A brief outline of this chapter will be useful.
The restored Israel never again had a God-anointed king to reign over them on earth. In the restored order of ceremonial practices, the ‘prince’, leader, in this context, seems to be a reference to the high priest. At least in the context, he is given the responsibilities that were associated with the high priest under the law.
God says the gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened, Ezekiel 46:1. As we shall see later, the only exception to this is the unknown prince, Ezekiel 46:12.
Feinberg, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Since Israel’s calendar was a lunar one, the new moon had significance for them where it has not for us. Moreover, the feasts were reckoned in relation to the phases of the moon.’
On these special days, the prince can enter the inner east gate complex and stand by the gatepost, Ezekiel 46:2. The priests are to sacrifice the prince’s burnt offering and his fellowship offerings but the prince is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening, Ezekiel 46:2.
On the Sabbaths and New Moons, the rest of God’s people are to worship in the presence of the LORD at the entrance of that gateway, Ezekiel 46:3. On the Sabbath day, the prince is to make a burnt offering, which consists of six male lambs and a ram, all without defect, Ezekiel 46:4.
Along with the ram offering a grain offering was required, which consisted of an ephah, which is around thirty-five pounds in weight, along with a hin of olive oil, which is around one gallon, for each ephah, Ezekiel 46:5 / Numbers 28:9-10.
On the day of the New Moon, the prince is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect, Ezekiel 46:6. He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah, which is around thirty-five pounds in weight, with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil, which is around one gallon for each ephah, Ezekiel 46:7 / Numbers 28:11-15.
When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway, and come out the same way, Ezekiel 46:8 / Ezekiel 40:31. When God’s people came to Him on the appointed feasts, Ezekiel 46:9 / Ezekiel 45:21-25, they were to enter the outer court by either the north or south outer gate, Ezekiel 46:9 / Ezekiel 44:1-2, and when they had finished, they were to leave from the opposite gate from which they entered, not the same one, Ezekiel 46:9.
In reference to the people passing through the temple courtyard, they were to enter one gate and pass through without returning to the gate of entrance. This was a practical rule for the regulation of the traffic of the crowd of people.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘No person was to come in at the east gate, because there was no gate at the west; and the people were not permitted to turn round and go out at the same place by which they came in; for this was like turning their backs on God, and the decorum and reverence with which public worship was to be conducted would not admit of this.’
Block, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Ezekiel’s vision of hundreds of thousands of people thronging the temple courts ‘before Yahweh’ on the prescribed festival days would have been a logistical nightmare, which this ordinance sought to manage.’
The prince is to be among the people, when they enter and depart, Ezekiel 46:10. At the feasts and appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah, with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah, Ezekiel 46:11 / Ezekiel 46:4-7.
In reference to the offerings, we must keep in mind that the sacrifices were eaten by the priests and people. Only a small portion was totally consumed as a burnt offering to the Lord.
The prince was to provide the sacrifice from that which was given to him by the people. He was also to provide from his own sources. In making these provisions, he was considered the representative of the people in fulfilling the requirements of the sacrifices.
There was room made for one to give according to his ability. He could give voluntarily according to his ability, Ezekiel 46:12. When the prince brings a freewill offering, a burnt or peace offering, then the east inner gate should be opened for him, and when he leaves, the gate is to be shut, Ezekiel 46:12 / Ezekiel 46:1.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘If the prince desired to make a freewill offering of a burnt offering of consecration or a fellowship offering of thanksgiving, the east gate was to be opened specially for this act of worship and then closed when he finished.’
Every day, a lamb of no more than one-year-old was to be offered, Ezekiel 46:13. It was to be without blemish, Ezekiel 46:13 / Exodus 29:31-46, thus symbolising that purity only can be offered for sin.
He is also providing morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour. The presentation of this grain offering to the LORD is a lasting ordinance, Ezekiel 46:14. The lamb, the grain offering, and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regular burnt offering, Ezekiel 46:15 / Numbers 28:3-4.
The prince had full ownership of his estate. He had the right to give it to anyone he chose, Ezekiel 46:16. However, any part of the estate that was given to his servants was to revert back to the original estate during the year of freedom, Ezekiel 46:17 / Leviticus 25:10 / Leviticus 27:24.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The year of jubilee, called the year of liberty, because there was then a general release. All servants had their liberty, and all alienated estates returned to their former owners.’
The priestly family was provided for by the people, and thus there was no reason why he should evict people from their land, Ezekiel 46:18. This unjust practice occurred during the apostasy of God’s people, and it was never to happen again in their history, Ezekiel 45:8-9 / 2 Samuel 24:24 / 1 Kings 21:1-19 / Micah 2:1-2 / Micah 2:9.
Ezekiel’s guide, Ezekiel 40:1-3, now takes him into the structure that housed the priest’s rooms that were next to the south inner gate that faced north, Ezekiel 46:19 / Ezekiel 40:44 / Ezekiel 40:46.
Ezekiel is told this is the place where the priests eat the sacrifices and change their clothes, Ezekiel 46:20 / Ezekiel 42:1-14 / Numbers 18:9-10. The priests were to prepare food for themselves from the offerings of the people, but they would eat it alone.
Ezekiel is not taken to the outer court and shown the four corners of that court, Ezekiel 46:21. Each of the four corners measured about seventy feet long and fifty-three feet wide, Ezekiel 46:22.
In another place separate from where the priests prepared on the fireplaces and ate their food, the Levites prepared the sacrificial meals for the people, Ezekiel 46:23. This area was built with homes where the Levites could cook the food and then distribute it to the people, Ezekiel 46:24.
The sacrificial meals brought the people together with the Levites, whose work it was to teach the people. The sacrifices, therefore, accomplished the purpose of continually bringing the people to the teachers of the law of God.
It was not possible that any blood offering of an animal would take away sins, Hebrews 10:1-4. However, the continual offerings continually brought to their minds their sin. When Jesus came, He offered His blood once and for all. And thus, the drudgery of making daily animal sacrifices was done away with.
We must keep in mind that all the blood sacrifices were given in view of the sinless Lamb of God who would give Himself for the sins of man, John 1:29. Jesus’ sacrifice was complete and sufficient for all time, Hebrews 7:26-28.
Christians today have the great blessing of being completely forgiven of sins, as well as not being under the law of ceremonial sacrifices that are outlined in this text, Romans 7:1-4.