Tues.’s Devo - The Two Temples

Read: Ezekiel 39:1-40:27; James 2:18-3:18; Psalm 118:1-18; Proverbs 28:2
Ezekiel continues his prophesy against Gog. He describes the feast of Leviathan mentioned in Revelation 19:17-18. The angels called to the fouls of the heavens and the beasts of the field to come an eat the flesh of the slain. These are those that followed the beast and the kings of the earth instead of the king of heaven and earth. God pronounced six plagues against them: pestilence, blood, overflowing rain, hailstones, fire, and brimstone. So many would die that it would take them 7 months to bury them. Can you imagine the stench of all those dead bodies lying in the sun for months! Of course they had been ravaged by the animals and the birds so they will be burying parts. This happened in the past and is a picture of what will happen in the future.
After this great battle, Judah will return to their land and dwell in safety and prosper. God took Ezekiel to Jerusalem in a vision and set him on one of the mountains around Jerusalem. He got a birds-eye-view of the city. A bronze man was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in is hand. He took Ezekiel into the temple measuring as he went. He saw the same temple described in Revelation 21 with 12 gates or porticos, 3 on each direction (north, south, east and west). The one Ezekiel saw was a small replica to the one in Revelation which was 24 times larger. Ezekiel’s temple was decorated with palm trees which represent people who overcome. Revelation’s temple was decorated with precious stones which is how God sees the people in from heaven’s perspective. “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)”
The temple God showed Ezekiel was a replica of the one in heaven just like the tabernacle that Moses built was a much smaller replica of the temple in heaven that Moses was shown on the mountain. We are the temple of God and we may feel small and unimportant down here, but we are huge in heaven. We have been chosen by God to carry his presence everywhere we go. What we do matters.
James makes the point that you cannot just have faith to be saved but your life has to follow your faith. His obedience and his faith is what saved him. “You see that a person is justified by what he does and not be faith alone.” James 2:24.
James gives us two examples: Abraham and Rahab. Abraham is known for his faith but his faith alone could not justify him. Rahab showed her faith by saving the spies who came into Jericho. Both Abraham and Rahab acted on their faith and were saved.
In Chapter three, James gives instructions to teachers. They hold the responsibility of being a role model in the way they conduct their lives. Because they teach from their mouths, they need to be able to bridle their own tongues and use them as tools of righteousness because they are the ones who deal out wisdom. James gives us a description of wisdom: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. If we give this to others we will get a harvest of righteousness in return.