EZEKIEL LESSON 47


     We will begin this lesson in 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."

     The promised land had been divided to the tribes of Israel. They
were wonderful record keepers, and they knew where their land was
located. Each family had an inheritance of the land of their
forefathers. This is a different allotment. The land for the temple
was not to be allotted to anyone.  The length of the land set aside
for the holy portion, was to be 25,000 reeds which was just under
250,000 feet. It shall be 10,000 reeds wide, which was just under
100,000 feet. This area was approximately 42 1/2 miles long by
approximately 17 miles wide.

     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."

     The land for the sanctuary would be .85 mile long by .85 mile
broad. The area for the suburbs around all of it, would be 75 feet
wide. We must remember that the temple is used by people from many
miles around; it is not used by just those from Jerusalem. At the time
this was written, the temple and its workers were a great portion of
the city of Jerusalem. We must remember this is a priestly city.

     Ezekiel 45:3 "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]."

     The temple and the most holy place, as I said, served a very wide
area. The temple area is in this larger area.

     Ezekiel 45:4 "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."

     This holy portion of land, we read about in verse one, is
explained here, to belong, not only to the temple area, but to the
families of the priests, and high priest where they can build homes.
This includes all of the Levitical tribe. Some are not priests, but
ministers.

     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."

     I believe the key word in all of this is oblation. "Oblation", in
verse one, means sacrifice, or tribute. In my opinion, this is saying
that this large piece of land was given to God as a sacrifice, who in
turn gave the use of it to the Levites. I believe the Levite families
{when they were not working in the temple} had homes in this area.
They, probably, had enough space to grow a little garden, and to have
a cow. There would have been a pretty large number of them. The 20
chambers are, probably, speaking of the area where they stayed when
they were working in the temple. This is speaking of an area the same
as the area that was given for an oblation to God in verse 1. This is,
possibly, in addition to the land in verse 1.

     Ezekiel 45:6 "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."

     This is speaking of land half the size we have seen for the
oblation in verse 1. This is for all of Israel. If we add this 5000 to
the 10000 in verse 1, and the 10000 in verse 5, we will have an area
that is 42 1/2 miles square.

     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 "prince" is speaking of the leader in the land, whoever he
might be. It seems, that this land lies on both sides of the holy
portion.

     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."

     The remainder of the land shall be divided for the families of
Israel. All that is left will be their portion.

     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."

     "Suffice" means abundant. This means that there is abundant land
for them, even after they have set aside the land for the holy work.
They are never to take it back by force, or by taxes.

     Ezekiel 45:10 "Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and
a just bath."

     The "bath" is a liquid measure of about 7 gallons. One "ephah" is
3 pecks. It is for dry measure. This is just saying, not to cheat on
their weights and measures.

     Ezekiel 45:11 "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."

     Ephah and bath are the same, except the ephah is dry measure, and
the "bath" is liquid. 10 baths are a "homer", and 10 ephahs are a
homer.

     Ezekiel 45:12 "And the shekel [shall be] twenty gerahs: twenty
shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels, shall be your
maneh."

     This is the weights and measures scale that the Jews had gone by
for a long time. Perhaps, Ezekiel tells them, the old weights and
measures should not be changed, when they go back into the land.

     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:"

     It seemed, that all were to give the same amount. This was to
keep the temple and its workers going.

     Ezekiel 45:14 "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:"

     This is just saying, that they are to tithe everything, not just
their money. One tenth is a tithe.

     Ezekiel 45:15 "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."

     The animals were not for the tithe, it appears, but were to be
reserved for their sacrificial offerings. The offerings, that Ezekiel
requires are a freewill offering, rather than a tithe. One in every
two hundred animals was to be taken for the offering.

     Ezekiel 45:16 "All the people of the land shall give this
oblation for the prince in Israel."

     This seems something like a tax paid, to keep up the government.

     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."

     We may assume from this, that the prince is head of the
government, while still holding a ministerial office in the church. It
is almost as if church and state are working together. It would not be
unusual for that to be the case in Israel. For many years, they did
not have a king. Their first king was Saul. God was displeased that
they wanted an earthly king.

     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:"

     It is the blood from the bullock that would be used to cleanse
the sanctuary. The month we call April, would be about their first
month. Their first month is Abib. Their months change with the moon.
Notice, the bullock must be without blemish, because it is a type of
the sacrifice Jesus made for us all.

     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."

     This is cleansing the entire court. The altar, itself, must be
cleansed before any offering could be made on it.

     Ezekiel 45:20 "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."

     "Those that err" are speaking of those who have committed sin.
The "simple" are speaking of the simple minded who do not even know
when they do sin.

     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."

     We must realize these people will be in a heathen nation for many
years, and they will have forgotten some of the laws and ordinances.
This is a restating of some of the ordinances. They are not exactly
like the Levitical law, but they are very similar. The lamb was to be
sacrificed for the people on passover, to remind them of that great
night, when death passed over them, and killed all the firstborn in
Egypt.

     Ezekiel 45:22 "And upon that day shall the prince prepare for
himself and for all the people of the land a bullock [for] a sin
offering."

     We discussed in a previous lesson, how the high priest went into
the most holy place, dressed in linen, from head to toe, and carried
blood for his sins, and the sins of the people. This is what this is
speaking of.

     Ezekiel 45:23 "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."

     This is not the same as the offerings in the Levitical law. The
requirement had been 2 bullocks, and one ram, and seven yearling
lambs. This required 7 each day. It, also, required a kid of the goats
daily.

     Ezekiel 45:24 "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."

     We must remember, that the meat offering is really the makings
for bread. This symbolizes Jesus, who is the Bread of life.

     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."

     This seventh month would be like our October. This same ceremony
is to be repeated in the seventh month on the 15th day. This
celebration, also, will last 7 days. We must remember in this that
Ezekiel had been instructed of God to bring this message. He would
not, of his own will change anything in the Mosaic law.



























                         Ezekiel 47 Questions


1.  How large was the portion of land, that was allotted for the
    oblation to the LORD?
2.  The actual sanctuary had how much area in it?
3.  How large were the suburbs that surrounded the sanctuary?
4.  Who was the holy portion for?
5.  What does "oblation" mean?
6.  Why did they get this extra portion of land in verse 5?
7.  What are the 20 chambers speaking of, probably?
8.  What was the allotment for the city?
9.  Who is the "prince" in verse 7?
10. What will be the portion for the rest of Israel?
11. What does "suffice" mean?
12. What are they cautioned about in verse 10?
13. What is a "bath"?
14. What is an "ephah"?
15. How do they differ?
16. What is a "homer"?
17. Why is Ezekiel giving them the scale of weights and measures?
18. One tenth is a ________.
19. What were the animals for?
20. What can we assume about the prince?
21. What is the first month for Israel?
22. How were they to cleanse the sanctuary?
23. Who are "those that err"?
24. When were they to celebrate passover?
25. Who could go into the most holy place?
26. How was he dressed?
27. How many days of the feast must he prepare a burnt offering?
28. How does this vary from the Levitical law?
29. What must we remember about the meat offering?
30. What is their seventh month on our calendar?