Ezekiel 40-46 falls into the category of obscure passages in the Bible. Bible scholars have tried to interpret the prophet’s message about the Third Temple in Ezekiel 40-43 for centuries. The only thing they agree upon is that the temple Ezekiel described hasn’t been built yet.

Some people think this temple is found in the hearts of people who acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Others look to the day when this temple will actually be built in Jerusalem.

When Ezekiel wrote what he saw in the vision, he expected these plans to be carried out to the letter and he expected it to happen in an extraordinary time. He foresaw that worship at this temple would bring life to all the nations of the world.

Two Points of View

To the Jewish mind rebuilding the temple and reinstituting the sacrificial system under the Messiah is the final fulfillment of the Law of Moses. Then the whole world will see that God’s kingdom has come to earth. Here’s what the New Bible Commentary, published by Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, says about the Jewish point of view:

“If their reading is tedious to us, we must remember that to the Jewish mind, it was impossible to bestow too much trouble and thought on the place whose name is ‘Jehovah is there.’ Such was the spirit in which these chapters were written. It needs little imagination to realize that among Ezekiel’s companions in exile they would excite as much interest and discussion as anything he had as yet issued.”

However, to the Christian mind, the sacrifice Jesus already made has set aside the system of animal sacrifices. The kingdom of God is now in the hearts of people who claim Christ as Savior and Lord. That doesn’t mean that the temple will never be rebuilt, it only means that, as Jesus said, the kingdom of God is already among us.

“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, ‘The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.’” Luke 17:20-21

The Prince and the Eastern Gate

Today we read about the prince, the Levites, and the priests who serve the Lord in the temple described in Ezekiel 44-46. The prince has a special entrance to the temple, though the eastern gate.  This entrance is sealed shut until the prince who is to come enters through it. He will sit before the Lord and eat in his presence, then exit by the same door.

In Jerusalem today there is a large eastern gate in the Old City wall that has been sealed shut intermittently since 810 AD. The Jews originally kept it open believing it was the gate through which the Messiah will enter the city when he comes.

But in 810 AD the Muslims who captured the city closed the gate to prevent the entrance of the Messiah. The Crusaders opened it again in 1102, but In 1181 the Muslim Sultan Saladin defeated the Crusaders and closed the eastern gate. Finally, in 1541, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman sealed the eastern gate up tight as a defense against the coming of the Jewish Messiah.

Muslims believe the eastern gate, which they call the Golden Gate, may be the site of Allah’s final judgment someday.

Christians believe Jesus the Messiah has already entered the eastern gate during his life on earth, but he will enter there again when he returns. The gate is directly across from the Mount of Olives and it’s one of the most controversial sites in Jerusalem. All three of the major faiths believe it will be part of the end of time.

New Temple Regulations

Ezekiel 44:5 – 46:24 has a list of regulations for the priests and Levites. There are special restrictions placed upon the priests who participated in idol worship before the fall of Jerusalem. If they allowed unbelieving foreigners into the temple and defiled its precincts with their detestable practices, God will not allow them to enter the new temple. They must remain outside the temple courts and serve as doorkeepers and guards.

One clan of priests is allowed to serve inside the temple. The descendants of the priest Zadok tried to protect the temple when other priests went astray. They will be allowed to enter the temple’s inner courts, but they must be careful to observe the rules for the clothing they wear and the way they trim their hair and beards. They are allowed to marry only virgins or the widows of other priests.

Zadok was the priest who crowned King Solomon and he was the first high priest to serve in Solomon’s temple. His descendants kept their integrity while other priestly clans fell into sin.

Most of the regulations in this passage echo the rules and regulations God gave Moses for worship at the tabernacle. However, there are interesting new rules regarding how people should walk through the temple area when they come for festivals. If they come in the south gate they should exit by the north gate, and vice versa.

The prince comes and goes by the east gate, but while the people are filing through, God wants the prince to be among them, participating with them in worship.

Another new regulation is that the prince is to be like everyone else when it comes to property ownership. He is to keep his family lands within the family, and he is not allowed to confiscate anyone else’s property just because he is the prince.

Keeping the Sabbath

All week long the east-facing gate to the inner temple courtyard will be kept shut. But on the Sabbath and at the New Moon festivals, it will be opened. Worshipers can then enter freely, bringing their sacrifices and offerings.

Before the Babylonians destroyed Solomon’s temple, it was overrun by all kinds of sinful people. They used its rooms to worship foreign gods and installed idols in sacred places. Under the Lord’s new regulations, the temple will be kept holy and protected from detestable religious practices. On the Sabbath the temple will be wide open, but worship will proceed in an orderly way.

God also created a plan for a regulation kitchen where the priests will cook their meals. No more improper distribution or preparation of the offerings the people bring for the priests. The meat, grain, oil and grain offerings will be handled with care and shared among the priests under the watchful eye of God and the priests he puts in charge.

The value of temple worship was not diminished in God’s eyes just because people failed in its practice. He didn’t scrap his plan or walk away from his people in disgust. As he always does when people sin, the Lord started over with them. He reintroduced his ideas and invited Israel to participate again.

God Doesn’t Give Up

Everything the Lord does is good, right, and perfect. There was no reason for him to give up on the beauty and perfection of the temple when people abused it. He simply wiped out the damaged, desecrated structure, and then offered it again as a new, clean place to meet with him.

Since the temple of God is now inside us, we can take heart from this story. We will fail in our worship and obedience sometimes, but the Lord doesn’t throw us away. He cleans us up and invites us to worship him again. He doesn’t walk away from us just because we sin. He stays with us and starts again, because he is good and his love endures forever.