Ezekiel 45:13, commentary and pictures

The verse sets the required grain offering at a sixth of an ephah out of every homer of wheat and the same proportion out of every homer of barley. It stands within the detailed temple and sanctuary pattern shown to Ezekiel in captivity, with its holy and most holy places, priests, prince, division of the land, city, and laws for offerings, Sabbaths and festivals. That whole service belonged to the mortal, historical setting of the first covenant before Christ met antitype, not to the immortal reign of Christ or the present gospel dispensation. The sanctuary, city, gathering, divine dwelling, victory, healing and peace were offered as a conditional promise to Israel after Babylon if they repented and returned wholeheartedly, but because they did not meet the conditions the glorious temple was never built and only a feeble shadow was raised by the few who returned. Its grain offerings and animal sacrifices will never be literally renewed as a continuing system, since Christ offered Himself once for all and replaced the Levitical priesthood, while wherein the prophecy failed for old Jerusalem it will be grandly realized in spiritual form through Christ at the second coming and in the new heavens and new earth.

Measure and Sanctuary Context

This is the oblation to be offered, the sixth part of an ephah out of each homer of wheat and the same sixth part of an ephah out of each homer of barley. The grain contribution is thus measured as one-sixth of an ephah from each homer for wheat and one-sixth of an ephah from each homer for barley.

It belongs to the sanctuary pattern shown to Ezekiel while in captivity in Ezekiel 40 to 48, with its offerings and sacrifices, city, division of the land, and laws for the prince and people. That pattern includes counted holy places with a most holy place of stated size, Levites serving as priests, and allusions to the Sabbath and festivals. It is part of the temple service and temple arrangements of the unbuilt sanctuary and its former sacrificial service, belonging to the vision of the new sanctuary, its offerings, its glory, and the division of the land.

That service belongs to the mortal, historical setting before Christ, when type met antitype, and to the Mosaic dispensation when grain and other offerings were in force under the first covenant. It does not belong to the immortal reign of Christ or to the present gospel dispensation, nor does it describe the age to come. Its offerings pointed to Christ, the great sin offering.

Conditional Promise and Fulfillment

The sanctuary with its city and division of the land, the gathering of the scattered to Israel and restoration to their land, God's dwelling among them with glory never before seen, victory over enemies far and near, healing and life, lengthened life and peace, and even the raising of the righteous dead were offered as a conditional promise to Israel after Babylon if they became ashamed of iniquities, put away wickedness, repented, obeyed, returned wholeheartedly and answered the call to leave Babylon and come up to the full measure of children of God. The grain oblation of wheat and barley and the other prescribed ceremonies and offerings belonged to that conditional offer, dependent on obedience. Had the conditions been met the provisions and figures in Ezekiel 40-48 would have been literally fulfilled and the new and far greater sanctuary would have been built. The vision beginning in Ezekiel 40 covers the same period and represents the same purposes of God toward Jerusalem as Zechariah 2, and the two should be studied together as counterparts.

Because Israel was unwilling, did not become ashamed, did not put away iniquities and did not return wholeheartedly, the glorious temple was never built, the vision failed for old earthly Jerusalem then, and its fullness was not realized. Only about forty thousand returned from captivity, and what followed was fulfilled only in small part or feebly. Only a lesser shadow of the temple with a shadow of its greatness was built by Zerubbabel, falling far short of the pattern shown to Ezekiel. That restoration was to have been marked by God's presence bringing healing and life, but Jerusalem was never restored according to the vision.

The sanctuary described in Ezekiel 40-48, with its ordinances, Levites serving as priests, grain oblation measured as one-sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat and barley, and thousands of sheep and oxen sacrifices, belonged to the time then present and to the first covenant, shadowing forth the only effectual offering of Jesus Christ. That Levitical priesthood could not belong to a temple built after the Christian dispensation began, because Christ's priesthood replaced it and Christ offered himself once for all. The sanctuary therefore never will be built and its grain offering and sacrifices will never be literally renewed or restored as a continuing system, for to do so would make Christ's offering of no effect, build again what was destroyed, annul his sacrifice, make his atonement and priestly ministry void, and return from sunlight to shadow.

Wherein the prophecy failed for old Jerusalem it stands as prophecy in spiritual and typical form, pointing in general and not in detail to greater things God will do for His people through Christ. Wherein it failed for old earthly Jerusalem then it will be grandly realized in the New City that awaits the true Israel of God, through Christ at the second coming and in the new heavens and new earth when God restores by His mighty power. There will be absolute joy and peace and harmony among all God's creatures in the new earth state, with the healing water of life and character taking hold upon the animals themselves so that wild beasts are made mild and nothing hurts or destroys in His holy mountain, with more or less of the former detail eliminated.