1 “These are the names of the tribes: …
30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”
Ezekiel 48:1, 30-35
Ezekiel was the descendant of the priests and was chosen to serve God as a priest in the land of Israel! Unfortunately, he was taken captive to Babylon as a slave from a very young age! He saw the glory of God leave the sanctuary of Israel, and the Israelites forsook the Lord, worshiped foreign idols, and sinned against God. It also faced repeated attacks from Babylon, and the nation was destroyed.
In the days of wandering in Babylon, God was with Ezekiel. God showed him the promise that God would restore Israel, and that dried bones could become a vast army! The glory of God is returning to Israel again!
God still remembers the covenant he made with Abraham, the land he promised to give to Abraham! The New Holy City of Jerusalem is protected by four walls, the 12 gates have the names of the 12 tribes of Israel, and the most important thing is that the name of the city shall be “The Lord Is There.”
Ezekiel did not return to the land of Israel, he was still a slave in Babylon. It’s just that he saw the presence of the Lord and found rest and hope in God! He stopped looking at the environment, but saw the Lord who was with him! Just as Moses found in Psalm 90:1 –
“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.”
Psalm 90:1
Have you found God as your dwelling place and be aware that He is here with you?
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