Ezekiel 46:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

On feast days and solemn observances, there will be specified offerings: one ephah for the calf and one for the ram, with the number of flour offerings for the lambs determined by what each individual can offer, accompanied by a hin of oil for each ephah. This prince is described as one who enters through the vestibule of the gate, using the same gate for entry and exit: he possesses the power over his life, allowed to lay it down and take it back again. Just as he approaches us, he ascends to heaven with the same authority unique to his greatness. He does not require annual festivities to mark special days, for every moment serves as a celebration for him. In contrast, the people observe the feasts and sacred times but do not enter via the same gate, going in and out through designated paths. It is stated that when the people gather before the Lord during the festivals, the one who enters via the north gate for worship shall exit through the south gate, while vice versa applies as well. This instruction pertains not only to those leaving Sodom, warned not to look back (Gen. 19:17), nor solely to those who draw their weapons and shouldn’t glance back, but also to worshippers in God’s house, who are to refrain from returning to their former, frail ways. Having begun in the Spirit, they must avoid ending in the flesh, instead growing in spiritual abundance, echoing the Apostle's exhortation: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13). They should not have partial knowledge nor partial prophecy, but strive for completeness, as human nature can attain according to the Gospel: when all things are accomplished, they shall say, “We are unworthy servants; we have done what we ought to do” (Luke 17:10). Therefore, the Apostle, in the same letter, reflects on two forms of perfection; as an imperfect one, he acknowledges not having arrived at fulfillment but continues to pursue the ultimate realization presented to him by Christ (Phil. 3:12). He then states, as a mature believer: forgetting what is behind, I press forward to this singular objective, reaching for the honor of the highest calling. If we are indeed mature, let us hold true to this understanding (Phil. 3:13-15). It raises the question: how can the individual who admits to not having achieved perfection also call for maturity? It is evident that every person, despite achieving a measure of perfection, still requires God's mercy, thus receiving true perfection through grace, not through their own merit. Consequently, it is instructed that if the individuals of the earth enter worship through the north gate, they must exit at the south gate. This is directed towards the Gentiles, who, having left the northern gate—where evil is ignited—enter the temple and can exit only through the southern gate, the gate of light and warmth, where the bridegroom rests at midday (Song 1). This is echoed in the Song of Songs, where it is proclaimed: arise from the north and depart from the south (Song 4:16). Conversely, for those entering from the southern gate, they must exit via the northern gate. This pertains to the Jews, who, upon abandoning the gate of light, move towards the northern gate, noted for its fierce winds (Proverbs 25). The cauldron in Jeremiah (Jer. 1) is kindled from the northern side. Another way to express this is: one who forsakes sin enters through the northern gate, while one who embraces virtue exits through the southern gate. Conversely, if a righteous person falls into sin, entering through the southern gate, they will exit through the northern gate. The prince stands among them, existing alongside both those who enter and those who exit, as written: “He is in the midst of you, whom you do not know” (John 1:26). The apostle further affirms: “Do you not know that Christ is in you?” (2 Cor. 13:5). If it’s said that those who are unaware of Christ’s presence among them, how much more is it true for those who have knowledge? When Christ is among those who know him, the body remains dead to sin, while the spirit is alive in righteousness. The prince enters with those who enter and departs with those who depart, serving as a witness to both virtue and sin. Thus, for every feast and solemn occasion—including the Sabbaths and every celebration mentioned earlier—there shall be prescribed an ephah offering for every bull and ram. As for the lambs, their number remains undetermined, and each individual should not offer according to mere desire but according to their ability, accompanied by a hin of oil for each ephah, enabling the flour to be anointed and the lamp lit before the Lord, allowing him who uses it to affirm: "But I am like an olive tree, flourishing in the house of God" (Psalm 51:10).