Ezekiel Chapter 44 Vs. 1-3

A New Service of Worship 




Ezekiel 44:1-3

After the temple was described, its daily operation was explained to Ezekiel. A new way of life and worship will be practiced by the people during the Millennium. Yet in describing the holy standards in Israel’s future worship, Ezekiel asked the people of his day to reevaluate their present practices. He explained the duties of the temple ministers (Eze. 44:1-31), described the allocation of land for the temple priests (Eze. 45:1-12), and then spoke of the offerings to be made to the Lord (45:13-46:24).



The temple ministers



Ezekiel had been standing in the inner court of the temple, receiving instructions about the altar there (Eze. 43:5). Now he was led out of the inner court to the east gate of the outer court, and it was shut. The Lord has returned from the direction in which He departed (10:18-19). It is kept closed, in honor of the Lord’s glory having returned through it for the millennial worship and indicating that the Lord will not depart again as in chapters 8-11. This eastern gate of the temple should not be confused with the modern sealed eastern gate of the city. This gate at the outer court opened toward the Kidron Valley and the Mount of Olives.

This is the gate that Jesus will enter, when He comes back to the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords. The Mount of Olives will cleave in two and Jesus will walk through this gate into Jerusalem.

Ezekiel had just seen the Lord enter it on His return to His temple (Eze. 43:4). God’s presence had hallowed the gate. Therefore it is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. This gate is set aside for the purpose of God. The gate is holy, since the LORD, the God of Israel, entered in by it. This is the LORD's private gate. No one else will be allowed to tread through the gate which God Himself had entered.

Some have thought that the “Golden Gate” of Jerusalem, now sealed, is the gate spoken of here. However, the dimensions of the “Golden Gate” do not correspond with Ezekiel’s gate, which is still future. Only one person will be allowed to enter through the east gate complex: the prince himself (cf. Eze. 46:2). This prince has already been identified as King David (cf. Eze. 34:24; 37:24-25). He will be allowed to eat in the gate, possibly referring to the fellowship offerings which the worshipers will eat after offering them to the Lord (cf. Lev. 7:15-21).

“The prince, he shall sit in it”: The designation “prince” is used at least 14 times in chapters 44-47. He is not the Lord Jesus Christ, but someone distinct from Him. (Note: “he shall sit in it to eat bread before the Lord”); he has sins for which he offers sacrifice (45:22), and fathers sons (46:16-18).
He cannot enter by the East gate which the Lord used, but he is allowed to come in and go out by the gate’s vestibule, and eat bread by the gateway. He cannot perform priestly duties (45:19) as Messiah will and he must worship the Lord (46:2).



Most likely “the prince” is not the king, but rather one who administrates the kingdom, representing the King, the Lord Jesus Christ on one hand, and also the princes who individually lead the 12 tribes. Possibly he will be a descendant of David.

The portico (vestibule) faces the outer court so David, going east, will enter the gate complex from the outer court.