The New Temple

Open Your Bible

Ezekiel 40:1-49, Ezekiel 41:1-4, John 1:14-16, John 2:13-22

Have you ever tried reading through the Bible in a year? While some books and chapters are easy to breeze through, there are parts that can make your eyes glaze over a little.

For me, Ezekiel 40 is one of those chapters. The building instructions for the temple aren’t a super interesting read. It’s easy to feel more like you’re standing in a home improvement store than reading the inspired Word of God. But God has been showing me He has something for us to learn here, too.

In Ezekiel 40 and 41, the people of Judah are twenty-five years into their Babylonian exile. It’s then that God gives Ezekiel a description of a temple restored where His presence would dwell. And in Ezekiel 41:4, God makes a statement that I’m sure not even Ezekiel fully understood at the time. He said,

“This is the most holy place” (Ezekiel 41:4).

What they didn’t know in the middle of their exile was the incredible gift to come for God’s people. The gift wasn’t just their restoration. It was the coming of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

No longer would they have to come to a building to present a sacrifice and be set right with God. God would become human. And through His sacrifice, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit—God dwelling inside of us (John 1:14). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ speaks of a temple that is not a physical place but His body (John 2:21). He has become our Temple and High Priest.

But first, His people had to wait.They had to fully experience exile as they waited for the promise. 

Not sure about you, but this is something I can relate to, especially during this Lenten season. None of us like waiting, but the waiting time and reflecting are often when God shows us His grace!

We may experience painful, frustrating waiting times while we wait on God to rebuild what was lost. But often, He has something so much better planned than what we once had. Something different than what we’ve ever seen or experienced before because that’s just how God works.

Have you ever had to wait a long time to see the fulfillment of one of God’s promises found in Scripture? The waiting is hard. And in the middle, in that awkward space, it can be hard to imagine anything being better than what you had before. But even in the waiting, before you see the rebuilding, He offers grace upon grace. That means it’s constant, and it doesn’t run out. It’s more than we could ask for or even begin to understand (John 1:16).

As we spend time reflecting, we are reminded that God works in the details at all times, even when we don’t see yet what He is building. Will you trust Him with the details and accept His grace in the middle?

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37 thoughts on "The New Temple"

  1. Terri Baldwin says:

    3 When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway. – Ezekiel 40:3

  2. Tonia says:

    Thank you Abby Flynn. Looks like you wrote this word with me in mind. I can totally relate. While I am waiting on God’s promises to be fulfilled in my life, God is teaching me to Trust Him completely and fix my gaze on him alone.
    I trust God completely!

  3. Terany Garnett says:

    I highlighted that the priests from Levites tribe were the only ones who can slaughter. So entrusting to the people from generations before. Also everytime I read these detailed descriptions of God’s temple and I am humbled to know that God did the same with my body for it’s His temple as well

  4. Ashlee Hickson says:

    Jesus is the Word come in flesh ❤️ so beautiful and powerful.

  5. Sylvia Fuller says:

    Grace. God’s Riches At Christ Expense. Grace is Him. He is our gift. Our ever present God. Covenants to never leave us or forsake us. To be with us. Our Emmanuel. God sent Jesus. So we can be with Him. That is GRACE. His act on our behalf. We don’t deserve. Not earned. Just because He loves us. Wow.

  6. Paulette Ray says:

    Thank you so much for your recommendation Jennifer Loves Jesus! Listening to Dr. Michael Heiser helped me understand the meaning of the temple.

  7. Latrice Zebouchi says:

    I love this! I’m “in waiting” and some days it’s torture, but I will be mindful that’s God is teaching me lessons while He rebuilds. Hallelujah!

  8. Claire B says:

    Victoria E if you are stopping by know I am thinking of you, your anxiety, and your sweet baby.

  9. Jennifer Anapol says:

    I love that God cares about the details of our lives and the big picture. ❤️

  10. Jessica Zantal says:

    What a lovely reminder.. that when we feel like we are in the middle ( sometimes in the forest) this is when God is working on his plan for us.

    I’m in a season on transition with jobs and it is very stressing waiting on job prospects and making sure I make the right decision for my family. I’m also experiencing a season where I’m really missing my family and friends back home…

  11. Jessica Zantal says:

    What a lovely reminder.. that when we feel like we are in the middle ( sometimes in the forest) this is when God is working on his plan for us.

  12. Rebeca Marquez says:

    What does. Mean to accept grace in the waiting?

  13. Sylvia Fuller says:

    Yes. Absolutely. I will trust Him with the details and accept His grace in the middle. Why? He is God! He is faithful.

  14. Sharon, Jersey Girl says:

    “As we spend time reflecting, we are reminded that God works in the details at all times, even when we don’t see yet what He is building. Will you trust Him with the details and accept His grace in the middle?” I felt like God was directly asking me this question, how timely this devotional is! Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about the “state” of our church. (my husband is the pastor) Over the past 2-3 years we have had a pretty significant loss of people – some were “bad fruit” that had to go, others left for “greener grasses” somewhere else. It was a very painful time, but we felt God was doing a purging and had a greater purpose for our church. Three years later, we are still wondering what that was all about. We have a good group of people — but now a very small group. That meant lots of budget cuts, a loss of servants – more work for those left. But today’s devotional was a great reminder that God is working even when we can’t see it. God is a God of details and perfection. There are lessons in the waiting, and I know His way is perfect (Psalm 18:30. I’ll choose to wait (and hope for patience) I choose to trust that He knows what He is doing, and His will be accomplished.

    Today is my oldest son’s birthday, he turned 34. He is one of my prodigals – please pray that God would do a mighty work in his heart, and bring him back to the faith he was raised in and once loved. His name is Nicholas.

    Praying for all your requests as I read through them. @Heidi – continuing to pray for your niece and her friend. May the power of God break the chains that keep her defeated!

    Have a blessed weekend my dear SRT sisters!

  15. Traci Gendron says:

    I read the devotion and comments on my computer rather than the app. A few comments made me think I was missing out on some of the comments. It seems there are many more posted on the app. I will try to switch up reading the comments from now on.

    LESLIE GRAY – Prayers for this woman. It is such a senseless tragedy. I cannot imagine losing my entire family to this war. It is truly heartbreaking and I have no words.

    I too became glazed over at today’s scripture as someone that doesn’t have the best attention span. We are His temple. I try to treat my body as such and take care of it. To know just who I belong to. It is a beautiful thing!

  16. Lexi B says:

    Hi sisters,

    I am reminded today that God’s temple dwells in me and it is causing me to repent for things I’ve put my body and mind through. I want to live knowing that Christ is within me and treat my body as such.

    I have a prayer request. I am putting in my notice at work on Monday. I’m nervous; I’ve been at the job for almost 8 years and I will be leaving it to fully focus on my own business. The unknown is scary but God has made it clear that it is my time to move on and the longer I prolong things the longer I will have to wait for the things He has for me. Please pray for the conversations I will have with my supervisors and coworkers. I enjoy all of them very much; this is a hard but right thing to do. Thank you.

  17. Dorothy says:

    THANK YOU!!! Thank you!!!! Thank you, Abby Flynn, this is what I needed today especially, “As we spend time reflecting, we are reminded that God works in the details at all times, even when we don’t see yet what He is building. Will you trust Him with the details and accept His grace in the middle?” Last evening while back at work with Finley — yes she is out of the hospital and back home, PRAISE GOD — my sister called and let me know they transferred her from the hospital to therapy rehab facility. Well right around 10:00 pm she text me to tell me she was going leave the place today even if she had to walk home. So I text my oldest brother on the west coast (my sister and I live in the Midwest) and asked him to talk with her and told him the situation. I love my family so much, they are soooo willing to “step-up” how ever they can and help. He got her calmed down. So I text her and told her I would talk to her after I got off work. Well I found out the problem and it’s an easy one to solve, it will be solved today and they found a temporary solution to it until I can get over there today. Abby’s devotion today is reminding me to leave it all in God’s hand, like some of my friends and my son and daughter-in-law have told me to do.

    My study Bible notes for Ezekiel 40:3,4 “Who was this man? He was obviously not a human being, so he may have been the angel in 9:1-11 or one like him. Some Say he may have been Christ Himself because He speaks as God had been speaking to Ezekiel, calling him “son on man.””

    Lord, allow me and my follow sisters to leave our problems, worries and burdens with You. You will always make things right in YOUR TIME NOT in my/our time. Thank You for sending Your One and Only Son to die for us. Also, thank You for filling us with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

    Sisters be blessed and remember sometimes we have to wait for what we want.

  18. Rhonda J. says:

    https://truthnet.org/Ezekiel/11/Ezekiel-40-Messiah-Millennium-Temple.htm

    Hello She’s! I too looked up some commentaries on today’s reading! Although it seems a little boring to read the measurements….that is how we KNOW the prophesies are real once they ARE fulfilled! (It reminds me of the taplet that was just discovered and how amazingly it shows writing on it that proves parts of the bible, as it reads The Curse of Yaweh!). The link above provide commentary on this vision, when it will take place, and shows pictures of what it might look like! Very interesting!

    Prayers for you all my sisters in Christ! My last meet-up with my church Bible Study yesterday was fantastic! It was so good to be in fellowship with sisters, telling of what is happening in our life and the impact of God, praying for each other ALOUD (which takes me out of my comfort zone!), and sharing our hearts with each other! I encourage all of you to look for small groups and bible studies in your own church to fully engage and reap the benefits of what church is meant to be in addition to worship.

    Have a great day!

  19. Sarah Miller says:

    While We Wait by Amanda Cook

  20. Mari V says:

    I will trust HIM! I’m reminded of Joel 2:25 “And I will restore to you the years that the locust has eaten”.

  21. Heidi V says:

    Thank you Benita Whittle, l’ll check it out!

  22. Morgan Latham says:

    God is always working even when we don’t realize it. I’m so thankful for His grace to carry me through.

  23. Benita Whittle says:

    Found a YouTube rendering of the temple! That helped me while reading today!

  24. Ally M says:

    In this passage, I feel like what I really took away was that God has a plan. A really specific plan. No detail is left out, and nothing is forgotten. We can trust Him completely.

    Dear Lord,
    Please forgive me for my sins of distrust and unbelief. Help me to grow in faith and nurture my trust in You. I love You so much and I want to live my life in the way You plan it out for me. Thank You for Your grace. Amen.

  25. Jennifer Loves Jesus says:

    More than meets the eye, with Yahweh, Lord of lords, King of kings, the one true God of Israel. We are the newly built temple through Christ. He destroyed the physical building along with the need for sacrifices and atonement. He became the sacrifice, He atoned and made a way for us to access God directly. So beautiful. The Old Testament backdrops Christ and the prophecies surrounding Him is mind blowing. Ezekiel is not the kind of book you can rush through and read expecting to understand it. I truly appreciate this SRT community and how well meaning responses are trying to help with the questions of others. If anyone wants to dig deeper, I recommend listening to Dr. Michael Heiser’s series on Ezekiel in The Naked Bible podcast channel. His approach to the Bible opened my eyes to many things, and especially now with Ezekiel. Dr. Heiser is an Old Testament biblical scholar with an authoritative tone, yet he lets scripture interpret scripture. Check it out if you are curious. His book The Unseen Realm really brings the supernatural stuff to light where I believe it has been lost due to our desire to understand and comprehend things that cannot be comprehended fully. I pray over the spoken and unspoken prayers, and hope the truth and peace in Christ covers and comforts your hearts today.

  26. Sandi Stanley says:

    I love the ‘grace upon grace’. It is a continual flowing of undeserved grace – so encouraging.

  27. Angie says:

    I very much appreciated the HRT devotional for today, it helped me with today’s scripture.

    I am looking out my window on this April 1st, and it is snowing. This is not an April Fools joke (except maybe by God). :) Then, I think about all the exact measurements for the temple. The uniformity and plan. That everything God does has a purpose, and the purpose is for good. So, as I trudge through the literally snow-covered grass this morning, I thank you Lord for how He purposely plans and orchestrates all things. I thank Him, and am amazed that this body that He gave and breathed life into, is the temple for the Holy Spirit. And, it makes sense, a little bit more, why it is so important to lay down ourselves and “be-like” our God in attitude, action, and deed. Which then, because I know myself, humbles me even more with the fact that God chose me. Perfect, Holy, Righteous, Almighty, God and King chose me to be His temple, intimately, personally, in Jesus. He has a plan, purpose, call…and it is good because He is good.

    This weekend my sister is visiting my mom and I will be spending time with them also. She has not been “home” in almost a decade. We have had a couple talks about Jesus. I pray for God’s purpose, plan, and words.

  28. Jill Colvin says:

    I completely relate to “eyes glazing over” concerning the detail. Thank you Jesus for your attention to detail!

  29. Aimee D-R says:

    I will trust You Lord. In Jesus name, Amen

  30. Brea Shyng says:

    Did anyone else notice the different numbers of steps? Wonder if there is any significance.

  31. Heidi says:

    REBECCA- praying for your son as he continues taking steps to freedom from addictions and that he may see God’s gracious hand in it.

    LESLIE GRAY- so frightening for her sister, and heartbreaking. Praying a safe stay and return for her.

    That verse- “This is the MOST holy place.” Ez 41:4, (Emphasis mine). Just 2 nights ago my 10 year old girl read a verse about Jesus dying and the curtain being ripped in two, from top to bottom. She looked at me and said “Huh??? WHAT curtains??” I explained about the 4” thick, 60’ tall curtain that God’s presence existed behind. And only 1 person, only 1 time a year could have that access. It was holy and protected and honored. And the second Jesus died, God said “NOPE!” and ripped the barrier in half. We now have direct access, 24-7 to our God.
    Our bodies are now the “temple”- the Holy of Holies lives in us. Our bodies are now “THE MOST HOLY PLACE”. We are LITERALLY His vessel on this earth and my brain honestly can’t even fully process that right now. But I think for myself to start praying through what that means and how I should represent that is a wise step…
    Unbelievable. We have a God that’s so unbelievably personal… LIVING. INSIDE. EACH PERSON. How do you get more personal?!

    **So my niece’s friend, who is still in rehab facility, hasn’t responded to me in a while. I know she’s having a hard time and I get to hear about her thru my niece as they are still in communication with each other. She has little to no support outside of that facility. Pray for a refresh of her spirit and cleansing of her mind and heart… to see and BELIEVE God is pursuing her. Idk… ask God what He knows she needs prayer over. Definitely concerned about her…

  32. Stormi Messmer says:

    ❤️

  33. Searching says:

    The description of the temple and surrounding area relayed by Ezekiel – amazing level of detail, complexity of construction. One thing that caught my eye were the beveled window frames, and also the archways. There are many descriptions throughout the Bible of skilled craftsmen making all sorts of things – and it makes me think, wow, our minds are so capable of figuring out unbelievably complicated things, creating beautiful works of art, calculating, analyzing and deciphering numerical mysteries and scientific wonders – but so many times not realizing, admitting, understanding, embracing the awesomeness of God’s love, forgiveness and provision for us. So thankful that He continues to pursue us, so that we will know that He is the Lord.

    DOROTHY – thankful for good news about Finley
    HEIDI – continuing to pray for your niece and her friend, and safe travels for you
    LESLIE GRAY – praying for the Ukrainian woman, and for all the people of Ukraine

  34. Kelly (NEO) says:

    “God works in the details at all times, even when we don’t see yet what He is building. Will you trust Him with the details and accept His grace in the middle?”
    Yes, Lord.

    Did you notice that Ezekiel did NOT say this temple was in Jerusalem? With all the details, that seemed to be a glaring omission to me.

    LESLIE GRAY – praying for your husband’s coworker and the many like her who have lost family in this war. May the Lord protect her and give her sister peace until she hears from her.

  35. Karen Roper says:

    Amen- yes I will wait for God, have grace and faith in the middle and be eagerly awaiting the fulfilment of the promise❤️❤️

  36. Heather Marsden says:

    I’ll admit this scripture passage was not easy to read today- I appreciate the commentary around it and how we can apply it to our lives!!! It is hard to wait on God- but through life I have found out that HIS way and plan is always better than anything I can dream up or plan!!! Wait on the Lord!!!

  37. Tricia Cavanaugh says:

    I know that for some things I will be waiting until Jesus’ return. But what Hope I have! Many have no hope. Hallelujah! Blessed Friday to you dear Sisters. Keeping you all in my prayers.