What is the meaning of Ezekiel 45:21? On the fourteenth day The specified day anchors Passover in time, just as Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 23:5, and Numbers 28:16 do. God’s calendar is precise, reminding His people that redemption is not random but planned. • The fourteenth anticipates the exact hour when the lambs were slain in Egypt. • It foreshadows the moment Christ, “our Passover lamb,” was sacrificed (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Ezekiel’s future temple vision (chapters 40–48) shows this date will still matter when Messiah reigns (cf. Ezekiel 45:22). of the first month The “first month” (Abib/Nisan) begins Israel’s religious year (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). God resets time around deliverance. • Every new year recalls the night slavery ended and freedom began. • Prophetically, this points to the coming kingdom’s fresh start for the world (Isaiah 65:17–18; Revelation 21:5). you are to observe the Passover The verb is personal and imperative—“you” must keep it. Passover is both memorial and prophecy. • Memorial: God “passed over” homes marked by blood (Exodus 12:13). • Prophecy: Jesus said, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering” (Luke 22:15), revealing Himself as the true Lamb (John 1:29). • Future: Nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the King (Zechariah 14:16), and Passover will be celebrated again (Ezekiel 45:22). a feast of seven days Seven days symbolize completeness and covenant fullness (Genesis 2:3). • An entire week of fellowship emphasizes abiding in redemption, not a momentary ritual. • Israel’s calendar also sets seven-day feasts for Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:6, 34), both echoed in Ezekiel’s temple vision, underscoring continuity. during which unleavened bread shall be eaten Unleavened bread pictures purity—removing yeast removes corruption (Exodus 12:15). • Literal obedience: the people will physically eat unleavened loaves in the future sanctuary (Ezekiel 45:23-24). • Spiritual application: “Let us keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). • Christ’s body, without sin (“leaven”), was broken during Passover, fulfilling the symbol (1 Peter 1:19). summary Ezekiel 45:21 reaffirms God’s timeless Passover ordinance: on the exact fourteenth day of the first month, His redeemed people will celebrate a complete seven-day feast, eating unleavened bread in remembrance of deliverance. The verse looks back to Egypt, points to Christ’s sacrifice, and anticipates a future kingdom where the same literal feast will highlight God’s faithful, unchanging plan of redemption. |
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