John Gill Commentary Ezekiel 45

Moreover, when you shall divide by lot the land, for
inheritance
This is not to be understood literally of the division of the land of Israel; which agrees not with the division of it begun by Moses, and finished by Joshua, upon his conquest of it, and the introduction of the people of Israel into it; nor was such a division as this made when the Jews returned from Babylon; nor is there any reason to expect the like when they shall be converted in the latter day; nor is it meant typically of the heavenly inheritance, which saints obtain in Christ by lot, (Ephesians 1:11) , of which the earthly Canaan was a type; though some in this way interpret it: but since the whole vision respects the church of Christ on earth, it must be meant mystically and spiritually of the kingdom of Christ, and the settlement and establishment of it throughout the whole world, according to the allotment and determination of God; and they are a distinct and special people that are admitted into this state; it is by the distinguishing grace of God that they are taken into the Gospel church, and has a part and share in all the privileges and immunities of it. You shall offer an oblation unto the Lord, an holy portion of the land ;
which should be lifted up as the heave offering was, and dedicated to the Lord: this designs such persons who are separated from the world, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, who shall be brought by the ministers of the word to the Lord, as trophies of his efficacious and victorious grace, ascribing the whole glory of their conversion to him; and these shall present themselves, souls and bodies, a holy, living, and acceptable sacrifice to him; see (Isaiah 66:20) (Romans 15:16) (12:1) .

The length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and
the breadth shall be ten thousand ;
the kind of measure is not expressed in the original, so that it is a question whether reeds or cubits are meant; some think the latter, and the rather, because mention is made of them, (Ezekiel 45:2) , and it is added, and of this measure shall you measure the length of five and twenty
thousand ;
which, if understood of cubits, will greatly reduce the length and breadth of this holy portion of the land; wherefore it is best to take the largest measure, since that seems better to answer the design of the Holy Ghost in this passage; and the rather, since this measure is more proper to measure land with, and is that which the measurer is said to have in his hand, (Ezekiel 40:5) , and besides, the measure of the sanctuary, said to be five hundred square, (Ezekiel 45:2) was measured with the measuring reed, and not the cubit, (Ezekiel 42:16–20) , and which therefore must be supplied here; and a measuring reed being six cubits, by a cubit and a hand's breath, (Ezekiel 40:5) , makes this portion of land to be more than six times larger than if it was supposed to be measured by the cubit; and twenty five thousand of this measure, according to Cornelius Lapide, made five hundred miles, which was three times as large as the land of Canaan; that being, as Jerom ^F21 says, a hundred and sixty miles long, and forty six broad; and is a proof, that the land of Canaan literally taken is not here meant; but the whole is designed to set forth the amplitude and large extent of the church of Christ in the world, in the times the vision refers to.

This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about ;
that is, this portion of land measured out, and distinguished from the rest: holiness of heart and life shall appear in all the subjects of Christ's kingdom, and members of his church, which becomes his house for ever.

FOOTNOTES:

• F21: Ad Dardanum, tom. 3. fol. 21. I. K.

Of this there shall be for the sanctuary Or temple, the house before described in the preceding chapters: five hundred in length, and five hundred in breadth, square round about: that is, five hundred reeds square, as is manifest from (Ezekiel 42:16–20), and this denotes the largeness, perfection, and stability of the church of Christ, which the sanctuary was a type of: and fifty cubits round about for the suburbs of it; which were a void place of fifty cubits round about the sanctuary, measuring from the wall to that; this was done in reverence to the holy place, and to show that we should not rush hastily into the house of God, and church of Christ, but first pass through the suburbs or open place. Cubits being here mentioned, show that reeds are to be understood where the kind of measure is not expressed.

And of this measure shall you measure the length of
five and twenty thousand, and the breadth of ten thousand
Not that the sense is, that of and according to the cubit measure last mentioned, this length and this breadth should be measured; but "after this measure", as Starckius renders it, and as the particle is rendered, (Daniel 11:23) (Nehemiah 13:21) and which Sanctius mentions; and Jerom seems to have understood it in this light: and the sense is, that after he had finished the measure of five hundred reeds square, and fifty cubits round, he should proceed to measure the rest of the twenty five thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: and in it shall be the sanctuary, and the most holy place ;
that is, in the midst portion of land, consisting of the above measures, be the holy place, and the holy of holies; this is, but a further explanation of the two preceding verses.

The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests, the
ministers of the sanctuary
That is, the rest of it, which is not for the sanctuary, shall be for the use of the priests that minister in holy things in the sanctuary; either the ministers of the Gospel, who shall have a sufficient maintenance from the churches of Christ, as the priests had under the law: or it may be meant of all the saints, who are priests unto God, and serve and worship him in his sanctuary; who shall all be satisfied with the goodness and fatness of his house, the word and ordinances, and the blessings of grace conveyed by them:

which shall come near to minister unto the Lord ;
these sons of Zadok, these faithful ones, in the worst of times; see (Ezekiel 44:15Ezekiel 44:16) (Ezekiel 48:10Ezekiel 48:11) :

and it shall be a place for their houses ;
in this large spot shall be many congregated churches, houses of the living God, where his priests and people dwell, and will be serving and praising him:

and an holy place for the sanctuary
; which may denote the church of God in general, as houses may do particular churches.

And the five and twenty thousand, of length, and ten thousand of breadth This seems to be another portion of the land, distinct from the former, though of the same measure; see (Ezekiel 48:13) : shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves ; separate from the priests, to whom they ministered, and were as numerous; or more numerous, than they; this is still designed to set forth the largeness of the church, and the great numbers of its members, who will all be accommodated and supplied with good things: for a possession for twenty chambers ; which some understand of twenty rows of chambers; by which may be meant particular congregated churches, as we have seen all along in this vision, erected for the better use and convenience of the saints in all places and parts of the world, where they are called.