According to your Faith- Ez 40-48

When God's focus turns from gathering in the Church He is going to close the age by turning back to His chosen people- the Jews.  Ezekiel 40-48 brings a lot of detail that is obviously tailored to the Jews.  It almost sounds heretical to us that the sacrificial system would come back but this kind of fits the Lord's statement in Matt. 9:29, "According to your faith be it unto you."  The sacrificial system would no longer be necessary but there is no reason that the sacrifices couldn't look back to the supreme sacrifice just as the OT sacrifices looked forward.The Lord in His grace will merge His Messiahood  with the system of worship the Jews knew and practiced.  There is ample evidence that the early church participated in the temple activities.

There are significant differences between Ezekiel and the Levitical  system that would suggest that we are looking at a different order and Ezekiel was a trained priest so these differences were likely significant.  For instance, there were no lamb's used for the Passover.  There is no mention of silver or gold in this temple.  There is also no mention of the Feast of Pentecost, Trumpets, or Atonement.  These differences would seem to be consistent if the Messiah were present.  There is also less furniture- no mention of the lamp stand, or the table of shew bread, or the ark of the covenant.  There is also no mention of a high priest.  These also would not be necessary with the shekaina  glory of the God/Man present.  

One mystery person in these chapters is the "prince".  Ezekiel 37:25 mentions that "My servant David shall be their prince..."  It is evident that the "prince" acts in an administrative role but he is never referred to as king.  It speaks of his sons and servants living with him in his portion of the divided land.

There is enough mention of defilement of this temple and the Levites to suggest that this may be the temple that the "abomination of desolation" takes place in.  There are steps to the alter and hewn stone which were both prohibited in the Levitical system.

There is then the healing waters that proceed both east and west in a fashion that defies anything known in today's geography but in the context of such intricate detail and measurements it is hard to believe anything but a literal interpretation is justified.  There also seems to be problems making the measurements of the division of the land  to the tribes, temple, priests, prince, and city actually fit the topography as it exists today. 

 Years after Ezekiel's vision Zechariah  had a vision that support this vision and explains a little more about the mechanics that might let this all happen.  Zechariah  says that when the Lord gathers the nations to fight against Jerusalem he will descend on the Mount of Olives and it will split creating the valley from east to west  that the healing waters could run through.  It also mentions moving the land north and south and describing it as a "plain" with Jerusalem in the center.  These cataclysmic events could just as easily create enough land for the grid measurements that Ezekiel describes.  Could some of this be helped by an atom bomb or two?

If we are to take the last ten chapters of Ezekiel as chronological we will see the battle of Gog and Magog precede the mass return to the land and the pouring out of God's Spirit on the Jews.  We will then see the new temple, city, and tribal divisions.  Is it possible that the New Jerusalem will descend  at this time while the King of Kings rules the earth for 1000 years with David his prince in charge of the affairs of the Jews and maybe we will have roles based out of the New Jerusalem in the governance of the rest of the world??  It certainly seems that scriptures could accommodate this scenario.  What an exciting time to be alive.