When you’re done reading today’s blog you will probably have more questions than answers…
I wondered who “the prince” was, so I opened up a Google search and sampled some of the thoughts from around the world. Isn’t Google wonderfully dangerous? You can find age-old truth right next to tinfoil hat wearing craziness. It’s up to the reader to be discerning!
Your opinion of who “the prince” is will likely be influenced by your opinion of when and where Ezekiel’s temple was to be built. If his temple is a messianic vision, then the prince is probably the Messiah. If the temple was supposed to built immediately after the exile, then the prince is probably a king or ruler….human, not God. There are problems with both views (in my humble opinion). If you read Ezekiel 34:23-24 it’s referring to David as the prince. One could assume that this is someone from the line of David, and since the whole passage is talking about the “Good Shepherd” and justice for the oppressed, it’s reasonable to assume that the “prince” is Jesus, from the line of David. The problem lies with the sin offering. The prince is told to offer a sin offering for himself (45:22). Boom. The prince isn’t Jesus. Jesus never needed a sin offering to be offered for him, since He was perfect.
The whole idea of Jesus not being able to walk through the Eastern Gate because God has already entered it seems redundant. Jesus IS God, of course He can walk through any gate He pleases. This description doesn’t make sense as a “third temple period” temple if you believe that Jesus is perfect, and is God in human form.
That leaves us with the prince being an important human. Perhaps the reason they are called a “prince” is because God’s presence is in the new temple, and God is the King. Israel would have God as their King, and the human ruler would be a prince. If that were the case, the temple vision makes sense. The prince receives gifts, taxes and tithes from the people, and he in turn brings those animals and grain to the priest in the prescribed amounts to be offered to the Lord. The prince would be human, but with great power and authority, similar to Moses, or David….so he would sit in the gateway and feast…this is clearly the leader of the nation. But he would not presume to take the place of God, so the gate itself would remain closed. No need for it to be opened, since The Lord is already within the city.
I mention all of this simply to observe that human history did not unfold in the way that God wanted it to. Adam and Eve sinned and we fell from perfection. The earth spun out of balance that day, and it’s been out of balance ever since. There have been many instances throughout Scripture when mankind didn’t do what God instructed and we once again went down a dark path of trial and dysfunction. You would think that we would learn, but we never seem to. Israel worshipped false gods to the point of making God himself so angry that He sent them into exile. I had always thought that they learned their lesson as they returned. Now I’m not so sure.
They clearly didn’t build the temple they were supposed to, so they didn’t enjoy the presence of God they were supposed to, and they didn’t have the prince they were supposed to have. It didn’t happen. Hello!…… None of this happened, and if you look closely at the text you will realize that it can’t happen now. Sin offerings are over, this temple pattern is obsolete. It was supposed to be built and used ages ago. Ugh.
If our kinsmen in Israel had done what God called them to do, the world would be a very different place today. The “Dome of the Rock” wouldn’t be standing where it is, the city would be laid out differently, and probably world events would have unfolded in a completely different way. None of the problems we have had were necessary…if we only would pay attention and do what God tells us to do.
Having said that, I must note that God is patient, and all knowing. He must have known that we wouldn’t build the temple as we should, because He clearly had prophets foretell of future kings and conquers and rulers that would come and create havoc. He knew while He was telling them to be obedient that they wouldn’t be, and would reap disastrous consequences for their actions.
We always say “God came in the form of Jesus at just the right time”. I find myself wondering today if God wouldn’t have come in the form of Jesus much earlier if we simply would have done what He commanded us to do.
We are prone to disobedience, which is sin, and sin is our worst enemy.
Faithfully,
PR