EZEKIEL 48

1 Now these are the names of the tribes. From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward, to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west; a portion for Dan.

2 And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Asher.

3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Naphtali.

4 And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Manasseh.

5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Ephraim.

6 And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side, a portion for Reuben.

7 And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side, a portion for Judah.

8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of 25 000 reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side: and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

9 The oblation that ye shall offer unto Yahweh shall be of 25 000 in length, and of 10 000 in breadth.

I. Most Holy Place

The Holy oblation south of the canton of Judah, and north of Benjamin, 25,000 cubits square, about 7 miles,

"the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever, saith Yahweh." (Ezk 48: 8-22)

Zion

In this city where David dwelt, the King of Israel, bearing the glory of Yahweh, occupies the sapphire-throne, angels ascending and descending upon him from the Majesty in the Heavens.

The Holy ones, or saints, whose symbolical number is 144,000, and their representative measurement 144 cubits, belong to the Holy Oblation, as joint heirs in the throne.

II. Holy Place

All the Covenanted Land not included in the Holy Oblation and the Prince's portion.

The Stone Kingdom

Consisting of Judah, the Third Part, cut out of the Mountains, organized and refined. David's original kingdom before the submission of the Ten Tribes, when his throne was in Hebron.

III. Court of Israel

The House of Israel, or Ten Tribes called Ephraim, in the peoples' wilderness, where like a heifer he is being broken to the yoke, by Elijah the prophet and his companions of the third part, the representatives of Israel's king in restoring all things preparatory to their entering into the Land promised to their fathers.

IV. Court of the Gentiles

The nations under the Beast and False Prophet, and the Kings of the earth, &c., subject to terrible and devastating wars by the sword of Judah and Israel, the Lord's weapons of war, which continue until their kingdoms become Yahweh's and His Christ's.

V. The Great Mountain

Peace between Israel and the nations for a thousand years. The stone-kingdom, by the reunion of the Twelve Tribes for the first time since the rebellion of the Ten against the House of David under Jeroboam, being a period of some 2894 [+] years, becomes the great mountain "filling the whole land," and as the everlasting kingdom of Jesus, ruling over the earth.

"The middle wall of partition"

between Israel and the Gentiles is "broken down" nationally, as it was spiritually, when Jews and Gentiles became one in Christ as heirs of the kingdom to be established. Henceforth one Court in the temple of the Branch's building serves as the arena of prayer for Israel, and the worshippers who come up to Jerusalem to do homage to Yahweh and his king out of all nations.

"Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people,"

for there is peace over the earth, and good will among men.

Mystery of the covenant of the holy land explained -

 Herald 11/1855

11 It shall be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge, which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

The sons of Zadoc

These will have no immediate communication with the people in performing the service, but will officiate intermediately between the people's priests [Levites] and "the Prince," who is then High Priest, and Yahweh's anointed for ever.

... Zadok, who was contemporary with David and Solomon, is their representative father in the priesthood, as David is their representative father in the royalty, and Abraham their representative father in the faith. Hence in the priesthood, the saints are "the sons of Zadok;" in the royalty, "the sons of the Prince," and in the faith, "the seed or sons of Abraham."

Eli and his sons were rejected as representative sacerdotal men, because the sons were wicked, and Eli honored them above Yahweh. Therefore Yahweh said to him,

"I will raise me up a faithful priest, who shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine Anointed for ever."

He must therefore become immortal. Now under the Mosaic Covenant this "faithful priest" was Zadok, who walked before David and Solomon. When Absalom and Israel rebelled against the Lord's anointed, Zadok and Abiathar remained faithful with Yahweh and his king. But when David was about to die, Abiathar, who was descended from Eli, conspired to make Adonijah king instead of Solomon; while Zadok continued faithful to David.

Solomon, however, being established on the throne "he thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh." He told him he was worthy of death, but he would spare his life for his father's sake, because he suffered with him in Absalom's rebellion: he therefore exiled him to Anathoth, and promoted Zadok to the high-priesthood in his room.

Now these were representative events. Yahweh will raise up the faithful of the house of Levi, even Zadok and his sons, and they shall walk before his Anointed for ever—even before the "greater than Solomon" when, in "the city of the Great King," he sits and rules upon his throne as a priest, bearing the glory, as Prince of Israel for ever.

This superior class of Levites "shall come near to me," saith the Lord,

"to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood: they shall enter into my holy place, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge."

From the seventeenth verse to the end of this chapter are the ordinances for the lowest class of Levitical priests.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Aug 1851

12 And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

13 And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

14 And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto Yahweh.

15 And the five thousand, that are left in the breadth over against the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling, and for suburbs: and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

16 And these shall be the measures thereof; the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.

17 And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

18 And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward, and ten thousand westward: and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion; and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.

19 And they that serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

20 All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand: ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

21 And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions for the prince: and it shall be the holy oblation; and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.

22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

23 As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.

24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.

25 And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.

26 And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

27 And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea.

29 This is the land [ha'aretz ] which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance [allot unto the Shivtei Yisroel for nachalah], and these are their portions, saith the Adonai Yahweh.

So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel" (Ezek. 47:13-21).

Now, let it never be forgotten in the investigation of "the things of the kingdom of God," that the Israelites have never possessed the country as defined in this survey since it was revealed to them through the prophet. The twelve tribes have not even occupied the land together; and those of them that have dwelt there after the return from Babylon to the overthrow by the Romans, held but a very small portion of it, while the Gentile kingdoms lorded it over all the rest.

Now either God is a liar, as some people make Him out to be who deny the restoration of the twelve tribes; or the time He refers to in the promise of the land according to these boundaries is not arrived. This is the only conclusion a believer in the gospel of the kingdom can come to. All theories opposed to this are mere sublimated infidelity. If Israel be not restored, then the promise to Abraham will have failed. But Abraham's seed are under no apprehension of this kind. They believe in God, who has sworn by Himself, that what He has promised He is able, willing, and determined, to perform.

Here, then, is a noble domain, lying between Assyria, Persia, Arabia, the Red Sea, Egypt, and the Mediteranean, capable, when peopled by an industrious, enlightened, and well and strongly governed nation, of commanding the sovereignty of Asia, and the wealth of Europe and America. Such is the land, containing, according to the survey of the British government, 300,000 square miles, concerning which God said to Abram, "to thee will I give it and unto thy Seed for ever."

But, the apostle says that the covenant, confirmed 430 years after the law was promulged, was " concerning Christ " especially. It was the Father's will, of which Christ being the Mediator, He became the Testator of the will. This being the case, His death was necessitated; for so long as He was alive the covenant had no force.

Neither Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, nor Himself, could inherit the land for ever, until the covenant was ratified by His death. Hence, His was "the blood of the New Testament, which was shed for many;" that they which are called might receive the remission of sins, and obtain the promise of the inheritance for ever (Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:15-17). The covenant of promise, then, was typically confirmed 430 years before the law; and finally dedicated by the death of the mediatorial Testator; this being accomplished, the will could not be disannulled, or added to (Gal. 3:15).

But when we look at Jesus in the light of this Divine will and testament, we perceive some grand and important deficiencies in the administration of its legacies, if the history of the past is to be taken as the criterion of its accomplishment. In the historical view of the will, we are led to the conclusion that it hath not been administered at all; and that its legatees have received none of their Father's estate.

Look at Abraham, He has received nothing. The same is true of all who believed the things hoped for from that day to this. Even Yahweh Jesus, who has been perfected, has received nothing of what is willed to Him in the covenant, or testament. "I will give," said God, "this land to thy Seed for ever."

Now look at the facts in the case. "Jesus came to His own, and His own received Him not" (John 1:11). What is to be understood by this? What is signified by "His own" twice repeated in this text? It reads in the original, "He came EIS TA IDIA and HOI IDIOI received Him not." The facts in the case must supply the words understood. Jesus came to His own kingdom, or realm, but His own people, the Jews, who are the "children of the kingdom," did not receive Him, but rejected, and crucified Him.

The reading is, then, "He came EIS TA IDIA BASILEIA into His own realm, and HOI IDIOI LAOI His own people did not receive Him. But to as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become sons of God, to them who believe in His name." But, what constituted the land of Canaan His realm, more than John the Baptist's, or any other Jew's? Because it was promised to Him in the covenant, because He was the sole surviving Heir of David's throne. We see, however, that, like His father Abraham, He never possessed even so much as to set His foot upon; and so poor was He, that though "foxes had holes and the birds of the air had nests, yet He had not where to lay His head."

Under God, He was indebted to some of those who received Him for His daily bread. What significance this fact attaches to that petition of the prayer He taught His disciples, saying, "Our Father, who art in heaven, give us this day our daily bread." There were thirteen of them, Himself and the twelve, who had all to be provided for from day to day, and though He could multiply a few loaves and fishes to feed thousands, His own wants were supplied by contribution.

When Jesus was crucified, and buried, His enemies conceived that His claims to the realm and throne of David were extinct. The common people would have taken Him and made Him King, if He would have permitted them; but the rulers, already possessed of the vineyard, hated Him; for they knew that, if He should obtain the kingdom they would be cast out. They rejoiced, therefore, at His death. But their joy was soon turned into dismay, for God raised Him from the dead. And for what purpose?

In the words of the apostle, God raised up Christ to sit upon David's throne (Acts 2:30; Luke 1:31-33); for, in the words of David, "the righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever;" and again, "wait on Yahweh, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land (Psalm 37:29,34).

But, even after His resurrection, when He was made both Lord and, Christ, though "Heir of all things," yet were not all things subjected to Him. He received neither the land nor the sceptre, but ascended to heaven, having received nothing promised in the will. He left the land, the kingdom, Abraham, and all the prophets, behind Him.

...The prolonged absence of Christ for ten more centuries would break the hearts of the saints of God, who have long since cried with loud voice saying, "how long, 0 Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them who dwell on the earth?" No, no, the day is come at length, when He is about to gather the vine of the earth, to reward His saints, and to destroy the oppressors of the world (Rev. 11:18;14:19, 20). Then will "the kingdoms of the world become those of Yahweh and of His King, and He shall reign for ever and ever," and the covenant with Abraham concerning Christ will be fulfilled in every jot and tittle of its details.

Elpis Israel 2.2

30 And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.

31 And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.

32 And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.

33 And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.

34 At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, Yahweh is there.