The Gate for the Prince

Ezekiel 44

1 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary a which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the LORD said to me, "This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, b because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 "As for the c prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to d eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way."

4 Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the 1 temple; so I looked, and e behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; f and I fell on my face. 5 And the LORD said to me, g "Son of man, 2 mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the h ordinances of the house of the LORD and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary. 6 "Now say to the i rebellious, to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "O house of Israel, j let Us have no more of all your abominations. 7 k "When you brought in l foreigners, m uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it - My house - and when you offered n My food, o the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations. 8 "And you have not p kept charge of My holy things, but you have set others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you."

9 'Thus says the Lord GOD: q "No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter My sanctuary, including any foreigner who is among the children of Israel. 10 r "And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. 11 "Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, s as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; t they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and u they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 "Because they ministered to them before their idols and v caused 3 the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have w raised My hand in an oath against them," says the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 x "And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall y bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 "Nevertheless I will make them z keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

  1. Cross References
    Ezekiel 43:1
    Afterward he brought me to the gate, the gate that faces toward the east.
  2. Cross References
    Ezekiel 43:2 - 4
    And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. His voice was like the sound of many waters; and the earth shone with His glory.
  3. Cross References
    Genesis 31:54
    Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his brethren to eat bread. And they ate bread and stayed all night on the mountain.
    Exodus 24:9 - 11
    Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel.
    1 Corinthians 10:18
    Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
  4. Cross References
    Ezekiel 46:2
    The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost. The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings. He shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.
    Ezekiel 46:8
    When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.
  5. Cross References
    Isaiah 6:3
    And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!
    Ezekiel 3:23
    So I arose and went out into the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, like the glory which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
    Ezekiel 43:5
    The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
  6. Cross References
    Ezekiel 1:28
    Like the appearance of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the brightness all around it. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. So when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard a voice of One speaking.
    Ezekiel 43:3
    It was like the appearance of the vision which I saw - like the vision which I saw when I came to destroy the city. The visions were like the vision which I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell on my face.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 32:46
    And he said to them: "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe - all the words of this law.
    Ezekiel 40:4
    And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.
  8. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:32
    Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
    Ezekiel 43:10
    Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.
    Ezekiel 43:11
    And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them.
  9. Cross References
    Ezekiel 2:5
    As for them, whether they hear or whether they refuse - for they are a rebellious house - yet they will know that a prophet has been among them.
  10. Cross References
    Ezekiel 45:9
    Thus says the Lord GOD: "Enough, O princes of Israel! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people," says the Lord GOD.
    1 Peter 4:3
    For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles - when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
  11. Cross References
    Ezekiel 43:8
    When they set their threshold by My threshold, and their doorpost by My doorpost, with a wall between them and Me, they defiled My holy name by the abominations which they committed; therefore I have consumed them in My anger.
    Acts 21:28
    Crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.
  12. Cross References
    Leviticus 22:25
    'Nor from a foreigner's hand shall you offer any of these as the bread of your God, because their corruption is in them, and defects are in them. They shall not be accepted on your behalf.'"
  13. Cross References
    Leviticus 26:41
    And that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt -
    Deuteronomy 10:16
    Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.
    Jeremiah 4:4
    Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, And take away the foreskins of your hearts, You men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Lest My fury come forth like fire, And burn so that no one can quench it, Because of the evil of your doings.
    Jeremiah 9:26
    "Egypt, Judah, Edom, the people of Ammon, Moab, and all who are in the farthest corners, who dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."
    Acts 7:51
    You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.
  14. Cross References
    Leviticus 21:17
    Speak to Aaron, saying: 'No man of your descendants in succeeding generations, who has any defect, may approach to offer the bread of his God.
  15. Cross References
    Leviticus 3:16
    And the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the LORD's.
  16. Cross References
    Leviticus 22:2
    Speak to Aaron and his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they do not profane My holy name by what they dedicate to Me: I am the LORD.
    Numbers 18:7
    "Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
  17. Cross References
    Ezekiel 44:7
    When you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to defile it - My house - and when you offered My food, the fat and the blood, then they broke My covenant because of all your abominations.
    Joel 3:17
    "So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, Dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, And no aliens shall ever pass through her again."
    Zechariah 14:21
    Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
  18. Cross References
    2 Kings 23:8
    And he brought all the priests from the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense, from Geba to Beersheba; also he broke down the high places at the gates which were at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were to the left of the city gate.
    Ezekiel 48:11
    It shall be for the priests of the sons of Zadok, who are sanctified, who have kept My charge, who did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.
  19. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 26:1 - 19
    Concerning the divisions of the gatekeepers: of the Korahites, Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.
  20. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 29:34
    But the priests were too few, so that they could not skin all the burnt offerings; therefore their brethren the Levites helped them until the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves, for the Levites were more diligent in sanctifying themselves than the priests.
    2 Chronicles 30:17
    For there were many in the assembly who had not sanctified themselves; therefore the Levites had charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was not clean, to sanctify them to the LORD.
  21. Cross References
    Numbers 16:9
    Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them.
  22. Cross References
    Isaiah 9:16
    For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.
    Malachi 2:8
    But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi," Says the LORD of hosts.
  23. Cross References
    Psalms 106:26
    Therefore He raised up His hand in an oath against them, To overthrow them in the wilderness.
  24. Cross References
    Numbers 18:3
    They shall attend to your needs and all the needs of the tabernacle; but they shall not come near the articles of the sanctuary and the altar, lest they die - they and you also.
    2 Kings 23:9
    Nevertheless the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate unleavened bread among their brethren.
  25. Cross References
    Ezekiel 32:30
    There are the princes of the north, All of them, and all the Sidonians, Who have gone down with the slain In shame at the terror which they caused by their might; They lie uncircumcised with those slain by the sword, And bear their shame with those who go down to the Pit.
  26. Cross References
    Numbers 18:4
    They shall be joined with you and attend to the needs of the tabernacle of meeting, for all the work of the tabernacle; but an outsider shall not come near you.
    1 Chronicles 23:28 - 32
    Because their duty was to help the sons of Aaron in the service of the house of the LORD, in the courts and in the chambers, in the purifying of all holy things and the work of the service of the house of God.
    Ezekiel 44:11
    Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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