Our last lesson in this series out of Ezekiel covers chapters 40 thru 48 with a focus on chapter 43. Hope is possible because God promises to live with His people. Facing east, Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord coming over the Mount of Olives and he fell face down (verses 43:2-3). In Ezekiel’s vision, the glory of the LORD entered the temple (verse 4).
About 500 years later, Jesus came from the east over the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Jesus came to serve God as a sacrificial lamb—that is, to die for the sins of the people. However, the people knew His miracle working power and they shouted Hosanna (Mark 11:9), wanting Jesus to deliver them politically from the Romans. Their “wants” didn’t match His Godly purpose. To be at cross-purposes with God is to live without real hope.
Jesus is coming again one day in power with the holy angels (Revelation 1:7). People today want not to be judged. They want fairness and tolerance, but again, people's ungodly “wants” will mismatch God’s purpose. They will be surprised. Christians, however, live in the hope of a bodily resurrection, and rapture (1 Corinthians 15:42-54). We have hope if our “wants” match God’s purpose.
With all this in mind, I am thinking about using an illustration of “matching and not matching” to kick off the lesson. Let me know if you have a good idea along these lines.
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