Divisions of the Land & New Things in the Land
Lesson XV
Introduction.
Zechariah 9:9
(9) Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just,
and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal
of an ass.
Matthew 16:21-22
(21) From that time forth began Jesus to
shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be
raised again the third day.
(22) Then Peter took him, and began to
rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
There are things, especially in chapters 45 and 46 that we cannot
explain. We do not understand but God
has spoken and therefore we believe. Here is where we exercise faith. Faith is the ability to believe what God has
said simply because He has said it.
In these chapters, as in all the others in Ezekiel, God has spoken and
He will, in His time, fully reveal and fulfill all. If we dare say, “this cannot be so”, one day
we shall discover how wrong we can be. Before
Christ came the first time, I am sure there were those who said, “Messiah will never
ride a donkey”, as prophesied in Zechariah 9:9.
I am sure there were those who gave the prophecy a spiritual meaning
only. But now we know it was fulfilled
literally.
When Jesus told his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer
many things, die and rise again, Peter boldly said, “This shall not be unto
thee” (Matthew 16:21-22). But how wrong
Peter was! He did not believe until he
had seen the empty tomb.
And as we have seen the specific fulfillment of so many prophecies in
the preceding chapters of Ezekiel, we expect the same kind of fulfillment for
these remaining chapters.
Ezekiel
chapter forthy-five.
Ezekiel 45:1-8
Ezekiel 45:1-8 Dividing the
land, the first portion is called “the Holy portion.”
That part of the land to be set-apart for the temple which is to be
prepared for Millennial worship. Here
there is first, the portion for the sanctuary or the temple.
Verses 2-3 Then, of that
Holy portion, a part for the priests.
Verse 4 We notice that
although “priests” are mentioned in these chapters, who are called “ministers”,
there is no mention of a High Priest. A High
Priest will no longer be of men because Christ will be present and He is now
the High Priest (Hebrews 3:1).
Hebrews 3:1
(1) Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of
the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession,
Christ Jesus;
Then, after the portion for the priests, there is place for the Levites
who are the ministers of the house.
Verse 5 After that, the
passage gives the measurements of the portion for the city of Jerusalem.
Verse 6 Then, there is
made special provision for the prince.
Verse 7 In this passage
there is no mention of “David the prince”, as in Ezekiel 37:24-25, and because
David is not mentioned it must not be the same person.
Ezekiel 37:24-25
(24) And David my servant [shall be] king
over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my
judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.
(25) And they shall dwell in the land that
I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they
shall dwell therein, [even] they, and their children, and their children's
children for ever: and my servant David [shall be] their prince for ever.
In chapters 45 and 46 this prince is mentioned at least 13 times.
We do not know who this prince will be and restrain ourselves from
trying to identify him when he is not identified in the text. We know that Jesus will be King.
Matthew 19:28
(28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man
shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
We also know that each of the Apostles will have thrones judging the
twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).
May we suggest that the Apostles will be like the premiers of our
provinces, while the prince may be liked to the Prime Minster of the whole
realm.
Could Haggai
Haggai 2:23
(23) In that day, saith the LORD of hosts,
will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the
LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of
hosts.
Verse 8 The rest of the
land is for the house of Israel, the 12 tribes.
Details of this division are given in chapters 47-48.
Ezekiel 45:9
(9) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Let it suffice
you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and
justice, take away your exactions from my people, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 45:9 In addition to
the prince, there are princes, plural.
These could be in addition to the Twelve Apostles, or they could be the
Twelve Apostles. According to one
writer, the words “prince” or “princes” could have been translated “leaders”.
Again we ask that you remember that what is here has to do with the
Millennium, which is a specific period of time in time. Those who enter the Millennium will all be
saved, but children will be born to them, and as now, the children of saved
parents are not always saved.
Ezekiel 45:9-12
(10) Ye shall have
just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.
Ezekiel 45:9-12 These leaders are
to deal with “violence and spoil” in judgment.
All is to be justice, everything - just balances, just measures. Things will be just during the
Millennium.
Ezekiel 45:13-16
(16) All the people
of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.
Ezekiel 45:13-16 Again we are told
that there will be “oblations”, that is “sacrifices” offered at that time.
The people of the land are to give this oblation.
Verse 15 It includes one
lamb from every flock of 200 sheep.
Verse 16 Such detail
cannot be spiritualized nor can it be ignored.
Ezekiel 45: 17-19
Ezekiel 45: 17-19
Verse 17 It shall be the
prince’s part to prepare the sin offering.
Verse 18 And on the first
day of the first month of the year to offer a young bullock to cleanse the
sanctuary.
1 John 1:7
(7) But if we walk in the light, as he is
in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus
Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
2 Corinthians 7:1
(1) Having therefore these promises, dearly
beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
All of this is objected to by an amillennialist because Christ’s
offering for sin was once for all. We as
Christians in our day believe that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sin (1
John 1:7), but Paul instructs us “to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of
the flesh and spirit” (2 Corinthians 7:1).
It may seem like a contradiction, but who are we to argue with God?
The temple that will be built will be God’s temple. But because human beings enter into it, it
will need monthly cleansing.
Ezekiel 45:20
(20) And so thou shalt
do the seventh [day] of the month for every one that erreth, and for [him that
is] simple: so shall ye reconcile the house.
Ezekiel 45:20 Another offering
is to be made on the 7th day of the month for those who “err” and
are “simple”. One cannot find anything
like this in Leviticus or in the practice of
Ezekiel 45:21-25
(21) In the first
[month], in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a
feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
(22) And upon that day
shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a
bullock [for] a sin offering.
(23) And seven days of
the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and
seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily
[for] a sin offering.
(24) And he shall
prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and
an hin of oil for an ephah.
(25) In the seventh
[month], in the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like in the feast
of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt
offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.
Ezekiel 45:21-25 These verses
instruct them to keep Passover on the same day and date as since the first
celebration.
1 Corinthians 5:7
(7) Purge out
therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
And if we keep in mind that the Passover looked back to their
deliverance from Egypt and at the same time looked ahead to the cross (1
Corinthians 5:7), (therefore there has always been an act of remembrance), so
it will be in the Millennium.
The only other feast they are instructed to keep is on the 15th
day of the 7th month, which was and is the feast of tabernacles. There
is no mention of the other feasts as found in Leviticus 23.
Zechariah 14:9, 16-19
(9) And the LORD shall be king over all the
earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
Zechariah 14:16-19 tells us plainly that when the Lord is King over all
the earth (Zechariah 14:9) those who are left of the nations (Gentiles) shall
come up to Jerusalem every year to keep the feast of tabernacles. They come to worship the King and, if they do
not come, they will receive no rain that year.
The feast of tabernacles was never an obligation for Gentiles in days
that are past. This too is a new thing
in the land.
Ezekiel
chapter forty-six.
Ezekiel 46:1-9
Ezekiel 46:1
The temple gate, on the east side, is only to be opened on the Sabbath
day for worship.
This is certainly something not seen nor heard of before. The very fact
that the Sabbath is mentioned indicates that all this is on Jewish ground and
does not apply to the Church.
Acts 1:5-6
(5) For John truly baptized with water; but
ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
(6) When they therefore were come together,
they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the
kingdom to Israel?
Micah 4:8
(8) And thou, O tower of the flock, the
strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first
dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Remember, the Kingdom is restored to Israel (Acts 1:5-6). “The kingdom shall come to the daughter of
Jerusalem” (Micah 4:8). That is when the
so-called Lord’s prayer has been answered: “Thy kingdom come” will have come.
Ezekiel 46:2
Here again the prince is mentioned as he comes through the gate to
worship and when “the priests prepare his burnt-offerings.” These kinds of statements imply that this
prince is not Messiah, and that these offerings are Jewish.
Ezekiel 46:3
The people of
Ezekiel 46:4-7
Here again detailed instructions are given about the offerings to be
offered.
Ezekiel 46:8
The prince uses the temple gate to enter and to leave the temple.
Ezekiel 46:9
For the people it is different. They come in a north gate and go out a south
gate. If they enter by a south gate they
go out by a north gate. All is in order.
Ezekiel 46:10-18
Ezekiel 46:10-18
The prince is named again as being in the midst of the people during
their temple worship. Here again
sacrifices are mentioned in many of these verses. One thing stands out: the daily burnt offering
was to be offered every morning (verses 13,14,15).
Ezekiel 46:19-24
Ezekiel 46:19-24
All these verses have to do with the activities of the priests. Their
holy chambers are mentioned in verse 19. The place where they boil the sacrifices are in
verses 20-24. No doubt there are
meanings connected with all these things which we now cannot understand but we
believe, because God has spoken.
Compare Zechariah 14:16-21.
Zechariah 14:16-21
Ezekiel chapter
forty-seven.
Ezekiel 47:1-12
Ezekiel 47:1-12 The new
river.
Too often the literal aspect of this revelation has been ignored and
replaced by a spiritual application. To
most preachers, it has been used as the river of the Holy Spirit. That may have an application but it is not
the interpretation.
So we look more carefully.
Ezekiel 47:1
The river flows eastward on the right side of the temple. The location is
Ezekiel 47:2-5
The river gets deeper as it flows to the east country, down into the
sea which can only mean the
Ezekiel 47:8
This verse says the waters of the sea shall be healed. In what way?
Ezekiel 47:9
There shall be a very great multitude of fish in that sea because the
river brings life wherever it flows. At
the present time there are no fish in the Dead Sea because they cannot live in that
sea. This verse also states that
“fishermen shall spread their nets at Engedi.” It is a literal place directly west of the
Zechariah 14:1-8
(1) Behold, the day
of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
(6) And it shall
come to pass in that day, [that] the light shall not be clear, [nor] dark:
Zechariah 14:4 After describing
the Mount of Olives being divided and thereby creating a very great valley, Zechariah 14:8 says: “And it shall be
in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem: half of them toward
the former sea and half of them toward the hinder sea; in summer and in winter
it shall be.”
Thus, this very great valley, formed by the feet of Jesus touching down
on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:3) not only divides the mountain but it
opens a river-bed from the Mediterranean Sea, past the city of Jerusalem and
the temple, down to the Dead Sea and on to the hinder sea, the Red Sea and the
Persian Gulf, so that fish from these seas will then make their way to that
which has been the Dead Sea. For a
number of years, the Jews have studied a plan to cut such a canal. The Lord is going to do it for them!
Ezekiel 47:13-23
(21) So shall ye
divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 47:13-23 In these
verses the new borders of the land of Israel are stated.
To this point, everything about the land of Israel has been literal and
very real. Must we now change the basis
of interpretation of that which belongs to the future? We think not!
Exodus 23:31
(31) And I will set thy bounds from the Red
sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river:
for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt
drive them out before thee.
Numbers 33:53-54
(53) And ye shall dispossess [the
inhabitants] of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to
possess it.
(54) And ye shall divide the land by lot
for an inheritance among your families: [and] to the more ye shall give the
more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every
man's [inheritance] shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to
the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.
Numbers 34:2
(2) Command the children of Israel, and say
unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this [is] the land that shall
fall unto you for an inheritance, [even] the land of Canaan with the coasts
thereof:)
When talking about the “borders” of the land, in Exodus 23:31, God
said: “I will set the bounds (borders) from the Red Sea even unto the Sea of
the Philistines…” (Mediterranean).
We remember that Joshua divided the land: see Numbers 33:53-54 and
Numbers 34:2.
However, like so much history of
Ezekiel 47:13
“Thus saith the LORD God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall
inherit the land…”.
We note here it does not say “ye have” but rather “ye shall”, it is
something yet to be. Nothing in Israel’s
past or present history has fulfilled this prophecy. Never, since Ezekiel wrote, has the land been
divided as here described. Therefore it
must be future.
We notice further that the land shall be inherited by the twelve
tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 47:14
Again, “and ye shall inherit it, as one as well as
another; concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your
fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for an
inheritance.”
As we glance at verses 15 to 20, we note:
Ezekiel 47:15-17 the North
border.
Ezekiel 47:18 the East
border.
Ezekiel 47:19 the South
border.
Ezekiel 47:20 the West
border.
Such language does pertain to this earth on which we live.
Revelation 7:1
(1) And after these things I saw four
angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the
earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any
tree.
Isaiah 11:12
(12) And he shall set up an ensign for the
nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the
dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 43:5-6
(5) Fear not: for I [am] with thee: I will
bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
(6) I will say to the north, Give up; and
to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the
ends of the earth;
This is what is meant by such Scriptures as Revelation 7:1, which
speaks of “the four corners of the earth.” I heard one preacher argue that this could not
be interpreted to be literal because the earth is round! But look at Isaiah 11:12 where it speaks of
the Lord gathering the Jews from the four corners of the earth. As one reads on in Isaiah 43:5-6, it spells
out what is meant: “bringing from the EAST; “gather from the West”; saying to
the NORTH “give up”, and to the SOUTH “keep not back.”
So if we read the Bible in faith, we will not endeavour to give the
words “North”, “East”, “South” and “West” another meaning than our ordinary
understanding of these words, nor will we change the intended meaning of “the
four corners of the earth”.
Ezekiel 47:15
In spelling out the borders of the land, which will be inherited by the
tribes of Israel, here is given great detail.
Giving the North border, that which is first mentioned is the Great Sea,
which everywhere old maps identify it as the Mediterranean Sea. And that word means “the middle sea.” The next statement in the verse, “the way
of Hethlon as men go to Zedad”.
Our source of information states that “Hethlon was located North-East
of
Zedad (Sadad) is also mentioned in Numbers 34:8. It was located on what is now the North
border of
Numbers 34:8
(8) From mount Hor ye shall point out [your
border] unto the entrance of Hamath; and the goings forth of the border shall
be to Zedad:
Ezekiel 47:16
2 Samuel 8:8
(8) And from Betah, and from Berothai,
cities of Hadadezer, king David took exceeding much brass.
Numbers 34:9
(9) And the border shall go on to Ziphron,
and the goings out of it shall be at Hazarenan: this shall be your north
border.
Still giving details of the North border, Hamath, at that time the
Capital of Upper Syria, was located at least 130 miles north of Damascus;
Berothah, another city (2 Samuel 8:8) 35 miles north of Damascus; Sibraim, the
same as Ziphron in Numbers 34:9, located north of Damascus but south of Hamath. Hamath, mentioned again in this text, as
noted, was north of
Ezekiel 47: 17
Genesis 15:18-19
(18) In the same day the LORD made a
covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the
river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:
(19) The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and
the Kadmonites,
We are back to Hamath as the North border. This being so,
Ezekiel 47:18
Naming the “east sea” as the east border, the sea referred to must be
the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean
Ezekiel 47:19
States that the south border goes to Kadesh and back to the Great Sea.
Kadesh is located 60 miles south of
Ezekiel 47:20
The west border is the
Ezekiel 47:21-23
When they have divided the land, land is to be allotted to strangers,
that is, Gentiles, living in the land.
And when these strangers have children born in the land, those children
are to be settled “among the tribes”, in other words, accepted as citizens.
We take note that during the Millennium, children will be born.
Ezekiel chapter
forty-eight.
Ezekiel 48:1-7
(2) And by the
border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for] Asher.
(3) And by the
border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a [portion for]
Naphtali.
(4) And by the
border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for]
Manasseh.
(5) And by the
border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for]
Ephraim.
(6) And by the
border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a [portion for]
Reuben.
(7) And by the
border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a [portion for] Judah.
Ezekiel 48:1-7
Having been given details about the borders of the land, one can
proceed to draw a map as it will be divided.
Remembering that the East side is the Euphrates, and reading from the
left to the right, as is done on that side of our world, a line can be drawn
from that river that goes from Hamath 130 miles north of Damascus, in a
south-western direction, north of Damascus to the Mediterranean Sea
And this will mark the south border of the Tribe of Dan. Strange it is to me that in Joshua, Dan is
always last, and in Revelation 7 he is not named with the 144,000, but here
that tribe is named first. Perhaps
another illustration of the grace of God in making the first to be last and the
last to be first.
Then having established the North Border, a section from the east side
to the west side is for the tribe of Asher.
Then follows in like manner, a portion for Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim,
Reuben and Judah. These seven tribes now
have territory that gives each a seaport on the
Ezekiel 48:8-9
(8) And by the border of Judah, from the
east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of
five and twenty thousand [reeds in] breadth, and [in] length as one of the
[other] parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall
be in the midst of it.
(9) The oblation that ye shall offer unto
the LORD [shall be] of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand
in breadth.
Ezekiel 48:8-9
South of the portion of Judah, is measured a portion of land, in the
midst of which is the Sanctuary, which we know from Scripture is the Temple, located
in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 48: 10-20
(19) And they that
serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 48: 10-20
This portion of the “holy portion” is for the Priests and the Levites.
Ezekiel 48:21-22
Ezekiel 48:21-22
Here is described the portion for the prince.
Ezekiel 48:23
(23) As for the rest of the tribes, from
the east side unto the west side, Benjamin [shall have a portion].
Ezekiel 48:23
Then a portion for the Tribe of Benjamin in the same way as for the
first seven tribes.
Ezekiel 48:24-28
(25) And by the
border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a [portion].
(26) And by the
border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a [portion].
(27) And by the
border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a [portion].
Ezekiel 48:24-28
In these verses, a portion for Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun and Gad, which
reaches Kadish and across to the Great Sea.
Ezekiel 48:29
(29) This is the land which ye shall divide
by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these [are] their
portions, saith the Lord GOD.
Ezekiel 48:29
Summarizes the chapter. “This is
the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the Tribes of Israel for an
inheritance and these are the portions, saith the Lord God.”
There should be no question in any thoughtful mind, this division of
the land cannot be found in history and therefore must be a revelation of the
future.
The division of the land by Joshua was only a shadow, and the division
of Ezekiel will only be accomplished by the Greater Joshua, whom we know to be
Jesus. He will divide the land and fulfill the Scriptures.
Now look at Matthew 19:27-28.
Matthew 19:27-28
(27) Then answered Peter and said unto him,
Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
(28) And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say
unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of
man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve
thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Here is a definite promise made to the 12 Apostles of the Lamb. A promise that can only be fulfilled by the
division of the land as revealed in Ezekiel.
A promise definitely connected with the time of the Second Coming of
Christ, “in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His
glory.”
We state once again, Ezekiel
48 must be fulfilled in order to fulfill
the promises to the Apostles.
Acts 1:3-7
Perhaps they had this promise in mind when they asked Jesus, “wilt thou
at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:3-7). They were not asking
if there was going to be such, they were asking if it was the time for such. If
there is not such a thing, Jesus should have so answered. But He said,” it is not for you to know the time”. He did not say there is no such
thing.
So we gather from the text there is a time for
And in one sense that is the over-all theme of the prophecy of Ezekiel.
Ezekiel 48:30-34
Ezekiel 48:30-34
These verses include the final prophecies in the book and they have to
do with the city gates of the city of Jerusalem. There will be 12 gates. (Today there are eight.) One will be named the gate of Levi (verse 31). The reasons for this are not given. In other records of the Tribes, Levi is not
included because it was the priestly tribe.
Ephraim and Manasseh are included in the name Joseph (verse 32). The reason is not given.
Ezekiel 48:35
(35) [It was] round about eighteen thousand
[measures]: and the name of the city from [that] day [shall be], The LORD [is]
there.
Ezekiel 48:35
The book concludes with the re-naming of the city. In Hebrew it is “Jehovah-Shammah” which is
translated by the words, “The LORD is there”. “LORD” for Jehovah-Jesus. It will
be then known as the “City of Jesus”. “Even
so, come Lord Jesus.”
Conclude: The glory was
coming. The glory came. The glory departed. The glory is coming again. Then the earth will be filled with and shine
with His glory. This is Ezekiel’s
message. All then will know that the
Lord hath spoken.
Now read again Deuteronomy 11:11-12.
Deuteronomy 11:11-12
(11) But the land, whither ye go to possess
it, [is] a land of hills and valleys, [and] drinketh water of the rain of
heaven:
(12) A land which the LORD thy God careth
for: the eyes of the LORD thy God [are] always upon it, from the beginning of
the year even unto the end of the year.