Bible Commentaries
Ezekiel 44

Verses 1-3

Eze 44:1-3

Ezekiel 44:1-3

Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 2 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

Duties of the Prince and the Priests. Ezekiel 44:1-31.

Vision of the Prince and the Gate. Ezekiel 44:1-3.

Ezekiel’s angel-guide brought him back to the eastern gate of the inner court of the sanctuary; the gate was shut and Ezekiel heard God declare that it was to remain shut. This raises several questions: why was it shut; when was it shut; who is the Prince of the gate? The answer to the first question is suggested in the text. Jehovah returned to the temple through the east gate just as he had departed through the east gate (Ezekiel 10:1-22; Ezekiel 11:22-25). When God returned he promised never again to depart the city or temple (Ezekiel 37:28; cf. Ezekiel 14:11; Ezekiel 34:30-31; Ezekiel 37:24-28). Closing the east gate was a way of providing an affirming sign of his intention to remain in permanent residence. Ezekiel was not told when the gate was closed, but it is evident that it was closed when he saw it.

Today the eastern gate, also called the Golden Gate, is a significant holy site for three religions -- Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Jews believe that when the Messiah comes he will open the east gate and enter the temple mount first and then enter the city of Jerusalem. Moslems believe that the gate is the site of final judgment and call it the gate of heaven and hell; they believe the final judgment of humanity will take place before the eastern gate and the redeemed are those who will be allowed to enter the temple mount; all others will be outcasts. The gate was open in Jesus’ day and perhaps he did use it on Palm Sunday as tradition suggests.

In 70 A.D. the temple, along with the eastern gate and the entire city of Jerusalem were destroyed. The gate that is there now is a seventh century A.D. structure, perhaps modified by the Crusaders and partially destroyed by the Ottoman Turks, who rebuilt the gate in the early sixteenth century. The Turkish governor of Jerusalem closed and walled up the gate in A.D. 1530 and it has remained closed since then.

Who is the Prince of the gate?

Some suggest that it is the Messiah. This is inconsistent with the fact that the prince made a sin offering for himself (cf. Ezekiel 45:22), which Christ did not need (Hebrews 4:15). In addition, this leader had natural children (Ezekiel 46:16). Some suggest that it is David resurrected and serving in the temple during the millennium. This is generally based on Ezekiel 34:23-24 and Ezekiel 37:24; however, these passages have been shown to apply to Christ, not David. Still others suggest that it is a special representative of the Messiah who will serve as an administrator of the temple, temple area, and sacred district.

The word translated prince usually was associated with royalty, but prior to the monarchy it was a general term that meant a "leader." The use of this term to describe the office of the eastern gate seems consistent with the view that he is to be a leader of the people; his identity must remain unknown. The physical posture of sitting "in the gate" is also a familiar term of leadership in a municipality. Lot was "sitting in the gateway" of Sodom when the angel messengers came to warn him of the destruction of the city (Genesis 19:1-19). This was an indication that he was a city official.

The city gates functioned as a town council, chamber of commerce, city court, and welcome wagon all in one. Amos decried the lack of justice in the gate and indicted the city fathers because they were corrupt and could be bribed into perverting justice. Thus the rich were able to secure whatever injustice they could buy, and the poor were disadvantaged (Amos 5:10; Amos 5:12; Amos 5:15; Proverbs 22:22).

The prince of Ezekiel’s temple is a godly representative of the messianic King. He will sit in the gate, commune with God, and serve as a guarantor of mercy, justice, and righteousness. He will be the perfect spiritual-administrative leader of the restored kingdom. The east gate is assigned to the priests (Ezekiel 44:1-3). The priesthood is reproved and condemned for their sins (Ezekiel 44:4-14). Next are given specific regulations for cleansing and purifying the priesthood (Ezekiel 44:15-31).

Verses 4-14

Eze 44:4-14

Ezekiel 44:4-14

Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. 5 And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary. 6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations, 7 In that ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations. 8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves. 9 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. 10 And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them. 12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.

Return to the Sanctuary. Ezekiel 44:4-14.

Since the east gate was shut, Ezekiel’s guide brought him into the temple court through the north gate. As he stood in front of the temple, the glory of God filled the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:4). The return of the glory of God was the sign of the restoration of God’s presence that Ezekiel saw withdrawn from the temple in chs. 10 and 11. Ezekiel’s reaction was predictable -- he fell on this face at the sight of the glory of God out of fear and reverence (Ezekiel 44:4; cf. Ezekiel 1:28; Ezekiel 43:1-5). Once again Ezekiel was instructed to pay close heed to what he saw and heard (Ezekiel 44:5; cf. Ezekiel 40:4). The message condemned bringing foreigners into the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:7-8; cf. Nehemiah 13:4-9), giving unauthorized individuals charge over holy things, and desecrating the temple with unholy foreign worship (Ezekiel 44:7-8).

Rabbinic tradition says the "detestable practices" consisted of the employment of priests who were unqualified to minister before the Lord because of their evil deeds. It may also refer to the use of prisoners of war to perform menial tasks in the temple. They are not directly attributed to the Levites, however, whose sin is said to have been the idolatry and encouraging Israel in idolatry (Ezekiel 44:10; Ezekiel 44:12). Because of their idolatry the Levites were confirmed in the subordinate status given them in Numbers. There they were to serve at the tabernacle (Numbers 16:8-11), guard the tabernacle from defilement (Numbers 1:53; Numbers 3:10), and redeem the firstborn (Numbers 3:12-13; Numbers 3:40-43; Numbers 8:14-19 --Ezekiel mentions all but the last). In spite of their sin they were allowed to have a part in the temple service, but only as ministers in charge of the temple, in contrast to the priests who would be in charge of the altar (Ezekiel 44:10; cf. Ezekiel 40:45-46). They were to guard the temple gates and slaughter the animals of sacrifice, but they could not minister as priests or "come near," meaning they could not go into the inner court (Ezekiel 44:11-12).

For their faithfulness the priesthood is entrusted to the Zadokites, who are enjoined to protect the holiness of the temple (Ezekiel 44:15). The lesson in all of this is that God has a place of service for everyone. Though the Levites were disqualified from leadership roles, they still had a significant part in the service of the temple. Past moral failure does not exclude one from worship or service in the house of God. It may, however, preempt one from serving in leadership roles where a moral failure would present a compromised testimony (Ezekiel 44:11-14).

Verses 15-31

Eze 44:15-31

Ezekiel 44:15-31

But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. 17 And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within. 18 They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with anything that causeth sweat. 19 And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments. 20 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 21 Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. 23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 25 And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves. 26 And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days. 27 And in the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD. 28 And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 And the first of all the first-fruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest’s: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house. 31 The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

The Zadokite Priesthood. Ezekiel 44:15-31.

The line of Zadok is to be the only legitimate line of priests allowed to minister in the inner court and in the sanctuary before the Lord (Ezekiel 44:15). Several regulations for the Zadokite priesthood are described in Ezekiel 44:17-21. Their clothing would be only linen, a symbol of purity in contrast to wool which was an animal by-product and therefore unclean. Their hair must neither be too long nor totally shaved (Ezekiel 44:20). They could drink no wine in the inner court (Ezekiel 44:21). The could marry but only a virgin or the widow of another priest (Ezekiel 44:22). Ezekiel 44:23 breaks into the flow to give the reasons for these regulations -- They are to teach the people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, teaching by example as well as precept.

The priests were to provide the kind of unblemished example that would encourage Israel to worship God and attract unbelieving nations to serve him. The priests will serve as judges in civil disputes, and see that all the laws of God were observed, especially the feast days and the Sabbath (Ezekiel 44:24). The priests will refrain from touching the dead.

Any priest who violated the law must remain unclean for seven days. When he returned to duty, he had to offer a sin offering for himself (Ezekiel 44:27). God was the only legitimate possession of the priests. All food, clothing, and needs will come from the temple service (Ezekiel 44:28-29). They received the first fruits of the harvest and the best of each household (Ezekiel 44:30). The priests will eat nothing that died a natural death or that had been killed by a wild animal (Ezekiel 44:31).

Those who would fill leadership roles must make whatever personal sacrifices necessary to maintain their moral purity. Both the character and conduct of those in leadership roles should demonstrate an obedience of and conformity to the physical, moral, and spiritual principles of the Word of God.

Rules Concerning the Temple and Worship

Ezekiel 44:1 to Ezekiel 46:24

Open It

1. Would you prefer a world where faithfulness and hard work are rewarded or a world where good fortune is dispensed at random? Why?

2. Why do you think society dictates that we dress up for certain occasions and not others?

Explore It

3. What special instructions did the guide in Ezekiel’s vision have for the east gate to the sanctuary? (Ezekiel 44:1-3)

4. How did Ezekiel react when he saw the glory of the Lord? (Ezekiel 44:4)

5. To what instructions did God tell Ezekiel to pay particular attention, in order to correct God’s people? (Ezekiel 44:5-6)

6. What practice would God not tolerate in the restored temple? (Ezekiel 44:7-9)

7. Why were the Levites to be limited only to certain duties within the temple? (Ezekiel 44:10-14)

8. What group did God designate to serve as priests in the inner court? (Ezekiel 44:15-16)

9. What were some ways in which the priests were expected to maintain a greater degree of purity in their life than were the common people? (Ezekiel 44:17-27)

10. What provisions did God make for the sustenance of the priests? (Ezekiel 44:28-31)

11. How did God redraw the map of Jerusalem to provide for the temple, the priests, and the prince in an equitable way? (Ezekiel 45:1-8)

12. What abuses of power by prior rulers did God want to eliminate in the restored kingdom? (Ezekiel 45:9-12)

13. What sorts of offerings did God specify for special days on the Jewish calendar? (Ezekiel 45:13-25)

14. How was the opening and closing of certain gates to be a part of the temple ceremonies? (Ezekiel 46:1-12)

15. What were the required daily offerings? (Ezekiel 46:13-15)

16. How did God’s laws on inheritance insure separateness for His people and justice among them? (Ezekiel 46:16-18)

17. What practical provision was made in the temple since most of the sacrifices were followed by feasts? (Ezekiel 46:19-24)

Get It

18. What indications do you see in these three chapters of God’s expectations of those in leadership?

19. Where in these chapters do you see God’s concern for the "little person"?

20. How does God’s concern for accurate units of measure demonstrate His concern about our life?

21. Why is it significant that the land set aside for worship was to be at the center of the restored city?

22. Why do you think that purity is so often stressed in situations where human beings approach God?

23. How did the temple rituals help the people understand what was important in life?

24. How was everyday life brought into the worship of God in the temple?

25. For whom do you think the feasts were designed primarily?

26. How should believers conduct themselves with regard to some of the questionable practices of commerce or society?

Apply It

27. What "weights and measures" or "rules and regulations" of daily life should you resolve before God to observe with greater faithfulness?

28. How can you give worship more of a central place in your life?