What does ezekial chapter 44 means?

Answer 1

The final chapters of Ezekiel were written after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in 586 BC and portray the return of the exiles to the land of Israel and the reestablishment of an ideal theocratic state. The temple will be rebuilt (the dimensions given in Ezekiel are very similar to those of Solomon's temple) and the land will be redistributed among the twelve tribes in an ideal (and probably impractical) manner.

In the early part of the book Ezekiel sees the glory of God leave the temple and the city, in the final chapters the glory of God returns and living water flows out from the temple to renew and heal the land.

The correct interpretation of these final chapters is debatable. Clearly these things did not happen when the Jews returned from Exile under the Persian empire, but some - both Jews and Christians - believe that they will be fulfilled in a future Messianic age. Other Christians hold that they will be fulfilled during the seven years that precede the end of the world when Antichrist rules.

Other Christians, however, point to the similarities between the final chapters of Ezekiel and the final chapters of Revelation: Gog and Magog appear in both and are destroyed by divine fire and their bodies given to the birds; a river of life bordered by trees (Ezekiel) or a tree (Revelation) of life features; an angel invites the prophet to measure the city; and various other points. The major difference is that Ezekiel devotes considerable space to a description of the temple while Revelation states that there will be no temple.

In this view the prophecies of Ezekiel were not fulfilled because the Jews rejected Jesus, but will be fulfilled to Spiritual Israel (ie. the Christian church or the elect from the church) in heaven.