Tyndale Open Study NotesEzekiel 46

Ezekiel described the prince's duties during special celebrations, including Sabbaths and new moon events. The prince represented the people in worship. He joined them in a procession through the temple and had the unique ability to approach the sacred area for them.

The east gateway between the inner and outer courtyards opened weekly for the Sabbath, monthly for new moon celebrations, and when the prince offered voluntary burnt or peace offerings (Ezekiel 46:12). The east gate between the outer courtyard and the outside world was never to open again (Ezekiel 44:2–3).

The prince had the special privilege of entering the eastern gateway to the inner courtyard up to the entry room for worship. This showed that God saw him as more important than the common people. However, he still needed the priests to mediate for him to stand in God's presence.

The ordinary Israelites, the common people, could climb the stairs to the threshold to worship when the gate was open on the sabbath and the first day of the month. Only then could they see into the inner court. Otherwise, they had to stay away from it.

During religious festivals, the people would present themselves before the Lord. They would walk through the temple from north to south or south to north, with the prince among them. They moved along the ordinary north-south path, not the sacred east-west path used by the priests.

The voluntary burnt offering or peace offering was in addition to the daily offerings of meat, grain, and oil. These offerings symbolized the restored relationship and fellowship between God and his people.

The land given to the prince was a gift from the Lord to him and his family. Because of this, he could not give it away permanently to one of his servants.

In the Year of Jubilee, which came every fiftieth year, all land in Israel returned to its original family owners. In that year, any land given by the prince would return to him and his family.

This rule helped prevent the king from taking more and more land to reward his servants. Without this limit, ordinary people could lose their land.

The land belonged to the Lord. He divided it among his people. No one, not even the king, could change or take away the inheritance that God had given.

The vision of the temple proper (Ezekiel 40–46) ends where the tour started. The prophet began in the outer court. He traveled to the center and back out twice, finishing at the outer court's edges, in the kitchens. Here, people cooked various sacrifices. Some sacrifices were burned completely on the altar. Others were only partially burned, with parts returned so the worshiper could feast with his family in the Lord's presence.