Ezekiel chapter 46

Nearly reaching the Ezekiel home stretch. It will be good to get it out of the way before any more sermons come up.

vs 1

So obviously on the Sabbath and other festival days (although it only lists the new moon day) the gate to the temple is opened. The rest of the time, it is shut off. Which is a pretty sucky picture of heaven. I think Penny was right in what she said the other day - that this stuff, while it might be a murky picture of heaven, is really more a picture of a better life for Israel in their land.

vs 2

It's a good idea to institutionalise the prince bowing in worship of God. Makes people put him in an appropriate position of authority, under God. I guess that's why mining companies and factional leaders and big business generally like to see prime ministers bow down to them. Sigh.

vs 3

I'd go back and check if the gateway was big enough to support a throng of thousands of people, but honestly I don't care.

vs 4

So every week? I guess that keeps them in the meat, but that's a lot of animals to be slaughtered.

vs 5

So... a lot.

vs 6

So that would be once a month, I figure.

vs 7

Again, lots of grain. Vegetable and fruit sacrifices would have been welcome, I'm guessing.

vs 8

I don't really know what to say about this statement.

vs 9

Except the prince? So everyone sort of passes by the temple, but the prince goes in and out the same gate.

vs 10

Except the prince seems to do a lot of going in and out.

vs 11

I think we've got the pattern down pat now.

vs 12

So unlike sabbaths, where the gate stays open, the prince gets special access, but the gate shuts immediately afterwards. Why? No idea. I mean, my assumption would be something about the gate being open being a welcoming and open sort of picture, with the closed gate being a picture of holiness.

vs 13

Is you the prince? Or the people?

vs 14

It's good for the priests to have daily sacrifices. And it should remind people of God every day too. Or at least the king.

vs 15

Ahh, repetiton.

vs 16

Okay. How is this not normal?

vs 17

OoooOoooOOoooh. I see. So it's to ensure that the prince's line gets to keep stuff.

vs 18

Of course, this continues the problem of multiple children divvying up limited resources, and everyone eventually ending up with a thimbleful of soil for their inheritance. I mean, I'm all for the king not driving people off their land, but this is not an eternal solution, especially when you've got the cubit measurements for the king's land.

vs 19

Oh, that's right, Ezekiel is on a spirit tour.

vs 20

Even the food would consecrate people, so they have a special place to cook it. Can't have people getting consecrated for nothing.

vs 21

I assume he doesn't mean a tennis court.

vs 22

Rooms, I'm guessing, or courtyards? I mean, they can't all be court courts.

vs 23

Ahhhh, so it looks like these are places for sacrifices. So court probably just means open area.

vs 24

There we go. Kitchens. I mean, ancient kitchens probably were more open, what with fires and stuff, rather than dishwashers and microwave ovens.