for, "a place of graves" is all the Lord gives them on earth, while their guilty souls are doomed to
misery in another world.
Ezek. 39:23-29 When the Lord shall have mercy on the whole house of Israel, by converting
them to Christianity, and when they shall have borne the shame of being cast off for their sins, then
the nations shall learn to know, worship, and serve him. Then Israel also shall know the Lord, as
revealed in and by Christ. Past events do not answer to these predictions. The pouring out of the
Spirit is a pledge that God's favour will continue. He will hide his face no more from those on
whom he has poured out his Spirit. When we pray that God would never cast us from his presence,
we must as earnestly pray that, in order thereto, he would never take his Holy Spirit from us.
Chapter 40
The Vision of the Temple.Here is a vision, beginning at Ezek. 40, and continued to the end of the book, Ezek. 48, which
is justly looked upon to be one of the most difficult portions in all the book of God. When we
despair to be satisfied as to any difficulty we meet with, let us bless God that our salvation does
not depend upon it, but that things necessary are plain enough; and let us wait till God shall reveal
even this unto us. This chapter describes two outward courts of the temple. Whether the personage
here mentioned was the Son of God, or a created angel, is not clear. But Christ is both our Altar
and our Sacrifice, to whom we must look with faith in all approaches to God; and he is Salvation
in the midst of the earth, Ps. 74:12, to be looked unto from all quarters.
Chapter 41
After the prophet had observed the courts, he was brought to the temple. If we attend to
instructions in the plainer parts of religion, and profit by them, we shall be led further into an
acquaintance with the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.
Chapter 42
In this chapter are described the priests' chambers, their use, and the dimensions of the holy
mount on which the temple stood. These chambers were many. Jesus said, In my Father's house
are many mansions: in his house on earth there are many; multitudes, by faith, are lodging in his
sanctuary, and yet there is room. These chambers, though private, were near the temple. Our religious