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The Form of the House - Eze 43:10-12
I. The prophet Ezekiel was told by God to show the house of God to Israel (Eze 43:10-11).
1. The purpose God gave for showing them the house was so "they may be ashamed of their iniquities" (v. 10).
2. They were then to "measure the pattern" of the house (v. 10).
3. Ezekiel was to show them the form of the house (v. 11).
4. Why would showing Israel the form of the house and having them measure the pattern of the house make them ashamed of their iniquities?
A. The temple was symbolic of Jesus' body (Joh 2:19-21).
B. God's glory filled the temple in Ezekiel's vision (Eze 43:4).
C. God's glory filled Jesus Christ (Joh 1:14) when God was manifest in the flesh (1Ti 3:16).
D. When we look at the form of Jesus Christ, we see the form of God (Phi 2:5-6) since He is the express image of God (Heb 1:3).
E. Image n. - 1. An artificial imitation or representation of the external form of any object, esp. of a person, or of the bust of a person. a. Such an imitation in the solid form; a statue, effigy, sculptured figure.
F. We must measure ourselves against Jesus Christ (Eph 4:13 c/w Eze 43:10).
G. When one sees the glory of God in the form of Jesus Christ and measures himself against Him, he quickly realizes that he is a sinful man and is ashamed of his iniquities (Luk 5:8 c/w Eze 43:10).
II. Ezekiel was to show Israel every aspect of the house of God (Eze 43:11), which was a type of the NT church (1Ti 3:15).
1. The OT house of God (the tabernacle and the temple) was a worldly sanctuary (Heb 9:1).
2. Jesus built His church at His first coming (Mat 16:18).
3. His church is a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands (Heb 9:11).
4. Let's examine the form of the NT house of God.
A. The form of the house (Eze 43:11)
i. Form - I. Shape, arrangement of parts. 1. a. The visible aspect of a thing; now usually in narrower sense, shape, configuration, as distinguished from colour; occasionally, the shape or figure of the body as distinguished from the face.
ii. The NT church is the temple of God (1Co 3:16).
iii. The NT church is a building (Eph 2:21-22; 1Co 3:9).
iv. It is built upon a foundation of Jesus Christ the chief cornerstone and the foundational stones of the apostles and prophets (Eph 2:20; Rev 21:14).
v. Unlike the OT temple, the NT church is built of lively stones which are the members of the church (1Pe 2:5).
B. The fashion thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. Fashion n. 2. a. Make, build, shape. Hence, in wider sense, visible characteristics, appearance. Said both of material and of immaterial things.
ii. The fashion of the house of God is very similar to its form.
iii. Another visible characteristic of the church is that it is a body with members (1Co 12:13-18).
iv. The NT church is a special body though, in that it is the body of Christ (1Co 12:27).
v. Jesus Christ is the head of this body (Eph 4:15-16).
C. The goings out thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. There is a specific manner in which people go out of the church.
ii. This is done by the church withdrawing from a commonly known sinner (2Th 3:6).
iii. When the church does this they deliver the person unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh (1Co 5:4-5).
iv. The church puts away the person from their membership and no longer eats the Lord's Supper with him (1Co 5:11-13).
D. The comings in thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. There is a specific manner in which people come into the church.
ii. When a person believes the gospel and is baptized, he is added to the membership of the local church (Act 2:41-42,47).
iii. This pattern should be measured and followed when adding a person to church membership (Eze 43:10).
E. All the forms thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. One of the forms (the visible aspect of a thing) of the church is godliness (2Pe 1:6).
a. Good works of Christians should be visible to all (Mat 5:16; 1Pe 2:12).
b. There will always be false brethren who will have the form of godliness, but not the substance (2Ti 3:5).
ii. Another form of NT church worship is preaching and praying (Act 2:42) and singing (Col 3:16).
F. All the ordinances thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. Just as the OT house of God had ordinances (Heb 9:1), the NT house of God does likewise.
ii. The NT church ordinances are:
a. Baptism (Act 2:38)
b. Communion (1Co 11:23-26)
c. Feetwashing (Joh 13:14-15)
G. All the laws thereof (Eze 43:11)
i. Just as the temple had laws that were specific to its service, so does the NT church.
ii. Women can't speak in the church service (1Co 14:34-35).
iii. Women can't hold positions of authority in the church (1Ti 2:11-12; 1Ti 3:2).
iv. Christians must not eat things sacrificed to idols, or blood, or animals that were strangled, and they must keep themselves from fornication (Act 15:29).
III. The reason for Ezekiel showing them the form of the house of God was so they would:
1. Keep the whole form thereof (Eze 43:11).
A. It likewise incumbent upon us as members of the NT house of God to keep the whole form thereof.
B. We must observe all things whatsoever Jesus has commanded us (Mat 28:20).
2. Keep all the ordinances thereof (Eze 43:11).
A. The NT was written for the same reason: to tell God's people how to serve him acceptably.
B. We are likewise exhorted in the NT church to keep the ordinances as they were delivered (1Co 11:2).
3. And do them (Eze 43:11).
A. We must be doers of the word and not hearers only (Jam 1:22).
B. If we love Jesus we must do what He says (Joh 14:15; Luk 6:46).
IV. The whole limit thereof round about the house of God shall be most holy (Eze 43:12).
1. Limit n. - 1. a. A boundary, frontier; an object serving to define a boundary, a landmark.
2. The whole area around the temple in the OT was most holy, not just the inside of it.
3. In the NT, Jesus Christ saves people to the uttermost (Heb 7:25).
A. Uttermost - 1. Outermost; farthest out or off; remotest;
B. Jesus saves people out of every nation, people, and kindred (Rev 5:9).
