Questions

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 46:1–15

This week, we shall complete the study of the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and begin the study of the book of Haggai.

The instructions to worship in the Millennium Temple continue:

46:1-8—The Sabbaths and the New Moons

(1) The gate to be shut on six working days (vv. 1-2):

a. Is it the inner or outer East Gate? (see 44:1)

b. When will it be opened? (v. 1)

c. Who presides at these celebrations?

d. Who presents the offerings?

(2) The sacrifices (v. 4-8)—The people are to worship at the entrance of that gateway (i.e. in the outer court area):

a. What animals are to be offered as sacrifice for the Sabbath? (v. 4)

b. What grain offerings are to accompany these sacrifices? (v. 5: an ephah is about 22 liters and a hin is about 4 liters)

c. What does the Law of Moses stipulate in this respect? (Num. 28:9)

d. What animals are to be offered for the New Moon? (v. 6)

e. What grain offerings are to accompany these sacrifices? (v. 7)

f. What does the Law of Moses stipulate in this respect? (Num. 28:11-14)

g. Which entrance and exit (into and out of the inner court) should the prince use? (v. 8)

h. What might the spiritual significance of these regulations concerning Sabbaths and New Moons?

(3) Gate-use regulations of the outer court (vv. 9-10)

a. What is the rule imposed for the people for the use of the outer gates? (v. 9)

b. Why is it necessary to make this regulation during the Millennium?

c. What about the prince? (v. 10; see Note below)

d. What might be the purpose of this regulation?

46:11-12—Other Festivals and Appointed Feasts

(4) What are the only festivals and appointed feasts mentioned in the Millennium? (45:18-25)

(5) What instructions are being repeated here in v. 11?

(6) These festivals and feasts are in addition to the Sabbaths and New Moons. Consider the following questions:

a. Which (inner) gate should the prince use? (v. 12)

b. What will happen after the prince leaves?

c. What might be the spiritual significance of this regulation?

46:13-15—Daily Offerings

(7) What animal sacrifice is to be used for daily offering? (v. 13)

(8) What does the accompanying grain offering consist of? (v. 14)

(9) Why does the Lord specify that the “presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance?

(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

“The difference between the princes and the people, with regard to the visiting of the temple upon Sabbath and new moons, consisted chiefly in this, the prince could enter by the outer east gate and proceed as far as the posts of the middle (inner) gate, and there worship upon the threshold of the gate, whereas the people were only allowed to come into the outer court through the outer north and south gates, and could only proceed to the front of the middle (inner) gate…the entrance and exit of the prince in the midst of the people (v. 10) apply to the great yearly feasts alone.”
(K&D, 430-1)

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 46:16–24

46:16-18—The Prince and His Inheritance

(1) What will happen to the gift of land to the prince’s sons out of his inheritance? (v. 16; see item P on the chart of Ezekiel 45:1-12, Year 5 Week 41 Day 286)

(2) What will happen to the gift of land to his servants out of his inheritance? (v. 17)

(3) What prohibition is made against the prince in v.18?

(4) How does such a provision (which is in tune with the provisions of the Year of Jubilee in Lev. 25) serve to prevent perpetual poverty?

(5) What is the message to Ezekiel’s immediate audience, the exiles?

46:19-24—The Place for Cooking in the Temple — the resumption of the temple tour (as if to tie up loose ends)

(6) Where are the sacred rooms that are shown to Ezekiel? (v. 19; see item F on the chart of the Temple Compound in Ezekiel 40:1-27, Year 5 Week 40 Day 278)

(7) What is the purpose of providing such a place for the priests to cook and bake (for their own consumption)? (v. 20; see Note below)

(8) What additional rooms are shown to Ezekiel? (vv. 21-23; see item K on the chart)

(9) What are they used for? (v. 24)

(10) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

The avoidance of consecrating the people is for the benefit of the people, lest they get consecrated by mistake and face death because of not keeping the laws of the consecrated. It also points to God’s emphasis on the difference between the consecrated and the common which highlights the return to complete holiness of the temple.

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 47:1–12

Upon the end of the tour of the new temple and the receiving of the new code of law concerning the worship to be rendered to God in it, Ezekiel is now shown a most spectacular sight — a life-giving stream of river flowing out of the temple.

47:1-7—The Vision Itself

(1) Irrespective of what v. 1 really means (and scholars try very hard to determine what the “right side” really means—the NIV translates it as the “south side”):

a. Where does the angelic messenger lead Ezekiel to look at this spectacle? (v. 2a)

b. Where does the water start flowing out from the temple? (v. 2b)

(2) The temple is sitting on a mountain and thus water flows downward from it (vv. 3-5)

a. Stage 1: How deep is the water being measured and how long is the stream? (v. 3)

b. Stage 2: How long and deep is the water now? (v. 4a)

c. Stage 3: How long and deep is the water now? (v. 4b)

d. Stage 4: How long and deep is the water now? (v. 5)

(3) Then what does the messenger ask Ezekiel and why? (v. 6)

(4) When he is led to the bank of the river, what does Ezekiel see? (v. 7)

47:8-12—The Narration by the Angelic Messenger

(5) Where does this river eventually lead to? (v. 8; the “sea” to the east is obviously the Dead Sea)

(6) Transformation of the Dead Sea (vv. 8b-11)

a. What will happen to the salty water which has been the feature of the Dead Sea since ancient times? (v. 8b)

b. What will happen to the Dead Sea which originally could not support any life form? (vv. 9-10)

c. Can salt still be gathered or harvested from it? (v. 11)

(7) Trees along its banks (v.12)

a. What kinds of trees will grow along its banks?

b. What are the fruits for?

c. What function do the leaves of the tree yield?

d. What does the messenger attribute such a phenomenon to?

(8) How has the spiritual reality of this vision been fulfilled in Jesus Christ? (Jn. 7:37-39)

(9) Please turn to Revelation 22:1-2 where the Apostle John sees in his vision also a river in the New Jerusalem.

a. What is the river called?

b. Where does it originate from?

c. What kind of tree stands on each side of the river?

d. How often do the trees of life produce fruits?

e. By definition, what should be the function of the fruits of the tree of life?

f. What function do the leaves of the tree of life yield?

(10) What are the main differences between the two visions?

(11) What then is the main message of the vision of Ezekiel?

(12) What is the main message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 47:13–23

After the vision of the Living Water that flows from the sanctuary, Ezekiel is commanded to divide the land for the 12 tribes of Israel who have returned:

(1) At the time of this prophecy:

a. What has happened to Israel as a whole?

b. How do the people feel about their situation? (see 37:11)

c. What does the vision of the Living Water mean to them?

d. What does this division of land signify to them?

(2) Why does Joseph receive two portions? (Gen. 48:5; 1 Chr. 5:1 and Jos. 16:4)

(3) Under the previous division instructed by Moses (Num. 34:13)...

a. ...what was the basis used for the division?

b. What is the basis used for this division? (v. 14a)

c. What does this signify?

(4) How important is it to the Lord that the land is now divided (in this Millennial period) to the people of Israel? (v. 14b)

(5) The boundaries of the land to be divided (vv. 15-20; see chart at the end of Ezekiel 45:1-12, Year 5 Week 41 Day 286)

a. The northern border (vv. 15-17; see Note below):

1. It is worth noting that “Only twice in Israel’s history did the political borders of Israel extend as far north as Lebo-Hamath: under David (1 Ki. 8:1-12, 65) and under Jeroboam II (2 Ki. 14:25)” (NICOT, 715-6). What then does the inclusion of Lebo Hamath in the northern boundary signify?

b. The eastern border (v. 18; see the more defined eastern border in Numbers 34:10-12). The following is worth-noting:

1. The eastern border begins naturally where the northern boundary has left off—the border between Mount Hauran and Damascus;
2. The southern limit is fixed at Tamar which is some 20 miles southwest of the Dead Sea;
3. The former Transjordan regions occupied by the two-and-a-half tribes are excluded—presumably never recognized as part the Promised Land. Some scholars opine that lands beyond the “Holy Land” are considered unclean: What do you think?

c. The southern border (v. 19)

1. It is basically the same as the more detailed boundary described in Numbers 34:3-5.

d. The western border (v. 20)

1. It is also basically the same as that described by Moses in Numbers 34:6

(6) Land for the aliens (vv. 21-23)—In a complete breakaway from the land allotment by Moses, resident aliens are given the same right of land-ownership:

a. What does this change signify?

b. How does this reflect the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 56:3-8?

c. How is this spiritual reality realized in the gospel of Jesus Christ? (Gal. 3:26-29)

(7) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

It is important to note that “none of the places named in this list can be identified with certainty” (NICOT, 712), but it is generally believed to be in line with the northern border described by Moses in Numbers 34:7-9.

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 48:1–20; 23–29

After giving the general principles concerning land division, now Ezekiel is being given precise locations for each of the twelve tribes:

(1) The seven tribes north of the “Sacred Portion” (vv. 1-7) and the five tribes south of it (vv. 23-29)—Refer to the chart of Ezekiel 45:1-12, Year 5 Week 41 Day 286 which depicts the map of this new division and consider these questions:

a. What are the main differences you might be able to observe when compared to the historical map of Israel (at the back of your Bible)? See if you can name three, including the size of each portion, the location of each tribe and the location of the sanctuary.

b. What might be the theological significance of this new map?

(2) The “Sacred Portion” (vv. 8-20)—It is basically a repetition of the instructions in 45:1-6 with these exceptions:

a. The additional comment and instruction concerning the portion for the Levites (v. 14)

1. What is the instruction given to the Levites?
2. What is the reason behind this instruction? (note that what the NIV translates as “the best of the land” is “first fruit” in Hebrew)
3. How may we apply this truth today?

b. The more detailed explanation concerning the land for the city (vv. 15-20; see Note below)

1. What is the size of this portion of land? (v. 15a)
2. Where is the city center, its size and its usage? (vv. 15b-16)
3. What is the city center surrounded by? (v. 17)
4. Then, basically 10,000 cubits is left on each side, i.e. the east and the west (vv. 18-20)

1. What will this remaining portion be used for?

2. Why is it set aside from the “sacred portion”?

(3) What is the message to you today and how may you apply it to your life?

Note:

The use of the city’s land has not been spelled out too clearly by the messenger, but it appears that the city center is for the (temporary) housing of worshippers who come to worship at the temple, and the surrounding pasture land, perhaps, is meant for the sustenance of these worshippers. The larger tract of land to its east and west is clearly said for farming by the workers from the city who are likely more permanent manual laborers from various tribes of Israel who have come to serve the worshippers.

Scriptural Reflection
Ezekiel 48:21–22; 30–35

Now, we have come to the close of the vision of the land division and the close of the book of Ezekiel:

48:21-22—The Portion for the Prince

The land allotted to the prince has already been briefly addressed in 45:7 and is not given a more detailed description:

(1) What are its two eastern and western limits? (v. 21; see map in Ezekiel 45:1-12, Year 5 Week 41 Day 286 and note below)

(2) What is at its center? (v. 21)

(3) What might be the significance of its location?

48:30-35—The City’s Gates—It is helpful to read this section together with Revelation 21:12-14 .

(4) What are common things among the two passages?

(5) What are the main differences?

(6) While the city in Revelation is the heavenly city of New Jerusalem, what is your response to  the following?

a. What does the naming of both gates with names of the twelve tribes indicate?

b. What does the name of the foundations of the city with the names of the twelve apostles of the lamb indicate?

c. While Ezekiel’s city is not the eventual heavenly New Jerusalem, what does this vision of the gates of the city indicate?

d. What is the significance of naming this city, “THE LORD IS THERE”?

(7) Pause for a moment and reflect on the entire book of Ezekiel:

a. Name three things that are peculiar about this book.

b. List three main messages to you and how you may apply it to your life.

Note:

The portion allotted to the prince does not appear to be a large area. According to Keil’s calculation, the width of that part of Canaan is only 11 miles of which ten miles have been assigned to the “sacred portion”, leaving only ½ mile on each side for the prince, with a breadth of roughly 3 1/3 miles, like the rest of the tribes (see K&D, 450).