Ezekiel 46:13-24

4. The temple ordinances 43:13-46:24

Instructions (statutes) designed to maintain holiness in the new temple follow. The Lord specified how His people were to construct the new altar to accommodate sacrifices (Ezekiel 43:13-17) and how they were to dedicate it (Ezekiel 43:18-27). He revealed how they were to use the temple (Ezekiel 44:1-9), how the priests were to function (Ezekiel 44:10-31), and how the sacred land district was to be used (Ezekiel 45:1-8). An exhortation to Israel’s leaders forms the center of this section (Ezekiel 45:9-12). The rest of it contains instructions for the worship leader (Ezekiel 45:13 to Ezekiel 46:18) and directions for the use of the priests’ kitchens (Ezekiel 46:19-24).

"The existence of the millennial temple and the reinstatement of the sacrificial system [though not necessarily the reinstatement of the Mosaic Covenant] is not only understandable but predictable. Ezekiel’s vision of a restored sacrificial system was really not so amazing after all. The millennium will afford Israel the opportunity for the first time in its history to use the symbols of their covenant with Jesus as Messiah in view. It will be their first time to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation showing forth to the world the redemptive work of Yahweh in the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah (Isaiah 53:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Zechariah 4:1 [sic Ezekiel 3:10]; John 1:29; Acts 8:32-35; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 5:9; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 15:3)." [Note: L. Cooper, p. 381.]