Ezekiel 40-41

“In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain” (40:2). Previously, God had shown Ezekiel (who lived “among the exiles”) a vision in which Israel’s leaders were worshiping idols – even inside God’s Temple (Ezekiel 8)! Consequently, God’s glory had “departed” from the Temple (Ezekiel 10). Now, “fourteen years” after the city and Temple fell (40:1), God again showed Ezekiel a vision of Israel. This time, God was not revealing sin but encouraging His people with promises of the future.

“Tell the people of Israel everything you see” (40:4). God sees beyond the damage of sin to the possibility of restoration. When everything seems wrecked, He speaks a word of hope (Colossians 1:21-22).