CHAPTER 45 THE NEW LAND AND THE NEW VISION. What is written here appears at first sight to be simply an idealistic arrangement for the division of the land by lot at the return from exile, in a similar way to the Mosaic idealistic arrangements carried into fruition by Joshua (Numbers 26:52), which n... [ Continue Reading ]
THE ALLOTMENT OF THE SACRED PORTION. “Moreover when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you will offer a gift-offering to Yahweh, a holy portion of the land. The length shall be the length of twenty five thousand, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. It shall be holy in all its surroundin... [ Continue Reading ]
“It is a holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, for the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to Yahweh. And it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.” Once again we have the stress on the fact that the holy sanctuary is surrounded by a... [ Continue Reading ]
“And twenty five thousand in length by ten thousand in breadth shall be to the Levites, the ministers of the house, for a possession to themselves, for twenty chambers.” A further allocation of land is to be given to the Levites, of similar size to that given to the priests. This would seem to be se... [ Continue Reading ]
“And you will appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and twenty five long, side by side with the gift-offering of the holy portion. It shall be for the whole house of Israel.” ‘The city' is also deliberately and specifically established outside ‘the holy portion'. To a people who t... [ Continue Reading ]
“And what is to belong to the prince will be on one side and on the other side of the holy gift and of the possession of the city, in front of the holy gift and the possession of the city on the west side westward and on the east side eastward, and in length comparable to one of the portions from th... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD'S WORD TO THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL (EZEKIEL 45:9). The Need For The Prince To Ensure Justice and Fair Weights and Measures. ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “Let it be enough for you, O princes of Israel. Remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice. Take away your evictions from my peo... [ Continue Reading ]
THE OBLATIONS TO BE PAID TO THE PRINCE TO ENABLE HIM TO MAKE THE NECESSARY SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS FOR THE PEOPLE (EZEKIEL 45:13). “This is the oblation that you shall offer, the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of wheat, and you shall give the sixth part of an ephah from a homer of barley, and th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE TO BE RESPONSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT THE OFFERINGS ARE OFFERED. “And it shall be the prince's part to give the whole burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the libations (drink or oil offerings), in the feasts and in the new moons and in the sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE'S SACRAL RESPONSIBILITIES (EZEKIEL 45:17). Ezekiel was aware what the limited role of the Prince would initially be on their return to the land. The land would be ruled by governors appointed by Persia, and the Prince could only therefore have a limited local role. But with regard to the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR CLEANSING THE SANCTUARY AND THE PEOPLE AT THE NEW YEAR. ‘Thus says the Lord Yahweh, “In the first month, on the first day of the month, you will take a young bullock without blemish, and you will cleanse the sanctuary. And the priest will take of the blood of the sin... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRINCE'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PASSOVER AND THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES. What is described clearly abbreviates ancient ceremonies already known, the full details of which did not need to be described. The point being made here is the Prince's responsibility for them. The Passover lambs themselves... [ Continue Reading ]
“In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, during the feast he will do the like for seven days, with regard to the sin offering, with regard to the whole burnt offering, with regard to the meal offering and with regard to the oil.” In the seventh month, the agricultural new year, at... [ Continue Reading ]