And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.
It assigns Simeon a portion beside Benjamin's border from the east side to the west side in the division of the land among the twelve tribes and families of Israel. It belongs to the closing restoration vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, showing the sanctuary, city and land offered to Israel at the return from Babylonian captivity, which would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest detail if Israel had turned from iniquity and returned wholeheartedly to God. Israel did not meet the conditions but continued in apostasy and most did not return, so the land was never laid out and the sanctuary and city were never built as shown, and only a feeble shadow was seen in the inferior house under Zerubbabel and Ezra. That detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled literally as written, neither in the gospel dispensation nor in a future immortal state or thousand-year age on this sin-cursed earth. Though forfeited for earthly Jerusalem, the promises serve in their spiritual aspect as faint types of the greater glory the Lord will give through Christ to the true Israel in the new heavens and new earth and the holy city descending to earth.
Simeon's Portion Described
Ezekiel 48:24 assigns Simeon a portion of the land beside the border of Benjamin, extending from the east side to the west side, as part of the promised new division of the land among the twelve tribes and families of Israel. It places Simeon's allotted portion next to Benjamin on the mountains of Israel, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, in the land division belonging to the provisional sanctuary-and-land arrangement. That division was a wonderful blessing laid before literal, fleshly Israel under the old covenant in a restored kingdom.
The verse belongs to the closing restoration vision in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, describing the new sanctuary, its offerings and glory, the city, worship, and land offered to Israel at the restoration from Babylonian captivity at the end of the seventy years. It is part of the allotment to the twelve tribes in Ezekiel 47:13-48, and of the detailed description of the sanctuary, city, and land that would have been given and fulfilled literally if the people had met God's conditions. These prophecies were not fulfilled in the past and cannot be fulfilled by restoring animal sacrifices, because that would undo Christ's once-for-all offering.
That vision was a pattern of another sanctuary and city shown to Ezekiel fourteen years after the sanctuary was destroyed, to show to the house of Israel in captivity. The building has two holy places like the tabernacle and the temple, with a most holy place the same size as Solomon's temple, a glorious temple set at the center of a restored Jerusalem to teach that Jehovah is there. It was a new and larger city and temple than yet known, set at the center of restored Jerusalem on the mountains of Israel, where the Messiah's kingdom on earth would have been established and where God's offer was to restore the Hebrews from Babylonian captivity to their land and give them a city and temple in great glory. There His presence would dwell among the people in overpowering glory, the city called Jehovah Is There, healing all barren land, all salt marshes and all impure waters and giving life to all.
No separate explanation of Simeon's particular allotment is given beyond placing it in that sanctuary-and-land arrangement and in the closing chapters' promises of what God would do for His children if they returned to Him. The verse is treated within the section about the division of the land and the vision of Israel's restored land and worship, without further exposition of Simeon's assignment itself.
Conditional Prophecy Unfulfilled
The whole arrangement in Ezekiel 40 to 48, including Simeon's portion beside Benjamin from east to west, was a conditional prophecy governed by the conditions stated in Jeremiah 18:7-10. It would have been given and fulfilled literally and in fullest detail, including the land divisions and the temple with its ceremonies, rites, offerings, sacrifices and arrangements, if Israel had been ashamed of iniquities, turned from wickedness, been cleansed, put away sins, returned wholeheartedly to God from captivity, and lived up to their calling. The promised order was conditional on repentance, and because Israel did not meet the conditions the glorious temple and restoration were not carried out as promised.
If Israel had yielded and been faithful, God would have brought them back and done better to them than at their beginnings. He would have raised them as in the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed with plagues the enemies coming from the north described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, restored them to their land on the mountains of Israel, and enabled them to build the sanctuary and city, including the tribal portions, as the Messiah's kingdom on this earth with a marvelous sanctuary and the overpowering presence of God dwelling among His people. Had ancient Israel met the conditions of blessing repeated over and over, the prophecy of Ezekiel 36 to the close of the book would have been fulfilled in fullest detail, with a new and larger city and temple than yet known.
Israel did not meet the conditions but rejected the offer, continued in apostasy, disregarded the calls to leave Babylon, and would not yield all to God for Him to come in and dwell among them. Most of the tribes did not return from captivity and only about forty thousand returned, so the promised glory was not inherited and the restoration was not realized in full or as described. Because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God with shame and full repentance at the restoration from captivity at the end of the seventy years in Babylon, the promised privileges were forfeited for earthly Jerusalem.
The land division was therefore never laid out and the sanctuary with all its blessed fullness was never built. The city shown was never built, Jerusalem was never thus restored to teach that Jehovah is there with healing of barren land, salt marshes and impure waters, and He could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor. The best Israel had was only a small part, a feeble realization and shadow in the inferior sanctuary built under Zerubbabel and Ezra, which fell far short of Ezekiel's pattern and never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom its keepers rejected.
The detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled literally as written. It does not describe the New Jerusalem or a future restoration of the Jewish people, it is not a sanctuary that ever was built, and it is not a sanctuary yet to be built in the future to fulfill the purpose God intended for it. Because Israel refused the condition, only an inferior sanctuary was built, and if all of God's people with all their hearts had returned at that time the temple and city Ezekiel described, including the tribal portions, would have been built.
It cannot be built in a future immortal state, for its prince must offer a sin-offering and other offerings for himself, must take away exactions, has sons and servants to whom he may give an inheritance, and is forbidden to oppress the people, proving him a poor frail mortal and not Jesus, who alone shall be King over Israel in the glorified state where officers will be peace and exactors righteousness and there will be no oppression, and where marriage, divorce, disease and death have no place. It cannot belong to the gospel dispensation, for it keeps literal circumcision, permission of divorce, distinction between clean and unclean meats, burnt-offerings and sin-offerings of bulls and goats, and the Levitical priesthood, which were abolished at the first advent and ceased at the cross, superseded by the priesthood of Melchisedec. A literal building of that city on this sin-cursed earth in a future thousand-year age with its offerings and sacrifices carried on again would supersede the heavenly Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven and return to the ordinances of the first covenant. Such restoring of animal sacrifices would undo Christ's once-for-all offering and make His sacrifice of no effect, whereas the offerings of the first covenant pointed to Christ the great sin-offering and can never with yearly sacrifices make the comers perfect, while under the more excellent ministry and better covenant by one offering He perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Future Glory Foreshadowed
Though forfeited for earthly Jerusalem because Israel did not turn from wickedness and meet the conditions of repentance, the promises of restoration stand in their spiritual aspect and in a general way as faint types of what God will accomplish for His people through Christ in the new heavens and new earth. The tribal division belonged to a conditional temple vision with its ceremonies, rites, offerings and arrangements promised to Israel if they returned wholeheartedly from captivity, and because they were unwilling it was not carried out as promised but points to greater things the Lord will do for His people.
The vision's purposes will instead be fulfilled to the true Israel, not in those literal details of land divisions and temple sacrifices but according to later revelation. Because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God and live up to their calling, the promised privileges were forfeited for earthly Jerusalem and the detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled as written. The faithful of true Israel are instead redeemed and given in fullest measure the future glory and fullness of the immortal inheritance, a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new. That fulfillment centers in the New City, the holy city God prepared in heaven to descend to earth, for which the city shown in the vision that was never built because Israel failed to leave Babylon and do its part now stands as promise.
The allotment of the promised land to Israel's families, with Simeon's portion beside Benjamin from east to west, was a temporary, typical inheritance designed to teach that God's people and the redeemed families would receive a lasting place in the promised land. Its distribution points to the perpetuity and permanence of each person's inheritance in the renewed land and future world, permanent rather than temporary. God's purposes toward wicked nations remain the same, with Gog and Magog, the northern nations, punished in part in this world and finally at the end of the 1,000 years.
It assigns Simeon a portion beside Benjamin's border from the east side to the west side in the division of the land among the twelve tribes and families of Israel. It belongs to the closing restoration vision of Ezekiel 36 to 48, showing the sanctuary, city and land offered to Israel at the return from Babylonian captivity, which would have been fulfilled literally and in fullest detail if Israel had turned from iniquity and returned wholeheartedly to God. Israel did not meet the conditions but continued in apostasy and most did not return, so the land was never laid out and the sanctuary and city were never built as shown, and only a feeble shadow was seen in the inferior house under Zerubbabel and Ezra. That detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled literally as written, neither in the gospel dispensation nor in a future immortal state or thousand-year age on this sin-cursed earth. Though forfeited for earthly Jerusalem, the promises serve in their spiritual aspect as faint types of the greater glory the Lord will give through Christ to the true Israel in the new heavens and new earth and the holy city descending to earth.
Simeon's Portion Described
Ezekiel 48:24 assigns Simeon a portion of the land beside the border of Benjamin, extending from the east side to the west side, as part of the promised new division of the land among the twelve tribes and families of Israel. It places Simeon's allotted portion next to Benjamin on the mountains of Israel, from the eastern boundary to the western boundary, in the land division belonging to the provisional sanctuary-and-land arrangement. That division was a wonderful blessing laid before literal, fleshly Israel under the old covenant in a restored kingdom.
The verse belongs to the closing restoration vision in Ezekiel 36 to 48, especially chapters 40 to 48, describing the new sanctuary, its offerings and glory, the city, worship, and land offered to Israel at the restoration from Babylonian captivity at the end of the seventy years. It is part of the allotment to the twelve tribes in Ezekiel 47:13-48, and of the detailed description of the sanctuary, city, and land that would have been given and fulfilled literally if the people had met God's conditions. These prophecies were not fulfilled in the past and cannot be fulfilled by restoring animal sacrifices, because that would undo Christ's once-for-all offering.
That vision was a pattern of another sanctuary and city shown to Ezekiel fourteen years after the sanctuary was destroyed, to show to the house of Israel in captivity. The building has two holy places like the tabernacle and the temple, with a most holy place the same size as Solomon's temple, a glorious temple set at the center of a restored Jerusalem to teach that Jehovah is there. It was a new and larger city and temple than yet known, set at the center of restored Jerusalem on the mountains of Israel, where the Messiah's kingdom on earth would have been established and where God's offer was to restore the Hebrews from Babylonian captivity to their land and give them a city and temple in great glory. There His presence would dwell among the people in overpowering glory, the city called Jehovah Is There, healing all barren land, all salt marshes and all impure waters and giving life to all.
No separate explanation of Simeon's particular allotment is given beyond placing it in that sanctuary-and-land arrangement and in the closing chapters' promises of what God would do for His children if they returned to Him. The verse is treated within the section about the division of the land and the vision of Israel's restored land and worship, without further exposition of Simeon's assignment itself.
Conditional Prophecy Unfulfilled
The whole arrangement in Ezekiel 40 to 48, including Simeon's portion beside Benjamin from east to west, was a conditional prophecy governed by the conditions stated in Jeremiah 18:7-10. It would have been given and fulfilled literally and in fullest detail, including the land divisions and the temple with its ceremonies, rites, offerings, sacrifices and arrangements, if Israel had been ashamed of iniquities, turned from wickedness, been cleansed, put away sins, returned wholeheartedly to God from captivity, and lived up to their calling. The promised order was conditional on repentance, and because Israel did not meet the conditions the glorious temple and restoration were not carried out as promised.
If Israel had yielded and been faithful, God would have brought them back and done better to them than at their beginnings. He would have raised them as in the resurrection of Ezekiel 37, destroyed with plagues the enemies coming from the north described in Ezekiel 38 and 39, restored them to their land on the mountains of Israel, and enabled them to build the sanctuary and city, including the tribal portions, as the Messiah's kingdom on this earth with a marvelous sanctuary and the overpowering presence of God dwelling among His people. Had ancient Israel met the conditions of blessing repeated over and over, the prophecy of Ezekiel 36 to the close of the book would have been fulfilled in fullest detail, with a new and larger city and temple than yet known.
Israel did not meet the conditions but rejected the offer, continued in apostasy, disregarded the calls to leave Babylon, and would not yield all to God for Him to come in and dwell among them. Most of the tribes did not return from captivity and only about forty thousand returned, so the promised glory was not inherited and the restoration was not realized in full or as described. Because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God with shame and full repentance at the restoration from captivity at the end of the seventy years in Babylon, the promised privileges were forfeited for earthly Jerusalem.
The land division was therefore never laid out and the sanctuary with all its blessed fullness was never built. The city shown was never built, Jerusalem was never thus restored to teach that Jehovah is there with healing of barren land, salt marshes and impure waters, and He could not build a temple for His name for a half-hearted people to dishonor. The best Israel had was only a small part, a feeble realization and shadow in the inferior sanctuary built under Zerubbabel and Ezra, which fell far short of Ezekiel's pattern and never saw the glory of Solomon's temple except in the person of Jesus Christ, whom its keepers rejected.
The detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled literally as written. It does not describe the New Jerusalem or a future restoration of the Jewish people, it is not a sanctuary that ever was built, and it is not a sanctuary yet to be built in the future to fulfill the purpose God intended for it. Because Israel refused the condition, only an inferior sanctuary was built, and if all of God's people with all their hearts had returned at that time the temple and city Ezekiel described, including the tribal portions, would have been built.
It cannot be built in a future immortal state, for its prince must offer a sin-offering and other offerings for himself, must take away exactions, has sons and servants to whom he may give an inheritance, and is forbidden to oppress the people, proving him a poor frail mortal and not Jesus, who alone shall be King over Israel in the glorified state where officers will be peace and exactors righteousness and there will be no oppression, and where marriage, divorce, disease and death have no place. It cannot belong to the gospel dispensation, for it keeps literal circumcision, permission of divorce, distinction between clean and unclean meats, burnt-offerings and sin-offerings of bulls and goats, and the Levitical priesthood, which were abolished at the first advent and ceased at the cross, superseded by the priesthood of Melchisedec. A literal building of that city on this sin-cursed earth in a future thousand-year age with its offerings and sacrifices carried on again would supersede the heavenly Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven and return to the ordinances of the first covenant. Such restoring of animal sacrifices would undo Christ's once-for-all offering and make His sacrifice of no effect, whereas the offerings of the first covenant pointed to Christ the great sin-offering and can never with yearly sacrifices make the comers perfect, while under the more excellent ministry and better covenant by one offering He perfected forever them that are sanctified.
Future Glory Foreshadowed
Though forfeited for earthly Jerusalem because Israel did not turn from wickedness and meet the conditions of repentance, the promises of restoration stand in their spiritual aspect and in a general way as faint types of what God will accomplish for His people through Christ in the new heavens and new earth. The tribal division belonged to a conditional temple vision with its ceremonies, rites, offerings and arrangements promised to Israel if they returned wholeheartedly from captivity, and because they were unwilling it was not carried out as promised but points to greater things the Lord will do for His people.
The vision's purposes will instead be fulfilled to the true Israel, not in those literal details of land divisions and temple sacrifices but according to later revelation. Because Israel according to the flesh did not yield to God and live up to their calling, the promised privileges were forfeited for earthly Jerusalem and the detailed division by tribes will never be fulfilled as written. The faithful of true Israel are instead redeemed and given in fullest measure the future glory and fullness of the immortal inheritance, a more glorious inheritance, the earth made new. That fulfillment centers in the New City, the holy city God prepared in heaven to descend to earth, for which the city shown in the vision that was never built because Israel failed to leave Babylon and do its part now stands as promise.
The allotment of the promised land to Israel's families, with Simeon's portion beside Benjamin from east to west, was a temporary, typical inheritance designed to teach that God's people and the redeemed families would receive a lasting place in the promised land. Its distribution points to the perpetuity and permanence of each person's inheritance in the renewed land and future world, permanent rather than temporary. God's purposes toward wicked nations remain the same, with Gog and Magog, the northern nations, punished in part in this world and finally at the end of the 1,000 years.