Ezekiel 48

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 48:1-7

D. The Apportionment of the Land 48:1-35

Now that the boundaries of the promised land have been spelled out, the prophet deals with the division of that land among the tribes. The whole territory west of Jordan is to be divided into twelve parallel portions running from east to west. No mention is made of the width of these tribal areas.[543]

[543] The Rabbis gave the width of these portions as 25,000 reeds. They equaled the dimensions of the sanctified portion with those of a tribal tract.

1. The seven northern tribes (48:1-7)

TRANSLATION

(1) Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end, beside the way of Hethion to the entrance of Hamath, Hazarenan at the border of Damascus, northward beside Hamath, (and they shall have their sides east and west,) Dan, one portion. (2) And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, Asher, one portion. (3) And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, Naphtali, one portion. (4) And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, Manasseh, one portion. (5) And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, Ephraim, one portion. (6) And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, Reuben, one portion. (7) And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, Judah, one portion.

COMMENTS

Seven tribes are assigned territories north of the holy portion of the land, i.e., the Temple area and domains of the priests, Levites and prince. From north to south, these seven tribes are (1) Dan, (2) Asher, (3) Naphtali, (4) Manasseh, (5) Ephraim. (6) Reuben, and (7) Judah. The three tribes farthest away from the sanctuary are those descended from Jacob’s concubines.[544] Judah, because of the Messianic blessing of Gen 49:8-12, was given the honor of inheritance nearer to the sanctuary.

[544] Dan and Naphtah were born to Rachel’s maid Bilhah and Asher to Leah’s maid Zilpah (Genesis 30:5-13).

Ezekiel 48:8-22

2. The sanctified portion (48:8-22)

TRANSLATION

(8) And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the oblation which you shall offer, twenty-five thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the portions, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it. (9) The oblation that you shall offer unto the LORD shall be twenty-five thousand reeds in length, and ten thousand in breadth. (10) And for these, even for the priests, shall be the holy oblation; toward the north twenty-five thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof. (11) It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, that have kept My charge, that went not astray when the children of Israel went astray. (12) And it shall be unto them an oblation from the oblation of the land, a thing most holy, by the border of the Levites. (13) And answerable unto the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be twenty-five thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. (14) And they shall sell none of it, nor exchange it, nor shall the first-fruits of the land be alienated; for it is holy unto the LORD. (15) And the five thousand that are left in the breadth, in front of the twenty-five thousand, shall be for common use, for the city, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof. (16) And these shall be the measures thereof: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred. (17) And the city shall have suburbs: toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty. (18) And the residue in the length, answerable unto the holy oblation, shall be ten thousand east ward, and ten thousand westward; and it shall be answerable unto the holy oblation; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that labor in the city. (19) And they that labor in the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall till it. (20) All the oblation shall be twenty-five thousand: you shall offer the holy oblation four-square, with the possession of the city. (21) And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, answerable unto the portions, it shall be for the prince: and the holy oblation and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof. (22) Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’S, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, it shall be for the prince.

COMMENTS

Just south of the tribal area of Judah was a tract 25,000 cubits square. Like the tribal areas this tract occupied the entire length of the land from east to west. This area was known as the offering or oblation (Ezekiel 48:8). Within the oblation was a smaller oblation or offering. This area measured 25,000 cubits east and west and 10,000 cubits from north to south. The sanctuary was situated in the midst of this inner oblation (Ezekiel 48:9-10). The smaller oblation was to be the possession of the faithful priests of the line of Zadok (Ezekiel 48:11). The larger oblation area was holy; but the smaller oblation within it was most holy (Ezekiel 48:12).

Another section of the larger oblation was set aside for the Levites. It was comparable in size to the area set aside for the priests, 25,000 by 10,000 cubits (Ezekiel 48:13). Scholars are not agreed as to whether this Levite area was north or south of the priestly area. The areas inhabited by the priests and Levites were holy, therefore could not be sold or exchanged by them. This area was called the first portion (reshith)[545] as well as the oblation.

[545] The priestly dues from the crops are called first fruit (reshith) in Deuteronomy 18:4. Hebrews migrash actually means common land perhaps for grazing cattle.

The city of Jerusalem was assigned the territory south of the priestly area within the oblation. This area measured 5,000 cubits north to south and, like the other sections of the oblation, 25,000 cubits east to west. This area contained the city proper, (a square of 4,500 cubits), open land about the city (250 cubits on all sides), and two tracts of arable land on either side of the city (10,000 by 5,000 cubits each; Ezekiel 48:15-17). These latter areas were to be cultivated by the inhabitants of the city. Regardless of tribal affiliation, every citizen of the city was expected to work that ground for the good of all (Ezekiel 48:19).

The entire oblation area with all of its subdivisions formed a square of 25,000 cubits (Ezekiel 48:20). This would be equivalent to about fifty square miles if the conventional cubit is intended, sixty-nine square miles if the longer cubit is intended.

On the east and west sides of the oblation was a large territory belonging to the prince. To state the matter differently, the territories of the priests, the Levites, the sanctuary and the city were situated between the two halves of the domain of the prince (Ezekiel 48:21-22).

Ezekiel 48:23-29

3. The five southern tribes (48:23-29)

TRANSLATION

(23) And as for the rest of the tribes: from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin, one portion. (24) And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon, one portion. (25) And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar, one portion. (26) And by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. (27) And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad, one portion. (28) And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, unto the great sea. (29) This is the land which you shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their several portions, (oracle of the Lord GOD).

COMMENTS

To the south of the oblation lay the territories of (1) Benjamin, (2) Simeon, (3) Issachar, (4) Zebulun, and (5) Gad. Benjamin received the favored position near the oblation because that tribe had descended from Jacob’s youngest son by Rachel, the beloved wife. Descendants of Gad, descendants of the son of the concubine Zilpah were farthest away from the holy portion. Except for Judah and Benjamin, Ezekiel’s tribal arrangement bears no resemblance to the original apportionment of the land in the days of Joshua (Ezekiel 48:23-29).

Ezekiel 48:30-35

4. The gates of the city (48:30-35)

TRANSLATION

(30) And these are the egresses of the city: On the north side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure; (31) and the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; the gate of Levi, one. (32) And at the east side four thousand and five hundred reeds, and three gates: even the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; the gate of Dan, one. (33) And at the south side four thousand and five hundred reeds by measure, and three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one. (34) At the west side four thousand and five hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. (35) It shall be eighteen thousand reeds round about: and the name of the city from that day shall be, Yahweh-shamma,

COMMENTS

The new Jerusalem as envisioned by Ezekiel had twelve gates, three on each side. These gates were named after the twelve tribes. The gates on the north and south are named after the sons of Leah:

On the North Side

On the South Side

Reuben gate

Simeon gate

Judah gate

Issachar gate

Levi gate

Zebulun gate

Two gates on the east of the city were named for the sons of Rachel, and the third was named for the son of her handmaid Bilhah. The gates on the west were named for the sons of handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah, These were:

On the East Side

On the West Side

Joseph gate

Gad gate

Benjamin gate

Asher gate

Dan gate

Naphtali gate

It should be noted in the enumeration of gates that Ephraim and Manasseh have been united under the designation Joseph. The Jerusalem of the future would receive a new name. She would be called Yahweh-shamma, Yahweh is there. God will never again depart from that holy city (Ezekiel 48:35).

As one reads this description of Ezekiel’s new Jerusalem, one cannot help but think of that new Jerusalem described by John in Revelation 21. It too had twelve gates, named after the twelve tribes of Israel. It also had twelve foundations which bore the names of the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:12-14). Like his prophetic predecessor, John foresaw the day when God would dwell with His people finally and forever (Revelation 21:3).