Ezekiel 48:30-34

The *prophecy returns to the subject of the capital city (verse 16). God describes a city that is a perfect square. It has walls, so it is a safe city. But it has gates. So people can enter it and they can leave it.

The names on the gates may tell us who uses that gate. Or they may tell us who lives in that part of the city. And we can see that every *tribe is there. Each *tribe has a permanent place in the city that is near God’s *temple. God is present with his people. So all God’s people can live together peacefully.

In the north are the names of the most important *tribes. In the east are the names of the sons whom Jacob loved most. In the south are the names of the other sons of Jacob’s first wife. And in the west are the names of the sons of Jacob’s maids. That was their history. But the future of their *tribes is different. God loves them all. He has made a place for each *tribe. There is a gate for each of them.