Commentary on Ezekiel Part 10 (No. F026x)

Chapter 37

¹The hand of the LORD was upon me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley; it was full of bones. ²And he led me round among them; and behold, there were very many upon the valley; and lo, they were very dry. ³And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, thou knowest." ⁴Again he said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. ⁵Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. ⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD." ⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. ⁸And as I looked, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. ⁹Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." ¹⁰So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great host. ¹¹Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off.' ¹²Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you home into the land of Israel. ¹³And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. ¹⁴And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken, and I have done it, says the LORD." ¹⁵The word of the LORD came to me: ¹⁶"Son of man, take a stick and write on it, 'For Judah, and the children of Israel associated with him'; then take another stick and write upon it, 'For Joseph (the stick of E'phraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him'; ¹⁷and join them together into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. ¹⁸And when your people say to you, 'Will you not show us what you mean by these?' ¹⁹say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph (which is in the hand of E'phraim) and the tribes of Israel associated with him; and I will join with it the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, that they may be one in my hand. ²⁰When the sticks on which you write are in your hand before their eyes, ²¹then say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring them to their own land; ²²and I will make them one nation in the land, upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king over them all; and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. ²³They shall not defile themselves any more with their idols and their detestable things, or with any of their transgressions; but I will save them from all the backslidings in which they have sinned, and will cleanse them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. ²⁴"My servant David shall be king over them; and they shall all have one shepherd. They shall follow my ordinances and be careful to observe my statutes. ²⁵They shall dwell in the land where your fathers dwelt that I gave to my servant Jacob; they and their children and their children's children shall dwell there for ever; and David my servant shall be their prince for ever. ²⁶I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; and I will bless them and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. ²⁷My dwelling place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. ²⁸Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary is in the midst of them for evermore."

Intent of Chapter 37

In chapter 37 Ezekiel talks of the Valley of Dry Bones.

Valley of Dry Bones (No. 234)

Ezekiel 37 deals with the vision of the resurrection of the people and the joining of Israel and Judah, and the return of Israel to the lands given to their forefathers.

37:1-14 Valley of Dry Bones

v. 1 Valley – Plain in 3:22; 8:4. The text is treated by many scholars as being “the exiles that have no more hope of rescucitating the Kingdom of Israel than putting flesh on a skeleton and calling it to life.” (OARSV n.)

v. 9 The Hebrew word ruach means spirit, breath or wind permitting a constant word play. The reference to four winds may refer to God’s omnipresence (1:17) or the Holy Spirit in enlivening these people

v. 14 The Pseudo Christian scholars think that the text in this verse has “no connection with the Christian Doctrine of the Resurrection.” (OARSV n.) By that, some mean the concocted doctrine that has dead people resurrected on death and then sent to heaven. That is not a Christian Doctrine. It is Gnostic Antinomian Baal Worship. Standard Christian Doctrine is that those of the First Resurrection (or the ex anastasin of Phil 3:11 (F050) are placed with Christ at Jerusalem in the case of the 144,000 (Rev. ch. 7 (F066ii)) or, for the Great Multiude of the elect saints, taken to Christ at Jerusalem, debriefed, and placed in their nations, as spirit beings, in replacement of the demonic Host for the Millennium (see also 143A and 143B below). 36:36-38 shows clearly that God will replenish the land in two ways. He will create the final Exodus as we saw in 36:37-38 referencing the concept in Isa. 65:19-66:24 when the people of Israel will be sent back to the Promised Land by all means of transport available. They will all be tested, identified and returned to the tribal lands. To remain in the Lands of Israel those that are there now have to be either true Jews keeping the Law and the Testimony and the Temple Calendar or repentant Gentiles allowed to remain within Judah, as within the Churches of God in Israel and the Nations. Those keeping Hillel (Nos. 195; 195C), and that refuse to repent, and keep the Temple Calendar (see No. 156), will be removed to their tribal regions elsewhere, such as in the Steppes or in North Africa, and if they do not repent by the Millennium they will not enter the millennial system.

The Second way, in which God will deal with Israel and the Nations, is in the First Resurrection (No. 143A). All the patriarchs and prophets will be resurrected with the Saints, and the 144,000 will go to Jerusalem as the personal officers of Christ. The Great Multitude will be allocated to the nations in replacement of the demons for the millennial system. It may well be that some of the resurrected of ch. 37 here may well be replacements for the Tribal peoples of Israel and Judah, as well as the dead of the Second Resurrection. The Scriptures give no other direction in regard to it. Thus some may remain as humans. Everyone else who has ever lived will remain in the graves until the Second Resurrection (No. 143B) (see also F066v).

37:15-28 Oracle of the Two Sticks Zech. 11:7-14 prophecies the re-unification of the divided land and the establishment of United Israel as a monarchy under Christ as High Priest of Melchisedek with the resurrected David acting as administrative monarch under Christ as the Morning Star and Elohim (34:23-24), with the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Saints in administration as elohim. See also 34:28; according to God’s Laws (L1) (11:20) throughout the extended Israel from the Euphrates to the border of Egypt and east to the Arabian Desert and west to the Mediterranean. (See also 28:25) and under the covenant of peace (34:25) with the re-established central sanctuary (45:1-8.)

37:25 Prince – the King (compare 12:10; 34:24).

Chapter 38

¹The word of the LORD came to me: ²"Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him ³and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; ⁴and I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you forth, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great company, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords; ⁵Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; ⁶Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togar'mah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes--many peoples are with you. ⁷"Be ready and keep ready, you and all the hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. ⁸After many days you will be mustered; in the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land where people were gathered from many nations upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste; its people were brought out from the nations and now dwell securely, all of them. ⁹You will advance, coming on like a storm, you will be like a cloud covering the land you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you. ¹⁰"Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day thoughts will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil scheme ¹¹and say, 'I will go up against the land of unwalled villages; I will fall upon the quiet people who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having no bars or gates'; ¹²to seize spoil and carry off plunder; to assail the waste places which are now inhabited, and the people who were gathered from the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell at the center of the earth. ¹³Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its villages will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to seize great spoil?' ¹⁴"Therefore, son of man, prophesy, and say to Gog, Thus says the Lord GOD: On that day when my people Israel are dwelling securely, you will bestir yourself ¹⁵and come from your place out of the uttermost parts of the north, you and many peoples with you, all of them riding on horses, a great host, a mighty army; ¹⁶you will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. ¹⁷"Thus says the Lord GOD: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? ¹⁸But on that day, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, says the Lord GOD, my wrath will be roused. ¹⁹For in my jealousy and in my blazing wrath I declare, On that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; ²⁰the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep on the ground, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall quake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the cliffs shall fall, and every wall shall tumble to the ground. ²¹I will summon every kind of terror against Gog, says the Lord GOD; every man's sword will be against his brother. ²²With pestilence and bloodshed I will enter into judgment with him; and I will rain upon him and his hordes and the many peoples that are with him, torrential rains and hailstones, fire and brimstone. ²³So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

38:1-39:29 Oracles Against Gog and Magog.

Intent of Chapter 38

Ezekiel chs. 38-39 deals with the battles of Gog and Magog. (See also Sons of Japheth).

War of Hamon-Gog (No. 294)

The sequence in this chapter describes the Apocalyse of the coming of the Forces of the Last Days coming from the North (38:15; Jer. 6:22) against the People of Israel living in the Promised Land (38:8, 11-12). God will be acknowledged as the undisputed victor and the nations will then acknowledge God’s laws and system under Messiah (38:23; 39:21-29; 36:22-23). The foe from the North was described as Babylon in Jer. 25:9 and Ezek. 26:7. Daniel shows that the empires are all surrogates of the Babylonian system and that the final empire of the Babyonian system is the Empire of Ten Toes of Iron and Miry Clay in the Last Days and they are defeated by the Messiah who will then rule forever (F027ii; F027xii; F027xiii). The victory involves Israel’s restoration in Isaiah chs. 65-66; Ezek. 34:11-16; 36:8-38; Jer. 31:23-28. This is explained correctly by Rev. 20:7-10 through the Apostle John (despite the comments by the OARSV writer at the note).

The sequence of the wars are dealt with by phases in the Armageddon series

http://ccg.org/armageddon.html; See also:

From Seals and Trumpets to the Vials of the Wrath of God and the Millennium (No. 141A)

Wars of the Last Days and the Vials of the Wrath of God (No. 141B)

Wars of the End Part 1: Wars of Amalek (No. 141C)
Conduct of the War of the Sixth Trumpet (No. 141C_2)
WWIII, Holocaust II and Nuremberg 2.0 (No.141C_3)
Wars of the End Part II: 1260 Days of the Witnesses (No. 141D)

Wars of the End Part III: Armageddon and the Vials of the Wrath of God (No. 141E)

Wars of the End Part IIIB : War Against Christ (No. 141E_2)
Wars of the End Part IV: The End of False Religion (No. 141F)

Wars of the End Part IV(b): End of the Age (No. 141F_2)
Wars of the End Part V : Restoration for the Millennium (No. 141G)

Wars of the End Part V(b): Preparing the Elohim (No. 141H)

38:1-9 Gog, and Magog, (see also #294 and #046C). Located in the north and into the steppes.

Meshech (of two groups) both in the North. The Assyrian Mushku, South of Gomer and West of the Anti-Taurus mountains (27:13) (#046G). Tubal (Assyrian “Tabal” South of Beth Togarmah, East of the Anti-Taurus Mountains (#046F). Cush was a Hamitic tribe. The northern elelments were in Babylonia and the Southern elements in Ethiopia (#045B). Put, 30:5 n. (#045D). Gomer The Assyrian Gimmerai, Of Hittite Celtic origin, they also became the Cimmerians in Central Asia Minor (Gen. 10:2-3) (see #046B); Beth-Togarmah, Assyrian Til-garimmu, originally east of the southernmost Halys River, southeast of Gomer (27:14) they moved into the uttermost parts of the North (38:6) (see also ##46A1 and 046B).

Most scholars are agreed that In the Latter Years refers to the Latter Days (Hos. 3:5; Jer. 30:24); before the Messiah and the re-establishment of David’s line in Messiah (34:23-24; Jer. 23:5-6).

38:10-23 and ch. 39 The Defeat of Gog

God marshalls all the forces of nature against Gog and the forces of the North as well as the Loyal Host (Ps. 18:7-15; Isa. 24:18-20; 30:27-33; Jl. 2:28 -32).

v. 12 Center see 5:5 n.

v. 13 Sheba 27:22.

Dedan 25:13. Tarshish Jer. 10:9 n.

Sons of Japheth: Part I (No. 046A)

Sons of Japheth Part 1A: The Sons of HN (No. 046A1)

Sons of Japheth Part II: Gomer (No. 046B)

Sons of Japheth: Part III Magog (No. 046C)

Sons of Japheth: Part V Javan (No. 046E)

Sons of Japheth: Part VI Tubal (No. 046F)

Sons of Japheth: Part VII Meshech (No. 046G)

Sons of Japheth: Part VIII Tiras (No. 046H)

The Sons of Ham are as follows.

Sons of Ham: Part I (No. 045A)

Sons of Ham: Part II Cush (No. 045B)

Sons of Ham: Part III Mizraim (No. 45C)

Sons of Ham: Part IV Phut (No. 045D)

Sons of Ham: Part V Canaan (No. 045E)

The Defeat of Gog continues:

Chapter 39

¹"And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal; ²and I will turn you about and drive you forward, and bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north, and lead you against the mountains of Israel; ³then I will strike your bow from your left hand, and will make your arrows drop out of your right hand. ⁴You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you and all your hordes and the peoples that are with you; I will give you to birds of prey of every sort and to the wild beasts to be devoured. ⁵You shall fall in the open field; for I have spoken, says the Lord GOD. ⁶I will send fire on Magog and on those who dwell securely in the coastlands; and they shall know that I am the LORD. ⁷"And my holy name I will make known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let my holy name be profaned any more; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel. ⁸Behold, it is coming and it will be brought about, says the Lord GOD. That is the day of which I have spoken. ⁹"Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklers, bows and arrows, handpikes and spears, and they will make fires of them for seven years; ¹⁰so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons; they will despoil those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, says the Lord GOD. ¹¹"On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel, the Valley of the Travelers east of the sea; it will block the travelers, for there Gog and all his multitude will be buried; it will be called the Valley of Hamon-gog. ¹²For seven months the house of Israel will be burying them, in order to cleanse the land. ¹³All the people of the land will bury them; and it will redound to their honor on the day that I show my glory, says the Lord GOD. ¹⁴They will set apart men to pass through the land continually and bury those remaining upon the face of the land, so as to cleanse it; at the end of seven months they will make their search. ¹⁵And when these pass through the land and any one sees a man's bone, then he shall set up a sign by it, till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamon-gog. ¹⁶(A city Hamo'nah is there also.) Thus shall they cleanse the land. ¹⁷"As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all sides to the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast upon the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. ¹⁸You shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth--of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. ¹⁹And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you. ²⁰And you shall be filled at my table with horses and riders, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors,' says the Lord GOD. ²¹"And I will set my glory among the nations; and all the nations shall see my judgment which I have executed, and my hand which I have laid on them. ²²The house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God, from that day forward. ²³And the nations shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity, because they dealt so treacherously with me that I hid my face from them and gave them into the hand of their adversaries, and they all fell by the sword. ²⁴I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their transgressions, and hid my face from them. ²⁵"Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for my holy name. ²⁶They shall forget their shame, and all the treachery they have practiced against me, when they dwell securely in their land with none to make them afraid, ²⁷when I have brought them back from the peoples and gathered them from their enemies' lands, and through them have vindicated my holiness in the sight of many nations. ²⁸Then they shall know that I am the LORD their God because I sent them into exile among the nations, and then gathered them into their own land. I will leave none of them remaining among the nations any more; ²⁹and I will not hide my face any more from them, when I pour out my Spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord GOD."

Intent of Chapter 39

Ezekiel 39 is definitely set at the beginning of the Millennium and at the return of Messiah. The wars of the last days are listed at the end of Chapter 38 but they carry on into ch. 39.

39:1-20 The amount of the resources used in the conflict and the size of the forces is amazing. There was enough fuel collected of the military supplies and weapons to last for seven years and the resources were enough to provide resources for the nation far into the future. There were also seven months required to remove and bury the dead.

v. 11 The Valley of the Travellers (Abarim) is east of the (Salt) Sea. It is used to bury the armed forces which are so extensive that seven months are required to bury them and then a permanent force to bury the dead bodies as they or parts thereof are found.

We can now get an idea of what this modern force would contain and the weapons and supplies it would bring with it. This war will occur over the next four years and the size of the forces from Europe to Asia and the Americas and Africa will give the reader an idea of how many will be killed. The Last Empire of the Beast system is destroyed because it dared to oppose God and seek to wipe out His People and that is all regarded as a sacrifice to God’s Glory. The conclusion of the victory and the restoration is reiterated (5:8; 28:26; 34:30). God exiled them and then recovered them and they were to then remain. There will be none left among the nations.

40:1-48:35 The Vision of the Restored Israel under the Millennial System.

The prophecy given to Ezekiel continues from Chapters 33 to 48. However, it is logically in sections and this, and subsequent sections are better separated from chs. 33-36 (F026ix) Part IX.

Chapters 40-43 concerns the Establishment of the Temple at Jerusalem.

The text in Ezekiel shows that it is after the defeat of the Nations at Armageddon (chs. 38-39) that the Temple is then restored in the Holy Place under the millennial rule of Messiah (see No. 300), the Elect as Elohim (No. 001) and the Loyal Host at Jerusalem. God gave this vision to enable the planning and subsequent construction of the Temple.

Chapter 40

¹In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was conquered, on that very day, the hand of the LORD was upon me, ²and brought me in the visions of God into the land of Israel, and set me down upon a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city opposite me. ³When he brought me there, behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway. ⁴And the man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your mind upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you; declare all that you see to the house of Israel." ⁵And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man's hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length; so he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed. ⁶Then he went into the gateway facing east, going up its steps, and measured the threshold of the gate, one reed deep; ⁷and the side rooms, one reed long, and one reed broad; and the space between the side rooms, five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the vestibule of the gate at the inner end, one reed. ⁸Then he measured the vestibule of the gateway, eight cubits; ⁹and its jambs, two cubits; and the vestibule of the gate was at the inner end. ¹⁰And there were three side rooms on either side of the east gate; the three were of the same size; and the jambs on either side were of the same size. ¹¹Then he measured

the breadth of the opening of the gateway, ten cubits; and the breadth of the gateway, thirteen cubits. ¹²There was a barrier before the side rooms, one cubit on either side; and the side rooms were six cubits on either side. ¹³Then he measured the gate from the back of the one side room to the back of the other, a breadth of five and twenty cubits, from door to door. ¹⁴He measured also the vestibule, twenty cubits; and round about the vestibule of the gateway was the court. ¹⁵From the front of the gate at the entrance to the end of the inner vestibule of the gate was fifty cubits. ¹⁶And the gateway had windows round about, narrowing inwards into their jambs in the side rooms, and likewise the vestibule had windows round about inside, and on the jambs were palm trees. ¹⁷Then he brought me into the outer court; and behold, there were chambers and a pavement, round about the court; thirty chambers fronted on the pavement. ¹⁸And the pavement ran along the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates; this was the lower pavement. ¹⁹Then he measured the distance from the inner front of the lower gate to the outer front of the inner court, a hundred cubits. Then he went before me to the north, ²⁰and behold, there was a gate which faced toward the north, belonging to the outer court. He measured its length and its breadth. ²¹Its side rooms, three on either side, and its jambs and its vestibule were of the same size as those of the first gate; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. ²²And its windows, its vestibule, and its palm trees were of the same size as those of the gate which faced toward the east; and seven steps led up to it; and its vestibule was on the inside. ²³And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court; and he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits. ²⁴And he led me toward the south, and behold, there was a gate on the south; and he measured its jambs and its vestibule; they had the same size as the others. ²⁵And there were windows round about in it and in its vestibule, like the windows of the others; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. ²⁶And there were seven steps leading up to it, and its vestibule was on the inside; and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side. ²⁷And there was a gate on the south of the inner court; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south, a hundred cubits. ²⁸Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate, and he measured the south gate; it was of the same size as the others; ²⁹Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others; and there were windows round about in it and in its vestibule; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. ³⁰And there were vestibules round about, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits broad. ³¹Its vestibule faced the outer court, and palm trees were on its jambs, and its stairway had eight steps. ³²Then he brought me to the inner court on the east side, and he measured the gate; it was of the same size as the others. ³³Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others; and there were windows round about in it and in its vestibule; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. ³⁴Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side; and its stairway had eight steps. ³⁵Then he brought me to the north gate, and he measured it; it had the same size as the others. ³⁶Its side rooms, its jambs, and its vestibule were of the same size as the others; and it had windows round about; its length was fifty cubits, and its breadth twenty-five cubits. ³⁷Its vestibule faced the outer court, and it had palm trees on its jambs, one on either side; and its stairway had eight steps. ³⁸There was a chamber with its door in the vestibule of the gate, where the burnt offering was to be washed. ³⁹And in the vestibule of the gate were two tables on either side, on which the burnt offering and the sin offering and the guilt offering were to be slaughtered. ⁴⁰And on the outside of the vestibule at the entrance of the north gate were two tables; and on the other side of the vestibule of the gate were two tables. ⁴¹Four tables were on the inside, and four tables on the outside of the side of the gate, eight tables, on which the sacrifices were to be slaughtered. ⁴²And there were also four tables of hewn stone for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, and a cubit and a half broad, and one cubit high, on which the instruments were to be laid with which the burnt offerings and the sacrifices were slaughtered. ⁴³And hooks, a handbreadth long, were fastened round about within. And on the tables the flesh of the offering was to be laid. ⁴⁴Then he brought me from without into the inner court, and behold, there were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north. ⁴⁵And he said to me, This chamber which faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, ⁴⁶and the chamber which faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the LORD to minister to him. ⁴⁷And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long, and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare; and the altar was in front of the temple. ⁴⁸Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side; and the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits; and the sidewalls of the gate were three cubits on either side. ⁴⁹The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits; and ten steps led up to it; and there were pillars beside the jambs on either side.

Intent of Chapter 40

Ezekiel chapters 40–43 describe the Temple.

In Chapter 40 Ezekiel was given a vision of the measuring of the Temple. It was in the year 572 BCE, the 25^th year of the Exile (see Ch. 1 on the note to the determination of the date). This was also the Second year of the Jubilee on the Tenth day of the First Month, which was for the setting aside of the lamb at the Passover. It was on this day that Messiah entered and cleansed the Temple for the last time in 30 CE See ##077; 241 and 291. The Holy Spirit was given to the Fourth of the Cheubim at Pentecost 30 CE. The measuring of the Churches of God in the final phase of the Fourth Cherub (Rev. 11:1-2 F066iii) took place from 1987 to 2027 prior to this edifice being constructed. Thus the people of this age were to be measured and it was then determined as to who would be fit to be allowed to enter the system in the Millennium with Messiah from Atonement 2027 to 1 Abib 2028 (See Measuring of the Temple (No. 137)). The vision of the Temple given to Ezekiel (comp. 8:2-3) on a very high mountain (17:22; Mic. 4:1) is an improved version of the Temple built by Solomon and in which Ezekiel was trained and served as a priest before his exile (1:3). It is held to have been destroyed in 587/6 BCE (see Fall of Jerusalem to Babylon 250B)). He was transported in a vision (comp. 8:2-3).

40:1-47 The Measuring of the Temple area, the Gates and Outer and Inner Courts.

vv. 1-23 He measured the Inner chambers from the gates and the Inner Court.

v. 3 The reed was about ten feet four inches long. v. 5 The Long or Royal cubit was 20.68 inches. The standard cubit was about 17.5 inches long. The equal height and width of the outer retaining wall corresponds to the symmetry of the enclosure itself (42:16-20) (see OARSVn.)

vv. 6-16 The detailed description of the east or processional gate makes it possible to compare it with solomonic gateways found at Megiddo, Gezer and Hazor. All had the same design and the same dimensions. After ascending seven steps (vv. 22,26). That has a double entrance vestibule, the second narrower than the first and closed off from the interior by doors (cf. OARSV n.). The wall joined the gate and the entrance vestibules. The remainder of the gate extended into the Outer Court. The interior had three chambers or guard rooms on either side separated by heavy piers. On passing the last pier one entered the outer court. The OARSV considers that one may have possibly entered, firstly into an inner vestibule, and then the Outer Court. The side chambers are considered to have had back doors opening into the Inner Court. The windows, as the Temple itself, were of Phoenician, or Tyrian, design narrowing inwards. The palm trees whilst common in the near east, have biblical significance relating to the Messiah and the Temple, as we see in the Exodus and at Meribah (see also #115)

40:17-19 The Thirty chambers are for the Inner Council of the Thirty of the Messianic priesthood of Melchisedek (see F058 cf. F066).

40:20-27 The Northern and Southern Gates were similar to the East Gate.

40:24-34 Measuring the Outer Court

40:28-37 Eight steps above the Outer Court were the gates leading to the Inner Court corresponding to those leading to the Outer Court. The Temple is built on a series of terraces.

vv. 35-39, 40-43 He then measured the North Gate to where the offerings were washed and prepared.

vv. 44-45 Outside of the Inner Gate were the chambers of the singers of the Inner Court, which was at the side of the North Gate looking south, which was for the priest who was the keeper of the charges of the house.

v. 46 The chambers looking north were for the priests who were the keepers of the charge of the altar. These were to be of the sons of Zadok and the sons of Levi. Thus in these last days we are to see the conversion of the sons of Levi and through Zadok. They are to be measured and prepared for their conversion. (43:19; 44:15-16).

v. 47 Then he measured the Porch.

40:48-41:26 The Temple Arrangements

48-49 The Temple was ten steps (or ten feet see 41:8) above the level of the Inner Court. In front of the vestibule stood two free standing pillars simliar to the Temple of Solomon (1Kgs. 7:15-22).

Santification of the Temple of God (No. 241).

Cleansing the Temple (No. 241B).

Sanctification of the Simple and Erroneous (No. 291)

Bullinger’s Notes on Ezekiel Chs 37-40 (for KJV)

Chapter 37

Verse 1

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

in the spirit = by the spirit. Compare Ezekiel 1:1 , Ezekiel 1:3 ; Ezekiel 8:3 ; Ezekiel 11:24 , Ezekiel 11:25 ; Ezekiel 40:2 , Ezekiel 40:3 . These expressions show the meaning of Revelation 1:10 .

spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 .

valley = plain. Some word as in Ezekiel 3:22 , Ezekiel 3:23 , and Ezekiel 8:4 .

Verse 2

round about = on every side. Hebrew. sabib sabib = on this side and on that side. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ), for emphasis.

behold . . . lo . Figure of speech Asterismos . ( App-6 ), calling special attention to that which was seen.

Verse 3

Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .

Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .

Verse 4

upon = over. Hebrew. 'al .

Verse 5

breath = spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 .

Verse 6

Put breath, &c. Reference to Pentateuch (Genesis 2:7 ), App-92 .

ye shall know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:7 .

Verse 7

as = according as.

noise = voice.

shaking = commotion.

Verse 9

unto . Hebrew ' el . Compare Ezekiel 37:4 , and see the Structure above.

wind = spirit. Same as "breath" in Ezekiel 37:5 .

breathe = blow. Hebrew. naphah .

slain deed (by violent death). Septuagint renders it tous nekrous . = corpses, as distinct from nekrous , which (without the Article) refers to the dead as having been once alive (compare Matthew 22:31 .Luke 24:5 . Cor Eze 15:29 (first and third words), 35, 42, 52); while, with the Article it denotes corpses. See Deuteronomy 14:1 .Matthew 22:32 .Mark 9:10 . Luke 16:30 , Luke 16:31 ; Luke 24:46 . Acts 23:6 ; Acts 24:15 ; Acts 26:8 . Romans 6:13 ; Romans 10:7 ; Romans 11:15 .Hebrews 11:19 ; Hebrews 11:13 , Hebrews 11:20 ; 1 Corinthians 15:12 , 1 Corinthians 15:13 , 1 Corinthians 15:15 , 1 Corinthians 15:16 , 1 Corinthians 15:20 , 1 Corinthians 15:21 , 1 Corinthians 15:29 (second word), 32. Especially ep, 1 Peter 4:6 . See App-139 .

Verse 11

are = they [are]. Figure of speech Metaphor . App-6 .

the whole house. As distinct from "the house",

we are cut off for our parts = as for us, we are quite cut off, or clean cut off.

Verse 12

graves = sepulchres, or burying-places. Hebrew.

keber , not Sheol . See App-35 . The repetition of this must include resurrection as well as restoration.

into the land of Israel = upon the soil of Israel. Hebrew. 'admath . See note on Ezekiel 11:17 .

Verse 13

when I have opened = by My opening.

and brought you up = by My causing you to come up.

Verse 14

spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 . Same word es "breath" and "wind" above.

place = settle.

in your own land = upon your own soil. Hebrew ' adamah . Compare Ezekiel 37:21 , and see note on Eze 37:32 .

saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.

Verse 16

stick. Hebrew "wood": put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Cause), App-6 , for anything made of it.

children = sons,

companions: i.e. Benjamin and Levi. Hebrew text reads "companion" (singular); but margin, with some codices and one early printed edition, reads "companions" (plural)

Joseph. Who held the primogeniture of the other tribes (1 Chronicles 6:1 ), forfeited by Reuben; and was represented by Ephraim, the head of the ten tribes. Compare 1 Kings 11:26 , Isaiah 11:13 .Jeremiah 31:6 . Hosea 5:3 , Hosea 5:6 . his companions: i.e. the other tribes.

Verse 17

hand. Some codices, with three early printed editions, read "hands" (plural)

Verse 19

fellows. Same word as "companions" in Ezekiel 37:16 , and same note as to the readings.

him: or, it.

Verse 21

Behold. heathen; and. land. These words were chosen for the legend on the Zionist medal commemorating the National Federation (of 1896), which is a landmark in the history of the Jewish nation.

I even I. Figure of speech Epizeuxis ( App-6 ).

heathen = nations.

land, Hebrew ' eretz . Not the same word as in at Ezekiel 12:14 , Ezekiel 12:21 .

Verse 22

upon = among.

mountains. A special various readirg called Sevir ( App-34 ) reads "cities".

Verse 23

idols = dirty gods.

detestable = abominable. Referring to idolatry, and its accompaniments.

transgressions = rebellions. Bob. pasha '. App-44 .

dwellingplaces . Septuagint reads "lawlessnesses". Compare Jeremiah 2:19 ; Jeremiah 3:22 ; Jeremiah 5:6 . So Houbigant, Bishops Newcombe and Horsley, with Ginsburg.

wherein = whereby.

sinned. Hebrew. chata '. App-44 .

My People = to Me a People.

their God = to them a God.

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 24

David My servant = Hebrew My servant David. Occurs five times (Ezekiel 34:23 , Ezekiel 34:24 ; Eze 37:24 . 1 Kings 11:32 ; 1 Kings 14:8 ). In Ezekiel 37:25 and 2 Samuel 3:18 tis (in Hebrew) "David My servant" (though the Authorized Version there renders it "My servant David").

shepherd = ruler.

judgments . . . statutes. See note on Deuteronomy 4:1 .

Verse 25

And they shall dwell . Repeated in middle of the verse by the Figure of speech Mesarchia ( App-6 ), for emphasis. given unto Jacob. And not any other land.

My servant David . Here, it is (in Hebrew) "David My servant".

Verse 26

covenant of peace. Compare Ezekiel 34:25 .

everlasting covenant. See notes on Genesis 9:16 , and Isaiah 44:7 .

Verse 27

tabernacle. Her. mishkan . See App-42 . Reference to Pentateuch (Leviticus 26:11 , Leviticus 26:12 ). App-92 .

Verse 28

shall know . See note on Eze 6:30 .

when, &c. = by the existence of My sanctuary in, &c.

for evermore. Therefore this prophecy yet awaits its fulfilment.

Chapter 38

Verse 1

the LORD . Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 . Ih

Verse 2

Son of man, See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .

Gog. A symbolical name for the nations north and east of Palestine, or the nations as a whole. That the prophecies of Ezekiel 38:0 and Ezekiel 39:0 are still future is clear from Ezekiel 38:8 , Ezekiel 38:14 , Ezekiel 38:16 ; Ezekiel 39:9 , Ezekiel 39:25 , Ezekiel 39:26 ; as Israel will have then already been "gathered", and complete restoration enjoyed immediately following the destruction of Gog "Now will I bring again the captivity of Israel". It must therefore precede the Millennium; and on that account must be distinguished from Revelation 20:8 , Revelation 20:10 ; and may therefore perhaps be identified with Revelation 16:14 ; Revelation 17:14 ; Revelation 19:17-21 . Compare Matthew 24:14-30 . Zechariah 12:1-4 . It marks the climax of Satan's effort to destroy Israel from being a People, and clearly belongs to the close of a yet future kingdom age. See Ezekiel 38:8 , &c., above). The name is connected with "Og" (Deuteronomy 3:1-13 ), and "Agag "(Numbers 24:7 ), where the Samaritan Pentateuch reads "Agog", and the Septuagint reads "Gog", Here the Arabic reads "Agag". The historical interpretation of this prophecy is confessedly impossible.

the land of Magog = of the land of the Magog. If "Gog" denotes and symbolises all that is powerful, gigantic, and proud, then "Magog" is symbolical of the same lands and peoples. Magog was a son of Japheth.

the chief prince = the head, or leader of Rosh . Hebrew Rosh, which may point to Russia.

Meshech and Tubal. The Sept, renders these Mesoch and Thobel: i.e. the Moschi and Tibareni , occupying regions about the Caucasus. All these a nations distant from Palestine: not near nations, or nations connected by consanguinity. They were also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:2 ).

Verse 3

the Lord GOD. Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6 ,

Verse 4

turn thee back: or, lead thee away enticingly. Compare Isaiah 47:10 (perverted). Jeremiah 50:6 . See the Oxford Gesenius.

put hooks , &c. Compare Isaiah 37:29 . Hebrew "curbs".

army , Hebrew "power"; put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for army, as translated.

company = gathered host. Compare Ezekiel 16:40 .

Verse 5

Ethiopia = Cush.

Libya = Phut. Compare Ezekiel 27:10 ; Ezekiel 30:5 . These were descended from Ham (Genesis 10:6 ).

Verse 6

Gomer. North of Asia Minor; also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:3 ),

Togarmah = Armenia. Compare Ezekiel 27:14 , Also descended from Japheth (Genesis 10:3 ).

bands = hordes.

People = peoples.

Verse 7

company. So (singular) in many codices and seven early printed editions; but some codices, with three early printed editions, read plural. See note on Ezekiel 38:4 .

be thou a guard , &c. Septuagint reads "thou will be for Me a guard. "

Verse 8

After many days . Pointing to a then, and yet future time, when Israel shall have been recently "gathered", and before the Restoration is perfected,

the latter years . See notes above and on Ezekiel 38:2 .

safely = confidently.

Verse 10

things = words, or matters.

think an evil thought = devise a mischievous device. Compare Daniel 11:44 , Daniel 11:45 .

evil . Hebrew. ra`a` App-44 .

Verse 11

unwalled villages = mere hamlets.

Verse 12

To take a spoil , &c. The Hebrew exhibits the Figure of speech Polyptoton ( App-6 ) = "To spoil a spoil and to prey a prey". Compare Psalms 83:4 , &c.

upon = against. A special various reading called Sevin ( App-34 ) reads "over".

People : i.e. Israel, as in Ezekiel 39:13 ; not in verses: Ezekiel 38:6 , Ezekiel 38:8 , Ezekiel 38:9 , Eze 6:15 , Eze 6:22 .

midst . Hebrew = navel . Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunet), App-6 , for the middle.

land = earth. Hebrew ' eretz . Compare Ezekiel 38:18 . Of which Palestine is in the centre, politically and morally, if not exactly geographically.

Verse 13

Sheba, Ac. These are some who protest.

Verse 14

shalt thou not know it? The Septuagint reads "wilt thou not rouse thyself? "

Verse 16

in the latter days = in the end of days. Still future. See notes on Ezekiel 38:2 and Ezekiel 38:8 .

the heathen may know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10

heathen = nations.

when I shall be sanctified , &c.: or, by My hallowing Myself, &c.

Verse 18

the same time = that day.

the land of Israel = on the soil of Israel. Hebrew ' admath. See note on Ezekiel 11:17 .

saith the Lord GOD = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.

Verse 19

shaking = trembling.

Verse 20

fall = sink down.

Verse 21

every man's . Hebrew. ish . App-14 .

Verse 22

great hailstones. As in Joshua 10:11 .

Verse 23

they shall know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10 .

Chapter 39

Verse 1

Therefore, &c. See the Structure, p. 1161

Verse 2

son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 ,

Gog, &c. See note on Ezekiel 38:2 .

the Lord God . Hebrew. Adonai Jehovah . See note on Ezekiel 2:4 .

Behold. Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6 . turn thee back. See note on Ezekiel 38:4 .

leave but the sixth part of thee = and will lead thee on. This being from the root shasha = to lead; not shesh = six.

upon the mountains of Israel. The others will be smitten in their own lands.

Verse 4

people = peoples. Some codices, with Aram, and Syriac, read "many peoples". Compare Ezekiel 38:22 .

Verse 5

saith the Lord God = [is] Adonai Jehovah's oracle.

Verse 6

isles = coasts, or maritime lands.

they shall know, &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah . App-4 .

Verse 7

holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .

name. See note on Psalms 20:1 .

pollute = profane.

heathen = nations.

shall know , &c. See note on Ezekiel 6:10 .

Verse 10

rob = make a prey.

Verse 11

in . The 1611 edition of the Authorized Version reads "at".

graves = sepulture. Septuagint and Vulgate read "memorial for burial".

shall stop . . . passengers = obstruoteth, or arresteth, the passengers. Probably on account of its depth.

Hamon = gog = the multitude of Gog.

Verse 14

men of continual employment = constantly.

men. Hebrew pl of 'enosh . App-14 .

Verse 15

man's. Hebrew. 'adam, App-14 .

Verse 16

Hamonah = " to the multitude".

Verse 18

princes = leaders.

Verse 22

God. Hebrew. Elohim . App-4 .

Verse 23

iniquity. Hebrew ` avah . App-41 .

trespassed = committed treachery. Hebrew. ma'al App-44 .

Verse 24

transgressions = rebellions. Hebrew. pasha '. App-44 .

Verse 25

Now : i.e. after the destruction of Gog; i.e. after the "gathering" but before the final "Restoration", and therefore before the Millennium. See note on Ezekiel 38:2 .

Verse 26

After , &c. Another note of time, determining the fulfilment of the prophecy concerning Gog.

trespasses = treachery. Hebrew. ma'al , as in Ezekiel 39:23 .

safely = confidently.

in their land = on their soil,

Verse 27

When. Another mark of time.

Verse 29

Neither . . . any more. Another mark of time. poured out, &c. See Joel 2:28 . Another mark of time.

spirit. Hebrew. ruach . App-9 .

Chapter 40

Verse 1

the five and twentieth year. See table on p. 1106.

the beginning . Probably Abib or Nisan.

the city was smitten. The fall of Jerusalem is thus fixed as happening in the eleventh year of the

captivity. See the table on p. 1103.

the hand. Compare Ezekiel 3:14 .

the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .

Verse 2

visions of God. Compare Ezekiel 1:1 ; Ezekiel 8:3 ; Ezekiel 43:3 .

God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .

the land of Israel. One of the three occurrences in Ezekiel with 'erete instead of 'admath . See notes on Ezekiel 27:17 ; and compare note on Ezekiel 11:17 .

upon a very high mountain. Compare Ezekiel 17:22 , Ezekiel 17:23 .Isaiah 2:2 .

by: or, upon

frame = fabric; or structure.

Verse 3

behold, Figure of speech Asteriamos . App-6 .

man. Hebrew tsh. App-14 .

reed. See App-51 .

Verse 4

Son of man. See note on Ezekiel 2:1 .

Verse 5

behold. Figure of speech Asteriamos . App-6 ,

on the : or, went on.

the house : i.e. the Temple.

cubits. See App-51 .,

he measured . In Blithe measurements the unit is one-seventh longer than Solomon's Temple, pointing to the eighth, the day of God. Seven speaks of completion. Eight speaks of a new beginning (see App-10 ). In "the day of God" all things will be new.

building: i.e. the wall and its contents.

Verse 6

the other: viz. that mentioned in Ezekiel 40:7 .

Verse 7

little. This word may well be omitted.

within. Revised Version = toward the house.

Verse 8

He measured, &c. Verse 8 is not found in the Septuagint, Syriac, or Vulgate. It may be the latter clause of Ezekiel 40:7 copied again through human infirmity.

Verse 9

posts: or projections, coigns or small turrets.

inward = toward. [the house].

Verse 11

entry = entrance, or doorway.

length = extent, or way.

Verse 12

space = barrier, border, or parapet.

Verse 13

door entrance.

Verse 14

made: or, measured.

Verse 15

face = front.

Verse 16

narrow = latticed. Compare Ezekiel 41:16 , Eze 41:26 , 1 Kings 6:4 .

arches = projections, or porches.

inward: or, within.

upon = against.

palm trees. Artificial. Compare Ezekiel 41:18 .

Verse 17

lo . Figure of speech Asterismos . App-6 .

chambers = attachments. Always rendered "chambers", except, 1 Samuel 9:22 , where it is "parlour". These chambers or storerooms are for the priests and Levites, and for the tithes and offerings. Not the same word as in verses: Ezekiel 40:7 , Ezekiel 40:7 , Ezekiel 40:10 , Ezekiel 7:12 , Ezekiel 7:12 , Ezekiel 7:13 , Ezekiel 7:16 , Ezekiel 7:21 , Eze 7:29 , Eze 7:33 , Eze 7:36 ; but the same as verses: Ezekiel 40:35 , Ezekiel 40:44 , Ezekiel 40:45 , Eze 35:46 . See note on Ezekiel 41:5 .

pavement. Stones ranged artificially. Probably tesselated. Compare John 19:13 .

thirty. Probably ten on each of the three sides of the court, in clusters of five on each of the sides of the three gates.

Verse 18

side = shoulder.

over against. Or, all along.

Verse 19

without = from without.

Verse 22

seven steps . These are the steps to the outer gates, and distinct from the "eight" of the inner court. Neither have anything to do with the fifteen steps of the "Songs of the Degrees". See App-67 .

Verse 24

these measures . This phrase is repeated in verses: Ezekiel 40:28 , Ezekiel 40:29 , Ezekiel 40:32 , Eze 28:33 , Eze 28:35 . showing the conformity of the whole plan.

Verse 31

utter = outer.

going up = ascent.

eight steps. These were in the inner court. See note on "seven", Ezekiel 40:22 ,

Verse 38

washed. Or, took out, the entrails of.

burnt offering. Sec App-43 . See note on "ordinances", Ezekiel 43:18 .

Verse 39

sin. offering. See App-43 .

trespass offering. See App-43 .

Verse 41

they slew, &c. = their slaying [was done].

Verse 42

hewn stone. The other eight (Ezekiel 40:41 ) were probably of wood.

Verse 43

hooks = the ranges.

offering = corban.

Verse 46

Zadok among = Zadok: those from

Verse 47

foursquare. Compare Ezekiel 48:20 and Revelation 21:16 .

Verse 48

porch = vestibule.

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