Ezekiel 40–48 has stumped many readers through the centuries, and you’re not alone in wondering why there would be a temple, priests, and sacrifices when Jesus already gave the final and perfect offering for sin (Hebrews 10:10–14).

Let’s walk through this carefully—not as mere students of prophecy, but as followers of Christ who want to understand the beauty of God’s plan from beginning to end.

You’re absolutely right: the cross was once for all. Hebrews tells us,

No further blood ever needs to be shed to forgive sin. Whatever Ezekiel saw in his vision, it cannot undo or compete with the finished work of Christ.
Jesus’ sacrifice stands forever. He is both High Priest and Lamb, the altar and the atonement.
Everything in Scripture points toward that hill called Calvary.

Many faithful interpreters hold that Ezekiel’s temple represents a literal structure during the millennial reign of Christ (Revelation 20).
Yet the sacrifices Ezekiel describes are not a return to the Mosaic Law.
They function as memorials, visible reminders of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice—much like the Lord’s Supper in our age.

Just as the bread and the cup remind believers of the price of redemption, so the future offerings will point backward to the cross, not forward to it.
They will proclaim to a world under Christ’s reign that salvation has already been accomplished.

When Christ returns, all believers from every age—Old Testament saints, the Church, and those martyred during the Tribulation—will be resurrected and glorified.
But survivors of the Tribulation will enter the Millennium in their natural bodies.

These believers will marry, raise families, and populate the earth.
Their children and descendants will still need to personally come to faith in Christ.
Even in a world ruled by perfect justice, human hearts will still need to be born again.

Isaiah 65 and Zechariah 14 portray this clearly: righteousness will reign, but sin will not yet be completely removed.
In that setting, temple worship will remind the nations that sin’s penalty was paid only by the blood of the Lamb.

During the Millennium, Christ will reign visibly from Jerusalem.
The curse on creation will be lifted; peace will cover the earth; nations will come to worship the King (Isaiah 2:2–4; Zechariah 14:9).

Yet this is still not eternity.
At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released for a final rebellion (Revelation 20:7–10), proving that even under ideal conditions, unredeemed humanity will still resist God’s rule.

Only after that rebellion is crushed will God create the new heavens and the new earth, where “the dwelling place of God is with man” and “there shall be no more death or pain” (Revelation 21:1–4).

So Ezekiel’s temple belongs to that intermediate kingdom—a time when Christ’s righteousness fills the earth, but sin and death are not yet fully erased.

When Jesus returns, all who have trusted Him before that moment will be changed instantly (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52).
We will receive glorified bodies and reign with Christ.

Those who come to faith during the Millennium will not be glorified immediately.
They will live and serve in their mortal bodies and await resurrection at the close of the thousand years (Revelation 20:11–15).

Scripture distinguishes between two resurrections—one “of the just” before the Millennium (Luke 14:14) and another afterward.
This helps explain why temple worship continues in that era: it is instructional, a living witness before all nations that redemption comes only through Christ.

Every part of Ezekiel’s vision—each court, gate, and offering—ultimately points to Jesus Christ, who is:

Whether symbolic or literal, Ezekiel’s temple shows the world that Christ’s glory will one day fill the earth.
Every ritual will remind creation of His finished work, and every act of worship will center on the cross.

Ezekiel’s temple reveals that God’s plan for the future is both literal and spiritual:

You’re asking the right kind of questions—and that hunger for understanding is what deepens faith.
Keep holding fast to this truth:
Jesus’ blood is enough—now, in the Millennium, and forever.

Ezekiel saw God’s glory return to a temple of stone.
We see it return in the Son of Man, who became flesh and dwelt among us.

Every measurement and every gate in Ezekiel’s vision whispers the same truth Jesus declared in red letters:

And He promised again:

What Ezekiel saw as shadow, Jesus fulfills as substance.
And one day, that glory will fill the earth—not just a temple.

For His Glory,
Pastor Dillon Evans
Red Letter Devotionals | pastordillonevans.com

💬 What part of Ezekiel’s vision challenges or inspires you most? Hit reply—I’d love to hear your thoughts.