Ezekiel 44:1-16
THE STATUS OF THE PRINCE, THE LEVITES, AND THE PRIESTS... [ Continue Reading ]
THE STATUS OF THE PRINCE, THE LEVITES, AND THE PRIESTS... [ Continue Reading ]
Then He brought me back the way of the gate of the outward Sanctuary which looketh toward the east, so that Ezekiel could observe it closely from the court; AND IT WAS SHUT, locked against all those who might desire to enter.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said the Lord unto me, in explaining this unusual condition of affairs, THIS GATE SHALL BE SHUT, IT SHALL NOT BE OPENED, AND NO MAN SHALL ENTER IN BY IT; BECAUSE THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, HATH ENTERED IN BY IT, 43:4, THEREFORE IT SHALL BE SHUT, so that the glory of the God of the Covenant wo... [ Continue Reading ]
It is for the prince, the ruler of the Lord's people; THE PRINCE, HE SHALL SIT IN IT TO EAT BREAD BEFORE THE LORD; HE SHALL ENTER BY THE WAY OF THE PORCH OF THAT GATE AND SHALL GO OUT BY THE WAY OF THE SAME. It is evident that the prophecy here has Messianic conditions in mind, that we have here "an... [ Continue Reading ]
Then brought He me the way of the north gate before the house, that is, the inner north gate; AND I LOOKED, AND, BEHOLD, THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLED THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, as the prophet could see from his position near the Sanctuary; AND I FELL UPON MY FACE, once more overcome by the majesty of th... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Lord said unto me, Son of man, mark well, literally, "direct thy heart," AND BEHOLD WITH THINE EYES AND HEAR WITH THINE EARS ALL THAT I SAY UNTO THEE CONCERNING ALL THE ORDINANCES OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND ALL THE LAWS THEREOF, Ezekiel 43:11; AND MARK WELL THE ENTERING IN OF THE HOUSE, WI... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God, He who has unlimited power and authority, O YE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, they who bore the name of the faithful patriarch, LET IT SUFFICE YOU OF ALL YOUR ABOMINATIONS, of which they surely had performed their fill and... [ Continue Reading ]
in that ye have brought into My Sanctuary strangers, literally, "children of a stranger," UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART, knowing nothing of repentance and faith, AND UNCIRCUMCISED IN FLESH, not having even the outward badge of the covenant people, TO BE IN MY SANCTUARY, for non-Israelites were not permitte... [ Continue Reading ]
And ye have not kept the charge of Mine holy things, in treating the appointments of the Temple without the reverence which He demands; BUT YE HAVE SET KEEPERS OF MY CHARGE IN MY SANCTUARY FOR YOURSELVES, literally, "but ye appoint for keepers of My charge in My Sanctuary those," that is, such peopl... [ Continue Reading ]
Thus saith the Lord God, No stranger, uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My Sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. Only such as have, by repentance and faith, become fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God, are acceptable... [ Continue Reading ]
And the Levites that are gone away far from Me, when Israel went astray, joining the people in their apostasy, in spite of better knowledge, WHICH WENT ASTRAY AWAY FROM ME AFTER THEIR IDOLS, in the idolatry which was Israel's chief transgression; THEY SHALL EVEN BEAR THEIR INIQUITY.... [ Continue Reading ]
Yet they shall be ministers in My Sanctuary, in charge of some minor services, HAVING CHARGE AT THE GATES OF THE HOUSE, as porters and guards, AND MINISTERING TO THE HOUSE, thereby demoted from the rank and functions of priests to those of ordinary Levites; THEY SHALL SLAY THE BURNT OFFERING AND THE... [ Continue Reading ]
Because they ministered unto them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, instead of hindering their idolatrous endeavors; THEREFORE HAVE I LIFTED UP MINE HAND AGAINST THEM, SAITH THE LORD GOD, AND THEY SHALL BEAR THEIR INIQUITY, by having their rank and position tak... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall not come near unto Me to do the office of a priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things, the appointments used in the service of the Sanctuary, in the Most Holy Place, but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.... [ Continue Reading ]
But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, of a decidedly secondary rank, FOR ALL THE SERVICE THEREOF AND FOR ALL THAT SHALL BE DONE THEREIN. There is only one comforting thought in this section, namely, that one may be a believer, and that in a distinguished place, and yet lose some s... [ Continue Reading ]
But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of My Sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, remaining faithful in the midst of the general apostasy and therefore types of the true priestly character, THEY SHALL COME NEAR TO ME TO MINISTER UNTO ME, in perfor... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall enter into My Sanctuary, being accorded this privilege with all those who are children of God in truth, AND THEY SHALL COME NEAR TO MY TABLE, namely, the altar of incense, TO MINISTER UNTO ME; AND THEY SHALL KEEP MY CHARGE. The priests of the line of Ithamar were discharged from the offic... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall come to pass that, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, for the performance of the special functions pertaining to their office, THEY SHALL BE CLOTHED WITH LINEN GARMENTS, as were the priests of old, Exodus 28:39; AND NO WOOL SHALL COME UPON THEM WHILES THEY MINISTER IN T... [ Continue Reading ]
ORDINANCES FOR THE PRIESTS IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, a special kind of turban, AND SHALL HAVE LINEN BREECHES UPON THEIR LOINS; THEY SHALL NOT GIRD THEMSELVES WITH ANYTHING THAT CAUSETH SWEAT, literally, in sweat," so that their garments would carry the odor of perspiration.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered and lay them in the holy chambers, in the vestry-cells provided for that purpose, AND THEY SHALL PUT ON OTHER GARMENTS; AND THEY SHALL NOT SANCTIFY THE PEOP... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither shall they shave their heads, which was a heathenish custom and therefore forbidden to priests of old, Leviticus 21:5, NOR SUFFER THEIR LOCKS TO GROW LONG, Leviticus 10:6; THEY SHALL ONLY POLL THEIR HEADS, keep their hair properly trimmed.... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court, as being typical of the sobriety of the soul, which could be expected from one who devoted his life to the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, the ordinance of Leviticus 21:13 thus being extended to include not only the high priest, hut all the ordinary priests as well, NOR HER THAT IS PUT AWAY, namely, with the stain of guilt upon her, Leviticus 21:7; BUT THEY SHALL TAKE MAIDENS OF THE SEED... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and profane and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. Cf Leviticus 10:10; Deuteronomy 33:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
And in controversy they shall stand in judgment, perform the office of judge in deciding controversies pertaining to the Law of God, thus extending the duties enjoined Deuteronomy 17:8; Deuteronomy 19:17; Deuteronomy 21:5; AND THEY SHALL JUDGE IT ACCORDING TO MY JUDGMENTS, in all matters of differen... [ Continue Reading ]
And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves, namely, by touching or handling a corpse; BUT FOR FATHER, OR FOR MOTHER, OR FOR SON, OR FOR DAUGHTER, FOR BROTHER, OR FOR SISTER THAT HATH HAD NO HUSBAND, THEY MAY DEFILE THEMSELVES. Cf Leviticus 21:1.... [ Continue Reading ]
And after he is cleansed, namely, after coming into contact with the body of a dead person, THEY SHALL RECKON UNTO HIM SEVEN DAYS, this period being demanded in addition to the time of cleansing, Numbers 19.... [ Continue Reading ]
And in the day that he goeth into the Sanctuary, to resume the functions of his office, UNTO THE INNER COURT, TO MINISTER IN THE SANCTUARY, HE SHALL OFFER HIS SIN-OFFERING, SAITH THE LORD GOD. Cf Leviticus 4:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
And it shall be unto them for an inheritance: I am their Inheritance; and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their Possession. Cf Numbers 18:20; Deuteronomy 18:1; Deuteronomy 10:9. They were not to concern themselves with the cares of life, but be devoted entirely to the service of the... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall eat the meat-offering and the sin-offering and the trespass-offering, in agreement with the ancient provisions of the Law, Leviticus 2:3; Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 7:6; AND EVERY DEDICATED THING IN ISRAEL SHALL BE THEIRS. Cf Leviticus 27:21.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the first of all the first-fruits of all things, which had to be dedicated to the Lord, Exodus 23:19; Exodus 34:26; Numbers 18:13; Deuteronomy 28:4, AND EVERY OBLATION OF ALL, gifts offered to the Lord by heaving and waving, OF EVERY SORT OF YOUR OBLATIONS, SHALL BE THE PRIEST'S, as part of his... [ Continue Reading ]
The priest shall not eat of anything that is dead of itself, as a result of disease, OR TORN, WHETHER IT BE FOWL OR BEAST, for to do so defiled every man, all the more therefore the priests of Jehovah. "Only what Jehovah gives to them and His Sanctuary in offerings and dues, which, however, must nev... [ Continue Reading ]