Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
Ezekiel 45:10 commands honest balances and measures, for God is a God of order who requires fairness in all weighing and measuring, the ephah being the common dry measure of about a bushel. It stands within the extended vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, of another sanctuary with its pattern, offerings, city, division of the land, and the glory of God's dwelling among His people. It was part of God's conditional offer to captive Israel to restore the twelve tribes, bring them back to Palestine, establish the sanctuary, and give healing life to land and earth, if they would be ashamed of their sins, put away iniquity, and yield fully to Him. Because Israel was unwilling and did not meet the conditions, the glorious temple and city were never built, only about forty thousand returned and only a lesser temple was erected under Zerubbabel. That sanctuary will never be built literally, since its thousands of animal sacrifices belonged to the time before Christ met the type in His once-for-all offering, and in its spiritual aspect it will be grandly realized in the New City and the new heaven and new earth for the true Israel of God.
Command and Sanctuary Setting
Ezekiel 45:10 commands honest balances and just ephah and just bath, requiring honesty in weighing and measuring. God is a God of order who demands accurate weights and measures. The ephah was the common measure of quantity, holding about one bushel or thirty-five litres, and it was to be of accurate size. Faithful use of just weights and measures would prolong Israel's days in the land God gave them. This instruction about honest, accurate measures belongs to the instructions for the sanctuary and its service.
The verse belongs to the detailed description in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, of another sanctuary whose pattern was given to offer to Israel, with its offerings, ceremonies, rites, glory, city, and division of the land. It sets forth restoration to glorious life in Palestine and the glory with which God would invest the land, the city, and the sanctuary in the salvation of Israel. The temple shown taught that God's presence would dwell among His people. The passage contains allusions to the Sabbath of the Lord and to the festivals of the Hebrews.
The vision is introduced in Ezekiel 40 by a man with the appearance of brass holding a line of flax and a measuring reed and measuring the temple and city of God. That vision covers the same period and represents the same purposes of God toward Jerusalem as the vision of the man with the measuring line measuring Jerusalem in Zechariah 2, so the two are counterparts to be studied together. The verse was given concerning the future of Jerusalem on condition that God's people put aside sins and come up to the full measure of children of God.
The sanctuary vision in Ezekiel 40-48 depicts the peaceful condition of the Messiah's kingdom. That kingdom would have been established gradually on this present earth if the Jews had yielded to God, with the sanctuary built, the marshes and deserts and salt lands healed by the water of life, and wild beasts grown mild under the power of righteousness so the smallest infant would be safe.
Conditional Offer Forfeited
The instruction belonged to a sanctuary shown to Israel while in captivity at Babylon, offered on condition that the people be ashamed of their sins and put away their iniquities. It was part of a conditional offer to bring back the twelve tribes, establish the sanctuary among them, give city and temple with a new division of the land, resurrect their righteous dead, subject enemies far and near, and spread healing life upon Palestine and the earth, with fulfillment depending on their returning wholeheartedly, putting away wickedness, and yielding fully to God as warned in Ezekiel 43:7-11. The detailed arrangements for sanctuary, city, land, ceremonies, rites and offerings in Ezekiel 40-48, and indeed the prophecy from Ezekiel 36 to the close of the book, would have been literally fulfilled if Israel had met God's conditions and returned from captivity wholeheartedly. Because they were unwilling and remained apostate, these chapters stand in their spiritual aspect as prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ.
Had Israel met the repeated conditions for blessing after the Babylonian exile, the requirement of honest balances, ephah and bath would have been fulfilled in fullest literal detail as part of the offered temple with its attendant sacrifices. That fulfillment belonged to the Mosaic dispensation while the Levitical priesthood and its ordinances were in force, with offerings made by the sons of Levi. It was part of God's plan for Jerusalem as it would have been built if Israel had answered the calls to leave Babylon and done its part.
Because Israel refused to repent, was not ashamed, and did not put away iniquities, the glorious temple and city were never built and the offered glory was never inherited. Only about forty thousand returned from Babylon, so the promises were not realized in their fullness. What was erected by Zerubbabel under Ezra was only a lesser, inferior temple bearing a shadow of its greatness, so the sanctuary described there with its regulations received only a partial, diminished realization.
No Rebuilding, Greater Fulfillment
The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40 to 48 was never built and will never be built literally as a sanctuary-building plan, and its literal fulfillment will never take place, for it does not describe a future sanctuary to be ordained again. Its promise depended on Israel repenting, being ashamed of sins, putting away iniquities and wickedness, returning wholeheartedly and yielding fully to God, and the people did not meet that condition, with only about forty thousand returning and only a lesser temple erected. What would have been fulfilled in fullest literal detail during the Mosaic dispensation while the Levitical priesthood and its ordinances were in force, with offerings made by the sons of Levi, therefore does not describe the age to come.
It will not be fulfilled literally because its sacrifices of thousands of sheep and oxen applied before Christ when the types met their antitype, and to renew them now would make the offering of Christ once for all of none effect, annul His sacrifice, build again things destroyed, and return from sunlight to shadow. The offerings of the past were for the time then present shadowing forth the only effectual offering of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all sacrifices by dying on the cross, so offering sacrifices now cannot continue without making void Christ's sacrifice. The vision was provisional and conditional on the people being ashamed of their iniquities and returning to God, and because the people remained apostate and were not ashamed and did not put away iniquities, the sanctuary and its promises were only partly realized in the temple built by Zerubbabel with a shadow of its greatness, and can never be built and restored as God designed. The conditional prophecy running from Ezekiel 36 onward warned Israel and pleaded with them to turn to Him, promising resurrection of their righteous dead, subjection of enemies far and near, a new temple, a new division of the land, and the life and healing power of God upon Palestine and the earth as never before, with no such city or sanctuary standing today, and Israel's failure to meet the conditions means its fulfillment is associated with the glorious new earth.
In their spiritual aspect these chapters stand as prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ, to be grandly realized wherein it failed for old earthly Jerusalem in the New City awaiting the true Israel of God. Because Israel was unwilling to return from captivity wholeheartedly, to recognize sin, to forsake sin, to put aside sins and come up to the full measure of children of God, the promised restoration, rebuilding, temple and prosperity were not fulfilled for them or were realized only in a diminished form, but God will fulfill His promises to His people in Christ, in the new heaven and new earth when God restores by His mighty power. The description of the sanctuary and division of the land that promised Israel a restored and glorious life in Palestine will be fulfilled on a greater scale with some details changed, and only faintly typical of what will take place in the new heavens and new earth, though not under the local conditions of Ezekiel's day, including events connected with Christ's second coming. The vision in which a man with the appearance of brass holds a line of flax and a measuring reed and measures the temple and city of God covers the same period and represents the same purposes of God toward Jerusalem as the vision of the man with the measuring line measuring Jerusalem in Zechariah 2, and the two are counterparts to be studied together, the verse having been given concerning the future of Jerusalem on condition of obedience.
God's purposes toward wicked nations and toward true Israel remain the same though times and surroundings change, with true Israel redeemed to a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new. Gog and Magog represent the northern nations punished in part in this world before and at the coming of Christ and in full at the end of the 1,000 years.
Ezekiel 45:10 commands honest balances and measures, for God is a God of order who requires fairness in all weighing and measuring, the ephah being the common dry measure of about a bushel. It stands within the extended vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, of another sanctuary with its pattern, offerings, city, division of the land, and the glory of God's dwelling among His people. It was part of God's conditional offer to captive Israel to restore the twelve tribes, bring them back to Palestine, establish the sanctuary, and give healing life to land and earth, if they would be ashamed of their sins, put away iniquity, and yield fully to Him. Because Israel was unwilling and did not meet the conditions, the glorious temple and city were never built, only about forty thousand returned and only a lesser temple was erected under Zerubbabel. That sanctuary will never be built literally, since its thousands of animal sacrifices belonged to the time before Christ met the type in His once-for-all offering, and in its spiritual aspect it will be grandly realized in the New City and the new heaven and new earth for the true Israel of God.
Command and Sanctuary Setting
Ezekiel 45:10 commands honest balances and just ephah and just bath, requiring honesty in weighing and measuring. God is a God of order who demands accurate weights and measures. The ephah was the common measure of quantity, holding about one bushel or thirty-five litres, and it was to be of accurate size. Faithful use of just weights and measures would prolong Israel's days in the land God gave them. This instruction about honest, accurate measures belongs to the instructions for the sanctuary and its service.
The verse belongs to the detailed description in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, of another sanctuary whose pattern was given to offer to Israel, with its offerings, ceremonies, rites, glory, city, and division of the land. It sets forth restoration to glorious life in Palestine and the glory with which God would invest the land, the city, and the sanctuary in the salvation of Israel. The temple shown taught that God's presence would dwell among His people. The passage contains allusions to the Sabbath of the Lord and to the festivals of the Hebrews.
The vision is introduced in Ezekiel 40 by a man with the appearance of brass holding a line of flax and a measuring reed and measuring the temple and city of God. That vision covers the same period and represents the same purposes of God toward Jerusalem as the vision of the man with the measuring line measuring Jerusalem in Zechariah 2, so the two are counterparts to be studied together. The verse was given concerning the future of Jerusalem on condition that God's people put aside sins and come up to the full measure of children of God.
The sanctuary vision in Ezekiel 40-48 depicts the peaceful condition of the Messiah's kingdom. That kingdom would have been established gradually on this present earth if the Jews had yielded to God, with the sanctuary built, the marshes and deserts and salt lands healed by the water of life, and wild beasts grown mild under the power of righteousness so the smallest infant would be safe.
Conditional Offer Forfeited
The instruction belonged to a sanctuary shown to Israel while in captivity at Babylon, offered on condition that the people be ashamed of their sins and put away their iniquities. It was part of a conditional offer to bring back the twelve tribes, establish the sanctuary among them, give city and temple with a new division of the land, resurrect their righteous dead, subject enemies far and near, and spread healing life upon Palestine and the earth, with fulfillment depending on their returning wholeheartedly, putting away wickedness, and yielding fully to God as warned in Ezekiel 43:7-11. The detailed arrangements for sanctuary, city, land, ceremonies, rites and offerings in Ezekiel 40-48, and indeed the prophecy from Ezekiel 36 to the close of the book, would have been literally fulfilled if Israel had met God's conditions and returned from captivity wholeheartedly. Because they were unwilling and remained apostate, these chapters stand in their spiritual aspect as prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ.
Had Israel met the repeated conditions for blessing after the Babylonian exile, the requirement of honest balances, ephah and bath would have been fulfilled in fullest literal detail as part of the offered temple with its attendant sacrifices. That fulfillment belonged to the Mosaic dispensation while the Levitical priesthood and its ordinances were in force, with offerings made by the sons of Levi. It was part of God's plan for Jerusalem as it would have been built if Israel had answered the calls to leave Babylon and done its part.
Because Israel refused to repent, was not ashamed, and did not put away iniquities, the glorious temple and city were never built and the offered glory was never inherited. Only about forty thousand returned from Babylon, so the promises were not realized in their fullness. What was erected by Zerubbabel under Ezra was only a lesser, inferior temple bearing a shadow of its greatness, so the sanctuary described there with its regulations received only a partial, diminished realization.
No Rebuilding, Greater Fulfillment
The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40 to 48 was never built and will never be built literally as a sanctuary-building plan, and its literal fulfillment will never take place, for it does not describe a future sanctuary to be ordained again. Its promise depended on Israel repenting, being ashamed of sins, putting away iniquities and wickedness, returning wholeheartedly and yielding fully to God, and the people did not meet that condition, with only about forty thousand returning and only a lesser temple erected. What would have been fulfilled in fullest literal detail during the Mosaic dispensation while the Levitical priesthood and its ordinances were in force, with offerings made by the sons of Levi, therefore does not describe the age to come.
It will not be fulfilled literally because its sacrifices of thousands of sheep and oxen applied before Christ when the types met their antitype, and to renew them now would make the offering of Christ once for all of none effect, annul His sacrifice, build again things destroyed, and return from sunlight to shadow. The offerings of the past were for the time then present shadowing forth the only effectual offering of Jesus Christ, who fulfilled all sacrifices by dying on the cross, so offering sacrifices now cannot continue without making void Christ's sacrifice. The vision was provisional and conditional on the people being ashamed of their iniquities and returning to God, and because the people remained apostate and were not ashamed and did not put away iniquities, the sanctuary and its promises were only partly realized in the temple built by Zerubbabel with a shadow of its greatness, and can never be built and restored as God designed. The conditional prophecy running from Ezekiel 36 onward warned Israel and pleaded with them to turn to Him, promising resurrection of their righteous dead, subjection of enemies far and near, a new temple, a new division of the land, and the life and healing power of God upon Palestine and the earth as never before, with no such city or sanctuary standing today, and Israel's failure to meet the conditions means its fulfillment is associated with the glorious new earth.
In their spiritual aspect these chapters stand as prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ, to be grandly realized wherein it failed for old earthly Jerusalem in the New City awaiting the true Israel of God. Because Israel was unwilling to return from captivity wholeheartedly, to recognize sin, to forsake sin, to put aside sins and come up to the full measure of children of God, the promised restoration, rebuilding, temple and prosperity were not fulfilled for them or were realized only in a diminished form, but God will fulfill His promises to His people in Christ, in the new heaven and new earth when God restores by His mighty power. The description of the sanctuary and division of the land that promised Israel a restored and glorious life in Palestine will be fulfilled on a greater scale with some details changed, and only faintly typical of what will take place in the new heavens and new earth, though not under the local conditions of Ezekiel's day, including events connected with Christ's second coming. The vision in which a man with the appearance of brass holds a line of flax and a measuring reed and measures the temple and city of God covers the same period and represents the same purposes of God toward Jerusalem as the vision of the man with the measuring line measuring Jerusalem in Zechariah 2, and the two are counterparts to be studied together, the verse having been given concerning the future of Jerusalem on condition of obedience.
God's purposes toward wicked nations and toward true Israel remain the same though times and surroundings change, with true Israel redeemed to a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new. Gog and Magog represent the northern nations punished in part in this world before and at the coming of Christ and in full at the end of the 1,000 years.