48:1 “These are the names of the tribes: From the northern end beside the road of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan (which is on the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath), extending from the east side to the west, Dan will have one portion. 48:2 Next to the border of Dan, from the east side to the west, Asher will have one portion. 48:3 Next to the border of Asher from the east side to the west, Naphtali will have one portion. 48:4 Next to the border of Naphtali from the east side to the west, Manasseh will have one portion. 48:5 Next to the border of Manasseh from the east side to the west, Ephraim will have one portion. 48:6 Next to the border of Ephraim from the east side to the west, Reuben will have one portion. 48:7 Next to the border of Reuben from the east side to the west, Judah will have one portion. 

During the Millennial Kingdom, the tribes of Dan (v. 1), Asher (v. 2), Naphtali (v. 3), Manasseh (v. 4), Ephraim (v. 5), Reuben (v. 6), and Judah (v. 7) will receive land north of the Millennial Temple.

48:8 “Next to the border of Judah from the east side to the west will be the allotment you must set apart. It is to be eight and a quarter miles wide, and the same length as one of the tribal portions, from the east side to the west; the sanctuary will be in the middle of it. 48:9 The allotment you set apart to the Lord will be eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width. 48:10 These will be the allotments for the holy portion: for the priests, toward the north eight and a quarter miles in length, toward the west three and one-third miles in width, toward the east three and one-third miles in width, and toward the south eight and a quarter miles in length; the sanctuary of the Lord will be in the middle. 48:11 This will be for the priests who are set apart from the descendants of Zadok who kept my charge and did not go astray when the people of Israel strayed off, like the Levites did. 48:12 It will be their portion from the allotment of the land, a most holy place, next to the border of the Levites. 48:13 “Alongside the border of the priests, the Levites will have an allotment eight and a quarter miles in length and three and one-third miles in width. The whole length will be eight and a quarter miles and the width three and one-third miles. 48:14 They must not sell or exchange any of it; they must not transfer this choice portion of land, for it is set apart to the Lord. 48:15 “The remainder, one and two-thirds miles in width and eight and a quarter miles in length, will be for common use by the city, for houses and for open space. The city will be in the middle of it; 48:16 these will be its measurements: The north side will be one and one-half miles, the south side one and one-half miles, the east side one and one-half miles, and the west side one and one-half miles. 48:17 The city will have open spaces: On the north there will be 437½ feet, on the south 437½ feet, on the east 437½ feet, and on the west 437½ feet. 48:18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment will be three and one-third miles to the east and three and one-third miles toward the west, and it will be beside the holy allotment. Its produce will be for food for the workers of the city. 48:19 The workers of the city from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it. 48:20 The whole allotment will be eight and a quarter miles square, you must set apart the holy allotment with the possession of the city. 48:21 “The rest, on both sides of the holy allotment and the property of the city, will belong to the prince. Extending from the eight and a quarter miles of the holy allotment to the east border, and westward from the eight and a quarter miles to the west border, alongside the portions, it will belong to the prince. The holy allotment and the sanctuary of the temple will be in the middle of it. 48:22 The property of the Levites and of the city will be in the middle of that which belongs to the prince. The portion between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin will be for the prince. 

The center part of the land is the most sacred. The sanctuary, the priest’s portion, the Levite’s portion, the city of Jerusalem itself, and the prince’s portion (David’s living area) will all be included in this geographical center of the land.

48:23 “As for the rest of the tribes: From the east side to the west side, Benjamin will have one portion. 48:24 Next to the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon will have one portion. 48:25 Next to the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar will have one portion. 48:26 Next to the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun will have one portion. 48:27 Next to the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad will have one portion. 48:28 Next to the border of Gad, at the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath Kadesh, to the Stream of Egypt and on to the Great Sea. 48:29 This is the land which you will allot to the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the sovereign Lord. 

Benjamin (v. 23), Simeon (v. 24), Issachar (v. 25), Zebulun (v. 26), and Gad (v. 27) will be given the lower section of the land of Israel. The Millennial land allotments will be different from the previous allotments of Joshua.

48:30 “These are the exits of the city: On the north side, one and one-half miles by measure, 48:31 the gates of the city will be named for the tribes of Israel; there will be three gates to the north: one gate for Reuben, one gate for Judah, and one gate for Levi. 

The Millennial Jerusalem will contain 12 gates, 3 on each side. The three gates on the north side will be closest to the sanctuary. They will be named after Reuben, Judah, and Levi. Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob’s 12 sons. Judah was the royal tribe which carried the messianic seed. Levi was the tribe of the priesthood. All three of these tribes were children of Jacob’s first wife Leah.

48:32 On the east side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Joseph, one gate for Benjamin, and one gate for Dan. 

The eastern gate will be named after Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan. Since the Levites were given a gate, Ephraim and Manasseh were combined into the one tribe of Joseph. Joseph and Benjamin were sons of Rachel. Dan was the first son of Rachel’s concubine, Bilhah.

48:33 On the south side, one and one-half miles by measure, there will be three gates: one gate for Simeon, one gate for Issachar, and one gate for Zebulun. 

The southern gate will be named after Simeon, Issachar, and Zebulun. These three boys were also born to Leah.

48:34 On the west side, one and one-half miles in length, there will be three gates: one gate for Gad, one gate for Asher, and one gate for Naphtali. 

The western gates were named after Gad, Asher, and Naphtali. These three tribes descended from sons of Jacob’s concubines. Gad and Asher were born to Zilpah, Naphtali was born to Bilhah.

48:35 The circumference of the city will be six miles. The name of the city from that day forward will be: ‘The Lord Is There.’ ”

The Shechinah Glory formally dwelt with Israel in the wilderness tabernacle and in the Holy of Holies of the Jerusalem temple. Ezekiel saw the Shechinah leave the city just before the Babylonian Captivity. He saw the Shechinah Glory re-enter the city during the Millennial Kingdom. Ezekiel had prophetically repeated that God would return to dwell again with His people. During the Millennial Kingdom, Israel will no longer worship demonic idols. Israel will enjoy the Lord’s holy presence. Ezekiel ended his prophetic book with יְהוָ֥ה ׀ שָֽׁמָּה׃ (Jehovah Shamah), meaning “the Lord is there.” If taken literally, then Jehovah will once again dwell with His people, even if the Amillennialists and Postmillennialists heretically disagree.