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