Then the man brought me back to the east gateway in the outer wall of the Temple area, but it was closed. And the LORD said to me, “This gate must remain closed; it will never again be opened. No one will ever open it and pass through, for the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered here. Therefore, it must always remain shut. Only the prince himself may sit inside this gateway to feast in the LORD’s presence. But he may come and go only through the entry room of the gateway.”

Then the man brought me through the north gateway to the front of the Temple. I looked and saw that the glory of the LORD filled the Temple of the LORD, and I fell face down on the ground.

Ezekiel 44:1-4

And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple.
Ezekiel 43:12

• After the detailed architectural tour of the new temple in chapter 40, Ezekiel is brought back to the east gate of the outer court. 
• This gate is particularly significant because it is the same gate through which the glory of the Lord had departed the first temple (Ezekiel 10:19; 11:23) and through which it will now re-enter the new temple (Ezekiel 43:1-5). 
• The scene is set for a powerful object lesson on God's holiness and the new order of worship. 
• The exiles would have understood this gate to be the primary entrance, so its permanent closure would be a shocking and profound statement.
• The most striking detail is that the east gate, the main entrance, is shut and will remain shut. The reason is explicitly stated: "because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered by it." 
• This act of shutting the gate forever symbolizes the permanence of God's presence. Unlike the first temple, which God's glory abandoned due to the people's idolatry, this new temple will be a place of His constant, unwavering presence.
• The final verse, Ezekiel 44:4, is a powerful moment of climax. Ezekiel is brought to the north gate and sees the glory of the Lord filling the temple. 
• He immediately falls on his face, just as he did in his first vision (Ezekiel 1:28). This confirms that the vision is not merely about a building, but about the glorious return of God's presence to His people.
• The closed gate reminds us that God's presence is not to be taken for granted or treated casually. His holiness requires reverence and separation. We should approach God with awe, not with presumption.
• The New Testament teaches that believers, collectively, are now the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). The permanence of God's presence in Ezekiel's vision is fulfilled in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer.
• Christ, Our Gate: In John 10:9, Jesus says, "I am the gate." He is the exclusive way to the Father. He entered through the cross once for all, and no one else can replicate that sacrifice. This passage can be seen as a symbolic foreshadowing of Christ's singular role as the one through whom we can access God's presence.
• The shutting of the east gate signifies the permanent, holy presence of God among His people.
• God's plan for restoration is centered on His presence, not just on a building.
• We can see the fulfillment of this vision in Christ, who is our only way to God, and in the Holy Spirit, who makes us a living temple.

Consider daily the fact that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer. We are the Temple. Our lives should reflect that truth.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Romans 12:1-2