Ezekiel Chapter 44
Ezekiel 44
The Prince and the Priests
Ezekiel 44 continues the temple vision after the glory of the LORD has returned and filled the house. The chapter focuses on access, holiness, the east gate, the prince, those excluded from the sanctuary, the disciplined Levites, and the faithful sons of Zadok. The LORD’s glory has entered through the east gate, so that gate is shut and reserved because the LORD God of Israel entered by it. The prince is given special privilege to eat bread before the LORD, but the chapter makes clear that holiness governs all temple access and service. Israel’s past defilement of the sanctuary must never be repeated. The Levites who went astray will still serve, but in limited duties. The sons of Zadok, who remained faithful, will come near to minister unto the LORD. The chapter emphasizes that those who serve God must distinguish between holy and unholy, clean and unclean, and must live under the holiness of the house where the glory of God dwells. The uploaded notes emphasize the shut east gate, the privilege of the prince, the exclusion of the uncircumcised in heart and flesh, the discipline of unfaithful Levites, the faithfulness of Zadok’s sons, and the holy regulations for priestly service.
A. The east gate and the prince.
1. Ezekiel 44:1-2, The shut east gate.
Ezekiel 44:1, Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut.
Ezekiel 44:2, 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.
Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east means Ezekiel is brought again to the eastern gate. This is the gate by which the glory of the LORD returned in Ezekiel 43.
Ezekiel 43:1, Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east:
Ezekiel 43:2, And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.
Ezekiel 43:4, And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.
This same direction also recalls the earlier departure of the glory in judgment.
Ezekiel 10:18, Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house, and stood over the cherubims.
Ezekiel 10:19, And the cherubims lifted up their wings, and mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD’S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over them above.
Ezekiel 11:23, And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city, and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.
The glory departed eastward from the defiled temple. The glory returns from the east into the future temple. Ezekiel 44 now shows that the gate through which the LORD entered is set apart.
And it was shut is stated plainly. The east gate is closed.
This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it repeats the matter for emphasis. No ordinary man may use this gate. It is not a public entrance. It is not even a priestly entrance. It is uniquely reserved because of what happened there.
Because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut gives the reason. The gate is shut because the LORD used it. It is marked by divine entrance and therefore reserved for God’s honor.
This is not the present eastern gate in the old city of Jerusalem. Ezekiel’s temple complex has different dimensions and belongs to the future temple described in Ezekiel 40–48. The shut gate in this chapter is part of the future millennial temple order, not merely the existing blocked gate in Jerusalem today.
The shut gate is not a symbol of abandonment but of security and holiness. The glory has returned, and because the LORD will not depart again, the gate remains shut as a testimony to His presence.
2. Ezekiel 44:3, The privilege of the prince.
Ezekiel 44:3, 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.
It is for the prince introduces a significant figure in the temple vision. The prince has special privilege connected with the east gate complex, though the gate itself remains shut. He is not allowed to pass through the gate as the LORD did, but he may sit in its vestibule area and eat bread before the LORD.
The identity of the prince is debated. Some say he is the Messiah, some say a civil leader, and some say a priestly ruler. From a literal, premillennial reading of Ezekiel, the prince is best understood as David, resurrected and serving as prince over restored Israel under the supreme reign of Messiah. Ezekiel has already spoken of David’s future shepherd-rule.
Ezekiel 34:23, And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:24, And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it.
Ezekiel 37 also speaks of David as prince forever.
Ezekiel 37:24, And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Ezekiel 37:25, And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.
Other prophets also speak of David’s future role.
Jeremiah 30:8, For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
Jeremiah 30:9, But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
Hosea 3:5, Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days.
The prince is unlikely to be Jesus Christ Himself because later he offers a sin offering and has sons.
Ezekiel 45:22, And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.
Ezekiel 46:16, Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance.
The Lord Jesus Christ needs no sin offering for Himself and has no biological sons in this sense. The prince therefore appears to be a real ruler in restored Israel, with special representative privilege before the LORD.
He shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD speaks of fellowship, privilege, and covenant communion. Eating bread before the LORD recalls the idea of sacred fellowship in God’s presence. The prince is honored, but he remains subordinate. He sits before the LORD; he is not the LORD.
He shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same means his access is regulated. Even the prince may not use the gate freely. Holiness governs his privilege.
B. Those admitted to the temple.
1. Ezekiel 44:4-5, Marking who may enter the house of the LORD.
Ezekiel 44:4, 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.
Ezekiel 44:5, 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.
Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house means Ezekiel is brought around by another way because the east gate is shut. Access to the temple is now regulated according to the holiness of the LORD’s presence.
I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD confirms that the glory seen in Ezekiel 43 remains. The LORD has returned to His house. The temple is no longer empty. It is filled with glory.
And I fell upon my face is Ezekiel’s proper response to the glory of God. The prophet has seen the glory before, but reverence never becomes casual.
Ezekiel had responded this way earlier.
Ezekiel 1:28, As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
Ezekiel 43:3, And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face.
Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears means Ezekiel must pay close attention. The ordinances of the temple are important because the glory of the LORD fills the house. Holiness must be guarded.
All that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof shows that the temple vision includes law, order, and instruction. It is not only architecture. It is the ordered worship of the holy God.
Mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary means Ezekiel must carefully note who may enter and who must be excluded. Access matters. The holiness of the sanctuary requires separation.
This theme continues from the law of the house in Ezekiel 43.
Ezekiel 43:12, This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
The eternal state also distinguishes between those admitted and those excluded.
Revelation 21:7, He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Revelation 21:8, But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and-idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:-which is the second death.
Revelation 22:14, Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and-may enter in through the gates into the city.
Revelation 22:15, For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever-loveth and maketh a lie.
The principle is clear: where God dwells in holiness, entrance is never treated casually.
2. Ezekiel 44:6-9, Those excluded from the temple.
Ezekiel 44:6, 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,
Ezekiel 44:7, 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.
Ezekiel 44:8, And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge-in my sanctuary for yourselves.
Ezekiel 44:9, 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.
Say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel means the LORD addresses Israel’s past and future responsibility. The restored temple must not repeat the sins of the former temple. Israel had been rebellious, and their sanctuary practices had reflected that rebellion.
Let it suffice you of all your abominations means, enough. God calls Israel to be finished with the abominations that defiled the former temple.
The earlier temple had been defiled with idolatry and abominations.
Ezekiel 8:6, He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that-the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again,-and thou shalt see greater abominations.
Ezekiel 8:10, So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all-the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
Ezekiel 8:16, And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door-of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with-their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward-the east.
Ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh means Israel had allowed those outside covenant loyalty to participate wrongly in sanctuary service. They brought in foreigners not merely ethnically foreign, but spiritually uncircumcised and covenantally unfit.
The issue is both inward and outward: uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh. Physical circumcision without heart faithfulness is not enough, and heart rebellion makes a person unfit for holy service.
Moses had commanded Israel to have circumcised hearts.
Deuteronomy 10:16, Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.
Moses also prophesied that God Himself would circumcise Israel’s heart in restoration.
Deuteronomy 30:6, And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love-the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
Paul also teaches that true Jewish identity before God requires inward heart work, not outward mark alone.
Romans 2:28, For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward-in the flesh:
Romans 2:29, But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in-the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
To be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house means their presence and service polluted the sanctuary. The temple is God’s house, and His house must be treated according to His holiness.
When ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood refers to sacrificial service. They allowed unfit servants near holy offerings.
They have broken my covenant because of all your abominations means the covenant was violated by this corruption. God’s worship is not to be reshaped by convenience, laziness, bribery, or pragmatism.
Ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things means Israel failed to guard what God entrusted to them.
But ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves means they delegated holy responsibilities to unauthorized people. Instead of personally guarding the LORD’s charge, they assigned others for their own convenience.
No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary gives the future rule. The sanctuary will not be open to those who remain outside covenant holiness. This does not mean Gentiles have no place in the kingdom, because the prophets clearly speak of Gentile worship in the LORD’s kingdom. It means uncovenanted, uncircumcised, unholy strangers may not enter the sanctuary to defile it.
Isaiah speaks of Gentiles joined to the LORD and welcomed in worship.
Isaiah 56:6, Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love-the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it,-and taketh hold of my covenant;
Isaiah 56:7, Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer:-their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of-prayer for all people.
So the issue is not ethnicity alone, but covenant standing and holiness before God.
C. The laws of the priests.
1. Ezekiel 44:10-14, The Levites who were far from God.
Ezekiel 44:10, 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.
Ezekiel 44:11, 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.
Ezekiel 44:12, 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.
Ezekiel 44:13, 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.
Ezekiel 44:14, 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.
The Levites that are gone away far from me refers to Levites who failed in their calling. They went far from the LORD when Israel went astray. Their privileged position did not keep them from accountability.
When Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols means the Levites followed the nation into idolatry instead of leading the nation in holiness. Spiritual leaders are especially guilty when they help normalize rebellion.
They shall even bear their iniquity means they must carry the consequence of their sin. Forgiveness and restoration do not erase all discipline. In the future temple, they will serve, but not in the highest priestly nearness.
Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary shows mercy. The LORD does not entirely cast them away from service. They will still have appointed duties in the sanctuary.
Having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house means they will serve as gatekeepers and temple servants. These are real and important duties, but they are lower than the priestly ministry granted to the sons of Zadok.
Levites historically served around the tabernacle and temple.
Numbers 3:5, And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Numbers 3:6, Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.
Numbers 3:7, And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to-do the service of the tabernacle.
Numbers 3:8, And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children-of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.
They shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people means they will help in sacrificial service, but not as the priests who draw near to the LORD.
They shall stand before them to minister unto them means their service is toward the people and the house rather than the highest ministry directly before the LORD.
Because they ministered unto them before their idols identifies the reason for their demotion. They had served the people in idolatrous worship and helped them sin.
Caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity is a grave charge. Leaders who facilitate idolatry do not merely sin privately; they cause others to stumble.
Therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them means the LORD has sworn judgment or discipline against them. God’s lifted hand is oath language.
They shall bear their iniquity repeats the sentence. The matter is certain.
They shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me means they are barred from the highest priestly function. They may serve in the sanctuary, but they may not approach in priestly nearness.
Nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place means they are restricted from the holiest ministry. Their past unfaithfulness has consequences in the future temple order.
They shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed means their service will be marked by remembrance of their failure. Yet even this disciplined service is mercy, because the LORD still gives them a place.
But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house repeats that they are not useless. God still appoints them to service.
For all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein means their duties will be necessary for temple operation. Lesser service is still service by divine appointment.
This demonstrates that Ezekiel’s temple vision belongs to the millennial kingdom, not the eternal state. In the eternal state, sin, shame, and disciplinary distinctions from prior iniquity do not operate in this way. Here, in the kingdom temple, restored Israel worships under holy order, with real distinctions among servants.
2. Ezekiel 44:15-16, The priests and their ministry to the LORD.
Ezekiel 44:15, 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:
Ezekiel 44:16, They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me,-and they shall keep my charge.
But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok introduces the faithful priestly line. They are Levites, but more specifically priests descended from Zadok. Zadok was faithful in the days of David and Solomon, and his line is honored in the future temple.
Zadok was connected with David and Solomon’s rightful kingdom order.
2 Samuel 8:17, And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests;-and Seraiah was the scribe;
Zadok remained connected with David during Absalom’s rebellion.
2 Samuel 15:24, And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant-of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had-done passing out of the city.
Zadok anointed Solomon as king.
1 Kings 1:39, And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And-they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.
Solomon later placed Zadok in priestly office in Abiathar’s place.
1 Kings 2:35, And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the-priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
That kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me explains the privilege of Zadok’s sons. When others went astray, they remained faithful. God remembers faithfulness.
They shall come near to me to minister unto me is one of the most important statements in the chapter. Their first ministry is not to the people, though they do serve the people. Their first ministry is unto the LORD. They draw near to Him.
They shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood means their priestly service is directly before God and offered to God.
Saith the Lord GOD gives divine authority to their appointment.
They shall enter into my sanctuary means they have access denied to the unfaithful Levites.
They shall come near to my table, to minister unto me again emphasizes nearness and ministry to God. The table likely connects back to the altar or table before the LORD in Ezekiel 41.
Ezekiel 41:22, The altar of wood was three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof,-and the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood: and he said unto me, This is the-table that is before the LORD.
They shall keep my charge means their faithfulness continues. The sons of Zadok are entrusted with holy service because they kept the LORD’s charge when others failed.
There is a spiritual application for believers under the New Covenant. All believers are priests unto God in Christ, and our first ministry is unto the LORD.
1 Peter 2:5, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up-spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye-should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Revelation 1:5, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the-prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in-his own blood,
Revelation 1:6, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion-for ever and ever. Amen.
Before service to men, there is ministry unto God.
3. Ezekiel 44:17-19, The clothing of the priests.
Ezekiel 44:17, 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.
Ezekiel 44:18, They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall-not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.
Ezekiel 44:19, 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.
When they enter in at the gates of the inner court refers to the priestly entrance into the area of holy service.
They shall be clothed with linen garments means the priests must wear garments suited to holy ministry. Linen was associated with purity, priestly service, and separation.
Priestly linen garments were prescribed under the law.
Exodus 28:39, And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen,-and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
Leviticus 16:4, He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh,-and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are-holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.
No wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister means wool is excluded from priestly garments during service. The next verse gives the reason: they must not wear anything that causes sweat.
They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins describes the priestly head covering and undergarments.
They shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat means their service is not to be marked by sweat. Sweat is connected with the curse and toil after Adam’s fall.
Genesis 3:19, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of-it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
Priestly ministry before the LORD must not be characterized by the sweat of fleshly striving. The spiritual principle is that service to God must be in holiness, rest, and dependence, not carnal effort.
When they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people means the priests must change before leaving the holy ministry area to interact with the people.
They shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers means the garments of holy service remain in the holy place. This repeats what was already introduced in Ezekiel 42.
Ezekiel 42:14, When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court,-but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments,-and shall approach to those things which are for the people.
They shall put on other garments means a distinction is maintained between priestly service before God and ordinary contact with the people.
They shall not sanctify the people with their garments means holiness is not to be transferred casually or superstitiously by contact with priestly clothing. The garments are holy for service, but the people are not to treat them as magical objects.
The LORD’s holiness is real, but it must be approached according to His word, not superstition.
4. Ezekiel 44:20-22, The outward displays of holiness for the priests.
Ezekiel 44:20, Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.
Ezekiel 44:21, Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
Ezekiel 44:22, 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.
Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long means the priests must avoid extremes in appearance associated with pagan practice, mourning customs, disorder, or vanity. Their outward appearance is to reflect moderation and holiness.
The law warned Israel against pagan mourning customs and disfiguring practices.
Leviticus 19:27, Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
Deuteronomy 14:1, Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between-your eyes for the dead.
They shall only poll their heads means they shall trim their hair. Their appearance is to be orderly and restrained.
Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court means priests must be sober when serving before the LORD. No priest may minister under the influence of wine.
The law gave similar instruction after the sin of Nadab and Abihu.
Leviticus 10:8, And the LORD spake unto Aaron, saying,
Leviticus 10:9, Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the-tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
Leviticus 10:10, And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Leviticus 10:11, And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them-by the hand of Moses.
The principle is clear: those who serve in holy things must be sober, clear-minded, and able to distinguish clean from unclean.
Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away means priestly marriage is regulated. A divorced woman is excluded, and ordinary widows are excluded.
But they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before means they may marry a virgin from Israel or the widow of a priest. Their family life is also under the holiness of their calling.
The Mosaic law also regulated priestly marriage.
Leviticus 21:7, They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman-put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
Leviticus 21:13, And he shall take a wife in her virginity.
Leviticus 21:14, A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take:-but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.
Ezekiel’s regulations are similar but not identical, again showing that this future temple order is not a simple return to the Mosaic system. It is a kingdom temple order under the restored covenant purposes of God.
5. Ezekiel 44:23-24, The teaching and leading work of the priests.
Ezekiel 44:23, And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between-the unclean and the clean.
Ezekiel 44:24, 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.
They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane gives one of the priest’s central duties. Priests are not only ritual workers. They are teachers of holiness. They must instruct God’s people to distinguish what belongs to God from what is common.
This was already a priestly duty under the law.
Leviticus 10:10, And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;
Leviticus 10:11, And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them-by the hand of Moses.
Cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean means the priests must form the people’s judgment. Holiness requires discernment. Israel’s earlier corruption came in part because they stopped distinguishing between clean and unclean.
Ezekiel rebuked Israel’s priests earlier for failing in this duty.
Ezekiel 22:26, Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between-the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their-eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.
In the future temple order, that failure will be reversed.
In controversy they shall stand in judgment means priests will also serve in judicial matters. Because they know the judgments of God, they can help decide controversies.
The law gave priests and Levites a role in difficult judgments.
Deuteronomy 17:8, If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and-plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get-thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose;
Deuteronomy 17:9, And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days,-and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment:
Deuteronomy 17:10, And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall shew-thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee:
They shall judge it according to my judgments means their decisions must not be based on opinion, politics, favoritism, or human wisdom. They judge according to the LORD’s judgments.
They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies means the priests must obey what they teach. They are not exempt from the law of the house.
They shall hallow my sabbaths means they must treat the LORD’s appointed times as holy. Sabbath observance in the millennial temple order is part of the regulated worship of restored Israel.
6. Ezekiel 44:25-27, The defilement of the priests.
Ezekiel 44:25, 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.
Ezekiel 44:26, And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.
Ezekiel 44:27, 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.
They shall come at no dead person to defile themselves means priests must avoid corpse defilement. Death is connected with sin’s curse, and those ministering in the sanctuary must be separated from death.
The Mosaic law also regulated priestly contact with the dead.
Leviticus 21:1, And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them,-There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
Leviticus 21:2, But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his-father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
Leviticus 21:3, And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for-her may he be defiled.
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 allows limited exceptions for close family members. God’s holiness does not erase natural family responsibilities, but even these exceptions are regulated.
After he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days means after ceremonial cleansing, a seven-day period is counted before full return to service. Holiness requires time and order.
In the day that he goeth into the sanctuary, unto the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering means resuming priestly service requires sacrifice. The priest must not move casually from defilement back into ministry.
Saith the Lord GOD gives divine authority to the regulation. The sanctuary is holy because the LORD who dwells there is holy.
7. Ezekiel 44:28-31, The inheritance and provision for the priests.
Ezekiel 44:28, 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.
Ezekiel 44:29, They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; and every dedicated thing-in Israel shall be theirs.
Ezekiel 44:30, And the first of all the firstfruits 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.
Ezekiel 44:31, The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl-or beast.
I am their inheritance is one of the strongest statements in the chapter. The priests do not receive an ordinary tribal possession like the rest of Israel. The LORD Himself is their inheritance.
This principle was established earlier for the priestly tribe.
Numbers 18:20, And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou-have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.
Deuteronomy 10:9, Wherefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the-LORD thy God promised him.
Ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession repeats the same truth. Their provision is not rooted in land allotment but in the LORD and in what He appoints for them.
They shall eat the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering means the priests will be provided for through portions of the offerings. Again, the meat offering in KJV language refers to the grain offering.
Under the law, priests received portions of offerings.
Leviticus 6:16, And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat: with unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the-holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.
Leviticus 7:6, Every male among the priests shall eat thereof: it shall be eaten in the holy place: it is-most holy.
Every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs means things devoted to the LORD in this way are assigned to the priests for their provision.
The first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all means the priests receive the firstfruits and offerings brought by the people.
The law also gave firstfruits to the priests.
Numbers 18:12, All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat,-the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
Numbers 18:13, And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine;-every one that is clean in thine house shall eat of it.
Ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough gives another specific provision.
That he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house means giving to the LORD’s appointed priestly service brings blessing. This is not a prosperity gimmick. It is the covenant principle that honoring the LORD with firstfruits brings His favor.
Proverbs 3:9, Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
Proverbs 3:10, So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.
Malachi 3:10, Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove-me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven,-and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself, or torn, whether it be fowl or beast means priests must not eat carrion or torn animals. This would violate their separation from death and uncleanness.
The law forbade eating animals that died naturally or were torn.
Leviticus 22:8, That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself-therewith: I am the LORD.
The priests must trust the LORD’s provision. They are not scavengers. The LORD is their inheritance, and He appoints their food through holy offerings.
Ezekiel 44 teaches that the glory-filled temple is governed by holiness. The eastern gate is shut because the LORD God of Israel entered through it, and the prince alone receives a special privilege to sit in the gate complex and eat bread before the LORD. Ezekiel is then commanded to mark who may enter and who must be excluded, because Israel’s former sanctuary was polluted by abominations and unauthorized servants. The unfaithful Levites will bear their iniquity and serve in limited duties, but the sons of Zadok, who kept the charge of the sanctuary, will come near to minister unto the LORD. Their garments, hair, sobriety, marriages, teaching, judgments, contact with death, offerings, food, and inheritance are all regulated by holiness. The chapter shows that the restored temple will not repeat the profanation of the former temple. The LORD who returned in glory will dwell among His people in a house where holy and profane, clean and unclean, faithful and unfaithful, are rightly distinguished.
