Eze 46:23 | KingComments | STEP | The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests ( ; ). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering ( ). The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others ( ). Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there ( ). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God. The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. ; ). Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners ( ). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size ( ). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place ( ). Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring ( ; cf. ). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered ( ).

‏ Ezekiel 46:23

The Boiling Places of the Temple

The tour resumes. In Ezekiel 44:4, the Man and Ezekiel are at the inner northern gate. The Man now leads Ezekiel through the entrance next to the gate into the holy chambers for the priests (Eze 46:19; Eze 42:1 ; 7 ; 8 ; 10-13). The chambers are adjacent to the north side of the outer court, but are part of the inner court. The Man explains that these chambers are the place where the priests are to boil the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering (Eze 46:20).

The boiling place of the priest is the place where the offerings are prepared to be offered. Preparing the offerings refers to being constantly engaged with Christ by reading the Scriptures, to see in them Who He is and what He has done. Luke, the writer of the Gospel according to Luke, is busy in the boiling place, so to speak, as he carefully examines things concerning all the things concerning the Lord Jesus about which he has heard from others (Lk 1:1-4).

Earlier we have been to the chambers, of which it is said that the priests may eat the offerings there (Eze 42:13 ; Eze 44:29). In connection with the boiling place, this holds an important lesson for the Scripture researcher. After the Scripture study that takes place ‘in the boiling place’, the ‘eating in the chambers’ follows. This indicates that in fellowship with God we process in our hearts what truths we have discovered in our examination of Scripture, both about the Lord Jesus and about ourselves. It brings us to self-examination, and if necessary to self-judgment and confession, and to worship of God.

The boiling place of the priest is a place separated from the people. There is to be no contact with the people who are in the outer court. The consequence of the sanctifying effect of the offering is that the people become guilty and must pay a ransom or offer a sin offering (cf. Eze 44:19; Lev 6:11 ; 18 ; 27).

Then the Man brings Ezekiel out of the inner court into the outer court and leads him along its four corners (Eze 46:21). In the four corners are what are called “enclosed courts”, all of the same size (Eze 46:22). Around each of those enclosed courts is a row of masonry and in each of them is a boiling place (Eze 46:23).

Again, the Man explains their purpose. These boiling places are the places where the Levites boil the sacrifices that the people bring (Eze 46:24; cf. 1Sam 2:12-17). Those sacrifices are the peace offerings. The flesh of the peace offering may be eaten by the offeror, along with the priest who offers the offering to the LORD and with the LORD to Whom the peace offering is offered (Lev 3:1 ; 6 ; 12 ; Lev 7:19b ; 30-34).