As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.
Ezekiel 48:23 belongs to the closing vision of a new sanctuary and temple with its worship, a city, and the division of the land among the tribes, and in it Benjamin is given his own portion stretching from the east side to the west side. That sanctuary with its tribal allotments was offered to Israel in captivity on condition that they turn from wickedness, repent, and be cleansed and live up to their calling. Israel did not meet those conditions, only a small remnant returned, and the temple described with all its fullness was never built, the temple built at the restoration falling far short of the pattern. The literal details including the tribal portions will never be fulfilled literally, for they belonged to the past dispensation and cannot involve a renewed system of animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood after Christ's final offering and eternal priesthood. In substance the promise will be fulfilled in far greater measure to the true Israel, Jews and Gentiles as fellow heirs in Christ, in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth, where each one's apportioned inheritance is permanent and enjoyed forever.
Vision's Context and Wording
Ezekiel 48:23 belongs to the description in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48 and chapters 47 to 48, of a new sanctuary and temple with its service and worship, a city, and the division of the land among the tribes. It is part of a prophecy about the new sanctuary and the division of the land, placing Benjamin's portion within that larger pattern of temple, city, and land to be shown to the house of Israel. The land division with its tribal portions has not been fulfilled through a literal restoration involving renewed animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood, because that would undo the finality of Christ's offering and his eternal priesthood after the order of Melchisedek does not pass to another. In its spiritual aspect the closing prophecy stands as a prophecy of greater things God will do for his people through Christ.
The verse assigns Benjamin a portion among the allotments for the twelve tribes, extending from the east side of the land to the west side. It names Benjamin's portion when God would cause the twelve tribes to return to the land and divide it and cause the building to be established. It shows one tribal portion in the land division of Ezekiel 40-48, which belonged to a proposed new division of the land and a restored Palestine with a glorious kingdom and a city and land envisioned for Israel. The allotment to Benjamin therefore does not belong to the future reign of Christ and his saints, but God will fulfill his promises to his people in Christ in the new heaven and new earth, whose capital is the New Jerusalem.
The sanctuary pattern was offered to Israel in captivity in B.C. 574, fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple, and the sanctuary were destroyed in the eleventh year of Zedekiah in B.C. 588, when Ezekiel himself was among the captives, to be shown to the house of Israel. It was a very remarkable sanctuary and the pattern of another sanctuary given after the destruction of the sanctuary. The sanctuary with its tribal portions including Benjamin's portion was to come into Israel's possession if they complied with certain conditions on their part, and it has never been built.
The building shown, like the tabernacle and the temple, has two holy places, with the most holy place the same size as that in Solomon's temple. It is a prophecy and promise of a new and larger city and temple than Israel had yet known, given in great detail with wonderful glory of God to be manifest in connection with it, a grand and magnificent and glorious temple. That glorious temple was set at the center of a restored Jerusalem to teach that Jehovah is there, and God's glory resting on the city gives it the name Jehovah-shammah, meaning Jehovah is there. God's presence and glory there would heal all barren land, salt marshes, and impure waters and give life to all.
Conditional Promise Forfeited
The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40-48 with its tribal portions including Benjamin's portion from the east side to the west side was offered to Israel in captivity to come into their possession only if they complied with conditions on their part. Those conditions were that they turn from wickedness, yield to God, return wholeheartedly, be ashamed of their iniquities and sins, put them away, repent, be cleansed, and live up to their calling. The building with its two holy places and its most holy place the same size as Solomon's was to be shown to the house of Israel with the promise that God would cause them to return and cause it to be established and cause the twelve tribes to divide the land. The proposed new division of the land with its city and sanctuary was therefore a conditional prophecy and a conditional temple with conditional blessings.
Israel did not meet those conditions but remained apostate, unwilling, and half-hearted, and rejected the gracious offer, so the promised restoration was not carried out as described and was fulfilled only partially or not at all. The ten tribes slighted the decree of Cyrus that allowed all Israel to go up to the land where blessing was promised. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin with a portion of Levi and a few others went up, only about forty thousand returning. Because fleshly Israel did not yield and did not repent and was not ashamed for their ways and cleansed from sin, they forfeited those privileges for earthly Jerusalem.
That sanctuary with all its blessed fullness, including its land allotments, was therefore never erected or built. The best Israel had was only a weak realization and shadow of it in the much smaller and inferior temple built by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others at the restoration from Babylon, which fell far short of Ezekiel's pattern. That restored Jerusalem was never thus restored with Jehovah dwelling among them in overpowering glory to heal barren land, salt marshes, and impure waters and give life to all, because God could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor when they would not yield all to God. It never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom the temple-keepers rejected.
Had Israel been faithful, the verse would have been fulfilled literally in fullest detail together with the gathering and restoration and a peaceful kingdom established on earth. The resurrection of chapter 37 would have taken place, the northern enemies of chapters 38 and 39 would have been destroyed by plagues, and Israel would have built that marvelous temple and glorious temple with the overpowering glory of God's presence dwelling among them, with the burning of weapons and the building of the temple with its sacrifices on a different plan of allotment. That promised arrangement and restoration and victory after the return from Babylon was only partial because Israel failed to meet those conditions.
The literal details including the tribal portions will never be fulfilled literally, and the sanctuary never was built and never will be built. Its own specifications show it was designed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation under the old covenant for literal, fleshly Israel at that time, not in the present dispensation and not in the future dispensation which is the immortal state. The allotment to Benjamin therefore does not belong to the future reign of Christ and his saints, nor is it a prediction of a future restoration of Israel or a literal city and sanctuary to be established after Christ's return. It cannot involve a literal restoration with renewed animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood, because that would undo the finality of Christ's offering and contradict His offering and make void His sacrifice, since Christ became the eternal priest after the order of Melchisedek whose priesthood does not pass to another.
Greater Future Inheritance
In its spiritual aspect the closing prophecy stands as a prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ. The promises will be fulfilled in substance to the true Israel, not according to those old literal details but according to later revelation and in far greater measure. That true Israel includes all of God's people, with the Gentiles as fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel, in which there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian.
That purpose will instead be realized more gloriously in the New City for the true Israel of God. God will fulfill His promises to His people in Christ in the new heaven and new earth, whose capital is the New Jerusalem. There the future glory and the fullness of the immortal inheritance will be given to the faithful in fullest measure. That promised restoration and glory will have a greater fulfillment at Christ's second coming and the events connected with it, not under the local conditions of Ezekiel's time, and the peaceful kingdom that would have been established on earth will instead be fulfilled more gloriously in the new earth. While the true Israel will be redeemed and given a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new, Gog and Magog representing the northern nations will be punished in part in this world and fully at the coming of Christ and ultimately at the end of the 1,000 years.
The temporary allotment of the promised land to the tribes and families of Israel by lot was designed to teach God's purpose for the future world. In the final inheritance the land is married to its people, signifying that each person's inheritance apportioned among the redeemed in the land of promise is permanent and lasting. The redeemed will enjoy their inheritance and the work of their hands throughout eternity.
Ezekiel 48:23 belongs to the closing vision of a new sanctuary and temple with its worship, a city, and the division of the land among the tribes, and in it Benjamin is given his own portion stretching from the east side to the west side. That sanctuary with its tribal allotments was offered to Israel in captivity on condition that they turn from wickedness, repent, and be cleansed and live up to their calling. Israel did not meet those conditions, only a small remnant returned, and the temple described with all its fullness was never built, the temple built at the restoration falling far short of the pattern. The literal details including the tribal portions will never be fulfilled literally, for they belonged to the past dispensation and cannot involve a renewed system of animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood after Christ's final offering and eternal priesthood. In substance the promise will be fulfilled in far greater measure to the true Israel, Jews and Gentiles as fellow heirs in Christ, in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and new earth, where each one's apportioned inheritance is permanent and enjoyed forever.
Vision's Context and Wording
Ezekiel 48:23 belongs to the description in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48 and chapters 47 to 48, of a new sanctuary and temple with its service and worship, a city, and the division of the land among the tribes. It is part of a prophecy about the new sanctuary and the division of the land, placing Benjamin's portion within that larger pattern of temple, city, and land to be shown to the house of Israel. The land division with its tribal portions has not been fulfilled through a literal restoration involving renewed animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood, because that would undo the finality of Christ's offering and his eternal priesthood after the order of Melchisedek does not pass to another. In its spiritual aspect the closing prophecy stands as a prophecy of greater things God will do for his people through Christ.
The verse assigns Benjamin a portion among the allotments for the twelve tribes, extending from the east side of the land to the west side. It names Benjamin's portion when God would cause the twelve tribes to return to the land and divide it and cause the building to be established. It shows one tribal portion in the land division of Ezekiel 40-48, which belonged to a proposed new division of the land and a restored Palestine with a glorious kingdom and a city and land envisioned for Israel. The allotment to Benjamin therefore does not belong to the future reign of Christ and his saints, but God will fulfill his promises to his people in Christ in the new heaven and new earth, whose capital is the New Jerusalem.
The sanctuary pattern was offered to Israel in captivity in B.C. 574, fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple, and the sanctuary were destroyed in the eleventh year of Zedekiah in B.C. 588, when Ezekiel himself was among the captives, to be shown to the house of Israel. It was a very remarkable sanctuary and the pattern of another sanctuary given after the destruction of the sanctuary. The sanctuary with its tribal portions including Benjamin's portion was to come into Israel's possession if they complied with certain conditions on their part, and it has never been built.
The building shown, like the tabernacle and the temple, has two holy places, with the most holy place the same size as that in Solomon's temple. It is a prophecy and promise of a new and larger city and temple than Israel had yet known, given in great detail with wonderful glory of God to be manifest in connection with it, a grand and magnificent and glorious temple. That glorious temple was set at the center of a restored Jerusalem to teach that Jehovah is there, and God's glory resting on the city gives it the name Jehovah-shammah, meaning Jehovah is there. God's presence and glory there would heal all barren land, salt marshes, and impure waters and give life to all.
Conditional Promise Forfeited
The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40-48 with its tribal portions including Benjamin's portion from the east side to the west side was offered to Israel in captivity to come into their possession only if they complied with conditions on their part. Those conditions were that they turn from wickedness, yield to God, return wholeheartedly, be ashamed of their iniquities and sins, put them away, repent, be cleansed, and live up to their calling. The building with its two holy places and its most holy place the same size as Solomon's was to be shown to the house of Israel with the promise that God would cause them to return and cause it to be established and cause the twelve tribes to divide the land. The proposed new division of the land with its city and sanctuary was therefore a conditional prophecy and a conditional temple with conditional blessings.
Israel did not meet those conditions but remained apostate, unwilling, and half-hearted, and rejected the gracious offer, so the promised restoration was not carried out as described and was fulfilled only partially or not at all. The ten tribes slighted the decree of Cyrus that allowed all Israel to go up to the land where blessing was promised. Only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin with a portion of Levi and a few others went up, only about forty thousand returning. Because fleshly Israel did not yield and did not repent and was not ashamed for their ways and cleansed from sin, they forfeited those privileges for earthly Jerusalem.
That sanctuary with all its blessed fullness, including its land allotments, was therefore never erected or built. The best Israel had was only a weak realization and shadow of it in the much smaller and inferior temple built by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and others at the restoration from Babylon, which fell far short of Ezekiel's pattern. That restored Jerusalem was never thus restored with Jehovah dwelling among them in overpowering glory to heal barren land, salt marshes, and impure waters and give life to all, because God could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor when they would not yield all to God. It never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom the temple-keepers rejected.
Had Israel been faithful, the verse would have been fulfilled literally in fullest detail together with the gathering and restoration and a peaceful kingdom established on earth. The resurrection of chapter 37 would have taken place, the northern enemies of chapters 38 and 39 would have been destroyed by plagues, and Israel would have built that marvelous temple and glorious temple with the overpowering glory of God's presence dwelling among them, with the burning of weapons and the building of the temple with its sacrifices on a different plan of allotment. That promised arrangement and restoration and victory after the return from Babylon was only partial because Israel failed to meet those conditions.
The literal details including the tribal portions will never be fulfilled literally, and the sanctuary never was built and never will be built. Its own specifications show it was designed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation under the old covenant for literal, fleshly Israel at that time, not in the present dispensation and not in the future dispensation which is the immortal state. The allotment to Benjamin therefore does not belong to the future reign of Christ and his saints, nor is it a prediction of a future restoration of Israel or a literal city and sanctuary to be established after Christ's return. It cannot involve a literal restoration with renewed animal sacrifices and a Levitical priesthood, because that would undo the finality of Christ's offering and contradict His offering and make void His sacrifice, since Christ became the eternal priest after the order of Melchisedek whose priesthood does not pass to another.
Greater Future Inheritance
In its spiritual aspect the closing prophecy stands as a prophecy of greater things God will do for His people through Christ. The promises will be fulfilled in substance to the true Israel, not according to those old literal details but according to later revelation and in far greater measure. That true Israel includes all of God's people, with the Gentiles as fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel, in which there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian or Scythian.
That purpose will instead be realized more gloriously in the New City for the true Israel of God. God will fulfill His promises to His people in Christ in the new heaven and new earth, whose capital is the New Jerusalem. There the future glory and the fullness of the immortal inheritance will be given to the faithful in fullest measure. That promised restoration and glory will have a greater fulfillment at Christ's second coming and the events connected with it, not under the local conditions of Ezekiel's time, and the peaceful kingdom that would have been established on earth will instead be fulfilled more gloriously in the new earth. While the true Israel will be redeemed and given a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new, Gog and Magog representing the northern nations will be punished in part in this world and fully at the coming of Christ and ultimately at the end of the 1,000 years.
The temporary allotment of the promised land to the tribes and families of Israel by lot was designed to teach God's purpose for the future world. In the final inheritance the land is married to its people, signifying that each person's inheritance apportioned among the redeemed in the land of promise is permanent and lasting. The redeemed will enjoy their inheritance and the work of their hands throughout eternity.