The Gate for the Prince
Ezekiel was led to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced the east. There he saw that the gate was shut, and the Lord said that the gate should remain shut and not be opened, so no one could enter by it; for the Lord, God of Israel, had entered by it.
Only the prince could sit in it to eat bread before the Lord. He could enter by way of the vestibule of the gate, and go out the same way.
Then Ezekiel was taken to the north gate to the front of the temple. He looked and saw that the glory of the Lord had filled the temple and he fell on his face. And the Lord said to him,
“Son of man, mark well, and see with your eyes, and hear with your ears all that I shall tell you concerning all the statutes of the temple of the Lord and all its laws. And mark well the entrance to the temple and all the exits from the sanctuary.” -Ezekiel 44:4-5
The Lord instructed Ezekiel to tell the people of Israel, “Enough of your abominations, in admitting foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, to be in my sanctuary, profaning my temple, when you offer to me my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my covenant, in addition to all your abominations. And you have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have set others to keep charge for you in my sanctuary.” -Ezekiel 44:6-8
The Lord continued with saying, “No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the people of Israel, shall enter my sanctuary. But the Levites who went away from me, going astray from me after their idols when Israel went astray, shall bear their punishment.” -Ezekiel 44:9-10
The Levites would minister in the sanctuary, and oversee the gates of the temple and minister in the temple. They would slaughter the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people and minister to them.
“Because they ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I have sworn concerning them, declares the Lord God, and they shall bear their punishment. They shall not come near to me, to serve me as priest, nor come near any of my holy things and the things that are most holy, but they shall bear their shame and the abominations that they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple to do all its service and all that is to be done in it.” -Ezekiel 44:12-14
Rules for Levitical Priests
The Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, kept charge of the sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray, therefore they could go near the Lord and minister to Him. They would stand before the Lord and offer Him the fat and the blood. They could enter the sanctuary and approach the Lord’s table, to minister to the Lord and keep His charge.
When they entered the gates of the inner court, they were to wear linen garments and have nothing wool on them while they ministered at the gates of the inner court within. They were to have linen turbans on their heads, and linen under garments around their waists. They could not bind themselves with anything that would make them sweat.
When they went out into the outer court to the people, they would put off the garments in which they had been ministering, and lay them in the holy chambers. They would put on other garments, lest they transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
They could not shave their heads or let their hair grow long; but would trim the hair of their heads. No priest could drink wine when he entered the inner court. They could not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but only virgins of the offspring of the house of Israel, or a widow who was the widow of a priest.
They would teach the people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them to distinguish between the clean and unclean. In a dispute they would act as judges, and would judge according to the Lord.
They would keep the Lord’s laws and statutes in all appointed feasts, and keep the Sabbaths holy.
They could not defile themselves by going near a dead person. However, for father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister they could defile themselves in that way. After they had become clean, they would count seven days before they could go into the Holy Place, into the inner court, to minister in the Holy Place, and would offer his sin offering.
“This shall be their inheritance: I am their inheritance: and you shall give them no possession in Israel; I am their possession. They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel shall be theirs. And the first of all the firstfruits of all kinds, and every offering of all kinds from all your offerings, shall belong to the priests. You shall also give to the priests the first of your dough, that a blessing may rest on your house. The priests shall not eat of anything, whether bird or beast, that has died of itself or is torn by wild animals.”
-Ezekiel 44:28-31
The Holy District
When the land was allotted as an inheritance, a portion was set apart as the holy district. It was 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It would be holy throughout its whole extent. Of that, a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits would be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits of an open space around it.
From that measured district, a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad would be set for the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. It would be the holy portion of the land. It was for the priests who ministered in the sanctuary and approached the Lord to minister to Him, and it would be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.
Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad would be for the Levites who ministered at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.
Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district, there would be a property of the city 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long that would belong to the whole house of Israel.
The Portion for the Prince
The prince would have the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. That was to be his property in Israel.
The princes could no longer oppress God’s people, but let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.
“Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord God.” -Ezekiel 45:9
They were to have just balances, ephah, and bath. Then it went on to explain the measurements and values of each, discussing homers, shekels, and minas; as well as what the offerings to the prince would be from the people of the land.
It was the prince’s duty to furnish the burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings at the feasts, new moons, Sabbaths, and all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He would provide the sin offerings, grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings, to make atonement on behalf of the house of Israel.
“Thus says the Lord God: In the first month on the:
First day of the month: you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish, and purify the sanctuary. The priest shall take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and the posts of the gate of the inner court.
Seventh day of the month: you shall do the same for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance; so you shall make atonement for the temple.
Fourteenth day of the month: you shall celebrate the Feast of the Passover, and for seven days unleavened bread shall be eaten. On that day the prince shall provide for himself and all the people of the land a young bull for a sin offering. And on the seven days of the festival he shall provide as a burnt offering to the Lord seven young bulls and seven rams without blemish, on each of the seven days; and a male goat daily for a sin offering. And he shall provide as a grain offering an ephah for each bull, an ephah for each ram, and a hin of oil to each ephah.
In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month and for seven days of the feast, he shall make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and for the oil.” -Ezekiel 45:18-25