What does it mean that “The Lord is there”?

As we finish the book of Ezekiel in our chronological Bible reading plan, we encounter some of the most difficult and debated chapters in all of Scripture. Ezekiel 43–48 contains an incredibly detailed vision of a future temple, complete with measurements, boundaries, priests, sacrifices, land allotments, and a life-giving river.

But even when we don't understand every detail, we can understand something unmistakable about the God who gave Ezekiel this vision:

God desires to dwell with His people.

In this episode of The Dwelling Place Bible Podcast for Busy Moms, Stephanie Hickox walks through Ezekiel 43–48 and considers what these difficult chapters reveal about God's holiness, His presence, His order, His faithfulness, and His good plan for His people.

And as moms, we're reminded that we don't have to understand every detail of God's plan before we can faithfully obey Him.

In This Episode of The Dwelling Place

We'll explore:

• Why Ezekiel 43–48 are some of the most difficult and debated chapters in Scripture
• The detailed vision of Ezekiel's future temple and why its measurements matter
• What the return of God's glory to the temple reveals about His desire to dwell with His people
• Why God's presence is always connected with holiness and repentance
• What Ezekiel's remarkable obedience teaches us about faithfully following God
• Why we can trust God's Word even when we don't understand every detail
• The difference between the common and the sacred
• What Ezekiel 45 teaches about justice, righteousness, generosity, and leadership
• Why the Sabbath and corporate worship continue to matter
• The purpose of sacrifices in Ezekiel's temple vision and how they point us back to Christ
• The extraordinary river flowing from the temple in Ezekiel 47
• Why the absence of the Ark of the Covenant is significant
• The connection between Ezekiel's temple, God's presence, and the biblical theme of dwelling with His people
• The meaning of Yahweh Shammah—“The Lord is there”
• How these chapters challenge us toward greater holiness and obedience
• What Ezekiel can teach Christian moms about trusting God's plan even when we don't have all the answers

When the Bible Feels Difficult

Have you ever reached a section of your Bible reading plan and thought, I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with this?

Ezekiel's temple vision can certainly feel that way.

There are measurements upon measurements, detailed architectural instructions, priests, sacrifices, land boundaries, and a massive river flowing from the temple.

And there are faithful Christians who interpret these chapters differently.

But we don't have to resolve every theological question before we can be encouraged by God's Word.

We can approach difficult Scripture with humility and faith, remembering that God's Word is intentional even when our understanding is incomplete.

As moms, this is a valuable lesson for our children, too. We don't need to pretend that we have every answer. We can teach our children to approach Scripture with confidence in God's character while remaining humble about the things we don't yet understand.

“My Dwelling Place Shall Be With Them”

One of the most beautiful themes throughout Ezekiel is God's presence.

Earlier in the book, Ezekiel witnessed the devastating departure of God's glory from the temple because of Israel's sin.

Now, in this final vision, God's glory returns.

Ezekiel 43 describes the glory of the Lord filling the temple, and God declares that this is the place where He will dwell among His people.

And then Ezekiel ends with the name of the city:

“The Lord is there.” — Ezekiel 48:35

This isn't a random detail.

From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture tells the story of a holy God making a way to dwell with His people.

That is the heart behind The Dwelling Place.

God is not distant or indifferent. His plan has always been to bring His people into His presence.

What Ezekiel Teaches Us About Parenting

Ezekiel's faithfulness is one of the things that stands out most throughout this book.

God repeatedly gave Ezekiel difficult assignments, and Ezekiel simply obeyed.

He didn't need to understand everything before he acted.

He didn't need the assignment to be easy.

He didn't need to know exactly how God's plans would unfold.

He did as he was commanded.

That is a powerful example for Christian moms.

Motherhood is filled with details, decisions, responsibilities, and moments when we simply don't know what we're doing. We may want God to give us the entire blueprint before we take the next step.

But often, He gives us something better:

His Word for today.

We don't need to know every detail of God's plan for our children, our families, or our future.

We need to know Him, trust Him, and faithfully obey what He has already revealed.

God's Presence Produces Holiness

Ezekiel's temple vision also reminds us that God's desire to dwell with His people doesn't mean He takes holiness less seriously.

Quite the opposite.

God's presence is holy.

The people are called to recognize their sin, repent, and live differently.

That matters in biblical parenting, because our goal shouldn't simply be to raise children who behave well enough to avoid consequences.

We want to help our children understand that obedience flows from a heart that knows and loves God.

We can teach them:

• God's holiness matters.
• Sin matters.
• Repentance matters.
• How we treat other people matters.
• Our choices reveal what we love.
• God is worthy of our obedience.

Christian parenting isn't ultimately about producing outwardly compliant children.

It's about faithfully pointing our children toward the holy God who made them, loves them, and calls them to Himself.

A River That Brings Life

Ezekiel 47 gives us one of the most breathtaking images in these chapters: water flowing from the temple and bringing life wherever it goes.

The river grows deeper as it flows.

It transforms the waters of the sea.

Fish become abundant.

Trees grow along its banks.

Their fruit does not fail, and their leaves bring healing.

The source of this life-giving river is the sanctuary.

Once again, the message is unmistakable:

Life flows from the presence of God.

As moms, it is easy to spend our days pouring ourselves out for everyone else.

But we cannot manufacture spiritual life for our families.

We need the life that comes from God.

Our children don't ultimately need a perfect mother.

They need a mother who knows where the source of life is.

You Don't Have to Understand Everything to Trust God

The book of Ezekiel ends with details that theologians have debated for centuries.

And that's okay.

We can study carefully.

We can ask questions.

We can seek wisdom.

We can learn from faithful teachers.

But ultimately, our confidence isn't in our ability to explain every prophetic detail.

Our confidence is in the God who gave the prophecy.

We can trust Him when we understand.

We can trust Him when we're confused.

We can trust Him when His plans are easy to see.

And we can trust Him when we're still waiting.

That is faithfulness.

The Final Message of Ezekiel

Ezekiel began with a vision of God's glory.

Then came judgment because of God's people's rebellion and sin.

But judgment was not the end.

God promised restoration, a new covenant, a new heart, His Spirit, His presence, and ultimately a future in which He would dwell with His people.

And the book closes with a name that captures it all:

Yahweh Shammah — The Lord Is There.

What an appropriate way to finish Ezekiel.

And what a beautiful reminder for every Christian mom:

God is there.

He is there in the ordinary work of motherhood.

He is there when obedience is difficult.

He is there when our children are struggling.

He is there when we don't know what to do next.

He is there when we understand His plan—and when we don't.

And one day, His people will dwell with Him forever.

Scripture Mentioned

• Ezekiel 40–48
• Ezekiel 43:1–7
• Ezekiel 43:10–12
• Ezekiel 45
• Ezekiel 46
• Ezekiel 47:1–12
• Ezekiel 48:35
• Genesis 2
• Exodus
• Zechariah 14
• Revelation

A Prayer for Christian Moms

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You are a God with a good plan.

As moms, we make decision after decision and handle detail after detail. Thank You for the clarity of Your Word and for showing us what matters most.

Lead us forward with peace. Help us to know what You are calling us to do and to obey You fully, as Ezekiel did.

When we are tired, discouraged, or facing something difficult, strengthen our hearts to move forward in diligence and faithfulness.

Teach us to trust You even when we don't understand every detail of Your plans.

Help us to raise our children to know that You are holy, that Your Word is trustworthy, and that Your presence is better than anything this world can offer.

Thank You that we can look forward to dwelling with You for all eternity.

And thank You, Jesus, that because of Your sacrifice, we can confidently look forward to the day when the Lord is there.

Amen.

Resources Mentioned:

• Entrusted With a Child's Heart
• The Again Podcast: Interview with Chris McKenna Part 1, Part 2
• Full-Circle Discipline Resources
• Journey Through the Bible

Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is a Dwelling Place

from Entrusted Ministries.

2

I'm Stephanie Hickox.

3

Today, as we finish another book of

the Bible, in digging into Ezekiel

4

chapters 43 through 48, right from

the get-go, I need to acknowledge that

5

these are some of the most contested and

confusing chapters in all of Scripture.

6

I certainly maintain

I am not a theologian.

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I'm just a mom that loves Jesus and

have found His Word to be entirely

8

sufficient for what I need each day.

9

Even in this portion of Scripture

that doesn't speak to our present

10

day, we can still be reminded of

the perfection and character of

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our Lord and Savior through it.

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I ask you to persevere in faithfulness

with me, because if God ordains

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for detailed instructions to be

given to us, we should take heed.

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In these concluding chapters, God

describes a new covenant in which He

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will restore and dwell with His people.

16

I promise you, I'm not forcing that theme.

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It's a thread that is intricately

woven throughout scripture.

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Once your eyes are open

to it, you can't unsee it.

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This holy, sovereign, perfect God is so

intentional to dwell with His people that

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He gives about nine chapters describing

what a future temple will look like.

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God gives Ezekiel this intricate,

detailed vision in the 25th

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year of their captivity.

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It's been decades since they've

seen Jerusalem, and it'll be 45

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years before any are allowed to

go back and rebuild the temple.

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But our God is a God who speaks

hope and a future even into very

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desperate, dismal situations.

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If there's one thing that I'll take away

from studying Ezekiel this time around

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is how obedient he was to the Lord.

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I think we almost might miss it

because every difficult thing God

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asks him to do, he just does it.

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A couple of times he said, "I did

as I was commanded," but he doesn't

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highlight his character, and scripture

doesn't really meditate on it either.

33

There's a lack of questioning

and a lack of doubt from him

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The one time that he does ask a question,

it seems he was trying to maintain

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his ceremonial cleanness before

the Lord, not trying to argue.

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Many people compare Ezekiel to

Moses because they both give really

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detailed instructions about the temple

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Certainly Ezekiel had the tremendous

blessing of God's glory being

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revealed to him even in exile.

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And in the wilderness, God revealed

His glory to Moses but Moses was

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allowed to see many miracles.

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And Ezekiel was really

called to walk by faith

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I bring all this up to say that I have

the utmost respect for the faithfulness

44

of Ezekiel, if God led him to pen

nine chapters of scripture detailing a

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future temple, then I'm going to take

it seriously and I'm going to listen

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The vision begins when a man of bronze

shows up with two measuring devices,

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a linen cord and a measuring reed.

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in chapter 40 verse four he says,

"Son of man, look with your eyes and

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hear with your ears, and set your

heart upon all that I shall show

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you, for you were brought here in

order that I might show it to you.

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Declare all that you see

to the house of Israel."

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The length of this architectural

blueprint reveals that it's

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very important to the Lord.

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But I have to confess that reading it

felt a little bit to me like when you

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meet a mom who's 10 years down the road

from you, and she's giving you information

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that you know you're gonna need at

some point in your parenting journey,

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but you just don't have capacity yet.

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And you just think, "I'll cross that

bridge when we get to it, but I'm

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thankful to know somebody that can

guide me when I do need the info."

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That's kind of how I feel about

these chapters of Ezekiel.

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First of all, God hasn't called

us to build this temple yet.

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It hasn't existed to this point.

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Scholars even debate whether this is a

literal or a symbolic temple But I also

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believe that every word of the Bible

was put there with intention by God.

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And as we read through all these numbers

and measurements, we can see that

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God is a God of order and intention

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so we shouldn't neglect these chapters

even if you feel your eyes glazing over

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the seventh time you read 100 cubits.

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this bronze statue of a man is

guiding Ezekiel around with a stick.

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They measure and measure and measure.

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God is precise, He's accurate, and

He commands for a wall to be built

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around this entire temple structure.

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The wall is 10 feet thick

and only 10 feet high.

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Obviously, walls at this time were

to protect from outside attacks.

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But honestly, you and I could

probably hoist one of our

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kiddos over a 10-foot wall.

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This isn't really providing

protection and 10 feet thick?

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What is that about?

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This wall is not about

keeping enemies out.

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It's about creating a division

between the common and the sacred

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Though God wants to dwell with us, we need

to be aware when we come into His presence

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Not only is the wall thick, this

whole temple structure is enormous.

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The whole city of Jerusalem that

David had conquered was about .5

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square miles, but Ezekiel's temple is 8.3

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square miles.

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It's about 140 times larger than

the historical city of Jerusalem.

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this includes the areas that

the priests were to live as they

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surrounded the temple structure.

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The temple itself is

about a mile on each side.

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It's gigantic.

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This temple structure has actually

never been built on Earth,

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If you've been reading scripture for

a long time, you might be thinking,

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"Wait, didn't God call Nehemiah to

come back and rebuild the temple?

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Won't we read about that soon?"

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You're correct.

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Nehemiah did lead the people to

rebuild the temple, but there wouldn't

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have been a physical location large

enough to follow Ezekiel's directions.

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It literally would not fit on

any mountain near Jerusalem.

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That fact alone makes many scholars

believe that this is a symbolic and

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figurative temple, and that all of

these measurements represent something

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Other scholars vigilantly maintain

this is a description of the temple

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that Christ will reign from during

the thousand-year millennial reign.

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Again, I'm not a theologian.

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I am a mom who has found the

Word of God To give me exactly

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what I need every day of my life.

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And generally, I will say that I,

and Entrusted Ministries, we follow a

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historical grammatical perspective that

much of scripture can be taken literally.

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Of course, there are books that are

poetic or have a different purpose

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due to their genre, but overall,

we believe it's most biblically

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faithful to interpret it literally.

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And as I began praying, immediately

I thought of Noah's Ark.

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God gave the exact dimensions for

what Noah was supposed to build.

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Then I thought about the detail and

the chapters and chapters we read about

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what the tabernacle was supposed to

look like during the days of Moses.

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Next, I thought about Solomon's temple and

the instructions we were given about that.

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It seems that every time there is this

level of specificity and this amount

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of numbers, that it concludes with a

physical, literal construction project.

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And honestly, the fact that a

mountain doesn't exist for it to be

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built on right now really doesn't

bother me, because I know that the

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Lord who created the mountains could

certainly raise another one up, and

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He could flatten one that exists.

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He could do any number of things

to bring this vision to life

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And why does it matter?

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What is the purpose of this temple?

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If you recall earlier, Ezekiel saw

something terrifying and devastating.

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God's glory left the temple

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And it was truly powerful that

God's glory came to him in Babylon.

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But listen to what happens at the

beginning of chapter forty-three.

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" Then he led me to the gate facing

east, and behold, the glory of the God

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of Israel was coming from the east.

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And the sound of His coming was

like the sound of many waters, and

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the earth shone with His glory.

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And the vision I saw was just like the

vision that I had seen when He came to

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destroy the city, and just like the vision

that I had seen at the Chebar Canal.

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And I fell on my face.

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As the glory of the Lord entered

the temple by the gate facing

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east, the Spirit lifted me up and

brought me into the inner court.

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And behold, the glory of

the Lord filled the temple.

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While the man was standing

beside me, I heard one speaking

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to me out of the temple.

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And he said to me, ' Son of man,

this is the place of my throne and

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the place of the soles of my feet,

where I will dwell in the midst

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of the people of Israel forever.'

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See, there we have it again that God

wants to dwell in the midst of His people.

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He has always had a

plan to draw near to us.

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Next, God describes how people have

defiled His holy temple, and He

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will never allow it to happen again.

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Something incredible that I've been

wanting to share with you is that

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even though many Jews do not claim

the name of Jesus today, the Jewish

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people have not really struggled with

idolatry since the time of the kings.

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The exile truly did purify them so that

the nation as a whole has not given into

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that temptation even to today And God

declares that they never again will.

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His presence calls us to holiness.

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Although it may not give us

warm fuzzies, it's important to

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include part of verses 10 and 11.

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As for you, son of man Describe to the

house of Israel the temple, that they

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may be ashamed of their iniquities,

and they shall measure the plan.

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And if they are ashamed of all they

have done, make known to them the

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design of the temple, so that they

may observe all its laws and all

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its statutes and carry them out.

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As I've said, in order to have a restored

relationship with God, there must be

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repentance In 44:4, we're given the

remarkable description of the glory of

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the Lord filling the temple once again.

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And God says to Ezekiel, "Son of Man,

mark well, see with your eyes and hear

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with your ears all that I shall tell

you concerning all the statutes of the

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temple of the Lord and all its laws."

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It's basically like when a

teacher tells you, "Pay attention,

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there's gonna be a quiz on this."

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And if God is saying that this is

so important, it's important for you

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and I, too Chapter 44 also reveals

that the sons of Zadok will have

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the honor of serving in the temple.

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Zadok was the priest during the days

of Solomon, and he and his line stayed

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faithful to the Lord, even though much of

the Levitical line betrayed their role.

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The Levites will still be allowed

to serve in the outer area,

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but not be elevated as Zadok is

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In chapter 45, there's an

interesting insertion in the middle.

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God is explaining the proportions

of the holy place, but then He

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tells the leaders of Israel to put

away violence and oppression, and

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calls them to execute justice and

righteousness, and to have just balances.

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God is reminding them that when

we love Him, it dramatically

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impacts how we treat others.

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leaders of God's people should

be known for generosity,

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compassion, and righteousness

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Throughout these chapters, you'll notice

a reference of a prince, and you, like me,

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might be wondering, who is this prince?

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Is he Jesus?

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But we know he can't be because

later it explains that he

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offers sacrifices for his sins.

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Instead, he is a leader that

is a godly example for the

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people, but this isn't the Lord

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And neither is that bronze statue guy.

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In chapter forty six God makes it clear

that some things will always be important

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to him Thus says the Lord God: The

gate of the inner court that faces east

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shall be shut on the six working days.

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But on the Sabbath day it shall

be opened, and on the day of

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the new moon it shall be opened.

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The priest shall enter by the vestibule

of the gate from outside and shall

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take his stand by the post of the gate.

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The priest shall offer his burnt offering

and his peace offerings, and he shall

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worship at the threshold of the gate.

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Clearly the Sabbath is still important

to God, and clearly his people gathering

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to worship him is still important.

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But did you notice that it

talked about sacrifices?

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But you're probably thinking, " Why

are there still sacrifices?

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here's the best explanation

I could find for this.

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If all of this is literal in the

millennial kingdom, these animals

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are not being sacrificed for the

forgiveness of people's sins.

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They will be a reminder of

what Jesus did for them.

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In reality, the sacrifices

never provided forgiveness.

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They pointed to Christ and the

forgiveness he would offer.

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So just like when you and I take communion

today and we're saying, "Thank you,

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Jesus, for your sacrifice on the cross,"

these continual sacrifices will remind

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people of their need for forgiveness

And they'll make them realize that it

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was Jesus' sacrifice that allowed them

to now dwell in the temple with the Lord

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I already explained why the

size of the temple would produce

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a difficulty in construction.

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But in chapter 47, we read

of another element that makes

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it beyond human control.

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This will be our longest reading today,

then he brought me back to the door of the

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temple, and behold, water was issuing from

below the threshold of the temple toward

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the east, for the temple faced east.

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The water was flowing down from

below the south end of the threshold

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of the temple, south of the altar.

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Then he brought me out by way of the north

gate and led me around on the outside to

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the outer gate that faces toward the east.

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And behold, the water was

trickling out on the south side.

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Going out eastward with a measuring

line in his hand, the man measured a

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thousand cubits, and then he led me

through the water, and it was ankle-deep.

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And he measured a thousand And led me

through the water, and it was knee-deep.

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Again, he measured a thousand and led me

through the water, and it was waist-deep.

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Again, he measured a thousand, and

it was a river that I could not pass

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through, for the water had risen.

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It was deep enough to swim in, a river

that could not be passed through.

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And he said to me, " Son of

man, have you seen this?"

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Then he led me to the bank of the river.

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As I went back, I saw on the bank

of the river very many trees on

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the one side and on the other.

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And he said to me, " This water flows

toward the eastern region and goes down

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into the Arabah and enters the sea.

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When the water flows into the

sea, the water will become fresh,

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and there will be very many fish,

for the water goes there that the

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waters of the sea may become fresh.

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So everything will live

where the river goes.

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Fishermen will stand beside the sea

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From En Gedi to En Eglaim.

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It will be a place for the spreading

of nets; its fish will be of very many

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kinds like the fish of the Great Sea.

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But its swamps and marshes

will not become fresh.

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They are to be left for salt.

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And on the banks, on both sides

of the river, there will grow

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all kinds of trees for food.

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Their leaves will not wither, nor their

fruit fail, but they will bear fresh

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fruit every month because the water

for them flows from the sanctuary.

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Their fruit will be for food

and their leaves for healing

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I really don't want to be irreverent,

but I can't help but laugh when the angel

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takes him through all of that water and

says, "Son of man, have you seen this?"

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I don't know what the temperature

of the water was, but I'm thinking

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Ezekiel probably was like, "Yeah,

man, I followed you for a really

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long time through the water.

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I see it."

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But I think the bronze man was

saying, "Do you see how this river

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has no source, and it's giving

life to everything it encounters?"

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The MacArthur commentary states, " This

section reinforces the constant

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emphasis of the prophets, that in the

final kingdom, amazing physical and

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geographical changes will occur on the

earth, and especially the land of Israel."

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He says that the stream of water

flows underneath the temple, going

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east to the Jordan River, and then

curving south to the Dead Sea area.

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The origin of this river

coincides with Christ's second

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arrival on the Mount of Olives.

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This will trigger a massive earthquake and

will create an east-west valley through

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Jerusalem, allowing for the water to

flow, which would align with Zechariah 14.

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God says that the Dead Sea is going

to become like the Mediterranean Sea

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as He transforms the world for good.

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Sometimes-- it's easy to talk about

what is said here, sometimes what

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we don't realize is what's left out.

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Remember all of that furniture we

read about in the Book of Exodus?

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Guess what?

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In this temple, all there

is is a wooden table

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there is no Ark of the Covenant here.

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Its absence is radical.

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The Ark symbolized God's presence with

the people, but when Christ comes to

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reign on the Earth, there will not

need to be a symbol of His presence.

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He told us the very soles of

His feet would dwell there.

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The simplicity of this speaks volumes

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In chapter 48, God describes

the allotments of the priests

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Interestingly, another detail

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that you may not have noticed

is that it's never stated that

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this will be in Jerusalem.

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But in the final verse, we

read the name of the city.

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" and the name of that city from that

time on shall be, 'The Lord is there.'"

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Amen and hallelujah, interestingly, the

name Yahweh Shammah means the Lord is

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there, the Moody commentary says it's

a Hebrew wordplay on Yerushalayim.

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and if you thought that that sounded

like Jerusalem, you're right.

294

These names sound similar, and

it points to God's restored

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relationship with His people

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The book opened with a vision

of the divine glory of God.

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And because of God's holiness,

Ezekiel had to describe the judgment

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against Judah and its enemies.

299

Then, in God's faithfulness, he

explained how he would hold to his

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unconditional covenant with Abraham,

and he promised a new covenant.

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And finally, Ezekiel presents the

glory and majesty of the Lord God's

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sovereign rule and his absolute

holiness in the details of the

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new temple and the new Jerusalem.

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This challenges every person who

loves the Lord to greater personal

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holiness and obedience to the King

who will one day rule from his throne.

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The city will then be known as

Adonai Shema, the Lord is there.

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Heavenly Father, we praise you that

you are a God that has a good plan.

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As moms, we make decision after decision

and handle detail after detail, and

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we thank you for the clarity your

Word brings us of what matters most.

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I pray you would lead us forward in our

lives with peace, that we would know

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exactly what you're calling us to, and

that we would obey fully as Ezekiel did.

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Strengthen our hearts so even when we're

tired or when the things you're asking

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us to do are hard, I pray we would move

forward in diligence, knowing that you

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promise a blessing for our faithfulness.

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We thank you that we can look

forward to dwelling with you for all

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eternity, and that we don't need

to understand every detail to trust

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in a good Father with a good plan.

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We know the extent of the sacrifice

that you made for us, Jesus.

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Help us to move forward in total

trust as you so rightfully deserve.

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It's in your name we pray.

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Amen.