Ezekiel 45:11, commentary and pictures

The ephah for dry measure and the bath for liquid measure are made equal, each a tenth part of a homer, setting one true standard of capacity and showing that God is a God of order. It belongs to the detailed pattern of a new sanctuary with its holy places, offerings, glory, city and division of the land, shown after Jerusalem's sanctuary had been destroyed while Israel was captive in Babylon. The pattern was offered to captive Israel on condition that they become ashamed of their iniquities, put away wickedness and return in full obedience, and if they did God would establish the building and literally fulfill the restoration to the twelve tribes. Because Israel was unwilling and disregarded the condition, the sanctuary was never built as envisioned and only an inferior temple was built by the few who returned. That temple with its Levitical sacrifices never will be built literally, for to renew them would supersede Christ's unchangeable priesthood and make His once-for-all offering of none effect, but what failed for old earthly Jerusalem will be more gloriously realized for true Israel in the new heavens and new earth when the holy city descends and absolute peace presides.

Vision Setting and Measure

Ezekiel 45:11 belongs to the detailed pattern of a new sanctuary with its holy places and most holy, its offerings and services, its glory, and the city and division of the land in Ezekiel 36-48, especially chapters 40-48. It was shown after Jerusalem's sanctuary had been destroyed, while Israel was captive in Babylon, as the sanctuary and community God would give them on their restoration to their own land. No such city or sanctuary stands today, so the vision has not been fulfilled.

The pattern was offered to captive Israel on condition that they become ashamed of their iniquities, put away wickedness, return wholeheartedly, and come up to the full measure of obedience. If they did, God would establish the building, bring back the twelve tribes, and literally fulfill the promises of restoration to city, sanctuary, and land. It was to be tested when the decree for Israel's restoration went forth and all who chose could go up.

The verse sets equal standards for dry and liquid measure, that the ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, each the tenth part of a homer. The ephah or bath is given as a capacity of seven gallons and five pints. This exactness shows that God is a God of order.

The vision's allusions to the Sabbath of the Lord and to the festivals of the Hebrews, its Levitical priesthood and thousands of sheep and oxen sacrifices, and its mortal prince place it in the historical Mosaic dispensation before type met antitype in Christ. Its measures and other temple arrangements would have applied then, rather than in the immortal state or the gospel dispensation.

Failure and Future Fulfillment

Because Israel was unwilling, did not repent and yield fully to God, disregarded the condition to become ashamed of iniquities and put away wickedness, the sanctuary shown in Ezekiel 40-48 was never built as envisioned and the promised restoration was not realized in fullness. Only about forty thousand returned from Babylon, and only an inferior temple with a shadow of the greatness described was built by Zerubbabel under Ezra. The ordinances of measures and temple arrangements belonged to the past Mosaic dispensation when they would have applied, and the plan was provisional and conditional rather than a prophecy of a future sanctuary. Since no such city or sanctuary stands today, the vision has not been fulfilled.

It never will be built literally in the future, for renewing its Levitical priesthood and its thousands of sheep and oxen sacrifices would build again what was destroyed and return from sunlight to shadow. Its priesthood was superseded by Christ's unchangeable priesthood, and its offerings were for the time then present, shadowing forth the only effectual offering of Jesus Christ. To continue that sacrificial service now would annul Christ's sacrifice and make His once-for-all offering of none effect, since He fulfilled all sacrifices by His death on the cross. That the unbuilt sanctuary cannot be built to fulfill the purpose God intended is shown by its former service itself.

As offered, the promise pointed to the peaceful condition of the Messiah's kingdom as it would have been gradually established on this present earth if the Jews had yielded to God. Its central truth was that Jehovah is there, with God's presence bringing life and healing, the sanctuary built as a house of prayer for all nations, and unprecedented life and healing power upon Palestine and the earth. In that fulfillment the marshes and deserts and salt lands would have been healed by the water of life, and wild beasts would have grown mild under righteousness so that no harm would come and even the smallest infant would be safe on the hole of the adder. Because God's people did not meet the conditions, it was not fulfilled then.

What failed for old earthly Jerusalem will be more gloriously realized for true Israel, but not in every detail as Ezekiel describes it. Its spiritual meaning points to greater things God will do for His people through Christ, faintly typical of what God will restore in the new heavens and new earth. God's purpose did not change, and the holy city prepared in heaven will descend to earth, where absolute peace will preside over all nature so no harm would come to the feeblest. The vision is the counterpart of Zechariah 2, covering the same period and representing the same purposes toward Jerusalem, with in both a man measuring Jerusalem, its breadth and length, and the temple and city of God, so the two should be studied together. It gives no support to a special work for the literal Jews in the Christian dispensation or to Christ's reign on earth with an earthly inheritance of the saints, because the saints are taken to heaven at the second coming when the earth is made desolate.