For several years I've been keen to stimulate study and discussion of Ezekiel's temple vision. (Ez. 40-48.) This past Sabbath, as I was looking at the spring atonement (rather than a fall Day of Atonement, Ezekiel's temple has a double atonement in the spring spanning a week.) it struck me what the reason for this mysterious change might be. I thought this "must be the judgment of the living" and the more I studied it, the more it made sense. But of course I could be wrong so I thought I'd post it here for your review and comment.

We're told by Ellen White that we don't know when the judgment of the living will begin. I agree with that. I believe though that the unfulfilled spring and fall feasts such as this one give us an insight into the appointed times of the great events that many of us will witness before the return of Christ. Here are some reasons for my recent conclusion that the judgment of the living will begin in the spring sometime soon, maybe even this year, according to the vision in Ezekiel's temple:


By the process of elimination, what else can Ezekiel's temple vision be describing in Ezekiel 45:18-20 when it speaks of a spring atonement? If the fall atonement began in 1844 with the judgment of the dead, what else can the spring atonement be if it isn't the sealing and judgment of the living?

The vision depicts the final gathering of God's people at the end of time symbolized by the 12 tribes. It parallels the sealing of the 144,000 of the 12 tribes of Revelation. Ezekiel 48 and Rev. 7. The final ripening of the harvest, the final sealing of God's people is accomplished by the latter rain and is the same process as the judgment of the living.

The pure woman that appears in Revelation 12 symbolizes this final generation. Her purity and victory over sin is the result of the atonement of Christ. Which atonement? Fall or Spring? Since she is a pure royal priesthood, Spring – see below.

The promise of the latter rain and spirit-filling of the church immediately precedes the vision in the final verse of chapter 39. The latter rain is the shower of the Spirit of Truth. Truth means judgment because truth confronts us with sin and we have to decide for or against it.

The glory of God at the end of the age returns to this temple, (see Ezekiel 43:1-12.) not to the Mosaic model. This portends a transition from the early rain to the latter rain and as we've seen, the latter rain means great grace and because it is a rain of truth, it also means sanctifying judgment.

The judgment of the dead could have been accomplished in a day so the Mosaic model covers a day. The judgment of the living takes time because the final ripening of the harvest takes time. The seven days of the spring atonement doesn't necessarily mean seven years but means completion over a period of time.

The final gathering of all the 12 tribes of Israel into one body is the main theme not only of the vision but also of Ezekiel's last 14 chapters. God, in the most impressive and repeated imagery is describing the final redemption, sanctification and judgment of His living people at the end of time.

In the Mosaic service on the Day of Atonement the sin offering of the people is a goat and the offering for the High Priest is a bull. In Ezekiel's temple the offering made to atone for the people is a bull which is only for the Priesthood – there is no goat. This means that the final atonement is for a royal priesthood. This is final generation theology and points to the fulfillment of God's original plan for his people – to make them a royal priesthood. What creates the royal priesthood? The final atonement of grace at the judgment of the living.

The message of THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, and righteousness by faith is the same message as the judgment of God in favor of His people.

Please feel free to disagree and share your thoughts.

Brother Mark, my primary question would be does Ellen White speak of the temple vision ( Ezekiel 45:18-20) ? Aside from Ezekiel himself, I don't know of any other prophet that has explained it. Even brother Houteff did not touch this.

Zech. 4 pictorial lesson

Tx for bringing this to our attention. It is very interesting indeed. I never really studied deeply Ezekiel's temple and services but I do agree with you that it points to the Priesthood and their ministry at Jesus 2nd coming. I will give you my impression from reading and reflecting on Ez 45 just now.



I think that (v.18-20) could be an atonement type but moreso the cleansing atonement found in Lev 14 than the fall Day of atonement. My first impression from reading verse 1-17 that it could be also a peace offering. Peace offerings are also known as offerings of reconciliation(atonement) that some texts in Eze 45 mentions.

The day of atonement or the atonement for cleansing lepers or a house infected with the plague of Leprosy was with 2 animals ahowever it never lasted for 7 days, but the priest did come to inspect the person or the house after 7 days.

Do notice that Eze 45:18-20 does not say that it lasted a week long either. v.18 does mention about offering a bull on the 1st day of the 1st month; however notice what v.20 says AV Ezk 45:20 And so thou shalt do the seventh [day] of the month for every one that erreth, and for [him that is] simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.. No mention of sacrifice.

To me what the simple text says on the 1st day of the first month to apply the blood of the bull for the sanctuary by applying on the posts and altar. On the 7th day of the first month(v.20), it doesn't mention any specifics in terms of sacrifices, but does points to mediate for the sinners: "for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house".

So it does resemble a type of cleansing rituals of the house mentioned in Lev 14:33-53 in terms of

1) historical timing: " When ye be come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession;"(Lev 14:34). Our body is the temple(house) of the Lord. The same applies corporately all the believers of the Church form the temple. So Ez 45 seems to be pointing at the time of possessing the Kingdom and the need to do a cleansing ritual in a corporate level of the house(church).

2)the days : the 1st & the 7th similar to a cleansing rituals found in Lev 14:9 & 38.

3)and putting blood on the posts: I know the posts of a house at passover symbolizes the ears(that now is incline to the voice of the Lord). However the altar represents the heart; so the 4 corners of the altar could mean the corporate heart of all the believers of the earth??? The cleansing ritual applies blood on 4 extremity body parts: the 2 ears, the right thumb, and right toe.(Lev 14:14). Could that be linked to the 4 corner of the altar? I don't know. Applying blood on the two posts is similar to the Passover ritual.

4)but I still don't see the two animals normally in a cleansing(atonement) ritual; unless Eze 45 only describes the sin offering of the atonement service. That is not unusual to not have everything mentioned in one text or law but find different information spread in 2 or several related laws that you need to group together to see the whole law about the matter.

Notice that Eze 45:1-8 talks about possessing the land and dividing the lot. This leads me to think the timing of this order of Priesthood is after Jesus second coming when we will "enter the Promised Land" and the kingdom will be transfered to the Saints of the Most High(Dan 2 & 7).

Then Eze 45:9-12 talks about the Princes of Israel(Priests or Saints of the Most High) that will "remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice"(v.9). Up to there it makes sense to me that the Saints of the Most High would do a cleansing of the land by execute judgment and justice at that point of time as reveal in Rev 19:11-15 and elsewhere. However continuing in v.9, I don't know what "take away your exactions(grushah) from my people"means in v. The word grushah has only one occurence and it's translation "exaction" seems not in harmony with the meaning of its root word which is garash that means "to drive out of possession"

Then we have from v. 13-25 some sacrifices and the feasts listed. I view these to be all symbolic having a spiritual meaning of events, work and intercession that needs to take place by the Priesthood, in the Church, in the peoples hearts and in the land recently inherited by which v.1-8 talks about.

Something I have learned that all the 3 feasts(Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles) were marked by events and only set during when these events first occured. So since there is no set feast on the 1st day of the 1st month, I see v.18-20 a new feast added to commemorate a new event : the new era(the Millenium) of the Saints of the Most High being put in charge of the Kingdom(Dan 2 & 7). I think(and I maybe wrong) that the cleansing ritual of Lev 14 does aligns with this events.

Besides that the other two feasts mentioned is the regular passover with the regular 7 days of unleavened bread and the regular 7 days feast of Tabernacle. Nothing new or unusual there.

She doesn't make any overall statements on the meaning of the vision. She makes a few applications of certain parts of the vision to the church. Here's a typical example:

Elle, thanks. I'm still looking at your commentary. More later . . .

Thanks for your input Elle. You make some good observations regarding the parallels between this atonement and the cleansing of a leper in Lev 14.

Your last observation, that the spring atonement must point to a future event is valid. Since sin offerings are still accepted, this atonement must occur before the close of human probation. Personally I believe the entire vision applies to the church of the final generation that receives the latter rain. We're told that sin is blotted out in the times of the final refreshing. Wonderful, weighty thought. I'm surprised this topic doesn't generate more interest. What could be more important than the purifying presence of the Holy Spirit among us, the return of the glory of God to His people?