The Qualifications for Seeing a Vision of God’s Building as seen in Ezek. 40:1-4

The vision of God’s building in Ezek. 40-48 is the culmination and ultimate point of the book of Ezekiel, and for the prophet to have this vision, there were some qualifications; we need to see the qualifications for seeing the vision of God’s building.

Ezekiel didn’t receive the vision of God’s building in chapter one nor in chapter 20 but toward the end of his experience with God.

First he was called by God when he was a young man, at the age of thirty; the first vision he saw was of the appearance of the glory of the Lord, and it was when he was thirty years old, the age at which a priest begins to function (Ezek. 1:1).

The last vision he saw, the vision of the holy building of God, was twenty years later (Ezek. 40:1), at the age of fifty, which is the age at which the priest would normally retire (Num. 4:3).

The first condition for seeing the vision of God’s building is that we need to have a certain maturity in life. If we are immature in the Lord, we will be very much concerned with such things as doctrines, gifts, practices, and outward activities; but as we grow in life and experience Christ in a deeper way, we will care more for what He cares, and this is His building.

Just like Ezekiel, we need to grow in life unto maturity so that we may be qualified to see the vision of God’s building and to become God’s building in reality. We need to daily seek to know Christ, experience Christ, enjoy Christ, and grow in Christ so that we may reach maturity in life and see the vision of God’s building.

Furthermore, we need to have a new beginning, and our beginning has to be based on Christ and His redemption. Also, our position is very important, for Ezekiel saw the vision not in the land of captivity but in Spirit on a high mountain in the land of Israel, even in Jerusalem.

We need to be brought out of any captivity and onto a high mountain to see the vision of God’s building. Also, to see the vision we need to experience Christ as the One who is fully qualified to measure us, judge us, and take possession of us for God’s building.

Lastly, we need to see with our eyes, hear with our ears, and set our heart on all that the Lord shows us, and then tell the house of God concerning what the Lord has shown to us in the vision of God’s building. Amen, Lord, make us such ones!

Having a New Beginning in our Christian life based on Christ and His Redemption

Ezekiel saw the vision of God’s building in the beginning of the year (Ezek. 40:1), in the tenth day of the first month. This is very meaningful, very  significant.

The beginning of the year indicates that the vision of God’s building brings us to a new beginning; when we see the vision of God’s building, we will have a new beginning. To see the vision of God’s building we need to have a new start, and when we see this vision, we have a new beginning.

We all can testify that, when we were saved by the Lord, we had a new beginning in our human life – it’s almost as if we were “born again”, as if we have a new life with a new living. It is the same when we see the vision of God’s building – we will have a new beginning, a new life!

And this new beginning is actually based on Christ and His redemption. The tenth day of the first month was the day that the people of Israel prepared the lamb for the Passover. Whenever we have a new beginning in our Christian life, it must be based on Christ and His redemption.

Christ as the Lamb of God was sacrificed for us; He became our Passover feast, and now we need to keep the feast (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). Christ, our Passover, has been crucified, so we need to keep the feast for the entire duration of our Christian life.

Christ is both the Lamb of God and the unleavened bread. He is pure, without mixture, and full of reality. We need to continue to keep the feast for our entire Christian life, enjoying Christ as our banquet, the rich supply of life.

Lord, may we see a vision of God’s building and have a new beginning in our Christian life based on Christ and His redemption! Hallelujah, Christ our Passover has been sacrificed, and now we can keep the feast for our entire Christian life! Amen, Lord, keep us enjoying You as our feast, and grant us to have a new beginning in a fresh way as we see the vision of Your building!

Being brought in Resurrection and Ascension to see the Vision, and Experiencing Christ’s Measuring

In the Bible, every time it comes to seeing a vision, the position is very important. In order for Ezekiel to see the vision of God’s holy building, even though he was in captivity, he was brought from captivity to a high mountain in spirit, in the land of Israel, and in the city of Jerusalem (Ezek. 40:2).

In other words, God didn’t give Ezekiel the vision of His building in the land of captivity but brought him to a different standing and position to see God’s building.

To be brought back to the land of Israel is to be brought back to Christ; to be brought to a high mountain signifies being brought to a place of resurrection and ascension, and being brought to Jerusalem is being brought into our mingled spirit.

For us to see the vision of God’s building, we need to be brought out of ourselves, out of any captivity, and in resurrection and ascension. We need to be brought to an elevated place, back to Christ in our spirit, in the resurrected and ascended Christ, so that we may see the vision of God’s holy building.

To see something you need the right position, angle, and standing. If you’re not in the right position, you don’t have the right standing, or you don’t have the right angle, you are not able to see.

For us to see a vision of God’s building we need to be brought in resurrection and ascension with Christ, and we need to be in spirit.

It was the same with the apostle John, who saw the vision of the New Jerusalem; for him to see this vision, he had to be in spirit on a high mountain, and there he saw the holy city, God’s holy building (Rev. 21:10).

We need to go up and up, up to the Lord in spirit, up in resurrection, and up in ascension, on a high mountain, and there we will see a divine and amazing structure, the vision of God’s building.

Before Ezekiel saw the vision of the building, he saw the vision of a man, who, unlike the man in Ezek. 1 who looked like electrum, this One looked like brass (Ezek. 40:3).

Christ is the One who was judged and measured by God, and He went through all kinds of testing and examinations.

He passed God’s judgement, and now He has become a test to others. Christ is today the Man of bronze; He was able to stand all kinds of tests, examinations, and judgements, so now He’s fully qualified to measure everything – including us, including God’s building.

We need to let the Lord measure us to possess us for His building; whatever He measures, He judges so that He may take possession. The more the Lord measures us, the more He judges us and He possesses us for His building.

The only way we can see and become part of God’s building is by experiencing Christ as the Man of Bronze who measures us, judges us, and possesses us for His building.

By His measuring, He judges anything that is of the natural man and of the self, and He possesses us for God’s building, making us a part of God’s building.

Lord Jesus, bring us in spirit on a high mountain to see the vision of God’s building. Bring us in resurrection and ascension to see the vision of Your holy building. Deliver us from any captivity and usurpation, and bring us in resurrection and ascension with You to see the divine and holy structure of the building of God. Amen! And Lord, have a way to measure us, judge us, and possess us for Your building. May we experience You as the Man of Bronze who was able to stand all kinds of tests and examinations and who now judges everything and everyone to possess us for the building of God!

Look with your Eyes, Hear with your Ears, Set your Heart on the Lord’s Speaking, and Tell Others!

Ezekiel 40:4 is an amazing verse; here the Lord tells the prophet, Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I show you, because for this purpose you have been brought here, that it may be shown to you. Tell all that you see to the house of Israel.

The Lord doesn’t want us to merely have a “vista of His building” and that’s it; He wants us to have a keen sight as we look with our eyes, listen intently as we hear with our ears, and absorb as we set our heart on all that He shows us, so that we may be able to declare to God’s people all the things we have seen and heard.

We need to set our entire being on what God shows us and speaks to us concerning His building. As we see a vision of God’s building, we need to have a keen sight to see with our eyes, listen intently to hear with our ears, and set our heart on all that He reveals to us concerning His holy building.

If what we are and what we do cannot match God’s building, it amounts to nothing in the sight of God. If the church today corresponds to all the details of the holy building of God as revealed in Ezekiel, and thus is built up in every aspect, God will dwell in the church gloriously.

We need to get into all the details and aspects of God’s building so that they may become our details and aspects as God’s holy building. While God was showing the vision of His building to Ezekiel, the prophet needed to have a keen sight and listen intently.

Also, in order to absorb the things that would be shown to him, he had to set his heart on them; then, he would be able to declare to God’s people all that he had seen and heard.

Similarly, in order for us to report to God’s people from what God has shown to us and spoken to us concerning His building, we need to first witness first hand, and then tell others what God showed and spoke to us.

Lord Jesus, we want to look with our eyes, hear with our ears, and set our heart on all that You show us concerning Your building, so that we may see, enjoy, realize, experience, and be able to tell Your house concerning this vision. May we have keen sight and listen intently as You reveal the vision of Your building to us, and may we absorb the things You reveal to us, so that we may be able to declare to Your people all that we have seen and heard!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, the message by Ed Marks for this week, and portions from, Life-study of Ezekiel, msg. 19 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization-study of Ezekiel (2), msg. 5 (week 17 in the HWMR), The Vision of the Holy Building of God in Its Outstanding Features.
• Hymns on this topic:
  # Freed from self and Adam’s nature, / Lord, I would be built by Thee / With the saints into Thy temple, / Where Thy glory we shall see. (Hymns #840)
  # Then John…. saw the vision of the New Jerusalem, / Well, it’s God…. dispensed and God built into men, / We need a vision so we open to the Lord, / Seeking revelation in the Holy Word, / Turning to the spirit for the building of the church, / The church is the fullness of the One. (Song on seeing the vision).
  # ’Tis my joy to give You all the ground, Lord; / Make my heart a dwelling place for You; / I want You to be at home within me; / Come and settle down in every room. (Song on setting our heart on the Lord)