Presents
Pamphlet #8045 Ezekiel chapter 45
If you read older Bible commentaries written before the twentieth century you will see how little Ezekiel chapter one was understood until now.
If you read older Bible commentaries written before the twentieth century you will see how little Ezekiel chapter one was understood until now.
Isn't this Book of Ezekiel exciting? It is the book that was written to be specifically and maturely understood by the generation that would come to understand the "vision in the first chapter"! You see, it was not until the Baby Boomer generation, whose beginning coincided with the planting of the fig tree on May 15, 1948, signaling the final generation, that space travel and the description in Hebrew of a "highly polished spectrum bronze circular whirling flying wheel with people inside" was clearly understood.
Once Ezekiel saw the vision, he was then told in chapters 2 & 3 to eat the entire scroll, i.e. study the entire Word of God, and having done so, he was appointed a WATCHMAN and his duties and obligations and the detailed knowledge he must possess to be a watchman fill the remainder of this great book. He was instructed to teach and warn his people of the house of Israel, from the Word of God (thus saith the Lord GOD) about many things, such as the coming of the king of Babylon and even the mark of the beast (remember the "tav"), and such things as to be careful of false shepherds who teach the polluted traditions of men handed down from the idolatrous groves of Ishtar (Easter), and such things as "fly away" rapture theories (chpt. 13).
Ezekiel was also told what happened in "the world that then was" in chapter 28 when Satan used the powers of controlling (enslaving) men which are contained in religion, politics, education and economics, to bring about the end of that first earth age, and as a result Satan was sentenced at his judgment to perish from within by the consuming fire, even in the lake of fire. And just prior to that he had shown us the forerunner of the NWO through the international trading system run from the ancient merchant city of Tyre.
The beloved watchman was also told of the love our Father has and the eternal covenant He made with Jerusalem and how He has promised to restore His people to their land, but first there needs to be some "life" breathed into the dry bones, the spiritually dead children of God in this final generation. So Ezekiel is instructed to "get busy" and preach to them! And there is so much more he was told that we cannot recap it all in this short study.
Finally, as we began to near the closing chapters of the book, even as we near the closing days of this flesh age, the watchman was privledged to SEE the specific details of the final battle of Hamon-gog and the "vision" of the defeat of the army led by the chief prince Meshach (Russia) which comes against true Israel (the Christisn nations of the world) just before the 7th Trump sounds and the King of kings and Lord of lords returns. It is not a pretty sight for those who are His enemies, but the good news is that they shall surely come to know that He is the Lord. And now in these last chapters Ezekiel is being shown a most beautiful vision of the fulfillment of God's promise to restore His people and the land and usher in the Kingdom of God to fill the whole earth with His Word and His righteous laws and judgments.
Are you a "watchman"? Do you eat your "daily bread" from the table of the Lord? If so, you know that we have been instructed to "WATCH" in this final generation.
We were told to watch by Jesus Christ:
We were told to watch by the apostle Paul:Mark 13:37
And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
We were told to watch by apostle Peter:1 Thes. 5:6
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
Does "watching" mean to just be on the lookout for the return of Christ, so WE know when He is coming? No it DOES NOT! It means to DO the JOB of the WATCHMAN! It means get to WORK even as we are just about finished studying the Book of the Watchman, the book which explains how to be a "Watchman" in these last days! It is not the hearers who are justified, but the DOERS!1 Peter 4:7
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
We have now come to final four chapters in Ezekiel where we are now going to zoom out and take a look at the Greater Metropolitan Area of Millennial Jerusalem and see the locations and dimensions of the land given and allotted by our Father for His people's inheritance, just as He promised. The amount of space taken up in God's Word to give these dimensions, so that we can form a mental picture in our mind's eye of the glory of the Temple and of the Ordinances and now the Allotment of the Land itself, emphasizes their significance and the fact that our Father obviously feels that it is important that we come to a mature understanding of the soon coming Kingdom of God in the Millennium as best we can given the limitations of our flesh minds, which limitations we must recognize. In other words, we must be wise enough to know that the physical instruments of measurement which we have in this dimension (cubits, reeds, yardsticks, etc.) cannot and do not measure those things which are in the spiritual dimension. Remember, that is why we were shown right at the beginning of these Millennium chapters (chapter 40) that the cubit and the reed used to measure the sanctuary are 1/7th larger, because "7" is the number of spiritual perfection and that lets us know that we are being granted a glimpse, a VISION, even if ever so dimly (1 Cor. 13:12), behind the veil which separates the dimensions of flesh and spirit.
We therefore cannot even begin to imagine the beauty and the splendor of the magnificent World Capital of Jerusalem as it will be during the Millennium. But just knowing that the Civil Engineer and Architect is the Lord GOD Almighty, we can understand and perhaps appreciate that the entire oblation will be perfectly planned and brilliantly constructed. Though we will see in these few remaining chapters but a mere sketch of the layout, we can be sure it will be the most beautiful and magnificent of all cities in all the world. Only the New Jerusalem which will come down out of heaven when the Third Earth Age begins, will outshine this gorgeous and glorious oblation and sanctuary of the Millennium, where Christ and His saints will rule for 1000 years.
THE LAND. The OBLATION unto Yahveh, 25,000 reeds by 10,000 reeds. (vs. 1)
The oblation to be offered is the "Terumah" in Hebrew, which is called the "heave offering" because it is lifted up to heaven for Yahveh only. This alone declares the splendor of what we are about to read. The "holy portion of the land" in verse one is the middle section of the following block plan marked "The Portion of the Oblation for the Priests", which is 25,000 reeds long and 10,000 reeds wide, i.e. about 60 miles by 24 miles. Actually, depending on the cubit used, it could be upwards of 70 miles long.Ezekiel 45:1
Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.
If you have a Companion Bible, the layout can be found in appendix 88 on page 127.
THE SANCTUARY (500 reeds by 500 reeds square = about 1 mile square) and THE MOST HOLY PLACE - and for the dwelling of the priests. (vv. 2 - 4)
Notice in the picture that the sanctuary itself is situated in midst of the holy portion of the land, which is measured in the next verse.Ezekiel 45:2
Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof.
And who are the only ones who can come near to minister unto the LORD? By now you should know that it is only the priests of the Zadok![3] And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and in it shall be the sanctuary and the most holy place.[4] The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests the ministers of the sanctuary, which shall come near to minister unto the LORD: and it shall be a place for their houses, and an holy place for the sanctuary.
THE LEVITES' PORTION, 25,000 reeds by 10,000. (vs. 5)
Remember these are the ministers who are the keepers of the house. They do not approach unto Christ as they minister only to the people.Ezekiel 45:5
And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers.
THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY
This is the narrower bottom area in the block plan. In summary, so far we have seen:[6] And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel.
Next we will read more about "the land", including the Prince's Portion, and then read of the righteous ordinances to be instituted among the people. So keep the block diagram from your companian Bible handy for the remainder of this truly exciting Book of Ezekiel.(1) The Portion for the Priests of the Zadok, containing the Sanctuary in the center, The Holy Portion of the Land. (middle section)(2) The Portion for the Levites. (top section)
(3) The "Possession of the City". (bottom section)
God's Word contains a great deal of information, especially in these last nine chapters of Ezekiel, about what will be happening during the soon coming 1000 year reign of Jesus Christ. Some of what we will learn in this study is that our nation will exist under just and fair civil laws and ordinances which our leaders will be obligated to uphold and even keep themselves (so much for the double standard we now see among our politicians and leaders). So we know by those laws and ordinances that there will be buying and selling in the Millennium and there will be money, shekels, with which to do so. That should come as no surprise to students of His Word, because there was commerce and trade, i.e. merchandizing, in the first earth age, before the overthrow of Satan, as documented in chapter 28 of Ezekiel. Concerning Satan, it is written:
The word "traffick" is the same Hebrew word translated "merchandise" in the next verse (16). It means to "trade" and as in "peddling". Satan corrupted the economy in the "world that then was" (2 Pet. 3:6) and became a CORRUPTED LEADER both politically and religiously. The word "violence" in the next verse means "unrighteous" or "corrupt".Ezekiel 28:5
By thy great wisdom and by thy traffick hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches:
The word translated "sinned" is "chata" in Hebrew and its causative meaning is "to lead astray" (see Strong's Concordance). You see, it wasn't the fact that Satan himself became corrupt that led to the destruction of the "world that then was", that beautiful age when the dinosaurs roamed this lush green planet. If it had just been one corrupted individual, he could have been eliminated and things would have continued in their perfect original state. It was the "chata", the fact that Lucifer "led astray" one third (Rev. 12:4) of God's children that caused our Father to destroy that first earth age. He did bring Satan to judgment and He did sentence him to die in the lake of fire. However, He postponed the lake of fire and everyone else's judgment until after His plan of salvation is complete and ALL of His children have passed through the womb and lived and died in the flesh. Additionally, those who didn't make the first resurrection (the 1st granting of eternal life) at Christ's return, will live (though they are called the "dead" because they still have mortal souls) in the kingdom of God under Christ's rule for one thousand years and will have their opportunity to prove themselves worthy of the second resurrection (the 2nd granting of eternal life) after the Millennium, when Satan is released for a short season to test them. Then the books will be opened and the Great White Throne Judgment will take place where the "dead" will either receive eternal life (called the 2nd resurrection) or perish with the son of perdition in the lake of fire. Here is your documentation that all the sons of God must be born of woman and die the first death, before judgment. This "first death" is not optional, but the "second death", the death of the soul, is up to you.Ezekiel 28:16
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned...
So during the Millennium, the leaders of the nations, including Israel, will not be allowed to rob and cheat and steal either property or money or anything else from their people. Jesus Christ and His saints will rule with a "rod of iron", meaning discipline, and both the civil and religious laws and ordinances of God will be enforced and strictly adhered to. Today many call them radical far right-wing conservative Christian ideologies.Hebrews 9:27
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Earlier we learned about the layout of the LAND in Jerusalem which we noted contain the following three major divisions:
The next verse gives us more detail about the area surrounding the City on either side, which contains the suburbs and the "Prince's Portions".(1) The Portion for the Priests of the Zadok, containing the Sanctuary in the center, The Holy Portion of the Land.
(2) The Portion for the Levites.
(3) The "Possession of the City".
The PRINCE'S PORTIONS east and west of the City, each 5,000 x 5,000 reeds square = about 12 miles square and covering each an area of 144 square miles.Ezekiel 45:7
And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.
This is the lower portion of the block diagram in appendix 88 in the Companion Bible showing the "Prince's Portion" on the east and on the west sides of the City. This whole area, 25,000 reeds by 5,000 reeds, is called the "Possession of the City" and the actual City itself is located in the middle. As Dr. Bullinger remarks in the appendix, one can only imagine the beauty of a spacious and perfectly planned 144 square mile city with magnificent gardens on either side of it. It will be spectacular to say the least.
We are now going to read about some of the prince's duties, even the civil duties. For one thing, he shall be responsible for the maintenance of administrative justice in economic affairs. Imagine if our politicians and civil leaders were honest and ran their administrations according to God's laws and statutes. Instead, we now have about the same corrupt and perverse system today that Satan brought us to in the world that then was.
One might asked, "How was Satan able to achieve such corruptness and perversion back then, in the world that then was?" The answer is, WE LET HIM GET AWAY WITH IT! How is it that we have such a corrupt and perverse system and administration today? WE LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT! Just as Solomon said, There is nothing new "under the sun", i.e. in this second earth age.
There is a great SHAME cast upon our people, for God's children have been ever so stupid to allow liberalism to pervade our schools, our churches, our government and our economy. Our Father IS NOT HAPPY about it, neither was He happy about it the first time we allowed it. Here is your documentation.Eccles. 1:9
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
This is God speaking about us, His people:
The word "sottish" in Hebrew means STUPID (see note in Companion Bible)! They are sottish because they are Biblically illiterate and DO NOT know His Word.Jeremiah 4:22
For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.
The earth became "tohu va bohu", without form and void, i.e. totally, completely desolate, and "darkness was upon the face of the deep" (Gen. 1:2). There was no light (only darkness), just as verse 23 said![23] I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.
This earth shook violently when He knocked it off its axis and out of its perfect orbit.[24] I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.
All the sons of God were returned to their "first habitation", where they were before God created the earth.[25] I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
Note: If you would like more detailed information and further documentation log unto Live Link to=> "The Plan of God".
Yes, God Himself destroyed that earth age and as you can see He was fiercely angry at His "stupid" children for allowing such evil![26] I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.
Note: Notice that the once beautiful and fruitful place (this earth) was now a wilderness, including the cities. There were cities in that first earth age, as their are cities now, as there will be cities in the Millennium, as there will be cities in the third earth age when even the city of the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven.
So the question is, "Will the people allow the leaders to become corrupt and perverse during the Millennium?" The answer is, "Jesus Christ and His Zadok, God's elect, will not permit it, PERIOD!"
There won't be anymore oppressive "land grab" ordinances and "environmental whacko" laws passed whereby people's properties are rendered useless to them as "protected lands" or even confiscated.Ezekiel 45:8
In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.
Here is exactly how it is going to be, and it will be enforced by the "rod of iron" which issues forth from the throne of the King of kings.[9] Thus saith the Lord GOD;
"Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land, and expelling them from their homes. Always be fair and honest." (LB)[9 ..continued] Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
"Saith the Lord GOD!" This implies OR ELSE!
The scales of weights and measures shall be precise, and ONLY honest, fair proportions will be used. Again, cheating people and "tipping the scales" ever so slightly to gain that little extra profit will not be tolerated. (This could be a kenite's worst nightmare!)Ezekiel 45:10
Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
An "ephah" is about 3 pecks in English, a peck being 8 quarts or 2 gallons. A "bath" is also about 6 English gallons."There were two sets of measurements, one for dry and one for liquid, both having a unit of the same value, the bath and the ephah." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Holman, pg. 323)
The homer, the standard of measure, is therefore 10 times that of both the ephah and the bath.[11] The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of an homer, and the ephah the tenth part of an homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer.
Next, we see that there will not only be accuracy in weights and measurements but the monetary units will be standardized as well. There will be no more "Hidden Dynasty of the Economy".
The shekel shall be twenty gerahs, no more, no less! And there will be no provisions for a little "exchange rate" fee to be extracted! Also, you can kiss usury GOOD BYE, forever!Ezekiel 45:12
And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your maneh.
Note: The word "maneh" means a "fixed" weight like a pound.
And guess what? The leaders will also not be able to raise taxes on the people! They will actually serve the people. What a novel concept. We are now going to read in verses 13 through 25 about the ordinances relating to the nation, and the "tithes" of the people that will be in effect during the Millennium. The people will give their oblations, call them contributions, to the prince (vs. 13) who will make the national offering for the People or nation as a whole.
One sixth of an ephah of wheat, one sixth of an ephah of barley, and ten percent of a bath of oil (next verse) will be given to the prince in Israel (vs 16). (Sure beats our progressive income tax, doesn't it?)Ezekiel 45:13
This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of barley:
[14] Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is an homer of ten baths; for ten baths are an homer:
One out of two hundred is only one-half of one percent of the flock, out of the "well-watered" pastures of bountiful Israel.[15] And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a meat offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.
Again, the people of the land shall give their oblations to the prince who shall be the one to prepare the offerings for the house of Israel.[16] All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
Next we see that the sacred calendar will be in effect.Ezekiel 45:17
And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.
It should be noted that there are six important events recorded in the Bible concerning the first day of the first month (see note on Gen. 6:13 in the Companion Bible):Ezekiel 45:18
Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary:
(1) The drying up of the flood waters (Gen. 6:13)Again, don't miss the fact that this is done "for every one" on a national basis, to "reconcile the house".
(2) Setting up of the Tabernacle by Moses (Ex. 40:2)
(3) Sanctification of cleansed-up temple by Hezekiah (2 Chron. 29:17)
(4) The going up of Ezra (Ezra 7:9)
(5) The giving up of strange wives (Ezra 10:17)
(6) The offering of the bullock and cleansing of the sanctuary here in Ezekiel 45:18.Ezekiel 45:19
And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.[20] And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
And now let's see if the nation will be celebrating Easter (Ishtar) or keeping the Passover.
Once more, it will be the prince who shall make the preparation for the ALL the people of the land.Ezekiel 45:21
In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.[22] And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
Remember, this is NOT the same as in the Mosaic law. Instead of one ram and seven lambs for the daily burnt offering, there are to be seven bullocks and seven rams for the seven days. Likewise, whereas the Feast of Tabernacles (vs. 25) under the old covenant, had its own offerings which diminished as the week progressed, there will be these same seven bullocks and seven rams for the seven days. What does this mean?[23] And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering.
We have already learned that there will be NO ANIMAL sacrifices during the Millennium. Christ did away with those once and for all. Seven is the number of "spiritual" perfection or completeness, and the "sacrifices" during the Millennium will be spiritual as in "love".
He shall also prepare an ephah (like a bushel) of grain for each bullock and ram and an hin (about a gallon) of oil for each ephah of grain.[24] And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.
Next we see the observance of The Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th day of the 7th month.
Perhaps we should review the offerings which we covered in chapter 43.Ezekiel 45:25
In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.
You will find in Leviticus 23:13 and Numbers 6:15 that the oil (olive oil, symbolic of the Holy Spirit) was to be mixed (anointed) with the grain in the meat offering. And so it is that the sacrifice of the people during the Millennium will be of the spirit, of their love for Him who now resides in the Inner Court of the Millennium Temple.The burnt offering is called "Olah", so called from the Hiphil of the verb "'alah", to cause to ascend [as the flame and smoke ascend by burning]. In Greek holocausta, which conveys its meaning as being wholly burnt.The sin offering is called "Chattath" in Hebrew, which comes from "chat'a", to sin by coming short of, by missing the mark in sins of commission. "Also of the feet, to stumble and fall (Prov. 19:2). Hence, morally, a coming short, blameworthiness - not necessarily wilful."
The meat offering is "Minchah" which means a present, as such. Hence a gift offering, not necessarily to secure admittance, but to secure favor.
This"American Wisdom Series" pamphlet
is
Published by:
Rhine
Publishing Co.
E-mail address: americanwisdomseries@verizon.net
If you would like to have your essay
published
as part of the American Wisdom
Series
submit your manuscript to Rhine
Publishing Co
at the address above for consideration,
or e-mail us
at the address shown on our home
page.
Click Here to Return to "The American Wisdom Series" home page.