Ezekiel 46:19, commentary and pictures

The verse shows a place on the west side of the north-facing holy chambers of the priests, seen after being led in through the entry beside the gate. It belongs to the temple, city and land pattern of Ezekiel 40-48, offered to captive Israel fourteen years after Jerusalem's sanctuary was destroyed, with animal sacrifices, Sabbaths and festivals still in force and God's presence dwelling in a glorious central house of prayer. That sanctuary was offered only on condition of shame for iniquity, repentance and wholehearted return in faith and obedience, and because Israel did not meet the conditions it was never built, what Zerubbabel later erected being only a smaller feeble shadow. It will never be built literally after the opening of the Christian dispensation, for its prince offers a sin offering for himself and guards his sons' inheritance, and its Levite priests marry and can die, whereas Christ is now priest forever after the order of Melchisedek and His one death fulfilled all sacrifices so that to restore them would annul His offering. In its spiritual aspect it stands as a type of greater things God will do through Christ, with its future glory and immortal inheritance coming to the true Israel at the second coming and in the new heavens and new earth and the holy city prepared in heaven to descend.

Vision's Words and Setting

The verse portrays a movement through the entrance beside the gate into the sacred rooms set apart for the priests that faced toward the north, where attention is then directed to a place situated toward the west on their two sides. It belongs to the extended vision of city and sanctuary in Ezekiel 40-48, with its chambers, offerings and sacrifices forming part of that same future city expectation. That first-covenant system of ordinances is not to return, because the single sacrifice of Christ has already accomplished its purpose.

The passage stands within the vision of sanctuary, city, temple and land in Ezekiel 40-48, given as a pattern during the Babylonian captivity and offered to Israel while still in captivity. It was shown fourteen years after the sanctuary at Jerusalem had been destroyed. The building set forth is presented as containing two holy places. No explanation is given of the particular detail of the chambers and place, and the prophecy does not disclose the process by which the greater temple would be erected, since the circumstances of its construction are secondary to the prophecy itself.

The priestly chambers belong to an order in which animal sacrifices and offerings remain in force. The chapters around it contain allusions to the Sabbath of the Lord and to the Hebrew festivals, preserving a clear distinction between the Sabbath and the other days of the week. The measuring of temple and city by the man of brass-like appearance holding a line of flax and a measuring reed answers to the measuring of the breadth and length of Jerusalem by the man with the measuring line in Zechariah 2, the two visions covering the same period and declaring the same divine purpose toward Jerusalem. The vision presents a glorious central temple in a restored Jerusalem where the divine presence would dwell, intended as a house of prayer for all nations. From that presence would flow life-giving water to heal barren land, salt marshes and impure waters and to impart life.

Conditional Offer Forfeited

The sanctuary, city and restoration promised from Ezekiel 36 onward through chapter 48, to which this chamber belongs, was offered only on condition that Israel be ashamed of iniquities and lewdness and put them away. The condition required repentance, recognition and turning from iniquity, a wholehearted return from captivity, and yielding in faith and obedience fully to God. Because Israel was unwilling, remained in apostasy, and never complied, the promised restoration and temple were not fulfilled to them.

The described sanctuary was therefore never built, and only a lesser house was later erected after the return from Babylon. That house built by Zerubbabel under Ezra was smaller, only a feeble shadow faintly realizing the promised glory, with only about forty thousand returning and the promises not realized in fullness or larger measure. The temple with its holy chambers would have been given only if Israel had put away wickedness and been ashamed, and since they were not ashamed the glorious temple was not built.

Had the conditions been met, the promises and details would have been fulfilled literally then in the Mosaic dispensation. That dispensation was the time when circumcision, divorce, distinction in meats, offerings of beasts, the Jubilee and the Levitical priesthood were in force. God would then have brought back all His scattered people from the nations to the mountains of Israel, restored them to their land with city and temple, dwelt among them with glory greater than ever seen, given victory over enemies far and near, and manifested His glory among His people in sight of the nations. That restoration meant unsurpassable glory to Palestine and the Jews with lengthened life, a true-hearted people whose transformed character would take hold upon the very animals, healing and life-giving power poured out, and the constantly seen manifest presence of God in His holy mountain where there would be no hurt nor destroying, as the Messiah's peaceful kingdom on earth as it then was.

No Future Literal Fulfillment

The temple and city vision to which the priests' holy chambers belong was never built and never will be built literally at any time after the opening of the Christian dispensation. It does not belong to the present or to the future glorified age, but was offered for the past dispensation on condition of shame for iniquity and putting sin away, which was never met. It is not the New Jerusalem of Revelation and is distinct from the sanctuary of Christ's future reign, for likeness to John's vision does not prove identity when unlikenesses forbid identity. Because the people remained in apostasy the sanctuary and its promises were only feebly realized in the smaller temple erected by Zerubbabel, and the former service of sacrifices it provides cannot now continue.

It cannot describe the immortal state because its prince is a poor frail mortal who offers a sin offering for himself, while Christ is to be Prince and Shepherd over Israel then. That prince is forbidden to oppress the people or take their possessions and must give his sons inheritance from his own possession, so he is not Christ. Its priests are all Levites who marry, even widows of priests, and can die, with marriages, divorces, widows and death present in the vision. Those immortalized at the second advent neither marry nor die, and marriage and death are unknown in the age to come.

A literal revival is impossible because at Christ's crucifixion and ascension the law of the priesthood changed, so Levi is no longer priest and Christ became priest forever after the order of Melchizedek with an unchangeable priesthood that does not pass to another. His priesthood is contemporary with the everlasting gospel, and when his priesthood ends there is no more probation, so to restore the Levitical priesthood and its temple service would be another gospel that is accursed. Christ's one death fulfilled all sacrifices, and the types were shadows pointing to a future fact fulfilled in His heavenly ministration which closes before His coming. To put a typical atonement after a real atonement already made is impossible, since in the gospel repentance and confession precede remission, and to restore Levitical sacrifices and offerings by the sons of Levi would annul Christ's offering and make His sacrifice void, while the blood of bulls and goats will no longer be acceptable even as a type.

In its spiritual aspect and broad promises the prophecy stands as a type, not a detailed prediction, of greater things God will do for His people through Christ. Its future glory and immortal inheritance come to the faithful at the second coming and related events and in the new heavens and new earth and the New City awaiting the true Israel, when God restores by His mighty power. What failed for old earthly Jerusalem will then be grandly realized with far greater conditions, with more or less of the former local detail eliminated. There will be absolute joy and peace and harmony among all God's creatures, the righteous dead raised, lengthened life and healing power poured out, and God's purpose preserved in the holy city prepared in heaven to descend to earth.