Presents
Pamphlet 1310 Ezek kc 88
The Spirit of God will flow from the throne of the LORD like a grand river all through the Millennium. Yes, it will still be the time of salvation for most, but Satan will be bound in the pit and there will be peace and harmony maintained among peoples and nations and the very earth itself will be refreshed as it will no longer suffer under the pollution of flesh man. Jesus Christ is returning soon to bring to pass the prophecies of His Word and to fulfill the promises of His Covenant. Let's now complete chapter 47 of Ezekiel, where the boundaries, the New Millennial Frontiers of Eretz Israel are given to us.
"Thus saith the Lord GOD" means this is the way it is going to be in the Millennium. There are going to be borders and there is going to be a distribution of the inheritance of the land according to the promise and the covenant our Father made to Abraham back in Genesis 13:14-15, which was a promise to inherit the land (eretz) forever.Ezekiel 47:13
Thus saith the Lord GOD; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.Also, in Gen. 48:5 and 48:22 Joseph was promised a double portion (two portions) of the inheritance and so his birthright was split between his two sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Joseph's birthright became the birthright of the firstborn because his brother Reuben, the rightful heir and actual firstborn, forfeited it due to incest (1 Chron. 5:1). We will see in the following allotments that promise of Joseph's double blessing fulfilled because God ALWAYS keeps His promises.
Here is that original promise to our father Abraham.[14]And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.And so here it is, the division of the land northward, eastward, southward and westward, just as God promised in Gen. 13:14. (For those who are interested in a deeper study of this land division, compare the following verses, 15-21, with Numbers 34. Remember though, we will be in the spiritual dimension and in spiritual bodies at this time.)Genesis 13:14-15
And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:[15] For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.
Israel is also to make provision for the non-Israelites who live among them in the their land. The exception is that of the 25,000 square reed oblation including the portion of Levites (see Ezekiel 48:14). We also read that the prince may not permanently sell or give away any of his portion. He may do so only until the year of the Jubilee when the land must return to him.Ezekiel 47:15
And this shall be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad;[16]Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.
[17] And the border from the sea shall be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.
[18]And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.
[19] And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward.
[20] The west side also shall be the great sea from the border, till a man come over against Hamath. This is the west side.
[21] So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
Do not err as some do when they read this verse. Of course people won't be having babies in the Millennium! Jesus Christ settled this question long ago concerning the spiritual bodies when the Sadducees asked Him about it in Mark 12:23-25 concerning the woman who was married 7 times: "In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. [24] And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? [25] For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.Ezekiel 47:22
And it shall come to pass, that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.So we will all be in angelic bodies, i.e. spiritual bodies, and those bodies do not dance the horizontal cha cha. Here's how the N.E.B. Bible translates Ezek. 47:22:
Chapter 48"You shall distribute this land among the tribes of Israel and assign it by lot as a patrimony for yourselves and for any aliens living in your midst who leave sons among you."[23] And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.
We have now come to the final chapter in this great Book of EZEK-I-EL, whose name means "God is Strong" as in "God is my Strength", and it is so fitting that this last chapter depicts the fulfillment, the summation if you will, of our Father's faithful promise to His children He loves so much. Think about it. After all the trials and tribulations and punishments and captivities endured by the whole house of Israel down through the ages, like Reuben as we mentioned earlier who lost his firstborn rights because of his behavior, and Dan not being listed in Rev. 7 among the 144,000 because of his idolatry, and the split between Judah and the 10 Northern tribes, etc., etc., etc., and worst of all, and yet to come, when the majority of His children worship at the feet of antichrist believing he is Jesus.
Yes, after all of that, after all the times we His children have hurt Him so badly, He still fulfills His Word exactly as He promised and gives His children the best of best and lists the allotment of their inheritance here in this closing chapter of the book of the watchman, name by name, tribe by tribe, and lot by lot. How could anyone who is on the receiving end of His gifts not turn to Him with love in their hearts and cry, Abba Father?
And then, in the midst of describing their land allotments, we are once again given the dimensions of the whole 25,000 reeds square Oblation, portion by portion. The chapter concludes with the vision of the names of each individual tribe upon the twelve gates of the Great City and then finally, the most comforting words that a child of God can ever hear, "Daddy's Home".
The following diagram shows the order and location of each of the tribes of Israel that we are going to read about in the remainder of this chapter. The shaded area is the 25,000 reeds square Oblation.
Also, here is an outline of chapter 48 from appendix 88 in the Companion Bible:
Dan Asher Naphtali Manasseh Ephraim Reuben Judah Portion for the Levites
Portion for the Priests [Sanctuary] P City P Benjamin Simeon Issachar Zebulon Gad Vs. 1-7 = Location of the Seven Tribes on the North Side (Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, Judah)Location of the Seven Tribes on the North Side.
Vs. 8-12 = The Oblation for the Sanctuary and the priests, 25,000 by 10,000 reeds.
Vs. 13-14 = The Portion for the Levites.
Vs. 15-19 = The Portion for the City.
Vs. 20 = All the Oblation, 25,000 by 25,000 reeds.
Vs. 21-22 = The Prince's Portion east and west of the City.
Vs. 23-28 = Location of the remaining five tribes (Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad).
Vs. 29 = Summary
Vs. 30-35 = Goings out of the City (exits) and its Gates.
Vs. 35 = The Name of the City, "Yahveh Shammah" (The Lord is There).Next is the Oblation for the Sanctuary and the priests, 25,000 by 10,000 reeds. (For verses 8-22, refer to the diagram, the block plan in the prior studies showing all the Oblation, which can also be found in appendix 88 in the Companion Bible.)Ezekiel 48:1
Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.[2] And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.
[3] And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.
[4] And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.
[5] And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.
[6] And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.
[7] And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.
The Portion for the Levites.Ezekiel 48:8
And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.[9] The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.
[10] And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.
[11] It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
[12] And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.
Israel may make provisions for aliens in the territories allotted to the tribes, but not in the area of the Levites, nor of the whole Oblation.Ezekiel 48:13
And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.[14] And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.
The Portion for the City.
All the Oblation, 25,000 by 25,000 reeds.Ezekiel 48:15
And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.[16] And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
[17] And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
[18] And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.
[19] And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.
The Prince's Portion east and west of the City.Ezekiel 48:20
All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.Location of the remaining five tribes (Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad).Ezekiel 48:21
And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.[22]Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.
Summary.Ezekiel 48:23
As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.[24]And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.
[25]And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.
[26]And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.
[27] And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.
[28] And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.
Goings out of the City (exits) and its Gates.Ezekiel 48:29
This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.We also find in Rev. 21:12-13 that the magnificent New City of Jerusalem when it comes down out of heaven following the Great White Throne judgment will also have 12 gates with the names of the twelve tribes on them. Will the "names" just be the single patriarch's name like "Reuben" or "Dan" or will they include their whole family? Here is what is written in Revelation concerning the Eternal City, the New Jerusalem.Ezekiel 48:30
And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.[31]And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
[32] And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
[33] And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
[34]At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
Here is the very last verse in the Book of Ezekiel.Rev. 21:12
And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:"The LORD is there" reads "Yahveh Shammah" in Hebrew, which means "Yahveh is There", and so from that day forward it will be a time to sing and rejoice for His children who love Him. He has promised He will come to dwell in our midst and so He shall.Ezekiel 48:35
It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.All nations and all peoples shall know that He is the LORD (think how many times have we read that), and all the world shall know that His throne is in Jerusalem, the throne of the LORD, the LORD our righteousness.Zech. 2:10
Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.What a time the Millennium will be! And that glorious time is approaching more rapidly than many might think! Yes, soon, at the sound of the last trump, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we who are alive and remain (in flesh bodies) shall be instantly changed into our spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:52) and we shall gather together with Him and with those saints who come with Him (1 Thes. 4:17) as His feet touch down on the Mt. of Olives (Zech. 14:4). And so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thes. 4:17), in the presence of the Shekinah Glory, for from that Day on the name of the city of our God will be "Yahveh Shammah" (Ezek. 48:35).Jeremiah 3:17
At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.Jeremiah 33:16
In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness."May God Bless You and Strengthen You and Appoint You one of His beloved Watchman in this final generation." AmenTo study the Bible is the noblest of all pursuits; to understand it, the highest of all goals.
We pray that with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, you accomplish both.
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