

Scripture tells us how “They stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

They spat on Him, and took the reed and began to beat Him on the head. After they had mocked Him, they took off the scarlet robe and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

The Roman Praetorium was located at the northwest corner of the temple wall. If He was taken from there to the east gate to be crucified, He would likely have been led around on the outside of the north wall from a north gate in the Praetorium to the outer east gate.

While He was offering His sacrifice the Law was still in effect that required God's people to offer their sacrifices before that earthly house. Did He not remain perfect under the Law and burn there?

The cross was the most important event in the history of the world. We can read where many other important events took place. Why did not God tell us where that most important event of all time took place? Has God been telling us all along, but we have not been listening?

Seeing where the cross stood physically is not important but seeing its spiritual location is necessary. 



"Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)

Johnny Rogers 10/28/03
Revised 12/12/23

 

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