The East Gate Assigned to the Prince
The man then brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary that faced east, but it was shut. Ezk 43:1Ezk 40:17Ezk 40:6Ezk 42:142Ch 20:52Ch 33:52Ch 4:9Act 21:28-30 And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut. Exo 24:10Ezk 43:2-4Isa 6:1-5 Only the prince himself may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He must enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.” Ezk 46:2Ezk 37:251Co 10:18-33Ezk 34:24Gen 31:54Ezk 40:9Ezk 46:8-102Ch 34:31
Then the man brought me to the front of the temple by way of the north gate. I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling His temple, and I fell facedown. Ezk 1:28Ezk 3:23Rev 1:17Ezk 40:20Ezk 43:3-5Ezk 40:40Hag 2:7Isa 6:3-4 The LORD said to me: “Son of man, pay attention; look carefully with your eyes and listen closely with your ears to everything I tell you concerning all the statutes and laws of the house of the LORD. Take careful note of the entrance to the temple, along with all the exits of the sanctuary. Ezk 40:4Ezk 43:10-11Deu 12:32Deu 32:461Ch 22:192Ch 11:16Act 8:36Dan 10:12
Reproof of the Levites
Tell the rebellious house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I have had enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel. 1Pe 4:3Ezk 3:9Ezk 45:9Ezk 2:5-8Ezk 3:26-27 In addition to all your other abominations, you brought in foreigners uncircumcised in both heart and flesh to occupy My sanctuary; you defiled My temple when you offered My food—the fat and the blood; you broke My covenant. Jer 9:26Lev 22:25Jer 4:4Ezk 44:9Gen 17:14Lev 26:41Act 21:28Act 7:51 And you have not kept charge of My holy things, but have appointed others to keep charge of My sanctuary for you.’ 1Ch 23:321Ti 6:132Ti 4:1Act 7:53Ezk 40:45-46Ezk 44:14Ezk 44:16Ezr 8:24-30
This is what the Lord GOD says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh may enter My sanctuary—not even a foreigner who lives among the Israelites. Jol 3:17Zec 14:21Ezk 44:7Jhn 3:3-5Mrk 16:16Psa 50:16Psa 93:5Tit 1:5-9
Surely the Levites who wandered away from Me when Israel went astray, and who wandered away from Me after their idols, will bear the consequences of their iniquity. Ezk 48:11Ezk 22:261Ti 5:222Ki 23:8-9Ezk 44:152Ch 29:4-5Gen 4:13Isa 53:11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and ministering there. They shall slaughter the burnt offerings and other sacrifices for the people and stand before them to minister to them. Num 16:92Ch 29:341Ch 26:1-192Ch 30:17Ezk 40:45Ezk 44:14Num 18:62Ch 35:10-11
Because they ministered before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel, therefore I swore with an uplifted hand concerning them that they would bear the consequences of their iniquity, declares the Lord GOD. 2Ki 16:10-16Ezk 14:3-4Psa 106:26Ezk 20:15Ezk 20:23Ezk 44:101Sa 2:29-30Amo 8:7 They must not approach Me to serve Me as priests or come near any of My holy things or the most holy things. They will bear the shame of the abominations they have committed. Num 18:32Ki 23:9Ezk 16:61Ezk 32:20Ezk 36:7 Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of all the work for the temple and everything to be done in it. 1Ch 23:28-32Num 18:4
The Duties of the Priests
But the Levitical priests, who are descended from Zadok and who kept charge of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from Me, are to approach Me to minister before Me. They will stand before Me to offer Me fat and blood, declares the Lord GOD. Deu 10:8Ezk 48:11Ezk 40:46Ezk 43:19Ezk 44:71Sa 2:352Ti 2:2Lev 3:16-17 They alone shall enter My sanctuary and draw near to My table to minister before Me. They will keep My charge. Ezk 41:22Mal 1:12Mal 1:7Num 18:7-8Deu 33:8-10Num 18:5Rev 1:6
When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen garments; they must not wear anything made of wool when they minister at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. Rev 19:8Exo 28:43Exo 39:27-29Exo 28:39-40Lev 16:4Rev 4:4 They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. 1Co 11:4-101Co 14:40Exo 28:40-43Exo 39:28Isa 3:20Lev 16:4
When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they are to take off the garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and dress in other clothes so that they do not transmit holiness to the people with their garments. Ezk 46:20Lev 6:27Lev 6:10-11Exo 29:37Exo 30:29Mat 23:17-191Co 3:5-6Ezk 42:13-14
They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but must carefully trim their hair. 1Co 11:14Deu 14:1Lev 21:5-24Num 6:5 No priest may drink wine before he enters the inner court. Lev 10:9Tit 1:7-81Ti 3:81Ti 5:23Luk 1:15 And they shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman, but must marry a virgin of the descendants of the house of Israel, or a widow of a priest. Lev 21:7Lev 21:13-141Ti 3:11-121Ti 3:21Ti 3:4-5Deu 24:1-4Tit 1:6 They are to teach My people the difference between the holy and the common, and show them how to discern between the clean and the unclean. Ezk 22:26Lev 10:10-112Ti 2:24-25Hos 4:6Mal 2:6-9Zep 3:4Deu 33:10Hag 2:11-13
In any dispute, they shall officiate as judges and judge according to My ordinances. They must keep My laws and statutes regarding all My appointed feasts, and they must keep My Sabbaths holy. 1Ch 23:42Ch 19:8-10Ezk 22:261Ti 3:15Deu 17:8-13Ezr 2:63Isa 58:13-14Lev 23:1-44
A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person. However, for a father, a mother, a son, a daughter, a brother, or an unmarried sister, he may do so, Lev 22:4Lev 21:1-6Luk 9:59-60Mat 8:21-221Th 4:13-152Co 5:16 and after he is cleansed, he must count off seven days for himself. Heb 9:13-14Num 19:11-14Num 6:10-21 And on the day he goes into the sanctuary, into the inner court, to minister in the sanctuary, he must present his sin offering, declares the Lord GOD. Num 6:9-11Ezk 44:17Heb 7:26-28Lev 4:3-35Lev 8:14-36
In regard to their inheritance, I am their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. Jos 13:33Num 18:20Deu 18:1-2Deu 10:9Ezk 45:41Pe 5:2-4Ezk 48:9-11Jos 13:14
They shall eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. Everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. Num 18:14Lev 27:21Lev 27:28Lev 6:14-18Lev 6:26Lev 6:29Lev 7:61Co 9:13-14 The best of all the firstfruits and of every contribution from all your offerings will belong to the priests. You are to give your first batch of dough to the priest, so that a blessing may rest upon your homes. Neh 10:35-372Ch 31:10Deu 18:4Num 15:19-21Num 18:12-18Deu 26:10-15Exo 13:12Exo 13:2 The priests may not eat any bird or animal found dead or torn by wild beasts. Lev 22:8Exo 22:31Deu 14:211Co 8:13Ezk 4:14Lev 17:15Rom 14:20