Ezekiel 48 Devotional

A City Named for His Presence

“The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and from that day on the name of the city will be: THE LORD IS THERE.””Ezekiel 48:35 (BSB)

Ezekiel's book ends with a map. The land is divided among the tribes in bands, and in the middle lies a holy district with the sanctuary of the LORD at its center (48:1-10, 21). The city has twelve gates, each named for one of the tribes of Israel (48:30-34).

Then comes the last line of the book. From that day on, the city will be called The LORD Is There (48:35). Ezekiel's ministry began with God's glory appearing to exiles beside a foreign river. He watched that glory leave a defiled temple, and he saw it return. Now the whole vision comes to rest in a name. The land, the temple, and the city all point to one thing: God present with his people. John's vision of the new Jerusalem has gates bearing the names of Israel's tribes, and a voice from the throne declaring that God himself will make his home with his people (Revelation 21:3, 12). Wherever you are today, his presence is where the story is headed.

To think about: How might it change your day to remember that the whole story is heading toward God dwelling with his people?