And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.
The verse assigns Issachar its own portion beside Simeon, running from the east side to the west side in a new east-to-west division of the land among the twelve tribes. It belongs to the closing vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, describing a sanctuary with its worship, a city, and the redivision of the land with their ordered portions. That allotment with its sanctuary, city and restoration was conditional on Israel being ashamed of iniquities, repenting and returning wholeheartedly to God, and because Israel did not comply it was never established or built as described. It does not describe the New Jerusalem or a sanctuary yet to be built, and its former sacrifices cannot be restored in the future, because to do so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering. In substance the promise will instead be fulfilled more gloriously to true Israel and the faithful, whose inheritance will be permanent in the earth made new, where the redeemed will receive their portions and enjoy them throughout eternity.
Portion and Its Setting
Issachar receives a portion beside Simeon, running from the east side to the west side in a new east-to-west division of the land. This allotment belongs to a proposed new division of the restored land and to the promised restoration and glory of Palestine, with its city and its land allotments, which some expect to see fulfilled in a future age with offerings and sacrifices restored and the city taking the place of the heavenly Jerusalem. It was part of a conditional prophecy to Israel, offered on condition of putting away iniquities and answering the calls to leave Babylon, and because the people failed to do their part the promised restoration and temple were not realized as described, not because of any change in purpose.
The verse belongs to the closing vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, describing a sanctuary with its worship, a city, and the redivision of the land among the twelve tribes with their ordered portions. It is part of the pattern of another sanctuary with two holy places, whose priesthood and services belong to a time before the Christian dispensation and whose most holy place is the same size as Solomon's temple. The vision describes a mortal, historical arrangement appointed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation, not the New Jerusalem, not the immortal reign of Christ, not the gospel dispensation, not the present dispensation, not the future immortal state, not a promise fulfilled under the first covenant, and not a sanctuary to be built after that dispensation began. Its sanctuary offerings cannot be restored in the future, because doing so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering.
The vision was shown during the Babylonian captivity to encourage the captive Jews, setting out what Israel might have received after the captivity if the people had trusted the promises and returned in faith. It was given in B.C. 574, fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple and the sanctuary were destroyed in B.C. 588 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, while Israel was among the captives, and offered them return to come into possession of these things on certain conditions. It offered the Hebrews restoration from Babylonian captivity to their land with a city and temple in circumstances of great glory, a new and larger city and temple described in great detail with the glory of God manifest. That temple was shown as a glorious temple at the center of a restored Jerusalem declaring that Jehovah is there, with the city henceforth called Jehovah Is There, whose presence would heal all barren land and salt marshes and impure waters and give life to all.
If Israel had been ashamed of their ways, God would have brought them back to the mountains of Israel, cleansed them from sin, done better to them than at their beginnings, made them great and fruitful, given the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed the enemies from the north of Ezekiel 38-39 with plagues, and let Israel build the marvelous sanctuary for His presence to dwell among them in overpowering glory. If Israel had met the conditions, the promises in Ezekiel 40-48, including the land allotments, would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest literal detail, including the tribal portions, the building of the temple with its sacrifices, and the burning of weapons for seven years.
Conditional Prophecy Forfeited
The portion of Issachar beside Simeon from east to west belongs to a new division of the land offered to the house of Israel in captivity on condition that they be ashamed of their iniquities and put them away. The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40 to 48 with its two holy places, whose most holy place is the same size as Solomon's, with its city and restoration, was offered to them to come into possession of on certain conditions fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple and the sanctuary were destroyed in B.C. 588 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the vision being given in B.C. 574 while Israel was among the captives. That fulfillment required repenting, returning wholeheartedly from captivity, trusting God's promises, obeying, turning from iniquities, and yielding fully to God. Because the people did not put away their iniquities and were unwilling, the promised restoration and temple were not realized as described.
Because Israel did not comply, was unwilling, and disregarded the condition, the promised restoration and temple were never established, never built as described, and never inherited in the offered glory. What God intended for Jerusalem if His people put away their sins and lived up to their calling was forfeited by their failure, and the failure was the people's, not a change in God's purpose. If Israel had been ashamed of their ways, God would have brought them back to the mountains of Israel, cleansed them from sin, done better to them than at their beginnings, made them great and fruitful, given the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed the enemies from the north of Ezekiel 38-39 with plagues, and let Israel build the marvelous sanctuary for His presence to dwell among them in overpowering glory, with the city henceforth called Jehovah Is There. Because Israel never complied with the conditions, the sanctuary with all its blessed fullness was never built.
What followed was only a feeble, partial, small-part fulfillment. After the Jews failed to meet those conditions, only about forty thousand returned from Babylon, and the promises were not fulfilled in their fullness. An inferior temple was built under Zerubbabel and Ezra that was only a shadow of the pattern, fell far short of it, and only partly realized the sanctuary and its promises because the people continued in apostasy. That temple built at the restoration from Babylon never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom the temple-keepers rejected, for Israel would not yield all to God so He could come in and dwell among them, and He could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor. The promised territorial arrangement with its tribal allotments would have been realized in the restoration from Babylon if Israel had met the conditions God imposed, but Israel's failure meant that it was fulfilled only in small part, and the envisioned sanctuary and worship did not come to pass in their intended fullness.
The vision does not describe the New Jerusalem, the immortal reign of Christ, the gospel dispensation, the present dispensation, the future immortal state, or a promise fulfilled under the first covenant. It describes a mortal, historical arrangement appointed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation, belonging to a time before the Christian dispensation, whose priesthood and services belong to that time. It is not a sanctuary yet to be built, not a sanctuary that ever was built, and will never be built literally, and because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God the literal details of the land division will never be fulfilled literally. The temple described in these chapters is not to be built after that dispensation began, nor does the vision describe a future restoration of the Jewish people and Levitical sacrificial system.
Its sanctuary offerings cannot be restored in the future, because doing so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering. The sanctuary and service described there include the former sacrifices, and those sacrifices cannot be restored, because doing so would make Christ's sacrifice void and of none effect. The plan does not describe a future sanctuary, since it prescribed sacrifices that would conflict with Christ's offering, to which they pointed and which Christ fulfilled. The sacrifices prescribed for that temple show that God would not ordain it again, for that sanctuary and land arrangement would have been built if the Jews had repented, but was never built and will not be built.
Future Hope Foreshadowed
The allotments of land, including Issachar's portion beside Simeon, are a type of God's broader promises for His people, to be fulfilled in general and in substance at the second coming and not in every literal detail. Because fleshly Israel did not yield to God in shame and full repentance, the literal details of the division will never be fulfilled literally, but the promise will instead be fulfilled in substance to true Israel with the future glory and the fullness of the immortal inheritance given to the faithful in fullest measure.
What was offered as a temple and its arrangements on condition of wholehearted return from captivity is now a prophecy of greater spiritual things God will do for His people through Christ. What God intended for Jerusalem if His people put away sins and lived up to their calling was forfeited by their failure, and its purpose will instead be realized in the New City awaiting God's true Israel. What would have formed part of the Messiah's kingdom on earth will instead be fulfilled more gloriously in the new earth, with true Israel redeemed to a more glorious inheritance in the earth made new.
Though the inheritance apportioned to Israel's families and tribes was temporary, its arrangement was intended to teach God's purpose for the future world and serves as a pattern for it. Each person's inheritance will be permanent rather than temporary, and the redeemed will receive their portions in the promised land and enjoy their land and the work of their hands throughout eternity.
The division of the land by tribal portions must be read in the light of the later revelation that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel, in which there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian. God's purpose toward wicked nations and true Israel is unchanged, and the latter part of the book is filled with promises of what He would do for His children if they returned to Him. 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.
The verse assigns Issachar its own portion beside Simeon, running from the east side to the west side in a new east-to-west division of the land among the twelve tribes. It belongs to the closing vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, describing a sanctuary with its worship, a city, and the redivision of the land with their ordered portions. That allotment with its sanctuary, city and restoration was conditional on Israel being ashamed of iniquities, repenting and returning wholeheartedly to God, and because Israel did not comply it was never established or built as described. It does not describe the New Jerusalem or a sanctuary yet to be built, and its former sacrifices cannot be restored in the future, because to do so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering. In substance the promise will instead be fulfilled more gloriously to true Israel and the faithful, whose inheritance will be permanent in the earth made new, where the redeemed will receive their portions and enjoy them throughout eternity.
Portion and Its Setting
Issachar receives a portion beside Simeon, running from the east side to the west side in a new east-to-west division of the land. This allotment belongs to a proposed new division of the restored land and to the promised restoration and glory of Palestine, with its city and its land allotments, which some expect to see fulfilled in a future age with offerings and sacrifices restored and the city taking the place of the heavenly Jerusalem. It was part of a conditional prophecy to Israel, offered on condition of putting away iniquities and answering the calls to leave Babylon, and because the people failed to do their part the promised restoration and temple were not realized as described, not because of any change in purpose.
The verse belongs to the closing vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, describing a sanctuary with its worship, a city, and the redivision of the land among the twelve tribes with their ordered portions. It is part of the pattern of another sanctuary with two holy places, whose priesthood and services belong to a time before the Christian dispensation and whose most holy place is the same size as Solomon's temple. The vision describes a mortal, historical arrangement appointed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation, not the New Jerusalem, not the immortal reign of Christ, not the gospel dispensation, not the present dispensation, not the future immortal state, not a promise fulfilled under the first covenant, and not a sanctuary to be built after that dispensation began. Its sanctuary offerings cannot be restored in the future, because doing so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering.
The vision was shown during the Babylonian captivity to encourage the captive Jews, setting out what Israel might have received after the captivity if the people had trusted the promises and returned in faith. It was given in B.C. 574, fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple and the sanctuary were destroyed in B.C. 588 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, while Israel was among the captives, and offered them return to come into possession of these things on certain conditions. It offered the Hebrews restoration from Babylonian captivity to their land with a city and temple in circumstances of great glory, a new and larger city and temple described in great detail with the glory of God manifest. That temple was shown as a glorious temple at the center of a restored Jerusalem declaring that Jehovah is there, with the city henceforth called Jehovah Is There, whose presence would heal all barren land and salt marshes and impure waters and give life to all.
If Israel had been ashamed of their ways, God would have brought them back to the mountains of Israel, cleansed them from sin, done better to them than at their beginnings, made them great and fruitful, given the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed the enemies from the north of Ezekiel 38-39 with plagues, and let Israel build the marvelous sanctuary for His presence to dwell among them in overpowering glory. If Israel had met the conditions, the promises in Ezekiel 40-48, including the land allotments, would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest literal detail, including the tribal portions, the building of the temple with its sacrifices, and the burning of weapons for seven years.
Conditional Prophecy Forfeited
The portion of Issachar beside Simeon from east to west belongs to a new division of the land offered to the house of Israel in captivity on condition that they be ashamed of their iniquities and put them away. The sanctuary of Ezekiel 40 to 48 with its two holy places, whose most holy place is the same size as Solomon's, with its city and restoration, was offered to them to come into possession of on certain conditions fourteen years after Jerusalem, the temple and the sanctuary were destroyed in B.C. 588 in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the vision being given in B.C. 574 while Israel was among the captives. That fulfillment required repenting, returning wholeheartedly from captivity, trusting God's promises, obeying, turning from iniquities, and yielding fully to God. Because the people did not put away their iniquities and were unwilling, the promised restoration and temple were not realized as described.
Because Israel did not comply, was unwilling, and disregarded the condition, the promised restoration and temple were never established, never built as described, and never inherited in the offered glory. What God intended for Jerusalem if His people put away their sins and lived up to their calling was forfeited by their failure, and the failure was the people's, not a change in God's purpose. If Israel had been ashamed of their ways, God would have brought them back to the mountains of Israel, cleansed them from sin, done better to them than at their beginnings, made them great and fruitful, given the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed the enemies from the north of Ezekiel 38-39 with plagues, and let Israel build the marvelous sanctuary for His presence to dwell among them in overpowering glory, with the city henceforth called Jehovah Is There. Because Israel never complied with the conditions, the sanctuary with all its blessed fullness was never built.
What followed was only a feeble, partial, small-part fulfillment. After the Jews failed to meet those conditions, only about forty thousand returned from Babylon, and the promises were not fulfilled in their fullness. An inferior temple was built under Zerubbabel and Ezra that was only a shadow of the pattern, fell far short of it, and only partly realized the sanctuary and its promises because the people continued in apostasy. That temple built at the restoration from Babylon never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom the temple-keepers rejected, for Israel would not yield all to God so He could come in and dwell among them, and He could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor. The promised territorial arrangement with its tribal allotments would have been realized in the restoration from Babylon if Israel had met the conditions God imposed, but Israel's failure meant that it was fulfilled only in small part, and the envisioned sanctuary and worship did not come to pass in their intended fullness.
The vision does not describe the New Jerusalem, the immortal reign of Christ, the gospel dispensation, the present dispensation, the future immortal state, or a promise fulfilled under the first covenant. It describes a mortal, historical arrangement appointed to be fulfilled in the past dispensation, belonging to a time before the Christian dispensation, whose priesthood and services belong to that time. It is not a sanctuary yet to be built, not a sanctuary that ever was built, and will never be built literally, and because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God the literal details of the land division will never be fulfilled literally. The temple described in these chapters is not to be built after that dispensation began, nor does the vision describe a future restoration of the Jewish people and Levitical sacrificial system.
Its sanctuary offerings cannot be restored in the future, because doing so would deny Christ's once-for-all offering. The sanctuary and service described there include the former sacrifices, and those sacrifices cannot be restored, because doing so would make Christ's sacrifice void and of none effect. The plan does not describe a future sanctuary, since it prescribed sacrifices that would conflict with Christ's offering, to which they pointed and which Christ fulfilled. The sacrifices prescribed for that temple show that God would not ordain it again, for that sanctuary and land arrangement would have been built if the Jews had repented, but was never built and will not be built.
Future Hope Foreshadowed
The allotments of land, including Issachar's portion beside Simeon, are a type of God's broader promises for His people, to be fulfilled in general and in substance at the second coming and not in every literal detail. Because fleshly Israel did not yield to God in shame and full repentance, the literal details of the division will never be fulfilled literally, but the promise will instead be fulfilled in substance to true Israel with the future glory and the fullness of the immortal inheritance given to the faithful in fullest measure.
What was offered as a temple and its arrangements on condition of wholehearted return from captivity is now a prophecy of greater spiritual things God will do for His people through Christ. What God intended for Jerusalem if His people put away sins and lived up to their calling was forfeited by their failure, and its purpose will instead be realized in the New City awaiting God's true Israel. What would have formed part of the Messiah's kingdom on earth will instead be fulfilled more gloriously in the new earth, with true Israel redeemed to a more glorious inheritance in the earth made new.
Though the inheritance apportioned to Israel's families and tribes was temporary, its arrangement was intended to teach God's purpose for the future world and serves as a pattern for it. Each person's inheritance will be permanent rather than temporary, and the redeemed will receive their portions in the promised land and enjoy their land and the work of their hands throughout eternity.
The division of the land by tribal portions must be read in the light of the later revelation that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ by the gospel, in which there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian nor Scythian. God's purpose toward wicked nations and true Israel is unchanged, and the latter part of the book is filled with promises of what He would do for His children if they returned to Him. 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.