The land portions in the Millennial kingdom of Israel
The portions of land as they are divided up in the Millennial kingdom are described in our final chapter of Ezekiel this morning. Jesus is our portion in ther ultimate sense.
Ezekiel 48:
1 "These are the names of the tribes: Beginning at the northern extreme, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the northern border of Damascus over against Hamath), and extending from the east side to the west, Dan, one portion.
2 Adjoining the territory of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher, one portion.
3 Adjoining the territory of Asher, from the east side to the west, Naphtali, one portion.
4 Adjoining the territory of Naphtali, from the east side to the west, Manasseh, one portion.
5 Adjoining the territory of Manasseh, from the east side to the west, Ephraim, one portion.
6 Adjoining the territory of Ephraim, from the east side to the west, Reuben, one portion.
7 Adjoining the territory of Reuben, from the east side to the west, Judah, one portion.
8 "Adjoining the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, shall be the portion which you shall set apart, 25,000 cubits in breadth, and in length equal to one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west, with the sanctuary in the midst of it.
9 The portion that you shall set apart for the LORD shall be 25,000 cubits in length, and 20,000 in breadth.
10 These shall be the allotments of the holy portion: the priests shall have an allotment measuring 25,000 cubits on the northern side, 10,000 cubits in breadth on the western side, 10,000 in breadth on the eastern side, and 25,000 in length on the southern side, with the sanctuary of the LORD in the midst of it.
11 This shall be for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge, who did not go astray when the people of Israel went astray, as the Levites did.
12 And it shall belong to them as a special portion from the holy portion of the land, a most holy place, adjoining the territory of the Levites.
13 And alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites shall have an allotment 25,000 cubits in length and 10,000 in breadth. The whole length shall be 25,000 cubits and the breadth 20,000.
14 They shall not sell or exchange any of it. They shall not alienate this choice portion of the land, for it is holy to the LORD.
15 "The remainder, 5,000 cubits in breadth and 25,000 in length, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open country. In the midst of it shall be the city,
16 and these shall be its measurements: the north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500, the east side 4,500, and the west side 4,500.
17 And the city shall have open land: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250, on the east 250, and on the west 250.
18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy portion shall be 10,000 cubits to the east, and 10,000 to the west, and it shall be alongside the holy portion. Its produce shall be food for the workers of the city.
19 And the workers of the city, from all the tribes of Israel, shall till it.
20 The whole portion that you shall set apart shall be 25,000 cubits square, that is, the holy portion together with the property of the city.
21 "What remains on both sides of the holy portion and of the property of the city shall belong to the prince. Extending from the 25,000 cubits of the holy portion to the east border, and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the west border, parallel to the tribal portions, it shall belong to the prince. The holy portion with the sanctuary of the temple shall be in its midst.
22 It shall be separate from the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the midst of that which belongs to the prince. The portion of the prince shall lie between the territory of Judah and the territory of Benjamin.
23 "As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west, Benjamin, one portion.
24 Adjoining the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, Simeon, one portion.
25 Adjoining the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, Issachar, one portion.
26 Adjoining the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, Zebulun, one portion.
27 Adjoining the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, Gad, one portion.
28 And adjoining the territory of Gad to the south, the boundary shall run from Tamar to the waters of Meribah-kadesh, from there along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea.
29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord GOD.
The Gates of the City
30 "These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure,
31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel.
32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan.
33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun.
34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali.
35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The LORD Is There."
Things to think about…
1. Note here in Ezek 48 that the three tribes of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh all are on the same side of the Jordan as the other tribes, unlike when they inherited Canaan initially, where they were all on the east side separated from the other tribes by the Jordan. Here it is not the case. Even the Levites get a portion of land, whereas they were scattered among the tribes and Cities of Refuge initially. Here, neither is required. Gad inherits land in the south all the way across to the Nile and the Mediterranean Sea. How do you see this happening with the present political/religious state of affairs? Will it be possible? I believe it will be attempted by a false Messiah, but only completed by the true Messiah.
2. How do we know that these events may perhaps extend into a Millennial setting? Have a look at 48:35 – the name of the city shall be “The Lord is there”. We know that where Christ’s people gather, He is also there, but here there is a specific area of land that has this designated title. We know God is everywhere, but this will be a residing place. Christ needs to be residing in our hearts. He cannot be a nebulous out there somewhere. He must reside within you. I trust this is the case in your life. Where two or three are gathered there Christ is, but here as in His earthly ministry our Lord Jesus will literally walk the land again.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Title was “Dry bones and the one stick” – Reading Ezekiel 37.
1. The ‘dry bones’ passage is very interesting to study. Ezekiel says it refers to Israel being restored. They were restored back to the land after 70 years in captivity in Babylon, but why is this likely not what Ezekiel is speaking about.
2. When Israel went into exile the northern 10 tribes were already taken by the Assyrians 100 years before in 722BC. Babylon takes the 2 southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin in 586BC. Ezekiel speaks of one stick being joined, Joseph and Judah to make one stick. How has this happened, or is it still happening?
3. The Holy Spirit is needed to make someone alive in Christ, either Jew or Gentile. We can be alive like Ezekiel’s bones with flesh on them but still be without the Spirit. What is the role of the church in making this happen. A second question is what is the role of the Gentile church to make Israel embrace the Spirit and acknowledge Jesus (Yeshua) as Saviour?
4. Pray for each other and the outreach of the gospel.
Prayer Points
1. AGM – 6th Nov after the service – next Sunday.
2. Carols service 18th December – Family fun Day afternoon/evening 3pm-7pm.
3. Christmas Day Service 25th Dec – on a Sunday this year – service will start at 9:00am.
4. Pray for the leadership of our country.
5. Pray for the people of Iran and Ukraine.
6. The right choice for a full time Youth and Young Adults Pastor to start Jan 2023 and the finances to support them.
7. Health of Ross Goltz
8. More young families and youth into the church.
9. Ministry leaders within the church.
10. Our One for Israel ministry.
11. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
12. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for Graham’s faithful word on Sunday.
2. The faithful service of Ross Goltz for 9 years as CBC’s treasurer!
3. Worship on Sunday – thankyou Paul, Suzy, Zac. Bec on Words and Doug on sound. Thankyou. Suzy and Maddison in café. Thankyou for those who welcomed at the door.
4. All those who faithfully serve in ministries, Worship, Sound/Technical/Kids Church/ Cell Groups/Admin - Bulletins/Finances/Property/Welcoming/Spiritual Leadership/Cafe
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Members Meeting – AGM 6th November after the service.
2. Carols service – 18th Dec 3pm to 7pm.
3. Christmas Day service – 9am Dec 25th.
4. Remember to check your duty rosters.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
