Ezekiel 45:1-6--The Holy District

Ezekiel 45:1-6
English Standard Version

The Holy District
45 “When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the LORD a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent. 2 Of this a square plot of 500 by 500 cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. 3 And from this measured district you shall measure off a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 broad, in which shall be the sanctuary, the Most Holy Place. 4 It shall be the holy portion of the land. It shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the LORD to minister to him, and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 Another section, 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits broad, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their possession for cities to live in.

6 “Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign for the property of the city an area 5,000 cubits broad and 25,000 cubits long. It shall belong to the whole house of Israel.

---

The LORD commanded the people how much space to set aside for the new Temple and how much of the space was to be given to the new sanctuary.  Without commands such as this, there would be many arguments on exactly how much space to dedicate to the Temple and how large to make it.  The LORD made it easy for the planning committee, as He gave them the outlines of what they were supposed to make and even gave them some blueprints to model the new Temple after (since Ezekiel so thoroughly described the heavenly Temple).

The LORD even gave the dimensions for the various courtyards and patios that were to separate the various parts of the Temple from one another.  Much of the land would be given as a dwelling place for the priests and their families and for the Levites who ministered at the Temple and their families.  This is another area where people might try to be stingy and not give the ministers of the gospel what they needed for them and their families, so the LORD commanded the people how much land to set aside for them.  They were located close to the Temple as that is what their focus needed to be, and there was room for their families to be with them.  Though the priests and Levites did not receive a portion of the Land like the other tribes, the LORD made sure that the needs of the Temple and those who gave their lives in service to the Temple were taken care of.