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Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 461

"The gateway of the inner court"

Text: Ezekiel 46:1

THE WORSHIP OFFERED BY THE PRINCE

Ezekiel 46 focuses on the role of the leading prince in the worship of the Lord at the 3rd Temple. The prince would be accorded due respect as he leads the worshippers in the offering of the sacrifices.

“Thus says the Lord God: ‘The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened. 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. Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil with every ephah. On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish. He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah. When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.'”
Ezekiel 46:1-8

1. The closed gateway of the Inner Court that faced East.

a) This would normally be shut.

b) But it would be opened on certain days:

i) It would be opened on the Sabbath.

ii) It would be opened on the day of the New Moon.

2. The prince

a) He would enter by way of the vestibule at the Gateway.

b) He will stand at the gatepost.

c) He will worship at the threshold of the gate.

d) He will then leave.

e) But the gate will remain open till the evening.

3. The worshippers

a) They will gather with the prince.

b) On the Sabbaths.

c) On the New Moon Festivals.

4. The priests

a) They will do the preparation.

b) They will make the offerings on behalf of the prince.

5. The offerings

a) They were carefully specified.

b) These were offerings that must be given from a willing heart (even though they are costly).