Ezekiel 44:1-3

B. The Ministers of Worship: The Priests 44:1-45:8

After briefly discussing the relationship of the prince to the sanctuary (Ezekiel 44:1-3), Ezekiel speaks of the qualifications of the temple ministers (Ezekiel 44:4-14), the regulations for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:15-27); the provision for the Zadokite priests (Ezekiel 44:28-31), and finally the allocation of land which was theirs (Ezekiel 45:1-8).

1. The prince and the sanctuary (44:1-3)

TRANSLATION

(1) Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary, which looks toward the east; and it was shut. (2) And the LORD said unto me, This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter in by it; for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut. (3) As for the prince, he shall sit therein as prince to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of the gate, and shall go out by the way of the same.

COMMENTS

The angel now brought Ezekiel back from the inner court to the outer eastern gate which only shortly before he had entered (Ezekiel 43:1). He found that gate shut now that the glory of God had re-entered the Temple (Ezekiel 44:1). Never again would that gate be open, for God's glory would never again depart from His Temple. No man would be permitted to enter the gate through which the divine presence had come (Ezekiel 44:2). However, the future leader of God's people the prince would be permitted to partake of sacrificial meals within the eastern gate complex. But not even he would be allowed to enter by that sealed gate. He would enter the gate complex from the rear or west end by the way of the porch of the gate.