Ezekiel 48:15
The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for common use by the city, for houses, and for pastureland. The city will be in the center of it
The remaining area,

The remaining area lay outside the sacred allotment assigned to the priests, Levites, and prince. It was reserved for the ordinary needs of the city and its inhabitants.

Jos 18:4 Appoint three men from each tribe, and I will send them out…
Jos 13:7 Now therefore divide this land as an inheritance…

5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long,

The tract measured 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, forming a substantial strip alongside the holy district. This measured area shows that the restored land was carefully ordered and apportioned.

Ezk 45:1 When you divide the land by lot as an inheritance…
Rev 21:16 The city lies foursquare, with its width…
Zec 2:1-2 Then I lifted up my eyes and saw a man with a measuring line…

will be for common use by the city,

This land will be for the city’s common use, distinct from the consecrated portions set apart for temple service.

Lev 10:10 You must distinguish between the holy and the common…
Ezk 44:23 They are to teach My people the difference…
Jer 29:7 Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you.…

for houses, and for pastureland.

The people would have space for homes, livestock, and the practical life of the community.

Num 35:2 Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance…
Jos 21:12 But they had given the fields and villages around the city…
Lev 25:34 But the open pastureland around their cities…

The city will be in the center of it

The city will be situated in the center of the common land, establishing Israel’s civic life within the land God assigned, near but distinct from the holy sanctuary.

Num 35:5 You are also to measure two thousand cubits outside the city…
Ezk 43:7 He said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of My throne…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God who received visions and prophecies concerning the restoration of Israel and the establishment of a new temple and city.

2. The City
Refers to the future city described in Ezekiel's vision, which is part of the restored land of Israel. It symbolizes God's presence and order among His people.

3. Common Use
The designated area for the city is set apart for communal purposes, emphasizing the importance of community and shared resources.

4. Houses and Pastureland
Indicates the practical needs of the inhabitants, providing for both living spaces and agricultural activities.

5. The Center
The city being in the center signifies its importance and centrality in the life of the restored community, reflecting God's central role in the lives of His people.
Teaching Points
God's Provision for Community
God values community and provides for the needs of His people, both spiritually and physically. We are called to foster community and share resources.

Centrality of God in Our Lives
Just as the city is central in Ezekiel's vision, God should be central in our lives. We must prioritize our relationship with Him and align our lives around His presence.

Hope in Restoration
Ezekiel's vision offers hope for restoration and renewal. In times of personal or communal brokenness, we can trust in God's promise to restore and renew.

Stewardship of Resources
The allocation of land for common use teaches us about stewardship. We are to manage our resources wisely and for the benefit of the community.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the vision of the city in Ezekiel 48:15 reflect God's desire for community among His people?

2. In what ways can we ensure that God remains central in our personal and communal lives today?

3. How does the concept of "common use" challenge our understanding of personal versus communal resources?

4. What parallels can you draw between Ezekiel's vision of restoration and the promises found in the New Testament?

5. How can we apply the principles of stewardship and community from Ezekiel 48:15 in our local church or community group?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Revelation 21
The vision of the New Jerusalem connects with Ezekiel's vision of a restored city, emphasizing God's ultimate plan for a holy city where He dwells with His people.

Isaiah 65
Describes a new heaven and a new earth, paralleling the themes of restoration and renewal found in Ezekiel's vision.

Psalm 46
Speaks of a city of God, a place of refuge and strength, which aligns with the idea of a divinely established city in Ezekiel.
Characteristics of the KingdomW. Clarkson Ezekiel 48:1-20
Civic ObligationsEzekiel 48:1-35
Ezekiel's Last VisionThe Christian MagazineEzekiel 48:1-35
Ezekiel's Last VisionD. J. Vaughan, M. A.Ezekiel 48:1-35
God's Presence the Jew's HeavenA. B. Davidson, D. D.Ezekiel 48:1-35
Honoured According to FaithfulnessA. R. Fausset, M. A.Ezekiel 48:1-35
Jehovah-Shammah; a Glorious Name for the New YearEzekiel 48:1-35
The Central Position of the SanctuaryEzekiel 48:1-35
The Ideal CityJ. Wallace.Ezekiel 48:1-35
The Ideal City and its NameS. Whitehead.Ezekiel 48:1-35
The Lord is ThereW. H. M. H. Aitken, M. A.Ezekiel 48:1-35
The Name of the CityU. R. Thomas.Ezekiel 48:1-35
The Presence of Christ as the Chief Glory of HeavenR. Newton, D. D.Ezekiel 48:1-35
People
Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Enan, Ezekiel, Gad, Israelites, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Manasseh, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, Tamar, Zadok, Zadokites, Zebulun
Places
Brook of Egypt, Damascus, Great Sea, Hamath, Hazar-enan, Hethlon, Jerusalem, Lebo-hamath, Meribah-kadesh, Tamar
Topics
Area, Breadth, 25000, Center, Common, Cubits, Dwelling, Dwellings, Free, Front, Houses, Length, Measured, Middle, Midst, Open, Ordinary, Pastureland, Profane, Remainder, Space, Spaces, Suburb, Suburbs, Thereof, Thousand, Town, Twenty, Twenty-five, Wide, Width
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 48:1-35

     7266   tribes of Israel

Ezekiel 48:13-15

     4803   breadth

Library
Jehovah-Shammah: a Glorious Name for the New Year
THESE words may be used as a test as well as a text. They may serve for examination as well as consolation, and at the beginning of a year they may fulfill this useful double purpose. In any case they are full of marrow and fatness to those whose spiritual taste is purified. It is esteemed by the prophet to be the highest blessing that could come upon a city that its name should be, "JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, The Lord is there." Even Jerusalem, in its best estate, would have this for its crowning blessing:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 37: 1891

Princely Service.
NUMB. VII. We learned from Numbers vi, GOD'S requirements of those who desire to take the privileged position of separation to Himself. We found also in the conclusion of the same chapter the overflow of GOD'S love in the rich and comprehensive blessing which so appropriately follows, and forms the connecting link between Nazarite separation and the princely service set forth in Chap. vii,--one of the longest in the Bible, and one full of repetition. We now propose to consider more fully why this
James Hudson Taylor—Separation and Service

Jehovah. The "I Am. "
WHEN Moses in the desert beheld the burning bush God answered his question by the revelation of His name as the "I Am." "And God said unto Moses, I am, that I am: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you" (Exod. iii:14). He who spake thus out of the bush to Moses was the same who in the fullness of time appeared upon the earth in the form of man. Our Lord Jesus Christ is no less person, than the I AM. If we turn to the fourth Gospel in which the Holy
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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