Ezekiel 48:30-35--The Gates of the City

Ezekiel 48:30-35
English Standard Version

The Gates of the City
30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There.”

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In this final passage of Ezekiel, we see the layout of the walls and gates around what I believe is the post-Exilic Jerusalem, but not the New Jerusalem (the New Jerusalem is much larger in the book of Revelation with sides of 12, 000 stadia (2, 160, 000 cubits on each side).  Each wall here has a length of "only" 4, 500 cubits (2, 250 yards) and contains three gates.  The layout of the gates will be similar in the book of Revelation and probably the same tribes will have gates on each side of the city.  The interesting thing though is we clearly see a Temple here in the midst of the future Jerusalem in the book of Ezekiel and John tells us there is no Temple in the New Jerusalem, "And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb."  (Revelation 21:22).  I have yet to fully grasp this is this is my first time reading certain parts of the Bible and I will try to understand it more going forward, but I think this is one of the things that points Dispensationalists towards a future kingdom for the Jewish people that is separate from the New Jerusalem described in Revelation 21 and 22 (the eternal kingdom).

Back to the Ezekiel's description of the city which may be used by Nehemiah as he built the walls of Jerusalem.  The North Wall had the gates of Reuben, Judah and Levi.  The East Wall had the gates of Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan.  The South Wall had the gates of Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun.  The West Wall had the gates of Gad, Asher, and Naphtali.  There was a gate for each of the twelve sons of Israel (not the same as the Twelve Tribes because Levi is included and Joseph did not get a double portion by his two sons being adopted as sons of Jacob in his place).  It is sill a massive city that will be the place where the world would know that the LORD dwelled there among His people once again and scorn and shame would be erased.  No more would the name of Israel or Jerusalem or the Temple be a byword, but they would once again cause the nations to glorify and worship the name of the LORD.