Ezekiel 48:1-35
1 Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.
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 Manasseh.
5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.
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 sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.
11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept 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 Levites 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 sell 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 profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: 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 residue 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 strifea 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 inheritance, and these are their portions, saith the Lord GOD.
30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.
31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.
32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.
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 LORD is there.b
REFLECTIONS. In the forty fifth chapter, the prophet had begun to describe the division of the land, but being attracted by the astonishing waters of the river of life, he digressed to describe their healing virtues, and the course they took towards the east. In the two verses preseding this chapter he resumes the subject.
We may here remark, that the mode of dividing the country is very dissimilar from that made by Joshua, for here we find that strangers are allowed an inheritance with the jews; a clear intimation that the wall of partition, which once divided the court of the gentiles from the court of Israel, is done away in Christ.
The twelve tribes received a portion each; nor is there any thing said, as Moses enjoined, that the more populous tribes should receive a larger proportion. The land seems to be divided into equal lots, as St. John has represented twelve thousand sealed from each tribe. Revelation 7. But it may be said, are not many of the tribes nearly extinct? True, yet the division of the land, and the sealing of twelve thousand in each tribe, are no doubt designed to exhibit the church of Christ as a perfect body: for if the jews be broken off by unbelief, God can ingraft the gentiles on the stock. Let us therefore fear, a promise being left us, lest any of us should seem to come short of it. Let us so run that we may obtain; and in the hour of temptation hearken to that voice, saying “Let no man take thy crown.” If the haughty refuse that supper, which the Lord hath provided, he will fill his palace with the halt and the blind.
The priests had their lot near the sanctuary, and the levites had theirs in the centre of the tribes, that they might be ready for the service of God, and for the instruction of the people. Hence, the Lord hawing made the priests his first care, expects that they should make the souls of the people their sole concern, and he will require it of them in the day of account.
The tribes were arranged in an order rather different from the old arrangement. Dan had his lot in a corner; his former lot was in the southwest. Judah and Benjamin as usual, surrounded the city of the Lord.
The city itself was ample and glorious. Each side was four thousand five hundred measures or reeds, making a square circumference of eighteen thousand measures, or about nine of our miles from gate to gate, and thirty six thousand miles in circumference, larger than the whole land of Canaan, a presumptive proof that a material city is not intended, but a spiritual one, even the city of the living God. The unbelief of the jews in our Lord's time was fostered by a literal interpretation of the prophecies, which under splendid figures taken from earthly scenes shadowed forth that superior and spiritual empire which he came to establish; and their carnal hopes and prospects of temporal dominion and glory led to the rejection of the true Messiah, the nature of whose kingdom they were unable to comprehend. Nor is it much less delusive to expect a literal fulfilment of the predictions we have been contemplating, which would in effect be going back to that shadowy dispensation which the gospel is intended to supersede, instead of advancing to that brighter and more spiritual glory to be revealed in the latter day, and would, instead of converting jews to christianity, bring back the christian church to a state of judaism.
The name of the city, JEHOVAH Shammah, the Lord is there, was honourable above all the cities of the earth. When that is the case we may sing with angels, the tabernacles of God are with men, and he will dwell with them for ever. This Zion, which, however inapplicable to an earthly city, is God's habitation; and she shall not be forgotten nor confounded, world without end. May the Lord pardon all my errors, and excuse all my ignorance in reviewing these prophecies; and may he in due time give us clearer light concerning the mystery of his counsel and love. Amen.