Lesson 145

Ezekiel 38–48

Prepare to Learn

Prepare your mind and heart to learn. Take time to ponder the truths you identify. Thinking deeply and praying about spiritual lessons will allow the Holy Ghost to teach you how to become more like Jesus Christ.

Begin your study with prayer.

What are some reasons that people worship the Lord in the temple? One reason is to seek the healing that the Lord can provide to our families through temple worship.

Listen to Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as he shares a story about how temple sealings brought healing in the lives of several Church members. You can read the text of this video here: “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 48.

Something for the World to Know

1. If you could choose something that you would like the world to know about Jesus Christ, what would it be? Why?

The Prophecies of Ezekiel

As you study the prophecies of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 38–48, look for what the Lord will make sure that everyone knows about Him as part of His Second Coming.

In Ezekiel 38 we learn that Ezekiel saw in vision a great battle that will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Lord declared whom He will be against in this great battle.

Read Ezekiel 38:1–3, looking for whom the Lord declared He was against.

Gog of Magog

Gog was the king (or chief prince) of a land called Magog, located north of Jerusalem. In his account, Ezekiel used Gog to symbolize a wicked leader or leaders who will seek to destroy God’s people in the last days.

In Ezekiel 38:4–6 we read that Ezekiel prophesied that Gog would assemble a great army from many nations.

Read Ezekiel 38:5, looking for three countries whose people would gather as part of this army.

The Battle of Armageddon

Ancient Persia was east of Jerusalem, ancient Ethiopia was south of Jerusalem, and ancient Libya was west of Jerusalem. Ezekiel may have used these countries to symbolize that this army would come from many surrounding nations.

Ezekiel 38:7–14 records that after the army of Gog gathers, their purpose will be to attack what they think is the defenseless kingdom of Israel. This prophecy refers to the great battle commonly referred to as the battle of Armageddon, which will precede the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The army of Gog symbolizes the great army that will attack Jerusalem.

Read Ezekiel 38:15–16, looking for the Lord’s purpose in allowing the army of Gog to attack the people in Jerusalem in the latter days.

A Prophecy—“That the Heathen May Know Me”

Consider marking the phrase “that the heathen may know me” in Ezekiel 38:16. The word heathen refers to a person who does not believe in the Lord. The phrase “I shall be sanctified in thee” in verse 16 means that the Lord will make Himself known as He protects the people of Israel against the army of Gog.

Read Ezekiel 38:18–23, looking for how the Lord will demonstrate His power against the army of Gog.

The Result of the Battle

We read in Ezekiel 39 that after most of the army of Gog is destroyed, it will take seven months for the house of Israel to bury the dead and seven years to clean up after the battle. Sometimes in the scriptures, writers use numbers to convey symbolic meaning in place of the literal meaning. Thus, the number seven may refer to a long time or to the land becoming complete and whole again.

Read Ezekiel 39:7, 21–22, looking for what truth the children of Israel and all people will know as a result of this battle. Notice in verse 7 how the Lord referred to Himself. You may want to mark what you find.

The Lord Jesus Christ

We can identify the following truth from Ezekiel 39:7, 21–22: All people will know that Jesus Christ is the Lord. Consider writing this truth in your scriptures.

How do you think this battle will show all people that Jesus Christ is the Lord?

Ezekiel’s Vision

Why are temples sacred, or holy, places?

In Ezekiel 40–43 we read that Ezekiel saw in a vision a temple that will be built in Jerusalem in the last days. In Ezekiel 43:9 the Lord admonished the house of Israel to stop sinning. He promised them that if they do, “[He] will dwell in the midst of them for ever.”

Read Ezekiel 44:5–9, looking for the Lord’s instruction to keep the temple holy.

Quiz 1

1. What does it mean to “mark well the entering in of the house” (verse 5)?

   1. Pay attention to who or what enters the house of the Lord

   2. Keep the entrance of the temple clean

   3. Check the names of those who come into the house of the Lord

2. According to verses 6–8, why did the Lord condemn the Israelites?

   1. They had tried to kill Ezekiel.

   2. They had failed to keep His temple holy.

   3. They had not finished building the temple.

3. According to verse 9, who did the Lord not permit to enter His temple? Choose all that apply.

   1. The “stranger”

   2. The “uncircumcised in heart”

   3. The “Levites”

   4. The “uncircumcised in flesh”

His Holy House

From Ezekiel 44:9 we can identify the following principle: If we make and keep covenants with the Lord, He will permit us to enter His holy house.

President Howard W. Hunter further explained what we must do to prepare to enter the house of the Lord:

“To qualify for the blessings of the temple, each of us must ensure that our lives are in harmony with the teachings of the Church. Before going to the temple, you are interviewed by your bishop. In that interview you certify to him that you meet a standard of conduct relating to the holy temple. We want you to decide today that you will always maintain this standard and be worthy of the privilege of going to the house of the Lord” (Howard W. Hunter, “Your Temple Recommend,” New Era, Apr. 1995, 6).

You can prepare to enter the house of the Lord by honoring your baptismal covenant to obey Heavenly Father’s commandments.

2. Answer the following questions:

• What standards do we need to live to be worthy to worship in the temple?

• Why do you feel it is important to be worthy to enter the Lord’s house?

• What changes can you make to be better prepared to enter the Lord’s house? (Do not share anything that is too personal or private.)

Another Vision—Water Issuing Forth from the Temple

We read in Ezekiel 47 that Ezekiel was brought to the door of the temple, where he saw another vision. As recorded in Ezekiel 47:1–7, Ezekiel saw in the vision water issuing forth from the temple. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that this event would occur before the Savior’s Second Coming (see Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 252). This vision represents the blessings that come to all who live worthy to worship in the temple.

Ezekiel then saw a man with a measuring line who measured the water flowing farther away from the temple. As the water flowed away from the temple, it became deeper and deeper. The man brought Ezekiel to the bank of the river, where Ezekiel noticed many trees along both sides of the river.

Read Ezekiel 47:8–9. Where did the water go, and what happened to everything it touched?

The Dead Sea

This picture shows the area through which the water ran in Ezekiel’s vision. The sea in Ezekiel’s vision is called the Dead Sea. It has this name because of its inability to sustain animal or plant life due to the high concentration of salt in the water.

The word healed in Ezekiel 47:8 means that the water would cause the Dead Sea to be able to support life. The flowing water in this vision may represent the Spirit and the power of God, which will heal all nations in a future day. The water may also represent the blessings that flow from the temple.

What can Ezekiel’s vision teach us about the blessings we can experience through temple worship?

The Blessings of the Temple

We can learn from Ezekiel’s vision that the sacred covenants of the temple heal and give life to those who keep those covenants.

3. Answer one or both of the following questions:

• What are some of the blessings of the temple that can heal or give life?

• When have you or someone you know experienced blessings from the temple that were like healing water?

The Trees on the Banks of the River

Why are trees valuable? Think of at least three ways that trees are desirable or useful.

Read Ezekiel 47:12, looking for how Ezekiel described the trees on the banks of the river. (In this verse the word meat means food.)

Think about the effect of the river as you read these words from Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about that river:

“The river renewed everything that it touched. The blessings of the temple likewise have a stunning capacity to heal. Temple blessings can heal hearts and lives and families” (Dale G. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2018, 48).

Consider how the description of the trees on the banks of this river with their healing leaves can be like individuals who experience the blessings of the temple. Those individuals can have eternal life and help nourish and heal others.

Temple Worship

By worshipping Heavenly Father in the temple, you can experience the greatest blessings available to you through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, including eternal life. As illustrated in Ezekiel’s vision, you can be healed and changed. Reflect on how the temple can bless your life.

Listen to the testimony of Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about the influence of the temple. According to Elder Renlund, how can we receive God’s greatest gift and safely return back to Him?

Doctrinal Mastery Review: Isaiah 58:6–7

Take some time to review Isaiah 58:6–7. Afterward, quiz yourself on the reasons we fast.

Isaiah 58:6–7 teaches the following statement of doctrine: God’s commandments include fasting.

Think of a way to remember this key statement of doctrine and Isaiah 58:6–7.

Answer Key

Quiz 1: (1) a; (2) b; (3) a, b, d