Page 221 - NOTES ON EZEKIEL

CHAPTER XL. 215
personage; the land was not parcelled out to the rem­
nant, still less to all Israel, by lot, and no strangers held
inheritance any more than in ancient times. Pentecost
was still as of old one of the three great feasts of the
Jews, whereas it will have no place according to the pro**
phecy. Such differences are of the most decided character,
and, at any rate to believers, demonstrate that the last
vision is yet absolutely unaccomplished in the history
of the Jews : to say that it is never to be is to confess
oneself an unbeliever in prophecy at least.
It is quite true that the vision is not to be regarded
as a description of what was remembered of Solomon’s
temple—a work of supererogation indeed for those who
possessed the books of Kings and Chronicles. It was
a divine disclosure of a new condition, when Israel shall
be restored finally and for ever. It is a material temple,
a literal but in some grave respects unprecedented ar­
rangement of feasts, sacrifices, rites, and priesthood, as
well as of general polity for the new capital and the na­
tion, under wholly novel circumstances crowned with the
glory of Jehovah who deigns again to dwell in their
land. Nor does it appear consistent to interpret the
temple and its ordinances literally, but as a figure the
waters that carry fertility and beauty into the Dead
Sea and the barren wilderness. Why this should ue a
mere symbol and not a fact it would be hard to tell,
except that men like Seeker and Boothroyd with a cer­
tain following will have it so. But we need say no
more as to all these things for the present. Ample op­
portunity will be afforded when we come to the chapters
themselves in detail.
This however we must insist on, that it is altogether