Ezekiel 47

Ezekiel has described the return of the Jewish people to their land, the cleansing of the nation, and the restoring of the land to productivity and security. But for the picture to be complete, he must give them assurance that their beloved temple and its ministries will be restored, for the presence of God’s glory in the temple was what set Israel apart from all the nations (Rom. 9:4). In the last nine chapters of his book, Ezekiel will describe in detail the new temple and its ministry, the new boundaries of the tribes in the land, and the return of the glory of God to Israel.

The Interpretation of the New Temple For centuries, devout and scholarly Bible students, both Jewish and Christian, have struggled to interpret the vision described in these chapters, but they have by no means reached a satisfactory agreement. At least four views have emerged from these studies, and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses.

Ezekiel described “ideal worship” for God’s people. Rejecting the idea that a literal temple will be built in Israel, this view spiritualizes the vision God gave Ezekiel and seeks to apply it to the church today. The temple represents the glorious presence of God among His people, and the gates speak of the open access the people have to the Lord. The river from the temple pictures the flowing forth of God’s blessing from the church to the world, getting deeper and deeper and turning the desert into a garden. The arguments for this view center on the finished work of Christ and the end of the old covenant. Because of the death, resurrection, and present ministry of Christ our High Priest, we no longer need earthly temples, priests, or sacrifices. The new covenant of grace has superseded the old covenant of law, and to go back to the old covenant is to reject the messages of Galatians and Hebrews. This interpretation is presented primarily by those of the amillennial school who also spiritualize the Old Testament promises to Israel. They believe there is no future for Israel as a nation, and this includes the establishing of an earthly kingdom.

But this approach has its problems, not the least of which is the presence of so much detail in these chapters. If the Lord wanted Ezekiel simply to describe “ideal spiritual worship” for the church today, He didn’t have to give us the measurements of the walls, gates, courts, and buildings. The prophet’s use of temple imagery is no problem to us because he was a priest and the Jewish people understood this language; but why all the details? Do we ignore them or seek to understand and apply them? If so, what do they mean for spiritual worship today? Furthermore, why would Ezekiel leave out so many important elements from the Old Testament pattern of worship? Ezekiel’s temple has no ark, golden altar of incense, lampstand, table of bread, veil, or high priest. He includes only three of the five Levitical sacrifices, and two of the seven annual Jewish feasts, and yet none of these omissions is explained. (I will have more to say about the old covenant issue later in this chapter.)

When we start to spiritualize the Scriptures, every interpreter does that which is right in his own eyes and the results are confusing. We can’t deny that the temple is used as an image of both the church universal (Eph. 2:19–22) and the local church (1 Cor. 3:9ff.), but similarity of image is no proof that what the Bible says about a Jewish temple should be applied to the church. The idea that the river from the sanctuary pictures the worldwide blessings of the gospel (or the church) is a bit hard to accept in the light of church history. Instead of the pure river of blessing flowing out from the church to the world, it appears that the dirty river of sin is flowing from the world into the church!

However, the “spiritual” approach does emphasize an important point. The Jewish people had defiled their temple and the glory of the Lord had departed, and Israel needed to return to holy worship and abandon their routine of empty religious activity. In fact, it’s a lesson the church needs to recover today. Too much so-called worship is only a demonstration of man-centered religious activity that fails to bring glory to the Lord.

Ezekiel gave the plans for the post-captivity temple. If this is true, then the Jewish remnant didn’t know it when they returned to their land, because they built the second temple according to the plans Moses gave in Exodus. The old men in the group wept, not because the second temple wasn’t like Ezekiel’s vision but because it was so unlike the magnificent temple Solomon built (Ezra 3:10–13). Perhaps the vision of the new temple may have encouraged the Jewish remnant in their difficult work, but that wasn’t the reason God gave Ezekiel this glorious vision. The Jewish remnant had Joshua the high priest with them, but Ezekiel said nothing about a high priest, and nowhere is it recorded that the glory of the Lord filled the second temple. The “second temple” interpretation falls short of dealing honestly with the biblical text.

Ezekiel’s vision anticipated John’s vision in Revelation 21. Yes, there are some similarities. Both men were taken to high mountains (Ezek. 40:10), and both saw the glorious city of God. In both visions, a man was measuring the city (vv. 15–17), and both visions describe a life-giving river (Rev. 22:1). Ezekiel and John both emphasized the exclusion of defilement from the city (21:27). However, John’s vision says nothing about worship; in fact, he states clearly that there will be no temple in the city he described (v. 22). Ezekiel’s temple is designed in a square and is made from ordinary materials (stone abounds in Israel), while John’s city appears to be a cube (v. 16) and is made out of precious metals and jewels. The heavenly city will be comprised of believers from the whole world (vv. 24–27), while Ezekiel’s temple is emphatically Jewish, including the offering of Levitical sacrifices. While this doesn’t exclude believing Gentiles, it does mark the worship as Jewish. It doesn’t appear that God had John’s vision in mind when He showed Ezekiel the temple.

Ezekiel described a temple to be used during the millennial reign of Christ. This interpretation takes the prophetic Scriptures at face value and tries not to spiritualize them. Ezekiel described the design of a literal temple that will be the center for worship during the kingdom of Christ, a worship based on the Levitical order in the Mosaic law. According to Ezekiel 43:6–12, the Lord gave all the details in order to focus the Jews’ attention on God’s holiness and thus bring them to repentance. The Lord wanted them to treat His temple with respect and not like any other building in the neighborhood, and He especially wanted them to abandon their idolatry.

To this present day, Israel has had four different sanctuaries: the tabernacle of Moses, the temple of Solomon, the second temple after the captivity, and Herod’s temple in the time of Jesus. God’s glory left the tabernacle (1 Sam. 4:19–22), which was eventually replaced by Solomon’s temple. Before the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, Ezekiel saw God’s glory leave the temple (Ezek. 9:3; 10:4; 11:22–23). There is no evidence that the glory of God ever resided in either the second temple or Herod’s temple. The Son of God ministered in Herod’s temple and in that sense brought back the glory (John 1:14; Hag. 2:7). But Jesus abandoned the temple in a manner similar to the way the glory left Solomon’s temple: He went to the Mount of Olives (Ezek. 11:22–23; Matt. 23:38; 24:3). When at His return, Jesus brings the glory to the millennial temple, He will come from the Mount of Olives (Ezek. 43:1–5; Acts 1:9–12; Zech. 14:4). The Jews have not had a temple since Herod’s temple was destroyed by the Romans in AD 70.

There are two temples in Israel’s future: the tribulation temple, which will be taken over by the Antichrist (Dan. 9:24, 26–27; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:1–4; Rev. 11:1; 15:5), and the millennial temple that Ezekiel described in these chapters. But Ezekiel isn’t the only prophet who said there would be a holy temple during the Kingdom Age. You find a kingdom temple and kingdom worship mentioned in Isaiah 2:1–5, 60:7, 13; Jeremiah 33:18; Joel 3:18; Mic. 4:2; Haggai 2:7–9; and Zechariah 6:12–15, 14:16, 20–21. Ezekiel 37:24–28 records God’s promise to His people that He would put His sanctuary among them. “My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed, I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (v. 27 nkjv).

God gave the plans for the tabernacle to Moses, a prophet (Ex. 25:8–9, 40), and the plans for Solomon’s temple to David, a king (2 Chron. 28:11–19). Now He reveals the plans for the glorious millennial temple to Ezekiel, who was a priest as well as a prophet. These plans had a direct bearing on the people to whom Ezekiel was ministering, discouraged Jews who in the Babylonian siege had lost their land, their Holy City, their temple, and many of their loved ones. In these closing chapters of his prophecy, Ezekiel assured them that God would keep His covenant promises and one day dwell again with His chosen people.

As we study these difficult chapters, we will discover other reasons why the literal interpretation of this vision yields the best understanding and application of the word that God gave Ezekiel.

The closing chapters of Ezekiel’s prophecy explain how the land of Israel will be divided during the Kingdom Age, with a section assigned to the Lord, another to the prince, and then one to each of the twelve tribes. The first assignments of the Promised Land were made after the conquest of Canaan, with Joshua, Eleazar the high priest, and the heads of the twelve tribes casting lots before the Lord to determine the boundaries (Num. 26:52–56; 34:16–29; Josh. 13–22). During his reign, King Solomon divided the land into twelve “royal districts,” and required each district to provide food for the king and his household for one month (1 Kings 4:7–19), but no actual boundary lines were changed. However, the plan wasn’t popular with the people (1 Kings 12:1–19).

The Lord’s portion (45:1–6; 48:8–9). Between the areas assigned to Judah and Benjamin will be a section reserved for the Lord and the prince. The Lord’s section will be 8. miles square, which equals about 55 square miles. The area will be divided horizontally into three sections, each section 8. miles long. The top section (3. miles wide) will be the sacred area for the temple and the priests. The priests will not be permitted to own land but will be allowed to live there near the sanctuary (44:28). Like the Old Testament priests, the Lord will be the portion of their inheritance (Num. 18:20; Deut. 10:9; Josh. 13:14, 33). The center area will be the same size as the top area and will belong to the Levites. During the old dispensation, the Levites were allowed to own land but were scattered throughout Israel so they could minister to the people (Josh. 21). Genesis 49:5–7; 34:25–31 suggests that this scattering was also a form of discipline.

The bottom area (1. miles wide) will be assigned to “the city” and the free land around it. The city is first mentioned in Ezekiel 40: and is probably Jerusalem with a new name “Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is there” (48:35). The area assigned to the city will belong to the whole house of Israel (45:6) and will be at the center of the lower strip of land. The “common lands” on either side of that section will be available to all the people of Israel (48:15) and will also be used for growing food to feed the inhabitants of the city. The suggestion seems to be that a “staff” of people from the tribes will work this land so that the “staff” in the city can take care of civil affairs and host visitors who come to worship at the temple.

The prince’s portion (45:7—46:18; 44:1–3; 48:21–22). Without explaining who he is, Ezekiel introduces “the prince” in 44:1–3 and mentions him at least sixteen times in the rest of the book. He is not to be confused with “David … their prince” (34:24; 37:24–25), whom some see as the Messiah, the heir to David’s throne (Luke 1:30–32); nor should he be confused with the Messiah. The prince will be a married man and will have sons who can inherit his land (Ezek. 46:16–18), which is located on either side of the central sacred area. Nowhere is he identified as a member of the royal family, a priest, or a Levite. We aren’t even told what tribe he will come from. Apparently he will be a civil ruler, a vice-regent under the authority of the Messiah, and yet most of his functions will be religious.

He will offer sacrifices for himself (44:3; 45:22)—something Messiah would not have to do— and will receive gifts from the people to be used for the worship of the Lord (45:13–16). The prince will provide sacrifices for special occasions (vv. 17–25), including the dedication of the sanctuary, the Sabbaths, Passover, Tabernacles, and at new moon. On the Sabbath and at new moon, he will present his offerings before the people are permitted to worship (46:1–8). During the week, the eastern gate into the inner court will be closed, but it will be opened for the prince on the Sabbath and at new moon, or whenever he wants to present a voluntary burnt offering or peace offering (v. 12). He will be allowed to come as far as the eastern gate but not to the altar in the inner court. He will present his sacrifices, watch the priests prepare them, and when they are offered, will prostrate himself before the Lord (v. 2). After the sacrifice, he will leave the sanctuary just as he came in. When the people come in to worship on the special feast days, they must exit by the gate opposite the one by which they entered (v. 9). The prince will not isolate himself from the people on the feast days but be a part of the crowd (v. 10). The prince must see to it that the daily burnt offerings are presented on the altar, just as they were in the tabernacle and temple (Ex. 29:42; Num. 28:6).

The Year of Jubilee will be celebrated during the millennial age (48:16–18). This was the fiftieth year during which the land was not farmed, slaves were set free, and property reverted back to the original owners (see Lev. 25). During the one thousand–year reign of Christ, there will be time for twenty such celebrations. Ezekiel made the special point that during the Kingdom Age, the prince would not oppress the people or confiscate their land as the rulers did during the last days of the kingdom of Judah. The people of Israel failed to obey the laws relating to the Sabbatic Year and the Year of Jubilee, so God had to send them into exile so that His land could enjoy the rest it needed (2 Chron. 36:14–21; Lev. 26:14ff.; Jer. 25:9–12; 27:6–8; 29:10).

The river of life (Ezek. 47:1–12). After seeing the kitchens in the temple (46:19–24), the prophet noticed a trickle of water issuing from the Holy of Holies, past the altar on the south side. The guide led him out the north gate (the eastern gate was closed) and around the temple to the eastern gate where he saw the water coming out from under the building on the south side of the gate. (See Ps. 36:8; 46:4.) The guide measured the depth of the water four times and the river became so deep you could swim in it. Ezekiel learned that the river flowed to the Dead Sea where it brought new life to that forsaken area. The water from the temple would heal the Dead Sea as well as the rivers, and the water creatures would multiply wherever the waters came. The trees on the banks of the river would provide food each month and the leaves would be used for healing. Life comes from the temple of God, not from a palace or a government building!

Jerusalem is the only great city of the ancient world that wasn’t located on a river, and in the east, a dependable water supply is essential for life and for defense. During the Kingdom Age, Jerusalem shall have a river such as no other nation ever had. But is this a literal river or merely a sacred symbol of the life-giving power of the Lord? Perhaps it is both. Joel 3: and Zechariah 13: and 14:8–9 speak of this river as a literal entity, so the river both illustrates and accomplishes the life-giving work of God. Jesus saw such a river as a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39), and the apostle John saw a similar scene in the heavenly city of God (Rev. 22:1–2). A river played an important role in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:10–14).

The portions for the tribes (Ezek. 47:13–48:7, 23–29). In the millennial kingdom, the boundaries of the tribes will be altogether different from what they were before Israel fell to Assyria and Judah to Babylon. The boundaries of the land (47:13–23) will be about what Moses described in Numbers 34, but each tribe’s allotment will cut straight across the land. From north to south, the tribes will be Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben, and Judah. Next is the land assigned to the Lord, the prince, and the city, followed by the tribes of Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. It appears that all of the tribes will have access to the Mediterranean Sea except Zebulun and Gad. Judah, the royal tribe (Gen. 49:10) will be located adjacent to the temple area from which Jesus will reign. The tribes descended from sons born of Jacob’s wives’ maids, Zilpah and Bilhah—Dan, Asher, Naphtali, and Gad—are located the farthest north and south. We aren’t told how much land each tribe is given, but only where they will be located. There will be peace among the tribes as they submit to the kingship of their Messiah, Jesus Christ.

The portion for the city (Ezek. 48:30–35). This will be a “kingdom Jerusalem,” a new city for the new nation and the new era. Jerusalem’s gates have always been significant (Neh. 3; Ps. 48; 87:2; 122:2), but now the city will have twelve gates, each one named after one of Jacob’s twelve sons. Instead of “Ephraim” and “Manasseh” (two gates), there will be “Joseph” (one gate), and Levi will have a gate. Any Gentile coming to the city to learn about the Lord will have to enter the city through one of these gates and be reminded that “salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). The city will be about 1. miles square. These gates, of course, remind us of the gates to the Holy City that John described in Revelation 22:10–13, 21.

But the most important thing about the new city will be the presence of the Lord among His united people (Ezek. 35:10). The new name will be “Jehovah Shammah—the Lord is there.” This is one of seven compound names of Jehovah found in the Old Testament: Jehovah Jireh—“the Lord will provide” (Gen. 22:13–14); Jehovah Rapha—“the Lord who heals” (Ex. 15:26); Jehovah Shalom—“the Lord our peace” (Judg. 6:24); Jehovah Tsidkenu—“the Lord our righteousness” (Jer. 23:6); Jehovah Shammah—“the Lord is present” (Ezek. 48:35); Jehovah Nissi—“the Lord our banner” (Ex. 17:8–15); and Jehovah Ra’ah— “the Lord our shepherd” (Ps. 23:1).

The Meaning of the New Temple In examining all the information Ezekiel recorded for us, we must be careful not to lose the major messages among these important details. There is a sense in which the messages of the entire book are wrapped up in one way or another in chapters 40 to 48. The spiritual lessons are as meaningful to us today as they were to Israel in Ezekiel’s day, or as they will be to the Jewish people in Messiah’s day.

Separation from sin. Ezekiel was a priest as well as a prophet, and it was the responsibility of the priests to teach the people the difference between the holy and the unholy and the clean and the unclean (Lev. 10:10–11; Ezek. 44:23). Israel drifted into sin because they began to erase these differences and became like the pagan nations around them. The temple in Jerusalem, with its special courts and holy chambers, reminded the people that God put a difference between the holy and the profane. For people to “call evil, good, and good, evil, [and] put darkness for light, and light for darkness” (Isa. 5:20) is to violate the basic principle of holy living. (See Ezek. 40:5; 42:14–20; 43:7.)

Worship. The temple was a place of worship, but the heart of the worshipper was far more important that his or her gifts. The Jews in the southern kingdom of Judah had defiled the holy temple of God and dared to worship Jehovah along with the idols of the nations around them! God’s people don’t decide how they are going to worship the Lord; they simple obey what He has told them in His Word.

Fulfillment. One of the purposes of the millennial kingdom is that God might fulfill His promises to His people, promises He couldn’t fulfill because of their rebellion and unbelief. In His grace and mercy, God gave Israel a wonderful land, a perfect law, and a glorious Lord. They defiled the land by their terrible crimes; they disobeyed the law by adopting pagan practices; and they defied their Lord and tempted Him by resisting His calls to repentance. But during the kingdom, Israel will trust the Lord, obey His Word, worship in His temple as they should, and bring delight to the Lord who will rule from David’s throne.

But there’s a further fulfillment, for the Kingdom Age will “wrap up” all the previous ages in God’s revelation of Himself and His purposes. The land will be like the Garden of Eden (36:35), complete with a river of life and trees of life. The promises made to Abraham will be fulfilled and his descendants will possess and enjoy their land. The law of Moses will be obeyed from the heart, and the Lord will be worshipped and glorified. The Messiah that Israel rejected at His first coming will be received and honored and will reign over them (43:6–7). God will fulfill every kingdom promise found in the pages of the prophets!

God’s glory and God’s name. If the book of Ezekiel teaches us anything, it teaches us that we must honor God’s name and magnify His glory. The glory of God departed from Israel because they defiled the temple. The glory of God returned to the new temple because it was holy and a place where God could dwell. “They shall know that I am the Lord” is a statement found at least sixty times in Ezekiel’s book. While God’s glory doesn’t dwell in our church buildings, God can be glorified or disgraced by what we do in those buildings we have dedicated to Him. As His people, we must be reverent and honor His name.

D A N I E LThe sovereign rule of God. The first vision God gave Ezekiel was that of His glorious throne, moving quickly here and there so that His angelic creatures could accomplish His purposes in the world. Today, the church of Jesus Christ is left in this world not just to pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” but to help accomplish that will in the power of the Holy Spirit. God is still on the throne and Jesus Christ has “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). Need we ask for more?