Ezekiel 45:18

Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary: In the first month, in the first day ... thou shalt take a young bullock ... and cleanse the sanctuary. THE YEAR IS TO BEGIN WITH A CONSECRATION SERVICE, NOT MENTIONED UNDER THE LEVITICAL LAW; BUT AN EARNEST OF IT IS GIVEN IN THE FEAST OF DEDICATION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE, WHICH CELEBRATED ITS PURIFICATION BY JUDAS MACCABEUS, AFTER ITS DEFILEMENT BY ANTIOCHUS....

Verse Ezekiel 45:18. _THOU SHALT TAKE A YOUNG BULLOCK - AND CLEANSE THE_ _SANCTUARY._] There is nothing of this in the Mosaic law; it seems to have been a new ceremony. An annual purification of the sanctuary may be intended....

This order of certain solemn services does not follow exactly the order of Moses, of Solomon, or of Ezra. The deviation can scarcely have been accidental, and furnishes a fresh indication that the whole vision is symbolic, representative of the times when, after the oblation of the one Sacrifice, reconciliation and sanctification were effected for man through the presence of God dwelling in the midst of the people. Ezekiel 45:18 IN THE FIRST DAY - If this is only a special Passover for the dedication, the prolongation of the festival may be compared with that under Solomon 2 Chronicles 7:8. But it is more probably a general ordinance, and, in this case, we have an addition to the Mosaic ritual (compare...

EXPOSITION From the sustenance of the priests (Ezekiel 44:29-26), the new Torah naturally passes in the present chapter to the maintenance of the temple service as a whole, setting forth in the first section of the chapter (Ezekiel 45:1) the portions of land that should be allotted respectively to the sanctuary, _i.e._ for the temple buildings, and the priests' and Levites' houses (Ezekiel 45:1), to the city and its inhabitants, that they might be able to discharge their religious and civil obligations on the one hand to the temple, and on the other hand to the state (Ezekiel 45:6), and to the prince to e

THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD,.... Here begins the account of the times and seasons in which the above sacrifices should be prepared and offered; or that which was signified by them be held forth in the ministry of the word to the faith of God's people: IN THE FIRST MONTH, IN THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH; the month Nisan, as Kimchi observes, who adds, "which is the month of redemption, in which Israel were redeemed out of Egypt, and in which they shall be redeemed in time to come:'' this month answers to part of our March and part of April; it was the first month in the year with the Jews for their ecclesiastical affairs; so that the first day of this month was New Year's Day: THOU SHALL TAKE A YOUNG BULLOCK WITHOUT BLEMISH, AND CLEANSE THE SANCTUARY; or, "make a sin offering for it" g; here the Jews are puzzled; since, according to the law of Moses, in the beginnings of their months, they w...

FIRST MONTH That is, April. Also (Ezekiel 45:21)....

CHAPTER 45 _ 1. The portions of the priests, the Levites, of the whole house of Israel, and the prince (Ezekiel 45:1) _ 2. Concerning the prince (Ezekiel 45:9) 3. The feast of Passover and the feast of tabernacles (Ezekiel 45:18)...

EZEKIEL 45:18 TO EZEKIEL 46:15. FESTIVALS AND OFFERINGS. Ezekiel 45:18. The Passover and Harvest Festivals. The mention of the prince's responsibility for providing the festival offerings is appropriately followed by a description of the festivals themselves. And first the two half-yearly festivals of the passover in the first month (_i.e._ in spring), and of the harvest or booths (it is here simply called the festival, Ezekiel 45:25) in the seventh. Each begins in the middle of the month and lasts for a week: while, to ensure the ceremonial purity of the sanctuary, which may have been endangered by error or ignoranc

IN THE FIRST MONTH, in the first day of the month. See note on Genesis 8:13. BULLOCK. Reil to Pentateuch (Exodus 29:1). App-92....

Ezekiel 45:18-25. Offerings at the feasts 18 20. The stated atonement for the sanctuary twice in the year on the first day of the first month (Ezekiel 45:18); and on the first day of the seventh month (Ezekiel 45:20). The sin-offering on both occasions shall be a young bullock _to cleanse_, better: TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR THE sanctuary (Ezekiel 43:20)....