Ezekiel46

Ezekiel 46 details regulations for worship and offerings in the new temple, focusing on the prince's role and the people's participation. The east gate is opened on Sabbaths and New Moons for specific sacrifices by the prince and the people. Daily burnt offerings are commanded, and rules for the prince's inheritance are established to prevent oppression. The chapter concludes by describing designated cooking places for both priestly and communal sacrifices within the temple courts.

Regulations for the East Gate

1
Thus says the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened. ​
2
The prince shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate outside, and shall stand by the post of the gate; and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go out; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. ​
3
The people of the land shall worship at the door of that gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. ​
4
The burnt offering that the prince shall offer to the LORD shall be on the Sabbath day six lambs without defect and a ram without defect; ​
5
and the meal offering shall be an efah for the ram, and the meal offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an efah.
6
On the day of the new moon it shall be a young bull without defect, and six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without defect:
7
and he shall prepare a meal offering, an efah for the bull, and an efah for the ram, and for the lambs according as he is able, and a hin of oil to an efah.
8
When the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of the gate, and he shall go out by its way.

Movement of the People During Feasts

9
But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the appointed feasts, he who enters by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he who enters by the way of the south gate shall go out by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate by which he came in, but shall go out straight before him. ​
10
The prince, when they go in, shall go in with of them; and when they go out, he shall go out. ​
11
In the feasts and in the solemnities the meal offering shall be an efah for a bull, and an efah for a ram, and for the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an efah.
12
When the prince shall prepare a freewill offering, a burnt offering or peace offerings as a freewill offering to the LORD, one shall open for him the gate that looks toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he does on the Sabbath day: then he shall go out; and after his going out one shall shut the gate. ​

The Daily Continual Offering

13
You shall prepare a lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering to the LORD daily: morning by morning you shall prepare it. ​
14
You shall prepare a meal offering with it morning by morning, the sixth part of an efah, and the third part of a hin of oil, to moisten the fine flour; a meal offering to the LORD continually by a perpetual ordinance.
15
Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meal offering, and the oil, morning by morning, for a continual burnt offering.

Regulations for the Prince’s Inheritance

16
Thus says the Lord GOD: If the prince give a gift to any of his sons, it is his inheritance, it shall belong to his sons; it is their possession by inheritance. ​
17
But if he give of his inheritance a gift to one of his servants, it shall be his to the year of liberty; then it shall return to the prince; but as for his inheritance, it shall be for his sons. ​
18
Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance, to thrust them out of their possession; he shall give inheritance to his sons out of his own possession, that my people not be scattered every man from his possession. ​

Sacrificial Kitchens and Boiling Places

19
Then he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy rooms for the priests, which looked toward the north: and behold, there was a place on the hinder part westward. ​
20
He said to me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the meal offering; that they not bring them out into the outer court, to sanctify the people. ​
21
Then he brought me out into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.
22
In the four corners of the court there were courts enclosed, forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four in the corners were of one measure.
23
There was a wall around in them, around the four, and boiling places were made under the walls all around.
24
Then he said to me, These are the boiling houses, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. ​

Study Notes for Ezekiel 46

Verse 1

The East Gate, shut since the LORD entered (Ezekiel 44:1-3), is opened only on sacred days (Sabbath, New Moon), symbolizing the special presence of God on those occasions.

Verse 2

The Prince worships 'at the threshold,' indicating he remains in the outer court. This restriction prevents him from entering the inner court like the priests, underscoring that his authority is civil, not priestly.

Verse 3

Notes the participation of the common people, emphasizing that the worship cycle (Sabbath and New Moon) involves the entire community, not just the priests and the Prince.

Verse 4

The detailed prescriptions for offerings reflect the highly ordered and specific nature of worship in the visionary temple, emphasizing perfect obedience and dedication.

Verse 9

This regulation ensures an orderly flow of traffic during major festivals, preventing chaos and reflecting the divine order established for worship. The people must exit through a different gate than they entered.

Verse 10

The Prince participates alongside the people, demonstrating his role as a leader who is subject to the same regulations as the community, unlike previous kings who usurped ritual authority.

Verse 12

The East Gate is allowed to be opened for *voluntary* offerings, showing that while rules are strict, there is still provision for spontaneous devotion and free-will sacrifice outside the set calendar.

Verse 13

This daily sacrifice (the *tamid*) is the bedrock of the sacrificial system, establishing a perpetual act of atonement and communion, mirroring the practice commanded in the wilderness (Ex. 29:38-42).

Verse 16

This section shifts from ritual law to civil law, regulating the distribution of the Prince's property to prevent the abuses of power seen in previous monarchies.

Verse 17

The 'year of liberty' is likely a reference to the Jubilee year (Lev. 25:10), ensuring that land given to a servant remains temporary and cannot dispossess the prince’s direct heirs.

Verse 18

This crucial command prevents the Prince from confiscating the people's land by oppression, a direct contrast to the historical sin of King Ahab against Naboth (1 Kings 21). This ensures social justice and stability within the restored community.

Verse 19

This final section describes the specific chambers required for preparing the holy sacrifices, emphasizing the careful maintenance of ritual purity within the temple complex.

Verse 20

The priests’ kitchens are located near the inner court to prevent the sanctified meat from leaving the holy area, thus avoiding the unintentional 'sanctification' or contamination of the people or the outer court.

Verse 24

These kitchens, distinct from the priests’ kitchens (v. 19), are for preparing the sacrifices brought by the common people, maintaining the separation between the highly holy area and the less holy areas of service.

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