Ezekiel

Ezekiel Chapter 45

• Ezekiel 45:1 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, a 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. 

We learn from the Old Testament pattern how God planned to provide for places of worship and those that serve in that capacity. Although it was required by the law for them to support the ministry, through grace that was brought to us through Jesus Christ, we now can see a different way of doing things. Now we can give and provide for places of worship through love instead of the law. Actually that is what God probably would have preferred in the Old Testament pattern of worship. 

Some churches do preach mandatory tithing and I believe tithing is an excellent way to determine the amount to give but because of the way salvation is set up after the coming of Jesus Christ, I believe the New Testament teaches us to give cheerfully and with a heart of love instead of being fearful of judgment if we don't give or expecting to get rich if we do give. 

It is actually better to help people see that their giving will first of all help spread the gospel. I for one want to be part of any system that is spreading the true gospel of Jesus Christ.

I like to support my local church. That to me is a joy to be part of making sure our influence and message is heard in our local community. If we quit paying the bills and supporting a good pastor, the gospel gets a little dimmer in the place where we live. 

Sometimes giving by the law of love will cause us to give more, not less. I'm not against teaching tithing though because it is a good place to start. What I am against is the use of pressure or using  Malachi's admonition to the priests of that day to scare people into tithing today. We need to study the whole book of Malachi not just a few verses if we want to get the whole picture of what was going on at the time. While I do believe a cheerful giver will never be in want of anything important, I would rather see people give because they love God's work and desire to be part of the gospel being spread in our local communities rather than the hope of getting rich financially. Actually it's fun to give with a heart that loves. 

The only giving the Lord recognizes is that which is given cheerfully anyway so we might as well learn that now. Laws are made for those that do not want to obey and live right. Once a person starts living for God and learns to do all things because they love God, they are really not under a law of obligation but are under a law of love, joy, peace and all good things that God gives.

• 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. 
• 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 a holy place for the sanctuary. 
• 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. 
• 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. 
• 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.
• 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. 

We see from reading these passages that during the 1000 year reign of Christ upon the earth there will be a sanctuary and more of an Old Testament pattern in worship restored to Israel. Since Jesus was the final sacrifice for sins, I would venture to suppose that this worship will be a memorial pointing back to the sacrifice of Jesus like the Old Testament sacrifices pointed forward to the day when Jesus came. 

I wonder also and this is just my speculation, but I wonder if since those living at this time are those that made it through the tribulation but since they didn't receive Jesus Christ and learn of God the easy way previously, God is showing them how to live under the original law and why it was given. I really don't know. Still it is exciting to study and think about these things. Those that were previously resurrected and have their new bodies are ruling and reigning with Christ so they are probably not under any law since they previously accepted salvation through faith in Christ. There will still be natural people on the earth at this time, some have not accepted Christ or have been born again by the spirit. Again this part is my speculation. One person I spoke to about this simply believes this temple and service in the book of Ezekiel is the temple and worship instituted after the return to their homeland after the Babylon captivity that Ezekiel is instructing them to do. Ezekiel was one of the captives so that would make sense too.

• Ezekiel 45:9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; 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. 
• 10 Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath. 
• 11 The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain the tenth part of a homer, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer: the measure thereof shall be after the homer. 
• 12 And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your mina. 

During the reign of Christ, all things will be honest and just. We will see the best government in place that the world would ever know. This is a time of testing to see how the natural people living at the time we respond to the perfect peace and righteousness that will occur at that time. 

This is the only time in the history of mankind that Israel will receive all the land that was originally promised to them during the time Abraham lived and walked upon the earth. 

• Ezekiel 45:13 This is the oblation that ye shall offer; the sixth part of an ephah of a homer of wheat, and ye shall give the sixth part of an ephah of a 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 kor, which is a homer of ten baths; for ten baths are a homer: 
• 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. 
• 16 All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
• 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. 

We must remember that before this time as a nation Israel was living apart from God. They had rejected Jesus Christ and were scattered all over the face of the earth. They have been re-gathered only in part. During the Millennium, all of them will be gathered to their own land and Christ will rule over them. 

Israel as a nation has to be reconciled to God and will at last fulfill their purpose from the time God called Abraham until that day. 

• 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: 
• 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. 
• 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. 
• 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. 
• 24 And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil for an ephah. 
• 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. 

We see from the law of given to Moses and then given to Israel, that everything was done according to a pattern. It shows how serious sin is and how offerings and sacrifices were need to make the way for them to be free of sin. It all pointed to the coming of Christ because animal sacrifices could not remove the sin like the blood of Christ does. When Jesus made that final sacrifice, the power that goes along with the new birth when one is converted to Jesus really changes their lives. Animal sacrifices pointed to this that was to occur and pointed out how badly the world needed a savior to save them from sin. 

When Jesus sets up His kingdom at His 2nd coming, a new temple is built as we see described in the latter chapters of Ezekiel. In the new temple we see something similar to the Old Testament pattern of worship introduced but certain things are missing like the Ark of the Covenant. I believe the animal sacrifices that are restored in the Millennial reign of Christ is like a memorial to the sacrifice Jesus made similar to how we observed the Lord's supper to remember His death for our sins. The Lord's supper does not take away our sins and observing it does not take away anyone's sin but acts as a remembrance. I believe this is similar to what occurs in the worship during the Millennium. Again this is only my speculation and not to be taken as scripture.

After the 1000 years reign of Christ, after Satan is let loose to test all natural people living on earth at that time and after the final battle and end of all evil, there will be no need for a temple any longer so temple worship will end as I have repeated in previous chapters on Ezekiel.

The last 4 chapters of Revelation deal with this in more detail.

Ezekiel 46

Ezekiel Index