God's Earthly "Tent" or Sanctuary" Set Up For Escape from Apostasy! -- Ezekiel 37:26-28; Revelation 21:3, 4
Ezekiel 47:1-12 gives us a beautiful picture of a Special Temple constructed by God, that provides for
mankind amazingly, "living, healing waters" of nourishment and refreshment. These verses state in part,
"And he went on to say to me: This water is going forth to the eastern region and must go down through the
Arabah. And it must come to the sea. It being brought forth into the sea itself, its water is also actually healed.
And it must occur that every living soul that swarms, in every place to which the double-size torrent comes,
will get life. And it must occur that there will be very many fish, because there is where this water will certainly
come, and the seawater will be healed, and everything will be alive where the torrent comes...And alongside
the torrent there will come up, along its bank on this side and on that side, all sorts of trees for food. Their
leafage will not wither, nor will their fruitage be consumed. In their months they will bear new fruit, because
the water for them -- it is coming forth from the VERY SANCTUARY. And their fruitage must prove to be for
food and their leafage for healing." -- Ezekiel 47:8-12
Now, let's compare Revelation 22:1, 2 which also says:
"And he showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, flowing out from the throne of God and of the
Lamb down the middle of its broad way. And on this side of the river and on that side there were trees of life
producing twelve crops of fruit, yielding their fruits each month. And the leaves of the trees were for the
curing of the nations."
Did you notice above the great similarities in both of these biblical descriptions of God's Wondrous Temple
Arrangement that ultimately nourishes mankind and brings forth Godly Blessings to all mankind? Did you
notice the striking similarity between these two biblical passages? Yes, the book of Ezekiel and the book of
Revelation are really saying the same thing. They are describing the exact same situation, are they not? Yes,
both are referring to an Earthly Temple Arrangement from God. Yes, both of these Temple Arrangements,
are said to give forth "living, healing waters" from Jehovah, which ultimately provide "curing," yes "healing" for all the nations upon earth. Yes, "Living Waters," that come from God's Sanctuary, upon earth. Did you notice
this? To gain more information of this unique concept, let's notice the following.
God's Sanctuary or Tent in this instance, pictures a Special "Arrangement" a Special Sanctuary, a Special Tabernacle or Temple set up miraculously, in the wilderness, to provide spiritual nourishment and refreshment for all repentant
members of God's People today, that seek refuge away from National Apostasy. It becomes a Special "Tabernacle" of God provided for these most
difficult times. -- 1 Corinthians 14:40; Matthew 11:28, 29
In this regard, it becomes like Leviticus 26:11, 12 says,
"And I shall certainly put MY TABERNACLE in the midst of you, and my soul will not abhor you. And I
SHALL INDEED WALK IN THE MIDST OF YOU AND PROVE MYSELF YOUR GOD, and you, on your
part, will prove yourselves my people."
Therefore, God's True "Tabernacle" for God's Name
People, is thus set up in the wilderness, as a provision from Jehovah for His People who have escaped National Apostasy. It becomes the place that Jehovah truly resides with His People, away from National Apostasy. It becomes the place
where Jehovah would indeed actually "WALK IN THE MIDST OF YOU," and "PROVE" Himself to be their "God"
just as promised above.
Revelation 21:3 and 4 speaks of the same situation, this way:
"With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: Look! The Tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will morning nor outcry nor pain be anymore, The former things have passed away."
Notice how the prophet Ezekiel speaks of the very same situation by saying:
Ezekiel 37:26-28, speaks of this unique situation this way,
"And I will conclude with them a covenant of peace; and indefinitely lasting covenant is what they will come to
be with them. And I will place them and multiply them and PLACE MY SANCTUARY in the midst of them to
time indefinite. And MY TABERNACLE will actually prove to be over them, and I shall certainly become their
God, and they themselves will become my people. And the nations will have to know that I, Jehovah, am sanctifying Israel when my sanctuary comes to be in the midst of them to time in definite."
Clearly as we read the above prophecy, it shows without a doubt, this is an earthly scene. The above situation takes place on earth, after God People are willing to escape "apostasy" from their fellow believers.
To further this thought, we read in Isaiah 2:5-7, this bit of information:
"O men of the house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of Jehovah. For you have forsaken your people, the house of Jacob. For they have become full of what is from the East, and they are practicers of magic like the Philistines, and with the children of foreigners the abound. And their land is filled with silver and gold and there is no limit to their treasures. And their land is filled with horses, and there is no limit to their chariots."
As mentioned above, National Apostasy has occurred. And with this development, God People must escape, must flee, to the wilderness, for safety. This is because National Apostasy must be "atoned" for, in a special way, to satisfy God's System of Justice. This special "atonement" for the nation, must be done in the Holy Compartment of the "Tent" or "Sanctuary" of God, at the Golden Altar (instead of the Copper Altar), which is in front of the Holy Curtain that divides off the "Most Holy" Compartment from the Holy. -- Leviticus 4:17, 18; See also Leviticus 4:1-21.
Remarkably as noted above in the prophecy of Ezekiel 37:26, 27, and other original promises made by Jehovah under the Mosaic Law
Arrangement, we notice they are almost identical to the one made in the book of Revelation where it says,
"With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: "Look! The TENT [Tabernacle, Sanctuary] of God is with
mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his people. And God himself will be with them." --
Revelation 21:3
Thus, we can see this "Tent" or "Sanctuary" that bible prophecy speaks of then becomes the true realization of God's Kingdom upon earth. (Matthew 6:10) This special arrangement upon earth, thus becomes God's "Tent" on earth. It becomes God's "Sanctuary," God's "Tent" or His True “Temple” upon earth, where
"living, healing waters" would flow for the full benefit of all mankind, earth wide to fulfill His Original Promise
to Abraham. (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Matthew 6:10)
When Jesus was on earth, we remember he referred to the nation of Israel, while even in its apostate state, as being the "Kingdom of God" ... that would have to be replaced because of wickedness. -- Matthew 21:43; See also Matthew 13:47, 48.
Therefore, this Special Earthly Arrangement called God "Sanctuary," can also be called "God's Kingdom," which was
formed in the “wilderness” as shown above, and will fulfill all such prophecies to the full glorification of God’s Great
Name. (Ezekiel 17:22-24) And all of this, will be in fulfillment of this most wonderful Grand Promise, originally
given in the Garden of Eden at Genesis 3:15, to produce a “seed” which would lead all mankind into
righteousness. Yes, we recall Jehovah again reiterated His Grand Promise to Abraham, His trusted “friend,” at
Genesis 22:18, where God Himself guaranteed one day, yes, "ALL NATIONS" … and that’s all nations, would
finally be blessed by way of his coming “seed.” Yes, we recall Almighty God Himself promised Abraham:
"And by means of your seed ALL NATIONS OF THE EARTH will certainly bless themselves due to
the fact that you have listened to my voice." -- Genesis 22:18
Observer
For more information on the National "Apostasy" spoken of above, see article: Jehovah's Witnesses, 8 Million in Apostasy!
