The sacrifices and ceremonies described have no parallel anywhere in the Torah or the festival's of dedication. It is said that Rabbi Hananiah ben Hezekiah used up three hundred barrels of oil in lamps attempting to harmonize the contradictions between Ezekiel and the Torah. (Sabbath 13b)
The Levitical and Aaronic priesthood are combined in Ezekiel. “The sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi.” (Ezek. 40:46; 44:15) Zadok was the Aaronic high priest during the days of Solomon.
Ezekiel makes no mention of any Aaronic high priest whatsoever, he speaks only of the Messianic Prince who leads worship and sacrifice with his under-priests. (Ezek. 34:24; 37:25; 44:3; 45:7-9; 46:2-18; 48:21, 22) The functions once carried out by the Aaronic high priest are now being done by the Prince. This is entirely contrary to the Torah which makes no provision for the King of Israel to replace the son of Aaron in his office.
“And on the day of the new moon, a young bull without blemish; and six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish.” (Ezekiel 46:6) But the Torah commands different offerings to be presented on the new moon. (Num. 28:11) Ezekiel speaks of the offering of a single bull and six lambs, but the Torah speaks of “two young bulls,” and seven lambs.
Numbers 18:23 “But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.” But in Ezekiel 48:12-14 it is prophesied that the tribe of Levi will have its own land inheritance. “And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. And over against the border of the priests the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth: all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand. And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the Lord.” This is not like the holy communal cities that the Levites had in the days of David. This is a specific land inheritance which will be used for residence and farming.
In the Torah, the priests who are sons of Aaron are given strict laws concerning marriage, Leviticus 21:7 says “They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.” It is further specified in Verses 13 and 14 that he can only Marry an Israelitess of his own people, not a foreign woman. But these laws of marriage are changed in Ezekiel 44:22 “Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.”
The festival of unleavened bread begins on the day of Preparation in Ezekiel 45:21 rather than on the fifteenth day, as in Leviticus 23:5-7.
No comments:
Post a Comment