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The Lord next gave Ezekiel directions for the division of some of the Promised Land in the future. Revelation about apportioning the rest of the land follows later (47:13-48:35). These descriptions do not coincide with any division of the land in the past, and the amount of detail argues for a literal fulfillment in the future.
45:1 In the future the Israelites were to divide the land by lot, but the Lord, of course, would control the outcome (Prov. 16:33). This land belonged to the Lord--He was the Israelites' inheritance--but He would allow them to occupy it as He specified. They were to set aside one part of the land for the Lord's use for specially holy purposes. It was to be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide (about 8.3 miles by 3.3 miles).560It was to be considered holy within all its boundaries.
45:2-4 Within this area there was to be a space 500 cubits by 500 cubits. This was the size of the temple complex (cf. 42:20). Surrounding this complex there would be an open space of an additional 50 cubits, a kind of green belt. This space would facilitate and illustrate the holiness of the sanctuary area. The temple sanctuary would stand within this 25,000 by 10,000 cubits area and constitute the most holy part of the land. The Zadokite priests would live in the land outside the open space around the temple complex within this larger area (cf. 48:10-12).
45:5 The other Levites would occupy another 25,000 by 10,000 cubits area beside the one just described (cf. 48:13). It would evidently be immediately to the north. Under the Mosaic system the priests and Levites lived scattered throughout Israel, not all in very close proximity to the temple as here.
45:6 Another parcel of land 25,000 by 5,000 cubits (about 8.3 miles by 1.7 miles), apparently immediately to the south, would contain the city of Jerusalem, and all the Israelites would have access to it. Later Ezekiel clarified that the city itself would occupy the center of this portion of land, and suburbs, or city lands, would flank it on the east and the west (cf. 48:15, 17-19).
45:7 The prince (cf. 44:3) would also receive a special land allotment to the west and to the east of the city portions and the holy areas occupied by the Zadokites and the Levites (cf. 48:21-22). There was no specially designated area in which the kings of Israel lived in former times except the royal palaces, which were much smaller.
45:8 The rest of the Promised Land would be the portion of the other Israelites (cf. ch. 48). The whole arrangement would contribute to the equitable governing of the Israelites and would discourage rulers from oppressing the people (cf. 11:1-13; 14:1-11; 20:1-23:49; 34:1-10).
