"THE land is Mine, and ye are strangers and sojourners
with Me," saith Jehovah to Israel (Lev. xxv. 23). "Moreover, when ye
shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an obligation unto
Jehovah, a holy portion of the land" (Ezek. xlv. 1). This holy portion is
twenty-five thousand reeds square, or about sixty miles; and is divided into
THREE parts.
FOR THE PRIESTS AND SANCTUARY.
The first portion, towards the north, is about sixty miles long and twenty-four
miles broad. "It shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary,
which shall come near to minister unto Jehovah: and it shall be a place for
their houses, and a holy place for the Sanctuary" (Ezek. xlv. 2-4).
FOR THE LEVITES.
Adjoining this portion is that of "the Levites, the 1 92 Types of the
Temple. ministers of the house," about sixty miles by twenty- four (verse
5).
FOR THE PRINCE.
On either side of this oblation for the priests, the Levites, and the City, the
PRINCE has his portion, east and west, extending as far as the portions for the
tribes extend.
THE MILLENNIAL DIVISION OF THE LAND.
Ezekiel xlvii., xlviii.
In the division of the land among the twelve tribes, Levi has no part; he has
his inheritance in the holy oblation belonging to Jehovah. The Levites are
saints, and of the household of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.
Seven of the tribes of Israel - Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim
("Joseph shall have two portions" [chap.xlvii.13]) Reuben, and Judah
- have their portions on the north of the holy oblation; and five tribes on the
south - namely, Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulon, and Gad. The sanctuary is
thus in the very centre of Immanuel’s land. Reckoning from the north seven
tribes, the portion for the priests with the SANCTUARY IN THE MIDST is the
eighth; reckoning from the south five tribes, which with the City portion and
that of the Levites make seven, the priests’ portion is again the eighth.
In the very centre of the sanctuary portion is the altar of burnt offering.
When, in the millennial age, the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be
established upon the top of the mountains (Isa. ii. 2, 3; lxvi. 23; Zech. xiv.
16), and exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it, then the
altar in the midst of the land shall not only be God’s centre for Israel,
but His centre for worship for the whole earth; THE LAMB ON THE THRONE is, and
ever will be, God’s centre for Heaven and the universe.
God will cause the Gentiles to bring from all parts gold, silver, etc., to make
the place of His feet glorious (Isa. lx., 9-14).
THE CITY PORTION
Next to the portion of the Levites towards the south is the possession for the
City, about twelve miles in breadth and sixty miles in length; the suburbs
enlarge the City to a square of five thousand reeds. In the City of David,
where Solomon had his royal palace, will probably be the residence of the
prince. who will be the earthly representative of Messiah the King; Mount Zion,
in Jerusalem, the centre of government and rule. "For the law shall go
forth of Zion, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem" (Micah iv.
The GATES of the City are called after the names of the tribes of Israel -
three gates northward, and three at the east, the south, and the west sides
(Ezek. xlviii., 30-35) - twelve gates. This city is literal; it may be
instructive to compare with the symbolic city of the Revelation, the holy
Jerusalem, the emblem of the Church in resurrection glory.
The City of Ezekiel formed a square of four thousand five hundred reeds; the
City of Revelation is described as foursquare, the length, breadth, and height
equal; it, too, was measured by the reed, but the reed of Revelation is a
golden one, the emblem of an estimate which is Divine. Also twelve gates,
according to the twelve tribes of Israel (Rev. xxi., 9-22). Concerning the
earthly City it is said, "The name of the city from that day shall be
"The LORD is there" [Jehovah Shammah] (Ezek. xlviii., 35). So, also,
of the holy Jerusalem of Revelation it is said, " The throne of God and of
the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see
His face; and His name shall be on their foreheads. And they shall reign
for ever and ever."
The Temple of Solomon filled with Glory.
WHEN God had planted Israel in the land which He had promised, and settled them
there, David desired to find a Tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But Solomon
built Him a house. No sooner was the house built and prepared according to the
pattern, than the glory of Jehovah filled the house of God (1 Kings iii. 10-13;
2 Chron. v. 11-14; vii.1-4).
There are three particulars to notice in connection with the glory filling the
Temple : - First, the bringing in of the ARK into its place in the Holy of
Holies, and under the shadowing wings of the larger cherubim. In the Ark we
have seen a beautiful type of the person of our Immanuel. God has given to His
beloved Son a central place of authority and glory. For Him there was no place
in His own world, or on the throne of His father David; but there was a place
for him on high. To Him God the Father said, "Sit Thou on My right hand,
until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool." When the Ark of the Covenant
was brought into its proper place, "the cloud filled the house of Jehovah,
so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud: for the
glory of Jehovah had filled the house of Jehovah." When the Lord Jesus
came, after His resurrection, into the midst of the disciples - the doors being
shut for fear of the Jews - He stood in their midst. On the first Lord’s
Day evening, and on the second Lord’s Day evening, He takes His own proper
place IN THE MIDST. Let us give the Lord Jesus Christ His proper place,
gathering unto His name and around Him now. Secondly, when Solomon had prayed,
and the sacrifices were offered "the fire came down from heaven, and
consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled
the house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and
the glory of Jehovah upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to
the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised Jehovah, saying, For
He is good; for His mercy [loving-kindness] endureth for ever." The value
and acceptability of the sacrifice upon the altar was attested by the fire
descending and consuming it.
So Christ, having presented Himself as an offering and sacrifice to God, for a
sweet-smelling savour, God the Father showed His acceptance thereof by raising
Him from the dead and setting Him at His own right hand, and also by the
descent of the Holy Spirit, filling the Church of God with the glory of His
presence (Acts ii. 1-4).
Thirdly, after the Ark was in its place, and the sacrifices had ascended as a
sweet savour unto God, then, when the priests were come out of the Holy Place,
" it came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make
one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah . . . the priest could
not stand to minister by reason of the cloud for the glory of Jehovah had
filled the house of God."
So now, if we would have the house of God filled with the glory of God, we must
observe the lessons here taught us; for these things are foundation principles.
A crucified, risen, and glorified Christ; a Christ having His own proper place
of authority, in gathering and rule; the hearts of His people as one in
rendering thanksgiving, praise, and blessing - then shall the glory of the
presence of the Lord be known amongst us.
The first disciples (Acts i. 2) had been gathered around His person; they were
one in heart and mind, perfectly joined together, determined to give the Lord
Jesus Christ His own place (as David’s servants were of one heart to make
David king). Then we read, "There came a sound from heaven as of a rushing
mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting." The
glory of Jehovah and His presence was manifested when the Divine Eternal Spirit
canie into the midst of the gathered disciples, filling all the house, and
resting in tongues of fire upon each of them.
Is not He "the same yesterday, today, and for ever"? Is not He who
sought of old the companionship of man still desirous of renewing His Edenic
walks with man? Will He not walk with every Enoch who seeks to please God? If
we make for Him a sanctuary, a holy habitation, will He not dwell with us? If
we are of one mind and one heart to make Jesus King, to accept His authority,
and give Him the glory due unto His name, will He not fulfil His own promise,
and manifest Himself to us? What we want in our assemblies is the realised
presence of God in Christ; the glory of the Father in the person of the Son,
manifested by the ungrieved Holy Spirit, as the quickener of dead souls and
sanctifier of the believer unto increasing meetness for the glory yet to be
revealed. Three things are essential to the manifested presence of God. The
first is that we are all ready to HEAR and are able to say, "Now,
therefore, are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are
commanded thee of God" (Acts x. 33), to hear God’s voice speaking to
us from off the mercy-seat, out of the Holiest of all. Are we listening for the
voice of God, desiring communion with God, who has said to the scattered ones,
" I will be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries whither they
shall come" (Ezek. xi. 16). We may find the presence of God wherever we
are -
"Where’er we seek Him He is found,
And every place is holy ground."
The next essential is JESUS IN THE MIDST, the supreme authority of the Lord
Jesus Christ in His own Church. Do we recognise the Lordship of Christ?
Further, there must be the unhindered power of the Holy Ghost. Is our ministry
carried on, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but in the words
which the Holy Ghost teacheth? God is waiting to come in; Christ is willing to
occupy His proper place. The Spirit of God has not lost His majesty and might;
He is as ready as ever to take of the things of Christ, in the glory of the
Father, and reveal them unto us.
When the Temple of God shall be erected in the millennial reign; when the
mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow into it; then
shall the glory of God once more fill the house. Jehovah shall be in His holy
Temple; His glory shall be revealed: and all flesh shall see it together.
When we, as living stones, are builded together in resurrection perfectness a
holy house for God, a habitation of God through the Spirit, then shall the
presence of God and of the Lamb and of the Eternal Spirit fill it with
everlasting glory. Turn to Rev. xxi., 22, to that wondrous description of the
Holy City, the New Jerusalem, the Church, the Bride, the Lamb’s Wife -
"I saw no temple therein; for Jehovah God Almighty and the Lamb are the
temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
[lamp] thereof." LAMP is the word used in the original by the Spirit of
God. The word "lamp" reminds us of those lamps which, supplied with
oil, illuminated the sanctuary of old with brilliancy and light. So the glory
of God will forever be seen in the face of Jesus Christ, manifested and made
known by the Eternal Spirit of our God.
The presence of the Holy Ghost here on earth is a constant witness of the
exaltation and glory of Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Majesty on high
(John xiv. 16-20). By the Pentecostal Spirit were all believers baptised into
one body, and made to drink into one Spirit in union with the Head in glory,
one Spirit with the risen Lord. 0 to realise this according to the prayer of
the Apostle in Eph. iii. 14-19 - "For this cause I bow my knees unto the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole [every] family in heaven and
upon earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His
glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in
love, may he able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and
length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth
knowledge, that ye might be filled with [into] all the fulness of God" ! 0
wondrous word! Can we be so filled? Filled INTO all His infinite, eternal,
boundless love, like some tiny shell in ocean’s depths, or like a little
fish swimming in a boundless ocean. Blessed with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ; upheld by the power of Omnipotence; supplied by the
bounty of Him whose fulness is inexhaustible, and whose love is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost given unto us. "God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him."