Worship on Sabbaths and New Moons
Study note
The inner east gate would be shut during the six working days but opened on the Sabbath and on the first day of each month. The prince would enter through the porch of this gate and stand by the gatepost while the priests offered his burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He would worship at the threshold of the gate. The Sabbath offering would be six lambs and a ram, while the new moon offering would be a young bull, six lambs, and a ram.
1 The Lord God says this. "The inner yard gate facing east will stay shut on the six work days. It will open on the Sabbath. It will also open on the new moon feast day." Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened.
2 "The prince will enter from outside through the gateway porch and stand by the gatepost. The priests will prepare his burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. He will worship at the gateway threshold and then leave, but the gate will stay open until evening." And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.
3 "The common people will also worship at the entrance of this gate before the Lord on Sabbaths and new moon days." Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons.
4 "The prince's Sabbath burnt offering to the Lord will be six lambs with no flaws and a ram with no flaws." And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish.
5 "The grain offering to accompany the ram will be one ephah. For the lambs, the grain offering will be whatever amount he chooses to give, along with one hin of oil per ephah." And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
6 "On the new moon day, the offering will be a young bull without defects, six lambs, and a ram -- all without defects." And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish.
7 "He must bring one ephah of grain with the bull. He must bring one ephah with the ram. With the lambs, he gives what he can afford. He adds one hin of oil for each ephah." And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
8 "The prince must enter through the gateway porch and leave the same way." And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.
Rules for Entering and Leaving
Study note
At the appointed festivals, worshippers who entered through the north gate had to exit through the south gate, and vice versa. No one was to leave by the same gate they entered. The prince was to enter and leave with the people. These regulations ensured an orderly flow of worship and showed that everyone, including the prince, was subject to God's rules. A daily burnt offering of a lamb was to be made every morning.
9 "When the ordinary people come before the Lord during the appointed festivals, whoever enters through the north gate to worship must exit through the south gate. Whoever enters through the south gate must exit through the north gate. Nobody may leave through the same gate they entered. Everyone must exit through the opposite gate." But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it.
10 "The prince will enter with the crowd and leave with them." And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth.
11 "At feasts and set days, give one ephah of grain with each bull. Give one ephah with each ram. With the lambs, give what you choose. Add one hin of oil per ephah." And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.
12 "When the prince brings a voluntary offering to the Lord -- whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings -- the east gate will be opened for him. He will make his offering the same way he does on the Sabbath. After he leaves, the gate will be shut behind him." Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.
13 "Every day you must provide a year-old lamb without defects as a daily burnt offering to the Lord. Offer it every morning." Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning.
14 "Every morning, along with the lamb, bring a grain offering. Use one-sixth of an ephah of grain with one-third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour. This grain offering to the Lord is a lasting rule that never changes." And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD.
15 "So the lamb, the grain gift, and the oil must be given every morning. This is the daily burnt offering." Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.
The Prince's Land Inheritance
Study note
If the prince gave land to his sons, it stayed in the family as their permanent inheritance. But if he gave land to one of his servants, it would return to the prince in the year of freedom (similar to the Year of Jubilee). The prince could not take land away from the people. He could only give his sons land from his own property, so that none of God's people would be separated from their property.
16 The Lord God says: "If the prince gives part of his land to any of his sons, that land becomes that son's forever." Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance.
17 "But if the prince gives a portion of his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it only until the year of freedom. Then it reverts back to the prince. Only the prince's sons may keep inherited land permanently." But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.
18 "The prince must never take any of the people's land or push them off their property. He must give his sons land only from what he owns. That way, none of my people will lose their share." Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.
The Temple Kitchens
Study note
The guide showed Ezekiel the kitchens in the temple complex. There were kitchens at the back of the priests' rooms where they would boil the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the grain offerings, so they would not need to bring holy things into the outer courtyard. In the four corners of the outer courtyard were smaller enclosed courtyards with kitchens where the temple servants would cook the sacrifices offered by the people.
19 The man brought me through the side entrance to the holy rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests. He pointed to a space at the far western end. After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.
20 He said, "This is where the priests will cook the guilt offerings and sin offerings. They will bake the grain offerings here. They do this so they don't carry them into the outer courtyard and pass holiness to the common people by accident." Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people.
21 He brought me into the outer courtyard and walked me to each of its four corners. In every corner was a smaller enclosed courtyard. Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.
22 These four corner courtyards were all the same size: about seventy feet long and about fifty-two and a half feet wide. In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure.
23 Inside each of the four courtyards, a stone shelf ran around the walls. Cooking fires were built into the base of the shelf on every side. And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.
24 He told me, "These are the kitchens where the temple servants cook the sacrifices that the people bring." Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people.