Ezekiel 46:10Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

This prince is the one described: “And the prince shall enter in through the vestibule of the gate, and through one and the same gate shall he enter in and out.” He possesses the freedom to lay down his life and to take it up again, embodying the divine authority unique to his exalted position. He does not require festivals or special days, as every moment is a celebration for him. The people, however, only enter and exit during celebratory times, following varied paths. It is written: “And when the people of the land shall come before the Lord on feasts, he that enters by the north gate to worship shall go out by the south gate, and he that enters by the south gate shall go out by the north gate.” This teaching extends to those fleeing Sodom with the command to “not look back” and likewise applies to those in the house of the Lord, urging them not to gaze backward nor revert to weak material principles. They must begin in the spirit and strive to flourish within that realm, echoing the words of the Apostle: “Forgetting the past, but reaching forward to what lies ahead.” They should not partially know or prophesy, but seek maturity, attaining the perfection imaginable within the Gospel’s guiding principles: “When you have done all things, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have done what we ought to do.’” Thus, the Apostle in the same letter mentions two forms of perfection, acknowledging his own incompleteness: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Immediately following this, he speaks from a place of maturity: “But this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward to what is ahead.” If we are perfect, let us be reflective in this matter. The reconciliation between the two statements is clear: all individuals, despite any attained perfection, still rely on God’s mercy, receiving complete perfection through grace rather than by works. Therefore, it is mandated that if someone enters for worship through the north gate, they must exit through the south gate. This directive is meant for the Gentiles, who, having left the north, where iniquity arises, and having entered the temple, can exit only through the south, the gateway of light and warmth where the Bridegroom rests at midday. This is affirmed in the Song of Songs, which states: “Arise, north wind, and come, south!” Those entering through the southern gate must exit by the northern gate. This pertains to the Jewish people, who, departing the gate of light, approach the north gate, associated with fierce winds, as noted in Proverbs. Moreover, even Jeremiah referenced the cauldron being stirred from the north. In another sense, one who forsakes sin enters through the north gate, while one who lives righteously departs through the south gate; conversely, a righteous person who succumbs to sin, though entering by the south gate, exits by the north. However, the prince remains among them, as written: “He stands among you, whom you do not know.” The Apostle reminds: “Or do you not know that Christ is in you?” If it is stated that Christ stands among those unaware of his presence, how much more does this apply to those who are aware? When Christ resides among the informed, the body remains dead to sin while the spirit thrives in righteousness. The prince comes alongside those who enter and leaves with those who exit, testifying to both virtue and vice. Thus, during the sacred times resembling Sabbaths and significant feasts, provisions shall include an ephah of flour for every offered bull and ram. The quantity of lambs is not predetermined nor left to personal discretion; rather, it is expected that each individual provides in proportion to their abilities and good conscience. Additionally, a gallon of oil is specified for each ephah, ensuring that the flour is anointed and the lamp is illuminated before the Lord, so that one may affirm: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God.”