Old Testament Commentary - Ezekiel 48

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
           CHAPTER 48            

Portions of land for the tribes are named—Gates of the city bear the names of the tribes—Name of the city shall be: The Lord is there.

 1 NOW these are the names of the atribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for bDan.
 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 aManasseh.
 5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for aEphraim.
 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.
 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.
 10 And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length: and the asanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.
 11 It shall be for the apriests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have bkept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
 12 And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.
 13 And over against the border of the priests the aLevites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.
 14 And they shall not asell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.
 15 ¶ And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a aprofane place for the city, for dwelling, and for bsuburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.
 16 And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.
 17 And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.
 18 And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.
 19 And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.
 20 All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.
 21 ¶ And the aresidue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.
 22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.
 23 As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.
 24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.
 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.
 28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of astrife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.
 29 This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for ainheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.
 

The Gates of the City

Now it is of interest as to just how the gates of the city of the Lord are aranged particularly when compared to how the camp of Israel was organized about the tabernacle. About the tabernacle upon the North was Dan, Asher and Naphtali; upon the west was Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh; upon the south was Reuben, Gad, and Simeon; and upon the east was Judah, Issachar and Zebulun as shown in the accompanying graphic diagram with the Levites immediately located upon the four sides of the tabernacle as having been called to minister in the ordinances thereof. This was the encampment of Israel about the tabernacle under the Law of Moses.

Now in the latter time of the great Millennial city of the Lord, note that the gates of the city of the Lord round about do differ from the arrangment about the tabernacle of the Law of Moses. Upon the north are the gates of Reuben, Judah and Levi; upon the west are the gates of Gad, Asher and Naphtali; upon the south are the gates of Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun; and finally upon the east are the gates of Joseph, Benjamin and Dan. Levi has entered back in to the tribal gates and Ephraim and Mannasseh are included in the one gate of Joseph upon the east. (See also Revelation 21:9-27)

 30 ¶ And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
 31 And the agates of the bcity shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of cReuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
 32 And at the east sidea four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Josepha, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
 32a at the east side . . . gate of Joseph Now just why in the latter day city is Ephraim and Manasseh seemingly moved from the west side (of the tabernacle) to the east side of the city there to share in the east gate of Joseph? And why has Judah been 'moved' from being primary on the east of the tabernacle and thence but being gated to the north of the city? One is left to consider why and a likely answer does appear in that the Lord does enter in at the east gate. In the days of Moses and old Jerusalem, the bloodline of Judah was considered prime by the Jews as the 'Lion' of the Messiah should come of them. But in the latter day arrangment does not the bullock of the Lord come from Ephraim/Joseph to offer the last sacrifice himself as being Messiah ben Joseph? (see Messiah ben David ~ Messiah ben Joseph)
 33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.
 34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.
 35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The aLORD is there.