Study Audio Download

Ezekiel 46:1–24 The Prince and the Feasts

[Study Aired Feb 3, 2025]

Introduction

In today’s study, we see that this latter temple was shut for most days and was opened only on the Sabbaths and the New Moons. This differs from the initial temple which was opened on a daily basis. The Prince, as mentioned in this chapter and in other chapters of this vision of the latter temple, represents our Lord Jesus Christ. He also signifies His elect. When the temple is opened, the prince offered voluntary offerings of burnt offering, peace offering and grain offering. In order to understand today’s study, we need to look closely at what these offerings signify. 

A burnt offering is an offering of an animal to the Lord where this sacrificial animal is burnt completely on the altar. It is therefore a complete destruction of the animal in an effort to renew the relationship between God and sinful man. The Hebrew word for “burnt offering” actually means to “ascend” and it literally means “to go up in smoke”. The smoke from the sacrifice ascended as a soothing aroma to the Lord”.

Lev 1:1  And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, 
Lev 1:2  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. 
Lev 1:3  If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. 
Lev 1:4  And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. 
Lev 1:5  And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 
Lev 1:6  And he shall flay the burnt offering, and cut it into his pieces. 
Lev 1:7  And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire:
Lev 1:8  And the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat, in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar: 
Lev 1:9  But his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water: and the priest shall burn all on the altar, to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

Technically, any offering burned over an altar was a burnt offering, but in more specific terms, a burnt offering was the complete destruction of the animal (except for the hide) in an effort to renew the relationship between Holy God and sinful man. The burnt offering therefore signifies our admission as being sinful or having sinned and therefore giving the Lord the occasion to destroy our flesh through His fiery trial or judgment denoted by the fire. It is through this experience that we learn righteousness and become a sweet aroma of Christ.

2Co 2:15  For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: 
2Co 2:16  To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? 
2Co 2:17  For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.  

This fire destroying our flesh is a life-time experience and not a one-time fire. The fire is the word of the Lord, and our evil deeds represent the wood which serves as fuel for the fire. The burnt offering is carried out in the morning which implies that it is not every time of our lives that we are being judged. The fact that the burning is in the morning means that the destruction of our flesh is what causes the sun, which is Christ, to rise in our lives. 

Lev 6:12  And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.   

Jer 5:14  Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire, and this people (our deeds) wood, and it shall devour them.

The peace offering was a sacrificial gift made to express gratitude and fellowship with the Lord. It was voluntary and included animal, grain and bread. Peace offering is also called fellowship offering. Most sacrifices in the Old Testament system were not eaten by worshipers. However, regarding the peace offering, it was meant to be eaten by the worshipers with only a portion of the animal or grain brought to the altar for burning. It signifies that fellowshiping with the Lord is through knowing Him through His words which is denoted by what is offered to the worshiper to eat. The fact that the whole of the sacrifice was not given to the offerer means that in this life, we don’t see the whole picture of the word of the Lord.

1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 

Lev 7:11  And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he shall offer unto the LORD.
Lev 7:12  If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil, of fine flour, fried. 
Lev 7:13  Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings. 

Lev 7:15  And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning. 

The grain offering or meat offering was also a voluntary sacrifice of grain to God as a way to express devotion and recognize God’s goodness. While other sacrifices had very specific instructions from God as to how they were to be offered, the rules governing grain offerings had some flexibility. The grains offered in the grain offering must be finely grounded and have oil and salt in it. The person bringing the offering to the priest can choose what amount of grain to present. When the priest receives the grain offering, only a small portion was burnt as a memorial to God. The rest of the grain offering is given to the priest to eat. 

Lev 2:1  The LORD continued, “Now, if any of you bring a grain offering to the LORD, your offering must be flour. Pour olive oil on it, and put incense on it. 
Lev 2:2  Then bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests. Take from this a handful of flour with olive oil, and all the incense. The priest will burn it on the altar as a reminder. It is an offering by fire, a soothing aroma to the LORD. 
Lev 2:3  The rest of the grain offering will belong to Aaron and his sons. It is very holy, set apart from the LORD’S offering by fire. (GW) 

The grain offering being flour mixed with olive oil and given to the priests signifies that it is only the Lord’s elect who are given to know the spiritual significance of the Lord’s words as the oil represents the spirit. This is the portion of the Lord’s elect or priest. It is instructive to note that the grain must be finely grounded. That means we must rightly divide the word of truth.

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The part that is burnt on the altar represents the false doctrines we have imbibed which must be burnt out of us. It is through understanding His words that we come to see the goodness of the Lord, and it causes us to offer ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice.

With this understanding of the burnt offering, peace offering and meat or grain offering, it becomes easier to understand today’s study where the priest is required to offer these offerings.

Worshiping on the sabbath and on the New Moon

Eze 46:1  Thus saith the Lord GOD; The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened. 

The east is where the sun rises in our lives. This implies the beginning of our walk with the Lord as the sun represents the Lord Jesus Christ. Our walk with the Lord starts with our lives in Babylon or the physical churches of this world before the Lord comes with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness to drag us to Himself. It is instructive to note that the first time the word “east” is used in the Bible, it has to do with the river that flows east towards Assyria (Babylon) with the river becoming the Euphrates. The next use of the word “east” has to do with the judgment we must go through because of our sins in order to access the tree of life which represents Christ.

Gen 2:14  And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

Gen 3:24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. 

The east gate of the inner court being shut for the six working days in verse 1 therefore shows us that we could not worship the Lord in truth and in spirit for six working days which symbolizes the period of our walk in the churches of this world or Babylon where we lived like the people of the world (significance of the number six) when we thought we could work out our own salvation. It is insightful to note that it is until the sabbath or the New Moon that the door of the east gate is opened for us to worship. The sabbath signifies rest. It is only when we come to rest in the Lord that we can worship the Lord in truth and in spirit. This period is herald by the Lord’s judgment of our old man or flesh which causes us to learn righteousness by knowing that we do not have our own righteousness but that our righteousness is of Christ. In other words, it is the Lord’s imputed righteousness that matters and not ours.

Heb 4:9  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 
Heb 4:10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 
Heb 4:11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.  

Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 
Gal 2:21  I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

The New Moon is the beginning of the month in Israel, and it is a time to sit with the king to eat and also to hear the voice of the Lord, as shown in the following verses:

1Sa 20:5  And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

1Sa 20:24  So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. 

Psa 81:3  Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day. 
Psa 81:4  For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

The king here is Christ who comes to us with His brightness to cause us to hear His voice distinctively like a trumpet and to understand what He is saying. Hearing His voice means that our hearts and minds (the inner court) are open during our new beginning (New Moon) in Christ. 

The inner court which was closed during the six working days of the week also indicates our inability to receive Christ in our hearts and minds which is filled with the smoke of the burning of our flesh with the coming of the Lord into our lives with His judgment.  

Rev 15:8  And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

Eze 46:2  And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate without, and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate: then he shall go forth; but the gate shall not be shut until the evening. 
Eze 46:3  Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons. 

The prince here in verse 2 represents our Lord Jesus Christ who comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness into our hearts and minds. As we have learned in the introductory portion of this study, His coming is the time for the burning or destruction of our flesh signified here by the burnt offering that we, His priests prepare for the Lord. The peace offering or the fellowship offering that we, His priests, offer symbolizes the strengthening of our fellowship with the Lord through our understanding of His words as shown by the fact that most of the peace offering was to be eaten by the worshiper.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

As priests, we are to worship at the entrance of the gateway and then leave. This is to remind us of our role as saviors in the sense that our brothers and sisters in Babylon must pass through us to enter the inner court, since we are at the entrance of the gateway. As shown in verse 3, our brothers and sisters in Babylon are currently worshiping at the door of the gate before the Lord. This implies that the gate has not yet been opened to them to enter the entrance of the gateway, where the Lord’s elect are worshiping. This gate in verse 3 represents the gulf between us as shown in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

Luk 16:24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 
Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
Luk 16:26  And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 

In verse 3, the sabbaths and the new moon have negative application. These sabbaths and New moons represents the beggarly elements which has kept our brothers and sister in bondage in Babylon, such that they cannot go beyond the gate to worship the Lord. 

Gal 4:8  Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. 
Gal 4:9  But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? 
Gal 4:10  Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. 
Gal 4:11  I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. 

Eze 46:4  And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD in the sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. 

The six lambs represent the Lord’s elect who are living their lives without blame before the Lord. The ram represents the Lord who was without sin and offered Himself to God for our sake. The fact that these were offered as a burnt offering means that it is through the judgment of the Lord that we are offered without blame before God, just as Christ was judged to offer Himself blameless to God. 

Eze 46:5  And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah.

The grain offering that we must present to the Lord with a ram must be an ephah, which was a Hebrew measure equivalent to about 9 gallons. In the case of the lambs, the grain offering is dependent on what we can offer. All these offering must go with a hin of oil to an ephah. The hin is a Hebrew unit of liquid measure equivalent to one gallon. All of these are offered on the sabbath day. The significance of this is that it is when we come to rest in Christ that we are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of the Lord.

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 

Mat 13:16  But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
Mat 13:17  For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

Eze 46:6  And in the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish, and six lambs, and a ram: they shall be without blemish. 

The young bullock and the ram all represent our Lord Jesus Christ. As indicated, the six lambs represent us, His elect. It is in the day of the New Moon or the beginning of our lives in Christ as we are now part of the church of the first born (New Moon) that we can offer ourselves to God even as Christ offered Himself for God’s purpose.

Eze 46:7  And he shall prepare a meat offering, an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and an hin of oil to an ephah. 

Again, it is our new beginning in the assembly of the Lord’s elect (New Moon) that we are given to understand spiritually, the truth of the Lord’s words.

Eze 46:8  And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof. 
Eze 46:9  But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the north gate to worship shall go out by the way of the south gate; and he that entereth by the way of the south gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate: he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth over against it. 
Eze 46:10  And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in; and when they go forth, shall go forth. 

The prince enters the gate from the east (verse 1) and exits through the same gate. As indicated, the east represents the rising of the sun, which is Christ. Thus, what we are being told is that the Lord’s presence in our hearts and minds is a lasting experience. In other words, in our going out and coming in, we are assured of the Lord’s presence. On the other hand, in the case of our brothers and sisters in Babylon, represented by the people of the land, they shall encounter the north gate which symbolizes the Lord’s judgment either when they are coming into the temple or going out. This means that they shall be judged by the Lord to also experience Christ in them in the fullness of time.

Jer 1:13  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

In verse 10, we are told that the prince shall be in their midst in their going in and coming out of the sanctuary. This implies that we shall be in their midst during the lake of fire age throughout their going in and their coming out as Christ comes to live in them. 

Eze 46:11  And in the feasts and in the solemnities the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock, and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and an hin of oil to an ephah. 
Eze 46:12  Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east, and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, as he did on the sabbath day: then he shall go forth; and after his going forth one shall shut the gate. 
Eze 46:13  Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: thou shalt prepare it every morning. 

The grain or meat offering here in verse 11 that the prince shall prepare consists of an ephah of bullock, ram and lambs as well as a hin of oil. As indicated in the introductory section, the purpose of the meat offering is to express devotion to the Lord and recognize the Lord’s goodness. The fact that we are instructed to have an ephah of bullock, ram and lambs and an hin of oil suggests that the words of the Lord that we receive are measured out to us according to our capacity. 

The peace offering is also called fellowship offering, and it is a sacrificial gift made to express gratitude and fellowship with the Lord. The fact that the east gate is opened for the prince to offer his burnt and peace offering is to let us know that it is when Christ rises in our hearts that we can offer these offerings.

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

As shown in the introduction section of this study, the essence of the burnt offering is to destroy our flesh through the judgment of our flesh. The peace offering is to deepen our fellowship with the Lord through knowing Him through His words which is denoted by what is offered to the worshiper to eat. 

The gate that must be shut when the prince leaves signifies that without us, His elect, the way to Christ is shut to our brothers and sisters in Babylon and the people of the world.

Heb 11:40  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.   

The requirement to offer a daily burnt offering unto the Lord means that we die daily.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

The offering of a lamb of one year old without blemish for a burnt offering indicates that offering ourselves to the Lord as a living sacrifice entails being one with Christ or having the same mind of Christ. 

Php 2:5  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 

Eze 46:14  And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, the sixth part of an ephah, and the third part of an hin of oil, to temper with the fine flour; a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD. 
Eze 46:15  Thus shall they prepare the lamb, and the meat offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering. 

We are to prepare a meat offering to the Lord every morning. As shown earlier, the purpose of the meat or grain offering is to enlighten our understanding of the word of the Lord as we study daily. The grain being finely grounded indicates that we must rightly divide the word of truth. 

2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.   

As indicated in the comments on the previous verses, the continual nature of the burnt offering (verse 15) reveals to us that we must die to the flesh daily.

1Co 15:31  I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.

The Inheritance of the Lord’s Elect

Eze 46:16  Thus saith the Lord GOD; If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons’; it shall be their possession by inheritance. 
Eze 46:17  But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince: but his inheritance shall be his sons’ for them.
Eze 46:18  Moreover the prince shall not take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession. 

As the Lord’s elect, we are His sons, and as sons, we are heirs of the Lord’s promises. 

Rom 8:16  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 
Rom 8:17  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Our status is therefore different from servants who are to return a gift of an inheritance on the year of liberty. The servants here signify our brothers and sisters in Babylon who work as servants in the Lord’s vineyard but are not qualified to become children or sons.

Gal 4:22  For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. 
Gal 4:23  But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. 
Gal 4:24  Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. 
Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.     
Gal 4:27  For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.
Gal 4:28  Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 
Gal 4:29  But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. 
Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. 
Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

In verse 18, we are warned as the Lord princes, not to take by force the property of the people. In other words we are not to be envious of what people have. However, in Babylon, the prosperity messages that these false teachers carried are all based on covetousness. No wonder we could not worship the Lord in a strange land. 

2Pe 2:1  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 
2Pe 2:2  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 
2Pe 2:3  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

2Pe 2:14  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

Boiling Places for Offerings

Eze 46:19  After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: and, behold, there was a place on the two sides westward. 
Eze 46:20  Then said he unto me, This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering; that they bear them not out into the utter court, to sanctify the people. 

Being brought into the holy chambers of the priests which were towards the north is to let us know that it is through the judgment of our flesh that we are made holy or separated for the Lord’s purpose, since the north signifies judgment. 

Jer 1:13  And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, What seest thou? And I said, I see a seething pot; and the face thereof is toward the north.
Jer 1:14 Then the LORD said unto me, Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

Jer 4:6  Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.

There were places for the boiling of the offerings and the baking of the meat offering at the entry into the inner court. The boiling places is where the food and the meat for consumption are prepared. They therefore represent the preparation of the gospel of peace which means being ready and prepared to share the word of the Lord. 

Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 

Here we are cautioned not to bring the offerings into the outer courtyard so that we do not transfer holiness to the people. This is another way of saying to the Lord’s elect that we should not give what is holy to those who do not appreciate the truth of the word of the Lord.  

Mat 7:6  Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. 

The holy and the pearls in the verse above all signify the truth of the word of the Lord. The prophet Haggai was also led by the Lord to say the same thing as follows:

Hag 2:12  If one bear holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt do touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be holy? And the priests answered and said, No. 
Hag 2:13  Then said Haggai, If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be unclean? And the priests answered and said, It shall be unclean. 
Hag 2:14  Then answered Haggai, and said, So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and that which they offer there is unclean. 

We cannot make anybody holy through the word of the Lord except those that the Lord drags to us. 

Eze 46:21  Then he brought me forth into the utter court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and, behold, in every corner of the court there was a court. 
Eze 46:22  In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad: these four corners were of one measure. 
Eze 46:23  And there was a row of building round about in them, round about them four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about. 
Eze 46:24  Then said he unto me, These are the places of them that boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people. 

The outer court is the place for the people of Israel who are not priests to come and worship. It therefore represents the physical churches of this world where our brothers and sisters in Babylon worship. The fact that Ezekiel was caused to take note of the four corners of the court in verses 21 and 22, is to emphasize that it is the whole of the church system of this world that is not given to be holy. This implies that the worshipers in the church system of this world are not holy. The negative application of the measurement of the length and width of the court speaks volumes of the nature of the worshipers. The court was 40 cubits in length and thirty cubits in breadth. The number forty represents those who continue to err in their worship of the Lord and therefore are not given rest in the Lord. 

Psa 95:10  Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 
Psa 95:11  Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.   

The number thirty in the negative context signifies those who are being put to death through the sword, that is, false doctrines.

Jdg 20:31  And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite of the people, and kill, as at other times, in the highways, of which one goeth up to the house of God, and the other to Gibeah in the field, about thirty men of Israel. 

Jdg 20:39  And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

There were rows of boiling places in the outer court for the offerings of the people. However, these boiling places, which represent the preparation of the word of the Lord, do not make the worshipers and their ministers holy. 

We thank the Lord for showing us mercy at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

Amen !!!