Closure and limited access to the head of state are predicated of both
the outer (33:1-3) and inner east gates. Since the outer east gate could be
approached via the other gates, it was kept permanently closed. However, in the
case of the inner east gate, it had to be opened, if the head of state was to
have access, since there was no other point of entry, the inner court being off
limits to all but priests (cf. v 8). The closure of both gates was to
commemorate Yahweh’s entry through them when he came to take up permanent
residence in the new temple. The head of state had the privilege of passing
through the porch at the outer end of the gatehouse (cf. 40;31, 34) and standing
at the inner end, at the point to which 45:19b refers, in order to witness the
priests’ sacrificing his offerings and to perform there a gesture of obeisance,
kneeling with head pressed to the ground. Leaving the gate open allowed the
people to look from the other side of the gateway in the outer court, as they
chose to come during the holiday to perform their act of worship (cf. Ps
5:8[7]). Even if for most the outer steps and the 75 foot long corridor blocked
their vision, the open door would provide at least a token of intimacy each
week and month. The content of the holocaust mentioned in v. 2 is spelled out
in vv. 4-7, along with the accompanying cereal offerings, which were moistened
with oil (cf. Num 28:9-15). (Leslie C. Allen, Ezekiel 30-48 [Word Biblical
Commentary 29; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan Academic, 1990], 267)
