Ezekiel 40:1-3
It was April 28th of 573BC when the Lord took Ezekiel in the Spirit, forward in time, to a temple not yet built. They had been in captivity 25 years, and it had been 14 years since the fall of Jerusalem. Rosh Hashanah, the beginning of the year. This is the first of Nissan. The 10th day would be approaching Passover; the day you would select your Passover lamb. Ezekiel was set on a high mountain – see Revelation 21:10 for similar vision. He was shown the land and city and then taken into the city. There was a man, the angel of the Lord (compare with Ezekiel 8:2). In His hand was a line of flax and a rod, both tools of measurement (see also Zechariah 2:1=2).
Ezekiel 40:4-5
This angel of the Lord spoke to Ezekiel in this vision, calling him 'Son of man'. This is the same name Yahweh used. Ezekiel was to use his eyes, ears and fix his mind what he was about to see. The understanding was more than sight and sound, it was also mind, or we could say heart. The Hebrew word means the center of a person's thoughts, emotions and knowledge of right and wrong. To 'fix' his mind upon this was to look with authority and be conclusive about it. We might say it, 'Pay attention and you'll find out how important it is." It was for this purpose Ezekiel would be shown these things, to testify of them to Israel. Ezekiel will begin to look like a Moses figure as he views the pattern of the temple and takes it down to the people.
There is great debate about what Temple is being described. Some argue it is Solomon's temple, but there are differences eliminating that. The temples past and future:
- Tabernacle – mobile
- Temple built by Solomon – destroyed by Babylon
- 2nd temple built by Nehemiah
- Herod's temple was remodel of Nehemiah's – done to gain popularity with the people – destroyed in 70A.D.
- There appears to be a temple in the tribulation period.
- Millennial temple.
The most common view of Ezekiel's temple is that it is the Millennial temple.
The first prominent feature he saw was a wall around the temple. This would be the separation of the holy from the profane. The angel had a measuring rod. It was six long cubits; a normal cubit was 18" long. A long cubit added another handbreadth, which was 3 additional inches, making it 21" long. The rod was six long cubits making it 10.5 ft. long. The wall was then measured by the rod showing Ezekiel it was 10.5 ft high and 10.5 ft thick.
Ezekiel 40:6-16
The East gate is important & prominent. It is from the east gate the presence of the Lord left the temple in 10:19. The details given are incredible. The 3 chambers on each side with windows in them were found in antiquity and were used for guards or for judges giving judgments at the gate. Jerusalem is often thought of as the center of the universe. That makes the temple the focal point of the center, the heart of the city. This makes the gate all important as the way someone made their way toward the inside, to holiness, to the presence of God.
Ezekiel 40:17-19
As you entered the east gate, you were walking west. Leaving the confines of the gate you would suddenly find yourself in an open court. All around the perimeter of the court was paving and chambers, or small rooms. We don't know the purpose of these chambers. The word is used extensively in the old testament, most often in some reference to rooms or offices at the temple. From the inner part of the wall to the outer part of the inner court was 100 cubits (175 ft or 58.3 yards).
Ezekiel 40:20-27
The gateway facing north and the gate facing south are identical to the east gate. The northern gate mentions 7 steps up. As you moved toward the center of the temple there was in increase in holiness; likewise, there is an ascension also. Leaving the profane world, you stepped up seven steps entering the outer court.
Ezekiel 40:28-37
Ezekiel was then taken to the inner court through the southern gateway. The gateway measurements are the same as the outer court gateways. These are 40 ft wide by 90 ft long. Entering through would be intimidating, making any person feel small and insignificant. Of course, we are exactly that in the presence of God. At the entrance to the gate, moving from the outer court you ascended 8 more steps. This is one more than the 7 of the outer court to mark the increase in holiness. As one moved closer to the holy place it would be intimidating and humbling.
The east gate and north gateway were identical as Ezekiel watched the messenger of God measure the gates from the inner court facing the outer court.
Ezekiel 40:38-43
Ezekiel's tour to the north gate is still in view. He saw a chamber at the entrance by the gate where they would wash the burnt offering. Then in the vestibule of the gateway were two tables on each side where they killed the animals. Then at the vestibule on the other end of gate were 4 more tables for slaughtering the animals. Ezekiel was in the inner court at north gate, it appears he is describing in reverse the processing of a sacrifice. At the entrance it would be slaughtered and certain parts taken away. Then at the next tables cut up as prescribed, depending on the animal and type of sacrifice. Then as it made its way toward the altar in courtyard, it was washed at the gate.
You can read of the slaughter of sacrifices in Leviticus 1. Verse 11 says the offering of the flocks shall be slaughtered on the north side of the altar. Why the north? There is the traditional site of Christs crucifixion and burial and then there is Gordon's Calvary which is a more northern site. Maybe the true site is straight north of the altar.
Ezekiel 40:44-46
The Zadokites, priests from the sons of Levi will be those who 'have charge' of the altar and the temple. These men are guards, stationed at the north and south gates respectively. The north chamber housed those guarding the sanctity of the temple. The south chambers housed those guarding the sanctity of the altar.
This gives us an interesting picture as we, in Christ, are a royal priesthood
(1 Peter 2:9-10); and since our body is a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) we are to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:6-7).
Ezekiel 40:47-49
The inner court is a kind of front yard to the temple building itself. It is about 175' square. The vestibule is the entrance or a kind of foyer to the holy place. The door posts of the vestibule were a little over 8.5 feet. The doorways were over 5' wide on both ends of this 35' long and 19' wide vestibule with steps leading up to it. The Septuagint (Greek translation) says there are 10 steps here. The word 'which' in our NKJV is nearly the same word as '10' in Hebrew; slight difference in one letter and sounding the same when spoken. (Some translations say 10 steps; ESV, NRSV)
Again, walking into this would give any human a sense of just how small we are; and yet, it still doesn't come close to giving us a sense of how big He is. There is the ascension as you would again go up the steps reminding you that you are approaching the holiness of God.
©2020 Doug Ford
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