EZEKIEL LESSON 48


     We will begin this lesson in Ezekiel 46:1 "Thus saith the Lord
GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be
shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and
in the day of the new moon it shall be opened."

     Do not confuse this with the door that was shut in a previous
lesson. This is speaking of the door to the inner court. The six
working days the people were busy making a living. Their day of
worship was the seventh day, or Sabbath. There would be worship going
on at every new moon, also. This door being opened is for them to come
and worship.

     Ezekiel 46:2 "And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch
of [that] gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and
the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings,
and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go
forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening."

    It appears, that the prince {whoever he is} stands in the gate,
and ministers to the people at that gate, while the priest is
preparing the sacrifice. It appears, he would come to this gate,
because they are people here to talk to. We would, probably, call what
he is doing, preaching. His worship could consist of prayer, as well
as preaching.  This gate will be opened the entire day of sabbath.
Their sabbath is from 6 o'clock in the evening on Friday until
6'oclock Saturday evening. Their day begins in the evening, as was
spoken of in Genesis. An evening and a morning make up a day.

     Ezekiel 46:3 "Likewise the people of the land shall worship at
the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new
moons."

     We see, now, that many people would be congreagated at this gate.
This would be a very good place for someone to preach.

     Ezekiel 46:4 "And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer
unto the LORD in the sabbath day [shall be] six lambs without blemish,
and a ram without blemish."

     This again, is different to the Mosaic law. The Mosaic law
required two yearling lambs. The meat offering had been the makings
for bread. Six symbolizes mankind, whether that has anything to do
with this, I cannot tell. They did retain, in all these offerings, the
fact that the sacrifice should be without blemish. This was because
all of the sacrifices, in one way or another, symbolize the great
sacrifice Jesus made for all of mankind.

     Ezekiel 46:5 "And the meat offering [shall be] an ephah for a
ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give,
and an hin of oil to an ephah."

     This again, is the makings for bread.

     Ezekiel 46:6 "And in the day of the new moon [it shall be] a
young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be
without blemish."

     This sacrifice is in addition to what we have been reading about.
This, also, varies slightly from the Mosaic law. We must say again,
that Ezekiel would never have taken upon himself to change the
ordinances of the Mosaic law. These are instructions from God for the
people.  Perhaps, this will be easier for them to remember.

     Ezekiel 46:7 "And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for
a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his
hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah."

     The offering of the amount the "hand" can attain does not mean
what a man can pick up in his hand, but means the amount he has
earned, and can afford.

     Ezekiel 46:8 "And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by
the way of the porch of [that] gate, and he shall go forth by the way
thereof."

     The prince shall enter in at that eastern gate, and leave the
same way.

     Ezekiel 46:9  "But when the people of the land shall come before
the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the
north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and
he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the
way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate
whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it."

     The people, themselves, shall not return the same way they came.
If they came from the north, they shall go out by the south; and the
opposite, if they came from the opposite direction. This could
possibly symbolize that you should never turn around, and go back to
the life of sin. Once you have entered the road to God, you never look
back, you go ahead.

     Ezekiel 46:10 "And the prince in the midst of them, when they go
in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth."

     It appears, this prince will lead them into the area of worship.

     Ezekiel 46:11 "And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat
offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to
the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah."

     This "ephah" is 3 pecks of flour for each bullock. He matches the
amount of bread to the meat.

     Ezekiel 46:12 "Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary
burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, [one]
shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he
shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on
the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth
[one] shall shut the gate."

     This offering is not an offering of obligation, but from the free
will of the prince. We notice, the gate will be open to him for this
offering, as well. After he leaves, after making the offering, the
gate shall be shut, until another day of offerings come. This gate
will not be open until the evening, but just long enough for him to
sacrifice.  Immediately after he leaves, it is shut up.

     Ezekiel 46:13 "Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the
LORD [of] a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare
it every morning."

     This symbolizes the eating of the Word of God every day. For a
person to live a godly life, they must continually feast upon His
Word. This is, also, speaking of an offering being made every day,
because the priests feed upon the offerings. The strange thing about
the offerings from God through Ezekiel, here, is that there is no
evening sacrifice. This is, possibly, speaking to the whole of the
people and not just to the prince.

     Ezekiel 46:14 "And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it
every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an
hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually
by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD."

     This offering is bread, to go along with the meat of the other
offering. The bread was to never cease from the temple.

     Ezekiel 46:15 "Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat
offering, and the oil, every morning [for] a continual burnt
offering."

     As long as there is a temple, these offerings were not to cease.
I personally believe God allowed the temple to be destroyed a few
years after the crucifixion of Jesus, to cause them to stop
sacrificing. Jesus fulfilled all the sacrifices and the law with his
body on the cross.

     Ezekiel 46:16  "Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a
gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons';
it [shall be] their possession by inheritance."

     This is speaking of the right of inheritance from parents. One of
the wonderful promises for the Christian is that we will be joint-
heirs with Jesus. Romans 8:17 "And if children, then heirs; heirs of
God, and jointheirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him],
that we may be also glorified together."

     Ezekiel 46:17 "But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of
his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it
shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for
them."

     The land was given by God to each of the families of Israel. It
was for them, and for their generations after them. It could not be
permanently sold, or given, to anyone. It is the sons' land by right
of inheritance. If it is sold temporarily, it will return to the
family to whom it was allotted on the year of "jubilee" {fiftieth}
year.  All land was sold with that in mind. The Israelites could not
sell, or give away their inheritance except to a son, who it would
belong to eventually anyway.

     Ezekiel 46:18 "Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's
inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession;
[but] he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession:
that my people be not scattered every man from his possession."

     The prince might tax them, but he could not take their land.
Their land was a perpetual inheritance from God. We see the reason for
this is, because God wants them to remain from generation to
generation in the promised land.

     Ezekiel 46:19  "After he brought me through the entry, which
[was] at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests,
which looked toward the north: and, behold, there [was] a place on the
two sides westward."

     This is going back a bit, to where the measurements had taken
place. This is where the priests live.

     Ezekiel 46:20 "Then said he unto me, This [is] the place where
the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering,
where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear [them] not out
into the utter court, to sanctify the people."

     It is not the duty of the people to prepare the food from the
animals they bring for sacrifice. This states that is the duty of the
priests. Some of them are baked, and some of them are boiled. Those
sacrifices that had to do with meat were boiled, and the bread which
was called the meat offering, was baked in the oven. This was to be
kept away from the people.

     Ezekiel 46:21 "Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and
caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in
every corner of the court [there was] a court."

     The "utter" court is speaking of the outer court. These corner
courts were in every corner of the outer court.

     Ezekiel 46:22 "In the four corners of the court [there were]
courts joined of forty [cubits] long and thirty broad: these four
corners [were] of one measure."

     These courts in the corner were 60 feet by 45 feet. Each of the
corners had an area of this very same size. This is as large as a
modern home. It really was a giant kitchen.

     Ezekiel 46:23 And [there was] a row [of building] round about in
them, round about them four, and [it was] made with boiling places
under the rows round about.

     This is saying, that it was broken up into several rooms inside
the outer measurements. It seemed as if the boiling went on in
separate quarters. Perhaps, the animals being boiled were not to be in
the same room.

     Ezekiel 46:24 "Then said he unto me, These [are] the places of
them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the
sacrifice of the people."

     Notice, the word ministers is plural. Each priest, probably, had
his own area to boil in. You might say, each priest had his own
kitchen. It appears, the sacrifices were individual, and should not be
grouped together.

































                         Ezekiel 48 Questions


1.  The gate to the inner court at the east shall be shut _____
    ________ ______.
2.  When shall it be open?
3.  We are not to confuse this with what?
4.  What was their day of worship?
5.  Why is the door open?
6.  What does the prince do at this gate?
7.  Who prepares the burnt offering?
8.  How long will the gate be open?
9.  What is the burnt offering the prince shall offer?
10. How does this differ from the Mosaic law?
11. Why should all the sacrifices be without blemish?
12. What is peculiar about the meat offering?
13. How can Ezekiel speak of the offerings in a different manner than
    the law of Moses?
14. What is the amount the "hand" is speaking of?
15. The prince shall enter the east gate, and return at the _______
    gate.
16. The people shall enter at the north, or south gate, and leave by
    what gate?
17. Who leads the people?
18. How much is an "ephah"?
19. What is different about the offering in verse 12?
20. What does the daily burnt offering symbolize?
21. How long were the offerings to last?
22. If a prince gives a gift unto his sons, who does it continue to
    belong to?
23. If the prince gives a gift to a servant, how long does it belong
    to the servant?
24. Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 17.
25. What year is "jubilee"?
26. Can the prince take someone's land?
27. What is boiled in an offering?
28. What is baked in offerings?
29. How large were the corner courts?
30. Why were there several kitchens?