Ezekiel Chapter 44 Vs. 3

 The Gate for the Prince

It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. Eze 44:3





for the prince... The prince will be the earthly ruler of Israel under the Messiah—not the Messiah Himself or David. His portion will be in the holy oblation on both sides of the city (Eze. 45:7). He will offer sacrifices of animals (Eze. 45:17), and receive gifts of flour, oil, animals, and other things from all Israel for his support (Eze. 45:13-16). He will have sons and servants (Eze. 46:16-17), and will live and worship with the people (Eze. 45:22-46:18), and be considered an earthly mortal among his people. Such will not be the case with Christ, David, or any other resurrected man over these natural people. Israel will have earthly kings and princes under the Messiah and David (Eze. 43:7; 45:8-9). The prince could even be the high priest, as he has so much to do with the sacrifices and worship in the sanctuary.

The designation “prince” is used at least 14 times (in chapters 44-47). Again he is not the Lord Jesus Christ, but someone distinct from Him. (Ref: “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 who individually lead the 12 tribes. Possibly he will be a descendant of David.




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 a descendant of 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 portico (vestibule) faces the outer court so the prince, going east, will enter the gate complex from the outer court.