Dan 4:1

Dan 4: Nebuchadnezzar’s pride and humbling: (1) Nebuchadnezzar’s introductory doxology (vv 1-3); (2) The king’s frustration over his second dream (vv 4-8); (3) Nebuchadnezzar’s account of his dream (vv 9-18); (4) Daniel’s interpretation (vv 19-27); (5) The fulfillment of threatened discipline (vv 28-33); (6) Nebuchadnezzar’s restoration (vv 34-37).

The time of this incident seems to be considerably later than the event recorded in Dan 3 — Nebuchadnezzar had finished extensive building projects (v 30). He reigned a total of 43 years (605-562 BC). Perhaps it was toward the end of his reign that these events transpired.

Dan 4:2

MIRACULOUS SIGNS AND WONDERS: Common Bible words used to describe miracles (cf Deu 6:22; 7:19; 13:1,2; 26:8; Neh 9:10; Isa 8:18; etc).

Dan 4:4

I, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, WAS AT HOME IN MY PALACE, CONTENTED AND PROSPEROUS: “The time of this dream was apparently later in Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Historians have identified a seven-year period during his reign when he engaged in no military activity (c 582-575 BC). This may be the seven years during which he was temporarily insane. If so, he may have had this dream in 583 or 582 BC. If this is the true date, Nebuchadnezzar would have defeated the Egyptians under Pharaoh Hophra (in 588-587 BC) and would have destroyed Jerusalem (in 586 BC) before he had this dream. In any case, he was at ease and resting in his palace when God gave him this revelation. Nebuchadnezzar described himself as flourishing in his palace… the original language pictures him flourishing as a green plant. This king built the famous hanging gardens of Babylon, which enriched his capital with luxuriant foliage. His description of himself here anticipates the figure of the tree in his dream that represented him” (Const).

Dan 4:6

I COMMANDED THAT ALL THE WISE MEN OF BABYLON BE BROUGHT BEFORE ME TO INTERPRET THE DREAM FOR ME: Such “wise” men had failed him before (Dan 2:10-12).

Dan 4:7

BUT THEY COULD NOT INTERPRET IT FOR ME: Was it any wonder?!

Dan 4:8

THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GODS IS IN HIM: That this “elahin” (Aram “gods”) is meant as a true plural — rather than a plural of majesty — is shown by the plural form of the adjective “qaddisin” (Aram “holy”) accompanying it.

But of course, it is possible that Nebuchadnezzar was hereby referring to the One Great God of Israel — whom he knew to be Daniel’s God.

Dan 4:9

CHIEF OF THE MAGICIANS: By this he probably meant that Daniel was his chief interpreter of the future, not that he was the head of a group of magicians. Daniel’s fame in this regard had evidently become well known (Eze 28:3).

Dan 4:10

A TREE: Which frequently signifies a great ruler of a nation: Isa 2:12,13; 10:34; Eze 31:3-17.

Dan 4:11

THE TREE GREW LARGE AND STRONG: Cp the parable of the mustard seed: Mat 13:31,32.

ITS TOP TOUCHED THE SKY: Like the tower of BABEL — “with a tower that reaches to the heavens” (Gen 11:4).

Dan 4:13

COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN: As God (or the “angels” He sent) “came down” to Babel (Gen 11:7).

Dan 4:14

CUT DOWN THE TREE…: “Nebuchadnezzar was very keen on felling cedars in Lebanon — he did it personally: ‘Under her shadow (Babylon) I gathered all even in peace… Mighty cedars with my own hands I cut down… Merodach… may my woodcutting prosper’ — And from a bas-relief in Wadi Brissa: the ‘image of my royal person’ is felling cedars” (WDan).

Nebuchadnezzar’s fate would be the same as that of Assyria (cp v 10; and Eze 31:3-17).

Dan 4:15

BOUND WITH IRON AND BRONZE: . The significance of the iron and bronze band that bound the stump is questionable. It kept the tree stump from disintegrating. Perhaps it symbolized the madness that would bind Nebuchadnezzar or the fact that he would be protected while demented.

Dan 4:16

The Bible tells us generally that men who know not God, or who treat other men in a brutal fashion, are no better than “beasts”, and that they will ultimately perish like beasts (Psa 49:12,20; Ecc 3:19,20). This is probably the rationale for Gentile oppressors of God’s people being characterized as “beasts” of prey, in Daniel and elsewhere. The great “Beast” of Rev 13, with its 7 heads and 10 horns, also is said to have the number of a man (v 18), perhaps indicating that it represents a particular man. At least one man in OT times was actually made by God to be like a “beast”. This was the great king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who recognized himself in the “head of gold” in the image of Dan 2, and whose great pride and arrogance brought upon him an unusual judgment from the Almighty: see Dan 4:16,25,32,33. Only a coincidence? Or does this suggest that the “Beast” of the Last Days will be Babylonian, as was the “Beast” Nebuchadnezzar? (See Lesson, Beasts, heads, and horns.)

SEVEN TIMES: The word “periods of time” (“iddanin”) is indefinite; it does not indicate how long these periods of time are. It means years in Dan 7:25, and probably that is the meaning here too. Seven days or seven months would have been too short a time for his hair to have grown the length of feathers (v 33).

Dan 4:17

” ‘God ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will.’ It is this that imparts to political occurrences the character of signs of the times, in the discernments of such as are enlightened in the scriptures of truth. These occurrences, which to the natural man are the fortuitous changes of the hour, are to the other class the open and public expression of the secret and divine will which is moulding all public affairs, with a view to the appointed climax when all things will be gathered together under one head, even Christ. The recognition of this fact makes all the difference between the mere newspaper point of view, which is that of scientific Paganism, and the point of view of the Scriptures, from which we are able to see things as they appear to Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will, and who is guiding them to a determined end — even the end proclaimed in the gospel of the kingdom and the promises made to the fathers in the beginning” (WP 335).

“Daniel tells us, in a sense that does not conflict with the Gospel of the kingdom, that He ruleth in the kingdoms of men, setting up some and putting down others. The kingdoms, now existing, are provisionally of God’s appointment. God’s purpose to make the earth a habitation of order, love, intelligence, and glory, requires a preliminary prevalence of evil, and yet the evil must be regulated. If evil were allowed to run riot, it would make the world a desert, in which it would be impossible for the preliminary work of trial in patient obedience to be done; we could never assemble here this morning if evil were not controlled in its operations. There is a necessity for a certain machinery to exist, and God has appointed that machinery, but only for mechanical service. It is, so to speak, but the scaffolding for the erection of the future building. They are a crude work, the saints are called to a higher work in all respects. Even now it is highest work to preach the Gospel of the future kingdom” (SC 116).

Cp Dan 2:21; Deu 28; Isa 10:5-7; Jer 25:15-32; 27:5-17; 51:11; Eze 29:18; 30:24; 38:16-21; Hab 1:6-12; Zeph 1:14-17; 1Sa 2:7,8; Job 5:11. God does not need the mighty to do His work. Therefore it is foolish to become proud over one’s accomplishments and importance, as Nebuchadnezzar was.

God had sought to impress His sovereignty on Nebuchadnezzar previously (Dan 2; 3), but the king had not learned his lesson. So the LORD sent him a stronger lesson. This is often what He does (cf Job 33:141-7). The last part of this v is really a summary of the main theme of the Book of Daniel.

AND SETS OVER THEM THE LOWLIEST OF MEN: In his inscriptions, Nebuchadnezzar speaks of his father Nabopolassar as “son of a nobody”, while he — Nebuchadnezzar — has become “the magnificent one.”

THE LOWLIEST OF MEN: KJV has the “basest of men”. But not necessarily the most wicked of men. Points to Christ, the humblest of men, because he relied on his Father altogether. And because he humbled himself, even unto the death of the cross, therefore God will exalt him above all others (Phi 2:5-11).

Dan 4:18

NONE OF THE WISE MEN IN MY KINGDOM CAN INTERPRET IT FOR ME: It seems incredible that the Babylonian soothsayers could not offer an interpretation of this dream since its meaning seems quite transparent. Perhaps God hid the meaning from them, or maybe they pretended ignorance of it since it predicted Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation, and they would not have wanted to tell him of that.

Dan 4:19

DANIEL… WAS GREATLY PERPLEXED FOR A TIME, AND HIS THOUGHTS TERRIFIED HIM: “This verse reveals the heart of Daniel as well as any in the entire book of Daniel. He knew the meaning of this dream and how well Nebuchadnezzar deserved what was to come upon him. Nevertheless, Daniel’s heart was concerned for the king and grieved over what he had to tell him. This was the distinctive feature of the true prophets of God: though they often had to predict judgments, they were nevertheless grieved when any of God’s creatures were chastised” (Feinberg, “Daniel”).

Dan 4:23

LET HIM LIVE LIKE THE WILD ANIMALS: Such mental illness has actually been observed and recorded: men acting like wild beasts, in outward appearance and actions, while still retaining more or less reasonable mental abilities. Of course, the Bible tells us that men who know not God are in fact like the beasts that perish (Psa 49:12,20).

UNTIL SEVEN TIMES PASS BY FOR HIM: Figurative, perhaps, of “seven times” of Gentile madness. At the end of this time, Gentile powers (symbolized by Nebuchadnezzar here) acknowledge the power and authority of the Almighty God of Israel (vv 34-37).

Suggested periods (as per CH views): 7 times 360 years, or 2,520 years: from 606 BC (Nebuchadnezzar’s accession) / 536 BC (abasement of Jews) … 1914 / 1984 (the period marking the beginning of the renewal of Israel; Balfour Declaration; independence of Israel; etc).

Or, perhaps, much more simply: “seven times” sig the “fullness, or completeness” of Gentile times (ie, Rom 11:25) — without regard to exact times!

Dan 4:27

Daniel’s call to true repentance — which seems to have an effect on the king, if only temporarily.

Dan 4:28

Vv 28-33: Nebuchadnezzar is “put out to pasture”!

Dan 4:29

TWELVE MONTHS LATER: Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar repented, initially, but after a year he reverted to his great pride and arrogance, and was then smitten.

Dan 4:30

IS NOT THIS THE GREAT BABYLON I HAVE BUILT… BY MY MIGHTY POWER AND FOR THE GLORY OF MY MAJESTY?: “The palace from which he surveyed Babylon was one of the citadels on the north side of the city. It had large courts, reception rooms, throne room, residences, and the famous hanging gardens, a vaulted, terraced structure with an elaborate water supply for its trees and plants, apparently built by Nebuchadnezzar for his Median queen. From the palace he would see in the distance the city’s 27 km outer double wall, which he had built. His palace stood just inside the double wall of the inner city, which was punctuated by eight gates and encircled an area 3 km by 1 km, with the Euphrates running through it. The palace adjoined a processional avenue that Nebuchadnezzar had paved with limestone and decorated with lion figures, emblematic of Ishtar; this avenue entered the city through the Ishtar Gate, which he had decorated with dragons and bulls (emblems of Marduk and Bel). It continued south through the city to the most important sacred precincts, to whose beautifying and development Nebuchadnezzar had contributed, the ziggurat crowned by a temple of Marduk where the god’s statue resided. In Marduk’s temple there were also shrines to other gods, and in the city elsewhere temples of other Babylonian gods, restored or beautified by Nebuchadnezzar” (Goldingay, cited in Const).

“Pride is a kind of plagiarism. It attempts to grasp for ourselves the glory which belongs to another. Nebuchadnezzar took all the glory for the greatness of his kingdom; he did not give glory to God. In effect, he began to set himself in the seat of God, reminiscent of other glory-seeking creatures… (see Isa 14 and Eze 28). Taking glory which does not belong to us causes us to see ourselves as better than others. Pride ignores and denies the truth that prosperity comes from God, as a gift of His grace, and not the reward for our greatness. Pride also interprets others’ poverty as proof of inferiority and the penalty for inferiority. Sooner or later, pride justifies the use of power as rightly taking advantage of the poor to gain from their weakness” (Deff).

What did King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon and Nikolai Ceausescu of present-day Romania have in common? Both were ruthless dictators who fell after boldly exalting themselves.

Nebuchadnezzar brazenly declared that he had built the great city of Babylon by his own power and for the honor of his majesty (Dan 4:30). God humbled him by driving him into the wilderness with a mental illness.

Ceausescu, after years of cruelly persecuting Christians and killing all potential threats to his power, instructed the National Opera to produce a song in his honor that included these words: “Ceausescu is good, righteous, and holy.” He wanted this song to be sung on his 72nd birthday on January 26, 1990, but on December 25, 1989, he and his wife were executed. Although his overthrow was part of the anticommunist revolution that swept through eastern Europe, many Christians see his sudden downfall as an act of God. One Romanian, Peter Dugulescu, said that it was “because he took for himself the glory of God”.

Dan 4:33

Since this madness lasted 7 years, how did Nebuchadnezzar not lose control of his empire? Did Daniel perhaps act as his regent, maintaining his kingdom for him until his senses returned?

Dan 4:34

AT THE END OF THAT TIME, I, NEBUCHADNEZZAR, RAISED MY EYES TOWARD HEAVEN: What a scene! What a treatise, what a revelation is comprehended in a few words! The “wild beast” finally lifts his eyes up to heaven — realizing that there is in fact a God enthroned there… one higher and more powerful than he! In this simple act there is the profoundest repentance. The man who has lived like a beast, whose thoughts and “spirit” have been pointed downward, to the earth (Eccl 3:21), now looks UP! And his spirit soars to the heavens, where his new God dwells! He now sets his mind, and affections, on things above (Col 3:2).

Dan 4:35

“In Dan 4 Nebuchadnezzar reaches a new spiritual perspicacity. Prior to his experience of insanity, his confessions were those of a pagan whose polytheism permitted the addition of new gods, as illustrated in Dan 2:47; 3:28,29. Now Nebuchadnezzar apparently worships the King of heaven only. For this reason, his autobiography is truly remarkable and reflects the fruitfulness of Daniel’s influence upon him and probably of Daniel’s daily prayers for him. Certainly God is no respecter of persons and can save the high and mighty in this world as well as the lowly” (Walvoord, cited in Const).

What we can say certainly is that Nebuchadnezzar moved from acknowledging the sovereignty of no one but himself to acknowledging Yahweh’s sovereignty over him.

Eze 47:1

Vv 1-12: The temple river: This healing river of God is plainly symbolic: (a) it arises at peak of mountain — which is (practically) an impossibility; (b) its volume increases dramatically, even though it has no tributaries feeding into it; and (c) cp with Rev 22:2. (Cp also the sym nature of Joe 3:18.)

HAW comments: “Because ‘waters come down from under the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar’ (Eze 47:1), it is inferred [by HSul] ‘that the altar must be considerably elevated.’ But is one at liberty to deduce from the verb ‘come down’ that the waters descend from the top of a mountain? The seven steps and eight steps (Eze 40:22,31) by which the house was higher than its surroundings would be adequate to explain why the waters ‘come down’ ” (FLET).

“Springs do not emerge from the summit of ‘a very high mountain’ [as HSul suggests]. Occasionally they spring from fairly near the highest point of a mountain, but never from the top-most peak. Nor does a normal stream deepen at such a fantastically rapid rate as to be crossed only by swimming when a mere one and a half miles from its source. Nor does any river grow in volume except through the contributions made by tributaries, and this river has no tributaries. It may, of course, be urged in reply that these living waters are to be altogether miraculous. And to such an ‘argument’ there can be no answer. Nevertheless it is surely significant that this river, if real and not symbolic, is the only miraculous element connected with Ezekiel’s temple” (FLET).

V 1: Ezekiel’s guide, who appears to have been his original guide in this vision (v 3), brought him back to the main entrance to the temple proper. Ezekiel saw water flowing to the east from under the temple threshold. It apparently flowed to the south of the stairs on the right side of the temple as one faces east.

Eze 47:2

The man then brought Ezekiel through the north gate to the outside of the outer wall of the temple enclosure. Just south of the east gate he saw water trickling to the east, a continuation of the stream that he had observed inside the temple enclosure.

Eze 47:3

Vv 3-5: The “man” took his measuring line (Eze 40:3) and measured 1,000 cubits (about one-third of a mile) east from the wall along the watercourse. He led Ezekiel across the river (Heb “nachal”) and it was ankle deep. Another 1,000 cubits farther east they crossed again, and this time the water was knee-deep. Another 1,000 cubits and it was up to his waist. Another 1,000 cubits and it was so deep that they could not cross it standing up; it was so deep they would have had to swim across.

This description suggests that some major topographical changes will occur east of present-day Jerusalem by this time. Other prophecies support this conclusion (Eze 34:26-30; 36:8-12,30-36; 37:25-28; 45:1-8; 48:8-14; Joel 3:18; Zec 13:1; 14:4-8). The water will follow the contours of the altered terrain. Zechariah recorded that the water flowing from Jerusalem will divide with half of it going west to the Mediterranean Sea and half east to the Dead Sea (Zec 14:9). Ezekiel described only the branch that flowed east.

Eze 47:6

DO YOU SEE THIS?: In other words, ‘Have you considered the spiritual import of this vision?’

Eze 47:7

A GREAT NUMBER OF TREES ON EACH SIDE OF THE RIVER: Rivers, by their very nature, give and nurture life.

Eze 47:8

AND GOES DOWN INTO THE ARABAH: Presently this involves a drop in elevation of over 3,700 feet (from the temple mount at 2,430 feet above sea level to the Dead Sea at 1,290 feet below sea level).

WHEN IT EMPTIES INTO THE SEA, THE WATER THERE BECOMES FRESH: Or, more expressively, as the KJV: “The waters shall be HEALED!”. Think of those waters of the Dead Sea, dreary and dreadful! This was the “Chamber of Horrors” in the land of Israel. Travelers describe it as a place of utter desolation. Lying in a deep hollow, some thirteen hundred feet below any other sea, the Dead Sea was sunk deep into the earth, like the mouth of the abyss. Masses of tar float upon its surface, and line its shores. Poisonous gases abound, and on its banks are hot sulfur springs. Swimming, or rather floating, in its thick brine is unpleasant; the skin tingles with its acid salts long afterwards. It is not desirable to linger upon the brink of it, neither is there anything to tempt one to do so. Very scanty is the vegetation, few are the birds, and rare the living things. It is the place of destruction. Nothing may live there, at least for long.

The doomed lake has dark mysteries buried in its heart — down deep in its depths lie the destroyed cities of the plain, Sodom and Gomorrah, whose sins provoked the wrath of God. In this respect the Dead Sea is a fit picture of our fallen humanity, a truthful symbol of the whole world, which lies in wickedness. It may be said that the world is a vast “Dead Sea”, and its cities modern “Sodoms”.

God is at work creating new heavens and a new earth, and in the process forms of beauty are developed — little “outposts” of the Kingdom of God which is coming — but to this day the old decadent cities of our world remain easily-recognizable matches for the depraved and debauched cities of the plain, where Lot first pitched his tent, and then finally took up residence.

And the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Can it ever be purified? Can its “waters” be healed? Yes, God says, they WILL be healed! Let us believe His promise, and take courage. Let us believe that, one day, the worst hell-holes of sin will yet be made holy. Even when it seems to be the least likely expectation, even when we are shocked at the sin which surrounds us, we are still to believe that Yahweh shall reign for ever and ever, and the serpent and sin shall be crushed under our Redeemer’s heel. “The waters SHALL be healed”: all the brine and tar of the Dead Sea will not be enough to forestall the hand of the Almighty. The worst that Calcutta, or London, or New York can offer will yet be made sweet as the pure water of Siloam. The atrocities of war and oppression will cease, and the reign of evil will end; for the Lord has promised it, and it will be done. The kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and every heart and every mind will be truly and wholly his. “The waters shall be healed.” Thank God.

The river of “life” represents the spiritual life and healing that flows to humanity from the throne of God (John 4:14; 7:37,38). “The river is like the blood of the Messiah from the cross of Calvary that began as a trickle (John 19:34). Finally, the blood, like the river, became a flood of redemption for all people (Rev 1:5). So the flow from Calvary became a fountain of redemption for all people including Israel (see Zech 13:1-6; Rev 1:5-6). Just so, the water of life that the prophet saw coming from the threshold came forth gently, then began to flow, and finally became a mighty river of life healing all in its wake” (Cooper, cited in Const).

Eze 47:9

THERE WILL BE LARGE NUMBERS OF FISH: “The special mention of abundant fish and a thriving fishing industry is difficult to understand, if intended literally. But the spiritual meaning of these words is too obvious to require elucidation. ‘As the fish of the Great Sea’ certainly suggests the blessing of the Gentile nations through the godly influence of this new House of God” (FLET).

Eze 47:10

The Dead Sea would become so full of many varieties of fish that fishermen would fish for them from Engedi, on the west side of the sea about midway north to south, to En Eglaim, possibly on the northwest shore near Qumran or on the eastern side. The entire Dead Sea region would not become fresh, except as described in v 11.

EN GEDI: Sig “the fountain of a kid”. The fountain is for cleansing (Zech 13:1). The kid, a sin-offering, points to the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:5). Cp Song 1:14.

EN EGLAIM: Sig “the fountain of the young calves”: young bullocks of burnt-offering.

Eze 47:11

BUT THE SWAMPS AND MARSHES WILL NOT BECOME FRESH; THEY WILL BE LEFT FOR SALT: “This river of life goes to the Dead Sea and its waters are healed, so that they swarm with fish. Nevertheless ‘the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.’ Literally the words are really difficult. Symbolically they suggest easily enough that whilst this rebuilt temple of an Israel returned from captivity will have wondrous possibilities of carrying divine influence and blessing to the most unlikely quarters, it was not to be expected that in that age a perfect and complete reformation would be accomplished” (FLET).

Eze 47:12

Fruit trees would grow all around the Dead Sea. They would remain continually healthy and productive. These trees would be so fruitful that they would bear fruit every month of the year. People would eat their fruit and use their leaves for medicinal purposes. This formerly desert region would blossom like a rose (cp Eze 36:35; Isa 35:1,2,6,7; Joel 3:18).

THEIR LEAVES FOR HEALING: “Here, surely, is a detail which shouts for symbolic interpretation… The symbolic use of this very passage in Rev 22:2 indicates expressly what is being argued for here as almost self-evident: ‘On either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.’ He would be a bold man who would maintain the literal intention of these words in this context!” (FLET).

Eze 47:13

Eze 47:13–48:35: The boundaries and principles of allotment of the land. See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: 12 tribes.

Vv 13-21: This describes a land whose territory is considerably less than that promised to Abraham (Gen 15:18): this cannot be the future Kingdom of God.

Vv 13,14: The Lord instructed the future Israelites (cf v 21) to divide the Promised Land for their inheritance. He first described the boundary around the entire land. The tribes of Joseph, namely Ephraim and Manasseh, were to have two portions (cf Gen 48:5,6,22). This was important to clarify at the outset because the tribe of Levi would receive another portion of the land (Eze 45:1-8; 48:8-14). Thus the number of tribal allotments would be 12 plus the Levitical portions. Each tribe was to have as much land as all the others; the portions were to be equal in size. This was not the case when Joshua divided the land among the tribes; some tribes received more land than others. Thus the Lord would fulfill His promise to give the Israelites the land as an inheritance. The boundaries described here are almost identical to the ones in Num 34:3-12 (cf 1Ki 8:65).

Eze 47:15

Vv 15-17: The LORD specified the boundaries by listing place names that the Israelites of Ezekiel’s day would have known. Not all of them are identifiable today. The northern boundary would run from the Great (Mediterranean) Sea east, following the road to Hethlon, to the entrance of the town of Zedad, and through the region of Hamath (cp 1Ki 8:65) near Berothah to Sibraim. It then ran through Hazar-hatticon (lit, “the middle Hazar”) on the border of the territory of Hauran. Hazar-enan (perhaps the same as Hazar-hatticon) seems to have been the easternmost town in this string. It apparently stood between the borders of the territories controlled by Damascus and Hamath. Some of these sites apparently stood within or adjacent to the region described, not just along its border.

Eze 47:17

THE NORTHERN BORDER OF DAMASCUS… HAMATH: In other words, the NORTHERN border of the land will be the SOUTHERN border of Damascus and Hamath.

Eze 47:18

The eastern border would run between the territories of Hauran and Damascus and then along the Jordan River between the land of Israel on the west and Gilead to the east. This boundary would continue south through the eastern (Dead) sea to the town of Tamar.

HSul takes the “east sea” to be the Persian Gulf, and draws maps showing strips of Israel’s territory stretching across Arabia to the Euphrates. But, plainly, the eastern border of the Land will be the Jordan River, And the “eastern sea” = the Dead Sea (Num 34:3; Josh 12:3; Joel 2:20). No other conclusion is possible.

Eze 47:19

The south border would run west from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh (Kadesh-barnea), to the Brook of Egypt (Wadi el-Arish), and along this stream to the Mediterranean Sea.

The southern border: “Kadesh in the Negeb is unmistakable. The great sea is certainly the Mediterranean. But many identify ‘the river’ as being the Nile, and thus proceed to appropriate a big piece of the land of Egypt as part of Israel’s future inheritance. But this is certainly not the true interpretation, as is proved by the mention of Kadesh. Also, the southern limit of the Land promised to the Fathers is ‘the river of Egypt’, which is undeniably the wadi El Arish which enters the sea just south of Gaza. Also, the Hebrew word for ‘river’ here is that which describes a torrent and is certainly not the correct word for a mighty flood of waters like the Nile” (FLET).

Eze 47:20

The west border would be the Mediterranean Sea from the south border, the Brook of Egypt, to a point west of Lebo-hamath in the north.

Eze 47:21

The Israelites were to divide the land in this way for the tribes of Israel by lot (cf Eze 45:1).

Eze 47:22

Vv 22,23: The land was not to be for Israelites alone, however. Aliens who permanently lived among them could dwell in this region too. Under the Mosaic economy, resident aliens were non-Israelites who had adopted the religion and laws of the Hebrews; they had become converts to the worship of Yahweh. The Israelites were to regard these alien peoples as equals with themselves concerning their rights within the land. These aliens were to inherit portions of land in the tribal allotments just like the Israelites who lived there (Eze 14:7; 22:7; Lev 19:34; 24:22; Num 15:29; Isa 56:3-8).

THE ALIENS WHO HAVE SETTLED AMONG YOU: The Gentiles who have accompanied the Jews in their return from exile: the “mixed multitude”. Or, possibly, those Gentiles already in the Land when the captives return.

In vv 22,23 there is “explicit legislation to ensure that strangers in the Land shall not be disinherited but shall have their own portion alongside the children of Israel. This is difficult to reconcile with the many promises that, in the Kingdom Age, the Land is to be for Israel, ruled over by the twelve apostles. But as a solution of the inevitable difficulty that the Jews returning from Babylon would find people of other races already settled in their territory, it is eminently sensible and just” (FLET).

Eze 48:1

Vv 1-7: Tribal allotments in the north: The tribe of Dan was to receive the northernmost section of the Promised Land. The order of tribes from north to south, north of the sacred district, was Dan, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Judah — seven tribal allotments of equal size (Eze 47:14). Since they will be of equal size, and since the east-west width of the Promised Land would vary depending on the latitude of each allotment, the north-south distance would also vary somewhat.

The order of these tribes does not conform to any other in Scripture. These tribal allotments are not like those that Joshua assigned nor are they as large (cf Jos 14–22). There is a general progression from the most unfaithful tribe, Dan, to the most faithful, Judah. Judah, from which Messiah came, received the blessing of being adjacent to the holy allotment. The tribes that descended from Jacob’s concubines (Dan, Asher, Naphtali, and Gad) received land to the far north and far south. Those that descended from Jacob’s wives received land toward the center of the land (cp Gen 35:23-26).

Eze 48:8

Vv 8-22: The holy allotment.

South of Judah’s portion would be a special territory, which would be the same size as the other tribal allotments. It would include a section 25,000 cubits wide, and the temple sanctuary would stand in its center.

Eze 48:9

Vv 9-12: This portion would be 25,000 cubits long, from east to west, and 10,000 cubits wide, from north to south. It would be for the descendants of the Zadokite priests who remained faithful to the Lord. This would be a most holy place next to the territory for the other Levitical priests.

Eze 48:13

Vv 13,14: The other Levitical priests would have an allotment the same size next to the allotment of the Zadokite priests. They were not to sell or exchange any of this land for other land because it was holy to the Lord.

Eze 48:15

Vv 15-19: The remaining portion of this allotment, a section 25,000 cubits wide by 5,000 cubits north to south, would be for the holy city and the open spaces beside it. The city itself would occupy the central portion of this section. It would be for the common use of the Israelites, as would be its open spaces and home sites. The city itself would be 4,500 cubits square with a 250 cubit open space border on each of its four sides, another green belt like the one around the temple complex (cf Eze 45:2). The 10,000 cubit-wide areas on the east and west sides of the city would also be for the production of food for those who lived in the city. Those who lived in the city, from all the tribes of Israel, would cultivate those fields.

Whereas cities have always been known as places of moral corruption and rebellion, this city will be a place of eternal rest, refuge, and personal fellowship with others and God (Eze 48:8-20,30-35).

Eze 48:20

The total holy allotment would be 25,000 cubits square including the city and its adjacent lands as well as the territories for the Levites and Zadokites. This is an area of almost 70 square miles.

Eze 48:21

Vv 21,22: The prince would receive the rest of this allotment, on the east and west sides of this square and between the boundaries of the tribes of Judah on the north and Benjamin on the south.

Eze 48:23

Vv 23-29: Tribal allotments in the south: The tribal allotments south of this special territory would fall to Benjamin, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, and Gad. This was the total land to be divided by lot and the tribes’ individual portions.

The tribe of Benjamin received land next to the holy allotment — possibly because Benjamin was one of Rachel’s sons, or because the Benjamites supported David (2Sa 19:16,17) and allied with Judah to form the Southern Kingdom.

Eze 48:30

Vv 30-35: The city, its gates, and its name.

Vv 30-34: The Lord next specified the gates of the holy city. Though Ezekiel did not name the city, Zechariah did. It is Jerusalem (Zec 14:8). On each of its 4,500 cubit-long sides there would be three gates. The ones facing north would be named in honor of the tribes of Reuben (Jacob’s firstborn), Judah (the kingly tribe), and Levi (the priestly tribe). All three of these patriarchs were Leah’s sons. The gates on the east would bear the names of Joseph and Benjamin (Rachel’s sons), and Dan (a son of Bilhah). The south gates would honor Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun (Leah’s other three sons). The west gates would bear the names of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali (all sons of the two handmaids, Zilpah and Bilhah). The many gates illustrate the accessibility of the city.

The New Jerusalem of Revelation is similarly described: having three gates on each of its four sides, each named for one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Rev 21:12,13). That city will also be square, but it will be a cube, ie of three dimensions — like the most holy place (Rev 21:16). Also it will be very much larger (Rev 21:16,17). Thus it seems that the “eternal city” will be similar to but not identical with the city of Ezekiel’s vision.

Eze 48:35

The circumference of the city proper would be 18,000 cubits, less than six miles. And its name from the day of its establishment would be “The LORD is there” (Heb “Yahweh shammah”).

AND THE NAME OF THE CITY FROM THAT TIME ON WILL BE: THE LORD IS THERE: “Jehovah-Shammah”, or “Yahweh-Shammah”. The new name indicates a new character, as always in Scripture, namely that the Lord would forever reside among His people: thus He will be the great Immanuel: “God is with us” (cf Isa 7:14). Despite what fortunes and misfortunes beset the people of God, this is His promise: there will come a time when their God would never again depart from them or send them out of His land. He will forever dwell among them, and they will forever enjoy the unbroken fellowship with God that He intended since the creation of the world. The Book of Ezekiel — just like the Book of Revelation — ends with a description of a New Jerusalem. However, the New Jerusalem of Ezekiel has to do with earlier times, and is dependent upon the faithfulness of Israel; whereas, the New Jerusalem at the end of Revelation is absolute and eternal.

Twenty-two years and 48 chapters earlier Ezekiel began his book with a vision of a storm picturing the destruction of Old Jerusalem (Eze 1), and God’s departure from it (Eze 10; 11). He ends it with another vision of the Glory of God returning to His city and temple (Eze 43:2-5), and the building of a special temple-city to be named “The LORD is there” (Eze 48:35). The glory of the LORD is the unifying feature that ties the book together and runs through it from beginning to end.

Due to man’s unbelief and disobedience, God’s glory departs from him. But when man’s unbelief gives way to faith, and his disobedience to obedience, then that wondrous Glory may yet return to him. And when — through the mercies of our God — all sins are forgiven, then will be ushered in the Age of “God who is all in all” (1Co 15:28), and the Glory will return to His land and His city and His temple and His people, never to depart again. Truly “THE LORD WILL BE THERE”: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ ” (Rev 21:3-5).

Author: Daniel

Time: 605 – 535 BC

Summary: The book of Daniel predicts the destiny of two opposing powers: The Kingdom of Men and the Kingdom of God, stressing that “the Most High rules in the Kingdom of Men”. Daniel’s prophecies generally deal with the nations that control Israel, from Daniel’s day until the return of Christ.

Key verse: “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure for ever” (Dan 2:44).

Outline

1. Prologue: the setting: Dan 1

a) Daniel and his friends taken captive: Dan 1:1-7 b) The young men are faithful: Dan 1:8-16 c) The young men are elevated to high positions: Dan 1:17-21

2. The destinies of the nations that rule Israel: Dan 2-7

a) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a large statue: Dan 2 b) Nebuchadnezzar’s gold image: Dan 3 c) Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of an enormous tree: Dan 4 d) Belshazzar’s and Babylon’s downfall: Dan 5 e) Daniel’s deliverance: Dan 6 f) Daniel’s dream of four beasts: Dan 7

3. The destiny of the nation of Israel: Dan 8-12

a) Daniel’s vision of a ram and a goat: Dan 8 b) Daniel’s prayer and his vision of the 70 “sevens”: Dan 9 c) Daniel’s vision of a man: Dan 10:1-11:1 d) Daniel’s vision of the kings of the south and the north: Dan 11:2-45 e) The end times: Dan 12

Background

In 605 BC Prince Nebuchadnezzar led the Babylonian army of his father Nabopolassar against the allied forces of Assyria and Egypt. He defeated them at Carchemish near the top of the Fertile Crescent. This victory gave Babylon supremacy in the ancient Near East. With Babylon’s victory, Egypt’s vassals, including Judah, passed under Babylonian control. Shortly thereafter that same year Nabopolassar died, and Nebuchadnezzar succeeded him as king. Nebuchadnezzar then moved south and invaded Judah, also in 605 BC. He took some royal and noble captives to Babylon including Daniel, whose name means “God is my judge” or “God is judging” or “God will judge” (Dan 1:1-3), plus some of the vessels from Solomon’s temple (2Ch 36:7). This was the first of Judah’s three deportations in which the Babylonians took groups of Judahites to Babylon. The king of Judah at that time was Jehoiakim (2Ki 24:1-4).

Jehoiakim’s son Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah and Coniah) succeeded him in 598 BC. Jehoiachin reigned only three months and 10 days (2Ch 36:9). Nebuchadnezzar invaded Judah again. At the turn of the year, in 597 BC, he took Jehoiachin to Babylon along with most of Judah’s remaining leaders and the rest of the national treasures including young Ezekiel (2Ki 24:10-17; 2Ch 36:10).

A third and final deportation took place approximately 11 years later, in 586 BC. Jehoiakim’s younger brother Zedekiah, whose name Nebuchadnezzar had changed to Mattaniah, was then Judah’s puppet king. He rebelled against Babylon’s sovereignty by secretly making a treaty with Pharaoh Hophra under pressure from Jewish nationalists (Jer 37; 38). After a two-year siege, Jerusalem fell. Nebuchadnezzar returned to Jerusalem, burned the temple, broke down the city walls, and took all but the poorest of the Jews captive to Babylon. He also took Zedekiah prisoner to Babylon after he executed his sons and put out the king’s eyes at Riblah in Aramea (modern Syria; 2Ki 24:18 — 25:24).

Scope

Daniel, the main character from whom this book gets its name, was probably only a teenager when he arrived in Babylon in 605 BC. The Hebrew words used to describe him, the internal evidence of Dan 1, and the length of his ministry seem to make this clear. He continued in office as a public servant at least until 538 BC (Dan 1:21) and as a prophet at least until 536 BC (Dan 10:1). Thus the record of his ministry spans 70 years, the entire duration of the Babylonian Captivity. He probably lived to be at least 85 years old and perhaps older.

Writer

There is little doubt among conservative scholars that Daniel himself wrote this book under the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Probably he did so late in his life, which could have been about 530 BC or a few years later. Several Persian-derived governmental terms appear in the book. The presence of these words suggests that the book received its final polishing after Persian had become the official language of government. This would have been late in Daniel’s life. What makes Daniel’s authorship quite clear is both internal and external evidence.

Internally the book claims in several places that Daniel was its writer (Dan 8:1; 9:2,20; 10:2). References to Daniel in the third person do not indicate that someone else wrote about him. It was customary for ancient authors of historical memoirs to write of themselves this way (cf Exo 20:2,7).

Language

Daniel is written in two languages, not just one. The Book is written in Hebrew and in Aramaic:

* Dan 1:1 through 2:4a: Hebrew language * Dan 2:4b through 7:28: Aramaic language * Dan 8:1 through 12:13: Hebrew language

There are a number of theories why two languages were used. One reason may be that the Spirit of God was indicating that the message of this book was for both Jews and Gentiles. Thus, the Hebrew portions would get the attention of the Jews, while the Aramaic portion would have the attention of the Gentiles.

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Dan 1:1

See Lesson, Prophet, the.

See Lesson, Daniel, taking a stand for God.

As the skeleton is to the body, so Daniel is to prophecy.

Dan 1: This chapter introduces the main character of the book: (1) Historical background (vv 1,2); (2) Nebuchadnezzar’s training program for promising youths (vv 3-7); (3) Daniel’s resolve to please Yahweh (vv 8-13); (4) The success of the test (vv 14-16); (5) God’s blessing of Daniel and his friends (vv 17-21).

THE THIRD YEAR OF THE REIGN OF JEHOIAKIM: The date of this deportation by Nebuchadnezzar (605 BC), as Daniel recorded it, was the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign. However, Jeremiah wrote that the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign (Jer 25:1; cf Jer 46:2). Many critics of Daniel have seized upon this apparent contradiction and have tried to discredit this prophecy.

Probably the reconciliation of this lies in this point: Daniel wrote from the Babylonian viewpoint and Jeremiah from the Jewish. It would have been only natural for Daniel to do so since he spent virtually all of his life in Babylon. The Babylonians considered the first year of their kings’ reigns as the accession year. That “year” might last only a few days or weeks. The first regnal year, the first full year of their reign, began with the first day of the new civil year. For the Babylonians this was the first of Nisan (late March and early April).

On the other hand, Jeremiah was writing from the Jewish perspective. During the reigns of Jehoash to Hoshea the Jews also followed the accession-year system (as described above). However the Jews began their civil years on the first of Tishri (late September and early October). This explanation harmonizes these references.

Dan 1:2

AND THE LORD DELIVERED JEHOIAKIM… INTO HIS HAND: To Daniel, it is perfectly clear: the Sovereign LORD, Yahweh of Israel, is responsible for this despoiling of His Land. He is in control of all circumstances and events. This world-view permeates all of Daniel’s writings.

ALONG WITH SOME OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE TEMPLE OF GOD: Carrying off the vessels from a conquered people’s temple was a way that ancient Near Eastern kings expressed their victory over that nation, particularly its gods (Dan 5:3-4). Therefore Daniel began this book by reminding his readers that it was not only Israel’s king who suffered defeat at Nebuchadnezzar’s hands, but also Yahweh had experienced humiliation. He then proceeded to vindicate Yahweh with all that follows.

Only some of the vessels from the temple were taken to Babylon at the time Daniel was taken captive. Later, all the remaining vessels were taken there (see 2Ch 36:18). These temple vessels will play a prominent role in the events of Dan 5.

BABYLONIA: Literally “Shinar”, as in AV and NIV mg. “Shinar” is a term for the land, which is more generally known as Babylonia; “Shinar” often connotes a place hostile to God and faith in God (Gen 10:10; 11:2; 14:1; Isa 11:11 [NIV mg]; Zech 5:11 [NIV mg]). Shinar was where Nimrod built the first city (Gen 10:10), where the Tower of Babel was constructed (Gen 11:2), and where wickedness is ultimately to be banished (Zech 5:5-11).

Dan 1:3

TO BRING IN SOME OF THE ISRAELITES FROM THE ROYAL FAMILY AND THE NOBILITY: Nebuchadnezzar’s empire was rapidly expanding. He needed men of great ability to fill positions of power and responsibility in his administration. It was therefore his “enlightened” policy to identify and employ the best minds in his kingdom in government service regardless of their national or ethnic origin. We do not know how many other Jews and Gentiles were the classmates of Daniel and his three friends. However, they were evidently the only ones who expressed a desire to observe the Jewish dietary laws, and to keep separate from the rich foods of the Babylonians — which may possibly have been dedicated to idols as well (v 8; cp, generally, Exo 34:15; Lev 11; Deu 8:3; Deu 14; Pro 20:1).

“Why did Daniel have no difficulty with becoming a part of the government which defeated his own nation and destroyed the temple? Two reasons are immediately evident. First, the Jews had sinned, the judgment of Judah had been prophesied, and the defeat of Jehoiakim by Nebuchadnezzar was at the hand of God (Dan 1:2). The sovereign God who raises up kings and puts them down (see Dan 2:21) is the one who gave Judah into the hands of the Babylonians. Second, to seek Babylon’s well-being was to be obedient to God’s instructions, as given by the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, “Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens, and eat their produce. Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. And seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare” ‘ (Jer 29:4-7)” (Deff).

Dan 1:4

YOUNG MEN WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL DEFECT: Were Daniel and his three friends were castrated and made eunuchs? Josephus (Ant 10:10:1) implied that they may have become eunuchs: “He [Nebuchadnezzar] also made some of them [the most noble of the Jewish children] to be eunuchs; which course he took also with those of other nations whom he had taken in the flower of their age, and afforded them their diet from his own table, and had them instructed in the institutes of the country, and taught the learning of the Chaldeans…” The Heb “saris” (“official”: v 3) can mean both “court official” (Gen 37:36) and “eunuch” (Isa 56:3).

But this possibility seems unlikely since there is no direct evidence of this in the text. These youths were without defect. If Nebuchadnezzar wanted youths without defects, it seems unreasonable that he would then turn around and give them a major defect (cp Lev 21:17).

HE WAS TO TEACH THEM THE LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE OF THE BABYLONIANS: The three-year program of study that Daniel and his three companions underwent involved study of the literature and language of the Babylonians, or Chaldeans. “The Babylonian sages combined many of the functions fulfilled by wise men, prophets, and priests in Israel, though they are to be distinguished from those… functionaries who were more especially concerned with the temple and its ritual. They were the guardians of the sacred traditional lore developed and preserved in Mesopotamia over centuries, covering natural history, astronomy, mathematics, medicine, myth, and chronicle. Much of this learning had a practical purpose, being designed to be applied to life by means of astrology… hepatoscopy and the study of other organs, rites of purification, sacrifice, incantation, exorcism and other forms of divination and magic” (Goldingay, cited in Const).

Evidently what these young men studied was the history and literature of this ancient part of the world. This included the old Akkadian and the ancient Sumerian cultures from which Babylonia had developed. Learning the language of a people is one of the best ways to absorb the world view of its people. Thus Nebuchadnezzar was seeking to acculturate these youths and to make them thoroughly Babylonian.

Why does Daniel not object to this schooling? Is it because he has already been thoroughly trained in the Hebrew scriptures — so that the Babylonian culture really poses no serious threat?

Cp Moses’ early education: “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action” (Acts 7:22).

THE BABYLONIANS: Lit, “Chaldeans”. The term “Chaldean” has a double meaning in Daniel. In some places, including here, it refers to ethnic southern Babylonians (Dan 3:8; 5:30; 9:1). In others, it describes a class of astrologers and priests that emerged from the ethnic Chaldeans (Dan 2:2,4-5,10; 4:7; 5:7,11).

Dan 1:6

DANIEL: Daniel’s name probably means, “My judge is God.”

HANANIAH: Sig “Yahweh has shown grace,”

MISHAEL: Sig “Who is what God is?”

AZARIAH: Sig “Yahweh has helped.”

Dan 1:7

THE CHIEF OFFICIAL GAVE THEM NEW NAMES: The new names assigned them all included or referred to various Babylonian gods: Bel, Aku, and Nego (a possible variant of Nebo). This renaming is an obvious effort to blot out one of the distinctive marks of the Jews. Also, the practice of changing names was a way to express sovereign control over others.

These new names would have also encouraged these youths to think of themselves as part of the culture in which they were living rather than the culture from which they had come (cp Gen 41:45).

So why didn’t Daniel and his three companions resist this effort to rename them? Certainly Daniel was aware of an OT precedent for a heathen king giving a new (foreign) name to a Hebrew in his service. Pharaoh gave Joseph the name “Zaphenath-paneah” (Genesis 41:45). He knew also that Joseph did not reject this name, nor is there even so much as a hint that God considered the name defiling to Joseph.

Dan 1:8

“The command of the king, that the young men should be fed with the food and wine from the king’s table, was to Daniel and his friends a test of their fidelity to the Lord and to His law, like that to which Joseph was subjected in Egypt, corresponding to the circumstances in which he was placed, of his fidelity to God (Gen 39:7..)” (KD).

TO DEFILE HIMSELF WITH THE ROYAL FOOD AND WINE: Undoubtedly the meat and wine that they refused had been offered to the Babylonian gods (Marduk [or Bel], Nebo, Ishtar, etc) since it came from the king’s table (2Ki 25:29).

Dan 1:9

GOD HAD CAUSED THE OFFICIAL TO SHOW FAVOR AND SYMPATHY TO DANIEL: He received a favorable response (Heb “chesed”, loyal love, and “rahamim”, compassion) when he proposed a ten-day dietary test. Notice that it was Yahweh who moved the overseer’s heart (1Ki 8:50; Psa 106:46), another indication of God’s sovereignty.

Dan 1:10

I AM AFRAID OF MY LORD THE KING: He probably felt that, if he did not feed Daniel and his companions the same food as the others, and if they began to appear malnourished, then the king would have his head!

Dan 1:12

TEST YOUR SERVANTS FOR TEN DAYS: To allay the official’s fears (v 10), Daniel proposes a relatively brief test. Only 10 days would not be enough time to do irreparable damage; so presumably the effects could be reversed after the 10 days test.

Cp words to ecclesia at Smyrna: “You will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10).

“It could have cost their lives but despite that threat they pressed on determined to give God first place. In religious circles we very often hear that we must put God first. It gets drummed into us. But here is a very practical example — not a lesson — of some young men who did just that and were blessed because of it. It shows us that we can stand up and be counted for God and that when we do, God will reward us for it.

“Daniel and his three friends determined not to defile themselves with the food of the Babylonians. They wanted to stay holy to God and to put God first in their lives. This must have been a tough move. By standing apart they were going against the wishes of the most powerful man in the world, they were standing alone when all their friends were going with the flow, and their lives were on the line for just suggesting it. But because they put God first, God blessed them, so that even in their ten-day trial period, they looked healthier and better nourished than any of their equals. God also gave them more wisdom and knowledge than anyone else.

“So let us always put God first in both the small things and in the big things, and may God bless us for it” (RP).

Dan 1:15

The proposal was accepted. It would seem God divinely intervened not only making the condition of Daniel and his friends markedly superior, but in a very short period of time. Daniel’s proposal not only preserved the purity of these four Jews, but it did so in a way that benefited their superiors. After all, if Daniel and his friends were so obviously superior to the rest, the king would give some of the credit to those in charge of them.

Dan 1:17

TO THESE FOUR YOUNG MEN GOD GAVE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF ALL KINDS OF LITERATURE AND LEARNING: In addition to favor with their overseers, God gave Daniel and his three friends the ability to master the subjects they studied and wisdom in these matters (cf Jam 1:5). They may have thought that Nebuchadnezzar had designed their curriculum, but really God had. Like Moses and Paul, Daniel had an excellent educational background and an unusually brilliant mind (Acts 7:22; Phi 3:4,5).

God was working in the lives of the disobedient to bring them to repentance. He was at work in the lives of the faithful (like Daniel and his friends) to bless and prosper them, even while in captivity in Babylon. God had not forsaken Daniel and his friends; He was in control. God had given Jehoiakim and Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar (v 2). He had granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of Ashpenaz (v 9). Now He gave Daniel and his friends wisdom and knowledge which surpassed that of all others!

AND DANIEL COULD UNDERSTAND VISIONS AND DREAMS OF ALL KINDS: Visions and dreams were the primary means God used to communicate His revelations to prophets in the OT (Num 12:6). From the writer’s perspective, Daniel qualified for the blessing of receiving this special gift by choosing to remain loyal to God’s will. The parallel with Joseph is again obvious.

Dan 2; 4; 5; 7 — 12 validate this claim. There we read of no pagan divining but straightforward prophetic revelation, some in direct answer to prayer. Daniel could write this of himself without boasting because he obviously credited God with giving him his abilities.

Dan 1:19

“There will be times when we must choose between pleasing God or pleasing men. In such times we must choose to serve God and not men. Though sometimes tempted to forget and even forsake this goal, let us strive to please God and men, the ideal placed before us not only here, but elsewhere: ‘Now the boy Samuel was growing in stature and in favor both with the Lord and with men’ (1Sa 2:26). ‘When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him’ (Pro 16:7). ‘And the child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him’ (Luke 2:40). ‘And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men’ (Luke 2:52)” (Deff).

Dan 1:20

TEN TIMES BETTER THAN ALL THE MAGICIANS AND ENCHANTERS IN HIS WHOLE KINGDOM: The fact that Daniel called these other officials “magicians” (Heb “hartummim”, astrological diviners) and “conjurers” (Heb “assapim”) has raised questions about whether the four Hebrew youths practiced occult arts. If they refused to eat non-kosher food because of religious conviction, they undoubtedly would not have participated in divination and magic, which the Mosaic Law also expressly forbade (Deu 18:10-12). Probably we should understand, quite generally, that they excelled in the matter of offering wise advice to their king.

TEN TIMES BETTER: An idiom meaning many times better (cp Gen 31:7,41; Num 14:22; Neh 4:12; Job 19:3).

Dan 1:21

AND DANIEL REMAINED THERE UNTIL THE FIRST YEAR OF KING CYRUS: Cyrus’ first year as king of Babylon was 538 BC. Thus Daniel’s ministry as a government official spanned approximately 65 years (cp Dan 6:28).

Two dates bracket this first chapter, the year that Daniel went to Babylon as a captive and the year that his career ended. The content of this chapter focuses on the key to Daniel’s remarkable career. He purposed to remain faithful to God’s will even in a relatively minor matter. God blessed that commitment and gave this already gifted and diligent young man additional talents and opportunities with which to serve Him. The chapter introduces the rest of the book, which contains such remarkable revelations that the reader might question their validity without this introduction to the prophet himself.

Eze 39:1

Eze 39: Eze 39 retells the story of God’s attack and defeat but with a slightly different emphasis from that of the prior chapter. Not much attention is given to the attack itself (merely vv 1,2), whereas a great deal of space is devoted to describing the massive slaughter of Gog’s forces. In a sense, then, Eze 38 concentrates on the threat from the powers opposed to God and His people, while Eze 39 concentrates more on the deliverance of God’s people from that threat. The end of the chapter dwells at length on Israel’s restoration (vv 21-29), especially on the immediate (pre-Gog) era of that restoration. Thus the chapter starts with the distant future but ends in the nearer future, with the promise of return from captivity to the land of Canaan and the greater truths which that return points toward.

Eze 39:3

THEN I WILL STRIKE YOUR BOW FROM YOUR LEFT HAND AND MAKE YOUR ARROWS DROP FROM YOUR RIGHT HAND: The Lord promised to defeat Gog there; it would be as though He knocked his weapons out of his hands. Yahweh did not reveal whom He would use to do this or how He would do it, but Eze 38:21 suggests that at least part of the defeat would be a result of Gog’s soldiers killing one another (cp Jdg 7:22).

Eze 39:4

I WILL GIVE YOU AS FOOD TO ALL KINDS OF CARRION BIRDS AND TO THE WILD ANIMALS: Gog and his army and allies would fall in the Promised Land, and birds and beasts would eat their corpses (cf vv 17-20; Rev 19:17-21). Such a fate was the ultimate indignity in the minds of the ancients (cp Jezebel in 2Ki 9:35).

Eze 39:6

I WILL SEND FIRE ON MAGOG AND ON THOSE WHO LIVE IN SAFETY IN THE COASTLANDS: Yahweh would also destroy Gog’s homeland, Magog, and the remote homelands of his allies (the coastlands, cf Eze 26:15,18; 27:3,6,7,15,35), and those who safely inhabited these regions.

Eze 39:8

THIS IS THE DAY I HAVE SPOKEN OF: Cp Eze 38:17.

Eze 39:9

…USE THE WEAPONS FOR FUEL AND BURN THEM UP… SHIELD… BOWS AND ARROWS… WAR CLUBS… SPEARS: As in much apocalyptic prophecy (cp Rev generally), the Lord revealed to His prophet what would take place in pictures that were familiar to him. This language does not preclude the use of modern implements of warfare in the fulfillment. Here the meaning seems to be that there would be so much combustible material utilized in the invasion that the Israelites would burn it for seven years.

Eze 39:11

The Israelites would also bury Gog and his soldiers in a valley east of the Mediterranean Sea. This probably means that multitudes of the enemy would be buried there, not necessarily Gog personally (cf Rev 19:20,21; 20:10). The slaughter would be so great that it would take a large valley to accommodate all the corpses. This valley would become known as “The Valley of the Multitude of Gog.” This cemetery would be so large that travelers would not be able to pass through that part of the land. Probably the Esdraelon Valley is in view since it is east of the Mediterranean Sea and since many travelers normally passed and still pass through it. Furthermore it is the only major east-west valley in Israel. In Biblical times a major highway connecting Egypt and Mesopotamia ran through this valley. John identified this valley as the location of the battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:13-16).

GOG: Gog — of Reuben (1Ch 5:4), carried captive to land of Magog, etc (1Ch 5:26). Then he returned to “Abarim”, where he dwelt before. “Abarim” (travelers in 39:11) = “the beyond”; a mountain chain southeast of Dead Sea, in territory of Reuben (Deu 3:27; 32:49).

Eze 39:12

t would take seven months to bury all the corpses and so clean up this valley (cf Lev 5:2; 21:1; Deu 21:1-9).

Eze 39:13

All the Israelites would get involved in burying the corpses, and this would receive worldwide attention and result in glory for God.

Eze 39:17

The parallel (Rev 19:17-19) occurs AFTER Christ puts on “many crowns” and assumes the name “King of kings” (Rev 19:12,16): “Rev 19 has a vivid symbolic picture of the Word of God going forth against nations whom he is to ‘rule with a rod of iron’. He rides at the head of the armies of heaven in the character of King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. At this time an angel cries to all the birds that fly in mid-heaven: ‘Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of the mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them…” (Rev 19:13-18). What is this but the culmination of the destruction described in Eze 39? “Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come… Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth” (Eze 39:17,18)” (LD ch 1).

THE GREAT SACRIFICE: Judgment of the wicked described as a sacrifice: Rev 20:9; Gen 19:24; 2Ki 1:10-14; Psa 37:20; Eze 39:6,17-22.

Cp v 4; Isa 34:6; Jer 46:10; Zep 1:7-8. It would be like eating a great sacrifice for them, but those offered as sacrifices to the Lord would be great people of the earth rather than fat rams, lambs, goats, and bulls.

Eze 39:18

BASHAN: Bashan, to the east of the Jordan River, consistently produced fat cattle because there was so much good pasture there.

Eze 39:25

Vv 25-29: This message forms a fitting conclusion to the whole section of prophecies about Israel’s restoration to the Promised Land (Eze 33–37) as well as to those about future invasion (Eze 38; 39).

Vv 25,26: The Lord promised to restore the fortunes of Jacob. He promised to have mercy on all of them. He would do this because He wanted to maintain His reputation for holiness (His uniqueness as the only true God). When He restored them to security in the land, following this invasion, they would forget their former disgrace and treachery against Him.

Eze 39:26

THEY WILL FORGET THEIR SHAME…: This rendering is preferable over the KJV: “After that they have borne their shame…”

“This [ie, the KJV rendering] seems to indicate that Israel must suffer for their sins at the hands of Gog. Yet it need not. ‘They shall bear their shame’ (RV) may mean repentance and acknowledgement of unworthiness rather than the suffering of punishment. In other words, this passage is equivalent to the familiar words of Zec 12:10, which tells of a repentance of Israel not only BEFORE Messiah’s coming but even more poignantly AFTERWARDS.

“It should be noted that there is no hint in Eze 38; 39 that Israel suffers in any way from the northern invasion. ‘As a cloud to cover the land… to take a spoil and to take a prey’ describes intention. There is no lasting achievement. No sooner is the land overrun than it is delivered by divine power.

“The language of Eze 39:3 seems to require this conclusion: ‘I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.’ This is a picture of an invader still in action with his weapons of offence when he is annihilated. Thus any interpretation, which requires Gog’s occupation of the Land to last for several years, or even months, must be disallowed” (TofE ch 18).

Eze 39:27

Vv 27,28: When He would bring them back into the land the other nations of the world would recognize that Yahweh was different from all other gods. Also Israel would acknowledge Yahweh as her God. She would see what God had done in sending her out of the land for her sin and bringing her back permanently by His grace.

Eze 39:29

Yahweh would no longer prove inaccessible to His people, because He would bestow His Spirit on all the Israelites.

Eze 40:1

See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple not millennial.

See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple, related to the return from Babylon.

See Lesson, Animal sacrifice in the Kingdom?.

The entire section (Eze 40-48) appears to be addressing the “rebellious house of Israel” (see Eze 40:4; 44:6; 45:9). This is a house, or temple, for Israel — not for the world!

The temple of the return from exile was built “according to the command of the God of Israel” (Ezr 6:14). This appears to be a reference to the outline of Eze 40-48.

Note 13-year gap between (1) Eze 38; 39 and (2) Eze 40. No immediate context. Eze 40-48 stands alone.

“Probably it is the assumption that the temple was for use in the millennium which led to this mistaken notion of vast proportions. But where did that assumption come from? Primarily from the sequence of chapters in Ezekiel’s prophecy: (a) Eze 37 — the “resurrection” of Israel; (b) Eze 38; 39 — the great invasion of the Land, and the final divine intervention; (c) Eze 40-48 — the temple of the future age, surely.

But a careful comparison of Eze 32:1 with Eze 40:1 reveals a gap of no less than thirteen years between items (b) and (c). The connection of the temple with the preceding chapters is now seen to be illusory. Eze 40-48 stand well apart from all the rest, and are to be judged entirely on their own merits and not on context, for the context is non-existent” (FLET).

“The General Truth — That Christ will build the temple of the future age as a house of prayer for all people.

“Uncertain Detail — What will be the size of it? What will be the shape of it? There are no grounds for absolute certainty. There are strong [?] grounds for the view presented by bro Sulley in his temple book: but we should not be justified in making the reception of this view a condition of fellowship. It is sufficient that the general truth is received. Any view that may be entertained as to details is not inconsistent with the general truth” (RR, “True Principles and Uncertain Details”).

Eze 40:2

IN VISIONS OF GOD HE TOOK ME TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL: Ezekiel’s transportation in a vision back to Israel amounted to a kind of homecoming for him. He had previously been in Babylon in his visions (Eze 3:14,15; 8:3; 11:24), but now the Lord took him, as He would later take all the Israelites, back to the Promised Land.

A VERY HIGH MOUNTAIN: “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God” (Rev 21:10).

Eze 40:3

BRONZE: Bronze in Scripture often represents what is strong (cf 1Ki 4:13; Job 40:18).

A LINEN CORD AND A MEASURING ROD: The rod to measure shorter distances and the cord to measure longer ones.

A MEASURING ROD: Cp Zec 2:1; Rev 21:15.

Eze 40:4

LOOK WITH YOUR EYES AND HEAR WITH YOUR EARS AND PAY ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU: In other words, ‘Use all your senses, all your faculties, all your wits to understand divine truth.’ When there is light before your eyes, be sure — take careful pains — to see; and, when there is the Word of God spoken to you, be sure to hear. Don’t be one of those men who beholds his image in a mirror, and then goes his way and immediately forgets what manner of man he is (James 1:23,24). How much more might we understand of God’s word if we gave our whole minds to it. We tell our children to learn their lessons “by heart”. If we put the full meaning into that expression, that is the way we should learn the things of God. Learn them all over; take them into yourself by every faculty you possess; strive to get at their innermost meaning by every power that is given you — and surely God will help you to understand.

“Look with your eyes.” Examine, inspect, investigate, search! Do not let the truth flit before you and then say, “Yes, I have seen it.” No. Stop it. Hold it by meditation before the mind’s eye, and see with your eyes. Look into it. Remember what is said of the angels: “Even angels long to look into these things” (1Pe 1:12); not “to look at”, but “to look INTO”! Look into the gospel message: let your eyes be intent and steadfastly fixed upon every truth, and God will give you understanding.

“Hear with thine ears.” A man cannot use his ears for anything else, can he? Spy out the meaning with the mind’s eye; but, besides that, try to catch the very tone in which the promise or precept has been uttered. Listen for the poetry, revel in the imagery, enjoy the “music” of God’s Word. Let every part of the brain, the sensory part as well as the analytical part, HEAR it in its fulness.

But the Lord demands something more. “Pay attention to everything I am going to show you.” This is surely the way to learn from God — by loving all that He says — feeling that, whatever God says, it is the thing you want to know. Set your whole heart on the word. It has been said, “The man who has read many books is not always a learned man; but he is a strong man who has read a few books over and over till he has mastered them. He knows something. He has a grasp of thoughts and expressions, and these will build up his life.” And even more is this true if we think of the ONE BOOK of God’s Word. Set your heart upon God’s word! It is the only way to know it thoroughly: let your whole nature be plunged into it as cloth into a dye (this, as we know, is the literal meaning of the word “baptize” in the Greek — be “immersed” in it!). Become very familiar with every part of God’s Word. And, as you do so, also ask the Heavenly Father for the grace, to be willing and ready to see all that He would have you see, and to hear all that He would have you hear, and to receive into our heart all that He would have you receive. For surely — in the broadest sense — “that is why you have been brought here!”

Eze 40:5

WALL: Heb “chowmah”, occurring about 130 times in the OT, always ref the wall of a city, not the wall of a building! Sw Eze 42:15-20. (By contrast, HSul has made the wall of the city exactly the same as the wall of the building! But the common practice, in tabernacle and temple, is a wall or partition, separating that which is inside, and holy, from that which is outside, and common. In HSul’s view, the holy building is set right up against the common, or unholy, outside area.)

LONG CUBITS: A normal cubit was the distance between the tip of a person’s middle finger and the end of his elbow, about 18 inches (Deu 3:11). A handbreadth was about three inches. A long cubit was about 21 inches long, the length of a normal cubit plus a handbreadth. Since each of the cubits of the man’s measuring rod was a cubit and a handbreadth, it seems that the cubits in view in these dimensions were long cubits (cf Eze 43:13). Six long cubits (one rod) = about 10 feet.

Eze 40:6

Vv 6-16: See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: gate complex.

The amount of detail devoted to the descriptions of the gate complexes, both outer and inner, emphasizes that access into the temple will be strictly controlled. “The entire gate system resembled the multiple entry gates archaeologists discovered from the Solomonic period. There were several guard rooms (cf 1Ki 24:28; 2Ch 12:11), or alcoves, on either side of the inner part of the Solomonic gate” (Alexander, cited in Const).

Ezekiel’s guide next measured the gate of the city that faced east, that is, the gate complex. He probably measured the east gate first because it was in a direct line with the entrance to the temple proper. Temple gates provided access but restricted that access in relation to God’s presence. The threshold, the area of the gate at the top of the stairs within the wall (vv 22, 26), was one rod (six cubits) deep (c 10 feet), the thickness of the wall around the whole temple compound (v 5).

Eze 40:7

Each guardroom in the gate complex was a square one rod long and one rod wide (or six cubits by six cubits, 10 feet by 10 feet: v 12). There were really six guardrooms, three on each side of the hallway through the gate complex (v 10). A wall five cubits thick separated the guardrooms on the same sides of the hallway from each other. Beyond these guardrooms there was another threshold that led to a large portico, or vestibule room. This threshold was the same size as the one at the other end of the passage, six cubits deep and 10 cubits wide.

Eze 40:8

Vv 8,9: The “portico” or vestibule stood at the far end of the gate complex and faced the courtyard. It was eight cubits deep and 25 cubits wide. Evidently the opening from this vestibule into the courtyard was 10 cubits wide, but the “jambs” or “side pillars” supporting the door frames around the opening were one cubit wide on each side leaving an opening of eight cubits.

Eze 40:10

There was a total of six guardrooms in the gate complex, three on each side of the main hallway, and they were all the same size.

Eze 40:11

The gateway into the gate complex from the east, the main entrance, was 10 cubits wide. The main hallway (“gateway”) was 13 cubits wide.

Generally, “length” and “width”, in the early part of Scripture, relate to the measurements of the Tabernacle (Exo 25:10,17,23; 26:2,8,16; 27:18; 28:16; 30:2; 36:9,15,21; 37:1,6,10,25; 38:1,18; 39:9). Later they are elements in the descriptions of Solomon’s Temple (1Ki 6:2,20; 7:27; 2Ch 3:8; 4:1). And now they are found in Ezekiel’s description of a temple (Eze 40:11,20,21,25,36,49; 41:2,4; 42:2).

The NT has two interesting uses. The love of Christ is described by dimensions — as in the language of the tabernacle and temple (Eph 3:18). And the city of Rev 21:16 is similarly described, to mark its relationship to the previous houses of God’s Glory.

Eze 40:12

Each guardroom was six cubits square. Evidently each one had a one-cubit-thick low wall that defined each of these rooms as separate from the hallway. This low wall or ledge ran on each side of the hallway in front of the guardrooms.

Eze 40:13

The interior width of the gate complex, measuring the ceiling above one guardroom, the hallway, and another guardroom, was 25 cubits (cf v 21). Evidently there were doors in the walls of the guardrooms that covered windows or niches in those walls (cf v 16; Eze 41:16).

Eze 40:14

Vv 14,15: The height of the door frames surrounding the main gate was 60 cubits (100 feet). The gate system’s walls wrapped around from the main wall of the temple enclosure to the door jambs that framed the doorway into the courtyard (v 9). The total length of the passageway from the front gate to the doorway into the courtyard was 50 cubits.

Eze 40:16

There were shuttered windows or alcoves in the exterior walls of the guardrooms and vestibule. Representations of palm trees decorated the door frames, one on each side of each door (v 26). Palm trees were symbols of beauty, fruitfulness, salvation, glory, and the millennial age (cf Lev 23:40; 1Ki 6:29,32,35; 7:36; 2Ch 3:5; Song 7:7; Psa 92:12-14; Neh 8:15; Zech 14:16-21).

Eze 40:17

Vv 17-27: The outer courtyard.

See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: outer court.

Vv 17-19: The passageway in the eastern gate complex led into a courtyard. This was the outer court that contained an inner court within it. Around the perimeter of this outer court were 30 rooms. It is not clear if they were on three sides of the courtyard or four, and it is not clear what function they served. Perhaps they were meeting or storage rooms. A pavement, probably mosaic (cf 2Ch 7:3; Est 1:6), known as the “lower pavement” formed a 50-cubit-wide border around the outer edge of the outer courtyard (cf v 15). Ezekiel’s guide measured the outer courtyard between the outer and inner gates, and this space was 100 cubits wide (about 166 feet) on the east and north sides (and evidently on the south side too).

Eze 40:20

Vv 20-23: There was a gate complex on the north side of the wall that was identical to the one on the east (vv 6-16). It too was 50 cubits long and 25 cubits wide, excluding its stairway. Seven steps led into the gate complex from the outside up to its threshold (v 6). Looking straight through the north gate or through the east gate one could see, 100 cubits beyond (cf v 19), another inner gate complex. Ezekiel saw two of these inner gate complexes, one on the north side of the inner courtyard and one on the east side.

Eze 40:24

Vv 24-27: The measuring man took Ezekiel to the south side of the wall where he discovered the same arrangement that he had seen on the east and north sides.

Eze 40:28

Vv 28-47: The inner court. This section includes descriptions of the three inner gate complexes, the rooms and implements used for preparing sacrifices, the rooms for the singers and priests, and the inner court itself. See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: inner gates.

Vv 28-37: The inner gate complexes.

Vv 28-31: Ezekiel discovered that the south inner gate complex was the same as the outer gate complexes. All the vestibules of the three gate complexes totaled 25 cubits across and each of them was five cubits deep (rather than eight, v 9). Also there were windows or niches on all four sides and eight steps leading up to it from the outer court (cf v 22). However the portico or vestibule of this gate complex, as well as the other inner gate complexes, was facing the outer court.

Eze 40:32

Vv 32-34: The eastern inner gate complex was exactly like the southern inner gate complex. Palm tree representations adorned its door frames too.

Eze 40:38

Vv 38-47: The rooms and implements used for preparing sacrifices.

Vv 38-41: Ezekiel also saw a room outside each of the three inner gate complexes close to its doorway. There priests would rinse animals brought as burnt offerings (see Eze 43:13–46:24). Within each inner gate complex, in the vestibules, there were four tables where priests slaughtered animals brought as burnt, sin, and guilt offerings. Two tables stood on one side of each vestibule and two on the other side. There were also four tables on the outside of the northern inner gate complex, two on each side of the entrance. The north gate then had eight tables, four in the vestibule and four just outside the gate. [Since Ezekiel was describing what he saw at the northern inner gate complex (vv 35-37), it may be safe to assume that the east and south gates also had the same number of tables.]

Eze 40:42

Vv 42,43: In addition to these four tables outside the inner gate complex, Ezekiel saw four tables of dressed stone, each one and a half cubits long, one and a half cubits high, and one cubit high. These were evidently near the other tables outside the entrance to the northern gate complex and held the utensils used in slaughtering the sacrificial animals. He also saw double hooks about three inches long hanging on the walls of the vestibule. Animal flesh was on the tables, animals that were being offered in sacrifice.

Eze 40:44

Vv 44-46: The rooms for the singers and priests. There were two rooms for singers in the inner court. One of them stood beside the north inner gate, and its door faced south. It also accommodated the needs of the priests who were responsible for the care of the temple. The other room stood beside the south inner gate, and its door faced north. It was for the use of singers and the priests in charge of the altar (cf Eze 43:13-17).

Eze 40:46

THESE ARE THE SONS OF ZADOK: The faithful high priest who served during David and Solomon’s reigns (cf Eze 44:15; 1Sa 2:31-33; 2Sa 15:24-29; 1Ki 1:5-26,32-35; 2:26,27,35; 1Ch 6:3-8; 24:3).

Eze 40:47

V 47: The inner court itself. The inner court, bounded by the three inner gates and the temple itself, was a square 100 cubits (166 feet) on each side. An altar stood in this square in front of the entrance to the temple proper.

“In front of” is correct rendering of “paniym” (lit, “in the face of”). This relative position is true of all previous Temples — where the altar of sacrifice is the means of entrance to the Most Holy, and so — therefore — outside the Most Holy!

This is not compatible with Henry Sulley’s structure, which places the altar on top of a great mountain “in the center of” the Most Holy:

“1. Concerning the altar which is described as being “before the House” (Eze 40:47), the author [Henry Sulley, “The Temple of Ezekiel’s Prophecy”], having already decided in favor of a square frame of buildings, cannot put this altar ‘before the House’ without putting it outside the House altogether. So he asserts (very dubiously) that the Hebrew preposition really means ‘in the presence of,’ and from this he infers that the altar will be at the center. But the word used is the ordinary Hebrew word for ‘before.’ It is so translated scores and scores of times (Young’s Concordance does not attempt to list more than a few, and on this Strong’s is only bewildering to the student who has no Hebrew) in such phrases as ‘before the Lord’, ‘before the tabernacle’: eg, Lev 1:5; 3:8. By contrast, the reconstruction of the temple on a pattern similar to that of Solomon’s temple — which is the kind of conclusion reached by practically all students of this prophecy except Henry Sulley — puts the altar in the court of the temple, east of the Sanctuary and therefore literally and precisely ‘before the House’.

“2. A second argument for this central siting of the altar is put thus, on p 51 [of HS’s book]: ‘This altar is hypostatically representative of the divine presence’ — therefore it must be at the center! but was not the altar of burnt offering in the Tabernacle and in the First Temple just as ‘hypostatically representative of the divine presence’? Yet neither of those was in the center of the Sanctuary. The argument is a poor one.

“3. A third argument is adduced: ‘This altar must of necessity be in the center, because those who approach to it in the performance of priestly duty enter the Most Holy for that purpose’ (p 51). But does Ezekiel say so? The present writer has not been able to find any such statement. The author is surely assuming what he wants to prove.

“4. Finally on this point: ‘Ezekiel gives the detailed measurements of the altar when he is in the Most Holy’ — and this is mentioned on p 151 as ‘confirmation of this conclusion.’ Again there is something suspiciously like carelessness. For Ezekiel does not say the altar is in the Most Holy (Eze 43:12 is about the entire temple area; cp Eze 42:2; and RV rightly begins a new paragraph at v 13). Nor is it true that Ezekiel went into the Most Holy. On the contrary, when the Most Holy is being measured, Ezekiel is careful to say: “Then went he (the angel) inward, and measured…” (Eze 41:3). As a priest who was not a High Priest, Ezekiel knew that he himself had no right to enter the Most Holy.

“These four points, none of them at all satisfactory, constitute all the reasons advanced for the highly revolutionary theory that the altar must be in the center of the temple” (FLET).

Placing the altar in the center of the Most Holy, as HSul does, is very unsatisfactory for the following reason: that the animals to be offered on the altar would presumably have to be driven through the temple itself, as well as the Most Holy Place. This defies common sense, and Bible teaching as regards other altars and other sacrifices: for these were always the means by which man might be purified, and cleansed, and prepared for entrance into the divine presence, and so the altars in all previous tabernacles and temples were OUTSIDE the house itself, and certainly not in the CENTER of the house!

Eze 40:48

Eze 40:48 — Eze 41:26: The temple and its outbuilding. It is interesting to compare this temple with the one that Solomon built (1Ki 6; 7). There are similarities but also differences.

Vv 48,49: The temple entrance. The walls that supported the door frames leading into the vestibule of the temple were five cubits deep on each side of the opening. These walls protruded three cubits from the side walls of the temple on each side. The vestibule itself was 20 cubits wide and 11 cubits deep. Two columns (pillars) stood at the top of the stairs on either side of the entrance to the vestibule (cf 1Ki 7:16-20).

Eze 43:1

Vv 1-12: The return of God’s glory to the temple. (Having described the temple, God next revealed that He approved of it.)

Vv 1,2: Ezekiel’s guide next led him to the east gate in the outer wall. There the prophet saw the glory of God approaching the temple from the east (cf Deu 33:2; Isa 60:1-3). God’s glory had departed from Solomon’s temple when the Babylonians destroyed it (Eze 8; 10:4,18,19; 11:22-25). This seems to be a promise that such glory will return in the future — apparently, it never returned to the temple built by Zerubbabel, perhaps because it was not undertaken on the proper model, or completed in the manner God commanded (cp Hag 2:7).

This, therefore, may be a promise — as yet unfulfilled — which will be fulfilled when Christ returns to set up God’s Kingdom.

Eze 43:2

THE GLORY OF THE GOD OF ISRAEL COMING FROM THE EAST: The “glory of the LORD” had departed the temple and the city by degrees, as seen much earlier by Ezekiel (Eze 9:3; 10:4,18,19; 11:23). The departure had signified that God’s favor was being removed from His people and His nation, preparatory to the destruction brought by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.

But now the same “glory” is seen returning — which must surely mean a reversal of previous fortunes, and a time when Israel returns to God’s favor! In its later fulfillment, this points to the return of Christ — his second coming, when he comes back to Jerusalem, by way of the mount of Olives, east of the city. Apparently the prophet Zechariah saw this: “Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights in the day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem” (Zec 14:3,4). And the angels who witness Christ’s ascension (from the mount of Olives: Acts 1:12) seem to allude to this also, when they tell the apostles: “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

In the Last Days, there is, too, the promise of special “kings” coming from the east, and back to the city of God (Rev 16:12). This may possibly refer to the glorified saints returning to the city of their “birth” (see Psa 87!), as the embodiment of the immortalized “Body of Christ”. And this will be the ultimate, and most glorious, fulfillment of this prophecy!

HIS VOICE WAS LIKE THE ROAR OF RUSHING WATERS: God’s voice was as the sound of a mighty waterfall (powerful and majestic: cp Eze 1:24; Rev 1:15; 14:2).

AND THE LAND WAS RADIANT WITH HIS GLORY: His glory illuminated the land as it passed over it (cf Exo 34:29,30,35; Mark 9:3; 2Co 4:6; Rev 1:16; 18:1).

Eze 43:3

This vision reminded Ezekiel of the vision of God that he had seen by the river Chebar (Eze 1:3), when he saw God coming to judge Jerusalem (cf Eze 1:4-28; 9:1,5; 32:18). He responded by prostrating himself before the Lord again (cf Eze 1:28; 3:23).

Eze 43:4

THE GLORY OF THE LORD ENTERED THE TEMPLE THROUGH THE GATE FACING EAST: Yahweh’s glory entered the temple through the east gate, the same gate through which Ezekiel had formerly seen it leave the city. The Holy Spirit transported Ezekiel in his vision to the inner court, and there he saw that God’s glory had filled the temple (cf Exo 24:9-17; 34:29,30; Luke 2:8-10). Similarly the glory of God had come upon and filled the tabernacle at its dedication (Exo 40:34,35) and Solomon’s temple at its dedication (1Ki 8:10,11; 2Ch 5:13,14; 7:1-3).

An interesting preview of the departure and return of God’s glory occurred when God’s glory departed with the ark of the covenant into the Philistine camp (1Sa 4:19-22) and then returned when David brought the ark into Jerusalem (2Sa 6:17-19). Another parallel is Jesus’ departure from Jerusalem in His crucifixion, and His return to it in His second advent.

There is an ancient gate facing east in the Temple walls. It is called the Golden Gate, and many years ago it was bricked over by the Muslims — apparently under the impression that, if the gate were sealed shut, no Jewish or Christian Messiah could ever come back to God’s city and God’s temple!

“The eastern gate that overlooks the Kidron Valley today is closed as it has been since the Crusades, nearly a thousand years ago. Crusaders walled up the gate because they believed that Jesus entered the temple mount by this gate on Palm Sunday and that it should be closed until he returns to reenter the temple mount. Zech 14:4,5 presents the Messiah coming to the valley on the eastern side of the temple in preparation for his entry into the temple area. This has been regarded as biblical evidence that the gate should remain closed until Jesus returns.

“Today the eastern gate, also called the Golden Gate, is a significant holy site for three major world religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 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 Romans destroyed the wall around Jerusalem in 70 AD. The present Golden Gate dates back to the seventh century AD. The Crusaders walled it up in the eleventh century. The Ottoman Turks partially destroyed it and then repaired it in the early sixteenth century. The Turkish governor then walled it up again in 1530 AD, and it has remained closed ever since” (Cooper, cited in Const).

Eze 43:6

Vv 6-12: The significance of the vision.

The prophet heard someone speaking to him from the temple, and there was a man, probably Ezekiel’s guide, standing beside him (cf Eze 1:16).

Eze 43:7

Cp 1Ki 8:12,13,27; 1Ch 28:2; Psa 99:5; 132:7; Isa 66:1; Jer 3:17; 17:12.

THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WILL NEVER AGAIN DEFILE MY HOLY NAME: Cp Eze 39:7.

Eze 43:9

THE LIFELESS IDOLS OF THEIR KINGS: Does this refer to: (a) actual idols, (b) the bodies of the kings, or (c) symbolically, anything that men may honor and serve?

“It is not just their kings they should put away, but the carcasses of their kings — the ‘kings’ had to be dead. We must not just stop using our ‘kings’; we must make them inaccessible lest we regress– as we surely will if the temptation is left open. So let us put away the carcasses of our kings today: Col 3:5-9” (PC).

Eze 43:10

Are we ashamed of our sins, when we see the glory of God in His Temple — ie, in Christ? Cp Peter: “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” (Luk 5:8).

Eze 43:12

ALL THE SURROUNDING AREA ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WILL BE MOST HOLY: “It is now time to consider the Holy Place which is taken to be a circle of thirty self-contained and identical ‘cellae’ (as the author [HSul] is fond of calling them) round the foot of the hill. What are the grounds for concluding that these buildings are circular in arrangement? One is able to discover only two points of evidence, both of which — on examination — are palpably wrong. The first is Eze 43:12: ‘Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold this is the law of the House.’ Apparently that phrase ’round about’ is taken to require a circular shape (p 48). But the Hebrew word thus translated carries no suggestion whatever of circular shape. It is used (Eze 40:5; 45:2) of the square enclosure of the Sanctuary, of the rectangular enclosure of the Tabernacle court (Exo 27:17), of the circuit of the square altar (Eze 43:13). If more examples are needed: Eze 40:16,43; 41:5-8,10-12; Exo 38:16,20,31; 40:8,33. As a point of evidence this ’round about’ is worthless. In any case Eze 43:12 says: ‘At the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy,’ whereas HSul puts his circle of buildings at the foot of the hill” (FLET).

The other point of evidence for a “circular temple” is Eze 41:1 (see note there).

Eze 43:13

Eze 43:13–46:24: The temple ordinances: Instructions (statutes) designed to maintain holiness in the new temple follow. Yahweh specified how His people were to construct the new altar to accommodate sacrifices (Eze 43:13-17) and how they were to dedicate it (Eze 43:18-27). He revealed how they were to use the temple (Eze 44:1-9), how the priests were to function (Eze 44:10-31), and how the sacred land district was to be used (Eze 45:1-8). An exhortation to Israel’s leaders forms the center of this section (Eze 45:9-12). The rest of it contains instructions for the worship leader (Eze 45:13–46:18) and directions for the use of the priests’ kitchens (Eze 46:19-24).

See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: altar.

Vv 13-17: The altar was at the very center of the whole temple complex, and it was the centerpiece of the system of worship represented in the new temple complex.

V 13: The altar of sacrifice in the middle of the inner court, in front of the entrance to the temple proper, stood on a foundation (base) that was one long cubit thick (about 21 inches). The base extended beyond the first tier of the altar above it one cubit on all four sides. On the very outside edges of the base, a curb one span high (about nine inches) served to form a gutter around the altar. Evidently this gutter collected and channeled away the blood that flowed down the sides of the altar.

Eze 43:14

The square altar rose above its foundation in three tiers, the largest one below, the next largest one above it, and the smallest one on top. The first, largest stage was two cubits high and one cubit smaller than the foundation on each of its four sides. The second tier was four cubits high and one cubit smaller than the first tier on each of its four sides.

Eze 43:15

Vv 15,16: The third tier, which formed the altar hearth, the very top of the altar, was also four cubits high. Four horns stood on the top of the altar, one at each corner undoubtedly, symbolizing strength. This tier, the hearth, was 12 cubits (20 feet) wide on each side.

ALTAR HEARTH: Heb “ariel” (as also in v 16): HSul suggests meaning of “Lion of God”, stating: “It (the altar) will typify the terror of Yahweh: and its existence in His House will be a warning to one and all not to perform the part of the wicked…” But HAW writes: “But since only the priest would see it or come near to it (the rest being, as already mentioned, more than half a mile away [ie, by HSul’s hypothesis as to overall size and location]), this does not seem wonderfully appropriate, the more so since the priest would need the warning least of all, being a ‘son of Zadok (righteousness)’. It seems to have been overlooked not only that ‘Lion of God’ is condemned by its obvious unfitness as a name for an altar, but that Ariel may also mean ‘I will provide a ram’, with evident suitability and allusion to Gen 22:13,14” (FLET).

Eze 43:17

The second tier was 14 cubits square. It too had a curb around its upper edge that formed a gutter, and that curb was half a cubit high (cf v 13). There were to be steps up to the altar from the east. The total size of this altar was about 32 feet square at the bottom, 20 feet square at the top, and 20 feet high. Solomon’s brazen altar had been smaller (2Ch 4:1). This design made this altar resemble a small ziggurat.

Formerly the Lord had forbidden the use of steps leading up to His altars (Exo 20:24,26).

FOURTEEN CUBITS LONG AND FOURTEEN CUBITS WIDE: HAW comments: “The dimensions of the altar present further grievous difficulty. In height it appears to be 2 cubits (for the lower ‘settle’) plus 4 cubits (for the greater ‘settle’) plus 4 cubits (for the altar itself) = total 10 cubits [Eze 43:14-16]. The length and breadth (over all) = 14 cubits (Eze 43:14-17). But in these latter dimensions the word ‘cubit’ is supplied by the translators. Their common sense conclusion that all the units are cubits is curtly discarded by our author [HSul]. ‘But this is not the case,’ he asserts, though not without reason given. And the reason given is this. ‘The measure of 14 cubits does not even attain to the dimensions of the altar made by Solomon.’ Such a state of affairs is, to his mind, unthinkable. Yet, why should it be? Solomon’s temple had gold and silver and brass in abundance, almost beyond weight, whereas in this temple there is no hint of any use at all being made of any of them. One looks for more solid argument before changing cubits into reeds, six times as long. ‘We have far more reason for supplying the word “reed” rather than cubit.’ But what that reason may be is not apparent to this reader… The result of inflating the dimensions of the altar is that it is now at least 108 feet [14 ‘reeds’] on each side — big enough to take hundreds of carcasses at once. But one is left wondering how the priest would succeed in arranging these sacrifices, at a distance of more than 50 feet away. Would he walk on the altar, or would he be equipped with modern mechanical handling plant?” (FLET).

THE STEPS OF THE ALTAR FACE EAST: The AV mentions “his stairs” on the eastward side of the altar. HSul “rejects this translation in favor of another just as valid: ‘ascent’ (p 53b). He then proceeds: ‘If we adopt “ascent” as the meaning, it would indicate that the altar would be difficult of approach, if not, humanly speaking, inaccessible from any other than the east side.’ Does this really follow? The logic of this conclusion is not easy to grasp. Yet this becomes a ground for putting the altar on a mountain peak unclimbable on three sides! When, however, it is observed that the record about Israel’s altar in the wilderness and also the detail about the throne of Solomon has the same word translated ‘steps’ (Exo 20:26; 1Ki 10:19), there seems to be little enough reason for disallowing ‘stairs’ here. The same word occurs translated ‘steps’ in Eze 40:22,26,31, and the AV reading here is accepted without demur. Then why not in Eze 43:17?… One is left wondering also how the priests would transport the hundreds of sacrifices to the altar-summit of this mountain. But perhaps the powers of immortality are to make light of this toil” (FLET).

Eze 43:18

Vv 18-27: The cleansing of the altar.

V 18: The Lord told Ezekiel what to do when the construction of the altar was complete. The purpose of this altar was to receive the burnt offerings that people would bring to the Lord, and to receive the blood of those animal sacrifices.

Eze 43:19

Vv 19-21: Ezekiel was to give to one of the priests that would serve in this sanctuary, a priest from the honored line of Zadok (cp Eze 40:46; 44:15; 1Ki 2:35), a young bull for a sin offering. He was to smear some of the bull’s blood on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of its second tier (cp Exo 29:12). This would cleanse the altar and make atonement for it (ie, purify it). Similar ceremonies had taken place to cleanse the tabernacle and Solomonic temple altars (cf Exo 29:36-37; Lev 8:14-17; 2Ch 7:9). Ezekiel was to burn the remainder of this bull outside the inner court (cf Lev 8:17).

Eze 43:22

Vv 22-24: The next day Ezekiel was to offer a ram that was free of blemishes as a sin offering. This also was part of the seven-day ritual necessary to cleanse the altar. Then he should present another bull and another ram, equally blemish free, in the inner court. The priest was to throw salt on them, slay them, and offer them as burnt offerings.

Eze 43:24

SALT: An agent of purification and preservation that was often used symbolically (Lev 2:13; Num 18:19; 2Ch 13:5; Mark 9:49).

Eze 43:25

Vv 25,26: On each of the seven days Ezekiel was to prepare a goat for a sin offering and a young bull and a ram as burnt offerings. These sacrifices also had to be without blemish, and they would make atonement and purify the altar. This seven-day ceremony would consecrate the altar for service (cp Exo 29:36.37).

Eze 43:27

After the completion of this consecration ceremony, from the eighth day onward, the priests were to offer burnt and peace offerings on this altar. The Lord promised to accept the worship of His people if they followed this procedure.

Eze 44:1

Vv 1-3: The east gate.

Vv 1,2: Ezekiel’s guide next took him back to the east outer gate (cf Eze 40:6-16). The gate itself, on the east side of the gate complex, was shut and was to remain shut. The Lord told the prophet that this gate was shut because He had entered the temple complex through it (Eze 43:1-3). Its sealed condition guaranteed God’s promise that He would never depart from the temple again (Eze 37:24-28).

Eze 44:3

A prince (Heb “nasi”) who would rule over the Israelites would sit in this gate complex and eat sacrifices to the Lord there (cf Eze 34:24; 37:25; 46:2,8-10). The city gate was a place of civil and judicial business in the ancient world (cp Ruth 4:1-11). It was where the elders of the city assembled to discuss and transact important matters.

Therefore the prince is seen to be an administrator of the temple area. He would go in and out of the gate complex by way of the vestibule at its west end, but no one would be able to enter or exit the outer court through the gate at the east end of this structure.

This prince is not Messiah (altho he may prefigure the Messiah in some respects). Quite probably, this could have referred to Zerubbabel, the Prince of Judah during the time of the return from exile.

The prince will produce natural children, which the Messiah will not do (Eze 46:16). Neither is he a priest — he exercises no priestly rights — whereas Jesus Christ is of course our great High Priest. Rather, this prince functions in an intermediate status between the priests and the people (cf Eze 45:13-22; 46:2,10,18; 48:21,22).

Eze 44:4

Vv 4-14: The ordinary priests and their service.

V 4: The guide proceeded to take Ezekiel through the north inner gate into the inner court of the temple. There he saw again the glory of the Lord that filled the temple proper, and he prostrated himself before it out of fear and reverence (Eze 1:28; 43:1-5).

Eze 44:5

The LORD spoke to Ezekiel and instructed him to pay close attention to all the instructions that he would receive concerning worship in the temple (cf Eze 40:4). He needed to give special attention to the entrances leading to the temple proper because it was there that the common people came face to face with the holiness of the temple.

Eze 44:6

Vv 6-9: Ezekiel was to tell the rebellious Israelites that the Lord had had enough of all their abominations, particularly their profaning His Jerusalem temple. They had brought unbelievers into the temple, and they had misused the food brought as sacrifices to Him. They had even appointed foreigners to take care of the temple instead of taking care of it themselves.

The Mosaic Law forbade any unauthorized person from serving in the tabernacle or temple as a priest (Num 3:10). Believing foreigners could offer sacrifices there and assist the priests, but they could not serve as priests (cf Num 15:14; Isa 56:3,6; Zec 14:21). In this temple, foreigners (uncircumcised in heart and flesh, ie, unbelieving Gentiles) would not be allowed to enter the temple proper and probably not even the temple precincts (v 9; cf Ezr 4:1-3; Neh 13:1-9; Acts 21:27-31).

Eze 44:7

UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART AND FLESH: This clearly specifies “two [separate] violations. The uncircumcised in flesh — the Gentile — was clearly not to be included at this stage, being still under the old covenant, but what of the uncircumcised in heart? This refers to those who were purified by the circumcision of the flesh but whose attitude belied this — a much more dangerous situation. Circumcision of the heart is not just a NT concept. Is was expected of all under the old covenant, and it is this aspect that gave them access to salvation, which they, like us, could only obtain through faith, since the law could not save: Lev 26:41; Deu 10:16; 30:6; Jer 4:4; 9:26; Acts 7:51; Rom 2:28,29; Col 2:11-13” (PC).

Eze 44:9

NO FOREIGNER… IS TO ENTER MY SANCTUARY: “I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her” (Joel 3:17). “And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD Almighty” (Zec 14:20,21).

Eze 44:10

Vv 10-31: “If this temple is for the millennium, its priests are certainly immortal saints in Christ. But this cannot be true of Ezekiel’s priests. They are liable to sweat (Eze 44:18). They are to drink no wine when serving in the sanctuary (Eze 44:21); what a contrast with Mat 26: 29! They marry — but only into the house of Israel (Eze 44:22). They die (Eze 44:22). They are permitted to defile themselves by contact with the dead, if it be a near relation (Eze 44:25). They have no inheritance (Eze 44:28). Such a catalog of facts once again rules out all reference to immortal saints in the Kingdom” (FLET).

Vv 10-14: Such less-honorable priests are to be given lower positions. But in a millennial temple, such would be excluded altogether!

The Levites who go astray “are to be degraded to less honorable duties in the Lord’s House. But in the millennium such men will not be in the Lord’s House at all, but will be cast out as an ‘abominable branch’.

“What is the meaning of the exhortations and remonstrations addressed to ‘the house of Israel’ except it be that this prophecy is specially for them and not for ‘saints’ or ‘all nations’? The words speak for themselves: ‘Declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel’ (there is never any doubt about the words ‘these bones are the whole house of Israel’)! ‘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.’ ‘Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel, remove violence and spoil’ (Eze 40:4; 44:6; 45:9)” (FLET).

Vv 10-12: Many of the Levitical priests, who had been responsible for profaning the temple in the past, would have to bear the punishment for their iniquity. They would be able to minister in the temple by overseeing the gates and serving in the temple precincts in other ways, perhaps as foreigners had done previously. They could also slaughter the sacrificial animals at the inner gate complexes (cf Eze 40:38-43). However, since the priests had led in the ritual worship of idols and so caused the other Israelites to stumble in their walk with God, the Lord would judge them by limiting their service in this temple.

Eze 44:13

Vv 13,14: They would not be able to approach the Lord and serve Him; they could only serve the people. They would not be able to handle what was most holy, most closely associated with the Lord, in the temple. This would be a source of shame for them because of their former sins. Yet within this limitation the Lord promised to allow them to be in charge of the temple structure, its maintenance, and certain things that transpired there. (The Levites in Solomon’s day had more responsibility: 1Ch 15:16; 16:4; 23:28-31.)

Eze 44:15

Vv 15-31: The Zadokite priests.

Vv 15,16: The Levites from Zadok’s branch of the priestly family, however, would have special privileges since Zadok and his sons had served the Lord faithfully in the past (cf Eze 40:46; 1Sa 2:35; 2Sa 8:17; 15:24-29; 1Ki 2:26-35; 1Ch 6:7,8). They would be able to approach the Lord Himself and minister to Him by presenting the sacrifices of the people to Him. They had permission to enter the temple proper, to place sacrifices on the “table” (the altar, Eze 40:46, and/or the table in the holy place, Eze 41:22), and to fulfill what God commanded concerning His worship.

It is argued that only these 2 vv (15,16) ref to “sons of Zadok”, while the rest of the ch ref to a subsidiary order, the mortal Levites. But this idea puts everything out of balance: with 20 vv for the mortals (10-14,17-31) and only 2 vv for the immortals.

HAW comments: “An attempt to meet this fairly substantial difficulty has been made by arguing that the sacrificing priests are spoken of only in Eze 44:15,16 — the sons of Zadok. These two verses, it is claimed, form a parenthesis (introduced by the word ‘But’) concerning the sons of Zadok, whilst the rest of the chapter, before and after, relates to a subsidiary order — the Levites — who will be given the privilege of helping in the temple administration in a subordinate capacity.

“This argument is all too plainly an expedient to get away from an awkward set of facts, and a quite inadequate expedient at that, as the following considerations will demonstrate: (i) If this suggestion be correct, the entire section is seen to be right out of balance in its emphasis, with twenty verses (10-14, 17-31) devoted to the duties and responsibilities of these subsidiary Levites, and only two to the true (immortal) priests, ‘the sons of Zadok.’ (ii) The argument for a parenthesis rests on thin air, for the Hebrew particle translated ‘But’ which is supposed to introduce and indicate it, also begins twenty other verses in the same chapter, but is differently translated. (iii) A careful use of marginal references fully demonstrates that every detail that is written in Ezekiel regarding the Levites has its exact counterpart in the Pentateuch in Moses’ legislation for the priests. The only conclusion possible is that the distinction that is being made in Ezekiel is of a different kind — between priests like Jeremiah and Ezekiel who had been faithful and others who had not” (FLET).

Eze 44:17

Vv 17,18: The Zadokite priests would need to wear linen, not wool, garments when they served the Lord in the temple sanctuary and the inner gates and court (cf Exo 28:42; Lev 16:4; Rev 19:8). This included linen turbans and underwear. Wool may have been an unacceptable material too because it is a product of animals, whereas linen comes from plants.

Generally, cp lessons in Rev 16:15; 22:14.

Eze 44:18

THEY MUST NOT WEAR ANYTHING THAT MAKES THEM PERSPIRE: No fabric that caused them to sweat would be acceptable because perspiration would make them wet, and dry skin stays cleaner than sweaty skin.

These are plainly mortal priests — being liable to sweat!

Eze 44:19

Vv 19,20: When the priests went into the outer court they would first have to change their clothes in the rooms designated for that purpose (Eze 42:1-14) so they would not transmit what was holy to what was common (cf Lev 6:11). Contact with holy things consecrated those things and brought them under the restrictions governing holy things (cf Exo 29:37; 30:29; Lev 6:27; Hag 2:12). They were also to keep their hair trimmed, not let it grow long or shave it all off. Long hair signified mourning, and pagan, idolatrous priests used to shave all their hair off as a sign of mourning (cf Lev 10:6; 21:5,6,10).

Eze 44:21

NO PRIEST IS TO DRINK WINE WHEN HE ENTERS THE INNER COURT: For reasons, cp Lev 10:9. Ct with the immortal “priests” in the Kingdom of God: Mat 26:29: “I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on UNTIL that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Eze 44:22

They could only marry virgin Israelite women or the widows of former priests. Under the Mosaic system these marrying restrictions bound only the high priest (Lev 21:7,14), but under the new system they will apply to all Zadokite priests.

VIRGINS OF ISRAELITE DESCENT: The “temple virgins” of 2Ch 36:17 (see refs there).

Eze 44:23

Part of the priests’ job would be to teach the people the difference between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean. The people would learn this difference as they observed the distinctions prescribed here and as the priests explained them to them (cf Eze 22:26; Lev 10:10,11; 11:47; Deu 33:10). The priests were by their lives to be examples of separateness; their ritual holiness was intended to promote ethical holiness among the people they were called to serve (cp 1Pe 1:13-16).

Eze 44:24

The Zadokite priests were also to serve as judges for the people and to make decisions in harmony with the Lord’s laws (cf Deu 17:9; 19:17; 21:5). They themselves would have to keep His laws and His rules concerning the appointed feasts, and they would have to observe the Sabbath Day.

Eze 44:25

Vv 25-27: The Zadokite priests would not be able to have any contact with a dead corpse except in the case of their own immediate families (cf Lev 21:1-3). After his initial cleansing from the defilement caused by contact with a corpse, the priest would have to wait seven days before resuming his priestly duties (cf Num 19:11-19). On his first day of service after his cleansing, he would have to go into the inner court and offer a sin offering for himself.

Eze 44:28

Vv 28,29: These priests would receive no other inheritance in the land but the privilege of serving the Lord in the special ways that He permitted. The Lord would designate a portion of the land in which they would live (Eze 45:4; 48:10,11), but this was not their inheritance. The perquisites of this inheritance would include the privilege of eating parts of the best grains and animals that the people brought to the Lord as sacrifices (cf Deu 25:4; cp 1Co 9:9-12; 1Ti 5:18). Everything that the people would bring as offerings to the Lord would go to them. These were “devoted” (Heb “herem”) things, things given that the offerer could not buy back (Lev 27:21,28; Num 18:14).

Eze 44:30

Vv 30,31: They would also receive the best parts of the firstfruits of every kind that the people brought to the Lord. The Lord would bless the people who were careful to provide the priests with their firstfruits (cf Mal 3:8-12; 2Co 9:10,11). Priests were not to eat any animals that died a natural death or had been slain in a way other than as a sacrifice to the Lord (Lev 17:5; 22:8; Deu 14:21). These animals might be inferior and might carry communicable diseases.

Eze 45:1

Vv 1-8: The sacred district in the Promised Land: Yahweh next gave Ezekiel directions for the division of some of the Promised Land. (Instructions about apportioning the rest of the land follow later: Eze 47:13–48:35.)

See Lesson, Ezekiel’s temple: prince’s land.

V 1: The Israelites were to set aside one part of the LORD’s land for His use, for specially holy purposes. It was to be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide (about 8.3 miles by 3.3 miles). It was to be considered holy within all its boundaries.

Eze 45:2

Vv 2-4: Within this area of v 1 there was to be a space 500 cubits by 500 cubits. This was the size of the temple complex (Eze 42:20). Surrounding this complex there would be an open space of an additional 50 cubits, a kind of green belt. This space would illustrate and emphasize the holiness of the sanctuary area. The temple sanctuary would stand within this 25,000 by 10,000 cubits area and constitute the most holy part of the land. The Zadokite priests would live in the land outside the open space around the temple complex within this larger area (Eze 48:10-12).

Eze 45:5

The other Levites would occupy another 25,000 by 10,000 cubits area beside the one just described (Eze 48:13). It would evidently be immediately to the north. (Under the Mosaic system the priests and Levites lived scattered throughout Israel, not all in very close proximity to the temple as here.)

Eze 45:6

Another parcel of land 25,000 by 5,000 cubits (about 8.3 miles by 1.7 miles), apparently immediately to the south, would contain the city of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites would have access to it. Later Ezekiel clarified that the city itself would occupy the center of this portion of land, and suburbs, or city lands, would flank it on the east and the west (Eze 48:15,17-19).

Eze 45:7

Eze 45:7–46:18: “Who is the Prince of Ezekiel 45; 46? Most assume that he is the Messiah. Others suggest that he is David. But what is stated concerning him rules out both of these possibilities. He is not a priest, certainly not a High Priest (Eze 46:2). He is to enter the Sanctuary no further than the gate of the court of the priests (Eze 46:2). He offers sacrifices for himself and for his sins (Eze 45:22; 46:10-12). He is subject to death (Eze 46:17,18; note the word ‘inheritance’). He has a wife and sons (Eze 46:16). He is allowed to bestow gifts only from his own inheritance (Eze 46:17,18). He is warned against exercising oppression (Eze 45:8; 46:18). A succession of princes seems to be implied (Eze 45:8). Such details require reference to a mortal prince of Israel” (FLET). Perhaps to Zerubbabel, the Judahite prince of the time of the Return.

This suggests that the temple was not intended for the millennium but for the time when the Jews would return to the Land of their fathers from captivity in Babylon.

V 7: The prince (cf Eze 44:3) would also receive a special land allotment to the west and to the east of the city portions and the holy areas occupied by the Zadokites and the Levites (cp Eze 48:21,22). There was no specially designated area in which the kings of Israel lived in former times except the royal palaces, which were much smaller.

Eze 45:8

THE PRINCE WILL HAVE THE LAND BORDERING EACH SIDE OF THE AREA FORMED BY THE SACRED DISTRICT AND THE PROPERTY OF THE CITY: A summary of the previous verses.

AND MY PRINCES: Or “they”, as in AV: this indicates a succession of princes — who must therefore be MORTAL, not immortal.

BUT WILL ALLOW THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL TO POSSESS THE LAND ACCORDING TO THEIR TRIBES: The rest of the Promised Land would be the portion of the other Israelites (Eze 48). The whole arrangement would contribute to the equitable governing of the Israelites and would discourage rulers from oppressing the people (cf. 11:1-13; 14:1-11; 20:1 — 23:49; 34:1-10).

Eze 45:9

Eze 45:9–46:24: Regulations for offerings and feast days.

Vv 9-12: An exhortation to Israel’s leaders.

V 9: Yahweh next commanded the leaders of the Israelites to stop destroying the people, treating them violently, and appropriating their possessions for themselves. This is a common cry in the Bible (Lev 19; 35; Deu 25:13-16; Pro 11:1; Amos 8:5; Mic 6:10-12; Mat 5:23,24). Rather, they should treat them fairly and do what was right.

Eze 45:10

Vv 10-12: They should also be fair in their commercial dealings. Their basic dry and liquid measures, an ephah (about one-half bushel) and a bath (about six gallons), were to be standard and equal. An ephah should always be a tenth of an homer (five to six bushels), and a bath should always be a tenth of an homer. Likewise weights should be the same.

Eze 45:13

Vv 13-17: Offerings for the prince: Unlike the unfair leaders in Israel’s past, the prince would be faithful to the LORD and upright in his dealings with the Israelites.

Vv 13-15: The Israelites would bring offerings to the temple periodically — how often is not clear. The amounts probably represent what they would bring for the service of the temple (cp Exo 30:11-16). As the following verses show, the prince would take the lead in presenting these offerings to the LORD, with the assistance of the Zadokite and other Levitical priests, at various times during the year.

Eze 45:16

Vv 16,17: The people should bring these offerings to the prince for him to offer on their behalf on special occasions: feasts, new month celebrations, and Sabbaths.

Eze 45:18

Vv 18-25: Regulations for the feasts.

Vv 18,19:         On the first day of each year the people should offer a young bull without blemish to cleanse the accumulated sinful defilement of the sanctuary. The priest in charge was to apply some of the blood of a sin offering to the door frames of the temple proper, the four corners of the altar of sacrifice, and the door frames of the inner court of the temple.

Eze 45:20

Another offering was to occur on the seventh day of the new year, and it would cover the guilt of sins committed ignorantly. It too would result in the cleansing of the temple for another year.

Eze 45:21

Vv 21-24: On the fourteenth day of the first month of the year the Israelites were to celebrate the Passover and then a seven-day feast using unleavened bread (cp Exo 12:1-14; Lev 23:5-8; Num 28:16-25). On the day of the Passover the prince would offer a bull as a sin offering for himself and the people. During the seven days of this Passover festival the prince would also offer each day seven bulls and seven rams without blemish as a burnt offering of worship and one ram for a sin offering. He would offer with each bull and each ram one ephah (about one-half bushel) of grain as a grain offering plus a hin (about one gallon) of oil with the grain.

Eze 45:22

THE PRINCE IS TO PROVIDE A BULL AS A SIN OFFERING FOR HIMSELF: Thus proving that this “prince” is a mortal man, and not the glorified Lord Jesus Christ.

Eze 45:25

On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, at the feast on that day, the prince would repeat the cycle of offerings he made during the Passover. This feast corresponds to the seven-day feast of Tabernacles under the Mosaic system (Lev 23:39-43; Num 29:12-38).