Commentary - Ezekiel 48:21-22

Bird's-eye view

In these closing verses of Ezekiel's grand vision, we are given the final arrangements for the division of the land. After the meticulous layout of the holy district, the sanctuary, the city, and the portions for the priests and Levites, our attention is directed to the portion designated for "the prince." This is not some minor detail of urban planning for a restored-but-still-earthly kingdom. This is a picture, painted with the geometric certainties of God's own blueprint, of the absolute centrality of Christ in His coming kingdom. The entire geography of this new world is arranged around the presence of God in His sanctuary, and the dominion of His anointed Prince. This is a vision of a well-ordered, Christ-centered cosmos. What we see here is the gospel logic of inheritance, where all things are put in their proper place in relation to the King of kings.

The structure is plain. The prince's land flanks the holy portion on both sides, stretching to the borders of the land. This shows his role as the great protector and benefactor of the holy things of God. His possession is defined by its relationship to the sanctuary. Furthermore, his territory is situated squarely between the tribal allotments of Judah and Benjamin, the royal and loyal tribes of the old covenant, signifying that the authority of this Prince is the fulfillment of all the royal promises made to David. This is not a return to the old order; it is the consummation of it in a new and far more glorious one.

Outline

Context In Ezekiel

These last chapters of Ezekiel (40-48) present one of the most detailed and, for many, perplexing visions in all of Scripture. After God's glory departed from the old temple because of Israel's rampant idolatry, Ezekiel is shown a new temple, a new priesthood, and a new land. The key to understanding this vision is not to get bogged down in trying to map it onto a future millennial kingdom with a rebuilt physical temple. As I've said before, the book of Revelation is essentially a Christian rewrite of the book of Ezekiel. The New Testament interprets this vision for us. The temple is the Church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 3:16). The river of life flowing from it is the gospel going out to heal the nations (Ezek. 47; Rev. 22:1-2). And this meticulously ordered land is a picture of the peace, order, and security of God's covenant people under the reign of their true Prince, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Chapter 48 concludes the vision by parceling out the inheritance. It's a picture of rest and possession. After the long exile, God is showing His people that He has a definite, concrete, and glorious future for them. But this future is not a mere repetition of the past. The arrangement of the tribes is different, and at the very center of it all is the sanctuary and the portion for the Prince. Everything finds its meaning in relation to Him.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 21 “And the remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy contribution and of the city’s possession of land; in front of the 25,000 cubits of the contribution toward the east border and westward in front of the 25,000 toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. And the holy contribution and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it.”

The vision has laid out the central strip of land, the holy portion for the priests, the Levites, and the city. Now we are told what to do with what is left over. This "remainder" is not an afterthought; it is the main event. It belongs to the prince. This prince is not a mere civil magistrate. Ezekiel has already told us that God's servant David will be their prince forever (Ezek. 37:25). This is a messianic figure, none other than the Lord Jesus Christ, David's greater Son.

His portion is described as being on both sides, the east and the west, of the holy district. Think of it as two great arms embracing and protecting the central sanctuary. The Prince's domain secures the place of worship. This is what Christ does for His church. He is our protector, our provider, and His authority establishes the space where we can offer true worship to God. His land stretches from the central holy district all the way to the borders of the nation. His rule is comprehensive. There is no part of the life of God's people that is outside His jurisdiction.

The verse concludes by reiterating the main point, lest we miss it: "the holy contribution and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it." The sanctuary is in the middle of the holy portion, and that entire holy portion is in the middle of the prince's land. This is a picture of nested centrality. At the heart of everything is the presence of God, and embracing that presence is the authority of the Prince. This is the architecture of the new creation. God with us, and Christ reigning over us. All our property, all our inheritance, is defined by its proximity to Him.

v. 22 “And apart from the Levites’ possession and the city’s possession, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall be for the prince.”

This verse serves to clarify the boundaries and further emphasize the prince's preeminence. It specifies that the land for the Levites (the ministers) and the city (the place of common life) are set apart, nestled within the prince's larger territory. They are not independent holdings but are secure because they are located "in the middle of that which belongs to the prince." Our service to God (the Levites' portion) and our life together as citizens of the heavenly city (the city's possession) are both sustained and protected by the authority of King Jesus.

Then we get a crucial geographical marker. The prince's entire portion is located "between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin." In the old arrangement of the land, Judah and Benjamin were the two tribes that remained loyal to the Davidic throne when the kingdom split. Jerusalem itself sat on the border between them. Judah was the royal tribe, from which David and his descendants came. Benjamin was the tribe of Saul, the first king, but it became fiercely loyal to Judah. Placing the Prince's domain here is thick with theological meaning. This Prince is the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. He is the true King from Judah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is the one who unites God's people, bringing all the tribes together into one kingdom under His undisputed rule. This isn't just real estate; it's redemptive history made visible.

Application

So what does this ancient blueprint for land distribution have to do with us? Everything. First, it teaches us the absolute centrality of Christ. Our lives, our families, our churches, our work, everything must be arranged around Him. Is the sanctuary, the presence of God, in the middle of your life? And is your life, in turn, situated squarely within the dominion of the Prince, Jesus Christ? We are not our own; we are part of His portion.

Second, this passage is a profound promise of order and security. The world outside the church is a chaotic sea of competing claims and shifting boundaries. But within the kingdom of the Son, there is a divine and perfect order. Every person and every calling has its designated place. Our inheritance is not up for grabs; it is measured out and secured for us by the King Himself. We are not squatters in the world; we are heirs, and our Prince guarantees our possession.

Finally, this vision is a call to loyalty. The Prince's land is situated between Judah and Benjamin, the loyal tribes. Our place in this new kingdom is contingent on our loyalty to the King. We are to be like Judah, the tribe of the King, and like Benjamin, the tribe that clung to the rightful throne. In an age of rebellion, our calling is to be fiercely, joyfully, and unswervingly loyal to Jesus, the Prince of Peace, whose kingdom shall have no end.