The Division of the Land and the Holy Celebrations 

Vision of Restoration (Ezekiel 40-48) 

As Ezekiel’s vision of the Temple and the rules of the priesthood had transformed worship, the division of the land was to have a transformational effect on Yahweh’s people. 

The Land Divided (1-6)

This divided-up portion was to extend through the middle of the country. The inheritance would have extended from the Jordan to the Mediterranean and would have included the Temple area. The whole of it was designed to be foursquare and thus set apart for Yahweh’s presence (1-6).

The Prince’s Portion (7-8)

The prince was given the boundaries of his portion of the land, and a promise was made by Ezekiel that the prince would no longer oppress Yahweh’s people, but Israel would live within their tribes and with their families (7-8).

The first image shows the measurements; the second image shows an idea of where it could be imagined sitting in the land. Of course, Ezekiel would have never seen this laid out in a topographical way.

These images are guesswork, neither image using the super cubic but the standard cubic measurement. This is not meant to be exact but an idea of what it would have looked like. 

The Portions of the Offerings (9-16) 

Ezekiel then dealt with the dishonesty among those who led. The future princes were not to take more than was theirs; they were to cease with the evictions of those who didn't pay. They were to use just weights and measurements and were never to use violence or oppression to collect, ever again. The land was to be treated as holy and belonging to Yahweh, along with His people (9-12).

The offerings given were to greatly exceed the offerings given under the Old Covenant in quality as well as quantity. 

The people of Yahweh were also to bring sacrifices for their atonement, their burnt (dedication) offerings, and their peace (fellowship) offerings, along with the associated grains (13-15).

All Yahweh’s people were to be clothed with a fresh spirit of generosity and all were to bring the offerings to the prince (16).

The Prince Will Provide (17)

The prince was to take care of all the offerings for the religious festivals and new moon celebrations, along with the Sabbath day. The Sin (forgiveness), Burnt (dedication), and Peace (fellowship) Offerings were to have a sacrifice provided for them by the prince. The sacrifice the prince provided would make them right with Yahweh (17).  

The Worship Festivals (18-25) 

The Feasts and Days on which the worshipers were to offer sacrifices were:

• First day of the first month: for cleansing the Sanctuary with a young bull (18).

• Seventh day of the first month: for everyone who has sinned unintentionally. This will make atonement for the Temple (19-20).

• Passover: on the 14th day of the first month (21).

• Feast of Unleavened Bread: from the 15th to the 21st of the first month (22-24).

• Feast of Tabernacles: from the 15th to the 21st of the seventh month (25).

Summary

Recommended Scripture Reading:

Matthew 20:25-28
2 Timothy 2:24

It is easy to get captured by all the elaborate details in these chapters and miss the broader picture. Remember, this was written to Ezekiel’s priestly relatives, some who led the campaign toward idolatry before the Temple was destroyed. Ezekiel was giving them, in figurative form, hope for their future. The intent of the details was not so much a prescribed manner for future worship, as Moses did when in the wilderness. 

The details were to make the point to the Priests and Levites that everything was changing drastically. Ezekiel was seeking to give image to things beyond what He had ever seen or known. 

• The New Temple of Eternal Worship Jesus would build was going to be drastically different from the Old Temple of Temporal Worship that Moses, David, and Solomon had built. 

• When the Jews returned to the land, they understood what Ezekiel was doing. None of them ever attempted to build this Temple or divide the land up in the way and setup of Ezekiel. None of the feasts or holy days was ever conducted in the way Ezekiel prescribed. The generosity of the offerings was never instituted. The details of what Ezekiel envisioned never happened. 

• However, the spirit and character of what kind of priests Yahweh actually did want were clear. Their responsibilities of moving people toward Yahweh and into relationship with Yahweh were the indisputable priority of Ezekiel’s Temple. 

• Future leaders were never to consider themselves kings as much as princes leading under Yahweh’s purposes and will. Their mission was to shepherd Yahweh’s people to Yahweh. 

• The land was never again to be seen as their land, to do what they wanted, but the land was to be the place where they were to live under and with Yahweh. 

• The Temple was never again to be seen as a place filled with furniture to be tended. No furniture existed in Ezekiel’s Temple except the Altar of Incense. The Temple was built for offering oneself as a living sacrifice and then in the Sanctuary for prayer and worship. 

• These were the bigger pictures, the details of Ezekiel’s Temple, that pertain to our entering into Yahweh’s Eternal Temple to worship Him, and it will affect every detail of our lives. 

• Ezekiel uses Temple language because there is always a place on Earth where Yahweh provides for His people to meet with Him and for Him to meet with His people. 

This kind of detail was to burn into the minds of the priests receiving Ezekiel’s writing, so that their worship of Yahweh would not be based on their whims but on Yahweh’s design. Yahweh’s design of worship has always been with the purpose of bringing His people and Himself back into a deep, intimate relationship.