How did God detail the worship role of a leader and offerings in a mysterious temple? What does it mean for us? Let’s look at Ezekiel 46.
What are the opening times of the inner eastern gate, and weekly and monthly roles of the leader?
The east gate of the inner courtyard must remain closed during the six working days of each week. But on the Sabbath and on the first day of the month, this gate will be opened. Israel's ruler will go from the outer courtyard into the entrance room of this gate and stand in the doorway while the priest offers sacrifices to ask my blessing and sacrifices to please me. The ruler will bow with his face to the ground to show that he has worshiped me. Then he will leave, and the gate will remain open until evening. (Ezek 46:1-2 CEV)
What were sacrificial requirements for the people and the prince at the eastern gateway?
The people of the land shall bow down at the entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the new moons. The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish. And the grain offering with the ram shall be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs shall be as much as he is able, together with a hin of oil to each ephah. (Ezek 46:3-5 ESV)
What monthly offerings were required? How should the prince enter and exit?
On the day of the New Moon, the burnt offering is to be a young, unblemished bull, as well as six lambs and a ram without blemish. He will provide a grain offering of half a bushel with the bull, half a bushel with the ram, and whatever he can afford with the lambs, together with a gallon of oil for every half bushel. When the prince enters, he must go in by way of the gate’s portico and go out the same way. (Ezek 46:6-8 HCSB)
What were traffic rules for worshipers and a leader during appointed festival days?
When the people who live in the land come into the Lord’s presence during the festivals, whoever enters through the northern gate is to leave through the southern gate, and whoever enters through the southern gate is to leave through the northern gate. No one is to leave by the same route that he enters, but instead is to go straight out. The Regent Prince is to enter when they are coming in, and he is to leave when they go out. (Ezek 46:9-10 ISV)
What grain and oil offerings were required during appointed times?
And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. (Ezek 46:11 KJV)
What was the protocol for offerings made by the leader outside of regular schedules?
And when the prince provides a freewill offering, a burnt offering, or peace offerings as a freewill offering to Yahweh, the gate facing east shall be opened for him. And he shall provide his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he does on the sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and the gate shall be shut after he goes out. (Ezek 46:12 LSB)
What was the daily morning worship requirement of a lamb, grain and oil offering?
And you shall provide a lamb a year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord daily; morning by morning you shall provide it. You shall also provide a grain offering with it morning by morning, a sixth of an ephah and a third of a hin of oil to moisten the fine flour, a grain offering to the Lord continually by a permanent ordinance. So they shall provide the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, morning by morning, as a continual burnt offering. (Ezek 46:13-15 NASB)
Are there moral and legal limits on property ownership, inheritance, and royal power?
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property. (Ezek 46:16-18 NIV)
Was there special placement of designated kitchens for the priests?
Now he brought me through the entrance, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests which face toward the north; and there a place was situated at their extreme western end. And he said to me, “This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they shall bake the grain offering, so that they do not bring them out into the outer court to sanctify the people.” (Ezek 46:19-20 NKJV)
What were the four enclosed, identical kitchens like?
Then he brought me back to the outer courtyard and led me to each of its four corners. In each corner I saw an enclosure. Each of these enclosures was 70 feet [40 cubits] long and 52 1⁄2 feet [30 cubits] wide, surrounded by walls. Along the inside of these walls was a ledge of stone with fireplaces under the ledge all the way around. The man said to me, “These are the kitchens to be used by the Temple assistants to boil the sacrifices offered by the people.” (Ezek 46:21-24 NLT)
If Jesus and the apostles never commanded Sabbath, what rest did Jesus give us?
Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. (Mat 11:28-29 WEB)
How did God detail the worship role of a leader and offerings in a mysterious temple? What does it mean for us? You decide!
