Ezekiel 44

REVIEW QUESTIONS

What stood at the center of Old Testament worship? What is the New Testament altar? (See Hebrews 13:10.)

What were the horns of the altar?

To what two uses was the Old Testament altar put?

What was the significance of the burnt-offering? the peace-offering? the meal-offering? Why was salt sprinkled on the burnt-offering?

Why were the Levites demoted in privilege in Ezekiel’s Temple?

What restriction would be put on aliens in the new Temple age?

How were the Zadokite priests to be dressed when they served in the Temple? What is the significance of this dress?

What duties did Ezekiel envision being performed by priests in the new Temple age?

Why did God require such strict ritual regarding priests who contacted dead bodies?

Why would the Zadokite priests receive no inheritance?

In the new apportionment of Canaan who would possess the central section of the land?

What appeal does Ezekiel make to future rulers of Israel?

What responsibility would the prince have in reference to the Temple offerings?

What various festival days does Ezekiel mention in connection with the new age?

Why was the eastern gate of the Temple forever to remain shut?

What restrictions were placed on the prince in reference to the disposition of his property?

What is symbolized by the river which flowed forth from the Temple of God? What problems do literalists have in dealing with Ezekiel’s river?

How does the original apportionment of land to the twelve tribes differ from that described by Ezekiel?

What inheritance rights would aliens have in the new Canaan?

How is Ezekiel’s description of the new Jerusalem similar to that of John in Revelation?

Ezekiel 44:1-3

B. The Ministers of Worship: The Priests 44:1-45:8

After briefly discussing the relationship of the prince to the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:1-3), Ezekiel speaks of the qualifications of the temple ministers (Ezekiel 44:4-14), the regulations for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:15-27); the provision for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:28-31), and finally the allocation of land which was theirs (Ezekiel 45:1-8).

1. The prince and the sanctuary (44:1-3)

TRANSLATION

(1) Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut. (2) And the LORD said unto me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut. (3) As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

COMMENTS

The angel now brought Ezekiel back from the inner court to the outer eastern gate which only shortly before he had entered (Ezekiel 43:1). He found that gate shut now that the glory of God had re-entered the Temple (Ezekiel 44:1). Never again would that gate be open, for God’s glory would never again depart from His Temple. No man would be permitted to enter the gate through which the divine presence had come (Ezekiel 44:2). However, the future leader of God’s people the prince would be permitted to partake of sacrificial meals within the eastern gate complex. But not even he would be allowed to enter by that sealed gate. He would enter the gate complex from the rear or west end by the way of the porch of the gate.

Ezekiel 44:4-14

2. The qualifications of the temple ministers (44:4-14)

TRANSLATION

(4) Then he brought me by the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. (5) And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I say unto you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entrance of the house, with every egress of the sanctuary. (6) And you shall say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, (7) in that you have brought in foreigners uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to profane it, even My house, when you offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covenant, to add unto all your abominations. (8) And you have not kept the charge of My holy things; but you have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves. (9) Thus says the Lord GOD, No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, of any foreigners that are among the children of Israel. (10) But the Levites that went far from me, when Israel went astray, that went astray from me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. (11) Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the house, and ministering in the house: they shall slay the burnt-offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. (12) Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and became a stumblingblock of iniquity unto the house of Israel; therefore have I lifted up My hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. (13) And they shall not come near unto Me, to execute the office of priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, unto the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. (14) Yet will I make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

COMMENTS

From the outer court the prophet was led by his angelic guide around through the northern gate (the eastern gate was to be kept perpetually closed) to the inner court. There the prophet again observed the glory of God filling the house (Ezekiel 44:4). At this juncture God spoke to him again, this time concerning the qualifications of those who might approach Him in His holy Temple. Ezekiel was bidden to make careful note of these ordinances, particularly those laws governing the approaches to the house (Ezekiel 44:5).

In the former Temple aliens had been permitted to discharge priestly functions. This was an abomination (Ezekiel 44:6) which must not persist in the age of the new Temple. Those uncircumcised in heart and flesh profaned the holiness of that sacred shrine. God’s bread, i.e., sacrifices of fat and blood, was not to be offered by those who did not wear in the flesh the badge of the covenant. To allow them to do so was to violate the covenant and commit abomination (Ezekiel 44:7). Apparently the use of foreign Temple servants such as the Carites (2 Kings 11:4) is here being proscribed. It may have been that in times when the priesthood was at low ebb some priestly duties actually had been assigned to these foreigners. In so doing, God’s people had been more concerned about what was convenient to them rather than what conformed to the instructions of God (Ezekiel 44:8).

The menial Temple work formerly done by aliens must in the future be performed by the Levites (Ezekiel 44:9). The duties of the Levites in Ezekiel’s Temple were threefold: (1) they were to have charge of the Temple gates, i.e., they were to police the crowds who entered for worship; (2) they were to minister in the house, i.e., courtyard, by slaying the sacrificial animals;[519] and (3) they were to stand before the worshipers to minister to them by helping them in their ritual responsibilities (Ezekiel 44:11).

[519] The slaughtering of the animal for sacrifice was not a priestly function and could be performed by a layman,

The demotion of the Levites in the new Temple was a punishment for previous transgression on their part. They had gone far away from God and had involved themselves in idolatry (Ezekiel 44:10). They had ministered to the people at idolatrous shrines and thus had become stumblingblocks to the people of God. God had taken an oath (lifted up My hand) against the Levites that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity in the new Temple age(Ezekiel 44:12).

In effect, the penalty against the once wayward Levites was reduction in status to that of lay servants in the Temple. They would not be allowed to come near the Lord, i.e., enter the inner courtyard, nor to minister at the sacrificial service, nor come near any holy thing in the Temple (Ezekiel 44:13). They would be keepers of the charge of the house, i.e., they would be restricted to functions in the outer court (Ezekiel 44:14).

Ezekiel 44:15-27

3. The regulations for the Zadokite priests (44:15-27)

TRANSLATION

(15) But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, (oracle of the Lord GOD): (16) they shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge. (17) And it shall be that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, while they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. (18) They shall have linen tires upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causes sweat. (19) And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they minister, and lay them in the holy chambers; and they shall put on other garments, that they sanctify not the people with their garments. (20) Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads. (21) Neither shall any of the priests drink wine, when they enter into the inner court, (22) Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that is the widow of a priest. (23) And they shall teach My people the difference be tween the holy and the common, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (24) And in a controversy they shall stand to judge; according to My ordinances shall they judge it: and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed feasts; and they shall hallow My sabbaths. (25) And they shall go in to no dead person to defile themselves; but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that has had no husband, they may defile them selves. (26) And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. (27) And in the day that he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin-offering (oracle of the Lord GOD).

COMMENTS

Only the sons of Zadok[520] would be allowed to minister before and within the sanctuary proper. They alone had remained faithful when the rest of the nation had gone into idolatry. The Zadokites would be permitted to come near to God to minister unto Him; to stand before God to offer the sacrificial portions of animals and the blood (Ezekiel 44:15); to enter into the sanctuary itself and minister there; to approach the table of showbread. Whereas the Levites were to keep the charge of the house (Ezekiel 44:14), the Zadokites were to keep My charge (Ezekiel 44:16).

[520] The genealogy of Zadok is found in 1 Chronicles 6:50-53. Zadok was a priest in David’s day alongside Abiathar (2 Samuel 8:17; 2 Samuel 15:24 ff.). He became the high priest under Solomon.

In the new Temple the Zadokite priests were to serve clothed only in linen. They would not be permitted to wear the partly woolen garments worn by priests in the former Temple. Linen is light and clean in appearance. The heavier wool would cause perspiration which in turn would result in ritual defilement (Ezekiel 44:18). The holy linen garments were to be removed and stored in the holy chambers before the priests joined the lay people in the outer court. Holiness was communicated by direct contact (cf. Exodus 29:37; Leviticus 6:20). If the priests should mingle with the lay people in those holy garments, they too would be sanctified (Ezekiel 44:19). Holy and profane were never to meet in the new age.

The priests were to be examples of holiness and separateness to the people of God. They were not permitted to shave their heads nor let their hair grow long for those customs were associated with heathen practice (Ezekiel 44:20; cf. Leviticus 21:5; Leviticus 21:10). As in the Law of Moses, priests were not allowed to drink wine before performing their sacrificial ministry in the inner court (Ezekiel 44:21). Rigid marriage restrictions prohibited a priest from marrying anyone but an Israelite virgin[521] or the widow of a fellow priest (Ezekiel 44:22). These strict marriage regulations were perhaps designed to preserve the purity of the priestly families.

[521] In the law of Moses this regulation applied only to the High Priest (Leviticus 21:13 f.).

Ezekiel 44:23-24 outline some of the responsibilities of the priests. They were teachers,[522] and as such they were responsible for constantly reminding the people of the difference between the holy and the common, the clean and the unclean (Ezekiel 44:23). In civil law cases the priests acted as judges.[523] In this capacity they were to render each verdict in accordance with the Law of God. However, the primary function of the priests was strictly to observe the regulations concerning the sacrifices which were to be offered on special festivals and sabbaths (Ezekiel 44:24).

[522] Cf. Deuteronomy 33:10; Malachi 2:7.

[523] Cf. Deuteronomy 17:8 ff; Deuteronomy 19:17; Deuteronomy 21:5.

As in the I aw of Moses, the priests of the new Temple age were to avoid contact with dead bodies. Exceptions were made in the case of close relatives (Ezekiel 44:25). Contact with a corpse defiled priests and rendered them temporarily unfit to perform their priestly function. A seven day separation and ritual washing was necessary to cleanse a priest defiled by death in the Law of Moses. Ezekiel’s regulations call for another seven day period after the cleansing (Ezekiel 44:26). Upon resuming his ministry in the inner court the priest was to offer a sin-offering for his defilement (Ezekiel 44:27). These additional regulations are intended to heighten the sanctity of this Temple.

Ezekiel 44:28-31

4. The provision for the Zadokite priests (44:28-31)

TRANSLATION

(28) And they shall have an inheritance: I am their inheritance; and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. (29) They shall eat the meal-offering, and the sin-offering, and the trespass-offering; and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. (30) And the first of all the first-fruits of every thing, and every oblation of every thing, of all your oblations, shall be for the priest: you shall also give unto the priests the first of your dough, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. (31) The priests shall not eat of any thing that dies of itself, or is torn, whether it be bird or beast.

COMMENTS

Whereas other tribes received their inheritance in land tracts, the priesthood itself was the inheritance of the Zadokites. Spiritual privilege is greater blessing than material possession. The priests received a portion of the meal-, sin-, and guilt-offerings for their daily maintenance. Every devoted thing (cherem) any property consecrated to God belonged to the priests (Ezekiel 44:29). The first fruits of the land a token portion of the crop belonged to them.[524] The heave-offering was the priest’s portion of first-born clean animals which were killed and sacrificed to God. The first cakes baked with the grain from the threshingfloor were also to be given to the priests (cf. Numbers 15:20). Those who were faithful in presenting these offerings to the priests would receive a special blessing (Ezekiel 44:30; cf. Malachi 3:10). Appended to the list of that which priests could eat is a prohibition. No Israelite could eat any animal which died a natural death or which had been killed by wild beasts (cf. Exodus 22:30; Leviticus 7:24; Deuteronomy 14:21). It is not clear why the regulation is repeated here in connection with the priests (Ezekiel 44:31).

[524] Cf. Deuteronomy 8:8 and Numbers 18:13.