Ezekiel 48:7 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

And by the border of Reuben, &c., a portion for Judah From the 1st verse to the 7th, the situation of seven of the twelve tribes is described, which were placed on the north side of the holy portion, the length of Judea, from north to south, being divided into twelve equal parts, (see Ezekiel 47:14,) besides the allotment for the holy portion and for the prince, and the city and temple being placed where they formerly stood. Hence it was necessary that there should be seven shares on the north side of that allotment, and but five on the south side; Jerusalem not standing in the middle of the Holy Land, but more toward the south, as will appear to any one that consults an accurate map of Judea. Many learned men are of opinion, that this particular description of the several portions allotted to the tribes, relates to the settlement of the Jews in their own country, after their conversion to Christianity. Certainly several passages in the prophets bear this aspect: see particularly chap. 36. and 37. of this prophecy. “But without laying too great a stress upon this opinion, we may reasonably suppose that some mystical sense is contained under this description. By the twelve tribes the pure Christian Church is sometimes signified in the New Testament: see Luke 22:3; Revelation 7:4, in which latter book twelve is a hieroglyphical number, denoting the true church, built upon the doctrine of the twelve apostles: see Revelation 12:1; Revelation 21:14. By the same analogy, the number of a hundred and forty and four thousand, (Revelation 7:4; Revelation 14:1,) signifies the church of true Christians, who continue steadfast in the apostolical doctrine, twelve being the square root out of which that number arises; so this division of the land among the twelve tribes may imply, that all true Christians shall be equally sharers in the privileges of the gospel.”