Today … one more Lesson from Ezekiel 46, this being the fourth in a row! (I would have never thought so, not even a week ago, when I first read this chapter in preparation for this Series of Articles.)

Remembering that the “prince” (mentioned 8 times in Ezekiel 46, more than in any other chapter in the whole Book) is some sort of good, governmental leader … verses 16 and 17 give us an interesting “rule” concerning “family status,” not only in ancient Israel, but the future earth, during the Millennium.

“Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his SONS, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his SERVANTS, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after (that) it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.” Ezekiel 46:16-17

Here’s the “gist” of this law. (Remember how Ezekiel is FULL of legislation, much like the Book of Exodus, or even the whole Pentateuch. And that in well over a dozen ways Ezekiel seems to be much like Moses!)

If the prince gives something to one of his servants … the “gift” is “temporary!” A servant can never possess anything more than forty-nine years and eleven months or so. (Because the year of liberty occurred every fifty years, also called the year of jubilee in Scripture. And when that year arrived … all “gifted” things returned to their original owner!)

So favors (gifts) for slaves are to be relatively short lived, certainly not permanent! They ultimately revert to the prince’s ownership … because in time … those sons inherit it all!

Yes … to a son, it’s different! “If the prince give a gift unto any of his SONS, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’. Perpetually!

Wow!

That’s why I entitled today’s little lesson … “The Privileges of Sonship!”

Now to apply this spiritually.

I once was a slave … to sin.

I now am set free (via redemption) by the Blood of Jesus Christ!

And I have been “adopted” into His Family, the Family of God!

That makes me a “son” of God, through my relationship with Jesus.

I have/enjoy things (“gifts” innumerable) now (having been made an heir of God, a joint-heir with Jesus Christ) forevermore!

First John 3:1 captures this truth well, expressing it like this: “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the SONS of God.”

Wow!

Ladies (who are saved) … you are “in” too!

“Sons” and “Daughters” of God, His little “Children!”

First John 3:2 may even be better: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

Eternity!

What “gifts” He bestows … forever!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

Ezekiel 46 is replete with information/instructions about the many “sacrifices” that will be offered (to the Lord) during the Millennium. (These are not redemptive in nature, but serve as a “memorial” of the Lamb of God, Jesus the Son of God, His Death on the Cross. Sort of like “The Lord’s Supper” does today.)

In noticing these sacrifices, offerings, I spotted a truth. An exciting one! Let me share it with you this Wednesday morning.

The word “morning” occurs in Ezekiel chapter 46 three times. Consecutively in verses 13 and 14 and 15. In fact, the word occurs in this chapter of Ezekiel more than anywhere else in his whole Book, in all 48 chapters!

Here are all three:

“Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every MORNING.” Verse 13, the daily morning sacrifice, no doubt. Really, Israel was supposed to have been practicing this ritual since the days of Moses!

“And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every MORNING, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD.” Verse 14, the meal offering, every MORNING!

Then verse 15: “Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every MORNING for a continual burnt offering.” Repetitious perhaps, but summarizing the whole scheme.

“EVERY MORNING,” we can’t miss that, can we?

But now notice this. Not a single “hint” at an evening sacrifice!

An evening sacrifice that was equally binding under the Law of Moses!

(As in Exodus 29:39-41 … “The one lamb thou shalt offer in the MORNING; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at EVEN: and with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. And the other lamb thou shalt offer at EVEN (EVENING), and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.” Word for word, King James Version. If the morning offering was given … so would the evening offering follow near sunset!

Amazing!

So, clearly … in the Millennium, the morning offering continues.

Yet in the same Millennium, the evening sacrifice does not continue! It’s not mentioned anywhere in the Book, that I can find anyway. And I have looked diligently.

WHY?

Here’s the reason.

Although a limited form (or at least a different form … than Moses’ Law … at least in some ways) of sacrifice is instituted for the 1,000 year Millennium … NO EVENING SACRIFCES WILL BE HELD … because that’s precisely when Jesus paid for our sin debt on Calvary!

Yes, Jesus died on Calvary at the very hour the “evening sacrifice” would have been prepared and offered! “And about the NINTH HOUR Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 … around 3:00 pm, the very time of the “evening sacrifice!”

Mark 15:34 agrees. “And at the NINTH HOUR Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”

Wow!

Let’s read Mark 15:34-38. To get the whole context. “And at the ninth hour (time of evening sacrifice) Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost (exhaled His last Breath). And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.”

Jesus died (exactly) at the time of the evening sacrifice, folks!

And the (unbelieving) Jewish priests on duty (at the Temple) the day our Lord died … would have been near that Veil (some of the priests, anyway) when it “was rent (torn) in twain!”

What a testimony to Jesus’ Deity, Power, Efficacious Sacrifice … they would have witnessed!

So I believe there will be not evening sacrifices during the Millennium because the Real Evening Sacrifice has already been offered, Jesus Christ my Saviour!

Anyone alive then, during the Millennium … instead of going to an altar (no matter how special) … can just walk over to the Throne Room and look at the (still scarred) Saviour. Who became our Evening Sacrifice on Calvary!

Hallelujah!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

On earth, during the Millennium, multitudes will live!

Think of society experiencing a thousand years of peace! Not a single war, not until the end of that long period anyway. And that one will be “quick!”

Jesus will be there.

So will we, the saved people of all the ages!

And Israel, that little Nation who trusted Christ at the end of the Tribulation, when about to be decimated by the armies of the world, at Armageddon!

And as well, many citizens of far-flung nations … the few who “befriended” Israel to some degree! During her long, dark Ordeal! (Study the “Judgment of the Nations” in Matthew 25.)

On top of that, the humans (still in their natural bodies) living on earth during that era will continue functioning as normal, having children and raising families! (Plus it looks like life expectancy reverts to that of the days of Adam, people not dying until hundreds of years old!)

A veritable population “explosion!”

Back to my opening sentence today … during the Millennium, multitudes will be alive!

And they will ALL come to Jerusalem periodically and worship the King, adore the Lord Jesus!

So much so that Ezekiel 46:9 gives (in advance) instructions of how to enter and leave the Temple of God … during the Millennial Reign of Christ Jesus.

“But when the people of the land (earth) shall COME BEFORE THE LORD (to worship) in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.”

Wow!

Crowd control, I think!

Here’s Zechariah 14:6, a “proof” Text indeed! “And it shall come to pass (in the Millennium), that every one that is left of all the nations which came against JERUSALEM shall even go up from year to year TO WORSHIP THE KING, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”

Wow, again!

And Isaiah 27:13 may be helpful here. “And it shall come to pass IN THAT DAY (THE MILLENNIUM), that the great trumpet shall be blown, and THEY SHALL COME which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD in the HOLY MOUNT (TEMPLE) at Jerusalem.”

Wonderful!

How thorough will be this “Revival?” Isaiah hints: “They (the multitudes) shall not hurt nor destroy (no crime) in all my holy mountain (Jerusalem and Temple): for THE EARTH SHALL BE FULL OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” Isaiah 11:9

And folks, that’s no doubt why the Holy Spirit had Ezekiel gIve “instructions” on how to enter and exit this great Millennial Temple in that grand coming Age!

Truly … every knee will bow and every tongue confess!

In Isaiah 45:23 God Himself says so! “I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me EVERY KNEE shall bow, EVERY TONGUE shall swear.”

Paul thought so too, quoting Isaiah! “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee SHALL BOW to me, and every tongue SHALL CONFESS to God.” Romans 14:11

This too … “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that EVERY TONGUE SHOULD CONFESS that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Praise be to God!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

This last thought … maybe you’d better look at those empty church pews Sunday! (If you have none, your Church is unusually blessed.) Some day thousands upon thousands (if not millions) will be crowding around to see Jesus, to adore and worship Him! No empty spaces!

 

More than any other chapter in the Book, Ezekiel 46 talks about the person called “the prince.” In fact, 8 times I see his name (title) there.

I earlier wrote that he may be a “type” of God’s Read Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ! I still think that may be so, symbolically speaking.

But He is NOT literally the Son of God!

(However in Isaiah 9:6 the “Prince” is Jesus, the Messiah. That’s for sure! “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, THE PRINCE OF PEACE.” Amen!)

How do I know Ezekiel’s “prince” is not Jesus?

Several reasons, one being he has “sons,” literal offspring. Read with me verses 16 and 17 of our chapter, Ezekiel 46. “Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.” These are literal sons, physical offspring! (We are the sons of God, but spiritually, not literally.)

Another reason being that God seems to order him around a lot! Telling him many things to do, how to worship … all through the chapter. This seems to me to be a way God the Father does not treat God the Son, the Trinity is perfectly harmonious and co-equal. Read with me now verses 4-7. “And the burnt offering that the PRINCE shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.” Wow!

And a third (and most compelling) reason is that the “prince” offers a sin offering both for himself and for the people! Ezekiel 45:22 tells: “And upon that day shall the prince prepare FOR HIMSELF and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.” Case closed!

Then, who is this “prince?”

I suspect a good (godly) administrator!

One (in a limited sense) leading the Jews during the Millennium, giving the people law and order.

At least that’s the best answer I can give to the question.

And as I write I am realizing that (even though Jesus the Messiah will be the King of all earth during this 1,000 year period) Ezekiel does not emphasize HIS PRESENCE, HIS IDENTITY as clearly as does, for example, John in the Book of Revelation! Revelation 20:6 being an example. “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” Surprising!

More about this prince tomorrow, Lord willing.

When we shall still be in this same chapter.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Because … I have seen a couple of other Bible “principles” from this part of Ezekiel (chapter 46) that I’d like to share with you.

 

In reality Ezekiel chapters 45-48, the rest of the Book, discuss the “dividing” of the Land, again during the Millennium. And the unique thing about this “survey” is that it requires “Land for the Lord!” And since the “reed,” which we studied earlier, is just over 10 feet in length (10.5 is more exact) … the Lord’s “Allotment” of land measures approximately 50 miles by 20 miles! It’s in this Parcel that the “Temple” will sit.

Read verses 1-3 of Ezekiel 45 please. “Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation (gift, offering) unto the LORD, an HOLY PORTION OF THE LAND: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about. Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length, with five hundred in breadth, square round about; and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs thereof. And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand: and IN IT shall be the SANCTUARY and the MOST HOLY PLACE.”

Wow!

This set of statistics begins the vast list of numbers Ezekiel shares, all measuring that future possession of Israel, of the Lord! In other words, Ezekiel’s closing chapters read (at places) like a surveyor’s “plat.”

But today, in Ezekiel chapter 45, I believe I see three of the ancient (Leviticus 23) Feasts Israel was to observe (celebrate) before the Lord, annually in fact. That automatically then means some of the ancient Feasts of Israel will no longer be observed!

Let me show you the three of which I am sure. And I have checked with some conservative, Bible-believing commentators to be sure I’m not way “out there” somewhere in my teaching.

In Ezekiel 45:21-24 certainly Passover (along with the accompanying Feast of Unleavened Bread) is being taught. “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. And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. 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. 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.”

That’s two of the seven Israel observed, Feasts unto the Lord.

Then I believe: “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 45:25, the beginning date of the Feast of Tabernacles in Israel. Also called “Booths.” The Millennium will be a time of rejoicing!

(Here’s how Leviticus 23:39-43 describes “Tabernacles,” as inspired by the Holy Spirit. “In the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and YE SHALL REJOICE before the LORD your God seven days. And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. Ye shall dwell in BOOTHS seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” What a future God had planned for his people; celebrating liberty, deliverance, redemption!)

So there will be for those 1,000 years (the Millennium) a pattern of worship established, and Ezekiel has given us some of the details.

Much is yet to be learned, of course.

So the Lord willing, Monday morning, we shall wade into Ezekiel 46.

I wish I had a model of this Temple and its environs!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell