Ezekiel chapter 40
Ezekiel is shown the new temple. The outer court. The inner court.
EZEKIEL IS SHOWN THE NEW TEMPLE
VERSE 1. In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck, in the same day, the LORD’s hand was on me, and he brought me there.
In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity. The date is sometime in 573 BC.
the LORD’s hand was on me. That is, “The hand of the LORD came upon me” (NAB translation).
VERSE 2. In the visions of God he brought me into Eretz-Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was something like the frame of a city to the south.
In the visions of God. That is, “in divine visions” (NAB translation).
in divine visions. In a mystical vision, the LORD God takes Ezekiel to the New Jerusalem.
A vision is a blessing from God, given for a divine purpose. In Ezekiel’s case, the vision fulfills three purposes:
- The vision edified Ezekiel personally
- The vision became his spoken message for the nation
- The vision became a part of the Bible
Here are three insights regarding a vision:
INSIGHT 1. Don’t get arrogant about it. The LORD God could have given that vision to anyone. You didn’t merit it.
INSIGHT 2. Don’t think that receiving a vision is some great spiritual attainment. There are many spiritual experiences that are far more important than a mystic vision. Some of the worst people in the Bible were favored with a vision.
INSIGHT 3. Don’t desire a vision. If the LORD God wishes you to have a vision, he will give it to you, whether you want it or not.
And if he doesn’t have one for you, you can’t make it happen.
If you go around longing too much for some vision or other, you might inadvertently create a fake one. Then you delude yourself into thinking it was real.
VERSE 3. He brought me there; and, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.
a man whose appearance was that of bronze. This might be an angel.
VERSE 4. The man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart on all that I will show you; for you have been brought here so that I may show them to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
set your heart on all that I will show you. Ezekiel is to pay close attention.
2 Peter 1:19. Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. (NLT translation)
THE OUTER COURT
VERSE 5. Behold, there was a wall on the outside of the house all around, and in the man’s hand a measuring reed six cubits long, of a cubit and a hand width each. So he measured the thickness of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.
outside of the house. In chapters 40 to 43, Ezekiel is being shown the new temple. People interpret these chapters in three different ways:
- Ezekiel predicts a rebuilding of Solomon’s temple after the Babylonian Captivity.
- Ezekiel prophesies in a figurative way; he does not have a literal temple in mind.
- A literal temple will be built during the future millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth.
cubit. A normal cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
hand width. A handbreadth is about 4.3 inches or 11 centimeters.
So the long cubit described here would be about 22.3 inches or 57 centimeters long. Thus, a 6 long cubit measuring reed would have been about 3 yards 26.6 inches or about 3.42 meters long.
he measured. This is also described in Revelation chapter 11:
Revelation 11:1. A reed like a rod was given to me. Someone said, “Rise, and measure God’s temple, and the altar, and those who worship in it..
VERSE 6. Then he came to the gate which looks toward the east, and went up its steps. He measured the threshold of the gate, one reed wide; and the other threshold, one reed wide.
VERSE 7. Every lodge was one reed long and one reed wide. Between the lodges was five cubits. The threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate toward the house was one reed.
VERSE 8. He measured also the porch of the gate toward the house, one reed.
VERSE 9. Then he measured the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and its posts, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was toward the house.
VERSE 10. The side rooms of the gate eastward were three on this side, and three on that side. The three of them were of one measure. The posts had one measure on this side and on that side.
VERSE 11. He measured the width of the opening of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits;
VERSE 12. and a border before the lodges, one cubit on this side, and a border, one cubit on that side; and the side rooms, six cubits on this side, and six cubits on that side.
VERSE 13. He measured the gate from the roof of the one side room to the roof of the other, a width of twenty-five cubits, door against door.
VERSE 14. He also made posts, sixty cubits; and the court reached to the posts, around the gate.
VERSE 15. From the forefront of the gate at the entrance to the forefront of the inner porch of the gate were fifty cubits.
VERSE 16. There were closed windows to the side rooms, and to their posts within the gate all around, and likewise to the arches. Windows were around inward. Palm trees were on each post.
VERSE 17. Then he brought me into the outer court. Behold, there were rooms and a pavement made for the court all around. Thirty rooms were on the pavement.
VERSE 18. The pavement was by the side of the gates, corresponding to the length of the gates, even the lower pavement.
VERSE 19. Then he measured the width from the forefront of the lower gate to the forefront of the inner court outside, one hundred cubits, both on the east and on the north.
VERSE 20. He measured the length and width of the gate of the outer court which faces toward the north.
VERSE 21. The lodges of it were three on this side and three on that side. Its posts and its arches were the same as the measure of the first gate: its length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.
VERSE 22. Its windows, its arches, and its palm trees were the same as the measure of the gate which faces toward the east. They went up to it by seven steps. Its arches were before them.
VERSE 23. There was a gate to the inner court facing the other gate, on the north and on the east. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate.
VERSE 24. He led me toward the south; and behold, there was a gate toward the south. He measured its posts and its arches according to these measurements.
VERSE 25. There were windows in it and in its arches all around, like the other windows: the length was fifty cubits, and the width twenty-five cubits.
VERSE 26. There were seven steps to go up to it, and its arches were before them. It had palm trees, one on this side, and another on that side, on its posts.
VERSE 27. There was a gate to the inner court toward the south. He measured one hundred cubits from gate to gate toward the south.
THE INNER COURT
VERSE 28. Then he brought me to the inner court by the south gate. He measured the south gate according to these measurements;
VERSE 29. with its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.
VERSE 30. There were arches all around, twenty-five cubits long and five cubits wide.
VERSE 31. Its arches were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts. The ascent to it had eight steps.
VERSE 32. He brought me into the inner court toward the east. He measured the gate according to these measurements;
VERSE 33. with its lodges, its posts, and its arches, according to these measurements. There were windows in it and in its arches all around. It was fifty cubits long, and twenty-five cubits wide.
VERSE 34. Its arches were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.
VERSE 35. He brought me to the north gate, and he measured it according to these measurements—
VERSE 36. its lodges, its posts, and its arches. There were windows in it all around. The length was fifty cubits and the width twenty-five cubits.
VERSE 37. Its posts were toward the outer court. Palm trees were on its posts on this side and on that side. The ascent to it had eight steps.
VERSE 38. A room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there.
VERSE 39. In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering.
VERSE 40. On the one side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables.
VERSE 41. Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables, on which they killed the sacrifices.
VERSE 42. There were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. They laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them.
VERSE 43. The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was on the tables.
VERSE 44. Outside of the inner gate were rooms for the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the north gate. They faced toward the south. One at the side of the east gate faced toward the north.
VERSE 45. He said to me, “This room, which faces toward the south, is for the priests who perform the duty of the house.
VERSE 46. The room which faces toward the north is for the priests who perform the duty of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to the LORD to minister to him.”
VERSE 47. He measured the court, one hundred cubits long and one hundred cubits wide, square. The altar was before the house.
VERSE 48. Then he brought me to the porch of the house, and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side, and five cubits on that side. The width of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.
VERSE 49. The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the width eleven cubits, even by the steps by which they went up to it. There were pillars by the posts, one on this side, and another on that side.
EZEKIEL
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48
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