Ezekiel 46
“The prince shall enter by the vestibule of the gate from outside, and shall take his stand by the post of the gate. The priests shall offer his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.” (Ezekiel 46:2, ESV)
It is difficult to imagine what life will be like during the millennial reign of Christ. We are so used to dealing with the presence of sin, deception and corruption. It is a constant weight and pressure on humanity. It is almost inconceivable that there could be a world in which righteousness dwells and the government rests securely on the shoulders of Christ. But throughout Scripture God promises that this will happen.
As we have seen, we believe that David will be resurrected during this time and will serve as prince in Jerusalem. He will bring burnt offerings, peace offerings and sin offerings, but the Levitical priests shall offer them on the altar. What strikes me about this chapter is the specific order God gives for how the prince will worship Him. He will enter by the vestibule of the east gate that leads into the inner court. Then he will stand within the gate while the sacrifices are being offered and worship the LORD. If the prince is actually David, then I would imagine him playing the harp and singing his psalms! After this, he will leave the vestibule, but the gate will remain open until evening.
Why is God so specific about how He will be worshiped during the kingdom age? The only reason that comes to mind is that He is a God of order. What a contrast He is to the chaos we so often see in this fallen world! He is not a God of confusion, but He orders the steps of His people. This is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
“Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Corinthians 14:40, NKJV)
When we follow God’s orders, then we are witnesses of His beauty and holiness. We ought to be those who enter a chaotic situation and restore order. I apply this philosophy whenever I walk into our kitchen and see dishes that need to be cleaned or put away! But really, we ought to leave every place better than how we found it. This testifies of our orderly God who does all things well. It reflects our Lord who entered a sinful, chaotic and corrupt world to bring restoration, healing and righteousness.
When we aim to do everything decently and in order, we are witnessing to the world that God has brought order within our hearts and soon He will restore order to this broken world.