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Ezekiel 40

¹In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

²In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.

³And he brought me thither, and, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

⁴And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel.

⁵And behold a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by the cubit and an hand breadth: so he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

⁶Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof, and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad; and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.

⁷And every little chamber was one reed long, and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

⁸He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.

⁹Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.

¹⁰And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side; they three were of one measure: and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

¹¹And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

¹²The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side: and the little chambers were six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.

¹³He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another: the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.

¹⁴He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

¹⁵And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

¹⁶And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about, and likewise to the arches: and windows were round about inward: and upon each post were palm trees.

¹⁷Then brought he me into the outward court, and, lo, there were chambers, and a pavement made for the court round about: thirty chambers were upon the pavement.

¹⁸And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

¹⁹Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court without, an hundred cubits eastward and northward.

²⁰And the gate of the outward court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof, and the breadth thereof.

²¹And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were after the measure of the first gate: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

²²And their windows, and their arches, and their palm trees, were after the measure of the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps; and the arches thereof were before them.

²³And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.

²⁴After that he brought me toward the south, and behold a gate toward the south: and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.

²⁵And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about, like those windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

²⁶And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them: and it had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.

²⁷And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south: and he measured from gate to gate toward the south an hundred cubits.

²⁸And he brought me to the inner court by the south gate: and he measured the south gate according to these measures;

²⁹And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, according to these measures: and there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

³⁰And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

³¹And the arches thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof: and the going up to it had eight steps.

³²And he brought me into the inner court toward the east: and he measured the gate according to these measures.

³³And the little chambers thereof, and the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, were according to these measures: and there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about: it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

³⁴And the arches thereof were toward the outward court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

³⁵And he brought me to the north gate, and measured it according to these measures;

³⁶The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

³⁷And the posts thereof were toward the utter court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side, and on that side: and the going up to it had eight steps.

³⁸And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.

³⁹And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side, and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

⁴⁰And at the side without, as one goeth up to the entry of the north gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

⁴¹Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate; eight tables, whereupon they slew their sacrifices.

⁴²And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and an half long, and a cubit and an half broad, and one cubit high: whereupon also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

⁴³And within were hooks, an hand broad, fastened round about: and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

⁴⁴And without the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate; and their prospect was toward the south: one at the side of the east gate having the prospect toward the north.

⁴⁵And he said unto me, This chamber, whose prospect is toward the south, is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

⁴⁶And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar: these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, which come near to the LORD to minister unto him.

⁴⁷So he measured the court, an hundred cubits long, and an hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar that was before the house.

⁴⁸And he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side: and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side, and three cubits on that side.

⁴⁹The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps whereby they went up to it: and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.

on Ezekiel 40

The glorious future of Israel

for the future. But insight helps us better understand ourselves and those around us, and what we must do to become better men and women who do the will of God. In these chapters, Ezekiel exercises all three gifts as he exposes sin, analyzes history, and gives promises for the future. He deals with the sins of the Jewish people (chap. 33), the sins of their leaders (chap. 34), and the sins of the neighboring land of Edom (chap. 35).

Glory In The Temple

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 Plan of the New Temple

It was on April 28, 573 BC—the first day of Passover—that God gave Ezekiel the vision recorded in chapters 40—48. The Jews had been captives in Babylon for twenty-five years, and Passover would only remind them of their deliverance from Egypt. Passover was also the beginning of the religious year for Israel (Ex. 12:2), and the Lord chose that significant day to tell His servant about the glory that Israel would share when Messiah established His kingdom.

In a vision, Ezekiel visited the land of Israel, but unlike his previous “visits,” he didn’t see sinful people, a devastated land, or a defiled temple. This time he saw a new land and a glorious new temple. Just as Moses received the tabernacle plans while on a mountain, so Ezekiel received the plans for the temple while on a mountain. Moses wasn’t allowed to enter the Promised Land, but he saw it from a mountain (Deut. 34:1–4), and from a high mountain Ezekiel saw the land and its new tribal divisions.

It’s unlikely that the new temple would be on any other site than Mount Zion, but critics of the literal interpretation of this vision point out that Zion is not really a “very high mountain.” However, they may be overlooking the geographical changes that will occur in the land of Israel when the Lord returns to deliver His people and establish His kingdom (Zech. 14:4, 10). God promised that the Jews would worship and serve Him on a high mountain (Ezek. 20:40) and that Messiah would rule from a high mountain (17:22–23), and He will keep that promise. Both Isaiah and Micah speak of the high mountain (Isa. 2:1–2; Mic. 4:1). Zion will not only be elevated physically, but it will become the center of the worship of the Lord for the whole earth.

In his vision, the prophet saw a man colored like bronze, which suggests he was an angelic visitor, standing just outside the eastern gate of the temple. He held a linen cord and a reed (rod), both of which were used for taking measurements, the line for long distances (Ezek. 47:3) and the rod for shorter measurements. The rod was probably a little over ten feet long (40:5). To measure property is symbolic of claiming it for yourself. During those years when the Jewish remnant was trying to rebuild their temple, the prophet Zechariah saw a man measuring the temple, and this was a sign that the temple and the city would one day be restored (Zech. 2). God commanded the apostle John to measure the temple in Jerusalem before it was trampled down by the Gentiles (Rev. 11). This was evidence that no matter what happened, Jerusalem and the temple belonged to God and would one day be restored and sanctified.

The man would give Ezekiel a guided tour of the temple precincts, starting from the eastern gate and then returning there at the end of the tour. But before they walked up the seven steps that led through the eastern gate into the outer court, the guide gave Ezekiel some solemn counsel (Ezek. 40:4). The prophet was to pay close attention to what he saw and heard because he would have to tell everything he learned to the exiles in Babylon. Of course, through his book, he would tell generations of people what he learned from the Lord during his tour of the temple. This means that the facts recorded in these chapters contained truths that Jews in Ezekiel’s day needed to know and believe. These truths are needed today by both Jews and Gentiles, if we are to understand God’s plan for the future. If all God wanted to do was impress Ezekiel with “spiritual worship,” the angel would have told him so.

The outer court (vv. 5–27). The entire sacred area was 875 feet square, including a wall 10 feet high and 10 feet thick (v. 5). The temple area itself was on the west side of the enclosure, 175 feet from the walls, and the back part reached to the edge of the sacred area. Behind the temple were two kitchens for preparing sacrificial meals, plus a third building whose purpose was not explained. At each corner of the walls, there was a kitchen; in the center of the east, north, and south walls there was a gate; and on either side of these three gates, built right into the walls, were five special rooms for the worshippers, making a total of thirty rooms. They were used for eating the meals associated with the sacrifices. As you walked through any of the three outer gates, you passed six rooms where the temple guards were stationed, and each of the chambers was about 10 feet square and decorated with images of palm trees.

The outer court covers nearly 400,000 square feet, but it will not have a court of the Gentiles with the allimportant separating wall (Eph. 2:14), nor will it have a separate court of the women. In the millennial temple, our Lord’s desire will be fulfilled that His house be a house of prayer for men and women of all nations (Mark 11:17; Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11). The size of the outer court and the accessibility of so many rooms suggest that the area will be a place for fellowship, where people can meet and enjoy sacrificial meals together.

The inner court (40:28–47; 43:13–17). Walking straight across the outer court from any of the three gates in the outer wall, you would come to one of the three gates leading into the inner court. Eight steps will take you through the gate (40:31), past the rooms for guards, and into the inner court. The walls containing these inner gates will contain chambers for the priests and for the preparation of offerings. The inner court is 175 feet square and the altar of sacrifice is placed in the center of the court (43:13–17).

The brazen altar in the Old Testament tabernacle was a “box” made of acacia wood covered with bronze. It was seven and one-half feet square and four and onehalf feet high. About two and one-half feet from the top was a grating on which the sacrifices were laid and a fire was kept burning. The altar in Solomon’s temple was thirty feet square and fifteen feet high and was approached on all four sides by steps (2 Chron. 4:1; 1 Kings 8:64). The altar in the millennial temple will be about twenty feet tall, with a stairway on the east side. The altar will be tiered, with the base thirty-one and onehalf feet square, the next level twenty-eight feet square, the third twenty-four and one-half feet square, and the top level (the “altar hearth”) twenty-one feet square.

The sanctuary (40:48—43:12). Like the inner court where the altar will stand, the area containing the sanctuary will be 175 feet square. The portico leading to the sanctuary is quite elaborate with pillars on each side of the door. This reminds us of the two large pillars in Solomon’s temple that stood before the entrance to the Holy Place (1 Kings 7:15–22). The angelic guide showed Ezekiel the various rooms adjacent to the inner court and the temple proper, all of them set aside for the ministering priests (Ezek. 41:5—42:20).

Nothing is said about a veil between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies, but since the Messiah will be present with His people, the veil is not necessary. He wants His glory to be revealed to all. There is also no mention of the ark of the covenant or the mercy seat on which the blood was sprinkled on the annual day of Atonement. There is mention of a wooden altar or table that probably stood before the entrance to the Holy of Holies (41:21–22). Made completely of wood, it will stand about five and one-half feet high and be three and one-half feet square. Nothing could be burned on it, so perhaps it will be used to display the bread that formerly stood on the table in the tabernacle and the temple.

In the millennial temple, there is nothing said about a golden altar of incense or the seven-branched golden lampstand. The altar of incense symbolized the prayers of God’s people ascending to the Lord (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 8:3), but since the Lord is present with them, there is no need for symbolic prayer. As for the lampstand, which symbolized the light of God’s truth through the nation of Israel, the shekinah glory will be present in the temple of the Lord.

Ezekiel had seen the glory depart from the temple, but now he saw the glory return (Ezek. 43:1–12). His guide took him back to the eastern gate in the outer court, and when the prophet looked out, he saw the glory approaching from the east. Along with the sight of the glory came the sound of the Lord’s voice “like the noise [roar] of many waters” (v. 2; see 1:24; Rev. 1:15; 14:2; 19:6). The whole land of Israel was enlightened by the radiance of God’s glory, and Ezekiel fell to the ground as he did when he saw the glory throne at the beginning of his ministry (Ezek. 1:28; 3:23; 9:8; 11:13). Then the temple was filled with God’s glory, and the Spirit transported Ezekiel back into the inner court. When Moses dedicated the tabernacle (Ex. 40) and Solomon the temple (2 Chron. 5:11–14), the glory of God moved in, signifying that the Lord had accepted their worship and approved of their work.

In both the tabernacle and the temple, God’s glory was “enthroned” on the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies (Ex. 25:22; Ps. 80:1; 99:1), but the millennial temple will have no ark and no mercy seat. However, the temple will still be God’s throne (Ezek. 43:6–7) and the Messiah will reign as both King and Priest (Zech. 6:9–13). Today, Jesus Christ is enthroned in heaven as our “high priest after the order of Mechizedek” (Heb. 6:20; Ps. 110:1). It was the king-priest Melchizedek who met Abraham after the battle of the kings and blessed him with bread and wine (Gen. 14:17–24), and the spiritual significance of this event is explained in Hebrews 7. In Jewish history, prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed for their offices, but the offices were kept separate. Priests like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and John the Baptist were called to be prophets, but no priest would dare to take the throne. The one king who tried to serve as a priest was smitten with leprosy (2 Chron. 26:16–23).

The presence of God’s glory and God’s throne will so sanctify the temple that the people will approach the sanctuary with awe and not treat it like any other building, nor will they repeat their heinous sin of defiling the temple with their idols. God spoke to the prophet and told him to tell the Jewish people what he saw and heard so they would be ashamed of their past sins and turn from them. He must describe the glory of the temple in detail and write it down so they will get the message and want to obey the Lord. You find a similar admonition in Ezekiel 44:4–8 when Ezekiel was at the north gate. This passage reminds us that people who frequent “holy places” ought to be “holy people.” The Jewish remnant that returned to their land to rebuild the temple would need to take this message to heart, and we need to take it to heart today.

The altar and sacrifices (43:13–2; 45:13— 46:24). We have already dealt with the brazen altar and we must now consider the perplexing problem of the sacrifices. The Lord instructs the priests in how the altar should be dedicated by the offering of a series of sacrifices during the week of consecration (43:18–27). In the dedication of the tabernacle (Ex. 40:29) and Solomon’s temple (2 Chron. 7:1–10), sacrifices were offered and the blood applied to the altar.

When the millennial temple is discussed, the question is frequently asked, “Since Jesus has died for the sins of the world, fulfilled the law, and brought in the new covenant, why would believing Jews want to return to the old covenant? What need is there to go back to animal sacrifices when Jesus has made one perfect offering for all time?” This is one of the major arguments used by some students against taking Ezekiel 40—48 literally. But if we understand the role of the sacrifices under the old covenant, it will help us see their significance in the millennial temple.

The sacrifices mentioned in this section of Ezekiel are the burnt offering (40:38–39, 42; 43:18, 24, 27; 44:11; 45:15, 17, 23, 25; 46:2, 4, 12, 13, 15); the trespass or guilt offering (40:39; 42:13; 44:29; 46:20); the sin offering (40:39; 42:13; 43:19, 21, 22, 25; 44:27, 29; 45:17, 19, 22, 23, 25; 46:20); the peace or fellowship offering (43:27; 45:15, 17; 46:2, 12); the meal (grain) offering (42:13; 44:29; 45:15, 17, 24, 25; 46:5, 7, 11, 14, 15, 20); and the drink offering (45:17). (For the Mosaic regulations for these offerings, see Leviticus 1—7.)

The burnt offering speaks of total dedication to the Lord, “all on the altar” (Lev. 1:9; Rom. 12:1–2). The sin offering (Lev. 4; 6:21–30) and the tresspass or guilt offering (Lev. 5; 7:1–10) deal with the sinner’s offenses against God and people. The sin offering was brought by those who sinned through ignorance, for there was no sacrifice available for high-handed deliberate sin (Num. 15:30–36; Ps. 51:1, 11, 16–17). The trespass offering dealt with offenses for which some kind of restitution should be made. The offerer was required to restore the amount of the property plus a fine of about 20 percent of its value. Sin is not a cheap thing—nor is God’s forgiveness!

The peace or fellowship offering (Lev. 3; 7:11–38) was an expression of praise and thanksgiving or perhaps as the indication of the completion of a special vow to the Lord. Part of the meat from the sacrifice was given to the worshipper, who could cook it and enjoy a feast with family and friends. Except for weddings and other high occasions, the Jewish people rarely killed their animals just to have a meal. Meat was an occasional luxury. Thus the fellowship offering was an occasion for worshipping the Lord and enjoyment with His people. The grain or meal offering involved presenting sheaves, the roasted kernels of grain, fine flour, or various kinds of baked cakes. It was the acknowledgment that God is the source of the food that sustains life (1 Chron. 29:10–14). The drink offering was a portion of wine that was poured out along with another sacrifice. It symbolized life poured out wholly to the Lord (Phil. 2:17).

All of these offerings in some way pointed to Christ and His sacrifice of Himself for our sins (Heb. 10:1–18). God forgave the sins of the worshippers if they brought the sacrifice by faith and trusted the Lord, because the blood of animals can never remove the guilt of human sin (v. 4). God’s forgiveness was declared (Lev. 4:20, 26, 31, 35; 5:10, 13, 16, 18; 6:7), but only because of the work of Jesus Christ which was pictured by the sacrifice. Old Testament believers weren’t forgiven because animals died, but because they put their faith in the Lord (Heb. 11; Ps. 51:16–17; Hab. 2:4). Therefore, the use of animal sacrifices in the millennial temple no more minimizes or negates the finished work of Christ than these sacrifices did before Jesus died. It appears that the sacrifices will be offered in a memorial sense and as expressions of love and devotion to the Lord (Isa. 56:5–7; 60:7). They will also bring people together for fellowship and feasting to the glory of the Lord.

The temple will be a place of learning for both Jews and Gentiles (Isa. 2:1–3), and no doubt the worshippers will study the Old Testament law and learn more about Jesus. They will study the New Testament as well and see the deeper significance of the sacrifices and the feasts. The only “Bible” that the early church possessed was the Old Testament, and the Christians were able to lead sinners to faith in Christ without John 3: or “The Roman Road.” Of the seven feasts that the Jews celebrated (Lev. 23), it appears that only Passover (Ezek. 45:21–24) and Tabernacles (v. 25; Zech. 14:16–19) will be observed in the Kingdom Age. Passover speaks of the Lamb of God and the deliverance of the Jews from bondage in Egypt, and Tabernacles was a joyous harvest feast that anticipated the coming kingdom and reminded the Jews of their wilderness journeys. Ezekiel 44: indicates that the weekly Sabbath will also be observed.

Will the Lord’s Supper also be observed in the Kingdom Age? The words of Jesus after He instituted the Lord’s Supper seem to suggest so. “I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26: nasb; see Mark 14:25; Luke 22:18). If the saints in the church can remember Christ by breaking bread and drinking the cup, why can’t Jewish believers remember Him by bringing sacrifices? Neither remembrance has any atoning value.

The priests (40:44–49; 42:1–14; 43:19–27; 44:9–31). God’s desire was that the entire nation of Israel be “a kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6), but this was never fulfilled. Believers today are part of “a holy priesthood” and “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5, 9) through Jesus Christ their High Priest. In the millennial temple, the priests and Levites will minister to the people and to the Lord. There will be singers (Ezek. 40:44) to give a “sacrifice of praise” as well as priests to offer the sacrifices brought by the people. No high priest is mentioned because Jesus Christ, the King-Priest, is on the throne and reigning from the temple.

Three times we’re told that the descendants of Zadok will be the priests (v. 46; 43:19; 44:15). Zadok was related to Aaron through Aaron’s third son Eleazar (1 Chron. 6:1–8, 50–53) and served during David’s reign along with Abiathar (2 Sam. 8:17; 1 Chron. 15:11). However, Abiathar defected from David and joined the party that promoted Adonijah as David’s successor to the throne (1 Kings 1), and this cost him and his descendants the priesthood (2:26–27). This act fulfilled the prophecy given concerning Eli the high priest and his wicked sons (1 Sam. 2:27–36). The name Zadok means “righteous,” and in his book, the prophet Ezekiel emphasizes separation and holiness.

We have already seen that special chambers will be set aside in the temple for the use of the priests (Ezek. 40:44–46; 42:1–14). Some will be residences, while other rooms will be used for daily ministry, such as changing garments, preparing the sacrifices, and cooking the meat for the meals. (See vv. 13–14.) When the temple is dedicated, the priests will offer the sacrifices (43:18–27), just as the priests did when the tabernacle and the temple were dedicated (Num. 7:2; 2 Chron. 7:1–11).

The Lord will be very particular about the way the sanctuary is used (Ezek. 44:5–9). He warns the future priests that they must teach the people to make a difference between the clean and the unclean (v. 23; see 22:26) and not to permit outsiders to defile the temple. Many of the Mosaic regulations for the priests are summarized in 44:10–31. The Levites will be disciplined because they didn’t stand for what was holy and right in the years before the captivity. They will be allowed to kill the sacrifices, assist the worshippers, serve as gatekeepers, and help in the temple, but they will not have priestly privileges. The priests will be permitted to offer the sacrifices and draw near to table (44:16), which may refer to the altar or to the table standing before the Holy of Holies (41:22).

The Lord will also be particular about the conduct of the priests (44:17–31). He tells them what to wear (vv. 17–19), how to groom themselves (v. 20), not to drink wine while ministering (v. 21), who not to marry (v. 22), and at all times to show and teach the difference between clean and unclean (v. 23), even if a relative dies (vv. 25–27). They will act as judges and see to it that the law is honored and obeyed (v. 24). Like the Old Testament priests, the kingdom priests will not have an inheritance of land but will have the Lord as their inheritance and be able to live from the temple offerings (vv. 28–31; see Num. 18:20; Deut. 18:1–2; Josh. 13:33).