Ezekiel: Chapter 46
Setting
Ezekiel 46:1-24 is a description of the order of worship in the sanctuary and prescribes the roles and responsibilities of those participating in all these events. During the millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ, His glory will be among the Israelites, and everything about His temple and the grounds of the temple will be holy. This is not temporary state, though Revelation 20 talks of the Lord's 1,000 year reign. The period of time indicates the time that the world if free from the subtle lies and temptations that Satan entices mankind with to enter into rebellion against the Lord. After the 1,000 years has elapsed, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit for a season, before being permanently thrown into the lake of fire. Once the Lord establishes His reign over Israel and this world, He will continue though all future eternity, Ezekiel 43:1-7. The millennial temple will be the center of the world's attention, governance, and worship. All Gentiles around the world will come to see the glory of the Lord, whose glory will be upon the Israelites, and the Gentiles will bring many rich gifts, Isaiah 60:1-6. Any nation or king that will not serve Israel will perish, Isaiah 60:11-12. The 1,000 year period is the time for vengeance and to comfort all that mourn, Isaiah 61:1-3. It is a time when men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and ask to go with him because the Lord is with him, Zechariah 8:23. The Lord is establishing all the rules to protect His holiness, so that it is not diluted or misused by unrepentant men, Ezekiel 43:6-9.
Following the seven years of tribulation, the world will be in a miserable condition environmentally and all remaining life will be sorely stressed, Matthew 24:29 and Matthew 24:22. However, the Lord will create a new earth and heavens, healing those things destroyed during the tribulation, Isaiah 65:1-25.
- There will be longevity of life, Isaiah 65:20
- They will live in safety, Isaiah 65:21-22
- They will not toil in vain, Isaiah 65:23
- On the Lord’s holy mountain, the wolf and lamb will feed together, Isaiah 65:25
The affects of the longevity of life among families can be seen from the evidence of the pre-flood era following the family line of Adam through his son Seth. In the 1,000 years of his creation, Adam was alive to see the ninth generation born through his seed. Today, we might be able to see up to four generations living concurrently, but in that day there will be a great population explosion and great blessings poured out from the Lord. View the notes on Ezekiel chapter 46 for more information.
There will be two major groups of peoples coexisting during the Lord's millennial reign on earth:
- The resurrected saints of God, Revelation 19:11-14, will consist of,
- The Saints of the Old Testament, pre and post flood judgment
- The children of Israel, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
- The church
- The martyred tribulation saints
- The survivors of the seven years of tribulation, will consist of,
- Israelites, Zechariah 13:8-9, Revelation 12:13-16
- Gentiles, Matthew 25:31-46
- Those who are righteous (the lambs)
- Those who were not righteous (the goats)
The remaining dead (the unrighteous) will be part of the second resurrection to appear before the great white throne judgment, then into the lake of fire for eternity, Revelation 20:10-15. Further discussion on this topic is found on this site on Matthew chapter 25, and the constituents are identified on Matthew chapter 25 timelines.
Ezekiel’s observations recorded from chapters 40-48 are written to the house of Israel and concerns only those in their physical state, not the resurrected saints, Ezekiel 40:4 and Ezekiel 43:10-11. This is evidenced through the rules regarding the sin offerings by the prince and the priests, as the resurrected saints will not need this. All of the resurrected saints, including the church and tribulation saints will be serving with Christ as priests and kings, Revelation 1:4-7, Revelation 2:26-27, and Revelation 20:4-6. The Old Testament saints of the house of Israel, beginning with Abraham, will be in the land of Israel to receive their inheritance that the Lord promised first to Abraham, Genesis 15:17-21, Daniel 12:1-2, Hebrews 11:13-14.
There will be a sacrificial system instituted at the temple of the Lord only. This is the only location for the worship and celebration of feasts and festivals before the Lord throughout the world. Ezekiel was told to describe the temple to the people of Israel so that they may be ashamed of their sins, as outlined in Ezekiel 43:1-9. If they responded correctly, Ezekiel was to provide them to following regulations of the Lord’s house, Ezekiel 43:10-11. The design of the temple, then its arrangement, design, and all of its regulations and laws were to be given. As with the communion service, which did not save anyone, but looked upon Christ and His work on our behalf, the sacrificial system will look back upon the work of Christ, Hebrews 10:1-4. Christ is all that is needed to make those perfect who draw near unto Him, Hebrews 10:5-10.
| Verses | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1-8 | The Sabbath and New Moon offerings |
| 9-10 | Orderly worship |
| 11-12 | The festivals and appointed feasts |
| 13-15 | The daily sacrifice |
| 16-18 | Gifts and inheritance of the prince |
| 19-20 | Cooking the offerings |
| 21-24 | The outer court kitchens |
In Ezekiel 46:1-8, the Lord continues to speak with Ezekiel. The eastern gate leading to the inner court is to be shut on the six working days. Only on the New Moon and the Sabbath day is it to be opened. The prince is to enter through the portico and stand by the gatepost, but not enter into the inner court. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. The prince is to worship the Lord from the threshold of the gateway then go out. After his departure, the gate will remain open until evening.
Ezekiel 46:4-5 directs that on both the Sabbath days and New Moons, the people of the land (Israel) are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of the eastern gate, but remain in the outer court. Remember that God made a particular relationship between Himself and Israel forever concerning the Sabbath, and they were to keep it holy. This began when they collected the manna from the ground, and later it was named in the 10 commandments, Exodus 16:22-26 and Exodus 31:14-17. The offering of the prince on the Sabbath day will consist of six male lambs without defect, a grain offering in an amount that the prince pleases, along with a measure of oil for each measure of grain. He is also to present one ram without defect, with a grain offering in a measured amount.
The offering of the prince on the New Moons is specified in Ezekiel 46:6-8. It consists of one young bull, without defect, with a measure of grain. It is also includes six lambs without defect, with as much of the grain as he pleases, along with a measure of oil with each measure of grain. He is also to present one ram without defect , with a measure of grain. The prince enters through the portico of the gateway to the threshold, and leaves the same way.
In Ezekiel 46:9-10, whenever the people of Israel come before the Lord during appointed feasts, they are to enter and exit in a specific way. If they enter the temple’s outer court from the north must exit by the south gate, and who ever enters from the south gate must exit through the north gate. The prince is to also to be among the people, and abide by this same rule. The outer court’s eastern gate was permanently closed to all, Ezekiel 44:1-2.
Ezekiel 46:11-12 describes the offerings to be presented to the Lord during the festivals and appointed feasts:
- A measure of grain is to be offered with a bull>
- A measure of grain is to be offered with a ram
- As much grain as one pleases is to be offered with the lamb, along with a measure of oil with each measure of grain
When the prince provides a freewill offering to the Lord, whether a burnt offering a fellowship offering, the east gate is to be opened for him. He will offer his sacrifice as he does on the Sabbath day. After he is done, and goes back out the way he came in, the gate will be shut.
Ezekiel 46:13-15 shows that there is a daily sacrifice during the Lord's 1,000 year reign, of a year old lamb without blemish and serves as a burnt offering. It is to be offered in the morning, and a grain offering is to be presented with the lamb. Six measures of grain are to be offered with third measure of oil. This ordinance will be everlasting, indicating that it will be through eternity future.
Ezekiel 46:16-18 presents the rules governing the princes and their inheritance and gifts. The prince can make a gift to one of his sons. It is to be treated as the son’s inheritance and belong to his descendants. Possibly, since there will be longevity of life, rather than waiting for the death of the father, an inheritance is passed on through gifts.
Ezekiel 46:17 shows that the prince may give a gift to one of his servants. The servant may keep the land until the day of Jubilee, then it will revert to the prince. The day of Jubilee is a reoccurring event that is observed every 50 years, Leviticus 25:8-17. The trumpets are sounded on the day of atonement, the 10th day of the seventh religious month. At that time, liberty is proclaimed throughout Israel and to all her inhabitants. Each person is to return to their family property, and the year of Jubilee is to be treated as a Sabbath year. It is a time when the children of Israel are not to sow nor reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. They can only eat what comes from the fields. During the future reign of the Lord over this world, the inheritance will belong to the sons only.
Ezekiel 46:18 directs that the prince is not to take anyone else’s inheritance, nor to drive them off their property. The people’s inheritance is for their sons’ and none of God’s people of Israel will be separated from his property.
In Ezekiel 46:19-20, the bronze angel took Ezekiel to the side gate to view the sacred rooms facing north. These rooms belong to the priests of the family of Zadok. Ezekiel’s attention is then pointed toward the westward side where the priests will cook the guilt offering, sin offering, and the grain offering. This is to avoid exposing these sacrifices to the outer court. The priests were to teach the people between the clean and unclean, and that the two (the holy and unholy) were not to be confused, Ezekiel 44:23. The Lord’s holiness is to be protected and not taken lightly, Haggai 2:10-14.
In Ezekiel 46:21-24, Ezekiel is taken by the bronze angel to the outer court where the Levites ministered. In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts of identical size. This is where the ministers will cook the sacrifices of the people.