Ezekiel’s Last *Vision
An EasyEnglish Bible Version and Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48
Commentary: Keith Simons; Translation: Ian Mackervoy.
This commentary has been through Advanced Checking.
Words in boxes are from the Bible.
A word list at the end explains words with a *star by them.
Terrible events happened in Jerusalem during Ezekiel’s life. Unlike Jeremiah, Ezekiel was not present in Jerusalem when these things happened. Instead, he was in *exile in Babylonia. But Ezekiel still saw these events. He saw them in *visions, by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. On some occasions, it seemed as if the Holy Spirit lifted him up in order to take him back to Jerusalem. Each time, Ezekiel recorded carefully the things that he saw.
So Ezekiel saw the terrible things that happened to God’s *holy *temple. He saw how people were *worshipping false gods there (chapter 8). He saw how the inhabitants of Judah had become well-known for their wicked behaviour and murders. He saw that God would not permit this evil situation to continue. And Ezekiel saw when, at last, God’s *glory left his *temple (chapter 10). Then Ezekiel knew that Jerusalem had lost God’s special protection. Enemies would destroy the city and the *temple. The inhabitants would suffer terribly.
This last *vision in the Book of Ezekiel happened 25 years after Ezekiel went into *exile. This was 14 years after the *Babylonian army had destroyed Jerusalem. So nobody was then living in Jerusalem. The walls, the houses and even the great *temple were just piles of stones. The nations called *Israel and Judah seemed to be in a hopeless situation. But God gave this *vision to Ezekiel. And this *vision was wonderful.
Ezekiel saw a *temple. And this *temple was similar to the one that the *Babylonian army destroyed. But, unlike in the old *temple, people were obeying God’s law. The whole nation was loyal to God. The rulers were fair. The priests were *holy. God’s *glory was again present in his *temple. And the people even had a new name for their capital city: ‘The *Lord is there.’
Clearly, this was a wonderful *vision. But it is very difficult to know its meaning:
· Many people believe that this *temple will exist in the future. Jesus, the *Messiah, will return to rule as king. These people believe that he will then establish this *temple. Ian Mackervoy explains this further in our main EasyEnglish Commentary on Ezekiel.
· Other people do not think that this *temple will actually exist. They think that God was using this *vision to teach the *exiles. He wanted to show them what the word ‘*holy’ really means. He wanted to teach them how priests should behave. He wanted them to know what proper *worship is. And he wanted to explain that people should obey his law willingly. Then he would live among them. They would be his people and he would be their God.
It is this second opinion that we explain in this Commentary. But whichever opinion is right, we must remember one important principle. It would be impossible to establish what Ezekiel saw by mere human effort. People in different countries have tried to establish similar things in the past. They have built great buildings but they have not managed to change the attitude of people’s hearts. People cannot please God by means of their human efforts. It is the duty of men and women humbly to confess their *sins and to *turn to God. Only God can change the attitude of people’s hearts (John 3:1-16). And only God can establish the form of *worship that pleases him (John 4:23-24).
If God has not established a building to be his house, then the builders work in vain (Psalm 127:1). Unless God sends his *glory to fill a place, the greatest *temple or church is just an empty building. We can only *worship God in a proper manner when he sends his Holy Spirit.
God used this *vision to teach some important lessons to the *Israelites:
· God wanted to live with his people again. But before this could happen, they had to change their attitudes. They must not simply continue the *sins that they had carried on in the past. Instead, they must *turn from their *sins and they must be loyal to God.
· God wanted the *Israelites to build a new *temple. This new *temple would replace the old *temple that the *Babylonian army destroyed. The *Israelites would *worship God again in the new *temple. God had a perfect plan for the *temple. So, in the *vision, he showed Ezekiel the measurements for his perfect *temple.
· God would come to the *Israelites in their new *temple. His *glory would be there. And he would use the *temple to show his kindness to his people. This would be like a river that flows through a desert. Such a river makes it possible for things to live in places that used to be dead. And so God’s Spirit would make it possible for the *Israelites to have a new relationship with him.
· God would be good to all the *Israelites. All the 12 *tribes continued to be his people. So God mentions all of them in this *vision. And he gives them equal rights to the land in the country that he has given to their nation.
Several years after this *vision, God helped some *Israelites to return to their own country. When they returned, they built another *temple. That *temple was not like the one that Ezekiel saw. But it was a place where they *worshipped God. Later, Haggai said that God would fill that *temple with his *glory (Haggai 2:7). These *prophets lived before Jesus the *Messiah came. So people still had to offer *sacrifices for *sin. And also, people had to keep *holy things separate from everything else. That was why they needed an actual *temple building.
When Jesus came, people saw God’s *glory in him (John 1:14). Jesus said that his body was the new *temple (John 2:21). So people would not have to go to a particular place to *worship God. Instead, God wanted people to *worship him in spirit and truth (John 4:21-24).
At the end of time, God will come to live with his people. There will not be a *temple then (Revelation 21:22). John saw a *vision of what will happen. It is interesting to compare John’s *vision with Ezekiel’s *vision. We shall do this at the end of our notes on Ezekiel chapter 48.
v1 This is what happened at the beginning of the 25th year during our *exile. And it was in the 14th year after the defeat of the city. On the 10th day of the month, I felt the power of the *LORD upon me. He took me there. v2 In a *vision, God brought me to the country called *Israel. He put me on a very high mountain. On the south of the mountain, there were some buildings. They seemed to be a city. v3 God took me there. And I saw a man who was standing in the gate. He looked as if he were *bronze. In his hands, he had a string and a measuring stick. v4 The man spoke to me. ‘*Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears. Pay attention to all that I will show you. God brought you here for that purpose. Tell the *Israelites all that you see.’
Verse 1
Usually people say that a *vision is ‘like a dream’. But what happened to Ezekiel was much more powerful than a dream. Ezekiel emphasises this. He reports that the power of the *Lord came upon him. And then he seemed to be in the city. Or perhaps he was actually there. Certainly, it seemed to be reality to him.
Verse 2
At first sight, Ezekiel thought that he saw a city. But actually, this was just the *temple and the *holy buildings that surrounded it. The old *temple was in a city, that is, Jerusalem. But Ezekiel saw a *temple which was not in a city. All the area round the *temple was very *holy (43:12). And the capital city was separate from it (45:1-6). This was for a reason. It was necessary to separate this land from other land. Something that belongs especially to God deserves the greatest honour. One must never confuse *holy things with things that are not *holy. God protested about the wicked behaviour of the *Israelites when their doors were next to the door of his *temple (43:8). So in Ezekiel’s *vision, the *temple and the city were separate.
Verse 3
The man was like *bronze. Clearly, this was not an ordinary man. Ezekiel’s guide to this *temple would be an *angel. The *angel moved and walked like a man. But his skin seemed like metal. So the *angel was very impressive. And like metal, he was very strong and powerful. Too many people imagine that *angels are like the pictures on Christmas cards. Such people are wrong. The Bible describes *angels as strong soldiers, who fight battles against evil forces. They fight a war on God’s behalf, in order to rescue his people.
This *angel carried an architect’s tools. He would measure the *temple. In the Bible, ‘to measure’ is often a picture in words. It does not merely mean to work out the size of something. It also means to examine the quality of something. So Ezekiel does not merely report on the size of the *temple. Also, he records how well the people were *worshipping God.
Verse 4
This *vision was God’s message to the *Israelites. God did not merely show Ezekiel these things for Ezekiel’s own pleasure. God had an important message and the people needed to know that message.
· Ezekiel begins here a list of the measurements of the *temple. This passage is very difficult to read and to understand. But some people have studied this passage very carefully. They have been able to draw plans of what Ezekiel saw. Their plans show that these measurements are correct. All the buildings would fit into the area that Ezekiel described. They would be in the correct positions and the spaces between the buildings would be correct.
v5 I saw a wall that went all round the *temple area. The stick that the man had was 6 long *cubits. But each *cubit was a *cubit plus the width of a hand. The man measured the wall. It was one stick high and one stick wide. v6 Then the man went to the east gate. He went up the steps and he measured the width of the gate. It was one stick wide.
v7 The rooms for the guards were one stick long and one stick wide. The walls, that came out between the rooms for the guards, were 5 *cubits thick. The width of the room next to the entrance that led to the *temple was one stick.
v8 Then the man measured the entrance by the gate. v9 It was 8 *cubits wide. The walls at the side of the doors were two *cubits thick. The entrance of the gate led to the *temple.
v10 On each side of the east gate were three rooms. They were the same size and the walls between them were the same size. v11 The man measured the width of the entrance to the gate. It was 10 *cubits. The width of the gate was 13 *cubits. v12 In front of each room was a wall one *cubit high. The rooms were square and each side was 6 *cubits. v13 Then he measured the gate from the roof of one room to the roof of another room. There was a width of 25 *cubits from wall to wall. v14 He measured the hall beyond the gate. It was 60 *cubits. Round the hall was an open area. v15 He measured the total length from the entrance gate to the entrance of the hall. This was 50 *cubits. v16 The rooms and the walls at the side of the doors had small windows on both sides. The windows were narrower on the side toward the gate. On the walls at the sides of the doors were pictures of palm trees.
Verse 5
Ezekiel saw a wall. It surrounded the entire *temple area. It was strong and well-made. It made the area like a castle. Nobody could enter the *temple except through the gates. Nobody could *worship there unless they went through the gates. Some people think that there are many ways to God. In other words, they want to *worship God in whatever manner pleases them. But people can only *worship God in the manner that pleases him.
The *angel’s measuring stick was like a long ruler. Ezekiel saw that the stick used the royal measurements. These measurements were longer than normal measurements. So the standard for this *temple was not the ordinary human standards. This *temple was a royal building because it was the house of God. And God is the king of kings.
A normal *cubit was about 18 inches (0.45 metres). The measuring stick was 10½ feet long (3.2 metres). In this Commentary, we will not provide a list of the modern measurements for everything that Ezekiel saw. But you can find this information in Ian Mackervoy’s EasyEnglish Commentary on Ezekiel.
Verses 6-16
Ezekiel recorded the measurements as the *angel measured the east gate. It was one of three gates that led into the *temple area. (That is, the ‘outer area’.)
For us today, this description is hard to understand, even in EasyEnglish. But the basic plan was this. Each gate was a large, impressive building. It included rooms for the *temple guards. It was their duty to keep the *temple *holy. People should only bring animals for *sacrifice if there was nothing wrong with the animals. Foreigners should not enter the *temple. And people should only use the *temple buildings for proper, sacred purposes.
For Ezekiel and for the *Israelites, this description would be very familiar. The design of the gates was something that he had often seen. People who study ancient cities have discovered similar gates in *Israel. Those gates were from the time of Solomon, who also built the first *temple. So it is very likely that this was the design of the original *temple gates. As a young man, Ezekiel would have often entered the *temple through those gates.
So in the *temple in Ezekiel’s *vision, the gates were the same as in the old *temple. The *Babylonians had destroyed that *temple, but God’s standards had not changed. He still wanted people to *worship him in the same manner, that is, with a humble attitude. The old *temple had not failed because of its design. There was nothing wrong with the design. It was the attitude of the people that was wrong. It was their wicked behaviour that was wrong. God had not changed. It was the people who changed. And when they opposed him, he had to declare judgement against them (18:29).
In verse 16, Ezekiel saw a familiar pattern by the doors. It was a picture of palm trees. Such patterns were in the old *temple too (1 Kings 6:29). The palm tree is a tall, strong tree. The Bible uses it as a word picture of a good person who is loyal to God (Psalm 92:12-15). It is also a tree with very plentiful fruit (Song of Solomon 7:7-8). In the Bible, fruit is often a word picture of the results when a good person works for God (Psalm 128:2-3; Galatians 5:22).
v17 Then the man brought me into the outer area. There I saw rooms and a path of stones all round the area. There were 30 rooms along that path. v18 The path went past the gates. It was as thick as the gates were wide. This was the lower path. v19 Then the man measured from the outer wall to the inner wall. The outer area between these two walls was 100 *cubits. This was the same for both the east side and the north side.
Verses 17-19
When Ezekiel had gone through the gate, he saw a large yard. We have called this yard ‘the outer area’. It was on three sides of the *temple. Ordinary people could enter the outer area. Here, they could *worship God. But they could not go any further towards the *temple. The inner spaces and buildings were very sacred, and only priests could enter there.
v20 The man measured the length and width of the north gate, that leads to the outer area. v21 This gate had three rooms on each side. The inner walls and the entrance were the same size as the first gate. It was 50 *cubits long and 25 *cubits wide. v22 The windows, entrance, and pictures of palm trees measured the same as the east gate. There were 7 steps up to the gate. The entrance was at the inner end. v23 There was a gate to the inner area across from the north gate. It was the same as that at the east gate. The man measured it. It was 100 *cubits from the inner gate to the outer gate.
v24 Then the man led me south where I saw the south gate. He measured its inner walls and its entrance. They were the same size as the other gates. v25 The gate and its entrance had windows all about like the other gates. It was 50 *cubits long and 25 *cubits wide. v26 There were 7 steps up to this gate. Its entrance was at the inner end. And it had pictures of palm trees on its inner walls. v27 The inner area had a gate on its south side. The man measured from gate to gate on the south side. It was 100 *cubits.
Verses 20-27
For the present, Ezekiel had to remain in the outer area. The *angel showed him the other two outer gates. They too were very familiar to Ezekiel. Their design matched the east gate, which Ezekiel had already measured.
v28 Then the man brought me through the south gate into the inner area. He measured the south gate. It was the same size as the other gates. v29 Its rooms, its walls and its entrance were the same size as the other gates. There were windows all round the gate and its entrance room. It was 50 *cubits long and 25 *cubits wide. v30 Rooms surrounded it, which were 25 *cubits long and 5 *cubits wide. v31 These rooms opened toward the outer area. There were pictures of palm trees on the sides of the doors. There were 8 steps up to the doors.
v32 Then the man brought me to the inner area on the east side. He measured the gate. It was the same size as the other gates. v33 Its rooms, its walls and its entrance were the same size as the other gates. There were windows all round the gate and its entrance room. It was 50 *cubits long and 25 *cubits wide. v34 Its rooms opened toward the outer area. There were pictures of palm trees on the sides of the doors. There were 8 steps up to the doors.
v35 Then the man brought me to the north gate. He measured it. It was the same size as the other gates. v36 Its rooms, inner walls, and entrance room were the same as at the other gates. There were windows all round the gate. The entrance was 50 *cubits long and 25 *cubits wide. v37 Its rooms opened toward the outer area. There were pictures of palm trees on the sides of the doors. There were 8 steps up to the doors.
Verses 28-37
At last, the *angel took Ezekiel to the gates that led into the *temple’s inner area. This was a very special moment for Ezekiel. When Ezekiel lived in Jerusalem, he was too young to perform the duties of a priest. And only a priest could enter the inner area of the *temple. So the guards who worked at these gates would only allow priests to pass through them. (People who offered *sacrifices could also enter the inner gates. But unlike the priests, those people would not remain in the inner area. They would leave as soon as they had handed over their *sacrifice to the priests.)
The design of these gates was again, familiar to Ezekiel. Each gate was similar to the outer gates, except that the rooms were the opposite way round. Perhaps this was to make the arrangement more convenient for the guards.
There was one very important difference between the outer gates and the inner gates. Ezekiel mentions this difference three times. Perhaps he wanted to emphasise it. As the *angel measured, Ezekiel counted the steps. Each inner gate had 8 steps upwards (verse 31, 34 and 37). But the outer gates only had 7 steps.
Many Psalms have an ancient title. We cannot be sure whether these titles are original. The title of Psalms 120 to 134 is the same: ‘a step song’. People are not sure about the meaning of this title. However, the author of these Psalms begins in a foreign country (Psalm 120). And his Psalms end in the *holy place in the *temple (Psalm 134). So these Psalms are like a series of upward steps. And with each step, there is a closer relationship with God. That is a good way to describe a traveller’s long journey to *worship God at the *temple. And it is especially so, as the *temple was on the top of a hill.
There are other passages that show a similar idea (for example, Genesis 28:12; Habakkuk 3:19). So perhaps the steps are a word picture that describes a close relationship with God. And the number of steps increases because Ezekiel was getting closer and closer to the most *holy place. It was as if he was climbing ever closer to God.
v38 By each of the inner gates there was a room. In this room, the priests washed animals for the *burnt *sacrifices. The door to this room was near the entrance room. v39 There were two tables on each side of the gates. On these tables, the priests killed the animals for the *sacrifices. These animals were for the *burnt *sacrifices and the *sacrifices because of *sin and blame. v40 On each side of the entrance to the north gate, there were two more tables. v41 So there were 4 tables on one side of the gate and 4 on the other side. On these 8 tables, the priests killed the animals for the *sacrifices. v42 Also there were 4 stone tables for the *burnt *sacrifices. On these tables, the priests would put the tools that they used to kill the animals for the *sacrifices. (That is, for the *burnt *sacrifices and the other *sacrifices). These tables were a *cubit and a half long, a *cubit and half wide, and a *cubit high. v43 There were nails in the walls. These nails were in pairs and the length of a nail was the width of a hand. The stone tables were for the bodies of the animals for the *sacrifices.
v44 There were two rooms in the inner area. One was by the north gate toward the south. The other was by the south gate toward the north. v45 The man said to me, ‘The room toward the south is for the priests. It is for those priests who serve in the *temple. v46 The room toward the north is for the priests who serve at the *altar. These priests belong to the family of their *ancestor Zadok. Zadok belonged to the *tribe called Levi. Only these priests can come near to the *LORD to serve him at the *altar.’
v47 The man measured the inner area. It was a square, 100 *cubits long and 100 *cubits wide. The *altar was in front of the *temple.
Verses 38-43
When Ezekiel entered the inner area, he was standing in front of the *temple building. But before Ezekiel went into the *temple, he had to see the place of *sacrifice. A person can only *worship God in the proper manner after God has forgiven that person’s *sins. In the *temple in Ezekiel’s *vision, people had to make *sacrifices. *Sacrifices were necessary so that God would forgive the people’s *sins (Leviticus 4:35; Hebrews 9:22). This principle is still true. People cannot achieve a right relationship with God by their own efforts. They can only humbly confess their *sins to God. However, we do not still offer animals as *sacrifices. That is because the death of Jesus the *Messiah is the perfect *sacrifice for *sin.
At the time of Ezekiel, the priests offered animals as *sacrifices. And that is what Ezekiel saw in this *temple. The Bible teaches that those *sacrifices could not take away *sins (Hebrews 10:4). But those *sacrifices were not without purpose. They showed how serious *sin is. They showed how God acts in judgement against *sin. They showed how God accepted the life of an innocent *sacrifice instead of the life of the humble *sinner. And they provided a means by which people could have a real relationship with God.
These *sacrifices did not happen in the *temple building. They happened in the yard in front of the *temple. We call this yard ‘the inner area’. Only priests were present there. They killed the animals. They washed the *sacrifices. They burned some parts of the animals on the *altar. They took other parts which they ate themselves. There were rules about all these activities. The rules were different for each type of *sacrifice. You can read those rules in Leviticus chapters 1 to 7.
Verses 44-46
There was a lot of work for the priests who carried out the *sacrifices. The *temple needed many priests for these tasks. But there were only a few tasks in the *temple building. Only a few priests had the honour to serve there on any particular day. It was a very special honour. On that particular day, they would prepare for their work in a separate room. All the priests’ work was very *holy. But to serve God inside his *holy place was the holiest task of all.
All the priests in the *temple in this *vision belonged to Zadok’s family. This was different from the rule during Ezekiel’s life. We need to understand the reasons. The *Israelite priests had always been the *descendants of Aaron. Aaron lived many centuries before Ezekiel, so Aaron’s family would include many thousands of people. And all the men from that family who were over 30 years old were priests. But not all these men had been *holy. In fact, many of these men were very evil. And they had allowed God’s *temple to become a wicked place (chapter 8). God could not allow this to continue.
So God made a new rule. His priests would be from the family of Zadok. Ezekiel 44:15-16 gives the reason why God chose this family. They were loyal to God when other *Israelites were not. Zadok was an important priest who lived at the same time as King David. Zadok remained loyal to King David, even when other priests did not (2 Samuel 15:24-27; 1 Kings 1:7-8). So the phrase ‘priests from Zadok’s family’ means priests who are loyal to God.
Verse 47
The inner area was the yard in front of the *temple building. Here the *altar stood. The fires of the *sacrifices would burn continuously here. And the smoke would rise towards God in heaven. Ezekiel describes the *altar in 43:13-27.
v48 The man brought me to the entrance of the *temple. He measured each wall at the side of the entrance. Each one was 5 *cubits thick. The entrance was 14 *cubits wide. The walls at the side of the door were each three *cubits wide. v49 The entrance hall was 20 *cubits wide and 11 *cubits long. There were 10 steps up to the entrance. There were two columns, one on each side of the entrance.
Verses 48-49
Ezekiel probably thought that he would never receive the honour to serve God in his *holy *temple. But the *angel led Ezekiel past the *altar and up to the door of the *temple. Again, Ezekiel counted the steps as he entered. There were 10. And as he climbed, he was closer than ever to God’s most *holy place.
The *temple building had three rooms. After the entrance hall, Ezekiel would enter the *holy place. He would be able to *worship God there while the *angel measured the most *holy place. That last room was so sacred that only the chief priest could *worship there. And even he could only enter once each year, and never without the blood of a special *sacrifice (Leviticus chapter 16). In that room was the sacred box. God was present there.
v1 Then the man brought me into the *holy place in the *temple. He measured the columns at the sides. They were each 6 *cubits wide. v2 The entrance was 10 *cubits wide. The walls on each side of the entrance were 5 *cubits wide. The man measured the *holy place. It was 40 *cubits long and 20 *cubits wide.
Verses 1-2
Ezekiel was in the *temple building. This building was the most *holy building in the entire *temple area. The building was not a place for *sacrifices. The priests killed the animals and burned them in the inner area, which was in front of this building. And this building was not for public use. Only priests could enter it. They could not enter whenever they chose. They entered on the special occasions when they had duties there.
The purpose of the *temple was for *worship. That is, the kind of *worship that is an expression of love. On behalf of the people, the priests showed their love for God when they carried out their duties in the *holy place. But God also showed his love for his people here. He showed his love because his *glory was present in the most *holy place.
Ezekiel entered the holiest room where a normal priest could *worship. Ezekiel describes the inside of this room in verses 15b to 26. (Verse 15b means the second part of verse 15.) It was not a very large room by modern standards. It was 35 feet (11 metres) wide and 70 feet (21 metres) long.
In this room, the priests would *worship God. The Bible describes its original furniture in Exodus 37:10-29.
v3 Then the man went inside and he measured the columns by the next door. Each column was two *cubits wide. The entrance was 6 *cubits wide and the walls at the side of the entrance were 7 *cubits wide. v4 Then he measured the room at the end of the *holy place. It was 20 *cubits long and 20 *cubits wide. The man said to me, ‘This is the most *holy place.’
Verses 3-4
This was the most sacred room in the *temple. Ezekiel did not enter this room and he did not describe its contents. Only one man, the chief priest, could enter this room.
The ‘man’ who was with Ezekiel did enter this room. That is because this ‘man’ was not human. He was an *angel. We know this fact because of his astonishing description in 40:3. *Angels are without *sin. So, unlike people, they are able to enter the place where God is present. (See Isaiah 6:1-5.)
The arrangement of rooms that Ezekiel saw was not new. The original *temple had both a *holy place and a most *holy place. So did the sacred tent that Moses built. This was the only type of building where God’s *glory would be present. People could not *worship God in whatever manner they chose. The buildings were God’s plan (1 Chronicles 28:11-12). The ceremonies were God’s plan. The *sacrifices were God’s plan. Even the furniture was God’s plan (Exodus 25:40). God arranged all these things so that people could *worship him. He knew about their *sin and human weakness. At the right time, he would send his *Messiah to rescue them from *sin (Galatians 4:4-5). But until then, God provided his law to lead people to the *Messiah (Galatians 3:24-25). And part of that law was the rules about the *temple (Hebrews 9:8-14).
v5 Then the man measured the wall of the *temple. It was 6 *cubits thick. There were side rooms 4 *cubits wide round about the *temple. v6 The side rooms were on three floors, one above another. There were 30 rooms on each floor. The *temple's outer wall on each floor was thinner than on the floor below. So, the rooms could rest on the step in the wall but they did not join to the wall. v7 The side rooms round about the *temple were wider on each higher floor. The rooms were widest on the top floor. Stairs went up from the lowest floor to the middle floor. Then stairs went from the middle floor to the highest floor.
v8 I saw that the *temple had a high base. This was also the base of the side rooms. The height of this base was the length of the stick, that is, 6 *cubits. v9 The outer wall of the side rooms was 5 *cubits thick. There was an open area between the side rooms of the *temple and the priests’ rooms. v10 This open area was 20 *cubits wide and it went all round the *temple. v11 The doors of the side rooms opened onto the base. One door was toward the north, and another door was toward the south. The width round the base was 5 *cubits.
Verses 5-11
The *angel took Ezekiel to see the outside of the *temple building. On three sides of the *temple building were small rooms for the priests to use. These rooms were not part of the *temple building although they leaned upon it.
The building that contained these rooms was on three floors. So it was a high building by the standards when Ezekiel was alive. And although the rooms were small, there were many of them. Ezekiel counted a total of 90 rooms.
We cannot be sure about the purpose of these rooms. But we do know that the original *temple had similar rooms. And their construction was similar too (1 Kings 6:5-6).
The unusual construction of these rooms was probably because the *temple was so *holy. Uzzah died when he touched the sacred box (1 Chronicles 13:10). The *Israelites learnt that they had to respect *holy things. So when they built the *temple, they were careful. They separated these rooms from the *temple building. They knew that the *temple building was more *holy than the priests’ rooms.
Because these rooms were on three sides of the *temple, they hid much of the *temple from view. This may be for a reason. The *temple was a very impressive building. But its purpose was not to impress people. Its purpose was to provide a proper place for the *worship of God. So people should not stare at the *temple. Instead they should look at the high *altar and the smoke that rose from it. Then people would remember why *sacrifice was necessary. They would remember their *sins. And they would be humble in God’s *holy *temple areas.
It is possible that these rooms provided accommodation for the priests. We cannot be sure about this, but compare 1 Samuel 3:3; Psalm 134:1 and Luke 2:37. It seems that some people were living in the *temple.
(Note: verse 15a means the first half of verse 15.)
v12 The building in front of the *temple area on the west side was 70 *cubits wide. Its walls were 5 *cubits thick and it was 90 *cubits long.
v13 Then the man measured the *temple and it was 100 *cubits long. The inner area of the *temple, with the building and its walls, was in all 100 *cubits long. v14 The open area of the *temple on the east was 100 *cubits wide. This included the front of the *temple.
v15a He measured the building on the west side in front of the open area. With its walls on either side, it was 100 *cubits long.
Verse 12
This was the largest building in the entire *temple area. It was even larger than the actual *temple. But the purpose of this large building remains a mystery. It was in an area that only the priests used. And its position seems important, because it was near to the most *holy place. The priests may need a large room for various purposes. For example, a library, a college, or to copy ancient books. But we do not think that the Bible mentions such a building elsewhere. So we can add nothing more.
Verses 13-15a (Verse 15a means the first part of verse 15)
The *angel then made 4 more measurements. All these buildings probably still seemed very complex to Ezekiel. He had seen many details, but he had not yet seen the general plan.
These 4 measurements showed Ezekiel that this was not just a collection of buildings. Ezekiel saw that each measurement was exactly 100 *cubits. No more, and no less. So the design was perfect. It was simple and it was clear. Perhaps we can learn from that fact about God’s nature, that is, his perfect character. God designs the smallest details of things. He counts the hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30). But he also designs the greatest things. And his plan for them is simple and perfect (Psalm 19:4-6).
(Note: verse 15b means the second half of verse 15.)
v15b He then turned to the *holy place, the most *holy place and the entrance hall by the open area. v16 Wood covered the walls of these three rooms. All three rooms had windows in the walls. By the door, the *temple had wood on the walls. The wood covered all the walls from the floor to the windows. (There were covers over the windows.) v17 There were wood covers that covered the space above the doors. Wood covered both the inside and the outside of the *holy place. On all the walls of the *holy place and the most *holy place were patterns in the wood. v18 The patterns were of *cherubim and palm trees. There was a palm tree between *cherub and *cherub. Each *cherub had two faces. v19 One was the face of a man, which looked at the palm tree on one side. The other face was of a lion. This face looked at the palm tree on the other side. This pattern was all round the *temple. v20 On the wall and above the door, there were *cherubim and palm trees.
v21 The entrance for the door to the *holy place was square. So was the entrance to the most *holy place. v22 There was a wooden *altar three *cubits high and two *cubits square. Its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. The man told me about it. ‘This is the table that is in front of the *LORD.’ v23 Both the *holy place and the most *holy place had double doors. v24 Each of the doors had two pieces that would swing open. v25 On the doors of the *holy place, there were patterns of palm trees and *cherubim. These palm trees and *cherubim were like the ones that were on the walls. And there was a wooden roof over the entrance to the *temple. v26 There were windows and patterns of palm trees on both walls at the sides of the entrance. A roof covered the side rooms of the *temple and over the stairs.
Verses 15b-20 (Verse 15b means the second part of verse 15)
The *angel entered the *temple building again, and Ezekiel described the inside of this building. The description was of a very beautiful room. The walls were stone, but Ezekiel could not see the stone. Wood covered the stone. And skilled workmen had made patterns in the wood.
The room had a very pleasant atmosphere. The outside *temple areas were much less pleasant. There was the smell of burning meat from the *sacrifices. There was the noise from the animals that the priests killed for the *sacrifices. And crowds of people and priests constantly moved about for the ceremonies.
But inside the *temple building, the stone walls made everything quieter. It would be cool, away from the hot sun. And the sounds would be softer, because wood covered the walls. People would burn substances with a sweet smell in the *temple building. That smell was unknown anywhere outside the *temple (Exodus 30:34-38). And it would mix with the smell of the wood on the walls, which was also sweet. Few priests entered the building, and their tasks would be simple. It was a beautiful place (1 Chronicles 16:29).
Ezekiel was describing the perfect *temple. So we might imagine such a building would also be the wealthiest *temple. But this seems not to be correct. There was much gold in the original *temple. It even covered the floors (1 Kings 6:30). Because gold is so pure and precious, it seemed the right material for God’s *holy *temple. But Ezekiel did not mention any gold. Perhaps he did not see any gold. Or perhaps he did not want to mention it. The wealth of the original *temple had made that building great. But Ezekiel’s *temple did not need any gold to make it great. Ezekiel’s *temple was great because God was present there. And it was great because God’s people were loyal to him there. The wealth of the building did not seem important.
The patterns on the walls were palm trees and *cherubim. We have discussed the palm trees (40:16). The palm tree is a word picture for a person who is loyal to God. And the *cherubim were *angels. Ezekiel saw the real *cherubim in 1:5-14. The patterns were pictures of them. The real *cherubim had four faces. They saw in all directions. But of course, patterns on a wall are flat. So these patterns could only show two of their faces. And those faces were looking at the palm trees, even as God’s *angels carefully watch his people.
Verses 21-26
Ezekiel continues to describe the inside of the *temple building. But he only mentions one object that stood in the *temple. This was an *altar, or perhaps it just seemed like one. The *angel said that it was a table.
In the original *temple building, there were three objects in the *holy place. There was a table where the priests placed bread in front of God. There was an *altar where the priests burned special substances to make a sweet smell. And there was a large lamp. Inside the most *holy place, there were other objects (see Hebrews 9:1-5). But Ezekiel just mentions this one object: a table that was like an *altar. Probably there were the other objects, but Ezekiel did not mention them. Ezekiel was a priest. When a priest entered the *holy place, he had a particular duty. He did not serve God at all the different objects. And he did not stay for a long time. He simply carried out his duty, and then he left (Luke 1:9; Luke 1:21).
Ezekiel was not a tourist. He did not stand and stare. This was the *holy place and he was serving God there. So perhaps Ezekiel looked only at the object which the *angel pointed out. That was the right way for a *holy man to behave.
And then, Ezekiel and the *angel left the *temple building.
v1 Then the man led me north into the outer area. He brought me to the rooms across from the *temple and its area. v2 This building on the north side was 100 *cubits long and 50 *cubits wide. v3 The building was in a space of 20 *cubits from the inner area. This was opposite the path of the outer area. The rooms were on three floors, each room was further back than the one below it. v4 There was a path on the north side of the rooms. This path was 10 *cubits wide and 100 *cubits long. Doors led into the rooms from this path. v5 The top rooms were narrower, because the passages took more space from them. The rooms on the first and second floors of the building were wider. v6 The rooms on the third floor did not have columns like the columns of the open areas. So, these rooms were smaller than those on the first and second floors. v7 There was a wall outside parallel to the rooms and to the outer area. It extended in front of the rooms for 50 *cubits. v8 The row of rooms along the outer area was 50 *cubits long. The row on the side nearest the *temple was 100 *cubits long. v9 The lower rooms had an entrance on the east side. The way into them was from the outer area.
v10 There were rooms on the south side along the length of the wall of the outer area. These rooms were next to the *temple area and across from the outer wall. v11 These rooms had a path in front of them. They were like the rooms on the north with the same length and width and the same doors. v12 The doors of the south rooms were like the doors of the north rooms. There was an entrance at the beginning of the path. This was next to the wall, so people could enter at the east end.
v13 The man said to me, ‘The north and south rooms across from the *temple area are *holy rooms. The priests who go near the *LORD will eat the most *holy *sacrifices there. There they shall put the most *holy *sacrifices. These *sacrifices are the grain, the *sin and the blame *sacrifices. These rooms are *holy. v14 The priests who enter the *holy place must leave their special clothes there. The special clothes are *holy. They must change their clothes before they go into the outer area. Then they may go to the part of the *temple area that is for the people.’
Verse 1
Ezekiel left the *temple building with the *angel. Then the *angel led him out of the inner area. They went through the north inner gate together. And then they were in the outer area again.
The *angel wanted to show Ezekiel the rooms that were between the *temple’s outer and inner areas.
Verses 2-9
Ezekiel described two large buildings here. These buildings were wider at the ground level than they were on the higher two floors. There was a path between the buildings. The building on the side by the *temple was twice the length of the other building. And one entered these buildings from the outer area.
All these rooms were for the same purposes, which we will read about in verses 13-14.
Verses 10-12
There were also buildings on the *temple’s south side, which matched the buildings in verses 2-9.
Because of the position of these buildings, there was a space of 87 feet (30 metres) between the outer area and the inner area. The ordinary people could not even come close to the walls of the inner area. These buildings acted as a limit for where the people could go. That limit was necessary because of human *sin (Exodus 19:12-13).
Because of *sin, people might imagine that they can serve God in any manner. People might behave in any way that they want in front of God. People who have done this in the past have suffered a terrible punishment (Numbers chapter 16). So in Ezekiel’s *temple, there were limits.
However, the priests could enter these areas and they could use these buildings. In God’s house (that is, the *temple) there were many rooms for their use. Perhaps Jesus was referring to this in John 14:2 – but of course, Jesus was speaking about heaven then. But the principle is the same. God provides enough rooms for all those people who serve him. That was true in Ezekiel’s *temple, and it will be true in heaven too.
Verse 13
The *angel explained the purpose of these rooms. The priests would eat some parts of the *sacrifices. These *sacrifices were *holy. So the priests ate them as part of their sacred duties (compare 1 Corinthians 11:23-29). And therefore, the priests could not take this food out of the *temple. And they could not eat it in a public area. Instead, there was this special *holy area where the priests could eat. They cooked the meat in kitchens, which were next to these buildings. You can read about those kitchens in 46:19-20. The priests did not carry the meat into the public outer area. They kept it separate from the people. It was always necessary to keep the *holy things separate. And by that means, the priests gave honour to God. Anything that belongs to God is special. People should not act as if was just like any ordinary object.
Verse 14
The above principle was also true about many other things, for example, the priests’ *holy clothes. Ezekiel 44:17-19 contains the rules about these clothes. The priests had to wear special clothes when they carried out their duties in the inner area. But the priest could not wear the same clothes when he was among the people in the outer area. He had to change his clothes. And he had to leave his special clothes in the *holy buildings.
v15 When the man had measured the *temple area, he led me out by the east gate. He measured all round the area there. v16 He measured the east side with the stick. It was 500 *cubits long. v17 He measured the north side with the stick. It was 500 *cubits long. v18 He measured the south side with the stick. It was 500 *cubits long. v19 Then he turned to the west side and he measured it with the stick. It was 500 *cubits long. v20 So, he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall all round it. The wall was 500 *cubits long and 500 *cubits wide. The wall separated the *holy area from the ordinary land.
Verse 15
Ezekiel left the *temple by the east gate. Something astonishing would soon happen at this gate. And afterwards, that gate would be for special purposes only. The priests and the public would not use it again.
Verses 16-20
The *angel had taken Ezekiel out of the *temple for a particular reason. Ezekiel needed to see that the *temple’s design was perfect. So Ezekiel watched as the *angel measured each wall. There were the outer walls that surrounded the *temple’s outer area. Ezekiel had described the walls in 40:5.
Ezekiel saw that each wall was the same length. The entire area was a square. The design was perfect.
And Ezekiel saw that the wall had a purpose. It was necessary to separate *holy things from everything else. The *temple belonged to God, so it was *holy. The wall separated the *temple’s grounds from the ordinary land that surrounded it.
Such a *temple pleased God. Its design was the design that he wanted. Every detail gave honour to God. The design separated *holy things from things that were not *holy. There was a proper place for *sacrifices in order to deal with human *sin. There were rooms for every purpose that the *temple needed.
This was a *temple where the *Israelites could serve God in the proper manner. This was a *temple where the priests could carry out their duties loyally. This was the *temple that God’s *glory could fill. And this was the *temple where God’s *glory would remain.
v1 Then the man led me to the east gate. v2 I saw the *glory of the God of *Israel, which came from the east. His voice was like the sound of rushing water. And the earth shone from his *glory. v3 I saw this in a *vision. And this *vision was like the *vision that I had seen before. Then the *vision was of the *LORD when he came to destroy the city. This *vision was also like the *vision that I had by the river called Chebar. I fell with my face to the ground. v4 The *glory of the *LORD came into the *temple area through the east gate. v5 Then the Spirit picked me up. He brought me into the inner area. There the *glory of the *LORD filled the *temple.
v6 The man stood by my side. Then I heard a voice, which spoke to me from the *temple. v7 That voice said, ‘*Son of man, this is the place of my *throne. This is where I rest my feet. I will live here among the *Israelites always. The *Israelites will never again cause my *holy name to seem like something unclean. They and their kings will not *worship the kings’ false gods, which have no life. They carried out that evil behaviour on the mountains, like *prostitutes. v8 They caused my *holy name to seem like something unclean. They did this when they put their doors next to my door. They made their entrances next to mine. There was only a small wall between them and me. There they did those things that I hate. This caused my *holy name to seem like something unclean. And so, I killed them because of my anger. v9 Now let them stop their *prostitution. They must destroy their kings’ false gods, which have no life. Then I will come and I will live among them for all time.’
v10 ‘*Son of man, describe the *temple to the *Israelites. Then they will be ashamed of their *sins. Let them think about the plan of the *temple. v11 Maybe they are ashamed of all that they have done. If so, tell them about the design of the *temple. Tell them its design, its entrances and exits. Tell them its shape and the plan of everything in it. Give to them all its rules and regulations. Write these things down in front of them. Then they can be accurate about its design. And then they can follow all its regulations.
v12 This is the law of the *temple. All the area round about the top of the mountain is very *holy. This is the law of the *temple.’
Verse 1
This chapter describes the opening of the *temple in Ezekiel’s *vision. Ezekiel had seen that the *temple was complete. The *angel had measured it. The act of measurement was a word picture to mean that the *angel tested it. He had tested it, and it was complete. It was splendid. It was ready for God. But it would remain just a group of buildings until God’s *glory entered it.
Verse 2
Ezekiel saw God’s *glory. Ezekiel did not describe God’s *glory here. But it was the same as Ezekiel had seen on previous occasions. He described it in chapter 1. God’s *glory was impressive. It was an astonishing experience. Even the ground was shining because God’s *glory was so bright. The *glory showed that God himself was present.
And Ezekiel heard God’s voice. Sometimes God’s voice is quiet (1 Kings 19:12). But this voice was not quiet. It was like the sound of a powerful river, or like the sound of waves in a storm. God can be quiet or loud, but his word is always very powerful (Genesis 1:3; John 1:1).
Verses 3-4
This *vision caused Ezekiel to remember two previous occasions when he saw God’s *glory. The *vision by the river Chebar was in chapter 1. And the other *vision was in chapter 10. On that second occasion, Ezekiel saw God’s *glory leave the original *temple in Jerusalem. It was terrible that such a thing had to happen. But God’s *glory had to leave, because the people’s *sins had become so great. It was impossible for them to avoid their punishment. God’s *glory would not continue to protect Jerusalem.
The Book of Ezekiel is a record of people’s *sin, its results and their punishment. Ezekiel wrote it during the worst period in *Israel’s history. And when Ezekiel had this last *vision, *Israel’s situation seemed hopeless.
But Ezekiel’s last *vision was a promise that gave hope. God’s *glory had left the original *temple by the east gate (10:19). And Ezekiel saw it return by the same gate. God still cared about his people. They were in *exile. But God still cared. Their situation seemed hopeless. But God still cared. He still wanted to live among them. He still wanted to be their God. He would bring about the end of their punishment. He would establish them as a *holy nation.
Ezekiel fell to the ground. He became aware of how *holy God is. Perhaps the *glory was so great that Ezekiel was unable to stand. Or perhaps Ezekiel did not want to stand. He wanted to be humble in front of the *glory of God. So Ezekiel lay down with his face on the ground.
Verse 5
Ezekiel seems to say that he did not enter the *temple in the usual manner. He did not walk in. The Holy Spirit took him into the inner area. This was not the first time that such a thing happened to Ezekiel (8:3). But Ezekiel does not often use such a description. So clearly, this was an unusual experience, even for him.
Verse 6
The *angel who acted as Ezekiel’s guide entered the inner area with him. But the voice that Ezekiel heard was not the *angel’s voice. It was the voice of God.
Verse 7
In 1 Kings chapter 8, King Solomon made a speech and a prayer at the opening of the original *temple. King Solomon organised the construction of that *temple. He acted as its architect, although he received the plans from his father, King David. The speech that begins in 43:7 has a similar purpose to Solomon’s speech. However, the speaker here is God himself. He is the architect of the *temple that Ezekiel saw. And God’s speech is like a reply to Solomon’s prayer.
In his prayer, Solomon confessed that the original *temple was not good enough for God (1 Kings 8:27). God did not live on earth, even in that great building. But Solomon asked God to watch that building constantly, in order to hear his people’s prayers.
In Ezekiel 43:7, we read God’s reply. God would not just watch his people. He would live among them. And he would continue to do so always. His royal seat would be here, and he would rest his feet here. So God would remain among his people. A king relaxes in his palace. And in the same manner, God would be content as he lived among his loyal people.
In his prayer, Solomon also confessed the future *sins of the *Israelites (1 Kings 8:46-50). They might *sin so greatly that God would send enemies to attack them. And those enemies would take them into *exile. Those things happened during Ezekiel’s life. Ezekiel himself was in *exile when he saw this *vision. But Solomon had prayed that God would still hear his people’s prayers. Solomon prayed that God would forgive his humble people, even after such terrible events.
And, in Ezekiel’s *vision, God replied to that prayer too. He would bring about a new relationship between himself and his people. It was true that, in the past, they had not been loyal to him. They served false gods instead of him. They behaved like a woman who has sex with men other than her husband. Their kings had led them in this evil behaviour. But God would change the attitude of his people. He would give them a new desire to love him and to obey him (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
Verse 8
This was the reason for the people’s *sin in the past. They did not recognise what was *holy. In other words, they acted as if God was just a man, like themselves. So they did not respect his *holy *temple or his *holy law. It was true that they had built his house. But they also built their own houses, and those houses seemed to matter more to them. (Compare 1 Kings 6:38 and 1 Kings 7:1.) They made themselves wealthy. They became proud. And they acted as if God was not important. They chose other gods, that is false gods, to *worship. In the end, they even *worshipped those false gods in God’s *holy *temple (Ezekiel chapter 8).
This behaviour insulted God’s *holy name, that is, God’s perfect character. And this behaviour caused people in foreign nations to think that God was weak. God created everything that exists. But his own people were behaving as if he were some weak, false, local god. That was a terrible insult.
And that was why God had to act against his people. He allowed enemies to destroy Jerusalem. He allowed them to ruin his *holy *temple. But that was not the end of his relationship with his people.
The *Israelites’ situation seemed hopeless. But God still offered them hope. Their behaviour had been terrible. But God still offered them his kindness. They had refused his love and they had neglected his laws. But God still offered them his love. He would forgive. He would look after them. He would even live among them. These things were still possible. But first, they had to *turn from their evil behaviour.
They were not loyal to God. That evil behaviour had to end.
They *worshipped false gods. That evil behaviour had to end.
They did not respect the real God. That evil behaviour had to end.
And if they ended these things, God had a wonderful promise for them. He would live among them. He would be as their husband. And they would be as his loyal wife. Their love would be complete.
Verse 10
That is why God showed this *vision to Ezekiel. The descriptions in this *vision may seem strange to us today. But those descriptions were familiar to the people in *exile, who had lost their *temple. Because of that event, they may have thought that nothing could mend their relationship with God. But God was showing them that they could have a new kind of relationship with him.
They should study this plan. Then they would see how it described God’s perfect character. They would see that they must respect the difference between *holy things and other things. They would see that they must love God with their whole hearts. They would see that they must confess their *sins. They would see that God still wanted to have a relationship of love with his people. And they would see that they must always be loyal to God.
Verse 11
The people’s proud attitudes must end. They had *sinned, so they must be humble. They must confess their *sin to God. But if they did these things, Ezekiel’s *vision would be like a wonderful promise to them. God was not just promising a building, however wonderful that building may be. He was promising a permanent relationship with his people. All these descriptions of the design of the *temple would teach them about that relationship.
Verse 12
Like the original *temple, this *temple was at the top of a mountain. That is, the mountain called Zion, which is in Jerusalem. But the original *temple was inside the city. As soon as people left it, they were in the streets. There, people carried on their normal activities. They only considered the area inside the *temple walls to be *holy. And in the end, this was a cause of their *sins (verse 8).
But the rules of Ezekiel’s *temple were different. This *temple was so *holy that all the surrounding land was *holy too. People did not carry on their normal activities there. They were on *holy land before they entered the *temple. And they were on *holy land after they left the *temple. They began to *worship before they entered. They continued to *worship after they left. Those were the rules for the new *temple that Ezekiel saw.
v13 ‘This is the size of the *altar in long *cubits. These long *cubits are a *cubit plus the width of a hand. Its ditch will be one *cubit deep and one *cubit wide. It will have a lip on its edge of half a *cubit. So, this will be the height of the base of the *altar. v14 From the ground up to a lower lip will be two *cubits high and one *cubit wide. From the smaller lip to the larger lip will be 4 *cubits high and one *cubit wide. v15 The place where the priest burns the *sacrifice on the *altar will be 4 *cubits high. Above this, there will a *horn at each of the 4 corners of the *altar. v16 The top of the *altar will be 12 *cubits long and 12 *cubits wide. It will be square. v17 The upper edge of the *altar will be 14 *cubits long and 14 *cubits wide. There will be a lip all round of half a *cubit. And there will be a ditch of one *cubit all round. The steps to the *altar will be on the east side.’
v18 Then he said this to me. ‘*Son of man, this is what the *LORD your King says. These are the rules for the *altar on its first day of use. The *altar will be the place where the priests burn the *sacrifices. They will throw some of the blood against the *altar. v19 You must give to the priests a young *bull as a *sacrifice because of *sin. These priests belong to the family of their *ancestor Zadok who was a *descendant of Levi. They shall come near to me in order to serve me, says the *LORD your King. v20 You must take some of its blood and put it on the 4 *horns of the *altar. You must put some blood on the 4 corners of the upper lip and all round the edge. This is how you will make the *altar *clean and ready. Then God will accept it. v21 Then you must take the *bull and burn it as a *sacrifice because of *sin. You must burn it in the proper place. This is in the *temple area outside the *holy place.
v22 On the second day, bring a male goat that has nothing wrong with it. It will be a *sacrifice because of *sin. The priests will make the *altar *clean and ready as they did with the young *bull. v23 When the *altar is *clean and ready, *sacrifice a young *bull and a male sheep. These animals must have nothing wrong with them. v24 You must *sacrifice them in front of the *LORD. The priests must throw salt on them. Then the priests must burn them as *burnt *sacrifices to the *LORD.
v25 You must bring a goat every day for 7 days as a *sacrifice because of *sin. You must bring a young *bull and a male sheep. There must be nothing wrong with these animals. v26 For 7 days, the priests must make the *altar *clean and ready. Then they will give to God the *altar. v27 After these 7 days, on the 8th day and afterwards, this is what the priests must do. They must bring to the *altar your *burnt *sacrifices. They must also bring your *sacrifices for peace and they must put them on the *altar. Then I will accept you, says the *LORD your King.’
Verse 13
The description of the *altar begins here. And the *altar was the place where priests burned *sacrifices as a gift to God. Some *sacrifices were because of human *sin. The person who *sinned deserved to die. So that person offered an animal, for example a *bull or a sheep, as a *sacrifice. The priests killed that animal. So the animal died instead of that person. Then the priests burned it on the *altar. Its smoke rose into the sky, towards heaven. And so the people saw that God accepted that *sacrifice.
Because of *sin, people cannot *worship God in a proper manner. It was essential to deal with *sin so that the people could *worship God. That is why the *temple needed an *altar. And the *altar was in a very important place. It was in the inner area. And it was in front of the *temple building.
The first *altars were simple piles of large stones. But the *altar in the original *temple was impressive. It was *bronze, that is, brown metal. And it was 15 feet (4.5 metres) high (2 Chronicles 4:1). And the *altar that Ezekiel saw was even taller: nearly 20 feet (6 metres).
The measurements for the *altar used the special long *cubits that Ezekiel mentioned in 40:5. That is because ordinary human standards cannot deal with *sin. So even the measurements for the *altar need to use God’s standards.
Verses 14-17
The *altar was tall, but it stood firm. The description is of three levels. Each level was narrower than the one below. But the *altar was so large that its top level was 21 feet (5.6 metres) across. On this top surface, the priests would burn the *sacrifices.
The *sacrifice burned because of God’s judgement. The punishment was against the *sacrifice instead of the person who offered it. But although the *sacrifice suffered God’s punishment, its ashes were still sacred (for example, Leviticus 4:12). So the priests could not leave the ashes of *sacrifices to scatter in the wind. That is why there were lips on the edges of the *altar. The priests collected those ashes and they took them to the proper place. Jesus the *Messiah died as the perfect *sacrifice for *sin. But his body was still sacred (Isaiah 53:9-10). And some of the *Israelite rulers recognised this fact (John 19:36-40).
There were steps up the *altar. This may just be a practical detail. But perhaps we can learn a useful lesson here. God had provided the way up. Of course the priests could not reach the top of the *altar by their own efforts. But God provided steps for them. So he made it possible to offer the *sacrifices. Nobody can please God by their own efforts. But God has provided the way for people to have a relationship with him (John 14:6).
The steps were on the east side. That is, away from the *temple building. God wanted the priests who dealt with *sin to carry out their duties separately (40:45-46). Those priests would carry out the *sacrifices, but other priests would *worship in the *temple building. Some priests were dealing with *sin, which is most unholy. And other priests were dealing with *worship, which is most *holy.
The *altar was square. Each level was square. That is a word picture to show that the *altar was perfect. The entire *temple area was square (42:20). The inner court was square (40:47). The most *holy place was square (41:4). Even the surrounding district was square (48:20).
The *altar had *horns at each corner (verse 15). In the Bible *horns are often a word picture for strength. The priest would put the blood from some *sacrifices on these *horns (for example, Leviticus 4:25). Leviticus 4:25 also shows the purpose of the ditch round the *altar. The priest would pour out the blood from *sacrifices at the base of the *altar. Blood had a special meaning in these ceremonies. It meant the life of the animal (Leviticus 17:11). People could only have a relationship with God because that animal had lost its life. ‘It is essential to pour out blood. Otherwise, God will not forgive *sins’ (Hebrews 9:22). That is why Jesus the *Messiah had to die. He offered his own blood so that God would forgive our *sin (Hebrews 9:12).
Verses 18-21
At the opening of the original *temple, Solomon offered thousands of animals as *sacrifices (2 Chronicles 7:5). And some people may have thought that such great ceremonies were necessary in order to please God (Micah 6:6-8). But God only wanted a simple ceremony to prepare the *altar for use.
On the first day, one young *bull had to die. It was a *sacrifice because of *sin. Its blood would make the *altar *clean, that is, acceptable to God. The priests must offer it. They must be men from the family of Zadok (see 40:46). And they must obey God’s rules carefully.
Verses 22-26
For the rest of that week, the priests offered three animals daily as *sacrifices. *Bulls, sheep and goats were the three kinds of animal that the *Israelites could use for *sacrifices. Before the priests could offer an animal, they had to check it. Only perfect animals were suitable for use as *sacrifices (Leviticus 22:17-24). God deserves the best things that we can give to him.
The *sacrifices during this opening week were all *sacrifices because of *sin. It was only because of human *sin that this *altar was necessary. God created people to be perfect. But *sin has ruined their relationship with God.
Verse 27
So there was a special week of *sacrifices. This was like the special week in Leviticus chapter 8, when the priests began to serve God at the sacred tent. The new *temple in Ezekiel’s *vision was a new beginning for the priests. And so another special week was necessary.
At the end of that week, the opening ceremony was complete. The *altar was ready for daily use. There were daily *sacrifices. There were monthly *sacrifices. There were *sacrifices on special occasions. Sometimes a person would decide to give an extra *sacrifice as a gift to God.
And God would accept these *sacrifices. But the *Israelites had to offer these *sacrifices regularly (Hebrews 10:1-4). Only the *sacrifice of Jesus the *Messiah had a permanent effect. He died once to take away all the *sins of everyone who trusts him (Hebrews 9:28).
v1 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate east of the *temple. But the gate was closed. v2 The *LORD said to me, ‘This gate must remain closed. Nobody may open it or enter by it. The *LORD, the God of *Israel, has entered by it so it must remain closed. v3 Only the prince may enter this gate. He will sit there and he will eat in front of the *LORD. The prince will enter through the hall of this gate. And he will go out the same way.’
Verse 1
The three outer gates of the *temple were alike. But the outer east gate had the most important position. It was in front of the inner east gate. The inner east gate was in front of the *altar for *sacrifices. And that *altar was in front of the *temple building.
God’s *glory had entered the *temple through the east gate. So he did not turn as he entered the *temple. We can see this in the description of God’s *glory in Ezekiel chapter 1. The *cherubim did not turn (1:9; 1:17). They were looking in all directions. So they did not need to turn, even when they moved.
To ‘turn’ was a word picture. It meant a change of attitudes. But God never changes (Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17). So God’s *glory entered his *temple by a straight route. He did not turn. He had not changed. He was still the same God.
Verse 2
The gate was now a closed gate. God told Ezekiel why the gate was closed. God had used that gate, so nobody else could use it. This rule shows God’s royal authority. People used to prepare the roads before the arrival of the king (compare Isaiah 40:3). But anybody could use those roads afterwards. However, God is more important than any human king. He used this gate. And nobody else may ever enter by this way.
So the outer east gate was closed. But the other two outer gates were open. God had provided a way for people to *worship him. In reality, there was no *temple when Ezekiel saw this *vision. The *Babylonian army destroyed it completely. But God still gave this *vision to Ezekiel. And this *vision showed that God still wanted a relationship with his people. God would provide the way for them to have that relationship.
When people entered the *temple in this *vision, they had to enter by the proper route. That is, they had to enter by either the outer north gate or the outer south gate. These gates were in front of the inner gates, which were in front of the *altar. But they were not in front of the *temple building. So as the people entered, they were looking towards the place of *sacrifice. They could only have a relationship with God because of *sacrifice.
The outer east gate was never open. But on *holy days, the priests opened the inner east gate. The people would not go through this gate. They would *worship at its entrance (46:3). In order to do that, they had to turn. Perhaps this showed that they had to change their attitudes in order to *worship God. On those days, they would be looking towards the *temple building as they *worshipped. But they would not see into the *temple building, because the *altar was in front of it. So they would again see the place of *sacrifice.
Verse 3
The prince in this *vision was the ruler of *Israel’s government. He had important duties at the *temple. But he was not a priest. And he did not control what happened at the *temple.
Only the prince had the right to use the outer east gate. But he would not walk through the actual gate. He could not, because the gate was closed. Instead, he used the entrance hall of the gate. This was his royal room. The people could eat some parts of the peace *sacrifices that they brought. And so the prince would eat his peace *sacrifice in the room at the outer east gate. This was his special right. But it was not just a meal. It was a type of *worship. This act would remind the prince about his relationship with God.
As the prince ate there, he would be in front of the *temple building. But he would not be near to that building. He was not in the *temple’s inner area, nor even in the outer area. His place was far from the areas that the priests used. Sometimes in the past, kings had acted as if they were priests (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). God did not want this to happen. His *Messiah would be the only king who was also priest. And he would be a different type of priest (Hebrews 7:11-28).
So this is the law for the prince: ‘The prince will enter through the hall of the gate. And he will go out the same way.’ This is the law at the outer east gate. And it is the same law as at the inner east gate (46:8). The inner and outer gates had similar but opposite designs. In other words, the halls of all the gates were on the side of the outer area. So even the prince had to enter the outer area by the same gates as everyone else. He would be in the outer area like everyone else. He could not ever enter the special areas that were for the priests. He had special rights and duties because of his royal authority. But he must remember that he is human, like everyone else. He only had his special rights because of God’s kindness. The prince too can only serve God because of *sacrifice. So the prince too must be humble in front of God.
v4 Then the man brought me through the outer north gate to the front of the *temple. As I looked, I saw the *LORD’s *glory. It filled the *temple of the *LORD. And I fell down with my face to the ground.
v5 The *LORD said to me, ‘*Son of man, concentrate your mind. Look carefully. Listen well. Listen to all that I say to you. I will tell you all about the rules and regulations of the *LORD’s *temple. Look carefully at the entrance to the *temple and all the exits from the *temple area. v6 Then speak to those people who refuse to obey me. Say to the *Israelites: This is what the *LORD your King says to you. *Israelites, you must not do all those evil things that I hate. v7 You brought foreigners into my *holy place where they should not be. They have not received *circumcision in either their hearts or their bodies. They do not *worship me. You have ruined the honour of my *temple. You made *sacrifices of food, fat and blood to me. But you have not obeyed me. v8 You did not take care of my *holy things. But you gave foreigners control over my *temple. v9 This is what the *LORD your King says. Foreigners, who have not received *circumcision in their hearts and bodies, must not enter my *temple. Not even those foreigners who live among the *Israelites can enter.
v10 Some *Levites went far away from me when *Israel *turned from me. They followed their false gods. I will punish these *Levites because of their *sin. v11 These *Levites will be servants in my *holy place. They will guard the gates of the *temple. They will serve in the *temple area. They will kill the animals for the *burnt *sacrifices. They will make *sacrifices on behalf of the people. They will stand in front of the people to serve them. v12 But these *Levites helped the people to *worship their false gods. They caused the *Israelites to *sin. So, I have lifted up my hand as I made this judgement against them. I, the *LORD your King, will cause them to suffer the punishment because of their *sin. v13 They will not come near me to serve as priests. They will not come near any of my *holy things. They will not come near my most *holy *sacrifices. They will be ashamed of the things that they did. I hate those things. v14 But, I will appoint them so that they will be responsible for the duties in the *temple. They will take care of all the work that they must do in it.
v15 But some priests who are *Levites by Zadok their *ancestor were loyal to me. These *Levites did their duty to me in my *temple when the *Israelites *turned away from me. They will come near to serve me. They will stand in front of me to offer the fat and blood of the animals. They will make the *sacrifices to me, says the *LORD your King. v16 They are the only ones who may enter my *holy place. Only they may come near my table to serve me. They will take care of the things that I give to them to do.’
Verse 4
It is easy to miss the importance of this verse. Ezekiel wrote often about the *glory of God. And Ezekiel saw so many *visions. But nothing impressed Ezekiel more than the *glory of God. With a *vision of the *glory, Ezekiel began his work as a priest and a *prophet (chapter 1). And a *vision of the *glory proved to Ezekiel that the *Babylonians would destroy Jerusalem (chapter 10). That was awful. But then Ezekiel had seen the *glory re-enter the *temple in the *vision (43:1-4). And here, Ezekiel saw the *glory for the last time. And the *glory was where it should be. That is, it filled God’s *temple. God was present with his people again. He was ruling as king; and his power and *glory would be there always.
Ezekiel did not stand to watch. He fell down to *worship God. Ezekiel placed his face on the ground. The *glory was so great and so wonderful. Nothing else mattered. Ezekiel just wanted to give all his love to God. Ezekiel just wanted to give honour to God. So Ezekiel lay flat on the ground. And he *worshipped.
Verses 5-6
God showed his *glory to Ezekiel so that Ezekiel would have the power to do God’s work. This *vision was a message from God to the *Israelites. This chapter contains God’s instructions about three groups of people:
· Foreigners (verses 7-9) cannot even enter the *temple gates. They do not obey God and they do not love God. Unless they receive *circumcision, they cannot *worship at the *temple.
· *Levites have special duties at the *temple. Many people who used to be priests could only carry out the duties of *Levites at this *temple. This happened because of their *sin.
· Only priests who are loyal to God could carry out the most sacred tasks in this *temple. They had to obey special rules in order to separate themselves from *sin.
Verses 7-8
A terrible thing had happened in *Israel. God had specially chosen the people in *Israel. He separated them from the other nations. He gave them his law. And he gave them his promises. But the people had not obeyed him.
God had separated them from the other nations. But they wanted to be like those nations. So they invited foreigners into their nation. And they even took those foreigners into God’s *holy *temple.
These were not foreigners who wanted to serve God. If a foreigner wanted to serve God, that foreigner could join the *Israelites. But first, he had to receive *circumcision. That act showed that he wanted to obey God. And it showed that he was joining God’s people (Genesis chapter 17). That foreigner would then benefit from the special relationship between God and his people. However, it was not just the foreigner’s body that needed *circumcision. The attitude of his heart – today we might say ‘his mind’ – needed to change too (Romans 2:29). He needed to love God with his whole heart. Then that foreigner could *worship God at his *temple.
But God was speaking about foreigners who had not received *circumcision. They were not loyal to God. Both their bodies and their hearts proved that. But they were in the *temple. In fact, they even had control over the *temple.
Originally, the *Israelites probably allowed such foreigners into the *temple in order to impress them. The *temple was a splendid building. Later, the *temple became a place where people *worshipped foreign gods (chapter 8). Perhaps then the priests of these gods took control over the *temple. In the end, foreigners from Babylon entered the *temple in order to destroy it. Then they had complete control over the *temple. This happened because God’s people allowed it to happen. They had made their *sacrifices. (Compare Micah 6:6-8.) But they were not loyal to God.
Verse 9
The law of the *temple in the *vision was clear. The *temple belonged to God. He insisted that people should obey him with their bodies. And people should love him with their hearts (or minds). Such people were the only people who could enter this *temple.
So the only people who *worshipped at the *temple in this *vision were *Israelites. Foreigners could only *worship God there if they became *Israelites first. No other people could even enter the outer gates of the *temple. This rule might seem severe. But the New Testament (the later part of the Bible) follows a similar principle. Real Christians belong to God’s nation (2 Peter 2:9). They obey God and they love him. A person can only become a real Christian if he or she is born again (John 3:3). Other people belong to the world and they do not know God (1 John 3:1). So they cannot *worship God properly.
Verse 10
Among these *Levites were many priests. But God does not call them ‘priests’ here, because they were not still acceptable as priests. Instead he refers to them by the name of their family group, that is, the *Levites. Unlike the priests in verse 15, these ones were not loyal to God. They *worshipped false gods and they were responsible for great *sin. God would forgive them and he would allow them to serve him again. But their *sin had serious effects. Now they must serve him in a humble manner.
Verse 11
God gives a list of their duties. These are necessary tasks in the *temple. But they are humble tasks. They are the tasks of servants.
Verse 12
This verse emphasises the serious nature of the *sin. God had to take strong action. He had to act against these *Levites. So God ‘lifted his hand’. That means that he made a serious promise. (Compare chapter 20.)
Verses 13-14
These *Levites must never enter the *temple building. They must not offer the most sacred types of *sacrifices. They must not behave like priests. They must behave like servants who carry out their duties in a humble manner. Then God will allow them to serve him.
Verses 15-16
Please see my notes on 40:44-46. The priests in this *vision were men who were loyal to God. Because they were loyal, they were already humble. And that was the right attitude to have as they carried out the most important tasks at the *temple. Their special duties were in two places: the *altar and the *holy place.
· At the *altar, they would burn the most important *sacrifices as a gift to God. So these priests were dealing with the *sins of the people.
· The *holy place was inside the *temple building. There, they *worshipped God. The passage mentions again the table in 41:22, which was in the *holy place. Only these loyal priests could serve God there.
The *Levites carried out their tasks on behalf of the people. But only the priests could offer *sacrifices. God chose the priests especially to carry out this task. So they were closer to God.
v17 ‘When the priests enter the gates of the inner area, they must wear special clothes. The material of the clothes must be the material called linen. They must not wear any wool. So, they may serve me at the gates of the inner area, or inside the *temple. v18 They must wear special hats on their heads. These hats must also be of the material called linen. And the clothes that they wear round their bodies must also be linen. They must not wear anything that will make them damp. v19 When they go out from the inner area, they must remove the special clothes. They must leave these clothes in the *holy rooms and they must put on other clothes. Then they may go out to the people in the outer area. Their special clothes are *holy, and the people must not touch those clothes.
v20 The priests must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long. They must only cut their hair to keep it at a proper length. v21 None of the priests may drink wine when he enters the inner area. v22 The priests must not marry widows. And the priests must not marry women who have received a divorce from their husbands. Priests may marry only women who have not had sex. And these women must be from the *Israelites. But they may marry the widow of a priest. v23 They must teach my people the difference between *holy things, and things that are not *holy. They must help my people to know what is not *clean. And they must show them what is *clean.
v24 When there are legal arguments, the priests shall be the judges. They must decide these arguments by the rules that I have taught. They must obey my laws and my rules for all my special meals. They must keep my *Sabbath days *holy.
v25 Priests must not go near a dead person. If they do, they will not be *clean. If the dead person belonged to the priest’s close family, the priest may go near. The priest may do this for his father, mother, son, daughter, brother, or for his unmarried sister. The priest will not be *clean but he may do this. v26 After a priest has become *clean again, he must wait for 7 days. v27 Then he may go into the inner area to serve in the *temple. But he must make a *sacrifice because of his *sin’, says the *LORD your King.
v28 ‘The priests will have no land to own in *Israel. They will have me instead of property. I will be their possession. v29 They will eat the grain, *sin and blame *sacrifices. Everything that *Israel gives to me, the *LORD, will be theirs. v30 The best fruits of all the first harvests will belong to the priests. And all the special gifts that you give to me will belong to the priests. You will also give to the priests the first part of the flour from your mill. If you do this, God will show his kindness to your family. v31 The priests must not eat any bird or animal that they find dead already. They must not eat anything that wild animals have killed.’
Verse 17
The priests were loyal to God, but they were still human. And because of that, they were *sinners. Everyone comes from Adam, who *sinned. So all people are *sinners. Because of *sin, people cannot come near to God (Genesis 3:22-24). But these priests come near to God. That is their duty. So the rest of this chapter contains laws to deal with their *sin. The priests could come near to God because God had separated them for this purpose. But first they had to offer a *sacrifice so that God could forgive their *sin.
The first instructions here are about clothes. God said that the priests had to wear special clothes in the *temple. They wore these clothes in the *temple building and in the inner area.
Those special clothes were white. That is the proper colour for the clothes of a person who is *worshipping God in such a special place (Revelation 7:9-14). The material called linen comes from plants.
Verse 18
The priests wore clothes round their bodies, underneath their main clothes. It would be wrong if people saw their bodies. But even the clothes that other people did not see were linen.
Of course, a person sweats (becomes damp) when he is hot. And the priests would become hot as they worked. Unlike wool, linen is a cool material. So this material would help the priest not to sweat much.
Verse 19
However, these special clothes were not for permanent use. The priest had to remove them after he left the inner area. It would not be proper for the public to handle these sacred clothes.
The main purpose of these rules was that the priests must wear their special clothes in the inner area. So they had to wear these clothes when they were serving God there. But they must not continue to wear those clothes after they leave the *holy inner area of the *temple.
Verses 20-21
The priests must behave in a careful manner. It is interesting to compare the instructions for Christian leaders in 1 Timothy 3:2-7.
Verse 22
A priest had to marry a virgin. (In other words, a woman who has not yet had sex.) This has always been the rule for the chief priest (Leviticus 21:13-15). But these rules also allowed a priest’s widow to marry another priest.
Verse 23
By their lives, the priests would show what was *holy. They would show what was *clean. They would teach God’s standards to the *Israelites. In particular, the priests would show people how to separate *holy things from things that are not *holy.
Verse 24
The priests would teach (verse 23), but they would also issue judgements. But they would not decide these things by their own standards. God’s law would be the only standard for his people. And God’s law would be their guide for their own lives.
Verses 25-27
A priest who touched a dead body was not *clean. He had to do special things before he became *clean (Numbers 19:11-13).
A priest could take proper care of his family. So he could bury his closest relatives. But he could not serve God at the *temple again until he was *clean.
Verse 28
The priests would not own land. But they would have something better than land. God himself would be their possession. A small farmer or gardener provides for himself by means of his land. But God would provide for the priests.
Verses 29-30
This is how God would provide for the priests. The *Israelites would give gifts to God. And God would allow the priests to have many of these gifts.
The priest could eat many parts of the *sacrifices which the *Israelites offered. And there were other gifts too.
For example, at the beginning of the harvest, the *Israelites would give special gifts to God. And those gifts would go to the priests. So God was not merely providing food for the priests. He was providing the best food for them. And the *Israelites would benefit from this arrangement too. As they gave their gifts to God, he would show his kindness to them.
Verse 31
This is the same rule as Leviticus 22:8.
v1 ‘You will divide the country between the *tribes of *Israel. You must also give to the *LORD a part of the country for a *holy area. The length of this part will be 25 000 *cubits, and the width will be 20 000 *cubits. The whole area will be *holy. v2 Inside this area, a section of 500 *cubits square shall be for the *temple. Round this section will be an open space of 50 *cubits. v3 In the *holy area, you will measure a part 25 000 *cubits long and 10 000 *cubits wide. In this area will be the most *holy place of the *temple. v4 This *holy part of the country will be for the priests who serve in the *temple. It will be for those priests who come near to the *LORD to serve him. There will be the *temple and the houses for the priests. v5 An area 25 000 *cubits long and 10 000 *cubits wide will be for the *Levites. They serve in the *temple area. This land will be for the towns in which they will live.
v6 You must give to the city an area 5000 *cubits wide and 25 000 *cubits long. This is to be along the side of the *holy area. The city will be for all the *Israelites.
v7 The prince will have land on both sides of the *holy area and the city. This land will be on the west and east sides of the *holy area and the city area. And the border of this land, from east to west, will be along the border of one of the *tribes. v8 This land will be the only property of the prince in *Israel. My rulers will never be cruel to my people again. But they will let each *tribe in the nation called *Israel have its share of the country.’
Verse 1
God’s plan for the *temple was part of a much larger plan. In the end, this *vision will include the whole country called *Israel. But here, God describes the district round the *temple.
The main principle in this chapter is that everything belongs to God. And God’s people show this when they give part of everything back to God. Where possible, the first part goes back to God. He deserves whatever is best.
The complete area in verses 1 to 6 is a square. We have seen that the *temple had a square plan. Here we see that the area round the *temple also had a square plan.
The larger part of this square was *holy land. It was for the priests and *Levites. But a smaller part (verse 6) was for all the *Israelites.
We need to understand that this arrangement has never existed in the past. It is an ideal arrangement, to teach us about God. In the past, the *temple was inside a city. People carried on their business even by the walls of the *temple. But at this ideal *temple, the surrounding area is all *holy land.
Verse 2
The ideal *temple was in the middle of the square area. And the square area was in the middle of *Israel. This position showed its importance. God wants to be central (most important) in the lives of his people.
Round the section that contained the *temple, there was an open area. This separated the houses from the *temple. Because the *temple was so *holy, it had to be separate from the houses of the people. The houses were not *holy.
Verses 3-4
Round the open area were the houses for the priests. Their duties brought them closer to God than anyone else. So their houses should be closer to the *temple than anyone else. The purpose of their lives was to serve God. The position of their homes meant that they were always ready to serve God. This was not merely a duty for them. It was the most important thing in their lives.
Verse 5
The *Levites also had homes near the *temple. But they were not as near as the priests. Some *Levites had offended God in the past. So now they had to be humble. They acted as servants in the *temple. They could not live in the homes that were closest to the *temple. But there was still a place for them near the *temple. God still cared about them. They could still serve him.
Verse 6
In fact, any *Israelite who so desired could live close to the *temple. Nobody appointed them to live in those homes. But if they wanted to *worship regularly, they could live there. And if they loved God, they could live there. God always wants people to love him more.
Verse 7
The prince (ruler of *Israel) had the land next to the *holy area. Rulers have special duties. And one of those duties is to lead the people to serve God in the right manner. So the prince’s land had to be close to the *temple. Like King David, the prince must love God.
On the east and west, the prince’s land is the same width as the entire country. This is a word picture. It shows that his authority is over the entire country. In the past, *Israel was a divided country. It had two kings at the same time, who were often enemies. But when God rules, his people will be united. They will not oppose each other.
From the north to the south, the prince’s land has the same length as the square of the *holy area. This is also a word picture. God has placed limits on the prince’s authority. The prince rules, but God rules the prince.
Verse 8
The prince could not own any other property. In the past, evil kings stole other people’s property (1 Kings 21:16). But this could not happen in Ezekiel’s *vision. Each *tribe had its own share of the land. And the prince’s land was separate.
v9 ‘The *LORD your King says this: You are responsible for too many *sins, you rulers of *Israel. Do not be cruel and do not hurt people. Do what is right and fair. You must not force my people to leave their land. I, the *LORD, have spoken. v10 You must be honest when you weigh things. You must give good weight for both dry and liquid goods. v11 The dry measurement and the liquid measurement will be the same. The *ephah and the *bath should hold the same as a 10th of a *homer. The *homer must be the standard measurement. v12 The *shekel will be worth 20 *gerahs, and a *mina will be worth 60 *shekels.’
Verse 9
God explains the lesson that the rulers must learn from this plan. God opposes evil leaders who are cruel to poor people (Micah 2:1-2). He wants the rulers to issue fair judgements (Micah 4:2-3). Then the people in *Israel will have peace. They will have calm and quiet lives. And nobody will disturb them as they serve God.
Verses 10-12
False measurements were a frequent *sin in *Israel (Micah 6:11). The true standards come from God (Proverbs 16:11). He is angry when traders cheat their customers. But these rules were not just for traders. They were also important so that people gave the proper gifts to God (verses 13-14).
v13 ‘The gift you should give to me is a 6th of an *ephah from every *homer of wheat. You should also give to me a 6th of an *ephah from every *homer of *barley. v14 The amount of oil that you are to offer is a 10th of a *bath from each 10 baths. (10 baths is equal to one *homer). v15 You should give to me one sheep from each 200 sheep. The sheep are from the fields in *Israel which the rain waters. All of these sheep are to be for the *sacrifices. These *sacrifices are the grain *sacrifice, the *sacrifice by fire, and the peace *sacrifice. These *sacrifices are because of the *sin of the people, so that I may forgive them. That is what the *LORD your King says. v16 All people in the country will give this gift to the prince of *Israel. v17 It will be the duty of the prince to provide for the *sacrifice by fire. He must also provide the grain and drink *sacrifices. All of these *sacrifices are for the special days, the new moons and the *Sabbaths. These days are the special days for the *Israelites. The prince will provide for the *sin, grain, *burnt and peace *sacrifices so that I may forgive the *Israelites.’
Verse 13
Here, God starts to explain the sacred duties of the prince. The passage about the prince continues until 46:18.
The prince was *Israel’s ruler. He was not a priest. He had duties at the *temple. But he could not burn the *sacrifices or enter the inner areas. Only priests could do those things. Instead, the prince carried out his duties in the outer area, and in the inner and outer east gates. These were public duties. In other words, he acted on behalf of all the *Israelites. He brought *sacrifices to the priests on their behalf.
For example, there were *sacrifices for the *Sabbath (46:4). It was necessary to offer these *sacrifices every week. But unless people lived near the *temple, they could not go to the *temple every *Sabbath. It was too far away. But the prince would be present at the *temple. And he would bring the *sacrifices on their behalf.
Also, a person could not afford to offer his own *sacrifices very often. But there had to be regular *sacrifices at the *temple. So the prince organised these *sacrifices. He collected the gifts from everyone in *Israel. And he used these gifts for the regular *sacrifices. So the *sacrifices came from all the *Israelites. Everyone shared in the regular *sacrifices at the *temple. God would receive the *sacrifice of *worship from them all.
The amounts that each person gave were fair. They had to give a certain proportion (share) of their harvest. So a wealthy person would give more than a poor person would. And a person would give less if his harvest was poor that year. As the people measured their harvest, they separated some of it for God. Part of everything that God provided would go back to him. By this means, the people could see clearly that everything belongs to God.
Verse 14
This is the oil that one makes from the oily fruit called the olive. People would use it in food and as lamp fuel. Olives are still an important harvest round the Mediterranean area.
In the *temple, people would add the oil to the grain in order to make cakes. They would offer these cakes to God. This was called the grain *sacrifice.
Verse 15
Also, the people gave sheep for use in the regular *sacrifices.
God mentions different types of *sacrifices here. You can read more about these *sacrifices in Leviticus chapters 1 to 7.
Verses 16-17
The prince collected these gifts from the people. He used them to provide regular *sacrifices on behalf of the *Israelites.
God explains when the prince should offer these *sacrifices:
· the *Sabbath – that is, at the end of each week.
· the new moons – that is, at the start of each month in the *Jewish calendar.
· the special days – that is, the sacred holidays. There are instructions for some of these days in the rest of this chapter. But this chapter does not contain a complete list of the *Jewish sacred holidays.
v18 ‘This is what the *LORD your King says. On the first day of the first month, take a young *bull that has nothing wrong with it. Use it to make the *temple *clean and ready. v19 The priest will take some of the blood from this *sin *sacrifice. He will put some of it by the side of the *temple door. He will put some on the 4 corners of the upper edge of the *altar. And he will put some on the wall at the side of the gate to the inner area. v20 You will do the same thing on the 7th day of the month. This is for anyone who has *sinned because of lack of knowledge. Also, for anyone who has *sinned but did not intend to do so. By this, my *temple will remain *holy.’
Verses 18-19
The *Jewish new year holiday is actually at the beginning of the 7th month. (That is, in September or October by our calendar.) But this special day is in the first month (that is, March or April by our calendar). So these verses describe a new holiday.
The purpose of this special day was to offer the *temple to God. It was the priests’ first duty in each new year. They used blood to make everything *clean and ready for *worship (Hebrews 9:22).
This blood reminds us about the death of Jesus the *Messiah. His death was the perfect *sacrifice for *sin.
Verse 20
The priests repeated the ceremony 6 days later. This extra ceremony was for *sins that people did not intend to do. ‘*Sin’ here does not have its usual meaning, that is, evil deeds. Instead, it means matters which would cause *worship to be unacceptable to God. For example, a person might touch something that is not *clean. Then that person should not go to the *temple until he is *clean again. But that person might not know that he touched that thing. So he might go to the *temple anyway. There are several more examples in Leviticus 4:13 to 5:4.
There was no *sacrifice for the *sins that people intended to do (Numbers 15:30). But God could forgive those *sins because of his great kindness. He always wanted to forgive every kind of *sin (Exodus 34:7). So when people confessed their *sins to God in a sincere and humble manner, God forgave them (Psalm 51:17). Today we understand the reason why Jesus the *Messiah died. He died to save people from all their *sins. His work was perfect and it is complete. We should confess our *sin to God. And we should trust Jesus. If we do this in a sincere and humble manner, God forgives all our *sin.
v21 ‘On the 14th of the first month will be the *Passover. This event will last for 7 days. During the *Passover, you will eat bread without *yeast. v22 On that day, the prince must give to the priests a *bull. It is a *sacrifice because of *sin on behalf of the prince and all the people in the country. v23 During the 7 days, he must give to the priests 7 *bulls. Also, he must give to them 7 male sheep. These animals must have nothing wrong with them. They will be *sacrifices by fire to the *LORD. The prince will offer these *sacrifices on each of the 7 days. Also he must give to the priests a male goat every day as a *sacrifice because of *sin. v24 He shall provide grain for the *sacrifices. He will give to the priests an *ephah of grain for each *bull. He will give to the priests an *ephah of grain for each male sheep. And he will give to the priests a *hin of oil for each *ephah of grain.
v25 From the 15th day of the 7th month, there will be another 7 special days. The prince will make the same provision as for the *Passover. He will provide the animals, the grain and the oil. These things will be for *sacrifices because of *sin, *sacrifices by fire and the grain *sacrifices.’
Verse 21
God’s law ordered the people to gather in Jerusalem for the *Passover holiday. It was the most important holiday in *Israel and it lasted for a week. During this holiday, the people remembered how God freed their families. They were slaves in Egypt. (By ‘slaves’, we mean that they had to work very hard for other people.) But God rescued them from there.
At the *Passover, each family would kill a sheep and they would eat it. This reminded them how God saved their families from death. And, during the week, they ate only flat bread, which they baked without *yeast. This reminded them how quickly their families left Egypt. And *yeast became a word picture for *sin (Galatians 5:9). God wanted to free them from *sin, even as he freed them from their work as slaves.
Verse 22
On the *Passover, the prince first had to offer a *sacrifice because of *sin. The purpose of this *sacrifice was to mend people’s relationship with God. Such *sacrifices were only acceptable for the *Israelites to offer. Foreigners could not offer *sacrifices because of *sin. It is only possible to mend a relationship that already exists. And the *Israelites already had a relationship with God.
The prince offered this *sacrifice for his own *sins, as well as the people’s. No person, however important he may be, is without *sin (1 John 1:8). That is why we all must confess our *sins to God. God still orders this so that we can mend our relationship with him (1 John 1:9).
Verse 23
These 7 *bulls and 7 sheep were *sacrifices by fire. The priests burned the whole animals on the *altar. By means of such *sacrifices, people gave themselves completely to God. They were an act of *worship and love to God. (See Leviticus chapter 1).
The number 7 is often a word picture in the Bible. It means something that is perfect and complete. The passage emphasises this. There were 7 *bulls on 7 days. And there were 7 sheep on 7 days. The prince and the people were giving themselves completely to God.
But with these *sacrifices, they also gave a *sacrifice because of *sin. They realised that they must continuously *turn from *sin. And they could only do that with God’s help. Only he can mend our relationship with him.
Verse 24
The *Israelites did not only give animal *sacrifices. They also gave grain *sacrifices (Leviticus chapter 2). These *sacrifices showed that they were offering their work and their possessions to God. They put the oil on the grain.
Verse 25
This was called the Holiday of Shelters. This holiday was an opportunity to remember the time when the *Israelites lived in tents. For 40 years, God provided for them as they travelled round the desert (Leviticus 23:43).
Again, the people had to go to Jerusalem for the holiday. And again they offered the same *sacrifices. So they had this special series of *sacrifices every 6 months.
v1 ‘This is what the *LORD your King says. You will keep the east gate to the inner area closed for 6 days each week. But you shall open it on the *Sabbath and on the day of the new moon. v2 The prince will enter from outside through the entrance of the gate. He will stand by the gate. The priests will make his *sacrifice by fire and his *sacrifice for peace. He will *worship at the entrance of the gate. Then he will go out but the gate will be open until the evening. v3 The people from the country will *worship at the entrance of that gate. They will *worship the *LORD there on the *Sabbaths and on the day of the new moon. v4 The prince will offer a *sacrifice by fire to the *LORD on the *Sabbath day. This *sacrifice will be 6 young male sheep and one male sheep. There must be nothing wrong with any of them. v5 He must give to the priests an *ephah of grain with the male sheep. He may give to them as much grain as he wants with the young sheep. With each *ephah of grain, he must give to them a *hin of oil. v6 On the day of the new moon, he must bring *sacrifices. He will bring a young *bull, 6 young sheep and a male sheep. There must be nothing wrong with any of these animals. v7 He must give to the priests an *ephah of grain with the *bull. He must give to them an *ephah of grain with the male sheep. He may give to them as much grain as he wants with the young sheep. With each *ephah of grain, he must give to the priests a *hin of oil. v8 When the prince enters, he must go in through the hall of the gate. He must go out the same way.
v9 The people from the country will come to *worship the *LORD on the special days. Those people who enter by the north gate will leave by the south gate. Those people who enter by the south gate will leave by the north gate. None of them shall leave by the gate that they entered. They must leave by the opposite gate. v10 The prince will enter with the people when they enter. When they leave, he will leave with them.
v11 On the special days, they will offer these *sacrifices. They will bring a *bull with an *ephah of grain. They will bring a male sheep with an *ephah of grain. And they will bring the young sheep with as much grain as they want to bring. With each *ephah of grain, they will bring a *hin of oil. v12 The prince may give a *sacrifice as a special gift to the *LORD. It may be a *sacrifice by fire or a *sacrifice for peace. When he gives it to the *LORD, the inner east gate will be open for him. He must make these *sacrifices as he does on the *Sabbath day. Then he will go out. The gate must not remain open after he goes out.
v13 Every day you will give to the *LORD a year-old sheep that has nothing wrong with it. This will be a *sacrifice by fire to the *LORD. You must do this every morning. v14 You must also give to the *LORD grain with the young sheep each morning. For this, you will give a 6th of an *ephah of grain and a third of a *hin of oil. The oil will make the flour damp. You must obey this rule from now and always. v15 So you must always give to him the young sheep, together with the grain and the oil. Every morning you will give them to the *LORD as a *sacrifice by fire.’
Verse 1
The *temple had 6 gates:
· The outer north and south gates led into the outer area. Everyone who *worshipped at the *temple used those gates.
· The inner north and south gates led into the inner area, which was only for the priests.
· The outer east gate was always closed, but the prince could sometimes use its rooms (44:1-3).
· Here, God explains the purpose of the inner east gate.
The inner east gate was between the outer area and the inner area. But the priests did not use it when they entered the inner area. And usually, this gate was closed. It was open only on certain *holy days.
Verse 2
The inner east gate had a royal function. It was the place where the prince handed his *sacrifices to the priests. He was offering these *sacrifices for himself. But he also offered them on behalf of all the *Israelites.
There were careful instructions about what the prince should do. He was not a priest. He could not carry out his own *sacrifices. He had to remain at the gate while the priests offered his *sacrifices to God. So God placed limits on the prince’s behaviour. Like everyone else, he had to be humble in front of God.
The priests burnt the whole of the *sacrifice by fire on the *altar. But the person who gave the *sacrifice for peace ate some of it. However, the prince could not eat this by the inner east gate. He had to take it to the outer east gate (44:3).
Verse 3
These were *holy days. There was one day in each week. And there was another day in each month. On these days, the inner east gate remained open. This was the gate in front of the *temple building. The *altar stood between the gate and the *temple. The people would not go through the gate. They would *worship at its entrance. They would be able to see the *altar. This would remind them that God forgives *sin. They would know that the *temple was beyond the *altar. And they would know that God’s *glory was present there. Because of human *sin, they could not enter that *glory. So they remained outside.
Verse 4
The prince offered 7 animals. Perhaps this is one animal for each day in the week. But the number ‘7’ is often a word picture for something that is perfect or complete.
Like all *sacrifices, the priests had to examine the animals first. We give the best things that we own to God. A weak or ill animal would not be an acceptable *sacrifice.
These were *sacrifices by fire. The priests would burn the whole animals on the *altar.
Verse 5
There must be a grain *sacrifice with the *sacrifice by fire. People gave a *sacrifice by fire to show that they gave themselves completely to God. They gave a grain *sacrifice to show that they gave their work and their possessions to God. A person who gives himself to God cannot keep anything for himself (Luke 9:57-62).
The prince could choose how much grain to give with the young sheep. God was giving the prince an opportunity to show his love for God. Someone may give only what he must give. That person shows little love. Compare Luke 7:47.
Verses 6-7
At the start of the month, the prince gave the usual *Sabbath *sacrifices. But he also gave a *bull. He made these *sacrifices. And he asked God to show kindness to *Israel during the month. It was as if the prince was offering the month to God.
Verse 8
This rule is similar to the one in 44:3. We have explained both these rules there.
Verse 9
The outer north and south gates were the only gates that people could use to enter the *temple area. Everyone had to enter and to leave by these gates. And everyone had to pass through the entire width of the *temple.
So their *worship could not be brief. They had to spend time in the *temple:
· They would walk past the *altar, which was the place of *sacrifice.
· They would walk past the inner area, which only priests could enter.
· They would see the smoke of the *sacrifices which rose towards heaven.
· They would pass the outer east gate. This gate was always closed because God’s *glory had passed through it.
· On a *Sabbath, they would *worship at the inner east gate.
· And they would walk through the stream that came from the *temple (47:1-12).
Perhaps they would *worship in other ways too. Perhaps they would bring their own *sacrifices.
They would only leave the *temple after they had done all these things.
Verse 10
The prince had the special right to use the outer east gate. But he could not enter or leave by that gate. There was no special entrance for him to use. When he entered the *temple, he entered through the same gates as everyone else. And he left by the same gates too. Everyone must be humble in front of God. Even *Israel’s prince had to be humble. People may consider themselves great. And other people may respect them too. But God is very much greater than anyone else.
Verse 11
These *sacrifices were for the other sacred holidays. On those days, the prince had to give the same *sacrifices as he gave at the start of each month.
Verse 12
Sometimes, the prince gave a special gift to God. The prince did not have to give this gift. He gave it because of his love for God. The prince could choose the *sacrifice that he wanted to give. He could give a *sacrifice by fire. That would show that the prince gave himself completely to God. Or he could give a *sacrifice of peace to God. That would show friendship with God.
When the prince gave this special gift, the priests would receive it at the inner east gate. This showed that God was accepting the gift. And it showed that God was pleased with the prince. *Israel’s ruler should be a friend of God. And the ruler should be a man who gave himself to God completely. Such a man would be a good ruler for God’s people.
Verses 13-15
There had to be a *sacrifice every day. *Worship of God was not just for the *Sabbaths. And it was not just for the sacred holidays. It had to continue every day.
This was a *sacrifice by fire. That *sacrifice usually showed that a person gave himself completely to God. People should not neglect their relationship with God. It is their daily duty to give themselves to God (Hebrews 3:13-14).
v16 ‘This is what the *LORD your King says. If the prince gives some of his land to any of his sons, that land will belong to the son. On the death of the son, the land will belong to his children. It is their land and it belongs to their family. v17 The prince may give some of his land to a servant. That land will belong to the servant only until the year of freedom. Then the land will belong to the prince again. So, the prince’s land will continue to belong to his family. And it will become his sons’ land. v18 The prince must not take any land from the people. He must not force any of them to leave their land. He may only give his own land to his sons. He must not separate any of my people from their own land.’
Verses 16-18
God intended that every family in *Israel should have its own land. Of course, a family might become poor. It might be necessary to sell the land. But that family would not lose its land permanently. Every 50th year would be a ‘year of freedom’. And then the family would receive its property back (Leviticus 25:23-28).
This arrangement became impossible because of the actions of rulers and other wealthy people. They were already wealthy, but they wanted even more property. God had warned the kings about this attitude (Deuteronomy 17:16-17). But even Solomon did not obey these rules (1 Kings 4:26). And the worst kings behaved in a much more evil manner. Naboth died because King Ahab wanted Naboth’s land (1 Kings 21:18-19).
So in Ezekiel’s *vision, there were limits on the prince’s property. The prince had his own property. And he could own no other land. The families in *Israel would each have their own property. Even a gift of land would not be permanent, unless the same family still owned that land.
v19 The man led me through the entrance at the side of the gate to the rooms of the priests. These *holy rooms are toward the north. He showed me a place at the west end. v20 The man said to me, ‘Here the priests prepare the *sacrifices. Here they will boil the meat for the blame *sacrifice and for the *sacrifice because of *sin. Here they also bake the grain for the *sacrifices. They will not need to bring these *holy *sacrifices into the outer area. The *sacrifices are *holy and the people must not touch them.’
v21 Then the man brought me into the outer area. He led me to its four corners. In each corner of the outer area was a smaller area. v22 These small areas were in the 4 corners of the outer area. Each small area was the same size. They were 40 *cubits long and 30 *cubits wide. v23 And there was a stone wall round the inside of each of the 4 small areas. There were places in which to cook. They were at the base of the walls. v24 The man said to me, ‘These places are the kitchens. Here those who work in the *temple will cook the *sacrifices. These kitchens are for the *sacrifices that the people offer.’
Verses 19-20
Some of the meat from the *sacrifices was for the priests. It was their food. This meat was *holy. So there were special *holy rooms where they had to eat it (42:13). And near these rooms, there were kitchens where they could cook the meat. The priests had to keep this meat separate from the people.
Jesus may have referred to the ceremony when the priests ate the *sacrifices in John 6:53-55. He used this as a word picture of his death. People had ‘to eat his body and to drink his blood’, he said. He meant that people must accept him into their lives. Otherwise, they would not benefit from his *sacrifice.
So the priests ate the meat from the animals. But actually, they did not drink the blood. People in many countries do use animal blood as food, but the *Israelites have never done this. God’s law did not allow them to eat it (Leviticus 7:27). That was because the blood was a word picture for the animal’s life (Leviticus 17:14). And all life belongs to God.
Verses 21-24
There were 4 more kitchens. These kitchens were in the public outer area of the *temple. The people could eat some of the *sacrifices for peace that they offered. These *sacrifices showed friendship with God. So this was a meal that the people shared with God. God is our master, but he is also our friend (1 John 1:3; John 15:15).
And these *sacrifices also showed friendship between God’s people. When we love God, we also love other people (1 John 4:19-21).
v1 The man brought me back to the entrance of the *temple. And I saw that water was coming out from under the doorway. It flowed toward the east. (The front of the *temple was toward the east.) The water flowed down from the south side of the *temple and south of the *altar. v2 He then brought me out through the north gate. He led me round the outside to the outer east gate. The water came out on the south side of the gate.
v3 The man went toward the east with a line in his hand. With the line he measured 1000 *cubits. Then he led me through the stream. The water came up to my ankles. v4 He went another 1000 *cubits and he led me through the water. Now the water came up to my knees. He measured the next 1000 *cubits and he led me through the water. It was now up to my stomach. v5 He measured the next 1000 *cubits. But now the water was a river that was too deep for me to cross. The water had risen, and it was deep enough to swim. Nobody could walk across this river. v6 The man said to me, ‘*Son of man, look carefully at this.’
Then he led me back to the edge of the river. v7 As I went back, I saw many trees on both sides of the river. v8 The man said to me, ‘This water flows toward the east. It goes down into the Arabah and it enters the sea. As a result, the waters of the sea become fresh. v9 Wherever the river goes, there will be many living things. Wherever the river goes, there will be many fish. Wherever this water goes, the salty water will become fresh. So wherever the river flows, everything will live. v10 Men who fish will stand along the shore of the sea. They will spread their nets from En Gedi to En Eglaim. It will be a sea that has many kinds of fish, like the Great Sea. v11 But the muddy areas and the land that is always wet will not become fresh. They will remain there to provide salt. v12 Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not dry up and die. The trees will have fresh fruit every month. This is because of the water that flows to them. This water comes from the *temple. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves to cure the people.’
Verse 1
For the last time, Ezekiel returned to the *temple in his *vision. The *angel took him near to the *temple building in the inner area. There, Ezekiel saw something new. He had not seen it before in the *vision. And it did not exist in the original *temple.
There was a stream of water that ran across the inner area. Its source was the *temple building. God had said that this building would be his *throne (43:7). So its real source was God himself.
People in *Israel were very aware that every living thing needs water. They needed rain to fill their rivers so that there was water for the crops. The water was very precious to them. It was a sign of God’s kindness.
In verse 9 we shall see that the stream in this *vision is living water. In other words, it is water that gives life. In John 7:37-39, Jesus spoke about himself as the source of living water. John, the author of that passage, was familiar with Ezekiel’s *vision. John said that this meant the Holy Spirit. And that meaning seems right here too. It is the Spirit who gives life (John 3:5; John 6:63).
At its source, the stream was very small. Ezekiel did not even notice it before, if it was already there. When God’s work begins, it is often small (1 Samuel 14:6; 1 Kings 18:44; 1 Kings 19:12). It is small, but it is powerful. This steam was small, but it would give life to the country. It was small, but it caused the desert to live. It was small, but it would cause places without life to become alive.
The priests would have to walk across this stream. Perhaps they washed their feet in it. (There was a law that priests had to wash their hands and feet. They did this before they served God at the *altar or in the *temple building. See Exodus 30:21.) Dirt was unclean, so it was a word picture for *sin.
The stream did not flow in a straight line. It flowed round the south side of the *altar. So it flowed between the *altar and the room for the priests who worked there (40:44-45). Those priests had to walk through the stream in order to serve God at the *altar. They were dealing with the people’s *sin. But they needed God to remove their *sin as they worked.
Verse 2
The stream continued through the outer area. The *worshippers had to cross this area whenever they visited the *temple (46:9). And the prince had to cross it too (46:10). So they all had to cross the stream. They all needed God’s Holy Spirit to give them new life. They all needed God to remove their *sin. (Compare John 13:8.)
Verse 3
Ezekiel left the *temple. But the *angel told him to follow the stream. God’s work did not end in the *temple. By his Spirit, he would reach out across the country. God’s Spirit would work in the hearts and lives of his people. God’s Spirit would bring about changes that seemed impossible.
The stream was still a little stream. But God has no limits. He would use this stream to bring about his purposes.
Verses 4-6
Ezekiel was only a little more than a mile from the *temple. (That is, about 2 kilometres.) But already the stream had become a river. It had not become a river because other streams had joined it. It became a river because God had done something wonderful. He had increased its size. And what God would achieve by means of this river would be even more wonderful.
Often, the *angel encouraged Ezekiel to go into the water. Ezekiel needed this experience. He needed to know its depth. And perhaps he also needed to feel the force of the water as it moved by him. In other words, Ezekiel needed to be aware of the power of God’s Holy Spirit.
People often depend on feelings. They want to feel something in order to know that it is true. Their attitude is wrong. We should trust God even when we do not feel confident. We cannot trust our feelings, because they change often. But we should always trust God.
However, sometimes God gives us experiences that help us. We should not refuse those experiences. Instead, like Ezekiel, we should let God work in his own way in our lives.
This river was astonishing. In the end, Ezekiel could not cross it. It was as if the power of God’s Holy Spirit was too great for Ezekiel. The *angel had to lead Ezekiel back to safety at the edge of the river. And the *angel told Ezekiel to look, and to learn, from his experience.
Verse 7
Much of the country called *Israel is dry. Many areas are too dry for agriculture. Only a few wild bushes grow there. Even Jerusalem city does not have many good natural supplies of water. King Hezekiah was very aware of this problem. He built an extraordinary underground system to supply water to Jerusalem (2 Kings 20:20). In recent years, people have rediscovered this system.
So it astonished Ezekiel to see all these large trees. They proved that God was bringing life to the country called *Israel. These trees were growing well because of the supply of water. Ezekiel had already felt the force of the water. But now he could see its power to give life.
Verse 8
The river’s purpose was to bring life to the country called *Israel. But the river in this *vision also had a second purpose. It would cure all that is bad in the country.
The Arabah is the valley of the Jordan river. The Jordan is *Israel’s main river. It is on the east border. The sea is called the Dead Sea. It is a very strange sea. Its surface is 395 metres (1285 feet) below the level of the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. This means that the surface of the Dead Sea is the lowest place on the earth’s surface. The Jordan river enters it, but no rivers leave it. It is much more salty than any ordinary sea. In fact, it is too salty for anything to live there. There are no fish. Tourists visit the sea and they bathe in it. The water is so salty that they float on its surface.
The Jordan river is unable to bring life to the Dead Sea. And the Jordan is unable to cure its dead state. But Ezekiel saw a river that was able to make these changes. No ordinary river could do it. But this was not an ordinary river. This river meant the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Ezekiel had already seen the effects of that power. In a previous *vision, the Holy Spirit made dead bones to live again (37:1-14). Those bones meant the people from *Israel.
Verse 9
God’s Spirit brings life and hope (Psalm 104:30). He brings freedom and joy (Romans 8:2). He brings love and peace (Galatians 5:22).
These places seemed dead before the river came. But everything changes when God works in the life of a person or nation.
Verse 10
En Gedi and En Eglaim are two towns near the shore of the Dead Sea. Nobody fishes there now, because there are no fish in the sea. But there are very many kinds of fish in the Great Sea (that is, the Mediterranean Sea). It is a good place to fish. Only God could make the Dead Sea like the Mediterranean.
Verse 11
The problem with the Dead Sea is not its salt. Salt is a good thing. The problem is that there is no life. In the *vision, God cured that problem. But he did not remove all the salt.
In the Bible, salt is sometimes a word picture. It seems to mean the good qualities that make some people different from other people (Mark 9:50). When God works in a person’s life, God cures that person’s bad state. But God does not remove the person’s own qualities. Instead, God uses those qualities for his own, good purposes.
Verse 12
Usually trees only have fruit in certain months. But these trees in the *vision did something that would be impossible by natural means. They had fruit all the year. They had fruit because of the water that came from God’s *temple.
In the Bible, fruit is often a word picture. It means the good things that a good person achieves. Bad people are like a garden that yields no fruit (Isaiah 5:7). But good people achieve good things. They do this because God’s Spirit is in their lives (Isaiah 61:1-3; Galatians 5:22-23).
The description of the trees here is similar to Psalm 1:3. In that Psalm, the description is of a good person who loves God’s law. That person does good things constantly because his strength comes from God.
The trees yield both food and medicine. They provide for people, and they cure people. So the trees have the same qualities as the water gives to them. The water gives life and it cures. And the trees give food and they cure. In the same manner, God’s people do his work. And as they do it, they start to show some of the same qualities as God himself (Ephesians 5:1). Their aim is not that people should praise them. They do those things so that people will give honour to God (1 Peter 2:12).
v13 The *LORD your King says, ‘The country will have these borders. Divide the country into 12 parts for the *tribes of *Israel. One part shall be for each *tribe but two parts shall be for Joseph. v14 You will divide the country so that each part is the same size. I promised to give this country to your *ancestors. So, this country will be for you as family property.
v15 The country will have these borders. On the north side, the border will start at the Great Sea. It will go by way of Hethlon, toward Lebo Hamath and on to the town called Zedad. v16 It will continue through Berothah and Sibraim. These towns are on the border between Damascus and Hamath. This border will end at the town called Hazer Hatticon on the border of the country called Hauran. v17 So the border will go from the Great Sea east to the town called Hazar Enan. Here the land that belongs to Damascus and Hamath will be on the north side. This will be the northern border of the country. v18 On the east, the border goes south from a point between Hauran and Damascus. It will go along the Jordan between Gilead and the country called *Israel. It will continue to the town called Tamar on the east sea. This will be the east side of the country. v19 On the south side, the border will go east from Tamar all the way to the waters called Meribah Kadesh. Then it will go along the river of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern border of the country. v20 On the west side, the Great Sea will be the border up to a place across from Lebo Hamath. This will be the western border of your country.
v21 You will divide this country between the *tribes of *Israel. v22 You will divide the land and you will give it to your families to possess it. Those foreign families who have lived among you must have a share of the land. You must accept these foreigners the same as people born in *Israel. They must share the land with the *tribes of *Israel. v23 You will include the foreigners with the *tribes in which they live.’ This is what the *LORD your King says.
Verse 13
Jacob had 12 sons. The families of those sons became the 12 *tribes of *Israel. So, each *tribe receives a share of the land that God promised to their nation (Genesis 15:18-21).
The *Levites would not receive a share of the land like the other *tribes. Instead they would live in a special place near the *temple. But there would still be 12 equal parts of the land. So the *descendants of Joseph became two separate *tribes to make up the number 12. It was always Jacob’s intention that Joseph’s two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, should be separate *tribes (Genesis 48:5).
There was an ancient custom about the rights of a father’s first son. When the father died, that son would receive a double share of his father’s possessions (Deuteronomy 21:17). So the *tribe of Joseph receives that double share here. (Joseph was not actually Jacob’s first son. 1 Chronicles 5:1-2 explains the reason why he received the double share.)
Verse 14
God had made a promise to the *Israelites. He promised that he would be present with them (48:35). But that could only happen after they *turned back to God. And it could only happen after he had changed their hearts, their minds and their attitudes (36:24-32).
If ever the *Israelites needed to hear God’s promise again, this was the time. When Ezekiel received the *vision, they were in *exile. Enemies had destroyed their homes and cities in *Israel. So the *Israelites had to live in foreign countries.
But God had made a promise. He would bring it about. It was impossible to achieve by human effort. But things that are impossible for men are possible with God (Luke 18:27).
In this *vision, God gave each *tribe a share that was the same size. Originally, the land that the *tribes received was very unequal. Some *tribes were not even in this country – they lived on the other side of the Jordan river. Many families – and even one *tribe – were unable to take their land. They had to live elsewhere. There were practical reasons for all these arrangements. But they were not God’s perfect plan. In the ideal arrangement that God told Ezekiel, all the *tribes were equally important. So all the *tribes received equal shares of the land.
Verses 15-20
This is a description of the extent of the country called *Israel in Ezekiel’s *vision. We can learn several useful lessons from this passage:
· God’s promises were for the benefit of all God’s people. All 12 *tribes would benefit. After the *exile, few people from the northern *tribes returned to *Israel. But they were still God’s people. Even in the New Testament (the later part of the Bible), James 1:1 refers to the 12 *tribes. This shows us that, even now, God still cares about the *Israelites. And Paul wrote that God will bring them back to himself (Romans 11:26).
· It was God’s ideal plan for the 12 *tribes all to have equal shares of the land. This shows us that God does not consider one person to be more important than another person. All people are equal in his opinion (Job 34:17-20).
· God also cares about people from other nations apart from *Israel. They too had rights in God’s ideal plan (verse 22). This shows that God already intended for people from every nation to benefit from his promises (Genesis 12:3; Isaiah 56:3-8). And now God has brought this about by means of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:19; Ephesians 3:6).
· God will be in the centre of his people. This shows us that he wants his Spirit to fill the hearts and lives of his people.
These borders are similar to the borders in Numbers 34:3-12. Today, we do not know all the places that God mentions in this passage. The Great Sea is called the Mediterranean; it is *Israel’s west border. And the river Jordan is the east border in this passage. The ‘river of Egypt’ is in the south. It is between *Israel and the desert called Sinai. (It is not the famous river Nile.)
Verses 21-23
We must never suppose that God’s plans for *Israel are against the rights of people from other nations. It is God’s plan that people from every nation will serve him. We can see that in God’s original promise to Abraham. God promised that he would use Abraham to show his (God’s) kindness to people from every nation (Genesis 12:3). And that has always been God’s plan. When the *Israelites refused to obey God, God used that opportunity to save people from other nations. It is God’s plan to use those people to save the *Israelites. The *Israelites will see God’s kindness to the people who are not *Israelites. And because of this, the *Israelites will *turn back to God. God will bring this about so that the *Israelites will trust in Jesus the *Messiah. Then all who have believed in Jesus the *Messiah will, together, be united in him. That is, there will be one people of God (Romans 11:11-15).
So God told the *Israelites to give special rights to the people who joined them from other countries. Their families would also receive land in *Israel. They too received the benefit of God’s promise. So Peter could write to people who belonged to no nation. He told them that they had joined God’s people. They now belonged to God’s *holy nation. Of course, Peter did not mean that they had received rights to any land. He meant that they had received the right to have a special relationship with God. God had shown them his wonderful kindness (1 Peter 2:9-10).
v1 ‘Here is a list of the names of the *tribes.
The northern border is from the sea through Hethlon to Lebo Hamath. Then the border goes all the way to Hazar Enan. North of here is Damascus. The end of the border is next to Hamath.
Here Dan will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v2 South of Dan, Asher will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v3 South of Asher, Naphtali will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v4 South of Naphtali, Manasseh will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v5 South of Manasseh, Ephraim will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v6 South of Ephraim, Reuben will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v7 South of Reuben, Judah will have one share of land. It will go from the east side to the west side.’
Verses 1-7
In this passage, God explains what land each *tribe will receive. He begins at *Israel’s northern border and continues to the *holy area. Verses 8-22 are about the *holy area and the land by it. Then verses 23-29 continue the list of the *tribes and their new land.
This has not been the actual arrangement at any time in history. It is God’s ideal plan. It is good to consider why this is the ideal plan.
The northern and southern borders in verses 1 and 28 are the same as in 47:15-20. The idea is that each *tribe would receive one share of the land.
There were 12 *tribes. Each *tribe was the family of one of Jacob’s sons. Of course, those sons were brothers. The 12 brothers should have loved each other (Psalm 133:1). And the 12 *tribes should have supported each other (Psalm 122:4). But from the beginning, they argued and they fought. There were wars between the *tribes. *Israel became a divided nation. That is what happened. But that is not what God wanted.
God told Ezekiel his perfect plan for *Israel. And all the *tribes were there. None was missing. Each *tribe had an equal share of the land. No *tribe could pretend that it was greater than another *tribe. Each *tribe’s land reached across the whole country, from east to west. That may be a word picture to show that each *tribe received the benefits of the whole country. In other words, no *tribe would have worse land than another *tribe.
The *tribes are all next to each other. That may be another word picture to show that they are all friends. (Even in English, we have a similar word picture today. We say that enemies are ‘against’ each other.) The *tribes are not still enemies – they are not still against each other. Instead, they are next to each other. That is, they support each other.
In verses 4 and 5, we see Manasseh and Ephraim. They were the sons of Joseph. As God promised in 47:13, Joseph’s *tribe receives two shares of the land. And in this perfect plan, the *tribes of these two brothers are next to each other. So they are in perfect agreement. They support each other.
Only one *tribe, Levi’s *tribe (called the *Levites), is not in this list. That is because the *Levites have a special relationship with God. So they receive land in the *holy area (verses 13-14).
Judah’s *tribe receives the share next to the *holy area. This was the royal *tribe. *Israel’s rulers came from this *tribe.
The *temple is in the middle of the *tribes’ land. That is a word picture to show that God has the most important place in the *Israelites’ lives. The *Israelites surround the *temple. Once an evil king said that it was too far to go to the *temple to *worship (1 Kings 12:28). He made images which the northern *tribes could *worship. But in the *vision that Ezekiel saw, it was not too far for any *tribe to *worship at the *temple. They were all round the *temple.
v8 ‘South of Judah will be the *holy area of land which you are to give to the *LORD. It will be 25 000 *cubits wide, and its length from east to west will be equal to one share of land for the *tribes. The *temple will be in the centre of it.
v9 The share that you will give to the *LORD will be 25 000 *cubits long and 10 000 *cubits wide. v10 This will be the *holy area for the priests. It will be 25 000 *cubits long on the north side. It will be 10 000 *cubits wide on the west side. It will be 10 000 *cubits wide on the east side. And it will be 25 000 *cubits long on the south side. The *temple of the *LORD will be in the centre of it. v11 This land is for the *holy priests who serve the *LORD. Their *ancestor is Zadok. These priests remained loyal to me. They did my work. They did not *turn away from me when the *Israelites and the *Levites *turned away from me. v12 They will have a special share in the *holy area of the land. It will be a very *holy share. It will be next to the land that belongs to the *Levites.’
Verse 8
The most important place in *Israel did not belong to any *tribe. It belonged to God. And the *temple was in its centre.
Verses 9-12
God’s loyal priests lived in the area that surrounded the *temple.
It would not be good if the priests lived far from other people. The priests might neglect to pray for the people. So in this ideal plan, the priests lived in the centre of the country. And all the other *Israelites surrounded them.
And it would not be good if the priests lived far from the place of *worship. The priests might neglect their duties to God. So in this plan, the *temple was in the centre of the priests’ land.
v13 ‘Next to the priests, the *Levites will have a share of land. It will be 25 000 *cubits long and 10 000 *cubits wide. The whole length shall be 25 000 *cubits and the width 10 000 *cubits. v14 They must not sell or trade any of this land. It is the best land. Nobody else can own a part of this land. It is *holy and it belongs to the *LORD.’
Verses 13-14
It is the *Levites’ duty to assist the priests. So the *Levites’ area is next to the priests’ area. And by the word picture, this shows that the *Levites support the priests. In the past, some *Levites have been jealous of the priests (Numbers chapter 16). But in God’s ideal plan, the *Levites are glad to carry out their duties in a humble manner (Psalm 84:10). God has been kind to them. He has allowed them the use of his best land. And they are close to the *temple. They must never sell or trade the land. So the land will always belong to the families of the *Levites. They will always have their special relationship with God.
v15 ‘The rest of the area will be 5000 *cubits wide and 25 000 *cubits long. It will not be *holy but it will belong to the city. There will be houses and open areas with the city in the centre. v16 The city will be square. Each side will be 4500 *cubits long. v17 The city shall have open land. To the north of the city, it will be 250 *cubits. To the south of the city, it will be 250 *cubits. To the east of the city, it will be 250 *cubits. And to the west of the city, it will be 250 *cubits. v18 Along the long side of the *holy area there will be 10 000 *cubits on the east side. And there will be 10 000 *cubits on the west side. This land will be for agriculture. It will produce food for the workers in the city. v19 The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the *tribes of *Israel. v20 This whole area will be square, 25 000 *cubits on each side. You shall give to the *LORD the *holy share and the city land.’
Verses 15-16
This is the same city as in 45:6, but we have many more details here. It was the new capital city, and *Israelites from all the *tribes could live there. Verses 30-35, which continue to describe the city, emphasise that fact.
The city was near to the *temple. So people who wanted to *worship often could live there. And the city was also near to the prince’s land. People who worked for him could live there too. Therefore, the city had two main purposes: religion and government. But these purposes did not oppose each other, because the prince loved God. So his loyal workers were also loyal servants of God. As they worked for the prince, they were serving God too.
Verse 17
The people who lived in the city would own animals. Those animals could feed (find their food) on this land. And because this land was near the city, the people could look after the animals well. That is how a good person should behave (Proverbs 12:10).
When people travelled to the *temple to *worship God, they would often bring animals to give as *sacrifices. This land would be useful for them.
Verses 18-19
Here was the land were where people from the city could grow their crops. God provides food for people as well as animals. His kindness lasts always (Psalm 136:25).
v21 ‘Some land will remain on both sides of the *holy part and the city. This land will belong to the prince. That land will be from the east of the *holy area to the east border. And it will be from the west of the *holy area to the west border. Both of these areas will be as long as the lands of the *tribes. They belong to the prince. The *holy area will have the *temple in the middle of it. v22 The *Levites’ land and the city land will be in the middle of the prince’s land. The lands of the prince will be between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.’
Verses 21-22
This was the prince’s land, which God had already described (45:7-8). This prince was loyal to God. In the centre of his land was the *holy land. And in the centre of the *holy land was the *temple.
v23 ‘Here is what the rest of the *tribes will receive. Benjamin will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v24 South of Benjamin's land, Simeon will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v25 South of Simeon's land, Issachar will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v26 South of Issachar's land, Zebulun will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v27 South of Zebulun's land, Gad will have one share. It will go from the east side to the west side.
v28 The southern border of Gad’s land will be towards the Negev. The border will go from Tamar to the waters called Meribah Kadesh. Then it will go along the river of Egypt to the Great Sea.
v29 This is the land that you will give to the *tribes of *Israel to be their shares.’ So says the *LORD your King.
Verse 23
God mentions the *tribes that were south of the *temple in this ideal plan.
It is wonderful to see Benjamin’s name in this list. Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest son. And Jacob loved him. But once, after a terrible war, the *tribe of Benjamin almost did not exist. Only by a surprising scheme did the *Israelites save that *tribe (Judges chapter 21). Afterwards Saul, *Israel’s first king, came from the *tribe. But Benjamin was the smallest *tribe (see Psalm 68:27).
Verses 24-29
The list continues until all *Israel’s *tribes had received their land.
v30 ‘These exits will be the exits of the city. The north side will be 4500 *cubits long. v31 There will be three gates on the north side. Each gate will have the name of a *tribe of *Israel. The gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.
v32 The east side will be 4500 *cubits long. Here there will be three gates. They will be the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.
v33 The south side will be 4500 *cubits long. Here there will be three gates. They will be the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.
v34 The west side will be 4500 *cubits long. Here there will be three gates. They will be the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.
v35 The city shall be 18 000 *cubits round about. From that time, the name of the city will be “The *LORD is there.” ’
Verses 30-34
The *prophecy returns to the subject of the capital city (verse 16). God describes a city that is a perfect square. It has walls, so it is a safe city. But it has gates. So people can enter it and they can leave it.
The names on the gates may tell us who uses that gate. Or they may tell us who lives in that part of the city. And we can see that every *tribe is there. Each *tribe has a permanent place in the city that is near God’s *temple. God is present with his people. So all God’s people can live together peacefully.
In the north are the names of the most important *tribes. In the east are the names of the sons whom Jacob loved most. In the south are the names of the other sons of Jacob’s first wife. And in the west are the names of the sons of Jacob’s maids. That was their history. But the future of their *tribes is different. God loves them all. He has made a place for each *tribe. There is a gate for each of them.
Verse 35
This is the measurement round the 4 walls.
The city’s new name is a brief explanation of Ezekiel’s whole message. This is what God wants. This is his desire for his people. He wants to live with them. He wants to be their only God. He wants them to be able to declare boldly that he is present with them.
That was the last *prophecy in Ezekiel’s book. It is an impressive end to the record of his *prophecies. But Ezekiel continued to be a *prophet. He recorded a *prophecy with a later date in 29:17.
Several centuries after Ezekiel’s *vision, John saw a *vision of future events. That *vision is in the Book of Revelation. In Revelation chapters 21-22, John described the New Jerusalem. Several things that John saw then were similar to things in Ezekiel’s *vision. But many things were different.
Both *visions happened when God’s people were suffering great troubles. Ezekiel saw his *vision after the *Babylonian army destroyed Jerusalem. The *Israelites were in *exile and their situation seemed hopeless. John was a prisoner when he saw his *vision. The government was then opposing the first Christians in a very cruel manner.
Both *visions happened after enemies had destroyed God’s *temple. The loss of the first *temple was a terrible shock for the *Israelites when Ezekiel was alive. The loss of Herod’s *temple happened at a time when many Christians were suffering greatly. And by the time when John wrote, the government’s cruelty to them had become even worse. But the Christians were not without hope. They knew that, by Jesus’ death, God had established a new relationship with people.
Both *visions were *visions of hope. God was using these *visions to encourage his people. He knew about their situation. He cared about them. And he had good plans for the future. Their troubles would not last always. Evil forces would not always rule. In the end, God would rule. And then he would live with his loyal people.
Some of the things in the two *visions were similar. But John’s *vision shows progress from Ezekiel’s *vision:
· In both *visions, there was a city. In that city, God would live among his people. And both cities had a square plan. But the New Jerusalem, which John saw, was much larger. In fact, each wall was a thousand times longer than Ezekiel’s city (Revelation 21:16; Ezekiel 48:16). And the New Jerusalem’s plan was not merely a square. It was the same height as its length. That was extraordinary. So although the plan in Ezekiel’s *vision seemed perfect, the New Jerusalem will be very much better. God does things that people cannot even imagine.
· The names of the 12 *tribes were on the city gates in both *visions (Revelation 21:12-13; Ezekiel 48:30-34). But in the New Jerusalem, the names of the 12 apostles were on the city’s 12 bases in addition – Revelation 21:14. (The ‘apostles’ were the men whom Jesus first sent with his message.) Ezekiel’s city was for the *Israelites only, but foreigners could live among the *Israelites. But the New Jerusalem will be for people from every nation. People must confess their *sins to God; and they must trust Christ. Everyone who does this will be in the New Jerusalem. And that will include the *Israelites who *turn back to God.
· There was a river in both *visions (Revelation 22:1-2; Ezekiel 47:1-12). Ezekiel’s river cured the nation called *Israel. But in the New Jerusalem, God will cure all the nations (Revelation 22:2).
The most important difference between the two *visions is Revelation 21:22. John saw that there was no *temple in the New Jerusalem. There had to be a *temple in Ezekiel’s *vision because God was still dealing with human *sin. That building separated God from the people. It separated *holy things from everything else. It needed the *altar, because there had to be *sacrifices because of human *sin. It needed the priests, because ordinary people could not come close to God. These things were necessary then. And they made it possible for people to have a relationship with God.
But God’s plan is that, in the end, these things will not be necessary. In the end, God will free his people from *sin and from death (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). That is the perfect state which God will bring about (Romans 8:18-25). Then, in the New Jerusalem, God’s people will have a perfect relationship with him. God himself will be their *temple (Revelation 21:22). And there will be no limit to their *worship. Then, at last, God will have his home among people. Their tears will end. They will not still suffer. Death and pain will not exist. God will make everything new (Revelation 21:4-5).
altar ~ the special table where people burn animals or offer other gifts to God or to false gods.
ancestors ~ people in history from whom your family has come.
angel ~ God’s special servants in heaven. God made angels to serve him and to take his messages.
Babylonian ~ a person from the nation called Babylon or anything that has a relationship with Babylon.
barley ~ a type of grain crop.
bath ~ equal to 6 gallons.
bronze ~ A brown metal. It glows when in a fire. It polishes well and it reflects the light. It is very strong.
bulls ~ the male farm animals which mate with cows.
burnt (*sacrifice) ~ a *sacrifice that the priests burned completely, as a gift to God.
cherub ~ a special *angel who was in the most *holy place in the *temple.
cherubim ~ the group of *cherubs.
circumcise ~ to cut off skin from the end of a male’s private parts. This showed that the man had joined God’s people. And so the man would benefit from God’s promises (Genesis chapter 17).
circumcision ~ the act or result when someone *circumcises a man.
clean ~ acceptable to God.
cubit ~ a length of about half a metre.
descendant ~ a later member of a family.
ephah ~ equal to 22 litres.
exile ~ When people have to live in a foreign country they are in exile. Such a person is called an exile.
gerah ~ equal to one 20th of an ounce.
glory ~ great honour and beauty.
grapes ~ fruit of a *vine (a climbing plant). You can make grapes into wine.
hin ~ equal to one gallon.
holy ~ what God is like. He is completely different from people. He never does anything wrong. The word ‘holy’ also describes something that is separate, for God’s use only. People must never use a holy thing for ordinary purposes.
homer ~ equal to 220 litres.
horns ~ hard bones on an animal’s head; a thing like a stick, with a point, that grows on the heads of cows and some sheep. On the corners of the *altar are things like horns, which are called the ‘horns of the *altar’.
incense ~ something that gives a sweet smell when it burns. The priests burned it when they praised God in the *temple.
Israel ~ Israel is the nation whose *ancestors were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The country in which they live is called Israel. Israel became the name of the northern nation when it separated from Judah. However, Ezekiel sometimes uses the word ‘Israel’ to refer to Judah.
Israelites ~ the people whose *ancestors are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Jewish ~ a word that describes something that has a relationship to the *Jews.
Jews ~ another name for the *Israelites.
Levites ~ members of the *tribe whose *ancestor is Levi, son of Jacob.
Lord ~ a title for God, to show that he is over all people and things.
LORD ~ ‘LORD’ is the special name that God gave to himself. It probably means, ‘He is always God’. This name has a relationship with the special promises that God gave to his people.
Messiah ~ The *Jews expect a king to come who will save them. That king, called the Messiah, will rule both them and all people.
mina ~ equal to one and a quarter pounds in weight.
Passover ~ the time of the year when the *Jews remember how God brought them out of Egypt.
prophecy ~ a message from God; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
prophet ~ person who speaks for God. He can sometimes say what will happen in the future. However, false prophets are people who merely pretend to speak God’s words.
prostitute ~ a woman who receives payment when she offers her body for sex. There are also male prostitutes.
prostitution ~ what a *prostitute does.
Sabbath ~ The Sabbath was the 7th day of the week. God told the *Israelites to keep it as a special day.
sacrifice ~ something that people gave to God. (or, something that people gave to a false god). It could be an animal, or grain, or oil, or wine. The priest burned all or part of the sacrifice on an *altar. Sometimes people gave sacrifices in order to thank God. And sometimes people gave sacrifices so that God could forgive *sin (Leviticus 4:35).
shekel ~ equal to 0.4 ounces (11 grams) in weight.
sin ~ Sin means the wrong things that we do. To sin is to do wrong, bad or evil deeds and not to obey God. People are called sinners because of their sins.
son of man ~ Ezekiel. ‘Son of man’ was the title that God used for Ezekiel. It emphasised that Ezekiel was a mere man. Ezekiel would have to depend on God’s Spirit to make him strong. Only then could Ezekiel do what God told him to do.
spears ~ long sticks with sharp ends that soldiers used as *weapons of war.
temple ~ a special building for the *worship of God or other gods. The *Jews had one in Jerusalem for the *worship of the real God.
throne ~ the special chair for the king.
tribe ~ The *Israelites were divided into the 12 families of the sons of Jacob. These families are the 12 tribes of *Israel.
turn ~ to change your behaviour, your friends, or your God; or, to carry out actions in order to oppose someone.
unclean ~ unfit for sacred purposes. Unclean food is food that the *Jews should not eat because of their religion. When the *temple was unclean, it was not right for the *worship of God.
vine ~ a plant on which *grapes grow.
vision ~ something that God shows to a person but not with the physical sight. Visions are often in the form of dreams.
weapon ~ a tool of war. People use weapons for attack or defence when they fight. For example, swords, *spears or (today) guns.
worship ~ an act to give honour to God (or to a false god). When people praise and thank God.
yeast ~ When one bakes bread, yeast causes it to rise.
The Temple – its Ministry and Service by Alfred Edersheim.
Ezekiel by Charles Dyer in the Bible Knowledge Commentary (ed: Walvoord & Zuck).
They Shall Know that I am God by Ian Mackervoy (EasyEnglish Commentary on Ezekiel).
Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary.
Solomon’s Temple Spiritualized by John Bunyan.
© 2008, Wycliffe Associates (UK)
This publication is in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).
October 2008
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