INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 44 This chapter treats of the eastern gate of the temple being appropriated to the use of the prince, Ezekiel 44:1, of the sin of the Lord's people, in admitting strangers and unholy persons into the sanctuary, either to officiate or communicate there, Ezekiel 44:4 of the de... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN HE BROUGHT ME BACK THE WAY OF THE GATE OF THE OUTWARD SANCTUARY,.... The prophet was brought by his divine guide, from the altar of burnt offerings, which stood before the house, where he had given him the dimensions of it, and the ordinances concerning it, to the temple or holy place, called t... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID THE LORD UNTO ME, THIS GATE SHALL BE SHUT,.... In time to come, as Jarchi interprets it, in the latter day; it was shut, and it should continue to be shut: IT SHALL NOT BE OPENED; any more; though it has been, yet hereafter no more: AND NO MAN SHALL ENTER IN BY IT, into the house of the... [ Continue Reading ]
IT IS FOR THE PRINCE: THE PRINCE SHALL SIT IN IT TO EAT BREAD BEFORE THE LORD,.... Or, "as for the prince, the prince shall sit in it" e; in the gate which is shut to others: not the high priest, as Jarchi, though he might have a particular seat in the temple, as Eli had in the tabernacle, 1 Samuel... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN BROUGHT HE ME THE WAY OF THE NORTH GATE BEFORE THE HOUSE,.... The north gate of the inward court, whither he was brought from the east gate, which was shut: this, and what follow, may have some respect to the churches in these our northern parts of the world, in their now declining circumstance... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID UNTO ME, SON OF MAN,.... This is still the voice of the Lord speaking out of the house to the prophet, Ezekiel 43:6: MARK WELL; or, "set thine heart" f; be attentive to what is about to be said, as being of great concern and importance: AND BEHOLD WITH THINE EYES, AND HEAR WITH T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THOU SHALT SAY TO THE REBELLIOUS, EVEN TO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL,.... This is a character of literal Israel from the beginning, Deuteronomy 9:24, and frequently given it in this prophecy, Ezekiel 2:2 Ezekiel 3:9 and well agrees with these declining churches in the latter day, and even in our times;... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THAT YE HAVE BROUGHT INTO MY SANCTUARY STRANGERS,.... Unregenerate men, who are in a state of alienation and estrangement to divine and spiritual things: strangers to God; to the true knowledge of him in Christ; to the fear and love of God; to the true grace of God in conversion; and to communion... [ Continue Reading ]
AND YE HAVE NOT KEPT THE CHARGE OF MINE HOLY THINGS,.... That is, have not kept and retained the holy doctrines of the Gospel; nor observed the holy ordinances of it, as they were first delivered: BUT YE HAVE SET KEEPERS OF MY CHARGE IN MY SANCTUARY FOR YOURSELVES; meaning either, that such as were... [ Continue Reading ]
THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... This that follows is the law and rule to be observed, and which will be observed by the churches in the latter day, though so little regarded now: NO STRANGER UNCIRCUMCISED IN HEART, NOR UNCIRCUMCISED IN FLESH, SHALL ENTER INTO MY SANCTUARY; of these Ezekiel 44:7 unrege... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LEVITES THAT ARE GONE AWAY FAR FROM ME,.... These Levites were priests, as appears from Ezekiel 44:13, who professed themselves Gospel preachers, ministers of the reformed churches; but departed from the reformation principles; erred from the faith; and either mixed it with the doctrines of... [ Continue Reading ]
YET THEY SHALL BE MINISTERS IN MY SANCTUARY,.... Though degraded from their office as priests and ministers of the word, yet being restored from their sins and errors, shall have a place in the house of God, and do their work there in a less honourable and a more servile way; as in former times, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE THEY MINISTERED UNTO THEM BEFORE THEIR IDOLS,.... Had officiated for them in the priest's office, their idols being in the courts of the Lord at the same time; or preached unto them false doctrines, such as are not agreeable to the word of God; and led them into superstition and will worship... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL NOT COME NEAR UNTO ME, TO DO THE OFFICE OF PRIEST UNTO ME,.... To bring the sacrifice to the altar, and offer it there; to sprinkle the blood, or burn the fat, or the incense; to intercede for the people, or bless them; see Hosea 4:6: NOR TO COME NEAR TO ANY OF MY HOLY THINGS IN THE... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I WILL MAKE THEM KEEPERS OF THE CHARGE OF THE HOUSE,.... To be watchmen or porters in it; to open and shut the doors of it; to sweep and keep it clean; to repair and mend it, and to do such like works, as it follows: FOR ALL THE SERVICE THEREOF, AND FOR ALL THAT SHALL BE DONE THEREIN; in a serv... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, THE SONS OF ZADOK;.... The priests who were of the tribe of Levi, whom the Lord chose and separated, to minister to him, and so had a lawful call to this office, and were regularly invested with it; and design true and lawful, as well as faithful, ministers of the word;... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL ENTER INTO MY SANCTUARY,.... Both to officiate, and to participate, which strangers and uncircumcised persons might not do, Ezekiel 44:9: AND THEY SHALL COME NEAR TO MY TABLE TO MINISTER UNTO ME; which some understand of the altar of burnt offering, which was as a table, and the sacrific... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT WHEN THEY ENTER IN AT THE GATES OF THE INNER COURT,.... The priests before described; when they enter the right way into a true Gospel church, consisting of such who are internally renewed, and have an inward work of grace upon their hearts, and are inward court worsh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL HAVE LINEN BONNETS UPON THEIR HEADS,.... Denoting gravity and modesty, subjection to God, and authority among men under him; and also purity of doctrine, and clearness of light and knowledge: AND SHALL HAVE LINEN BREECHES UPON THEIR LOINS; expressive of chastity; see Exodus 28:40: T... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY GO FORTH INTO THE UTTER COURT,.... Out of the inner court where they minister, when they have done their service: EVEN INTO THE UTTER COURT TO THE PEOPLE; out of the church into the world, where the people are, doing their business, whether good men or bad: THEY SHALL PUT OFF THEIR G... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL THEY SHAVE THEIR HEADS,.... As the priests and worshippers of Isis and Serapis did, as Jerom on the text observes; and as the Romish priests now do, from whom the Lord's faithful ministers must be distinguished: NOR SUFFER THEIR LOCKS TO GROW LONG; as the Nazarites, that a distinction... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL ANY PRIEST DRINK WINE,.... That is, to excess, immoderately, so as to be inebriated with it, Leviticus 10:9, should not be given to it, and greedy of it, and drink it so as to disguise themselves: this is reckoned among the qualifications of a Gospel minister, 1 Timothy 3:3, otherwise... [ Continue Reading ]
NEITHER SHALL THEY TAKE FOR THEIR WIVES A WIDOW,.... Who has been not only another man's, but at her own will, and done her own pleasure, and been her own mistress, and so not easily brought into subjection, and to behave as becoming her station: OR HER THAT IS PUT AWAY; or, "thrust forth" q; out o... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL TEACH MY PEOPLE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE HOLY AND THE PROFANE,.... Persons and things; not in a ceremonial, nor merely in a moral, but in an evangelical sense, between truth and error; between the doctrine which is according to godliness, and that which is corrupt and unsound, and e... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN CONTROVERSY THEY SHALL STAND IN JUDGMENT,.... When any controversy arises among the saints concerning civil things, this shall not be carried into a court of judicature, of the men of the world; but it shall be brought before the church, and there heard, tried, judged, and determined; the min... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL COME AT NO DEAD PERSON TO DEFILE THEMSELVES,.... Shall not come into places where they are, nor touch them, nor attend their funerals, Leviticus 21:1, that their work might not be interrupted, or they through grief and sorrow be made unfit for it, Matthew 8:22, this, in a spiritual se... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER HE IS CLEANSED,.... From any sin or iniquity, failing and imperfection, that he has been guilty of at such seasons, in mourning for the dead, by a fresh application of the blood of Christ, which cleanses from all sin; typified by the water of separation, made of the ashes of the red heifer... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THE DAY THAT HE GOETH INTO THE SANCTUARY,.... Into the house and church of God, after his cleansing, and when the seven days from thence are up: UNTO THE INNER COURT, TO MINISTER IN THE SANCTUARY; among the inward court worshippers, to minister in things to them; to preach the Gospel, and ad... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE UNTO THEM FOR AN INHERITANCE,.... Either the sin offering, or the priesthood, and the perquisites belonging to it: or, THEY SHALL HAVE AN INHERITANCE r; but what shall it be? God himself: I AM THEIR INHERITANCE; the Lord is the portion and inheritance of his people, who are made pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL EAT THE MEAT OFFERING, AND THE SIN OFFERING, AND THE TRESPASS OFFERING,.... Which were typical of Christ; the meat offering, or rather bread offering, it being made of fine flour, was a type of Christ the bread of life; and the sin and trespass offerings pointed at his being made sin and... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE FIRST OF ALL THE FIRST FRUITS OF ALL THINGS, AND EVERY OBLATION, OF ALL OF EVERY SORT OF YOUR OBLATIONS SHALL BE THE PRIESTS,.... Suggesting, that their offerings or contributions, which should be made out of their substance, should be in proportion to it, and early as well as free; see Prov... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIESTS SHALL NOT EAT OF ANYTHING THAT IS DEAD OF ITSELF, OR TORN,.... They shall have no need to eat of such things, being plentifully provided for with better; nor will it become them so to do through avarice, not allowing themselves to enjoy what is liberally given them. Here the Jewish docto... [ Continue Reading ]