Ezekiel 48

CHAPTER 48

The Division of the Land (48:1–29)

1–28 The division of the future Israel is outlined. According to Ezekiel 47:14, the land is to be divided equally among the twelve tribes.(The original tribal allotments in Canaan were not equal in size.) In verses 8–22, a special gift of land is described (verse 8); within it will be a special or sacred portion, which is to be offered to the Lord (verse 9); this sacred portion will include the temple and land for the priests, the Zadokites (verses 9–12). Next to this “sacred portion” will be land for the Levites (verses 13–14) and land for the city, Jerusalem¹⁰⁸ (verses 15–20). On either side of this 25,000–cubit–square “special gift” will be land for the prince (verses 21–22). The tribal allotments will then be to the north and south of the above–described central section of the land.

29 “ . . . and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord. It is the Lord who chooses our portion in life. He chose our inheritance for us (Psalm 47:4). If He chose it, it must be right, and we can be content with it. Those who trust in God, whatever their circumstances, can know that He has placed them where they are, and that if there were a better place for them He would have put them there instead (Romans 8:28).

The Gates of the City (48:30–35)

30–35 There will be three gates on each of the four sides of the city; each gate will be named for one of the twelve tribes. This is similar to John’s description of the new Jerusalem, each side of which also will have three gates named after Israel’s twelve tribes¹⁰⁹ (Revelation 21:10–13).

Ezekiel ends his book by giving us the name of the city: THE LORD IS THERE (verse 35). This is the final fulfillment of God’s covenant promise to Israel: “My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Ezekiel 37:27). Immanuel . . . “God with us” (Matthew 1:23).

For many readers, the details of Ezekiel’s prophecies are hard to understand, but his overall message is not. Ezekiel invites us to experience God for ourselves. He gives us a vision of God’s glory, God’s holiness, God’s covenant faithfulness, God’s lifegiving grace. He gives us a vision of what we can look forward to. In days of discouragement and trial, in days when we are feeling faint and losing hope, let us catch Ezekiel’s vision. Let us see again the windstorm, the flashing lightning, the brilliant light (Ezekiel 1:4); let us hear the sound of the wings, the roar of the waters, the voice of the Almighty (Ezekiel 1:24–25). And let us be assured that whatever our earthly circumstances may be, our God is with us and He will never leave us (Joshua 1:5; Matthew 28:20).

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¹ Babylonia is the proper name for the nation whose capital city was Babylon. However, the name Babylon is often used in Scripture to refer to the entire nation. The context usually makes clear which “Babylon” is meant—the city or the nation.

² Ezekiel was exiled in 597 B.C., along with King Jehoiachin (see 2 Kings 24:15). The dates of Ezekiel’s visions are based on the year he and Jehoiachin arrived in Babylonia. The Kebar River was one of many channels of the Euphrates River; it was located south of the city of Babylon.

³ Ezekiel saw these initial visions in the fifth year of his exile (verse 2); he had been in Babylonia a little over four years.

⁴ In interpreting Ezekiel’s visions, one should focus not on the details but on the larger meaning. The language is figurative, since it is impossible to adequately describe God’s glory in human terms. Though Ezekiel reports what he actually saw in this vision, it is not necessary to interpret the vision literally; the descriptions are symbolic. The vision in this chapter is meant to describe the glory of God; that is its main point. The Apostle John had a similar vision of four living creatures, which he recorded in Revelation 4:6–8.

⁵ For further discussion on the subject of God’s call, see Exodus 3:4–6; Isaiah 6:8 and comments.

⁶ Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of Man (Mark 2:28; 10:45; 14:62), both to emphasize His own humanity and also to indicate His voluntary submission to His Father’s will. The term “son of man” as applied to Ezekiel is without capital letters in the NIV translation, except at the beginning of a quotation.

⁷ Jerusalem fell in 586 B.C. News of its fall didn’t reach Babylonia for another six months, early in 585 B.C. Seven years passed from the time Ezekiel began these messages of judgment to the time the news of Jerusalem’s fall reached Babylonia.

These messages of judgment against the Israelites are contained in Ezekiel Chapters 4–24. After the fall of Jerusalem, Ezekiel’s messages would change (see Ezekiel: Introduction).

⁸ The exiles in Babylonia represented the entire nation of Israel (both northern and southern kingdoms), though most of them were from Judah.

⁹ In the Old Testament, the words “life” and “death” usually refer to physical life and death; the idea of eternal life and eternal death is not well developed in the Old Testament. Thus the Lord is not saying here that Ezekiel would suffer eternal punishment for his negligence in warning a sinner, but that his physical life would be cut short.

¹⁰ In the Old Testament, living righteously (obeying the law) was expected to result in long life under ordinary circumstances; but it never guaranteed eternal life (eternal salvation). Eternal salvation does not come from obedience to the law or from works of any kind; it comes from faith alone (see Romans 3:20; 4:4–5; Ephesians 2:8–9). Faith is the ultimate basis of righteousness (see Genesis 15:6 and comment).

¹¹ Ezekiel didn’t necessarily lie on his side for twenty–four hours a day; he lay long enough each day to carry out his symbolic message—namely, that Jerusalem would soon be under siege by the Babylonians. Bible scholars have different opinions about the significance of the numbers 390 and 40.

¹² For the meaning of defiled or “ritually unclean” (verse 13), see Leviticus 11:1; 15:1 and comments.

¹³ Four times in this chapter (verses 7,10,13,14)—and indeed throughout the book of Ezekiel—the Lord repeatedly says that the purpose of His judgments is to cause people to know Him and, hopefully, to return to Him. To “know” God means much more than simply “knowing about” God; it means to encounter God, to experience Him, to know Him personally.

¹⁴ Two groups of Jews were exiled before the fall of Jerusalem. The first group was exiled in 605 B.C. and included the prophet Daniel. The second group (Ezekiel’s group) was exiled in 597 B.C. A third and final group was exiled in 586 B.C., the year Jerusalem fell. Jerusalem’s fall was still six years away when Ezekiel received this vision in the sixth year of his exile (verse 1).

¹⁵ Ezekiel was not physically transported to Jerusalem, of course; he was taken there “in his vision” in the Spirit (Revelation 1:10; 4:2).

¹⁶ In verse 3, it is not certain exactly which idol Ezekiel is referring to. All idols “provoke” God to holy jealousy; He tolerates no rivals (see Exodus 20:3–6 and comment).

¹⁷ In verse 14, Ezekiel mentions Tammuz, a Babylonian fertility god; the Jewish women were mourning for him because they thought he had died. The act of putting the branch to their nose (verse 17) was related to nature worship.

¹⁸ Ezekiel saw all these things happening in his vision. The actual killing of the people of Jerusalem would be carried out by the Babylonians six years later.

¹⁹ The giving of this new spirit is described in Acts 2:1–21.

²⁰ God had been very patient with the Jews; He had delayed His judgment again and again in order to give them a chance to repent. But instead of repenting, most of them only became more hardened in their sins. For further discussion concerning the patience of God and the hardening of people’s hearts, see Exodus 4:21; 34:4–7; Jeremiah 13:23 and comments.

²¹ There is another reason people “set up idols in their hearts” (verse 3), and that is a lack of faith. They are not confident that Jesus is the only way (John 14:6); they are hesitant to place all their trust in the God of the Bible. So in addition to worshiping the true God, they worship alternate gods; they entertain alternate ways. But in doing so, they are in effect denying the one way. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).

For further discussion on the subject of idolatry, see Exodus 20:3–6; Deuteronomy 4:28 and comments. For further discussion on the subject of divine guidance, see comment on Numbers 9:1723 and footnote to comment; Psalm 32:8–10 and comment.

²² To be cut. . .off by the Lord (verse 8) meant to be separated from the covenant community and deprived of covenant blessings. It often meant receiving the sentence of death (see Leviticus 7:19–21 and comment).

²³ For further discussion on the subject of people being enticed to sin (verse 9), see Exodus 4:21; Jeremiah 13:23 and comments.

²⁴ The Daniel mentioned in verse 14 is surely the prophet Daniel, whose Old Testament book follows Ezekiel. By the time Ezekiel arrived in Babylonia, Daniel, who had been exiled eight years earlier, was already ruler over the entire province of Babylon (Daniel 2:48).

²⁵ God told Abraham that if He found ten righteous people in Sodom, He would spare the city (Genesis 18:22–33). But Sodom’s guilt was much less than Jerusalem’s guilt. The Jews were God’s covenant people and had enjoyed God’s covenant blessings. The people of Sodom, on the other hand, did not even know God; therefore, their guilt was less (see Ezekiel 16:48).

²⁶ Note that natural disasters can sometimes be the result of God’s specific judgment on a nation or community. In the same way, natural illnesses can sometimes be the result of God’s punishment for people’s sin. But this is not always the case; we must never assume that those suffering from a natural disaster or illness have brought their suffering on themselves (John 9:1–3). We must not judge; rather, we must reach out to those who suffer and show them love.

²⁷ There is only one unique instance in which people can be saved through the righteousness of someone else; and that Someone is Jesus Christ. He alone can save people from their sins (Matthew 1:21; Hebrews 7:25).

It is important to note that not even a “righteous” person like Noah, Daniel or Job is saved by their own righteousness; people are saved only on the basis of Christ’s righteousness, which we receive through faith. No one is righteous in themselves, for all have sinned (Romans 3:21–24). Even the righteous people of the Old Testament were saved because of their faith, not because of their righteousness (see Genesis 15:6 and comment). Ultimately, however, salvation is a gift of God’s grace; no one can boast of having earned it (see Ephesians 2:8–9).

²⁸ Jerusalem’s prostitution was both spiritual and physical (verse 16); the worship of the pagan gods of neighboring nations usually involved participating in fertility rites and sexual orgies.

²⁹ The shoot the Lord selected was from the house of David (Isaiah 11:1), from the line of Jehoiachin, Judah’s last true king. (Jehoiachin is called Jeconiah in Matthew 1:11–12.) Though Jehoiachin’s sons never sat on Judah’s throne (Jeremiah 22:28–30), one of his grandsons, Zerubbabel, led the first group of Jews back to Judah following the Exile; he became the first governor of postexilic Judah, and was an ancestor of Jesus (Ezra 2:2; 3:2; Matthew 1:12). The “shoot” God selected would reach its “full growth” with the birth of Christ, who would reign forever on the throne of his father David (Luke 1:30–33).

³⁰ For further discussion concerning who is ultimately responsible for sin, see Exodus 20:4–6; 2 Samuel 24:1 and comments.

³¹ In verse 4, the word soul means “life” or “person”; it does not refer to a person’s spirit. Likewise, the word die refers to physical death, not spiritual death. In the Old Testament, the concept of spiritual (eternal) life and death is not well developed. When Ezekiel writes that the righteous man will live (verse 9), he means that he will live a long life. When he writes that the man who persistently sins will die, he means that that man will come to an untimely end.

³² To do what is just and right is to obey the law of Moses. In verses 5–8, examples are given of a number of laws, which the righteous man observes. The references for these laws are found in Exodus 20:4–6,14–15; 22:25–26; Leviticus 18:19.

³³ In verse 9, to live does not mean to be saved eternally. Salvation does not come by obedience to the law; it comes through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). No one is fully righteous; therefore human righteousness cannot save anyone. But there is a righteousness of God that comes through faith in Christ (Romans 3:20–24). It is this faith, not works, that is the basis of our righteousness and the means of our salvation (see Genesis 15:6 and comment).

It must be added, however, that true faith leads to righteous living. Faith without deeds is a dead faith (James 2:17). The righteous man proves his faith by his deeds, by his obedience to God’s law (James 2:18).

³⁴ Many people believe that they can “store up” merit—or demerit—over a lifetime. But that is clearly incorrect. If we will only cry out to God in repentance, He will wipe away all our “demerits” and remember them no more (see Luke 23:39–43). In the same way, many years of righteousness can be negated if we turn away from God; King Solomon is a tragic example of this (1 Kings 11:1–11).

³⁵ Some Bible scholars believe that the king referred to in verses 5–9 is Zedekiah; he also fits the description given in these verses (see 2 Kings 24:18–20).

³⁶ In verse 9, when the Lord says for the sake of my name, He means “for my own sake.” God’s name is not only a title; it represents His character, His person. He does not want His name to be profaned in the eyes of the nations. It was in part to demonstrate to the nations His power and faithfulness—to glorify His name—that He delivered His people from Egypt, even though they were still rebellious. He also did it because He loved them.

³⁷ When people persist in wicked ways, God finally “gives them over” to their wickedness (see Romans 1:24,26,28).

³⁸ It is often true that God makes sin to be its own punishment; the sacrificing of one’s children is an extreme example of this.

³⁹ In verse 29, the word Bamah means “high place.”

⁴⁰ Only the purified and repentant Israelites will be able to return to the land; therefore, they will constitute the entire house of Israel (verse 40).

⁴¹ The scepter represents royal authority and power.

⁴² Nebuchadnezzar would seek an omen in three ways (verse 21):first, he would cast lots with arrows by drawing labeled arrows at random from a quiver; second, he would consult his personal idols; and third, he would examine the liver of a sheep for particular shapes or markings.

⁴³ According to verse 23, the people of Jerusalem, who had sworn allegiance to Nebuchadnezzar, would not believe that the omens really pointed to them; they thought their alliance with Nebuchadnezzar would protect them from his attack.

⁴⁴ Although there was a partial restoration of Israel after the Exile, there was no king to rule over it. Only when Jesus came and received the throne of His father David did Israel have a King again (Luke 1:30–33). Only then did the true spiritual restoration of Israel begin.

⁴⁵ The Ammonites lived to the east of Israel; they were descendants of Abraham’s nephew Lot (Genesis 19:36,38). They had been generally hostile to Israel over the centuries, and they were always ready to hurl insults whenever Israel was in distress (verse 28).

⁴⁶ Ammon was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar five years after the fall of Jerusalem.

⁴⁷ Cities don’t sin, of course; only people do. But here Jerusalem is personified; the city represents its inhabitants.

⁴⁸ For a discussion of the unclean and the clean, see Leviticus 11:1; 15:1 and comments.

⁴⁹ Unconfessed sin breaks down our moral walls, and allows Satan to enter.

⁵⁰ One might ask why Jeremiah was not such a man. Perhaps God did not include Jeremiah because he was held in such disregard by the people, or because he spent so much time in prison or under house arrest. Instead, God used Jeremiah to call out for someone to stand. . .in the gap—but no one answered (verse 30).

⁵¹ In verse 3, the Lord says that the two sisters became prostitutes in Egypt. Even while the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt, many of them worshiped the Egyptian gods.

⁵² The terms Chaldeans and Babylonians (verses 14,17) are usually used interchangeably in Scripture. Technically, “Chaldean” is the broader term; the Babylonians were the dominant group among all the Chaldeans (see verse 23).

⁵³ The Lord says this punishment will be executed by righteous men (verse 45); that is, the men will execute “righteous” judgment. The Assyrians and Babylonians could hardly be called “righteous” themselves!

⁵⁴ This date corresponds exactly to the date given in 2 Kings 25:1.

⁵⁵ For other prophecies concerning Ammon, see Jeremiah 49:1–6; Ezekiel 21:28–29.

⁵⁶Sadly, Judah had indeed become like other nations; a remnant of the people, however, would be purified through their exile in Babylonia.

⁵⁷ For other prophecies concerning Moab, see Isaiah Chapters 15–16; Jeremiah Chapter 48.

⁵⁸ Edom was founded by descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother (Genesis 25:24–26). Esau (also called Edom) had sought to take revenge on Jacob (also called Israel) for cheating him out of his father’s blessing (Genesis 27:41), and Edom had been “taking revenge” on Israel ever since. For other prophecies concerning Edom, see Isaiah 34:5–17; 63:1–6; Jeremiah 49:7–22; Ezekiel 35:1–15.

⁵⁹ For other prophecies concerning the Philistines, see Isaiah 14:28–32; Jeremiah 47:1–7.

⁶⁰ For other prophecies concerning Tyre, see Isaiah Chapter 23; Ezekiel Chapters 27–28.

⁶¹ Tyre was subdued by Nebuchadnezzar but not totally destroyed; total destruction would take place in 332 B.C., when Alexander the Great built a causeway to the island city and conquered it.

Today there is a modern city of Tyre, but it is not built on exactly the same site, and it does not have the wealth and influence of the ancient city.

⁶² The people will sprinkle dust on their heads . . . roll in ashes . . . shave their heads . . . put on sackcloth (verses 30–31); all these acts were traditional signs of mourning.

⁶³For further discussion of idolatry, see Exodus 20:3–6; 34:15–16; Deuteronomy 4:28 and comments. For further discussion of man’s fundamental sin, see comment on Isaiah 14:12–17 and second footnote to comment.

⁶⁴ Usually in Scripture, the term uncircumcised refers to Gentiles (non–Israelites); circumcision was a principal sign of the covenant between God and the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham (see Genesis 17:9–14 and comment). But the people of Tyre, though they were Gentiles, also practiced circumcision. In verse 10, therefore, the term “uncircumcised” means “uncivilized” or “barbarian.” The “death of the uncircumcised,” then, means a humiliating and shameful death, a death fitting for an uncivilized or uncouth person. For further discussion concerning circumcision and Gentiles, see Word List:Circumcision, Gentile.

⁶⁵ In verse 14, God says (again with irony) that the king of Tyre had been anointed as a guardian cherub. This is a symbolic way of saying that he had been given honor and authority. The cherubim (plural) were guardian angels; some were placed at the edge of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve were driven out (Genesis 3:24).

⁶⁶ For other prophecies concerning Egypt, see Isaiah Chapters 19–20; Jeremiah Chapter 46.

⁶⁷ Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt in about 568 B.C., twenty years after this prophecy was given.

⁶⁸ Chronologically, this second prophecy against Egypt (verses 17–21) is the last of Ezekiel’s prophecies, but it is placed here so that all his prophecies about Egypt might come together.

⁶⁹ In verse 21, the Lord also says that He will open [Ezekiel’s] mouth among the exiles. From the context, it would seem that Ezekiel’s mouth would be opened when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Egypt. But Ezekiel’s mouth would also be opened before that—when a messenger arrived with news of Jerusalem’s fall (see Ezekiel 24:27; 33:22).

⁷⁰ Among Egypt’s allies was Cush, present–day Sudan (verses 4–5). The people of the covenant land were Jews living in Egypt at that time; they were probably those who fled to Egypt after the assassination of Gedaliah (see 2 Kings 25:22–26; Jeremiah 41:16–18). They too would fall by the sword along with the Egyptians.

⁷¹ Lebanon was famous for its cedars.

⁷² In the end times, the day of the LORD will be associated with the darkness of heavenly bodies (Joel 2:30–31; Acts 2:19–20).

⁷³ In Ezekiel’s time, it took four to five months to travel between Jerusalem and Babylonia.

⁷⁴ One of the ways in which the Israelites broke God’s covenant was by eating meat with the blood still in it (verse 25); this was prohibited by the law of Moses (Leviticus 7:26–27; 17:10–12).

⁷⁵ A true leader puts the people’s welfare before his own. A true leader is one who serves (Mark 10:45).

⁷⁶ In verse 25, the word peace means much more than simply the absence of conflict. It means peace with God, peace with other believers; it means wellbeing and security. The word peace sums up the covenant blessings of God (see Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7). For further discussion, see Word List: Peace.

⁷⁷ Like the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s prophecies look forward to both a near future and a distant future (see Isaiah 35:1–4 and comment). The prophecy recorded in this chapter was partially fulfilled when the exiles returned to their homeland; the blessings described here are similar to those described in Leviticus 26:3–13. But the complete fulfillment of this prophecy would have to wait until the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. And indeed, only at Christ’s second coming will all of Ezekiel’s words finally be fulfilled.

⁷⁸ In the Bible, the name of God represents His person; to profane God’s “name,” therefore, is to profane God Himself.

⁷⁹ Most of the blessings described in verses 24–38 only partially came to pass when the Jews returned to Israel after the Exile; that initial return was but a foretaste of the blessings to come. The coming of Jesus would be the greatest blessing of all. Through His blood we have been cleansed; through the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost, we have been renewed and empowered. And when Jesus comes again, His people will live in peace and prosperity; at that time all of the blessings promised in the Old Testament will fully come to pass.

For further discussion about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and about the Messianic kingdom, see Isaiah 32:14–18; 60:1–3 and comments.

⁸⁰ As is true with other biblical visions, Ezekiel is simply describing what he sees. The images are symbolic. The Lord then explains the meaning of the vision to Ezekiel (verses 11–14) and, through Ezekiel, to the exiles–and to us.

⁸¹ In Hebrew, the same word is used for breath, “spirit,” and “wind.”

⁸² Ephraim was the major tribe of the northern kingdom; in Scripture, the northern kingdom is sometimes called “Ephraim.”

⁸³ For further discussion on the subject of God’s holiness and the conditions under which sinful humans can approach Him and have fellowship with Him, see Exodus 25:17–22; 27:1–8; Leviticus 11:1,44–45 and comments.

⁸⁴ Gog is mentioned together with Magog in Revelation 20:8, where they seem to symbolize the nations that will oppose God’s people at the end of the world. In Hebrew, Magog means “place of Gog.” Magog, Meshech, Tubal, Gomer, and Togarmah are all sons or grandsons of Japheth, son of Noah (Genesis 10:2–3). Here these names signify the nations founded by these original descendants of Noah. These nations are located in the area of the Black and Caspian seas, which includes present–day Turkey, Armenia, and northern Iran.

Bible scholars have differing opinions about whether Ezekiel’s description of this final battle should be understood literally or symbolically. Whichever opinion is chosen, the overall meaning of Chapters 38–39 is clear: at some future time there will be a great confrontation between God’s people and the forces of evil, and God will ultimately prevail and all mankind will acknowledge that He is the Lord (Philippians 2:9–11).

⁸⁵ There is no specific reference to this Gog anywhere else in the Old Testament. (The Gog listed in 1 Chronicles 5:4 is a different person.) However, there are a number of general references in the Old Testament to the final destruction of the enemies of God’s people; Ezekiel may be referring to these references.

⁸⁶ Biblical scholars have differing opinions about the relationship between Ezekiel Chapters 38–39 and Revelation Chapters 19–20. Many scholars believe that the events described in Revelation 20:710 are the fulfillment of Ezekiel Chapters 38–39.

⁸⁷ Ezekiel Chapters 40–48 are difficult to interpret. Some Bible scholars believe that Ezekiel’s vision is meant to be understood figuratively, or symbolically. Other scholars interpret it more literally, and believe that an actual temple fitting Ezekiel’s description will one day be built. After all, they say, Moses received a detailed plan for God’s tabernacle, and it was built exactly as God had instructed (Exodus Chapters 25–27,36–38).

Whether we interpret this vision figuratively or literally, we still need to understand its significance. Clearly Ezekiel is speaking about a future temple. After Ezekiel’s time, temples were built by Zerubbabel (following the Exile) and by Herod (in Jesus’ time), but they do not fit the description of Ezekiel’s temple. Many scholars believe that the setting for Ezekiel’s temple is in the thousand–year reign of Christ (the Millennium), which is described in Revelation 20:1–6.

In addition to the chronological setting of Ezekiel’s temple, there is another issue to be addressed: If Ezekiel is speaking of a temple in the end times, why does he mention animal sacrifices? Jesus’ death on the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for all sin for all time. Since Jesus’ death, there has no longer been any need for animal sacrifices.

The answer to the question is this: animal sacrifices never did, never could, take away people’s sins (Hebrews 10:1–4). The Old Testament sacrifices were meant to remind people of their sins and to point forward to the one final sacrifice of Christ. Similarly, the animal sacrifices mentioned by Ezekiel would not take away people’s sins; rather, they would remind people of Jesus’ sacrifice, just as the celebration of the Lord’s Supper reminds people of Jesus’ death.

Thus there is no conflict between Ezekiel’s vision and the teaching of the New Testament. Indeed, in Ezekiel’s vision there is no Day of Atonement, no ark on which to sprinkle the atoning blood, and no high priest (Leviticus Chapter 16): they are not necessary. Christ Himself is our sacrifice of atonement (Romans 3:22–25); He is also our high priest (Hebrews 7:23–28; 8:1–2).

For further discussion of atonement and the Old Testament sacrifices, see Exodus 25:17–22; 27:18; Leviticus 1:1–4 and comments; Word List: Atonement. For further discussion of the end times, see General Article: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ, in The Applied New Testament Commentary.

⁸⁸ The angel’s measuring rod was six long cubits in length, or about three meters (verse 5). A regular cubit was 0.5 meter; a “long cubit” was a cubit plus a handbreadth (8 centimeters).

⁸⁹ For a discussion of burnt offerings, sin offerings and guilt offerings, see Leviticus 1:1–17; 4:135; 5:14–19; 6:1–7 and comments.

⁹⁰ See footnote to comment on Ezekiel 40:1–4.

⁹¹ See footnote to comment on Ezekiel 40:1–4.

⁹² For further discussion of the spiritual significance of the tabernacle and the temple, see Exodus 25:1; 1 Kings 6:1 and comments.

⁹³ In the Hebrew text of verses 15–20, the word “rods” is used instead of cubits; if ‚rods” is indeed meant, then the temple area would be 1,500 meters square.

⁹⁴ For a discussion of the laws concerning cleanness and uncleanness, see Leviticus 11:1,44–45; 15:1 and comments.

⁹⁵ In verse 8, God says that in the past the sinful Israelites had carried out their detestable practices right next to the threshold and doorposts of His temple. But, says God, in this future temple there will be a separation between the world’s defilements and His holy dwelling place. The distinction between God’s holy temple and the rest of the world is an important theme in the book of Ezekiel.

⁹⁶ In verses 20 and 26, the word atonement refers to the purification, the consecration, of the altar (see Exodus 29:35–37 and comment). This purification is carried out by the placement of blood on selected areas of the altar (verse 20).

⁹⁷ It was the Lord’s glory that had entered the temple; the Lord’s glory is a manifestation of the Lord Himself (see Exodus 33:21–23).

⁹⁸ Zadok was high priest during the reigns of David and Solomon; he was a descendant of Aaron (see Ezekiel 40:45–46).

⁹⁹ References for some of these regulations are as follows: for verses 21–23, see Leviticus 10:8–11; for verses 20,25–26, see Leviticus 21:1–6; for verse 28, see Numbers 18:20.

¹⁰⁰ The division of the rest of the millennial land is described in Ezekiel Chapter 48.

¹⁰¹ The offerings and holy days mentioned here are all described in detail in Leviticus Chapter 23 and Numbers Chapters 28–29. However, when one compares the earlier regulations given by Moses and the present regulations given by Ezekiel, many variations can be seen. We need not suppose that the worship of ancient Israel should be identical to the worship of the future Israel.

¹⁰² Usually the word atonement means an action which allows one to escape the punishment for sin; the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament were seen as a way to have God’s wrath fall upon the animal instead of on the human. However, in Ezekiel Chapters 40–48, “making atonement” by animal sacrifice is simply a reminder that, in the future Israel, atonement has already been made through the death of Jesus.

In the Old Testament, the word “atonement” can also include the idea of “purification,” especially when it is applied to objects rather than to people (see Ezekiel 43:20,28). For further discussion of atonement, see Exodus 25:17–22; 27:1–8; Leviticus 1:1–4 and comments; footnote to comment on Ezekiel 40:1–4; Word List: Atonement.

¹⁰³ In verses 18–20, the Lord gives the regulations for purifying the sanctuary (temple). As with the altar (Ezekiel 43:20), this purification is accomplished by applying the blood of a sacrificed animal to certain areas of the temple. This procedure would symbolically purify the temple in case it was defiled by anyone’s unintentional sin.

¹⁰⁴ In verse 12, a freewill offering is mentioned. A freewill offering is any offering given beyond what is required (see Leviticus 7:16).

¹⁰⁵ The Dead Sea is the saltiest body of water in the world; normally, nothing can live in it.

¹⁰⁶ Some believe that the river of Ezekiel’s vision symbolizes God’s Holy Spirit, the living water that Jesus spoke about (John 4:10,14; 7:37–39). Others see the river as a metaphor for Christ’s church, once so small but now “deeper” and “wider,” encompassing the entire earth. Surely these interpretations are valid; moreover, they do not exclude the possibility that in the millennial Israel there will also be an actual river, just as Ezekiel has described.

¹⁰⁷ In verse 18, note that the eastern boundary runs along the Jordan . . . to the eastern sea (the Dead Sea); thus the tribal areas east of the Jordan River which were allotted to Reuben, Gad and the half–tribe of Manasseh are not included; those areas were never part of the original promised land (see Numbers 34:13–15). In Ezekiel’s vision, those two–and–a–half tribes will be allotted land within Canaan proper (Ezekiel 48:4,6,27).

Also note, in verses 15,19–20, that the Great Sea (the Mediterranean Sea) forms part of Israel’s boundary. This boundary must refer to a period before the creation of the new earth, because after that there will be no longer any sea (Revelation 21:1).

¹⁰⁸ Note that when the sacred portion (verse 10), the Levite portion (verse 13) and the city portion (verse 15) are added together, a 25,000cubit square is obtained. This special gift (verse 8) corresponds to the sacred district plus city property described in Ezekiel 45:1–6.

¹⁰⁹ The cities described by Ezekiel and John are not the same, just as the two rivers they saw are not the same. However, there clearly are similarities between the millennial state described by Ezekiel and the eternal state described by John. This should not be surprising; as someone has said, the Millennium is the “gateway” to the eternal state. Basically Ezekiel is showing us an earthly model of the heavenly Jerusalem.