Ezekiel 46
[Ezekiel 46:1] THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; THE
GATE OF THE INNER COURT THAT LOOKETH TOWARD THE EAST SHALL BE SHUT THE SIX
WORKING DAYS; BUT ON THE SABBATH IT SHALL BE OPENED, AND IN THE DAY OF THE
NEW MOON IT SHALL BE OPENED.
Ezekiel continues and speaks of the service that will be conducted
in the future rebuilt Temple. Some say that this service will essentially
be the same as that which was maintained in the Second Temple while others
interpret to Ezekiel as saying that changes will be made. Three times a year
all the males had to go up to sacrifice at the Temple.
[Ezekiel 46:2] AND THE PRINCE SHALL ENTER BY THE WAY
OF THE PORCH OF THAT GATE WITHOUT, AND SHALL STAND BY THE POST OF THE GATE,
AND HE SHALL WORSHIP AT THE THRESHOLD OF THE GATE: THEN HE SHALL GO FORTH;
BUT THE GATE SHALL NOT BE SHUT UNTIL THE EVENING.
[Ezekiel 46:3] LIKEWISE THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND
SHALL WORSHIP AT THE DOOR OF THIS GATE BEFORE THE LORD IN THE SABBATHS AND
IN THE NEW MOONS.
[Ezekiel 46:4] AND THE BURNT OFFERING THAT THE PRINCE SHALL OFFER UNTO
THE LORD IN THE SABBATH DAY SHALL BE SIX LAMBS WITHOUT BLEMISH, AND A RAM
WITHOUT BLEMISH.
[Ezekiel 46:5] AND THE MEAT OFFERING SHALL BE AN EPHAH FOR A RAM, AND
THE MEAT OFFERING FOR THE LAMBS AS HE SHALL BE ABLE TO GIVE, AND AN HIN OF
OIL TO AN EPHAH.
[Ezekiel 46:6] AND IN THE DAY OF THE NEW MOON IT SHALL BE A YOUNG BULLOCK
WITHOUT BLEMISH, AND SIX LAMBS, AND A RAM: THEY SHALL BE WITHOUT BLEMISH.
[Ezekiel 46:7] AND HE SHALL PREPARE A MEAT OFFERING, AN EPHAH FOR A
BULLOCK, AND AN EPHAH FOR A RAM, AND FOR THE LAMBS ACCORDING AS HIS HAND
SHALL ATTAIN UNTO, AND AN HIN OF OIL TO AN EPHAH.
[Ezekiel 46:8] AND WHEN THE PRINCE SHALL ENTER, HE SHALL GO IN BY THE
WAY OF THE PORCH OF THAT GATE, AND HE SHALL GO FORTH BY THE WAY THEREOF.
[Ezekiel 46:9] BUT WHEN THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND SHALL COME BEFORE THE
LORD IN THE SOLEMN FEASTS, HE THAT ENTERETH IN BY THE WAY OF THE NORTH GATE
TO WORSHIP SHALL GO OUT BY THE WAY OF THE SOUTH GATE; AND HE THAT ENTERETH
BY
THE WAY OF THE SOUTH GATE SHALL GO FORTH BY THE WAY OF THE NORTH GATE: HE
SHALL NOT RETURN BY THE WAY OF THE GATE WHEREBY HE CAME IN, BUT SHALL GO
FORTH OVER AGAINST IT.
[Ezekiel 46:10] AND THE PRINCE IN THE MIDST OF THEM, WHEN THEY GO IN, SHALL GO IN; AND WHEN THEY GO FORTH, SHALL GO FORTH.
[Ezekiel 46:11] AND IN THE FEASTS AND IN THE SOLEMNITIES THE MEAT OFFERING
SHALL BE AN EPHAH TO A BULLOCK, AND AN EPHAH TO A RAM, AND TO THE LAMBS AS
HE IS ABLE TO GIVE, AND AN HIN OF OIL TO AN EPHAH.
[Ezekiel 46:12] NOW WHEN THE PRINCE SHALL PREPARE A VOLUNTARY BURNT
OFFERING OR PEACE OFFERINGS VOLUNTARILY UNTO THE LORD, ONE SHALL THEN OPEN
HIM THE GATE THAT LOOKETH TOWARD THE EAST, AND HE SHALL PREPARE HIS BURNT
OFFERING AND HIS PEACE OFFERINGS, AS HE DID ON THE SABBATH DAY: THEN HE SHALL
GO FORTH; AND AFTER HIS GOING FORTH ONE SHALL SHUT THE GATE.
[Ezekiel 46:13] THOU SHALT DAILY PREPARE A BURNT OFFERING
UNTO THE LORD OF A LAMB OF THE FIRST YEAR WITHOUT BLEMISH: THOU SHALT PREPARE
IT EVERY MORNING.
[Ezekiel 46:14] AND THOU SHALT PREPARE A MEAT OFFERING FOR IT EVERY
MORNING, THE SIXTH PART OF AN EPHAH, AND THE THIRD PART OF AN HIN OF OIL,
TO TEMPER WITH THE FINE FLOUR; A MEAT OFFERING CONTINUALLY BY A PERPETUAL
ORDINANCE UNTO THE LORD.
[Ezekiel 46:15] THUS SHALL THEY PREPARE THE LAMB, AND THE MEAT OFFERING,
AND THE OIL, EVERY MORNING FOR A CONTINUAL BURNT OFFERING.
[Ezekiel 46:16] THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD; IF THE PRINCE GIVE A GIFT UNTO
ANY OF HIS SONS, THE INHERITANCE THEREOF SHALL BE HIS SONS'; IT SHALL BE
THEIR POSSESSION BY INHERITANCE.
The future princely ruler of all Israel will bear children and his sons shall have positions of authority.
[Ezekiel 46:17] BUT IF HE GIVE A GIFT OF HIS INHERITANCE
TO ONE OF HIS SERVANTS, THEN IT SHALL BE HIS TO THE YEAR OF LIBERTY; AFTER
IT SHALL RETURN TO THE PRINCE: BUT HIS INHERITANCE SHALL BE HIS SONS'
FOR THEM.
[Ezekiel 46:18] MOREOVER THE PRINCE SHALL NOT TAKE OF THE PEOPLE'S INHERITANCE
BY OPPRESSION, TO THRUST THEM OUT OF THEIR POSSESSION; BUT HE
SHALL GIVE HIS SONS INHERITANCE OUT OF HIS OWN POSSESSION: THAT MY PEOPLE
BE NOT SCATTERED EVERY MAN FROM HIS POSSESSION.
Every Israelite will receive an inheritance that will always belong to him and that he will pass on to his children.
<<MY PEOPLE BE NOT SCATTERED EVERY MAN FROM HIS POSSESSION>>:
Everyone will be in his own inheritance in his Tribal territory. The Bible
appears to place emphasis on Tribal belonging. Members of the same tribe
were to live together in their own area. The mutual influences of common
ancestry were to enable the unique Tribal potentialities of the individual
members better express themselves. Marriage between members of the different
Tribes was permitted and took place but we have sources that suggest that
this was not common and not encouraged.
[Ezekiel 46:19] AFTER HE BROUGHT ME THROUGH THE
ENTRY, WHICH WAS AT THE SIDE OF THE GATE, INTO THE HOLY CHAMBERS OF THE PRIESTS,
WHICH LOOKED TOWARD THE NORTH: AND, BEHOLD, THERE WAS A PLACE ON THE TWO
SIDES WESTWARD.
[Ezekiel 46:20] THEN SAID HE UNTO ME, THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE PRIESTS
SHALL BOIL THE TRESPASS OFFERING AND THE SIN OFFERING, WHERE THEY SHALL BAKE
THE MEAT OFFERING; THAT THEY BEAR THEM NOT OUT INTO THE UTTER COURT, TO SANCTIFY
THE PEOPLE.
We all make mistakes. We all sin sometimes or do things we regret
and wish we could undoe. We can repent of these things and feel remorse and
contrition. Nevertheless often a remaining sense of guilt and uneasiness
can bear down on us. This can cause depression or other negative energies.
The Temple service in some way would cause an effect to free us of these
burdens, to uplift and liberate our inner beings to the point they should
be at. Until the Temple is rebuilt the same effect may be partially achieved
through good deeds, prayer, Bible learning, offerings and charity.
[Ezekiel 46:21] THEN HE BROUGHT ME FORTH INTO
THE UTTER COURT, AND CAUSED ME TO PASS BY THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE COURT;
AND, BEHOLD, IN EVERY CORNER OF THE COURT THERE WAS A COURT.
[Ezekiel 46:22] IN THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE COURT THERE WERE COURTS JOINED
OF FORTY CUBITS LONG AND THIRTY BROAD: THESE FOUR CORNERS WERE OF ONE
MEASURE.
[Ezekiel 46:23] AND THERE WAS A ROW OF BUILDING ROUND ABOUT IN THEM,
ROUND ABOUT THEM FOUR, AND IT WAS MADE WITH BOILING PLACES UNDER THE ROWS
ROUND ABOUT.
[Ezekiel 46:24] THEN SAID HE UNTO ME, THESE ARE THE PLACES OF THEM THAT
BOIL, WHERE THE MINISTERS OF THE HOUSE SHALL BOIL THE SACRIFICE OF
THE PEOPLE.
Ezekiel Index
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