In the visions of God He took me into the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain; on it toward the south was something like the structure of a city. (Ezekiel 40:2)
As Ezekiel looked around with his heavenly vision opened by command of the man of bronze he met there, he sees something like the structure of a city. I looked in the other translations of the Bible, and most keep this phrasing. Whatever Ezekiel saw, he didn't just say 'city', something about this didn't quite fit that yet. It may be that he saw no people there, no activity going on, or perhaps it looked incomplete to his awakened eyes. Ezekiel looked and saw something like a city, but it was under construction and nobody was home. Meanwhile, back in Persia, Ezekiel's fellow Jews were waiting out the 70 years of captivity and mourning the destruction of Jerusalem.
I thought what a great metaphor for this life we have in the first part of Ezekiel 40. We too live in the shadow lands with eyes unseeing and ears not able to hear, enduring the pains of captivity in a foreign land. Yet we have great reason for hope. Our Lord has come, died on the cross, and risen again to new life in Heaven. We endure the time of exile, but He is coming again. Until that time, the Master Builder has gone into the great city to complete His work there. He is by His promise preparing a place for us. The Son of Man has gone up to that city to the south and soon it will be ready for a great homecoming.
Just a note from the Shadowlands, Lord. Prepare us for Your service, please; we want to come home!
Bucky
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