Day 254 – Reading – EZEKIEL 46 – 48

Read the Scriptures.  Meditate on what the prophet is saying.

EZEKIEL 46.

New/old rules for worship and offerings are covered here. The priest will offer the sacrifices and grain offering to the LORD as always, but the prince will have a part too (such as supplying some of the offerings). He shall enter the vestibule (inner court) in front of the Temple, do his thing, and leave by the same way. All the others who come to worship will enter one gate and leave by another. 

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Ezekiel 47.

Ezekiel, in his vision, is now brought to the door of the temple. He sees water leaking from below the threshold, south of the altar. (???)  Ezekiel is led out of the NORTH gate and is walked around the outside of the Temple compound to the SOUTH side.  There, flowing eastward, he sees the trickling water. 

The measuring man measures out 1,000 cubits (approx. 1,500 feet), and the water is “ankle deep.”  Another 1,000 cubits, and the water flowing out is now “knee deep.”  And 1,000 cubits more, and the water is “waist-deep.” After 1,000 more cubits, it was a river he could not walk though and deep enough to swim in. (Can you picture that?)

Then amazing words from the measuring man, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah (ravine), and enters the sea (Dead Sea): when the water flows into the sea, the water will become FRESH! And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be many fish!  And fishermen will cast nets! (But there will be marshes for salt.) Fruit trees will grow there!   The fruit will be for food, and the leaves for healing!  WOW!

Then the man gives the boundaries of the Millennial Israel.  Damascus, the East side of the Sea, the Brook of Egypt, and the Great Sea (Mediterranean).   See the map below.

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Ezekiel 48.

A Map of how the tribal lands will be divided during the Millennial Kingdom. 

Seven of the tribes will be located in the north, followed by the “holy portion” in the middle with the Temple.  Finally, the five remaining tribes will have their land in the south.

On the walls of the CITY in the middle (not the Temple compound), there will be three gates facing north with the names of 3 tribes (Reuben, Judah, and Levi). 

On the east side of the city, the three gates are named Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan.

The three south-facing gates of the city will be named Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun.

And on the west side of the city, the gates are named Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.

NOTE:  All the unconditional promises that God had made to Israel in 1) the Abrahamic Covenant; 2) the Priestly Covenant, 3) the Davidic Covenant, and 4) the New Covenant have here been fulfilled

The departed glory has returned, and God is dwelling again in the midst of His people.  And the name of THIS city, from that time on, shall be YHWH Shammah, “The LORD is there.”  

Amen!

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(And then, the New Jerusalem descending from heaven, also with twelve gates with the tribes’ names. But that final city will have NO Temple, because the LORD GOD and the LAMB are the temple. See Revelation 21:10-20.)