Bible Commentaries

Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it [was] shut.

Then he brought me back. — From the east gate, which was found shut, to the north gate, where the prophet received large instructions. Ezekiel 44:4 Christ must be followed, though he seem to lead us in and out, backward and forward, as if we were treading a maze.

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Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut.

This gate shall be shut. — Is, and shall be, save only to Messiah the Prince, and to whomsoever he, as having the keys of David, shall open it. "This gate of the Lord into which the righteous shall enter" Psalms 118:20 - sc., By that "new and living way," which Christ, their forerunner, Hebrews 6:20 hath prepared and paved for them with his own blood. Hebrews 10:20 See Hebrews 7:8-9 ; Hebrews 7:11-12 ; Hebrews 7:24 ; Hebrews 9:11-12 .

And no man shall enter in it. — No mere man, [no man] unless it be Emmanuel. See John 3:13 .

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[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.

It is for the prince. — For "Messiah the Prince"; so Christ is called in Daniel 9:25 ; or for the chief priest, who, as he had a singular privilege herein above other priests, so hath Christ, the high priest of the Church Christian, singular privileges above all his brethren.

He shall sit in it to eat bread. — He shall sit at the right hand of the majesty on high, and enjoy heaven’s happiness, which is oft compared to a feast, as Matthew 8:11 ; Matthew 22:1-2 Isaiah 53:11 . He shall ascend up into heaven, and therehence come again to judge the quick and the dead. Acts 1:11 Hebrews 9:28 Some by "prince" here understand the ruler of the people, see Ezekiel 46:1-2 who is peculiarly licensed to enter in at the east gate, and there to sit, and eat and drink his part of the peace offering. Compare Exodus 24:11 . It is not meant of Peter the apostle, to be sure, much less of the Pope, his pretended successor, as some of his parasites would have it.

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Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face.

Then brought he me. — See on Ezekiel 44:1 .

The glory of the Lord. — See Ezekiel 43:2 ; Ezekiel 43:5 .

And fell upon my face. — See Ezekiel 43:3 ; Ezekiel 1:28 .

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And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.

Mark well, and behold with thine eyes. — Summon the sobriety of thy senses before thine own judgment. See Ezekiel 40:4 . The refining of the ministry and discipline of the Church, with the same charge in regard of the excellency of the matter repeated for attention, to Ezekiel 44:17 , and laws prescribed to that purpose, Ezekiel 44:17-31 .

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And thou shalt say to the rebellious, [even] to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

And thou shalt say to the rebellious. — Heb., To rebellion. Vulgate, To the exasperating house.

Let it suffice you. — Ye have sinned enough, and more than enough. 1 Peter 4:3 Now that I have set you up a new temple, turn over a new leaf for shame; as Ezekiel 43:10 when shall it once be? Jeremiah 13:27

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In that ye have brought [into my sanctuary] strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, [even] my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.

Strangers. — Yourselves are no better; Amos 9:7 strangers from the covenants; Ephesians 2:12 degenerate children, Isaiah 1:4 alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in you, Ephesians 4:18 and through your blind leaders of the blind, priests of your own making, …

Uncircumcised in heart. — Erroneous in judgment.

Uncircumcised in flesh. — Enormous in practice.

When ye offer my bread, — i.e., The fat and the blood, as it followeth, which I seem to feed upon as a man doth upon bread.

Because of all your abominations. — Or, Besides all your abominations mentioned. Ezekiel 44:6

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And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves.

For yourselves. — Pro vestro arbitratu, non pro mea voluntate; as best suited with your own ends, and fitted to your own humours.

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