Page 343 - Foundations

Ezekiel 44:10-19
“But the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who went astray from Me after their
idols, shall bear the punishment for their iniquity. Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having
oversight at the gates of the house and ministering in the house; they shall slaughter the burnt offering
and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. Because they
ministered to them before their idols and became a stumbling block of iniquity to the house of Israel,
therefore I have sworn against them,” declares Yahweh God, “that they shall bear the punishment for
their iniquity. And they shall not come near to Me to serve as a priest to Me, nor come near to any of
My holy things, to the things that are most holy; but they shall bear their shame and their
abominations which they have committed. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the house, of all
its service, and of all that shall be done in it.”

“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel
went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer
Me the fat and the blood,” declares Yahweh God. “They shall enter My sanctuary; they shall come
near to My table to minister to Me and keep My charge. And it shall be that when they enter at the
gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and wool shall not be on them
while they are ministering in the gates of the inner court and in the house. Linen turbans shall be on
their heads, and linen undergarments shall be on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with
anything which makes them sweat. And when they go out into the outer court, into the outer court to
the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the
holy chambers; then they shall put on other garments that they may not transmit holiness to the people
with their garments.”

Just like the immense temple described by Ezekiel has never been built, so too has this prophetic
word never known a physical fulfilment. Nor do I anticipate it being fulfilled in a strictly literal sense.
The Levitical priesthood has been superseded by a better priesthood, that of Melchizedek. Similarly
the sacrifices and offerings of bulls and goats, of fat and the blood, has been done away with. Christ
is the perfect sacrifice that brings an end to all other sacrifices.

Nevertheless, there will be a fulfillment of that which Ezekiel described in this passage. Zadok was
an actual person, a descendant of Aaron. He served as High Priest in the days of King David. The
name Zadok means “righteous.” The name Melchizedek shares the same root as Zadok, meaning
“king of righteousness.” I believe this prophetic passage is speaking of the experience of the righteous
human sons of God who will be accounted worthy to serve as priests in the Melchizedek priesthood
under the rule of Christ who is the true King of Righteousness. Because these sons of God turned
away from the idols of the world that their brothers went after, they will be accounted worthy to enter
into the very presence of Yahweh and to have access to His most holy things. When these sons enter
Yahweh’s presence they will be arrayed in holy garments, glorified bodies, that are befitting those
who stand in the presence of the Most High God.

These righteous sons will have occasion to go out from the presence of Yahweh to move about among
the throngs of mankind. Has Christ not called His people to be a nation of kings and priests? When
they go out among the people who have not yet been sanctified and glorified, these righteous sons
must put on other array. They must lay aside their glorified bodies and appear in more humble array