Examining Book of Ezekiel 4
Mike Ervin

Examining Book of Ezekiel 4

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Examining the Book of Ezekiel 4 Text

Examining the Book of Ezekiel 4 Text

Examining the Book of Ezekiel 4

The Outline for Week 4

After All of These Condemnations - We began the Move into the Restoration – the Last Large Part of Ezekiel.

Also Complicated and, at Times, Highly Visionary, But More Encouraging as the Lord Offers Restoration!

The Literary Structure

And as a reminder of the literary structure of Ezekiel, after the first three chapters of visionary experiences of Ezekiel, we encountered Ezekiel chapters 4 thru 24, which, while still including visionary experiences, tended to focus heavily on the sins and “detestable” practices of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

And then in chapters 25-32 continued with condemnations of foreign nations surrounding Israel.

And then, beginning in chapter 34 of Ezekiel’s 48 chapters chapters we saw a decided shift in tone in week 3, as the Lord began focusing on the sins of the  “Shepherds” (leaders) for neglecting and exploiting the “Sheep” (people).

The Shepherds were more concerned with their own well being than the welfare of the flock.

Chapters 40 thru 48 are all about a fantastic vision of the New Temple and the New Jerusalem and the new Land of Israel.

Filled with incredible descriptions of all the measurements in the new temple – an extensive description of the temple practices – and an extensive allotment of all the land for the tribes.

And because these 9 chapters are long and complex we have no possibility of reading all of them.

So, I will be doing a lot of summarizing for you this week!

And because these 9 chapters are long and complex we have no possibility of reading all of them.

So, I will be doing a lot of summarizing for you this week!

So today we will begin with a look at this complex and highly visionary view that Ezekiel is given by the Lord of the new (second or maybe third) temple.

It is a long explanation taking three full long chapters so it would be impossible to read it word for word – we will begin with a overall summary to help you understand.

A Summary of the New Temple

In a vision, Ezekiel is brought to Israel and sees a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a measuring rod, standing in a gateway (40:1-3). The man proceeds to measure the east gateway of the outer court (40:6-16), the outer court itself (40:17-19), the north and south gateways (40:20-27), and the inner court with its gateways, alcoves, and portico (40:28-49).

The man then measures the temple sanctuary and side rooms (41:1-11). He measures the building at the west end of the temple area (41:12), the temple itself (41:13-15a), and the interior features like ornamental cherubim and palm trees carved on the walls (41:15b-26).

Throughout these chapters, very precise measurements are given for the various gates, courts, chambers and decorative elements. The overall impression is of a temple complex laid out in a highly symmetrical and orderly fashion, all according to the divine plan revealed to Ezekiel. The vision conveys a future hope of restoration for the exiled people of Israel, with a rebuilt temple at the heart of a renewed relationship with God.

So – this is a comprehensive summary of these first three chapters we will be examining today in our Examining the Book of Ezekiel.

But we are now going to read some of the scripture directly so that you do not miss the complexity and preciseness of the language.

So – get ready for some of the actual visionary scripture!

We will begin at the beginning of chapter 40. And then we will move through all three of these chapters – but skipping some of the text so we can finish everything today!

Reading Chapter 40

40  1 In the beginning of the twenty-fifth year of our exile, on the tenth day of the month, exactly fourteen years after the city was struck down, on that very day, the Lord’s power was on me, and he took me there. 2 In God’s visions, he brought me to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain, where there was a city structure to the south.

 3 When he brought me there, I saw a man standing in the gate. He appeared to be bronze, and he had a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4 The man spoke to me, “Human one, look and listen well, and take seriously everything I show you, because you were brought here so that these things could be revealed to you. Describe everything you see to the house of Israel.”

5 Now there was an outer wall that went all the way around the temple compound. The measuring rod in the man’s hand was ten and a half feet. When he measured the wall’s height and width it was ten and a half feet high and ten and a half feet wide.

6 He entered the gate facing east. He went up its steps, and he measured the plaza at the gate. It was ten and a half feet wide: the plaza was ten and a half feet wide. 7 The rooms were ten and a half feet long and ten and a half feet wide, with a space of seven and a half feet between them. The plaza next to the porch at the gate opposite the temple was ten and a half feet.

 8 He measured the porch of the gate opposite the temple: it was ten and a half feet. 9 Then he measured the porch of the gate: it was twelve feet, and its arches were three feet. The porch of the gate was opposite the temple. 10 Inside the east gate, there were three rooms on each side. Each was the same size, and the arches on each side were the same size also.

 8 He measured the porch of the gate opposite the temple: it was ten and a half feet. 9 Then he measured the porch of the gate: it was twelve feet, and its arches were three feet. The porch of the gate was opposite the temple. 10 Inside the east gate, there were three rooms on each side. Each was the same size, and the arches on each side were the same size also.

11 Then he measured the width of the gate opening, which was fifteen feet, and the gate’s length, which was nineteen and a half feet. 12 A border running along the front of the rooms on each side was eighteen inches wide, and each of the rooms was nine feet square. 13 He measured the gate through the room openings that faced each other. From the outer ceiling edge of one room to the outer ceiling edge of the other, the gate was thirty-seven and a half feet wide.

14 Next he made out the perimeter of the hallway, defined by the arches inside the gate: it was ninety feet. 15 It was seventy-five feet from the front of the outer gate to the front of the inner porch of the gate. 16 Inside the gate, all the rooms and their arches had closed windows; there were also niches inside the porch all the way around. The arches were decorated with palm trees.

And it continues!  This is the first 16 verses of chapter 40. There are 49 verses in this chapter. And every one of them are filled with this level of detail.

So let’s move onto chapter 41.

Reading Chapter 41

41  1 He brought me to the main hall, and he measured the arches. They were nine feet deep on both sides, so that was also the depth of the tent. 2 The entrance was fifteen feet wide, and the facades on either side of the entrance were seven and a half feet. When he measured its length, it was sixty feet, and its width was thirty feet. 3 Then he went into the inner room, and he measured the arches on both sides of the entrance; they were each three feet. The entrance was nine feet wide, and its depth was ten and a half feet.

And there are another 24 long verses in Chapter 41.

And there is another long chapter (42) that is entitled the chambers and promenades which goes on and on.

I promise that you will not be subjected to that chapter at all.

Reading Chapter 43

But we come to an important new vision in Chapter 43! In my bible it is entitled “ The Return of the Divine Glory”

You may recall in Chapter 11 that the Lord decided to depart the temple because of its detestable practices and move off to a nearby mountain.

But now, near the end of the book Ezekiel experiences (in another vision) the return of the Lord’s glory.

43 1 Then he led me to the east gate, 2 where the glory of Israel’s God was coming in from the east. Its sound was like the sound of a mighty flood, and the earth was lit up with his glory. 3 What appeared when I looked was like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and also like what I saw at the Chebar River, and I fell on my face. 4 Then the Lord’s glory came into the temple by way of the east gate.

 5 A wind picked me up and brought me to the inner courtyard, and there the Lord’s glory filled the temple. 6 A man was standing next to me, but the voice that I heard came from inside the temple. 7 He said to me, Human one, this is the place for my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, with their disloyalties and with their kings’ corpses at the shrines.

8 When they set their plazas with mine and their doorposts next to mine, the wall was between us. They defiled my holy name with their detestable practices, so I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them remove their disloyalties and their kings’ corpses from me, and I will dwell among them forever.

10 You, human one, describe the temple to the house of Israel. Let them be humiliated because of their guilt when they think about its design. 11 When they feel humiliated by all that they have done, make known to them the shape of the temple and its adornment, its exits and its entrances, its entire plan and all of its regulations. Write them down in their sight so that they may observe all of its entire plan and all its regulations and perform them.

Reading Chapter 44

In chapter 44 we encounter what is sometimes called the distribution of the Holy Portion as an inheritance. It is directed to how the available land area of Israel will be utilized among the tribes, how sacrificial offerings and gifts will be distributed, what festivals will be celebrated.

44  1 He brought me back to the outer sanctuary gate that faces east. It was closed. 2 The Lord said to me, This gate remains closed. It should not be opened. No one should come in through it because the Lord, Israel’s God, has entered through it. It will always remain closed.

And this early part of Chapter 44 is followed instructions on who is allowed to enter or serve in the sanctuary.

He discusses Foreigners, Levites, and Zadokites.

Let’s read what the Lord says about each.

4 Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. I looked, and suddenly the Lord’s glory filled the Lord’s temple, and I fell on my face. 5 Then the Lord said to me: Human one, pay close attention! Use your eyes and ears and listen to all that I say to you concerning the regulations of the Lord’s temple and all its instructions. Pay close attention to the access to the temple through all the sanctuary portals.

 6 Speak to the rebels, to the house of Israel, The Lord God proclaims: Enough of your detestable practices, house of Israel! 7 You made my temple unclean because you brought into my sanctuary foreigners who were physically and spiritually uncircumcised. When you offered my food of fat and blood to me, you broke my covenant with all your detestable practices.

9 The Lord God proclaims: Foreigners who are spiritually and physically uncircumcised must not enter my sanctuary; that is, all foreigners among the Israelites. 10 But the Levites, who went far from me when Israel went astray, who went astray from me after their idols, will also bear their guilt.

11 They will keep charge in my sanctuary, and they will oversee the temple gates and keep charge of the temple. They will slaughter the entirely burned offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they will stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols, they brought about the downfall of the house of Israel. For that reason, I made a solemn pledge against them - this is what the Lord God says - and they will bear their guilt.

13 They won’t approach me to officiate for me as priests or approach any of my holy things or the most holy place. Though they will bear their humiliation and the consequences of their detestable practices, 14 I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, all its work, and all that is done in it.

15 As for the priests of the levitical family of Zadok who did keep charge of my sanctuary when the Israelites strayed away from me, they will draw near to me to serve me. They will stand in my presence to present fat and blood to me. This is what the Lord God says. 16 They will come into my sanctuary, and they will approach my table to minister to me. They will keep my charge.

17 When they come through the gates to the inner courtyard, they will wear linen garments. They won’t wear any wool when they minister at the gates of the inner courtyard or in the temple. 18 They will have linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They won’t wear anything that makes them sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer courtyard to the people, they will remove the garments in which they were ministering. They will lay them aside in the holy chambers and wear other clothing. They must not transfer holiness to the people through their clothing.

 20 They must neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they will trim the hair on their heads. 21 None of the priests should drink wine when they come into the inner courtyard. 22 They must not marry widows or divorced women, but only Israelite virgins. Priests may, however, marry the widows of other priests. 23 They must teach my people the difference between the holy and the ordinary and show them the difference between clean and unclean.

Inheritance of the Zadokites

28 As for their inheritance, I am their inheritance. They won’t be given family property in Israel; I am their family property. 29 They will eat the grain offerings, the purification offerings, and the compensation offerings. Every dedicated thing in Israel belongs to them. 30 The best of the early produce of every kind, and every contribution, all of them, belong to the priests. You will give the best of your bread dough to the priest so that a blessing may come to rest on your household.

Chapter 45 - The Holy Portion

45 1 When you distribute the land as an inheritance, you will set aside a holy portion of land for the Lord. It will be 7.1 miles long and 5.68 mileswide. It will be holy throughout the entire area. 2 Out of this portion, an area seven hundred fifty feet by seven hundred fifty feet square will be for the sanctuary. All around it will be an open space seventy-five feet wide. 3 Beginning with this measurement, you will measure out an area 7.1 miles long and 2.84 miles wide. The sanctuary, the most holy place, will lie on it

 4 It is holy, set apart from the land, and it belongs to the priests who draw near to minister in the Lord’s sanctuary. It will be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 The area 7.1 miles long and 2.84 miles wide will be for the Levites who minister in the temple. Twenty chambers are theirs as their property. 6 As the property for the city, you will set aside an area 1.42 miles wide and 7.1 miles long next to the holy portion. It will be for the whole house of Israel.

Chapter 45 & 46

In the remainder of Chapter 45 and most of 46 the details continue – talking about: sacrificial gifts and offerings to be used in temple ceremonies, as well as the sabbath offerings proscribed.

Then Daily offerings made every morning are described. And other details such as the layout of the kitchens used to prepare the offerings,

And finally midway through Chapter 47 and into final chapter 48 the Lord begins to lay out the land for the 12 tribes of Israel.

After first describing in detail the boundaries of Israel the Lord then states:

21 You will then apportion  the land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.                          

And finally midway through Chapter 47 and into final chapter 48 the Lord begins to lay out the land for the 12 tribes of Israel.

After first describing in detail the boundaries of Israel the Lord then states:

21 You will then apportion  the land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.                          

22 When you distribute the land as an inheritance, the immigrants who reside with you and raise families among you are considered full citizens along with the Israelites. They will receive an inheritance along with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 You will assign the immigrants’ inheritance with the tribe with whom they reside. This is what the Lord God says.                                                                           

And Finally, Chapter 48 – the Distribution of the Land

48  1These are the tribes’ names: Beginning at the north, along the Hethlon road from Lebo-hamath to Hazar-enon, the boundary of Damascus with Hamath to the north, from the eastern border to the western border: Dan, one portion. 2 Along the boundary of Dan from the eastern border to the western border: Asher, one portion. 3 Along the boundary of Asher from the eastern border to the western border: Naphtali, one portion.

4 Along the boundary of Naphtali from the eastern border to the western border: Manasseh, one portion. 5 Along the boundary of Manasseh from the eastern border to the western border: Ephraim, one portion. 6 Along the boundary of Ephraim from the eastern border to the western border: Reuben, one portion. 7 Along the boundary of Reuben from the eastern border to the western border: Judah, one portion.

And this very large and complex book of prophecy finally ends at the end of Chapter 48, after listing all of the tribal lands left to them as an inheritance with these final words that are describing all of the city of  Jerusalem's entrances and exits, including all of their dimensions.

And Finally, the end of Chapter 48

33 There are three gates on the south side measuring 1.28 miles: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun. 34 There are three gates on the west side along its 1.28 miles: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city is 5.1 miles. As of today, the name of the city is The Lord Is There.

And Finally, the End of Examining the Book of Ezekiel

And so, this large and very complex prophetic book of our old testament  comes to an end.  There are other examples of people of God experiencing visions in our bible – but nothing compares to this book – in which almost every report from the prophet Ezekiel comes about as a visionary experience directed by “the Glory of the Lord”.