Ezekiel 45:7, commentary and pictures

Ezekiel 45:7 belongs to the vision of the sanctuary, city and division of the land in Ezekiel 36 to 48, and it assigns the prince a tract on both sides of the holy oblation and the possession of the city, its length lying alongside one of the tribal portions from the west border to the east border. The prince is a mortal ruler and not Christ, since he must not oppress the people or take their inheritance and must offer sin offerings for himself under an earthly order with mortal Levitical priests. The promise was conditional on Israel being ashamed of iniquity and turning to God in wholehearted obedience, and if met it would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest detail at that time. Israel did not repent, so the arrangement was never built in detail, with only a small and feeble shadow realized in the temple built by Zerubbabel, and it will never be built literally in the future age because renewing the Levitical sacrifices would set aside Christ's once-for-all offering. It will instead be fulfilled far more gloriously through Christ for the true Israel at the second coming in the new heaven and new earth, including the holy city prepared in heaven to descend to earth and an immortal inheritance.

Vision Setting and Meaning

Ezekiel 45:7 belongs to the sanctuary pattern offered to Israel in captivity, part of the vision of a new sanctuary with its temple and service, its offerings, its glory, and the division of the land in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48. It belongs to the description beginning in chapter 40 of a land, city, and sanctuary that would have been established and literally fulfilled in fullest detail if Israel had been faithful and accepted God's conditions. It belongs to Ezekiel's proposed sanctuary and land arrangement with its figures and land divisions, which was offered in the past but was never established or built because the people failed to meet its conditions. It will not be built literally after the Christian dispensation began, because Christ's priesthood replaced the Levitical priesthood and renewing its thousands of sheep and oxen sacrifices would make Christ's once-for-all offering of none effect, building again what was destroyed and returning from sunlight to shadow, since the former offerings were only for the time then present shadowing forth the one effectual offering of Jesus Christ.

The verse sets apart for the prince a tract on the one side and on the other side of the holy oblation and of the possession of the city, before them, from the west side westward and from the east side eastward, with its length over against one of the tribal portions from the west border unto the east border. This land allocation belongs to the sanctuary and worship order with its attendant sacrifices and to the conditional prophecy promising a new temple and a new division of the land with a portion for the prince. Had the conditions been met it would have been fulfilled in fullest literal detail as part of building the offered temple, but because they were not met it will never be fulfilled literally.

The prince so provided for is a mortal ruler and not Jesus Christ, whose death brought the offerings to an end. He is one who must not oppress the people or take their property for his sons but must give their inheritance from his own possession, and who must offer various offerings including sin offerings for himself. These required offerings and duties toward the people show an earthly order with mortal Levitical priests, and prove the prophecy does not describe Christ's immortal reign or gospel dispensation nor the New Jerusalem or Christ's future kingdom.

The vision was God's offer made to the Hebrews while in captivity at Babylon to restore them to their own land and give them again a city and a temple under circumstances of wonderful glory, with promise to establish the sanctuary and bring back the twelve tribes if they would become ashamed of iniquities and put away sins. It shares the purpose and period of Zechariah's vision of a measured Jerusalem, concerning Jerusalem's future restoration on condition of God's people putting away sins and living up to their calling. It belongs to the vision of Jerusalem shown to Ezekiel as a city that would have been built if Israel had answered the calls to leave Babylon when the decree for restoration went forth under Cyrus, a fulfillment tested by whether Israel became ashamed and by how many who could have gone up actually went up.

Conditional Promise and Fulfillment

The promise of the sanctuary, city, and division of the land was conditional on Israel becoming ashamed of iniquities, putting away sins and wickedness, turning from apostasy, and yielding to God in faith and wholehearted obedience. If those conditions had been met, the whole arrangement including the portion for the prince on both sides of the holy oblation and the possession of the city would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest detail at that time under the old covenant and Mosaic dispensation. Whether the condition was met is tested by whether Israel became ashamed for iniquities and by how many of those who could have gone up when the decree for restoration went forth under Cyrus actually went up.

Israel did not repent, was unwilling, and disregarded the condition, so the sanctuary, city, and land arrangement were never built or fulfilled in detail. Only a lesser shadow or small, feeble part was realized in the temple built by Zerubbabel under Ezra, with the promises only partly realized there. The temple described will never be built literally in the future age, because Christ's priesthood replaced the Levitical priesthood. To renew its thousands of sheep and oxen sacrifices would make Christ's once-for-all offering of none effect, building again what was destroyed and returning from sunlight to shadow, since the former offerings were only for the time then present shadowing forth the one effectual offering of Jesus Christ, and to offer sacrifices now would annul Christ's offering.

The promises will instead be fulfilled only faintly typically and far more gloriously through Christ for the true Israel and the faithful at the second coming in the new heaven and new earth and earth made new. They include a holy city prepared in heaven, a New City prepared for the true Israel of God that will descend to earth, and an immortal inheritance and future glory described in later revelations rather than the verse's details as described. That greater fulfillment brings unsurpassable and inconceivable glory with God's manifest presence constantly seen dwelling in His holy mountain, healing waters for marshes, deserts and salt lands by the water of life, lengthened life, absolute joy, peace and harmony with no hurting or destroying in all His holy mountain, wild beasts made mild and infants safe, and character taking hold upon the very animals. Gog and Magog as the northern nations are punished in part in this world and finally at the end of the 1,000 years, while God's purposes remain the same toward true Israel and wicked nations under changed times and environment.

The use of the last nineteen chapters to teach the return of the Jews, the reign of Christ on earth, and an earthly inheritance of the saints is set aside by the taking of the saints to heaven at the second coming when the earth is left desolate. The prophecy predicts the building of a greater temple but does not explain the process by which it would be built, treating the historical circumstances of its construction as secondary to the facts of the building.