Ezekiel 44
A third time (see chapters 40:6, etc., and 43:1-4) the prophet in his vision was brought to the east gate of the Millennial temple. The outer gate was now shut, and never again to be opened, because Jehovah, the God of Israel, had entered by it. There will be a member of the house of David, here called the prince, who will be the immediate ruler over the people, acting for the Lord, and he shall sit in the gate to eat bread before His. He shall enter and leave by the way of the porch of the gate, while the common people will use the north and south entrances.
Ezekiel was now brought the way of the north gate, and beholding the glory of Jehovah which filled the temple, he fell upon his face. A message was then given him to deliver to Israel. The house will never be defiled, as the former house had been (verses 7-9). Righteousness will rule in the coming da, and there will be remembrance of past unfaithfulness (verses 10-14), promising for the Levites who went away from Jehovah after idols, that they shall not have the full privileges that would have been theirs in the temple service.
There will, however, be priests, Levites, sons of Zadok, who shall minister unto Jehovah (verses 15, 16). No such privilege will be allowed the people as such, — so different from the present dispensation of grace will be the future dealing of God when Israel again takes the lead in the world. Now, all believers are priests; then only a limited class will be.
Exact rules with regard to the dress, etc., of the priests follow. As under the old covenant. (Exodus 28:4242And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: (Exodus 28:42)), they are to be clothed with linen garments when they are at work. They may not wear wool while ministering in the gates of the inner court, and within. The garments of service are to be left in the holy chambers, and other clothes put on when going forth into the outer court. The treatment of their hair is regulated, and they may not drink wine when they enter the inner court (see Leviticus 10:9-119Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations: 10And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean; 11And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses. (Leviticus 10:9‑11)).
In marriage, the priests are given rules exceeding those laid down in Leviticus 21: 7, but as to defilement for the dead, the order is the same as in verses 1-3 of that chapter.
The food of the priests is provided according to the forethought of Jehovah, as under the Mosaic system, —the meat (or meal) offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering, and every dedicated thing, together-with the first of all the first fruits of every kind, etc., are for the priests.
ML 03/29/1936