Second, of the portion that is to be given. to the Prince; the Meffiah: as ver. 7-8. "And (a portion fhall be) for the prince on this fide and on that fide of the oblation of the holy (portion) and of the poffeffion of the city, before the oblation of the holy (portion) and before the pofleffion of the city, from the weft fide weftward, and from the caft fide eastward: and the length (shall be) over against every one of the portions, from the border of the weft to the border eastward. In the land fhall be his poffeffion in Israel: that my princes may no more opprefs my people."

Third, of the oblation which all the people of the land are to give to the prince; the Meffiah: ver. 13-17. "This is the heaveoffering which ус fhall offer the fixth part of an ephah out of an homer of wheat, and the fixth part of an ephah out of an homer of barley. And (concerning) the flatute of oil, (even) the bath of oil, (ye fhall offer) the tenth part of a bath out of a cor; (which is equal to) an homer of ten baths; for an homer is ten baths. And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, from the wa

tered* paftures of Ifrael: for the meat offering, and for the burnt offering, and for the peace offerings, to make atonement for them, faith the LORD God. All the people of the

land fhall give this heave offering to the prince in Ifrael. And it fhall be incumbent on the prince (to give) burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the drink offerings, in the feafts, and in the new moons, and in the fabbaths, and in all the folemn times of the house of Ifrael: he fhall prepare the fin-offering, and the meat-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the peace-offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Ifrael.'

"

Fourth, of the dedication of the temple in the days of the Meffiah: ver. 18-20. “Thus faith the LORD God: in the first (month), on the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bull without blemish, and shalt cleanse the fanctuary. And the priest shall take of the blood of the fin-offering, and put upcn the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the fettle of the altar, and

it

• Ufed figuratively to denote the fatteft and choicest Jambs.

upon

upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. And thus fhalt thou do on the seventh (day) of the month, for him that erreth and for (him that is) fimple: fo fhall ye make reconciliation for the house."

The first month, here mentioned, is the month Niffan: (for that is always called the first month; as Mofes faid, (Exod. xii. 2.) "This month fhall be unto you the beginning of months :" &c. And thus also the prophet says, ver. 21. "In the first (month,) on the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the paffover," &c.) and by which, the prophet informs us that, on the first day of the month Niffan, they shall dedicate the altar, by offering burnt offerings thereon: and which is a manifeft proof, that this promise was not accomplished at the building of the fecond temple; for in the book of Ezra, (Chap. iii. 6.) it fays, "From the first day of the feventh month began they to offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD." It also mentions their keeping the feast of tabernacles; whence it is clear that they did not offer the offerings of dedication in the month Niffan. Neither can it be faid, that this was the offering of the new moon, ordained in

the

the law, as fome have attempted to explain it; because the prophet fays, that this was to be a fin-offering; ver. 19. " And the priest shall take of the blood of the fin offering, and put it upon the posts of the houfe," &c. But this was not the case with the offering of the new moon; for the bulls then offered, were burnt-offerings; befides their blood was not sprinkled on the posts of the house, nor on the corners on the settle of the altar; but only two gifts, which are as four *: from all which, it is manifeft, that the prophet was speaking of the future dedication of the altar, at the time of the true Meffiah; and which is to be on the first day of the month Niffan, in the manner and form here fhewn.

As to what the Archbishop of Armagh has obferved in his note on this paffage,"Cleanse the fanctuary, See Levit. xvi. 16. A yearly ceremony feems to be here enjoined,' and not a mere dedication." fcarce deferves notice; as there is not the least analogy be tween the words of the prophet, and Levit.

• See Gemara Zevacheem, Perek Ezzehu Mekomon. fol. 53.

xvi. 16. This, every one will be fully convinced of, on comparing the paffages together.

22.

Fifth, concerning the other offerings here mentioned by Ezekiel; in which he differs much from the precepts of the law of Moses. First, in regard to the feast of paffover; ver. "And upon that day fhall the prince offer for himself, and for all the people of the land, a bull for a fin-offering." But in the law of Mofes, there is not any mention made of a bull to be offered on any of the days of paflover; but a goat; as is faid, Numb. xxviii. 22. "And one goat for a fin-offering, to make an atonement for you."

Second, concerning what is faid in ver. 23. "And feven days of the feaft, he shall ofter a burnt-offering to the LORD, seven bulls, and feven rams without blemish," &c. This differs greatly from the commandment in the law concerning the offerings of the paffover; for there it is faid*, "Two young bulls, and one ram, and feven lambs of the first year:" whereas, Ezekiel has added to

Numb. xxviii. 19.

the