Post by Lee on Oct 21, 2014 2:57:34 GMT
“It shall be the Prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings on the feasts, and on the new moons, and on the Sabbaths in all solemnities of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel” (Ezek. 45:17). The Prince prepares these only as a king does anything, that is, by the hands of those around him, who act to his direction literally. “The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate” (46:2).
There are special times for the people to take part in the worship. “The people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate (the eastern gate of the inner court) before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the new moons” (46:3). When they do so, they observe a particular method of coming in and going out. They enter and depart in two streams, north and south, none returning by the way he came (verse 9). By this all the confusion to which the movements of immense multitudes is liable will be avoided. By this arrangement, also, the Prince and his attendants are secured from mob embarrassment. The people use the north and south entrance exclusively. The east side is set apart for the Prince; but the people in their passage, at the appointed seasons, from north to south, or vice versa, pass by this east side by the inner face of the gate of the inner court, yet outside the temple proper, which encloses the most holy (circular) limits of the mountain (43:12). This gives the point of contact between the Prince and the people. This gate is “shut on the six working days. On the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened” (46:1). When the people muster at these appointed times, the Prince, who is described as “in their midst,” enters the sanctuary also (verse 10), but not in the same way: “When the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof” (verse 8). By the way of the porch of what gate? Verse 1, 2, supplies the answer: “The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days, but on the Sabbath and on the day of the new moons it shall be opened, and the Prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without (or outside).” This is quite intelligible when we understand that the Prince on these occasions enters from without on the east side.
The outer and the inner gates require to be distinguished to prevent confusion. Both are involved in these descriptions. “The gate of the outward sanctuary that looketh toward the east”—(that is, the outmost gate on the eastern side), is never opened to the people at all. “No man shall enter in by it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut. It is for 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” (44:1–3). The whole eastern side and the buildings and court belonging to it are in the exclusive occupation of the Prince and his companions. But he is not there at all times. He is often in “the Prince’s portion” which lies east and west of the Holy oblation, and comprises, as before said, an ample domain of many thousands of square miles, in which he assigns special inheritance to his sons for ever (46:16). Here he spends oft-recurring seasons of delightful communion with them in the rural delights of Paradise restored. But at the appointed seasons, he repairs to the sanctuary to lead the worship of rejoicing multitudes. How does he then enter? He enters both by the outer and the inner gate (44:3, provides the first; 46:1, 2, for the second). His entrance by both is necessary, for he meets the people who are in the inner court in front of the temple proper (46:10, 1–3); and to meet them he must pass through both outer and inner court gates. If it be said that Christ would not need to have doors opened to him, we have to remember that while all miracle is possible, miracle is not the normal exercise of divine power. It is special for special ends, as in every case where it has been performed. The Kingdom of God is the accommodation of immortal rulers to mortal needs while the human race is in process of being brought back to union with God; during such a process, faith is doubtless as much a necessity for the mortal population as it now is for the saints. It is, therefore, accordingly to the fitness of things that all should be apparently natural, and that the institutions proposed for obedience should be such as have authority only for their basis, as in the case of all kinds of sacrifice and offering. The express provision for the entry of the Prince, first by the one gate, then by the other, is, therefore, in keeping with the whole institution and its objects.
Imagining him having entered by the outer gate, as provided for by xliv. 1–3, he is in the gate buildings, or, it may be, in the court among his brethren, the sons of Zadok. In this situation, we understand what happens to fulfil the description of 46:2. He crosses the outer court and enters the outer porch of the inner gate opposite. This, which is shut the six working days, is now thrown open, and the Prince passing through, finds the people massed at the door of that gate on the other side, that is, the inner. He then offers the required offerings and leads the worship offered by the people (verses 2, 3), in which we know glorious singing forms a part (11:44). The gladsome stirring exercises complete, the Prince retires by the way he came, but the inner gate at which he stood is left open all the evening (46:2). The outer gate is always kept closed and used only by the Prince and his own. The change to take place at the close of the thousand years may include the removal of this restriction. We cannot be sure of details that have not been revealed; but it is likely when all are immortal and the kingdom given up to the Father, that all the barriers implying a distinction between the immortal and the mortal well be abolished. But while the thousand years continue, the whole eastern side of the sanctuary is closed, except to the Prince. The inner gate is open sometimes, and notably on the days which the Prince has offered sacrifice in the presence of the people. It is no imagination that fancies the streaming reverent multitudes, lingering a little as they pass, to contemplate the spot made holy by the Lord’s actual appearance earlier in the day
(1891). The Christadelphian, 28(electronic ed.), 125–126.
There are special times for the people to take part in the worship. “The people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate (the eastern gate of the inner court) before the Lord on the Sabbaths and on the new moons” (46:3). When they do so, they observe a particular method of coming in and going out. They enter and depart in two streams, north and south, none returning by the way he came (verse 9). By this all the confusion to which the movements of immense multitudes is liable will be avoided. By this arrangement, also, the Prince and his attendants are secured from mob embarrassment. The people use the north and south entrance exclusively. The east side is set apart for the Prince; but the people in their passage, at the appointed seasons, from north to south, or vice versa, pass by this east side by the inner face of the gate of the inner court, yet outside the temple proper, which encloses the most holy (circular) limits of the mountain (43:12). This gives the point of contact between the Prince and the people. This gate is “shut on the six working days. On the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened” (46:1). When the people muster at these appointed times, the Prince, who is described as “in their midst,” enters the sanctuary also (verse 10), but not in the same way: “When the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof” (verse 8). By the way of the porch of what gate? Verse 1, 2, supplies the answer: “The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days, but on the Sabbath and on the day of the new moons it shall be opened, and the Prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without (or outside).” This is quite intelligible when we understand that the Prince on these occasions enters from without on the east side.
The outer and the inner gates require to be distinguished to prevent confusion. Both are involved in these descriptions. “The gate of the outward sanctuary that looketh toward the east”—(that is, the outmost gate on the eastern side), is never opened to the people at all. “No man shall enter in by it, because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it. Therefore it shall be shut. It is for 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” (44:1–3). The whole eastern side and the buildings and court belonging to it are in the exclusive occupation of the Prince and his companions. But he is not there at all times. He is often in “the Prince’s portion” which lies east and west of the Holy oblation, and comprises, as before said, an ample domain of many thousands of square miles, in which he assigns special inheritance to his sons for ever (46:16). Here he spends oft-recurring seasons of delightful communion with them in the rural delights of Paradise restored. But at the appointed seasons, he repairs to the sanctuary to lead the worship of rejoicing multitudes. How does he then enter? He enters both by the outer and the inner gate (44:3, provides the first; 46:1, 2, for the second). His entrance by both is necessary, for he meets the people who are in the inner court in front of the temple proper (46:10, 1–3); and to meet them he must pass through both outer and inner court gates. If it be said that Christ would not need to have doors opened to him, we have to remember that while all miracle is possible, miracle is not the normal exercise of divine power. It is special for special ends, as in every case where it has been performed. The Kingdom of God is the accommodation of immortal rulers to mortal needs while the human race is in process of being brought back to union with God; during such a process, faith is doubtless as much a necessity for the mortal population as it now is for the saints. It is, therefore, accordingly to the fitness of things that all should be apparently natural, and that the institutions proposed for obedience should be such as have authority only for their basis, as in the case of all kinds of sacrifice and offering. The express provision for the entry of the Prince, first by the one gate, then by the other, is, therefore, in keeping with the whole institution and its objects.
Imagining him having entered by the outer gate, as provided for by xliv. 1–3, he is in the gate buildings, or, it may be, in the court among his brethren, the sons of Zadok. In this situation, we understand what happens to fulfil the description of 46:2. He crosses the outer court and enters the outer porch of the inner gate opposite. This, which is shut the six working days, is now thrown open, and the Prince passing through, finds the people massed at the door of that gate on the other side, that is, the inner. He then offers the required offerings and leads the worship offered by the people (verses 2, 3), in which we know glorious singing forms a part (11:44). The gladsome stirring exercises complete, the Prince retires by the way he came, but the inner gate at which he stood is left open all the evening (46:2). The outer gate is always kept closed and used only by the Prince and his own. The change to take place at the close of the thousand years may include the removal of this restriction. We cannot be sure of details that have not been revealed; but it is likely when all are immortal and the kingdom given up to the Father, that all the barriers implying a distinction between the immortal and the mortal well be abolished. But while the thousand years continue, the whole eastern side of the sanctuary is closed, except to the Prince. The inner gate is open sometimes, and notably on the days which the Prince has offered sacrifice in the presence of the people. It is no imagination that fancies the streaming reverent multitudes, lingering a little as they pass, to contemplate the spot made holy by the Lord’s actual appearance earlier in the day
(1891). The Christadelphian, 28(electronic ed.), 125–126.