Yehovah-Shammah: The Lord Is There
Exploring the Temple Vision in Ezekiel 40–48
Well, not only would I like Chicago to be a little closer to New York, I’d like it closer to Minneapolis too. My sense of geography leaves much to be desired. But as we shift our attention from earthly cities to a divine city, one thing becomes crystal clear—the city God is a building that has a name that transcends time and space: Yehovah-Shammah, “The LORD is There.”
Worship That Points to Glory
At this recent gathering, we sang the moving hymn “We Will Feast,” written by Sandra McCracken for this very conference. It was a taste of the glory yet to come—something Ezekiel’s vision anticipates. As we open Ezekiel 40–48, we are drawn into a staggering prophetic vision. It’s no light task to explore nine chapters in a single session, but these texts call us to be mastered by them, not merely to master them.
The Vision Begins: Ezekiel 40
Ezekiel was exiled to Babylon and began his ministry around age 30. Fourteen years after Jerusalem’s fall, God gives him a vision. He sees a bronze-like man with a measuring rod, standing beside what appears to be a city. “Son of man, look carefully… tell the people of Israel everything you see.”
This marks the beginning of a meticulous and symbolic tour of a temple—a vision full of symmetry, sacred geography, and divine instructions. Chapters 40 to 48 unfold like blueprints of holiness.
A Return of Glory: Ezekiel 43
In one of the most awe-inspiring moments, Ezekiel sees the glory of the LORD returning to the temple from the east. It fills the inner court. A voice declares, “This is the place of My throne… This is where I will live among the Israelites forever.”
Gone are the days of defilement. God calls His people to be ashamed of their sins and to consider the perfection of this temple.
The River of Life: Ezekiel 47
In chapter 47, Ezekiel sees water flowing from the threshold of the temple. As he follows it, the water grows deeper—from ankle to knee to waist—until it becomes a river that no one can cross.
But this isn’t just water. It’s life. Wherever it flows, death becomes life—even the Dead Sea is made fresh. Trees grow with leaves for healing. Fruit abounds. Fish teem in abundance.
This vision echoes Eden and anticipates Revelation 22. It’s a symbolic picture of restoration that transcends national borders and temporal temples.
Yehovah-Shammah: The Lord Is There
In the final chapter, we learn the name of the city: Yehovah-Shammah—"The LORD is there." This is the goal of the entire vision. Not architecture. Not borders. But the presence of God among His people.
Four Interpretations—One Aim
Ezekiel’s temple has stirred many interpretations:
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Literal, short-term: A blueprint for the post-exile temple—never realized.
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Symbolic Church age: The Church fulfills this spiritually—not quite satisfying all details.
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Dispensational: A literal temple in the future millennium—raises theological tensions.
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Prophetic-Apocalyptic: A symbolic, genre-rich vision of God's redemptive plan. Not merely a building, but a vision that points forward to Christ and the New Jerusalem.
The fourth view allows us to embrace the genre and absorb the glory embedded in Ezekiel’s vision, without being constrained to historical literalism or overly spiritualized abstraction.
What Came Before: The Glory Departed
In chapters 8–11, Ezekiel saw the glory of God depart from the corrupt temple. Worship had become idolatrous—snakes, fertility gods, and sun worship. The mobile throne of God left the temple and stood on the Mount of Olives. Judgment came.
And yet, God promises to be a sanctuary for the exiles—even in Babylon. He would dwell with them without stone or altar. This paves the way for Ezekiel 36 (new hearts) and Ezekiel 37 (resurrection vision).
The Fulfillment in Christ
Seven years after Ezekiel’s vision, a temple was rebuilt—but no glory filled it.
Then came Jesus:
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
“We beheld His glory… full of grace and truth.”
He was the glory Ezekiel foresaw. He is the true Temple, the source of the living water, and the one through whom we enter the eternal New Jerusalem.
In Revelation 21–22, the symmetry returns. A city without a temple—for the Lamb is its temple. A river flows. Trees bear fruit. Leaves bring healing. And God's people? They see His face.
Let This Vision Master You
These final chapters of Ezekiel are not meant to be dissected coldly. They are meant to ignite the imagination. They are meant to consume us with longing, to lift our gaze from exile to eternity, from corruption to purity, from a faded city to Yehovah-Shammah.
“The name of the city from that time on will be: The LORD is there.” – Ezekiel 48:35
May we not only interpret this vision, but be transformed by it.
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