Book of Ezekiel bible study chapters 40 through 48

 

            Here is a bible study of the final nine chapters of the book of Ezekiel. These chapters are describing many visions Ezekiel had seeing a new city and the temple in it, giving exact measures and descriptions for the things in very exacting ways, and the Lord was with Him too in many of these visions are powerful. This is the conclusion to the book of Ezekiel. Here is a link to the bible study of the previous ten chapters of the book of Ezekiel, chapters 30 through 39

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In Ezekiel chapter 40 Ezekiel is brought in visions to a very high mountain and shown around a temple, and is told to describe all he sees in detail, the measurements and all are given, too, for the children of Israel

(Ezekiel 40:1)  In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me to the city.

 

(Ezekiel 40:2)  In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south.

 

(Ezekiel 40:3)  When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway.

 

(Ezekiel 40:4)  And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel."

 

(Ezekiel 40:5)  And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed.

 

(Ezekiel 40:6)  Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep.

 

(Ezekiel 40:7)  And the side rooms, one reed long and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed.

 

(Ezekiel 40:8)  Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, on the inside, one reed.

 

(Ezekiel 40:9)  Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end.

 

(Ezekiel 40:10)  And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate. The three were of the same size, and the jambs on either side were of the same size.

 

(Ezekiel 40:11)  Then he measured the width of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the length of the gateway, thirteen cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:12)  There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side. And the side rooms were six cubits on either side.

 

(Ezekiel 40:13)  Then he measured the gate from the ceiling of the one side room to the ceiling of the other, a breadth of twenty-five cubits; the openings faced each other.

 

(Ezekiel 40:14)  He measured also the vestibule, twenty cubits. And around the vestibule of the gateway was the court.

 

(Ezekiel 40:15)  From the front of the gate at the entrance to the front of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:16)  And the gateway had windows all around, narrowing inwards toward the side rooms and toward their jambs, and likewise the vestibule had windows all around inside, and on the jambs were palm trees.

 

(Ezekiel 40:17)  Then he brought me into the outer court. And behold, there were chambers and a pavement, all around the court. Thirty chambers faced the pavement.

 

(Ezekiel 40:18)  And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates. This was the lower pavement.

 

(Ezekiel 40:19)  Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits on the east side and on the north side.

 

(Ezekiel 40:20)  As for the gate that faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court, he measured its length and its breadth.

 

(Ezekiel 40:21)  Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:22)  And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate that faced toward the east. And by seven steps people would go up to it, and find its vestibule before them.

 

(Ezekiel 40:23)  And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:24)  And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south. And he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others.

 

(Ezekiel 40:25)  Both it and its vestibule had windows all around, like the windows of the others. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:26)  And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was before them, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side.

 

(Ezekiel 40:27)  And there was a gate on the south of the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:28)  Then he brought me to the inner court through the south gate, and he measured the south gate. It was of the same size as the others.

 

(Ezekiel 40:29)  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:30)  And there were vestibules all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad.

 

(Ezekiel 40:31)  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps.

 

(Ezekiel 40:32)  Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate. It was of the same size as the others.

 

(Ezekiel 40:33)  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and both it and its vestibule had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:34)  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

 

(Ezekiel 40:35)  Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it. It had the same size as the others.

 

(Ezekiel 40:36)  Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others, and it had windows all around. Its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 40:37)  Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, on either side, and its stairway had eight steps.

 

(Ezekiel 40:38)  There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, where the burnt offering was to be washed.

 

(Ezekiel 40:39)  And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered.

 

(Ezekiel 40:40)  And off to the side, on the outside as one goes up to the entrance of the north gate, were two tables; and off to the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables.

 

(Ezekiel 40:41)  Four tables were on either side of the gate, eight tables, on which to slaughter.

 

(Ezekiel 40:42)  And there were four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered.

 

(Ezekiel 40:43)  And hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened all around within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid.

 

(Ezekiel 40:44)  On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north.

 

(Ezekiel 40:45)  And he said to me, This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple,

 

(Ezekiel 40:46)  and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him.

 

(Ezekiel 40:47)  And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 40:48)  Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate were three cubits on either side.

 

(Ezekiel 40:49)  The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps. And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.

 

In chapter 41 the interior of the temple is shown and measured Ezekiel by the angel (Lord) in these continued visions

(Ezekiel 41:1)  Then he brought me to the nave and measured the jambs. On each side six cubits was the breadth of the jambs.

 

(Ezekiel 41:2)  And the breadth of the entrance was ten cubits, and the sidewalls of the entrance were five cubits on either side. And he measured the length of the nave, forty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 41:3)  Then he went into the inner room and measured the jambs of the entrance, two cubits; and the entrance, six cubits; and the sidewalls on either side of the entrance, seven cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 41:4)  And he measured the length of the room, twenty cubits, and its breadth, twenty cubits, across the nave. And he said to me, "This is the Most Holy Place."

 

(Ezekiel 41:5)  Then he measured the wall of the temple, six cubits thick, and the breadth of the side chambers, four cubits, all around the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 41:6)  And the side chambers were in three stories, one over another, thirty in each story. There were offsets all around the wall of the temple to serve as supports for the side chambers, so that they should not be supported by the wall of the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 41:7)  And it became broader as it wound upward to the side chambers, because the temple was enclosed upward all around the temple. Thus the temple had a broad area upward, and so one went up from the lowest story to the top story through the middle story.

 

(Ezekiel 41:8)  I saw also that the temple had a raised platform all around; the foundations of the side chambers measured a full reed of six long cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 41:9)  The thickness of the outer wall of the side chambers was five cubits. The free space between the side chambers of the temple and the

 

(Ezekiel 41:10)  other chambers was a breadth of twenty cubits all around the temple on every side.

 

(Ezekiel 41:11)  And the doors of the side chambers opened on the free space, one door toward the north, and another door toward the south. And the breadth of the free space was five cubits all around.

 

(Ezekiel 41:12)  The building that was facing the separate yard on the west side was seventy cubits broad, and the wall of the building was five cubits thick all around, and its length ninety cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 41:13)  Then he measured the temple, a hundred cubits long; and the yard and the building with its walls, a hundred cubits long;

 

(Ezekiel 41:14)  also the breadth of the east front of the temple and the yard, a hundred cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 41:15)  Then he measured the length of the building facing the yard that was at the back and its galleries on either side, a hundred cubits. The inside of the nave and the vestibules of the court,

 

(Ezekiel 41:16)  the thresholds and the narrow windows and the galleries all around the three of them, opposite the threshold, were paneled with wood all around, from the floor up to the windows (now the windows were covered),

 

(Ezekiel 41:17)  to the space above the door, even to the inner room, and on the outside. And on all the walls all around, inside and outside, was a measured pattern.

 

(Ezekiel 41:18)  It was carved of cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub. Every cherub had two faces:

 

(Ezekiel 41:19)  a human face toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side. They were carved on the whole temple all around.

 

(Ezekiel 41:20)  From the floor to above the door, cherubim and palm trees were carved; similarly the wall of the nave.

 

(Ezekiel 41:21)  The doorposts of the nave were squared, and in front of the Holy Place was something resembling

 

(Ezekiel 41:22)  an altar of wood, three cubits high, two cubits long, and two cubits broad. Its corners, its base, and its walls were of wood. He said to me, "This is the table that is before the LORD."

 

(Ezekiel 41:23)  The nave and the Holy Place had each a double door.

 

(Ezekiel 41:24)  The double doors had two leaves apiece, two swinging leaves for each door.

 

(Ezekiel 41:25)  And on the doors of the nave were carved cherubim and palm trees, such as were carved on the walls. And there was a canopy of wood in front of the vestibule outside.

 

(Ezekiel 41:26)  And there were narrow windows and palm trees on either side, on the sidewalls of the vestibule, the side chambers of the temple, and the canopies.

 

In chapter 42 of Ezekiel the process of description touring, and measurement led by another (the Lord )continues on the outer court

(Ezekiel 42:1)  Then he led me out into the outer court, toward the north, and he brought me to the chambers that were opposite the separate yard and opposite the building on the north.

 

(Ezekiel 42:2)  The length of the building whose door faced north was a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty cubits.

 

(Ezekiel 42:3)  Facing the twenty cubits that belonged to the inner court, and facing the pavement that belonged to the outer court, was gallery against gallery in three stories.

 

(Ezekiel 42:4)  And before the chambers was a passage inward, ten cubits wide and a hundred cubits long, and their doors were on the north.

 

(Ezekiel 42:5)  Now the upper chambers were narrower, for the galleries took more away from them than from the lower and middle chambers of the building.

 

(Ezekiel 42:6)  For they were in three stories, and they had no pillars like the pillars of the courts. Thus the upper chambers were set back from the ground more than the lower and the middle ones.

 

(Ezekiel 42:7)  And there was a wall outside parallel to the chambers, toward the outer court, opposite the chambers, fifty cubits long.

 

(Ezekiel 42:8)  For the chambers on the outer court were fifty cubits long, while those opposite the nave were a hundred cubits long.

 

(Ezekiel 42:9)  Below these chambers was an entrance on the east side, as one enters them from the outer court.

 

(Ezekiel 42:10)  In the thickness of the wall of the court, on the south also, opposite the yard and opposite the building, there were chambers

 

(Ezekiel 42:11)  with a passage in front of them. They were similar to the chambers on the north, of the same length and breadth, with the same exits and arrangements and doors,

 

(Ezekiel 42:12)  as were the entrances of the chambers on the south. There was an entrance at the beginning of the passage, the passage before the corresponding wall on the east as one enters them.

 

(Ezekiel 42:13)  Then he said to me, "The north chambers and the south chambers opposite the yard are the holy chambers, where the priests who approach the LORD shall eat the most holy offerings. There they shall put the most holy offerings--the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering--for the place is holy.

 

(Ezekiel 42:14)  When the priests enter the Holy Place, they shall not go out of it into the outer court without laying there the garments in which they minister, for these are holy. They shall put on other garments before they go near to that which is for the people."

 

(Ezekiel 42:15)  Now when he had finished measuring the interior of the temple area, he led me out by the gate that faced east, and measured the temple area all around.

 

(Ezekiel 42:16)  He measured the east side with the measuring reed, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around.

 

(Ezekiel 42:17)  He measured the north side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed all around.

 

(Ezekiel 42:18)  He measured the south side, 500 cubits by the measuring reed.

 

(Ezekiel 42:19)  Then he turned to the west side and measured, 500 cubits by the measuring reed.

 

(Ezekiel 42:20)  He measured it on the four sides. It had a wall around it, 500 cubits long and 500 cubits broad, to make a separation between the holy and the common.

 

In chapter 43 of Ezekiel God then shows Ezekiel the temple by more visions and tells Ezekiel all the details, and encourages the repentance of the Israelites for Israel for when they do they will learn more of this new planned temple. Rules for giving and making offerings and atonements are then given at the end

(Ezekiel 43:1)  Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east.

 

(Ezekiel 43:2)  And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.

 

(Ezekiel 43:3)  And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face.

 

(Ezekiel 43:4)  As the glory of the LORD entered the temple by the gate facing east,

 

(Ezekiel 43:5)  the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 43:6)  While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple,

 

(Ezekiel 43:7)  and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places,

 

(Ezekiel 43:8)  by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them. They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger.

 

(Ezekiel 43:9)  Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.

 

(Ezekiel 43:10)  "As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan.

 

(Ezekiel 43:11)  And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out.

 

(Ezekiel 43:12)  This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 43:13)  "These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar:

 

(Ezekiel 43:14)  from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit;

 

(Ezekiel 43:15)  and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns.

 

(Ezekiel 43:16)  The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.

 

(Ezekiel 43:17)  The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. The steps of the altar shall face east."

 

(Ezekiel 43:18)  And he said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it,

 

(Ezekiel 43:19)  you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord GOD, a bull from the herd for a sin offering.

 

(Ezekiel 43:20)  And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim all around. Thus you shall purify the altar and make atonement for it.

 

(Ezekiel 43:21)  You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area.

 

(Ezekiel 43:22)  And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull.

 

(Ezekiel 43:23)  When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.

 

(Ezekiel 43:24)  You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.

 

(Ezekiel 43:25)  For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided.

 

(Ezekiel 43:26)  Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it.

 

(Ezekiel 43:27)  And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD."

 

In Ezekiel chapter 44 Ezekiel is given new rules and such because the priests for the old times the priests did wrongly even evilly, various rules the rabbinical priests then must follow to be holy and not be rebellious or even idolatrous

(Ezekiel 44:1)  Then he brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, which faces east. And it was shut.

 

(Ezekiel 44:2)  And the LORD said to me, "This gate shall remain shut; it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it. Therefore it shall remain shut.

 

(Ezekiel 44:3)  Only the prince may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and shall go out by the same way."

 

(Ezekiel 44:4)  Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple, and I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple of the LORD. And I fell on my face.

 

(Ezekiel 44:5)  And the LORD said to me, "Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning all the statutes of the temple of the LORD and all its laws. And mark well the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary.

 

(Ezekiel 44:6)  And say to the rebellious house, to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: O house of Israel, enough of all your abominations,

 

(Ezekiel 44:7)  in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations.

 

(Ezekiel 44:8)  And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep my charge for you in my sanctuary.

 

(Ezekiel 44:9)  "Thus says the Lord GOD: No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary.

 

(Ezekiel 44:10)  But the Levites who went far from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment.

 

(Ezekiel 44:11)  They shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at the gates of the temple and ministering in the temple. They shall slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before the people, to minister to them.

 

(Ezekiel 44:12)  Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their punishment.

 

(Ezekiel 44:13)  They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed.

 

(Ezekiel 44:14)  Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.

 

(Ezekiel 44:15)  "But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray from me, shall come near to me to minister to me. And they shall stand before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the Lord GOD.

 

(Ezekiel 44:16)  They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall approach my table, to minister to me, and they shall keep my charge.

 

(Ezekiel 44:17)  When they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall wear linen garments. They shall have nothing of wool on them, while they minister at the gates of the inner court, and within.

 

(Ezekiel 44:18)  They shall have linen turbans on their heads, and linen undergarments around their waists. They shall not bind themselves with anything that causes sweat.

 

(Ezekiel 44:19)  And when they go out into the outer court to the people, they shall put off the garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers. And they shall put on other garments, lest they transmit holiness to the people with their garments.

 

(Ezekiel 44:20)  They shall not shave their heads or let their locks grow long; they shall surely trim the hair of their heads.

 

(Ezekiel 44:21)  No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.

 

(Ezekiel 44:22)  They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who is the widow of a priest.

 

(Ezekiel 44:23)  They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.

 

(Ezekiel 44:24)  In a dispute, they shall act as judges, and they shall judge it according to my judgments. They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all my appointed feasts, and they shall keep my Sabbaths holy.

 

(Ezekiel 44:25)  They shall not defile themselves by going near to a dead person. However, for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister they may defile themselves.

 

(Ezekiel 44:26)  After he has become clean, they shall count seven days for him.

 

(Ezev 44:27)  And on the day that he goes into the Holy Place, into the inner court, to minister in the Holy Place, he shall offer his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD.

 

(Ezekiel 44:28)  "This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession.

 

(Ezekiel 44:29)  They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs.

 

(Ezekiel 44:30)  And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, that a blessing may rest on your house.

 

(Ezekiel 44:31)  The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals.

 

In Ezekiel chapter 45 the exact measurements of land to be put away for the priests and the Holy Land are given, an encouragement is to put away evil for the people and more regulations are given for the priests

(Ezekiel 45:1)  "When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent.

 

(Ezekiel 45:2)  Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it.

 

(Ezekiel 45:3)  And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place.

 

(Ezekiel 45:4)  It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the LORD to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.

 

(Ezekiel 45:5)  Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.

 

(Ezekiel 45:6)  "Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 45:7)  "And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary

 

(Ezekiel 45:8)  of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.

 

(Ezekiel 45:9)  "Thus says the Lord GOD: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord GOD.

 

(Ezekiel 45:10)  "You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.

 

(Ezekiel 45:11)  The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure.

 

(Ezekiel 45:12)  The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.

 

(Ezekiel 45:13)  "This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley,

 

(Ezekiel 45:14)  and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths).

 

(Ezekiel 45:15)  And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord GOD.

 

(Ezekiel 45:16)  All the people of the land shall be obliged to give this offering to the prince in Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 45:17)  It shall be the prince's duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the feasts, the new moons, and the Sabbaths, all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 45:18)  "Thus says the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary.

 

(Ezekiel 45:19)  The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court.

 

(Ezekiel 45:20)  You shall do the same on the seventh day of the month for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple.

 

(Ezekiel 45:21)  "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten.

 

(Ezekiel 45:22)  On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering.

 

(Ezekiel 45:23)  And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the LORD seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering.

 

(Ezekiel 45:24)  And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil to each ephah.

 

(Ezekiel 45:25)  In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for the seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.

 

In Ezekiel chapter 46 procedures are given for making offerings of various types and the places are shown Ezekiel

(Ezekiel 46:1)  "Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that faces east shall be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

 

(Ezekiel 46:2)  The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.

 

(Ezekiel 46:3)  The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.

 

(Ezekiel 46:4)  The burnt offering that the prince offers to the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish.

 

(Ezekiel 46:5)  And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah.

 

(Ezekiel 46:6)  On the day of the new moon he shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish, and six lambs and a ram, which shall be without blemish.

 

(Ezekiel 46:7)  As a grain offering he shall provide an ephah with the bull and an ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah.

 

(Ezekiel 46:8)  When the prince enters, he shall enter by the vestibule of the gate, and he shall go out by the same way.

 

(Ezekiel 46:9)  "When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, he who enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he who enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate: no one shall return by way of the gate by which he entered, but each shall go out straight ahead.

 

(Ezekiel 46:10)  When they enter, the prince shall enter with them, and when they go out, he shall go out.

 

(Ezekiel 46:11)  "At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering with a young bull shall be an ephah, and with a ram an ephah, and with the lambs as much as one is able to give, together with a hin of oil to an ephah.

 

(Ezekiel 46:12)  When the prince provides a freewill offering, either a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall offer his burnt offering or his peace offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out the gate shall be shut.

 

(Ezekiel 46:13)  "You shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish for a burnt offering to the LORD daily; morning by morning you shall provide it.

 

(Ezekiel 46:14)  And you shall provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, one sixth of an ephah, and one third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour, as a grain offering to the LORD. This is a perpetual statute.

 

(Ezekiel 46:15)  Thus the lamb and the meal offering and the oil shall be provided, morning by morning, for a regular burnt offering.

 

(Ezekiel 46:16)  "Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince makes a gift to any of his sons as his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons. It is their property by inheritance.

 

(Ezekiel 46:17)  But if he makes a gift out of his inheritance to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty. Then it shall revert to the prince; surely it is his inheritance--it shall belong to his sons.

 

(Ezekiel 46:18)  The prince shall not take any of the inheritance of the people, thrusting them out of their property. He shall give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that none of my people shall be scattered from his property."

 

(Ezekiel 46:19)  Then he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, to the north row of the holy chambers for the priests, and behold, a place was there at the extreme western end of them.

 

(Ezekiel 46:20)  And he said to me, "This is the place where the priests shall boil the guilt offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, in order not to bring them out into the outer court and so transmit holiness to the people."

 

(Ezekiel 46:21)  Then he brought me out to the outer court and led me around to the four corners of the court. And behold, in each corner of the court there was another court--

 

(Ezekiel 46:22)  in the four corners of the court were small courts, forty cubits long and thirty broad; the four were of the same size.

 

(Ezekiel 46:23)  On the inside, around each of the four courts was a row of masonry, with hearths made at the bottom of the rows all around.

 

(Ezekiel 46:24)  Then he said to me, "These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple shall boil the sacrifices of the people."

 

In Ezekiel chapter 47 then a vision is given of a river and measurements, then instructions are given on the land and that it is to be divided equally among everyone as an inheritance

(Ezekiel 47:1)  Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar.

 

(Ezekiel 47:2)  Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side.

 

(Ezekiel 47:3)  Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep.

 

(Ezekiel 47:4)  Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep.

 

(Ezekiel 47:5)  Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.

 

(Ezekiel 47:6)  And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river.

 

(Ezekiel 47:7)  As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other.

 

(Ezekiel 47:8)  And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh.

 

(Ezekiel 47:9)  And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes.

 

(Ezekiel 47:10)  Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

 

(Ezekiel 47:11)  But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt.

 

(Ezekiel 47:12)  And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."

 

(Ezekiel 47:13)  Thus says the Lord GOD: "This is the boundary by which you shall divide the land for inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.

 

(Ezekiel 47:14)  And you shall divide equally what I swore to give to your fathers. This land shall fall to you as your inheritance.

 

(Ezekiel 47:15)  "This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side, from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, and on to Zedad,

 

(Ezekiel 47:16)  Berothah, Sibraim (which lies on the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.

 

(Ezekiel 47:17)  So the boundary shall run from the sea to Hazar-enan, which is on the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north. This shall be the north side.

 

(Ezekiel 47:18)  "On the east side, the boundary shall run between Hauran and Damascus; along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; to the eastern sea and as far as Tamar. This shall be the east side.

 

(Ezekiel 47:19)  "On the south side, it shall run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This shall be the south side.

 

(Ezekiel 47:20)  "On the west side, the Great Sea shall be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This shall be the west side.

 

(Ezekiel 47:21)  "So you shall divide this land among you according to the tribes of Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 47:22)  You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 47:23)  In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord GOD.

 

In Ezekiel chapter 48 are final instructions and measurements of a new Holy city with measurements for the various tribes, the Levites, and everything, all specified in detail. All the visions in this book could be end times related even the new Jerusalem (though that city mentioned in Revelation chapter 21 seems by the description there to be much bigger than the one spoken here in this chapter of Ezekiel- only God truly knows how things will be.)

(Ezekiel 48:1)  "These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:2)  Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:3)  Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:4)  Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:5)  Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:6)  Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:7)  Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:8)  "Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it.

 

(Ezekiel 48:9)  The portion that you shall set apart for the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth.

 

(Ezekiel 48:10)  These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst of it.

 

(Ezekiel 48:11)  This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did.

 

(Ezekiel 48:12)  And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites.

 

(Ezekiel 48:13)  And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000.

 

(Eze kiel48:14)  They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.

 

(Ezekiel 48:15)  "The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city,

 

(Ezekiel 48:16)  and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500.

 

(Ezekiel 48:17)  And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250.

 

(Ezekiel 48:18)  The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.

 

(Ezekiel 48:19)  And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it.

 

(Ezekiel 48:20)  The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.

 

(Ezekiel 48:21)  "What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst.

 

(Ezekiel 48:22)  It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.

 

(Ezekiel 48:23)  "As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:24)  Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:25)  Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:26)  Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:27)  Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion.

 

(Ezekiel 48:28)  And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea.

 

(Ezekiel 48:29)  This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord GOD.

 

(Ezekiel 48:30)  "These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure,

 

(Ezekiel 48:31)  three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.

 

(Ezekiel 48:32)  On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan.

 

(Ezekiel 48:33)  On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun.

 

(Ezekiel 48:34)  On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali.

 

(Ezekiel 48:35)  The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There."

 

Ezekiel is a prophet of the Lord during the captivity of Judah in Babylon who was blessed with many visions and a very key mission to the scattered to get them to repent and return to God. He was blessed with these visions and given a powerful message to give to the children of Israel/Judah of God’s love and desire for people to repent of their sins. The message then given by Ezekiel urging people to repent of and turn from their evil ways still rings very true today much, much later than the writing of this prophetic book , for then God will fulfill promises and also send His son Jesus to die for our sins, taking our own death for us, that we deserved to die, and doing it willingly and in love, wanting a love relationship restored and had with both Him and the Father in heaven. There is nothing like a relationship with God, either, nothing can ever be compared to it at all. I am now including a prayer which you can say and invite Jesus in your hearts to begin this wonderful love relationship or even to come back to it if you have drifted away. God is very merciful to those who repent and turn back to Him. Please pray this prayer with me

Dear God in heaven, I come to you in the name of Jesus. I acknowledge to You that I am a sinner, and I am sorry for my sins and the life that I have lived; I need your forgiveness. I believe that your only begotten Son Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on the cross at Calvary and died for my sins, and I am now willing to turn from my sin. You said in Your Holy Word, Romans 10:9 that if we confess Jesus as our Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead, we will be saved. Right now I confess Jesus as the Lord of my soul. With my heart, I believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. This very moment I accept Jesus Christ as my own personal Savior and according to His Word, right now I am saved. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace which has saved me from my sins. I thank you Jesus that your grace never leads to license, but rather it always leads to repentance. Therefore Lord Jesus transform my life so that I may bring glory and honor to you alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for dying for me and giving me eternal life.

Amen.

God bless you and yours